Thursday 29/07/15
Smartphones have their uses, but people are relying on them perhaps a little too much. Recently I had the dubious pleasure of sharing a crowded waiting room with several dozen people for an extended period of time. Other than having to wait to be served, the one unifying detail shared by all of these people was the way they used their smartphone.
Without exception, each person took a seat then became completely engrossed in their smartphone. Being self-reliant and providing your own entertainment is a good thing, but not at the expense of your situational awareness.
Over the next hour two persons of questionable character entered the premises, meandered through the crowd, then found seats among the crowd. Each one pretended to be looking at their own smartphone while they were observing the other people in the room. Both of these unsavoury characters paid particular attention to people with big open bags; especially if they were elderly or had small children.
Yes, I have a smartphone too; but I use mine as a prop so I blend into the crowd. After a few minutes of observing what their behaviour, I made it obvious that I’d been watching the room and was aware of their intentions.
Both of these unpleasant people suddenly remembered other appointments they had to attend, and quickly left the room.
I’m not sure which was more disturbing about this scenario:
- Everyone was so engrossed in their smartphone that they failed to notice two undesirables had entered the room.
- Or that they hadn’t noticed they were being observed.
- Because people were so distracted the predators were confident they would get away with what they were planning.
- Or how close some of these people were to becoming another crime statistic.
I also saw two small children who wandered away from their parents, simply because their parents weren’t actually watching them.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use your smartphone for entertainment purposes, but please don’t become so engrossed in it that you are blind to what’s happening around you.
Thursday 23/7/15
Parachute cord (also known as paracord or 550 cord) is a thin, lightweight nylon rope traditionally used as suspension lines for parachutes. Since those times, paracord has been eagerly embraced by the public. It is known as 550 cord because it can hold up to 550 pounds of weight without breaking (550 pounds = 249 kilograms). Paracord is about the same thickness as the average bootlace, but as you now know, is significantly stronger.
Essentially, paracord is made up of nine inner threads encased in a nylon sheath and can be purchased by the metre (or by the spool if you wish). Like many things, you get what you pay for. Make sure you only purchase authentic 550 cord. The imitation stuff is utter rubbish and is incapable of holding 550 pounds.
You should always have a couple of hanks of paracord in your backpack, and each hank should be at least 10 metres long. If your paracord is any shorter than that, you’ll struggle to find many practical uses for it.
There are many uses for paracord, so I’ll just provide you with a few ideas to whet your appetite:
- Makeshift shelter: Secure your paracord between two sturdy objects (such as two trees, or your car and a fence post). Lay a tarpaulin over the paracord then slowly draw each side of the tarpaulin out wide to form what looks like a tent. Weigh the edge of the tarpaulin down with rocks (or some other heavy items). You now have shade and shelter from the rain.
- Clothes line: This can be used just about anywhere, inside or out. Everyone’s been stuck in a situation where they’ve had to hang wet clothes over the back of a chair or spread out on the ground.
- Bootlaces: You might consider replacing your bootlaces with paracord. If you find yourself in a situation where you are desperate enough to use your bootlaces as cordage, you might as well have paracord.
- Replacement broken tent ropes.
- Securing a splint to a broken limb.
- An emergency belt for your pants: This isn’t very comfortable, but it will do the job.
- You can keep gear and food bags up off the ground by hanging them from overhead branches.
- Tie gear and equipment down so it won’t blow away in a storm
- Create trip wires around your campsite.
As I said, there are many uses for paracord. These are just a few suggestions to get you thinking.
Thursday 16/07/15
In some situations it only takes a couple of minor oversights to turn a situation from one you can cope with into an unnecessary hassle (or worse). There’s no way you can plan for every eventuality, but you can do little things to lean the odds in your favour.
This week’s blog is simply a list of things that will make your life easier in tough times.
Airtight plastic containers – Definitely pack a couple of these in with your emergency food supplies. If you are in living in the aftermath of a natural disaster or experiencing an evacuation situation, you need to protect your dry-goods from moisture and vermin. Flour, powdered milk, rice, pasta, instant coffee, sugar and salt can all be ruined by constant high humidity (like that caused by several days of torrential rain). Also; cockroaches, ants and rats are attracted to anything sweet such as sugar and biscuits. There’s no point making preparations if your food is going to be ruined before you get a chance to use it. Seal it or lose it.
Dental floss – This stuff makes a great thread to repair rips in your gear or clothing. If you don’t have a sturdy needle, you can fashion one out of a piece of bone, a small sharp stick or a small, sharp piece of metal you might have in your gear. I once used the corkscrew on my pocketknife to create guide holes in ripped canvas for the floss to pass through.
Non-lubricated condom – I mentioned condoms once before, but they’re great for keeping electronic car keys, matches and other personal items dry; so I’ll take this opportunity to remind you of their worth.
Mobile phone – Even if your phone can’t get a signal, the screen can still be used as a source of light at night. Use this wisely, you don’t know how long it will be until you can recharge your phone.
Toilet paper and tissues – We rely on these items on a daily basis, but they are often overlooked by people when they are gathering their supplies. In addition to the obvious, lightweight paper makes great tinder for your fire.
Garbage bags – Please see last week’s blog for other uses.
Duct tape – I’ve used this stuff for everything from first-aid through to emergency car repairs. Do not buy the cheap tape; it is a waste of money.
Shovel (fixed handle or folding) – You’ll need one to bury your waste and to dig your pit toilet.
There you have it, a few simple suggestions to add to your ever increasing knowledge bank. Take a moment to think how much you have learned since you started reading my blog, and how much better prepared you are to deal with unusual situations. If you have any suggestions for blog ideas, please let me know; if it is within the realm of my knowledge and experience, I’ll be happy to share the information with you.
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