Category: General

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Survival Hacks – Know them, Love them, Use them

This week we are going to focus on survival hacks tips. Mostly simple things, but some more sophisticated. But all of them worthy of your attention and application. Some of the hacks will be valuable in your everyday life as well.

We don’t always need to shell out our hard-earned dollars for solutions to common needs. Some, actually quite a few of them can be met by repurposing normal everyday items that would otherwise be considered trash.

So keep your eyes peeled for this weeks post filled with useful hacks.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Skill Development

Good afternoon,

We here at NW survival tend to spend a lot of time talking about all the things you need to have in order to survive an adverse or emergency situation, either in the city or the wild. That means actual skill development may end up taking a back seat. This week I want to talk a bit about the importance of skill development.

The truth of the matter is that no matter what you have with you during times of stress, they are useless to you if you do not know how to use them. Even something as simple as a first aid kit may go unused without the proper skill set. If we don’t take the time to learn what the appropriate response is to any given situation, our other preparation is for naught.

So, we are going to start a series of posts dedicated to Skill Development, not equipment. Starting with the basics, how to start a fire. I can already hear the grumbles… “I know how to start a fire!! You are wasting my time.” But let me ask you this, when is the last time you built a fire with one match? OR When was the last time you built a fire with no matches?

Then we will talk about knots, followed by land navigation (both urban and rural), and many other skills that I consider basic.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Back from the void

Good evening and happy Friday,

First I apologize for the recent lull in activity the last ten days have been very busy. We had three birthdays an anniversary and a birthday today and Sunday, not to mention Valentines day. So, you can see where I have been, where have you been? Have you been refreshing the supplies in your car kit? Look for an upcoming post on this. Updating your info and photos on your thumb drive? Another future post. What training have you scheduled for you and your family? We set a new record this year for the wettest winter on record here in the good old NW. It is worth mentioning that all this down time due to the weather can be used productively to get your gear in order as well as going out to enjoy it. What’s that I hear? You don’t enjoy going out in the rain? Maybe you just need to get the right gear, there is plenty to do in the rain. I have always enjoyed the forest in the rain, it is so fresh and alive. It is also a great time to go diving. So get prepared and get out there and enjoy the great NW at its finest.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Superbowl Sunday

Good morning, It is Superbowl Sunday. I am sure half of you care and the other half couldn’t care less, this is for the latter. It is easy for us to let our guard down and have a great time when surrounded by friends and family with a common interest in the spectacle that is Superbowl Sunday.

I don’t want to rain on that parade, but this is when you are most vulnerable. I say have a great time, relax a little and enjoy yourself. Just remember, if your are out and drinking, you shouldn’t be armed, that just isn’t being responsible. So this puts you at greater risk, we must always be cognizant of our surroundings.

Here is an idea if you have a designated driver, which you should, make them your designated eyes and ears, they have already committed to protecting your welfare just expand their responsibilities. Remember the average response time for emergency services is 12 minutes, a lot can happen in 12 minutes.

 

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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There is No Promise of Tomorrow

Good evening,

I visited my fathers grave today, it is his birthday. I try to visit his grave every year on his birthday, rather then the day he died, that way we celebrate his life, not his death. So by now you are wondering, what does this have to do with survival. Well, it has everything to do with preparation, you see my father died suddenly, with absolutely no warning, in fact just 6 months before his death he had a complete physical and passed with flying colors. He was an athlete his entire life, went to college on a athletic scholarship, was drafted by the CFL, but decided to play pro golf, OK, you get the picture. He died when he was 54 years old, just died, like someone turned off a switch.

So, I guess where I am going with this is, when it comes to getting prepared, there is no tomorrow. you cannot predict what will happen or when. Will you have what you need when disaster strikes?, are you prepared?, do you have the training you need?

Live with purpose, say what needs to be said, love with all you are and live today likes it’s your last. Now is the time to act, there is no promise of tomorrow!

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Life is fragile

As the title suggests I am examining the fragility of life. This is a reaction to the imminent loss of a loved one, it spurs us to action when death knocks.

My focus is to try to reach for life not when it eludes us, but always. We tend to take for granted the breath we are given, and the spirits we share. Then death knocks and we long for the days lost and the love not shared.

So reach for life now, when the fruit is ripe, don’t wait for it to fall. Glean from life all the delicious harvest while it is fresh. Love, Laugh and Share like today is the most important day.

Because it is!!

As always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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