Tag: Topogragraphy

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Food in the Backcountry – Trapping with snares

We live in a society that has trained us to eat meat on a daily basis. Fortunately we are moving away from this paradigm, as we have learned it is both unnecessary and problematic to the long-term health of our planet. That being said, when we are in a survival situation it may become necessary to our survival to harvest some fauna from the earth. Chances are you will not be packing around your hunting gear, if you even have any, when the need arises. So this will focus on methods that use your natural surroundings and a few basic tools.

There are many types of traps at your disposal. Snares, deadfalls and pits to name a few. If you are reading this I am assuming you have a certain level of readiness, like a pocket knife and some paracord.

Lets talk about snares, the two we will talk about today are spring snares and drag snares. Of these the spring snares are the most complicated of the two.

rabbit-snares

This is an illustration of what I call a drag snare. it is designed so that all that is needed is a well placed loop of cordage and the animals instinct to flee for successful operation. If you look closely you will see the loop is fashioned with a slip knot that will become tight when strained. This ensures that your prey does not escape. Placement is the key ingredient to success. Try to find an animal trail and place the loop so that your prey will pass through it while traveling normally. Make the loop the size of your intended prey. 3-4 inches for rabbits 2-3 inches for squirrels. You don’t want to catch a bear.
spring_snare

spring snare is quite effective but way more complicated in the setup and reduces your chances of releasing an unwanted captive, as it is more aggressive. But it tends to be more successful because it uses the critters body weight to maintain tension on the snare once it is tripped.

The single most important message I want to pass on is;

Traps are indiscriminate and must not be forgotten!

If we decide we need to set traps for our survival, we must be responsible in their placement and management. Taking life to maintain yours should never be taken lightly, be a good steward.

 

As alway,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Skill Development – Water, finding it and making it safe

As usual, one post leads to another, you saw me mention finding water in my last post, if you read it. So, today we talk about water. Water is the third of the 3’s, the only two more important are air and shelter. Here in the NW we tend to dismiss the importance of water due the usual abundance of it. But, let me tell you, from first hand experience, when you need it and can’t find clean water to drink, you will realize just how scarce it is. Now, I realize most of us are in either an urban or rural setting where potable water comes straight out of the faucet, so we spend little time thinking about the acquisition of water. We don’t think about how we will find water when the pipes run dry.

In the wilderness there are no artificial water pipes, but there is plenty of water, even in the desert. Nature has a way of finding water, it is the only way it can survive. So, keep your eyes open and look for the signs. Mother nature will show you where the water is, or at least where it usually is. Animals need water looks for signs of activity. Small birds that are grain eaters like finches will lead you there in the mornings.

In the forested wilderness that is most of the gorgeous NW, finding water can be as simple as traversing (moving laterally across the slope) a hillside or mountain. you will most assuredly find a stream or pond. In the desert you will want to look for what appears to be a stream bed or dry river. These will usually be found near strips of land that have larger vegetation growing, the greener and bigger the better.

If you find what looks like a dry stream bed there may still be water there. Just as in the desert, dry streambeds with green vegetation are good places to look for water if a readily available source has not been located. The greener the vegetation the better.

A Seep is going to be your go to method of getting water where there is naught.

  • In the dry stream bed, at a low spot or the outside of a bend, start by removing the bulk of any rocks lining the stream bed in the area you have decided to dig.
  • Now, dig your seep about one foot deep and two to three feet wide. Start by digging an exploratory hole. Look for the soil to start getting darker as you dig. Once you get to about a foot deep you should see either moist soil or if lucky you will see water starting to fill the hole. Sometimes you need to give it a few minutes, take a break and relax, come back to check in a few minutes. You may need to go deeper than a foot. If you don’t see signs of water, find yourself a better spot to look.
  • Once you have your seep dug, line it with the smaller rocks you cleared out earlier, this will reduce sediment from getting stirred up when using the seep.
  • Filter the water or boil it if you have the means, but in general this water should be fairly clean and safe to drink.
  • You can use a t-shirt, kerchief or any piece of fine knit material to filter out particulate.

A Seep or Egyptian well can be used to filter water from an active stream or river, if you find yourself without a filter or means to boil your water. Just dig it about a foot or so away from the water on the bank. The water from your active source will be filtered through the earth and you seep will gradually fill. When you have an active source of water the seep does not need to be as wide, but always go at least a foot down.

If you source of water is a lake or pond, it is best to add a secondary seep about a foot further away, in line with your first seep. Now, take your water from the second seep, it has been double filtered. Since the water in a lake or pond is static, it is more prone to bacteria and parasites.

Remember, it is always best to be prepared for these types of emergency and carry the appropriate tools to make your water safe to drink, whether a filter, tablets or a pot and fire source. Although, we don’t get to decide when bad things happen, we can choose to be versed in the skills that will get us through them. These are the basics, nothing replaces hands on experience. go out there and try it out before you need it to survive.

As alway,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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Skill Development – Basic Land Navigation

This is a very complex subject, but very simple in application, if you follow a few simple rules and have a basic understanding of how to read a map.

Map Terminology

  • Contour – Imaginary line on ground, all points of which are at the same elevation above or below a specific reference surface.
  • Coordinates – Linear and (or) angular quantities that designate the position of a point in relation to a given reference frame.
  • Declination – Magnetic declination is the angular difference between magnetic north and true (geographic) north at the point of observation; it is not constant but varies with time because of the “wandering” of the magnetic north pole.
  • Elevation – Vertical distance of a point above or below a reference surface.
  • Grid – Network of uniformly spaced parallel lines intersecting at right angles. When superimposed on a map, it usually carries the name of the projection used for the map, that is, Lambert grid, transverse Mercator grid, universal transverse Mercator grid.
  • Latitude – Angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds of a point north or south of the Equator.
  • Legend – explanatory table of symbols used on a map or chart.
  • Longitude – Angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds, of a point east or west of the Greenwich meridian.
  • Map – Graphic representation of the physical features (natural, artificial, or both) of a part or the whole of the Earth’s surface, by means of signs and symbols or photographic imagery, at an established scale, on a specified projection, and with the means of orientation indicated.
  • Orientation – Establishing correct relationship in direction with reference to points of the compass; the state of being in correct relationship in direction with reference to the points of the compass.
  • Overlay – Printing or drawing on a transparent or translucent medium intended to be placed in register on a map or other graphic and which shows details not appearing or requiring special emphasis on the base material.
  • Relief – Elevations and depressions of the land or sea bottom.
  • Relief shading – Technique for making topography on a map appear three-dimensional by the use of graded shadow effects. Generally, the features are shaded as though illuminated from the northwest.
  • Ridge – A spur of land that is higher than the land on either side.
  • Topography – Configuration (relief) of the land surface; the graphic delineation or portrayal of that configuration in map form, as by contour lines.
  • Triangulation – Method of extending horizontal position on the surface of the Earth by measuring the angles of triangles and the included sides of selected triangles.
  • Valley – A spur of land that is lower than the land on either side.

Tools of the Trade

Basic land navigation only requires three tools. A topographic map, a compass and a pencil or dry erase marker, if your map is laminated or sealed in plastic.

Finding your Grid Coordinates

All topographic maps have grid numbers listed on the top, bottom, and both sides. To find your grid coordinates you simply find the numbered line to the RIGHT of the grid square you are in. Then you find the numbered line on the BOTTOM of the grid square you are in and you can get the four digit grid coordinate which will give you the 1 km square area you are in. Remember you read the map RIGHT AND UP.

To get a more exact fix on your location you first break the two sides (from right to left and bottom to top) into ten equal parts each. To get the next set of numbers for your coordinates you first go from the right and figure out which of the ten parts you are in, then do the same from the bottom up. This will give you a six digit grid coordinate, which will give you your location within 100 meters. To get your coordinates within ten meters of your location you divide each of those ten square you mentally created in half, you would use either five for half way between those lines or zero for directly on a line. It takes practice, lots of practice to “eyeball” an eight digit grid coordinate but it can be done.

Orienting your map

To orient your map first lay your map on as level a surface as you can then find the North Declination line, usually located in or near the maps legend. Lay your compass on the map and line the edge of your compass up with the MAGNETIC NORTH line. Then simply turn your map until the North seeking arrow is pointing in the same direction as the Magnetic North Line on the map.

You can now use the compass to find a bearing to any terrain feature, road, building, or grid coordinates on the map.

Resection – finding where you are

First orient your map and look for a prominent terrain feature you can see to the LEFT of your location. Then find that terrain feature on your map. Place your compass on the map, with the edge of the compass running through the center of the terrain feature and draw a line back towards your vantage point.

Next find another terrain feature you can see to the RIGHT of your location. Find that terrain feature on the map, place your compass on the map with the edge running through the center of that terrain feature and draw another line backwards towards your vantage point.

Where the two lines cross is your location. You can now get the grid coordinates to your location.

Reading the Map – What does it all mean

The legend is going to tell you everything about the map except how to read it. Here are the two most important things to know.

Distance traveled – this is a huge one, as it is difficult to keep track of your location if you don’t know how far you have traveled. The best method that does not depend on anything battery operated is a pace count. You should know your pace count to distance traveled ratio, for example mine is 110 steps to 100 yards, walking normally. Now I can pace off 100 yards using 100 steps, learned this from golfing, but that is not my relaxed pace and that is what you need to know. Go to your local High school track and walk the 100 yards with a relaxed pace, now you know your number. Remember a mile is 1760 yards. A good practice is to carry a string of pace count beads, an easy way to manage your counts and you can make your own.

Contour lines – you know from the glossary what these are, and what they mean, but can you read them. The simplest way to look at it is, if the line curves toward a higher elevation, it is a valley. If the line curves toward a lower elevation, it’s a ridge. Best place to find water is in a valley. When contour lines are far apart, it is a gentle slope. When contour lines are very close it is a cliff or at least very steep. If the contour lines form a circle, it is either a peak or a pit, based on the elevation change.

Now that you have the basics, get out there and practice in a safe place, with limited risk. I found that going out to some local Orienteering events is a great way to become intimately familiar with a map and build your navigation skills.

as Always,

Stay Vigilant and Be Prepared

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