SurvivalRing

SurvivalRing started in early 1997 as a single page focused on building up a network of like minded individual websites via the technology of Webrings. In 1999, SurvivalRing became a household name as Y2k chaos loomed on the horizon.

A major website update occurred in 2001, created while I was driving cross country as a hotshot truck driver. Major plans for SurvivalRing as a world class content website began then. Over the next few years, hundreds of megabytes, and then gigabytes, were uploaded and shared via many different sections of the 2001 design. Traffic to this site jumped to over 100,000 unique visitors a month, and hundreds of gigabytes (1000 megabytes per gigabyte) were downloaded each year. Also during this time, I returned to college and got degrees in web development and broadcasting, while earning many state and national academic recognitions.

This new site design is the culmination of years of study, new software, intense discussion, and many sleepless nights. Database driven info, multimedia delivery, unlimited expansion and upgrade capability, and a uniform presentation of all SurvivalRing content gives you faster and better access to all the ebooks, software, media and more. Use the navigation above to find ALL the sections of SurvivalRing, including many old, AND new, sections. As SurvivalRing 5.0 hits the streets, we’ll be looking for any access issues, speed problems, or other problems or issues.

Be sure to comment, or contact us, on our new look, style, and feel. It’s all here…just for you.

Rich

Since 1997, SurvivalRing has been focused on providing documents, downloads, and information to all visitors in all areas  of family preparedness, survival, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency.

First time here? Visit our About Us page for details on what we do and why. Visit our many awareness pages for history and details of past disasters and informational overviews. Drop by our forums and find lots of info on a myriad of topics, or over 1,000 new downloads in the forum downloads area. Our chat room is also available 24/7, and we have new content being uploaded every week. Questions? Comments? Use our Contact page. We also have articles, gigabytes of downloads, and I’ll even personally respond to your emails if you’re looking for specific info or are just getting started in preparedness.

While you’re here, please check out the unbelievable savings on the SurvivalCD 5DVD/5CD, 10 disk set of data, with hundreds of thousands of printable pages, custom programmed and ready to help you prepare for anything.

Currently save over $50 on this COMPLETE set. Drop on over to our companion site and check the package out. 

Thanks for dropping in, and have fun.

Rich

by Leon Pantenburg

Shared with permission of Leon from SurvivalCommonSense.com
Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by Leon in Leon’s Blog

An  irony of floods is that muddy, filthy water inundates everything, but there is generally a shortage of anything to drink! If you are stranded in an area surrounded by standing water, you may be able to adapt a desert survival skill to gather potable water.

Flood Waters at the north steps of Hilton Coliseum. (photo by Bob Elbert/Iowa State University).

A drinking water shortage situation happened in my hometown of Ames, Iowa in August. Heavy rains caused the Skunk River and Squaw Creek to flood parts of the city, including my Alma mater,  Iowa State University.

To add to the flood problems, several water mains broke. This left many parts of Ames without any potable water whatsoever.

Because the disaster was localized, emergency agencies were able to truck in water quickly.

But what would happen in a Hurricane Katrina situation, where people were stranded by flood waters for long periods of time? In those situations, staying hydrated in the heat becomes incredibly important.

Transpiration bags use the condensation principle to gather water. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

“In priority order, after shelter and the need to defend your body temperature, preventing dehydration is the survivor’s next most important necessity,”  says survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt.

In some areas, drinking water can be found in vines. Another way to gather drinking water during a flood might be to set up transpiration bags, a method typically considered a desert survival technique.

“Using clear plastic bags to enclose living vegetation and capture the moisture transpired by the leaves can be an effective method of collecting water,” Kummerfeldt says. “Any time you have a plastic bag and living vegetation it should work.”

This survival  technique relies on a process called transpiration, which goes on constantly during the daylight, in deserts and swamps alike.

During transpiration, trees absorb moisture through their roots, and evaporate water

Condensation from the vegetation will be caught in the plastic bag. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

through openings in their leaves, according to USGS Science for  a Changing World. Trees tend to transpire more with increased temperatures, sunlight intensity, water supply, and size. When it gets too hot, though, transpiration will shut down.

This water vapor can be collected by enclosing as much living, leafy vegetation as possible within a clear plastic bag, Kummerfeldt says, and sealing the opening shut with a cord or duct tape.

“The vegetation should be given a vigorous shake before placing it in the plastic bag,” Kummerfeldt advises. “This is to remove any insects, bird droppings or other materials that might contaminate the water.”

Within a short period of time, water will begin to condense on the inner surface of the bag, collect into water droplets and drain to the lowest point of the bag.

Water quantity depends on the amount of moisture in the ground, and vegetation type. Other factors affecting water production include the amount of sunlight available, (it doesn’t work at night) the clarity of the plastic bag and the length of time the process is allowed to work.

“It is not uncommon to find two or three cups of water, and sometimes much more, has

The amount of water produced in a transpiration bag will depend on many environmental factors. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

accumulated over a six-to-eight hour daylight period,” Kummerfeldt said.

The best way to remove the water without disturbing the bag, he added, is to insert a length of vinyl aquarium hose through the neck of the bag down to the lowest point where water will collect. (This should be done during assembly of the apparatus) The water can then be sucked out or possibly siphoned into a container.

“When enclosing vegetation in the plastic bag it is advisable to place chicken egg sized stone in the lower corner where the water will collect” Kummerfeldt said. “The weight of the stone creates a separation between the enclosed plant life and the water and keeps plant saps from contaminating the water.”

“You can’t count on large quantities of water being produced in individual transpiration bags,” Kummerfeldt cautions. “But you must do everything you can to stay hydrated.”

*Author Bio*

ABOUT LEON: Since 1991, Leon has been an assistant scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, and a wilderness skills trainer for the Boy Scouts’ Fremont District. Leon earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and competed in his last tournament (sparring and form) at age 49. He is an enthusiastic Bluegrass mandolin picker, two-time finalist in the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championships, and a freelance writer for the Bulletin newspaper in Bend, Or.

An  irony of floods is that muddy, filthy water inundates everything, but there is generally a shortage of anything to drink! If you are stranded in an area surrounded by standing water, you may be able to adapt a desert survival skill to gather potable water.

Flood Waters at the north steps of Hilton Coliseum. (photo by Bob Elbert/Iowa State University).

by Leon Pantenburg

A drinking water shortage situation happened in my hometown of Ames, Iowa in August. Heavy rains caused the Skunk River and Squaw Creek to flood parts of the city, including my Alma mater,  Iowa State University.

To add to the flood problems, several water mains broke. This left many parts of Ames without any potable water whatsoever.

Because the disaster was localized, emergency agencies were able to truck in water quickly.

But what would happen in a Hurricane Katrina situation, where people were stranded by flood waters for long periods of time? In those situations, staying hydrated in the heat becomes incredibly important.

Transpiration bags use the condensation principle to gather water. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

“In priority order, after shelter and the need to defend your body temperature, preventing dehydration is the survivor’s next most important necessity,”  says survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt.

In some areas, drinking water can be found in vines. Another way to gather drinking water during a flood might be to set up transpiration bags, a method typically considered a desert survival technique.

“Using clear plastic bags to enclose living vegetation and capture the moisture transpired by the leaves can be an effective method of collecting water,” Kummerfeldt says. “Any time you have a plastic bag and living vegetation it should work.”

This survival  technique relies on a process called transpiration, which goes on constantly during the daylight, in deserts and swamps alike.

During transpiration, trees absorb moisture through their roots, and evaporate water

Condensation from the vegetation will be caught in the plastic bag. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

through openings in their leaves, according to USGS Science for  a Changing World. Trees tend to transpire more with increased temperatures, sunlight intensity, water supply, and size. When it gets too hot, though, transpiration will shut down.

This water vapor can be collected by enclosing as much living, leafy vegetation as possible within a clear plastic bag, Kummerfeldt says, and sealing the opening shut with a cord or duct tape.

“The vegetation should be given a vigorous shake before placing it in the plastic bag,” Kummerfeldt advises. “This is to remove any insects, bird droppings or other materials that might contaminate the water.”

Within a short period of time, water will begin to condense on the inner surface of the bag, collect into water droplets and drain to the lowest point of the bag.

Water quantity depends on the amount of moisture in the ground, and vegetation type. Other factors affecting water production include the amount of sunlight available, (it doesn’t work at night) the clarity of the plastic bag and the length of time the process is allowed to work.

“It is not uncommon to find two or three cups of water, and sometimes much more, has

The amount of water produced in a transpiration bag will depend on many environmental factors. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

accumulated over a six-to-eight hour daylight period,” Kummerfeldt said.

The best way to remove the water without disturbing the bag, he added, is to insert a length of vinyl aquarium hose through the neck of the bag down to the lowest point where water will collect. (This should be done during assembly of the apparatus) The water can then be sucked out or possibly siphoned into a container.

“When enclosing vegetation in the plastic bag it is advisable to place chicken egg sized stone in the lower corner where the water will collect” Kummerfeldt said. “The weight of the stone creates a separation between the enclosed plant life and the water and keeps plant saps from contaminating the water.”

“You can’t count on large quantities of water being produced in individual transpiration bags,” Kummerfeldt cautions. “But you must do everything you can to stay hydrated.”

by Peter Kummerfeldt

Summer is here, and people like me are attracted to those empty spots on the map that indicate an arid desert region. Always take lots of water along, and never depend on being able to find it! But it’s a really good idea to know where to look for water in the event of an emergency. Here are some tips for finding water in the desert  from survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt. – Leon

This spring in the Central Oregon high desert is the only water for miles around. The vegetation around it makes the site easy to spot.

Throughout much of North America, water is usually available and easily obtained from open sources such as lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Fundamental to finding water is understanding that it will always seek the lowest level possible. If water is present, some form of vegetation will probably show its presence.

A good strategy for locating water is to  find a vantage point from which you can scan the surrounding countryside. Slowly and methodically, search for any water indicators such as green vegetation, birds flocking to specific areas, trails left by both domestic and wild animals, and even large rock formations from which springs may originate or where water becomes trapped. Man–made sources of water such as windmills, tanks, dams and irrigation canals might also be observed.

Look for water in low lying areas, such as depressions, sinks, or tanks, where rainfall or melting snow is likely to collect. Water can often be found in these areas long after the last precipitation, especially if they are shaded. A pair of binoculars can save you a lot of walking!

Don’t risk your life trying to climb or reach the water’s edge when safer strategies can be used. Tie a line to a water bottle or other container and throw it or lower it into the water from a safe vantage point. Since many water containers do not come with a reliable attachment point when the container is uncapped, make one by duct taping a loop of parachute cord or other line to the side of the water container.

Do not use the retaining strap that connects the cap to the water bottle. Sometimes this strap will pull free from the full bottle as it is being retrieved from the water source. The  result could be a lost bottle.

Water in some lakes, particularly many found in the western United States, contain high concentrations of calcium carbonate and calcium bicarbonate in solution which makes the water non-potable. Lakes of this nature are usually easily identified because the calcium salts leached from the soil form deposits of white powder around the perimeter of the lake as the water evaporates. Water containing high concentrations of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate taste terrible and should not be consumed!

The water quantity produced by seeps and springs varies tremendously. In some situations the amount will be only a

few teaspoons per hour. In other cases, gallons of water can flow from the ground in minutes. Where the quantities are small, the flat edge of the mouth on a plastic bag can be used to scoop up the water from a shallow source, or if it is flowing, to collect the water as it runs into the bag. (editor’s note: This is one reason I always carry a cup or wide mouth container!) A short piece of vinyl aquarium hose also works well for sucking up water from shallow collections or to recover water from narrow cracks in the rocks.

Following rain, water collects in low lying areas and may be found long after the last storms have passed through the area. Check out any depressions, sinks or other low places where water could gather. Water sources like these should be checked carefully since they are frequently contaminated with debris that has been washed into the drainage.

Finding the remains of animals that have died nearby or in the water and other similar contaminants will necessitate boiling the water, the use of halogens (iodine or chlorine) or the use of a mechanical pump to purify it.

It may be possible to locate abandoned open wells from which water may be obtained. Commonly the rope and bucket typically used to lift water from these wells will be missing and a person will have to improvise a means to lower a container down into the well to retrieve the water. Lacking a container a clothing item can serve as a sponge when lowered into the water. Windmills that could provide a ready source of water are a common sight across North America especially where little surface water exists. Commonly the water pumped to the surface is collected in a nearby tank or pumped directly into a trough from which livestock can drink. Where an open source is not available it may be necessary to dismantle or damage the piping associated with the windmill to gain access to the water. Without tools, this may not be possible.

In arid areas, particularly in the western and south-western United States, rainwater collectors called “guzzlers” may be found. These are designed to gather precipitation and feed it into a holding tank where it remains until it is either consumed by thirsty animals or eventually evaporates.

Rain water can be easily collected using a sheet of plastic or similar material. Water collects on the upper surfaces of any material (it doesn’t have to be waterproof) and drains to the lowest point where it is collected.

Even though water is not visible on the surface of the ground, it may still be present in the soil in sufficient quantity to be collected. Locate low lying areas where water is most likely to have accumulated and dig down until damp layers of soil are found. Over time, water may seep into the hole where it can be collected.

If no indicators of sub-surface water are present, dig a hole in the outside bend of a dry river bed. Look for a location where the centrifugal force of flowing water has eroded the outer bend of a river bank creating a depression where the last remnants of water flowing downriver will have accumulated.

A person’s ability to collect water trapped by plants, or contained within plants can be a valuable aide to combating dehydration. Once again, a line must be drawn between methods that are practical and those that are more survival legend than fact!

Barrel cacti for example, long featured in survival literature as a source of water in arid regions, should not be utilized. The quantity of fluid that can be extracted from a barrel cactus is very limited and the fluid that is obtained is not beneficial and may in fact be detrimental to your health!

*Permissions *

• Shared with permission of Leon from SurvivalCommonSense.com
• Originally Posted on June 21st, 2010 by Leon in Survival Skills

*Author Bio*

ABOUT LEON: Since 1991, Leon has been an assistant scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, and a wilderness skills trainer for the Boy Scouts’ Fremont District. Leon earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and competed in his last tournament (sparring and form) at age 49. He is an enthusiastic Bluegrass mandolin picker, two-time finalist in the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championships, and a freelance writer for the Bulletin newspaper in Bend, Or.

by Leon Pantenburg

Some useful, very basic, recipes should be included any prepper/survival/ Bug Out backpack. It’s one thing to have staples, such as flour, but another to be able to consume them. And you need some very simple recipes for those times when you might only have a few ingredients.

It only took the addition of some other grains to make this basic bannock survival ration into a tasty, nutritious food.

After posting some emergency survival recipes for flour last week, I whipped up some bannock to make sandwiches for a spur-of-the-moment hike.

Sitting in the shadow of Monkey Face, in Central Oregon’s magnificent Smith Rock State Park, eating my delicious bannock and turkey sandwich, I thought about how happy I was to be there!  (The trail across the top of the rock formations is the appropriately-named “Misery Trail” and I’d had a knee replacement in September, 2009!) It also occurred to me, how easy it would be to tweak the bannock recipe to make it more healthy and nutritious.

Bannock is the traditional bread of Canada and the Northwest. Native people had no access to wheat  flour prior to the arrival of European traders, although some flour substitutes existed, like wild turnips or corn, dried and ground to a powder.

Bannock actually originated in Scotland. Because bannock could be quickly prepared from readily-available ingredients, and because these ingredients lasted a long time without spoiling, bannock became a staple of European fur traders and subsequently, the native people also.

But the original recipe is nothing but flour and water, and traditional bannock is  essentially frontier junk food.

Here’s how to add a few ingredients to make flour-based  survival foods more nutritious.

Start by amending the  flour. Basic, white, bleached all-purpose flour has virtually all the nutrients taken out of it in processing. To each cup of white flour, add one tablespoon of soy flour, a tablespoon of dried milk and a teaspoon of wheat germ. According to “Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker’s Handbook” by Ed Wood, such an amendment combines enzymes and creates a complete protein, similar to meat.

I’ve used this amendment for years, and you can’t taste the difference in the baked goods. Try amending the flour in all your survival recipes that use white flour, such as hardtack, and you’ll feel the difference.  Here is the traditional bannock recipe:

Bannock recipe

• 1 c flour
• 4 tsp double-acting baking powder
• 2 Tbs powdered skim milk

Stir ingredients together; stir in water to make dough moist. Knead dough until smooth. Place in greased cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over the campfire or on coals and bake about five to 10 minutes until the top is brown. Then turn the bread and brown the other side.

A handy way to prepare for a backpacking or hiking trip is to mix all the dry ingredients in a Ziplock bag. Just add 1/2 cup of water and knead in the bag. Then take out the dough, finish kneading and spread it in the pan.

(Practice baking the bannock by the campfire. Put the dough in a greased skillet, and place it near the campfire, propped at about a 60-degree angle with a stick.  Lodge Pro-Logic 10″ Skillet Preseasond. When the side nearest the fire browns, flip the bread and brown the other side. In a pinch you could bake it on a plank!)

SurvivalCommonSense Bannock Recipe

• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs soy flour
• 1 tsp buckwheat flour
• 1 Tbs flax meal
• 2 Tbs stone ground whole wheat flour
• 4 tsp double-acting baking powder

Pace all the above ingredients in a one cup measure and add enough unbleached bread flour to make one cup of dry ingredients in volume.  Add  2 Tbs powdered skim milk, and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Add enough moisture to make a moist dough, and knead until smooth. Place in a greased cast iron skillet and bake. If you’re making this inside, bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Except for the different ingredients, you can treat the improved recipe just like the traditional. Put the improved bannock mixture in a ziplock bag to make later on the trail, and you can cook it just like the traditional recipe.

With either recipe, bannock is a quick, easy way to make use of wheat flour. Both recipes are good survival tools that could prove to be really useful in your survival kit!

Product Links:

• Are you prepared?
• Lodge Cast Iron Products
  Camp Chef Cooking Products

*Permission *

• Shared with permission of Leon from SurvivalCommonSense.com
• Originally Posted on June 22nd, 2010 by Leon in Food and Cooking

*Author Bio*

ABOUT LEON: Since 1991, Leon has been an assistant scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, and a wilderness skills trainer for the Boy Scouts’ Fremont District. Leon earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and competed in his last tournament (sparring and form) at age 49. He is an enthusiastic Bluegrass mandolin picker, two-time finalist in the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championships, and a freelance writer for the Bulletin newspaper in Bend, Or.

Shared with permission of Leon from SurvivalCommonSense.com
Originally Posted on July 2nd, 2010 by Leon in Survival Equipment

by Leon Pantenburg

Mark all your gear so it can be easily found before you head for the back country. Here’s why.   In low light, my fanny pack with all my survival gear would be hard to find.

 

At the first portage, I realized my fanny pack with all my survival gear was missing. The scout troop was about four days into a nine-day canoe trip into Northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. While everyone else relaxed, the guide and I paddled to the last campsite to retrieve my stuff. I was lucky to have noticed the missing pack when I did, and really lucky to have found it!

It was a potentially dangerous screw-up. The gear had been dropped on shore during a canoe launch. Distracted during the activity, I forgot to pick up my fanny pack (can you say: “Survival Common Sense?) I wore the pack at all times and in it were my Ten Essentials, water bottle, survival gear and all the tools I’d need for the next five days. Several adults and scouts walked down the trail by the black fanny pack and never saw it.

On one Idaho elk hunt, I leaned my black 7 mm Remington rifle against a tree while I walked a few yards away to answer nature’s call. On the way back, it started to rain and I stopped to glass a promising clump of trees, then walked a little distance further to see better. (Yes, I had all my survival gear on me!) That caused a distraction, and in the gathering gloom, my black rifle blended in perfectly with the trees.  It took about 10 anxious “Oh Crap!” minutes to locate the rifle.

“Yeah, Leon quit elk hunting,” I could imagine my hunting partners saying while I searched. “He lost his rifle. Yeah, really, he lost his rifle. He leaned it up against a tree and couldn’t find it again.” And I could just imagine the ribbing I would get around the campfire that, and many other nights!

When the same pack is turned over, the bright tape on it makes it easily visible. The knife and saw are also marked with tape.

Nowadays, I frequently stick blaze orange duct tape on my hunting rifle to help it stay found and as an added safety feature. I usually wear blaze orange in the field, even when the law doesn’t require it. Well over half my outdoor gear has some sort of camouflage pattern.Premium Duct Tape 2″ x 60 yards each color

To a duck and turkey hunter, the appropriate camouflage pattern is important to success. But don’t inadvertently forget the recreational clothing patterns and colors that are also camouflage. Black, white and earth-tone colors are popular and can easily blend into the surroundings. A brown-and black or green-and-white plaid pattern is one of the most effective camo patterns available.

If your knife, canteen, glove or other item is too well camouflaged, it may be lost or misplaced. Here’s a simple solution: Take along bright, fluorescent duct tape, flagging or parachute cord and mark everything before using it. 2″ X 150′ CONSPICUITY,REFLECTIVE,TRAILER TAPE RED/WHITE
The bright material will  help you see your gear in low light.

Bob Patterson, a skilled outdoorsman and veteran hunter from Mankato, Mn.,  recommends using highway department reflectional tape to mark gear.  The tape is typically available at automotive stores. Trimbrite – Glow in the Dark Tape, 2″ x 24″ (T1805) Bob is color blind, so camouflaged gear is virtually invisible to him. If  Bob misplaced something, he could wait until darkness and see the tape markings by flashlight.

Bob runs a few pieces  of the reflector tape through a paper shredder to make ribbons, then takes along thumbtacks to attach it to trees. The shredded reflector tape works well to mark the  path to and from a deer stand.

If, for some reason, you feel the need to hide out, either from marauders or mallards, just strip the bright material off.

The best survival gear in the world does no good if you forget or lose it somewhere!

*Author Bio*

ABOUT LEON: Since 1991, Leon has been an assistant scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, and a wilderness skills trainer for the Boy Scouts’ Fremont District. Leon earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and competed in his last tournament (sparring and form) at age 49. He is an enthusiastic Bluegrass mandolin picker, two-time finalist in the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championships, and a freelance writer for the Bulletin newspaper in Bend, Or.