Desert Survival Skills Practice Part One Checking the Dry Stream Bed

Desert Survival Skills Practice Part One Checking the Dry Stream Bed

Dry Stream Bed

Spent some time following a dry stream bed to see if we could locate some shallow pools of water. When checked, the ground was fairly moist just below the surface and several locals indicated that there had been some rain recently in the area. This indicated that there was an extremely good chance of finding a source of water nearby.

Being able to read the signs and then using them to find a source of water can be extremely critical to your ability to survive in a desert environment.

When youre spending some time in the desert, its a good time to practicing your desert survival skills.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Desert Survival Skills Practice Part One Checking the Dry Stream Bed

Urban Survival Tools Part One

Urban Survival Tools Part One

Urban Survival Tool

Many times the tools shown being used for survival deal with rural or wilderness settings. The truth of the matter is that far more of us will be dealing with survival in an urban setting. The vast majority of people dont live in remote wilderness areas but instead must deal with the problems of surviving in an urban environment. If things go bad or take a turn for the worse, you may wish you had a different set of tools to get the job done.

In my next series of posts, we will take a look at the various kinds and types of tools you may need for urban survival. Even the simplest of tools can make an extreme difference when viewed from the perspective of an urban environment. There are many unique challenges to surviving in an urban setting. Hopefully you will have the right tools when needed.

In Part Two, we will do a real "world test" of  the Smith & Wesson Extraction & Evasion Tool.

Got urban survival tools?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Urban Survival Tools Part One

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Four Ranger Beads

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Four Ranger Beads

Ranger Beads

Ranger beads were originally developed by military personnel as a means of gauging distances when traveling by foot. Also known as “pace beads”, they are easy to make and can assist you in determining distances that you have traveled. When combined with a good compass, they make an excellent tool to assist hikers or the well-dressed survivalist.

Ranger beads are merely a lanyard (usually made from paracord) that has two sets of beads separated by a knot. The bottom part has nine beads and the top part has five beads. Moving the beads helps you to keep track and calculate the distances you have traveled based on your pace count.

Your “pace count” is determined by how many steps it takes for you to walk 100 meters. For every 100 meters you travel, you simply move one of the nine lower beads up the lanyard. When you have traveled 1000 meters, move one of the five top beads up and pull all of the lower beads back down. This will reset your beads and indicate that you have traveled one kilometer (or “click”). You can measure distances up to five kilometers with a set of ranger beads configured in this manner (see above pic).

You can also visit a friend of mine. Army Ranger Rick at  Survival Outdoor Skills has even more survival tips and tricks for you to check out.

Got ranger beads?

Riverwalker

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Four Ranger Beads

Urban Survival Tools Part Three Making a Positive Connection

Urban Survival Tools Part Three Making a Positive Connection

When it comes to transportation in an urban environment, you probably won’t be throwing a saddle on your horse when you need to “get out of Dodge”. You’ll most likely be cranking up the four-wheeled urban version instead.  There is a simple tool that will be needed to fix one of the main problems that occurs with a mechanical form of transportation. This tool is a good set of heavy duty battery booster cables.

Whether it’s an interior dome light left on, a weak alternator or simply a weak battery, a good set of heavy duty battery booster cables can often “make your day”. Unless you have a manual transmission in your vehicle, there’s little else that can help get a vehicle with a weak battery started (pushing a vehicle with an automatic transmission doesnt work). Until you do get it started, you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Don’t waste your money on a cheap set of booster cables. These could create a possible fire hazard and this would create additional problems you don’t need. A good heavy duty set of booster cables arent that expensive ($20 to $25) and you’ll be glad you had them when and if they are needed.

Just remember to keep a set of booster cables in your vehicle.

Got booster cables?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Urban Survival Tools Part Three Making a Positive Connection

Threats to Survival Part One Darkness Friend or Foe

Threats to Survival Part One Darkness Friend or Foe

Many times the greatest threat to our survival is influenced by irrational fears. While there is some basis to our fears, it is our understanding of those fears which will strongly affect the outcome of our survival. Learning to cope with these fears requires a basic knowledge of why we have developed an irrational response to threats to our survival.

Many of us have a basic fear of the darkness. This is due to a variety of factors from our own life experiences. Tales of the boogeyman when we were young made us fearful of the dark but had little or no foundation in the truth. It was simply a way parents controlled unruly children but their actions also instilled a healthy respect for the dangers that can be encountered in the dark. Many dangers of the dark are real but many of the dangers are ones of our own making.

Simply put, darkness is the absence of light. Thus the ability to conquer any fear begins with a thorough understanding of that fear. This is important in order to develop ways to conquer the darkness that will alleviate our fears. One of our most severe shortcomings is our inability to see in the darkness. Our night vision is extremely poor and pales in comparison to other creatures present in our world. This creates problems when it becomes necessary for us to move about or perform tasks in the darkness. Even the simple task of moving from one place to another can create a dangerous situation. We risk injury from falling or tripping over an object even in the safe confines of our home if we move about in the dark unaided.

The darkness comprises nearly half of our existence and it is necessary to deal with this fact. One of the means to conquer a fear of the dark is to combat it with its opposite. Light can banish the darkness and reduce our fears. A flashlight, a simple candle or a roaring campfire can and will help to reduce your fear of the dark. You have given yourself the means and ability to see things more clearly. Those dangers which lurk in the dark have now been brought into the light and your safety and well-being is increased.

The darkness can hide many things. This is the reason a majority of predators; including the two-legged variety, use the darkness to disguise their movements. The darkness can also be your friend because it can hide your presence or activities if necessary. The important thing is to use the qualities of darkness to your advantage to increase your chances of survival.

The darkness is both friend and foe. While we are basically creatures more accustomed to sunlight, it is your actions and a rational response to the darkness that will ultimately determine the outcome of your survival. Understanding our physical limitations caused by darkness and using relevant actions to overcome them will prevent the darkness from becoming your enemy.

Got dark?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Threats to Survival Part One Darkness Friend or Foe

Maintaining Your Internet Security Part One Prepping and Passwords

Maintaining Your Internet Security Part One Prepping and Passwords

With the increase in the use of technology, there also come new hazards to our security. Whether you are shopping online or merely checking your email, you may be placing yourself at risk without realizing it. One of the best ways to protect yourself in this technological environment is to use the best passwords possible to safeguard your accounts and activities.

In the modern day world of internet use, it doesnt hurt to be a little paranoid about your passwords. The strength and viability of a password depends on a number of different factors. These usually include the following items:

1) The different types of characters used in the password.

2) The length of the password (total number of characters used).

3) Can the password can be found in a dictionary.

4.) Passwords should contain a minimum of eight (8) or more characters.

5) Passwords should contain a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers.

You can visit this link to check the strength of your passwords and determine if they need to be upgraded to a more secure password:

https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx?WT.mc_id=Site_Link

                                              

Don’t inadvertently expose yourself to needless risk. Make sure you use strong passwords to protect yourself when using the internet.

Got strong passwords?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Maintaining Your Internet Security Part One Prepping and Passwords

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Three The Paracord Keychain

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Three The Paracord Keychain

You don’t have to wear a boonie hat loaded with paracord or a paracord bracelet in order to have a supply of paracord handy. Paracord is still a versatile and very useful item that you will want to have available for emergencies. One simple alternative is to use a paracord keychain. This allows you to have your paracord handy and you won’t have to make any fashion decisions while you’re doing it. You can also add a light or a whistle to your keychain to make it a good old survival keychain.

Get one with a carabiner clip and you can fasten it to your jeans, your BOB, or just about anywhere else you may decide to hang it. This way youll be able to keep your keys handy.

Got survival keychain?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

The Well Dressed Survivalist Part Three The Paracord Keychain

Desert Survival Skills Practice Part Two Water Wildlife and Plants

Desert Survival Skills Practice Part Two Water Wildlife and Plants

Wildlife and plants can be a good indication that water may be present in a desert environment. Water in a desert environment can be an extremely difficult item to locate. Many forms of wildlife would simply cease to exist if they were not skilled in finding sources of water. In addition to the presence of wildlife, plants can also be an indicator of recent rains or the presence of water nearby. 

Many plants in the desert will bloom profusely after a rain. This can be indication of recent rains or a source of water that is nearby. The desert willow is a prime example of this type of plant.

Many animals will also leave signs which indicate their presence. Tracks in a dry stream bed will often give away their presence in the area. Even though you may not see them, you will know theyve been in the area.

The dry stream bed eventually entered a closed canyon after about a quarter of a mile. 

At the entrance there was also a creepy crawler in the form of an orange and black millipede. The orange and black coloration is a good indication that it may have had a nasty sting or might be toxic and it was left to proceed to whatever destination it had in mind.

Inside the closed canyon there were numerous pools of water that had collected in the depressions in the rock.

There was also another creepy crawler found in one of the pools. This was a small checkered garter snake. They are also quite harmless, unlike some of the other snakes that reside in the desert.

The dry stream bed which entered the closed canyon continued on for approximately a mile before reaching a fairly steep drop off of 25 to 30 feet which would have required some additional gear to proceed any further. This is commonly referred to as a pour-off.

The drop off fed into the waters of the Rio Grande. Although the river couldnt be seen from the vantage of our starting point, by following the dry stream bed we were eventually led to the river.

Plants and wildlife are always good indicators of your natural environment. When combined with local information and knowledge of the area in which you are traveling, you will be better equipped to handle the challenges of a natural environment.

Nature will always give you the signs you need to survive but you will need to be able to recognize them. 

Got desert skills?

Staying above the dry stream bed!

Riverwalker 

Desert Survival Skills Practice Part Two Water Wildlife and Plants

DIY Solar Project Portable Water Pump Part Two Assembly and Accessories

DIY Solar Project Portable Water Pump Part Two Assembly and Accessories

In Part One the basic planning for making a portable water pump was covered. The actual project assembly closely followed my initial plan and only a few changes were made from the original design plan.  Most of the changes in the original plan were made in order to enhance the functional operation of the portable water pump or to simplify its use.

Building a DIY Portable Water Pump - Assembly and Accessories

1. Portable Power Options - Using Solar Panels 

One of the best ways to keep any system portable is to have a convenient power source. While the choice to use battery power was inevitable, using solar panels to keep that battery power maintained would keep the system portable and there would be no need for a grid connection.

 Once a decision was made to use a couple of small solar panels to charge the portable water pump’s batteries, it became a simple task to install the panels. I didn’t want a system where you had to worry about hooking up a remote solar panel with wires running to it. A self-contained system was going to be easier to use and make things less complicated.

It turned out that two small 12 volt solar panels could be easily attached to the handle of the rolling tool box and still leave plenty of room to grip the handle. The handle was also able to be completely folded in the down position without any additional interference.

Another advantage of this set-up was that a tab stop on the handle allowed the mounted solar panels to be angled in a manner that increased the exposure of the solar panels to the sun. 

Installation of the small solar panels was a simple matter of drilling four holes in the handle and bolting the solar panels to the tool box handle.

2. Mounting the Water Pump

The water pump was then mounted to the bottom of the included toolbox storage tray. It would have been nice if the tray had offered a flatter surface on the top side. This would have made it easier to mount the pump to the tray. As a result, the pump was mounted to the underside of the tray which had a relatively flat mounting surface. I also didn’t want to leave the tray out as this would leave less storage options and also allow a set of pliers or a screwdriver to be kept handy.  

Keeping the pump mounted above the floor of the upper toolbox also allowed room for storage of the suction and discharge hoses. There is enough room for 30 feet of discharge hose and 10 feet of suction hose to be stored in the bottom of the toolbox. It was a simple task to flip the tray over in order to use the pump and deploy the suction and discharge hoses.

There were two minor problems encountered with the hoses. The first was a small weight needed to be added to the suction hose because the weight of the debris strainer  was insufficient to keep the end of the suction hose submerged. The other problem was kinking hoses caused by the pump design. This was solved by adding an elbow to the suction and discharge outlets of the pump.

Testing the pump found it to have a minimal current draw of slightly more than 2.5 amps and a surge draw of about 4 amps until the pump was primed. This is low enough that it shouldn’t place a significantly large burden on the batteries.

3. Installing the Batteries

The lower bin of the rolling toolbox offered space that could be utilized to hold a battery (or batteries) depending upon their size. Other versions of this toolbox offered a removable upper toolbox and a lower bin that was capable of holding a larger battery. The lower bin on this model of toolbox did not offer sufficient room to hold a larger deep-cycle battery (Group 24 or 27?). This also would have increased the weight factor significantly and ultimately affected its portability.

Four 6 volt / 13 amp hour AGM batteries were mounted in the bottom bin. They were wired in series and parallel and would supply ample power to the pump. A small piece of 2X4 lumber was used on each end of the bin to secure the batteries in place. The AGM batteries were also able to be mounted in any configuration since they are sealed units. The cost of batteries could have been cut in half by using only two to power the pump but I felt the additional reserve power offered by using four batteries was worth the additional cost.

There was also sufficient storage space left in the bin to hold a few additional items. These items included a grid charger, an external power supply hook-up and a bag of spare hose parts.

4. Installing the Solar Charge Controller

In order to avoid the possibility of cooking the batteries, a solar charge controller was mounted in the lower bin of the toolbox. The charge controller was mounted using Velcro patches to avoid having to work in a confined space and dealing with the real possibility of accidentally shorting the wrong wire, This made it easy  to detach the controller from the inside of the bin and pull the unit into the open to add or remove wiring as necessary.

5. Accessories

Four switches were installed on the lower sides of the toolbox to control various functions. These were a power switch that cut the main power to the charge controller and pump, a charge switch that disabled the charging function of the solar panels, a switch for an optional light was added in case it got dark before the water pumping chores were completed and a voltage switch was also included to indicate battery status without a continuous display from the voltage meter creating an additional strain on the batteries.

There could have been additional cost savings by using simple toggle switches which are considerably cheaper than the chrome plate switches actually used in the project.

The addition of a small work light added increased functionality should working conditions not have ideal lighting circumstances. This light was wired directly to the batteries and was operated with the simple flip of the switch. This allows any pumping chores to be completed even if you don’t finish before it gets dark.

An external 12 volt 120 watt plug was added to give the added option of using a larger external battery as a power source for extended operational capabilities of the pump. It can also be used to power other 12 volt accessories as needed. This was wired directly to the batteries and was protected with a 10 amp fuse.

It is important to note that it would perhaps have been better to mount the batteries in the top and the pump in the bottom. Unfortunately, this would have made the toolbox even more top-heavy that it was originally. The weight of even two small batteries would exceed the weight of the pump and make the toolbox even more unstable. Placing the batteries in the bottom section made the toolbox quite stable.

While this project cost approximately $200 to make and was completed with all new parts, it doesn’t need an extension cord to make it work. It can also go where and when it’s needed very easily. There are also areas where the costs can be decreased (batteries, switches or other accessories) and place this type of portable pump on a similar cost basis with a grid-dependent water pump.

There is one additional note about the portability of this unit. The total weight as assembled was slightly more than 25 pounds and this made it quite easy to lift over obstacles or be easily pulled over rough terrain on its wheels.

Got portable pumping power?

Staying above the water pumping line!

Riverwalker

DIY Solar Project Portable Water Pump Part Two Assembly and Accessories