Raw Survival

Updated on a continual basis. Last update: 09/03/99
Food section updated.
Improvised miscellany section added.
Please have patience while downloading pictures.

Improvised Misc.

Wild Food

Water in the Wild

Shelter from the Elements

In Defense of the .22

Medical Problems

Evasion for the Survivalist

Evading Trail Dogs

Notes on Winter Survival

 

Wild Food

squirrels, rabbits, frogs, fish, birds, etc.
Bees
Crickets
Snails (see avoid list)
crayfish
White worms (grub worms)
reptiles and amphibians

Insects can be found in stumps, dead logs, under rocks, ant/termite mounds, ponds and slow-moving streams.

Use a long stick with a narrow twist at the end to obtain serpents. Trap the serpent's body between the fork and twist to prevent escape. Kill with a club, rock, improvised sling shot, etc.

Wild Plants:
Evergreen (esp. pine) tea provides vitamin C
Bark tea provides vitamin B
Eat nuts, animal life, insects, high-fiber foods, etc. for protein
Dogwood
Most pine species
Acorns
Buckeyes
Plants containing cloraphyll
Wild Onions
Dandelions
Chickweed
Berries (see bottom list)

The flowering parts of most all plants are edible.

Tree bark can be used in situations where nothing else is currently available.

Cassina, a holly-like shrub/tree, can be dried and made into tea. Cassina has the distinct quality of containing caffeine.

Fill your stomach with something; don't just give up and starve! Eat bark and roots if you have to, because there are minerals in just about everything, including soil.

Avoid:
Plants with umbrella-like flower patterns
Mushrooms and other fungi
Ticks, mesquitos, flies, etc. (all disease carriers)
Animals with cone-shaped shells (esp. snails)
Poinsonous insects: spiders, scorpions, etc.
Sickly or diseased animals
Plants with shiny leaves
Milky sap means that it may be potentially poisonous
Skin irritants (ie - poinson ivy, poison oak)
White or yellow berries
Watch out for water hemlock
One-half of all red berries are poisonous: use berries that can be easily identified
Most blue and purple berries are safe to eat.

poison fish

Preparation:

If you suspect that a plant is poisonous, apply the taste test:

  1. Take a small bit and touch it to the tip of the tongue of the inner forearm. If no ill effects are encountered (rash etc.) then procede to step two.
  2. Boil it in two changes of water for 5 minutes each. Many poisons will be destroyed by the heat or desolve in water.
  3. Take one teaspoon of the prepared material into the mouth and chew but don't swallow. Wait an hour and check for ill effects.
  4. Swallow one teaspoon of prepared material. Wait 8 hours and check for ill effects.
  5. Swallow two teaspoons of prepared material and wait 8 more hours. If no ill effects, the plant should be considered edible.

Many barks and needles can be made into teas and then discarded.

Pull the hard parts off of insects (ie cricket legs, etc.). Recommend cooking insects.

If you boil something (other than poisonous plants), maximum nutrition will be obtained by drinking the broth.

 

Water in the Wild

Tie an absorbent cloth around your ankle when you walk through tall, wet grass (such as morning dew).

Dig a hole 3 feet from a swamp for clean water.

Go down into valleys to find streams: upstream for shallower, faster water and downstream for deeper, slower moving water and people.

Drink from cold, fast running streams if possible. Do not drink from still bodies of water (such as ponds) if possible. Instead, dig 3 feet from the shore until you hit water. *

Tie an airtight plastic bag around moisture-producing plants to collect the water.

* Common sense tells us to not abide (and we should not abide permanently in any one place) next to lines of communication such as rivers, roads, trails or other such signs of civilization.

Water in the Wild
Water from rainfall

 

Shelter from the Elements

Here are some photographs of some ready-made shelters that you can construct in desperate situations. They can be built from:

Keep in mind that while recessed and other earthen shelters are ideal for maintaining a constant, moderate temperature, they are less than ideal when it gets wet!

shelter shelter

shelter shelter shelter

 

An all purpose shelter (works in nuclear situations):

shelter

shelter

shelter

 

In Defense of the .22

Ammo availability. Wherever you go, there will always be ammo for the .22 long rifle. Ammo for the .22 will be one of the last to be outlawed, because confidence has been placed in the bullet-proof vest. The .22 is considered a mere toy by many, and ammo is readily available in many homes throughout the country. It is never a bad investment to have a .22 on hand. It can provide a meal and protection when all larger rounds are expended. One the down side, any ammo you might happen to capture from a downed opponent would probably be 7.62 mm or other similiar.

Ammo Weight. One can carry thousands of rounds of .22 ammo, a task which might prove difficult with the larger 30'06. In good hands, more ammo means more kills. This is an advantage since 1,825 rounds only allows for 1 round per day for 5 years. The army is the only entity which has ample funds to buy infinite amounts of ammo. This is appearent when one considers the kind of "destroy everything in sight" tactics utilized. Ammo-wasting machine guns will not likely be worth the return fire they draw, either.

Range and Accuracy. While it may not be as smooth and swift as high penetration ammo, one well accustomed to the .22 LR can hold his own. A .22 will incapacitate something, which is the object of the game. It doesn't matter any more if you splatter something than if you just have a small, clean hole neatly placed in a critical location; either will do the job nicely.

While small ammo may not be appropriate for everyone, it would suit fine a lone survivor or a small group. A 30'06 won't penetrate a well armored tank any faster!

 

Medical Problems

Prevention:

  1. Keep hair trimmed
  2. Comb hair for fleas, lice, bedbugs, etc.
  3. Wash clothing & try not to sit directly on the ground.
  4. Clean skin with white ashes, sand, charcoal, or other abrasive material if soap is not available.
  5. Get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
  6. Brush teeth (if no tooth brush is available, one can be made by chewing the end of a hardwood twig).
  7. Bacteria and mildew in clothing can be destroyed by hanging in sunny air.
  8. Burn live evergreen boughs to produce smoke for fumigating clothing and equipment.
  9. Gargle with salt water to help prevent sore throat and gums.
  10. Rest for 7-8 hours per day, if possible. Learn to rest under less-than-ideal conditions.

 

Cold, flu, etc. Get adequate amounts of food, water, and rest. Keep warm and dry.

Hypothermia (lowering of the body core temperature)

  1. Put on dry clothing, if available
  2. Warm as rapidly as possible (warm fluids, skin-to-skin, etc.)

[Immersion Hypotheria] [Hypothermia] [Cold water survival time graph]

Heat Stroke

Symptoms include: no sweating, hot and dry skin, strong and fast pulse.

  1. Cool as rapidly as possible (saturate clothing with water)
  2. Do not give stimulants
  3. Avoid overcooling

Injected poisons (snake bite):

  1. Place a constricting band between wound and heart.
  2. Make a single cut through each fang mark (1/4" long and 1/4" deep), cutting along the line of the muscle.
  3. Apply suction.
  4. Prevent infection, rest and keep quiet.

Scurvy (wounds that won't heal, bleeding from gums, swelling joints, loosening teeth)

  1. Lack of vitamin C
  2. Eat raw greens, fruit, evergreen tea (see food preparation)

Beriberi (muscle cramps/twitching of legs, paralysis, loss of apetite)

  1. Vitamin B deficiency
  2. Eat any green foods; bark tea (boil outer layer for five minutes & discard bark)

Protein deficit (loss of apetite, vomiting, diarrhea, fluid retention, irritability, muscular wasting)

  1. Eat meat, insects, eggs.
  2. Eat grains and nuts.

 

Evasion for the Survivalist

*When evading, try to discover if you are being tracked. If you are not sure, then it would be a wise decision to act as if you were being tracked by trackers. Also, assume that you are being tracked by trail dogs, unless you can prove that you aren't.

Travel

  1. Use zigzag traveling technique and circumnavigation.
  2. Quiet- avoid breaking sticks.
  3. Use a walking stick to part vegetation. Push vegetation back to original formation when through.
  4. Stop every 5-10 paces in a concealed point and look/listen/observe for people, machines, troops, animals.
  5. Step slowly, deliberately, and lightly.
  6. Don't use flashlights at night if at all possible.
  7. Remove all items which may cause glare, ie- watch, glasses and other reflective objects.
  8. Terrain which is hard for you to cover is also hard for the enemy.
  9. Travel when enemy activity is least, such as in the evenings (or at night) or during bad weather.
  10. Watch for scouts, as they may indicate an approaching combat unit.
  11. Keep as low a silhouette as possible and do not travel on the skyline of a hill (particularly if it is lacking adequate vegetation).
  12. Avoid disturbing vegetation, scraping bark, breaking branches and otherwise leaving traces of human activity at eye level.
  13. A moving object is much easier to spot. Keep movement to a minimum and concealed when necessary. Always make use of shadows. Re-emphasize low silhouette.
  14. Conserve strength for critical periods.
  15. Travel in wooded areas, if possible.
  16. Go around swamps, bridges, structures and other obstacles.
  17. Don't get cocky!

 

When crossing roads, rivers, tracks or other lines of communication:

  1. Cross at shadows, if possible.
  2. Cross at less visible points (bends, breaks, etc.)
  3. Try to cross from one wooded area to another.

 

Shelter

  1. Remember to make camp early while it is still light!
  2. Use shelter which requires little or no preparation, disturbing the area as little as possible.
  3. Do not sleep near trails (especially game trails), rivers, roads, tracks, or other man-made structures.
  4. Do not stay in one area for too long.
  5. Use hole fires, making sure to properly bank fires with a good layer of earth before abandonment. Try to cook with coals instead of flames, if possible.
  6. When discarding equipment, bury or destroy it, as litter can often identify who dropped it.
  7. Avoid areas which leave you open to observation by the enemy, but rather choose a site which allows you to observe from a concealed point.
  8. Remember that a camp on the top or side of a hill is much easier to spot than one in a valley.
  9. Use trees to disperse smoke.
  10. Dispose of waste away from camp.
  11. Have escape routes when possible.

 

Dispose of or otherwise camouflage:

  1. rock formations and fire remains
  2. carved sticks used for scewing, spearing, etc.
  3. newly turned earth
  4. chopped trees (use dead, fallen trees in fire first)
  5. fishing line, hooks, nets, etc.
  6. food remains (bones)
  7. animal snares
  8. used ammo casings, as this could identify your weapon.
  9. use catholes when disposing of waste

 

Applying camouflage:

  1. Camouflage all exposed flesh: hands, face, etc.
  2. Use mittens instead of gloves to break up the "v" between fingers.
  3. Break up outlines by contrasting light and dark colors.
  4. Use foliage to break up croch and armpit shadows. Change foliage when wilting occurs.
  5. Use juices from plants, berries, etc. to blend with local area.
  6. Be aware of glare potential when using knives.
  7. Mask body odor by using plant juices, dirt, etc.
  8. Don't use scented insect repellant.
  9. Avoid tobacco, candy, gum, aftershave, cosmetics.
  10. Dispose of waste.

 

Evading Trail Dogs

First thing to remember: avoid tricks done in the movies! They don't work! You can't whoop the dog, but you can whoop the handler, or render the dog useless temporarily. DO NOT:

Remember: Most tracking dogs are not fed in the kennels, but only when they complete a successful tracking assignment. Therefore, these dogs are going to be relentless in their pursuit. Don't count on trail dogs to be lazy, tiresome, easily fooled, careless or otherwise stupid. Their being fed depends on their performance in the field.

Many times, dog handlers and tracking teams do not want you to know that they are using dogs, as you might (and should) take appropriate action to fool them. For this reason, dogs are kept on leashes most of the time (but don't always count on it. Some dogs are "report" dogs in that, they go a distance of 40 yards or so and return to their handlers and report unusual findings). If they are attack dogs, they are turned loose. If this happens, kill the dog with a knife or the spear you hopefully carved while you were walking (try to be silent as not to show your whereabouts)! Take as much of the meat with you as you can. The dog handler won't send another one of his dogs after you if he knows he is just helping to feed you! By the way, attack dogs are usually trained to attack the groin or the throat. Take out one of the trackers to reduce the entire company to a crawling pace. Take out the main dog handler if you can; a stranger will not be able to read the dog as well. Also be aware that if they can guess your general direction or destination, they are likely to have an ambush waiting for you somewhere along the way (again, don't use trails).

If the dog is on a leash, I re-emphasize that you can't whoop the dog, but you can whoop the handler. Try the following if the dog is on a leash:

You may not defeat a dog, but you can render him useless for awhile. You may also cause the handler to lose trust in the dog's ability (dogs have bad days too). To aid in delaying a dog tracking*:

* Don't do anything if you can't be neat about it. Don't walk in streams if you're going to overturn rocks and leave evidence behind! Don't cover yourself in mud if you're going to track and rub off on everything! Value common sense over any amount of tricks. Just keep evading and have a can-do attitude about it.

Try to avoid:

 

Bear in mind: a good hound dog can follow a trail 24 hours old. A dog only follows the scent of one person. Try to find out which person this is (if you're with a party) by circling about and seeing which person is being followed. Use this person as "bait" for an ambush, but only if you are SURE that there are no other dogs to track the other members.

Try to eat ants, termites, and grub worms as are quick: gather, drop in boiling water and drink after cooled. Turn over rocks, stumps, and logs, taking care to turn them back to their original location.

 

Notes on Winter Survival

One of the many fears that many people have is surviving a harsh winter, especially that of keeping warm and maintaining an adequate food supply.

Here are some foods that are commonly available in winter weather:

 

Keeping Warm:

 

[Survival of the Tribulation Saints]

Provided by End Times Revolution

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