Simple Survival Psychology
When I was in the military and involved with search and rescue training, I often saw messages or reports pertaining to survivors and non-survivors. These cases were both civilians and military personnel. I was amazed while reading both types of correspondence. (We received this information to hopefully improve our survival training program). I read about people who had lots of gear, plenty of food and water, and they still did not make it. Or, on the other side of the coin, those who survived with little more than literally the shirt on their backs. Why the difference? Well, it is not that simple. There were many factors that contributed in both cases. There are many variables to consider when reading about survival situations. Nonetheless, in most of the reports I read the difference was usually survival psychology.
Take the case of the civilian pilot in Alaska that experienced aircraft problems and put his plane down on a frozen lake. The temperature was about minus twenty. When rescuers arrived at the site they were able to determined what happen easily. The pilot, now dead, had left a note. I cannot remember most of the note, but it read something similar to; "I cannot survive in this temperature. I am a dead man. I am going to smoke a cigarette and then end it all." It was very unfortunate. The aircraft controller had seen the aircraft go off radar and had been able to communicate with the pilot just before he landed on the lake. Once on the lake the pilot had shut down his aircraft power and the controller was unable tell him that help was on the way. When the rescuer team arrived, they found two cigarette butts, a .38 caliber pistol in the pilots right hand, and blood not yet frozen on the side of his head. He had not even left the cockpit of the aircraft. Why? Why would a man take his life without a fight? I suggest he gave in to panic. He was not prepared mentally to face the situation.
I also read once about a man who crawled for more than 100 miles across the Arizona desert to safety. His car had broken down on a rural road and he attempted a shortcut to safety. It was over 100 degrees during the five days of his travels. He was burned black from the sun, very dehydrated, and near death when he walked out. He stated he was determined to be with his family again and used this determination to keep himself moving. Doctors and survival experts were surprised of his survival. The man should have by all rights died. He had done everything wrong (traveling during the heat of the day, not covering up exposed parts of his body, and not being properly prepared) and yet he made it. Now, I don't recommend you attempt that for obvious reasons, but it does show how human determination can aid your survival efforts.
So, what is the big difference in the two stories above? I propose it is frame of mind. One, the non-survivor, gave up before the battle even started. The other, the survivor, was determined to live. Of course pure determination may not keep you alive, but it sure adds to the odds. Lets discuss the steps you can take to stay alive when you realize you are in a survival situation.
Panic is a real killer. When you actually realize you are going to have to survive, keep you head about yourself. Stop. Find a place that offers you temporary shelter and think things out. Do not go stomping around in the woods looking for your way out. Stop. Consider the, who, what, when, and where of your situation. Who knows where you are? Did you, as I always recommend, tell someone about your trip? This should always be done, even if you know the area very well. Tell a any person (a boss, friend, wife, husband, etc.) the what, when and where of your trip. They should know what type of trip it is (fishing, hunting, hiking, or travel), when you left and when you will return (i.e., I will leave on Tuesday morning and will return seven days later on Tuesday evening), and where your trip is to be (to the Knockemstiff National Forest or to Lake Swampy). Make sure if you change your trip in any way to call or contact the person you informed. Many rescues are started each year because of a change in plans and no notification. If you have handled the who, what, when and where of your trip, rescue should be fast.
Get your thoughts organized. Unless you are suicidal, this step is a must. Take an inventory of what you have on hand. This step serves two purposes. First, it calms you down. The time it takes to inventory your gear will assist in deescalating your panic. Second, most of us carry a lot of "junk" as well as needed items with us and this is a time to see exactly what you have. All items on you can be used toward survival.
Keep busy. An active mind is less likely to dwell on the situation as hopeless. Notice I wrote hopeless and not helpless. In a helpless situation, there is no help. While you very well may feel helpless, you can help yourself. But, in a hopeless situation there is no hope. I think you always have hope, as long as you are breathing. Keeping that hope is what makes a survival situation develop into a story of success. Concentrate on the little successes you experience and let the failures slide off. And, don't start feeling sorry for yourself. See, the more little successes you have the better you will feel. Start with something small, like a fire and a shelter.
Find a shelter and start a fire. Yep, even if you don't need either. Why? Well, once again for two reasons. The first is to keep you busy as I stated above. The second is they may be needed later when you are too exhausted or weak to make them. Additionally, there is a deep primal need for safety satisfied when you have shelter and fire. Ever notice how comforting a campfire is at night? The fire may not even be needed, so the comfort is usually just psychological. Anywho, get a fire going, construct a shelter, and sit for a bit.
Oh, I almost forgot, avoid alcohol when in a survival situation. If dulls your thinking processes and that is one thing you don't need (additionally alcohol dehydrates) . Second, avoid cola's, coffee, and tea if you do not have a sufficient water supply. They can aid in your dehydration.
Now comes the difficult part, waiting for rescue. You noticed, I hope, I wrote waiting for rescue. Yep, I meant it. Let them find you. Nothing is more frustrating to search and rescue crews than looking for a person meandering somewhere in the woods. It is really like looking for a needle in a haystack and may lead to your death. Stay where you are. Once you realize you are lost and have establish a survival camp stay there. Being rescued is often compared to looking for someone in the mall. If you wonder around looking for them, they are more difficult to find. But, if you plant yourself on a bench in the mall walk way, they will come by sooner or later. Wondering blind in the bush just uses up energy that you cannot afford to lose. Stay put.
The only exception to this is when you realize exactly where you are and know beyond any doubt how to walk out. If you do decide to leave a survival site, leave a note stating when you left (date/time), where you were headed (location you are attempting to get to), when you expect to get there, your heading (compass heading if you can), your physical condition (broken bones, cuts, overall general condition) and your full name. Make sure you post your note where it can easily be seen and in a water proof container/bag. This info will aid the rescue team greatly. Remember, I recommend you leave the survival site ONLY if you are sure of where you are and know how to safely get out.
Well, now you are in a more prolonged survival situation what comes next? Well, first stay off of your pity pot. Don't dwell on how rough you have it. Don't play the "poor little me" mind game with yourself. Make things happen. Let's look at what you really need to survive. First, you need air and water. Hopefully the air thingy is taken care of for you (if not, the next steps are not very important to you). Next, water is a primary concern. Purify all water not brought from home or purchased for your trip. All water. Even if the stream looks like a dream photo from the cover page of an environmentalist magazine. Much of our waters in North America are polluted or have "critters" (micro organisms). Don't take a chance.
You should always have a survival kit with you. These kits can be purchased commercially or made up at home. They can also vary greatly in size and weight. The kit I carry is very small (I use an old metal Bandaide box), but I have given great thought to the contents. It is just exactly what I need to survive on. I have included:
1. A good quality pen knife.
2. Condoms for water storage, unlubricated.
3. Wooden matches in a water proof container.
4. Flint and steel and a metal match.
5. Water purification tables.
6. A long strip of heavy duty aluminum foil folded up to cook with.
7. Fishing kit, i.e., hooks, sinkers, and some line. Nothing fancy. It can also be used to set snares or many other uses if you are landlocked and not near the water.
8. A small commercial first aid kit (with instructions).
9. One small pack of gum and one of hard candy for emergency energy.
10. A small survival pamphlet or book--keep it small and light.
If you have a survival kit with you it aids in your sense of well being. With the kit and your usual camping/outdoors gear, you know you have the minimum to survive. It helps you realize the situation is not hopeless at all. Do yourself a favor and practice using your survival items before you need them. Also, know your survival and first aid booklets. All of this preplanning will make you more relaxed when you need to use the equipment.
What about food? Let's be honest here. Aren't most North Americans just a little overweight? Now, I am not saying a sudden starvation diet is healthy, but most of us could go a couple of days without food with no medical affects. And, why do most people immediately think of food when they think of survival? Keep in mind that most folks are rescued before serious hunger develops. It is psychological. If you think about it, it makes sense. Imagine a nice shelter, a warm fire, and a full stomach. Comforting isn't it? While no shelter, no fire and an empty stomach... I think you have the idea. Well, remember, people have survived for weeks without food but only days without water. You figure the priority out. (Before I forget, if you take prescription medications, always have them with you when you go outdoors. Not having them in some cases could be a killer). Nonetheless, if it makes you feel better trap, hunt, or catch something to eat. Make sure if you eat you increase your water intake, if your water supply allows for it. Keep an eye on your urine. If if becomes darker in color, increase your water intake to avoid dehydration.
Survival is never easy. If things can go wrong they usually will. I know people can survive in temperatures as low as minus thirty and as high as 110 degrees. How do I know? I have done it during training. The key is to stay active, concentrate on the tasks at hand, build up your successes while down playing your failures, and to face each obstacle with determination to overcome. Survival psychology is simple, when you think about it before you need it. I believe with the right psychological approach to any survival situation, you too can survive.
Gary L. Benton
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Don't Skimp on the Inverter
Solar Inverters
A solar inverter is a piece of the solar energy puzzle. Its purpose is to change the direct current (DC) electricity that is generated from a photovoltaic panel into an alternating current (AC) that can be used by in-home appliances and the community electricity grid. Because all photovoltaic panels produce electricity in DC, an inverter is required for all solar power systems to make the electricity usable.
The solar inverter is often one of the most expensive parts in an alternative energy system. Because of this, many people fall into the trap of underestimating the structure's needs for a solar inverter and purchase one that handles a smaller capacity than necessary in order to save money. One of the recommendations to avoid making this mistake and keep the up-front costs of a solar energy system down is to initially purchase fewer solar cells and add more later rather than skimping on the inverter.
There are many manufacturers that are competing in the solar inverter market. While there have been a lot of American-made inverters in the past, in recent years it's been discovered that they're not always operating at their advertised efficiency, resulting in several companies going out of business. This has opened the market up to several international companies, and many of the most recognized solar inverter brands are European.
One of the biggest issues of a solar power system is efficiency. The cost of building and installing a system is often expensive, and those who are willing to make the financial investment in solar energy want to be sure to get their money's worth. Not only do the solar cells need to convert the sun's energy to electricity efficiently, but the solar inverter has a responsibility in efficiency as well. Manufacturers of inverters are working to improve their products' efficiency in order to make the products more marketable and attractive to those interested in solar power. Any possibility of saving more money in the use of a solar power system will increase the odds of people converting to solar power and easing the demands of the fossil fuels and oils on which American society so heavily relies.
Solar inverters that are tied to the community's electricity grid help regulate the currents between the building the solar energy system is powering and the power lines of the grid. Grid-tie systems that feed into and from the grid are usually required to have anti-islanding protection built in. The anti-islanding ensures that if a fault occurs within the grid, the solar powered system will disconnect from it immediately to prevent feeding more electricity into an already hazardous situation. Reconnecting to the grid can sometimes be complicated, but in order to have a completely safe system, it is required to follow the anti-islanding regulations set forth by local power companies.
One who is considering designing and installing a solar energy system for his or her home should hire a professional to assist in making sure the system is built properly. There are many variables to take into account, including the size of the home, the electricity use of the home, possible future fluctuation in the energy use of the home, as well as the types and sizes of the photovoltaic cells and solar inverters necessary to keep the system running smoothly.
SolarHome.org
A solar inverter is a piece of the solar energy puzzle. Its purpose is to change the direct current (DC) electricity that is generated from a photovoltaic panel into an alternating current (AC) that can be used by in-home appliances and the community electricity grid. Because all photovoltaic panels produce electricity in DC, an inverter is required for all solar power systems to make the electricity usable.
The solar inverter is often one of the most expensive parts in an alternative energy system. Because of this, many people fall into the trap of underestimating the structure's needs for a solar inverter and purchase one that handles a smaller capacity than necessary in order to save money. One of the recommendations to avoid making this mistake and keep the up-front costs of a solar energy system down is to initially purchase fewer solar cells and add more later rather than skimping on the inverter.
There are many manufacturers that are competing in the solar inverter market. While there have been a lot of American-made inverters in the past, in recent years it's been discovered that they're not always operating at their advertised efficiency, resulting in several companies going out of business. This has opened the market up to several international companies, and many of the most recognized solar inverter brands are European.
One of the biggest issues of a solar power system is efficiency. The cost of building and installing a system is often expensive, and those who are willing to make the financial investment in solar energy want to be sure to get their money's worth. Not only do the solar cells need to convert the sun's energy to electricity efficiently, but the solar inverter has a responsibility in efficiency as well. Manufacturers of inverters are working to improve their products' efficiency in order to make the products more marketable and attractive to those interested in solar power. Any possibility of saving more money in the use of a solar power system will increase the odds of people converting to solar power and easing the demands of the fossil fuels and oils on which American society so heavily relies.
Solar inverters that are tied to the community's electricity grid help regulate the currents between the building the solar energy system is powering and the power lines of the grid. Grid-tie systems that feed into and from the grid are usually required to have anti-islanding protection built in. The anti-islanding ensures that if a fault occurs within the grid, the solar powered system will disconnect from it immediately to prevent feeding more electricity into an already hazardous situation. Reconnecting to the grid can sometimes be complicated, but in order to have a completely safe system, it is required to follow the anti-islanding regulations set forth by local power companies.
One who is considering designing and installing a solar energy system for his or her home should hire a professional to assist in making sure the system is built properly. There are many variables to take into account, including the size of the home, the electricity use of the home, possible future fluctuation in the energy use of the home, as well as the types and sizes of the photovoltaic cells and solar inverters necessary to keep the system running smoothly.
SolarHome.org
Monday, September 27, 2010
Forced to take a stand and defend home with rifles
Forced to take a stand and defend home with rifles.
Aside from natural disasters, man made events such as riots or looting can take place in which survival skills are put to the test. In this survival story, Andy P recalls the chaos that were the Los Angeles riots.
If you have never been in a manmade or natural disaster you may not realize how quickly our cities go from civilized communities to an unorganized mess. In a very short time you find that you and your family are on your own - with no protection or civil order provided by any government agencies. This is mainly due to the unexpected nature of both manmade and natural disasters. I have experienced this twice. I lived in Los Angeles for many years and those years included the LA Riots in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994.
This story relates to the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. The catalyst for the riots was an incident caught on video tape where 4 police officers were seen beating a motorist. The police officers were put on trial.
The trial was watched by millions of people in Los Angeles (many of which expected a guilty verdict). When the 4 officers were acquitted many people in Los Angeles decided to express their frustration by burning down buildings, looting, assaulting innocent civilians, and committing murder - there were over 50 murders during the LA Riot.
Within 2 hours of the verdict I received a phone call from my screaming wife telling me that there was gun fire in the mall where she worked and I needed to come to get her immediately. I was with my brother at the time and we immediately armed ourselves (legally) and went to pick her up. As we were driving through Los Angeles we could see fires erupting in every direction and people were running through the streets. The smell of burning buildings was intense. Simultaneously a fellow pilot and good friend was in the process of filming the now famous video of a truck driver being dragged from his truck and nearly killed by an angry mob from his helicopter - it was considered a miracle that he survived the brutal beating. When we arrived at the mall people were running out and we were attempting to run in. The mall had been evacuated by security guards to allow management to close the mall to protect the stores from looters. My wife was gone. She was ordered to leave her store with nowhere to go. We finally made contact when I conducted an emergency phone patch on my ham radio - she had received a ride with her girlfriend and was home traumatized by the event. By the time my brother and I got home the city was in the grips of a full blown riot and people were filling the streets and running by with stolen TV's, stereos, and other merchandise (an interesting note was that the book store near our place was not looted). We finally made it back to my place and began to get ready to defend our home against looters. My first thought was to gather my wife, my brother and his girlfriend and get to the Santa Monica Airport and fly us out of there, but that was impossible. The riot had gone out of control and you could not drive through the streets. Also, we had reports that people were shooting at airplanes going in and out of Santa Monica Airport and LAX. I later heard that airliners landing at LAX were directed to land (with the wind) with their final approach over the ocean to prevent being shot at - I do not know if that actually happened. Our block was completely overrun and we were actually forced to take a stand and defend our home with rifles - in Los Angeles! Several times we had to take aim at looters and thank god they ran - because I had every intention of shooting. It was literally like a war zone. The riots lasted days and did not stop until the National Guard showed up. I have since read that it was the 7th infantry division and additional Marines from Camp Pendleton that were deployed to Los Angeles. From our perspective it didn't matter where they came from they were a welcome site. It was surreal to see US Soldiers walking through our neighborhood. We could not travel more than a block from our home for days without the chance of major conflict. Police cars were overturned when they arrived at the scene of a crime and were forced to retreat. It really was complete chaos in a major American city. Luckily I was prepared for this scenario and had everything we needed to both survive and defend ourselves for an extended period of time. I had water, freeze dried food, guns, ammo, and radio communications via ham radio. The grocery stores were impossible to get to and if you could it didn't matter. They were closed or already looted and were empty. It is very difficult to relate how large of an event this was (historic really) unless you were there. There were over 3000 fires burning throughout Los Angeles, thousands injured, nearly a billion dollars in damages, and over 50 murders. At one point during the riots we were standing on our roof top and it looked like the world had gone insane - I could not believe I was looking at Los Angeles. The bottom line is expect the unexpected and be prepared for as many scenarios as possible. I will never forget how good it felt to be prepared to protect myself and my loved ones. Being prepared paid off again when the Northridge Earthquake hit several years later in 1994 and again Los Angeles was tested.
Andy P
Aside from natural disasters, man made events such as riots or looting can take place in which survival skills are put to the test. In this survival story, Andy P recalls the chaos that were the Los Angeles riots.
If you have never been in a manmade or natural disaster you may not realize how quickly our cities go from civilized communities to an unorganized mess. In a very short time you find that you and your family are on your own - with no protection or civil order provided by any government agencies. This is mainly due to the unexpected nature of both manmade and natural disasters. I have experienced this twice. I lived in Los Angeles for many years and those years included the LA Riots in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994.
This story relates to the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. The catalyst for the riots was an incident caught on video tape where 4 police officers were seen beating a motorist. The police officers were put on trial.
The trial was watched by millions of people in Los Angeles (many of which expected a guilty verdict). When the 4 officers were acquitted many people in Los Angeles decided to express their frustration by burning down buildings, looting, assaulting innocent civilians, and committing murder - there were over 50 murders during the LA Riot.
Within 2 hours of the verdict I received a phone call from my screaming wife telling me that there was gun fire in the mall where she worked and I needed to come to get her immediately. I was with my brother at the time and we immediately armed ourselves (legally) and went to pick her up. As we were driving through Los Angeles we could see fires erupting in every direction and people were running through the streets. The smell of burning buildings was intense. Simultaneously a fellow pilot and good friend was in the process of filming the now famous video of a truck driver being dragged from his truck and nearly killed by an angry mob from his helicopter - it was considered a miracle that he survived the brutal beating. When we arrived at the mall people were running out and we were attempting to run in. The mall had been evacuated by security guards to allow management to close the mall to protect the stores from looters. My wife was gone. She was ordered to leave her store with nowhere to go. We finally made contact when I conducted an emergency phone patch on my ham radio - she had received a ride with her girlfriend and was home traumatized by the event. By the time my brother and I got home the city was in the grips of a full blown riot and people were filling the streets and running by with stolen TV's, stereos, and other merchandise (an interesting note was that the book store near our place was not looted). We finally made it back to my place and began to get ready to defend our home against looters. My first thought was to gather my wife, my brother and his girlfriend and get to the Santa Monica Airport and fly us out of there, but that was impossible. The riot had gone out of control and you could not drive through the streets. Also, we had reports that people were shooting at airplanes going in and out of Santa Monica Airport and LAX. I later heard that airliners landing at LAX were directed to land (with the wind) with their final approach over the ocean to prevent being shot at - I do not know if that actually happened. Our block was completely overrun and we were actually forced to take a stand and defend our home with rifles - in Los Angeles! Several times we had to take aim at looters and thank god they ran - because I had every intention of shooting. It was literally like a war zone. The riots lasted days and did not stop until the National Guard showed up. I have since read that it was the 7th infantry division and additional Marines from Camp Pendleton that were deployed to Los Angeles. From our perspective it didn't matter where they came from they were a welcome site. It was surreal to see US Soldiers walking through our neighborhood. We could not travel more than a block from our home for days without the chance of major conflict. Police cars were overturned when they arrived at the scene of a crime and were forced to retreat. It really was complete chaos in a major American city. Luckily I was prepared for this scenario and had everything we needed to both survive and defend ourselves for an extended period of time. I had water, freeze dried food, guns, ammo, and radio communications via ham radio. The grocery stores were impossible to get to and if you could it didn't matter. They were closed or already looted and were empty. It is very difficult to relate how large of an event this was (historic really) unless you were there. There were over 3000 fires burning throughout Los Angeles, thousands injured, nearly a billion dollars in damages, and over 50 murders. At one point during the riots we were standing on our roof top and it looked like the world had gone insane - I could not believe I was looking at Los Angeles. The bottom line is expect the unexpected and be prepared for as many scenarios as possible. I will never forget how good it felt to be prepared to protect myself and my loved ones. Being prepared paid off again when the Northridge Earthquake hit several years later in 1994 and again Los Angeles was tested.
Andy P
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Prepper Preparing for Doomsday!
Here's another good link:
'Preppers' Are Doing Exactly that In Anticipation Of doomsday
CBSNewYork.com
'Preppers' Are Doing Exactly that In Anticipation Of doomsday
CBSNewYork.com
Friday, September 24, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)