Hurricane Harvey Aftermath: Toxins, Chemical Plant Explosions, Looting, and Disease – Are you Prepared for the Next one?

For years we have tried to highlight the importance of preparedness, we have also warned that sometimes the most dangerous parts of a natural disaster are the threats that come in the aftermath of the [...]

The post Hurricane Harvey Aftermath: Toxins, Chemical Plant Explosions, Looting, and Disease – Are you Prepared for the Next one? appeared first on Off Grid Survival - Wilderness & Urban Survival Skills.

from Off Grid Survival – Wilderness & Urban Survival Skills https://offgridsurvival.com/hurricane-harvey-prepared-next-one/

Survival Shoes: Lace Up or Slip On

We know what you’re thinking.  What a silly question.  Anyway what possible difference does it make in the long run?   Well, go to your closet right now and ask yourself then, why exactly do you have so many different kinds of shoes and boots?  Ha, caught you.

By Dr. John J. Woods, a contributing author to SHTFBlog & Survival Cache

In this modern age we have people wearing hiking boots that don’t hike and athletic shoes when they never get off the couch.  Even tennis players do not wear tennis shoes any more.  Cowboy boots are in vogue worn by folks that wouldn’t know a cow from a cow pie.  It’s all the nature of fashion these days.  So long as it looks good, what else is there?

Related: Snow Shoes – A Survival Necessity In Deep Snow

Well, how about the concepts of comfort, fit, and function?  Those who work hard and play hard know well enough that footwear has to match the task at hand with fashion aside way down the list if on it at all.  So, what kinds of shoes and boots should preppers be buying and wearing?

Footwear for Soft Prepper Work

How active are you and what prepper tasks do you undertake on a daily basis that might require considerable walking, running, hiking, or climbing?  Maybe it is a mix of these prepper job tasks.  If your prepper plans and movements demand a lot of time outside, then you will need sturdy, well made shoes with soles that have soft soil or mud terrain gripping capabilities.  You don’t want to be slipping and sliding.

For ankle support, check out high top shoes or low top boots with thick enough sides for support that lace up.  You will want a shoe/boot that can be tightened up around the ankles for full support especially on the ankle bone points.  With laces you can vary the tension as needed.

 

If you Bug In, then comfortable light shoes or boots will work.  These can be slip on, or even Velcro strap latch which is popular with older folks.  Comfy house shoes are great to shuffle around the house, but at least get the types than can be worn outside if necessary in the grass, dirt, or on wet, snowy days.  Forget cheap fabric construction with light fake material soles.  Keep to leather with non-slip rubberized soles.

Footwear for Hard Prepper Work

If your Bug Out is a camping mode or a remote site on the rough side, then you are going to want heavy duty boots for most outside activities like perimeter patrolling, hunting, scouting, or defensive actions.  Start by checking out lines of hunting related boots as these can serve well for cutting wood, working gardens, building projects, fencing, and other tough outside jobs.  You’ll want lace up, waterproof and insulated versions if the weather is wet and cold.

Also Read: Survival Footwear

Again, strongly consider leather as the base boot material.  Nylon or synthetic uppers can work if weatherproof and thick enough to provide side support.  Look for Vibram lug soles for long lasting wear and a tread pattern to handle mud and rocks.

Other Popular Options

If you find yourself deep in the muck, then you may want to have a couple of pairs of different kinds of slip on high top Muck boots.  These have rubber bottoms and neoprene shaft tops.  They are very comfortable, waterproof, and can be bought with cold weather insulation.

Military boots new or surplus may have application for many prepper activities.  Obviously if they were suitable for combat, they ought to serve in survival mode.  Most of these are mid-top, lace up boots that are lightweight but usually very durable.

Footwear Support Gear

Quality boots and shoes demand proper maintenance like anything else.  Wet or sweat soaked boots need to be slowly dried overnight.  If electricity is available have boot dryers.  If there is no power, then open up the boots to air out and let them dry near moderate heat, not sitting next to the fire.  Have some boot cleaning kits with brushes and leather waxes.  Get several sets of backup laces, too.  And a tube of Shoe Goo for footwear repairs.   Whatever footwear you get for prepper/survival duties, make certain they fit.  If in doubt, go a size up.  Then figure out what socks are best for all day wear in varying environments and work conditions.

Obviously this leaves a wide berth of options, but don’t skimp on footwear.  Forget the one dollars shoes, flip flops, open-toed sandals, and slippers.

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Survival Uses For Coffee Cans And Coffee Filters

As survivalists, we’ll take an everyday item and make sure it has (or will have) at least two or three survival uses. This includes anything from paracords to zip ties to trash bags!Anything that is not a multi use item is useless! It’s a practical yet necessary mindset that we carry with us wherever we go. If you don’t already stock up on coffee filters and even the big red folgers cans… you might want to read below to see how your morning cup of Joe is actually a heck of a survival tool:

The Many Survival Uses For Coffee Cans And Coffee Filters

There are some pretty cool survival uses for these two items!

The survival uses for coffee cans that I’ll cover today include:

• Survival kit
• First aid kit
• Organizational container for your survival supplies
• Water container
• DIY heater
• Hot coal carrier
• Cooking
• Leftover storage while camping
• Hiding place for valuables
• Container for washing small items

The survival uses for coffee filters that I’ll cover today include:

• First aid
• Filtering water
• Emergency toilet paper or paper towels
• Fire starter
• Keeping flying insects away from your food and drinks
• Headache relief
• Makeshift bowl
• Makeshift notepad
• Funnel

Let’s get started!

Survival Uses For Coffee Cans

Survival Kit

A metal or plastic coffee can makes a great container for a survival kit! You can include items such as a fire starting kit, multi-tool, a poncho, and any other necessary items that could save you in a survival situation.

Check out our article, Coffee Can Survival Kit for Your Car, for a great example of what to possibly include in your own survival kit.

First Aid Kit

A metal or plastic coffee can makes a great container for a first aid kit as well. Check out our article, What to Include in a Home First Aid Kit, for a step by step guide on building the perfect first aid kit for you and your family.

Organize Your Survival Supplies

A coffee can may also help you organize your survival supplies while on a camping trip. Let’s say you want to go around the corner from the campsite to fish, and you want a container to carry your needed supplies while you catch dinner. Throw them in a small plastic coffee can, and you’re all set!

Water Container

A metal coffee can makes a great tool to scoop water from your nearby water source. You can also use it to boil the water so it’s safe to drink.

DIY Heater

This DIY heater is a great temporary solution for an extra heat source for the inside of a tent. The burn time for this DIY heater is approximately 15-18 minutes. There is no odor as it burns.

What you’ll need:

• 1 small metal coffee can
• 1 roll of toilet paper
• Lighter or matches
• 1 container of 70% rubbing alcohol

Directions:

• Remove the cardboard insert from the toilet paper roll. Bend the roll slightly and insert it into the coffee can.
• Next, pour the 70% alcohol onto the toilet paper making sure to soak the entire roll.
• After the alcohol has had time to soak into the toilet paper completely, light the toilet paper.

Carrying Hot Coals

If you’re walking from one campsite to another and want to have a fire as soon as you arrive, you can carry hot coals inside a metal coffee can. You’ll have a roaring fire going within a few minutes. Great time and energy saver!

Cooking

Large metal coffee cans are great for cooking! Check out our article, Now You’re Cooking!, for step by step instructions on how you can have the perfect meal using a coffee can!

Store Leftovers While Camping

Metal coffee cans also make perfect storage for your leftovers, because they help to conceal food odors. This is important as any food odors can attract predators and other unwanted pests.

Keep Your Valuables Hidden

Need a good hiding place for your valuables? Coffee cans make the perfect place to hide any valuables, such as your cell phone, any jewelry, wallet, etc.

Washing Small Items

Lastly, of the many survival uses for coffee cans, large plastic coffee cans are great for washing smaller items like socks, under garments, etc. Just fill the coffee can half way with water, add a little soap, throw in the items, close the lid, and give it a good shake for about 2-5 minutes. Next, rinse the items with clean water and then wring them out and let air dry.

 

Survival Uses For Coffee Filters

First Aid

Of course, first aid kit supplies are what you use to clean and dress your wounds. However, if you’ve cut yourself, and the first aid kit is not within your sight or reach, but you have immediate access to a coffee filter, then by all means, use one to press down on the wound to stop the bleeding. However, keep in mind that this is a temporary solution until you can get to your first aid kit.

Filtering Water

Coffee filters are not meant to completely filter your water, but they can be used to filter out small pieces of wood, pebbles, grass, etc. Boiling your water is always the safest bet to remove all bacteria and waterborne pathogens

Check out this incredible water filter made from less than $10.00 in material:

.

Emergency Toilet Paper Or Paper Towels

You get to your campsite and realize you didn’t pack the toilet paper or paper towels! Don’t panic. You can just use coffee filters instead.

Fire Starter

When you’re done cooking your meal in your cast iron skillet, wipe the excess grease off with a coffee filter. But, don’t throw it away! Instead, use it later on as a fire starter.

Keep Flying Insects Away From Your Food And Drinks

One thing about eating outdoors is dealing with flies and gnats buzzing around your food! To protect your food and drinks, cover them with coffee filters.

Headache Relief

Sometimes, over the counter medications alone just don’t cut it for headaches. For an instant cold compress, wet a coffee filter and then stick it in the freezer for about five minutes. Place the chilled coffee filter on your forehead for that extra headache relief.

Makeshift Bowl

Here’s a great idea for a ‘less mess’ snack or meal (though for dry foods only). Place your snack or quick meal in a coffee filter and just throw it away after you’re done — no dishes to wash this way!

Makeshift Notepad

Coffee filters make a great substitute for a notepad to jot down those quick notes!

Funnel

Slightly cup the coffee filter and cut off the tip. This creates a great funnel and makes transferring things to other containers much easier.

 

Step One survival shows a video on the survival coffee can:

Do you use unconventional items for survival? If so, what are your favorite survival uses for coffee cans? Share with us in the comment section below.

UP NEXT: 377 Survival Hacks And Skills You Should Know

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from SurvivalLife https://survivallife.com/survival-uses-coffee-cans/

Looting Begins in Houston: Thugs Pose as Rescuers to Rob and Assault Vulnerable Families

As Houston is pounded by record level flooding, the worst of humanity has hit the streets looking to take advantage of an already horrific situation. [...]

The post Looting Begins in Houston: Thugs Pose as Rescuers to Rob and Assault Vulnerable Families appeared first on Off Grid Survival - Wilderness & Urban Survival Skills.

from Off Grid Survival – Wilderness & Urban Survival Skills https://offgridsurvival.com/looting-begins-houston-thugs-pose-rescuers-rob-assault-vulnerable-families/

How to Deal With The 5 Stages Of Grief After TSHTF

Dealing with grief is never easy. I know it may not seem like it but the ability to identify and deal with grief is a crucial survival skill. In a survival situation the limits of your emotions will be tried and tested and if you don’t know how to keep your wits about you, it could just break you.

There are 5 key stages to grief and each requires a different skillset to deal with.  These stages do not necessarily happen chronologically, in fact, most people move between stages before they make peace with the situation they’re in.  Aside from guns and gear, you need to be mentally equipped to deal with loss in a crisis… make sure this skill set is not lost on you.

The 5 Stages of Grief | Surviving  Loss

We all grieve in different ways. Some people are very emotional and cry their hearts out to alleviate the pain, while others grieve discreetly and may not even cry at all. There’s  no concrete formula for grieving and we should not be hasty in judging how others cope as well. To help you through the grieving process, let’s talk about the 5 stages of grief so you can better understand where you stand.

 

1. Denial

Usually, upon learning the tragic news of the death of a loved one or being terminally ill, the initial reaction is denying the reality of the unfortunate circumstance. You’ll probably tell yourself repeatedly “this isn’t happening.” This is natural and normal, especially if you’re faced with overwhelming emotions. Denial is a self-defense mechanism and a temporary response to help us cope with the excruciating situation.

2. Anger

This stage of grief comes in many forms. You may be angry at yourself for not saying something you wish you had to a deceased loved one or the person you broke up with. You may also direct your anger to the loved one who passed away for leaving you and for the pain you’re going through.

Anger may also be aimed at your friends or family, or even at inanimate objects. You have the tendency to lash out at anyone or anything at any given time. Additionally, being angry can sometimes make you feel guilty. Due to the heightened emotions, you may start doubting your religious beliefs and get angry with the supreme being.

With all these many forms of anger, it all boils down to one thing: you find someone or something to blame just to ease the pain. While this is understandable and normal, try to find some answers to your questions and help yourself understand the situation. Take your time. Know that you’ll be able to pick up the pieces when you’re ready.

3. Bargaining

Sometimes, in your grieving period, you may find yourself begging for things to go back to what it was and in return, you’ll offer to do something good. For instance, you may say “I promise to be a better person if you bring my deceased loved one back.” In an attempt to distract yourself from the pain you’re feeling, bargaining becomes your escape goat.

4. Depression

Due to the unfortunate event you’ve been through, you may undergo reactive depression. Life suddenly lost its meaning and you’re headed in an unknown direction. There will be times when you wouldn’t want to get out of bed or leave the house. You’ll find it hard to do your usual daily routine and opt to just sulk in depression. This heavy feeling may come and go and there will be good and bad days.

Also, depression is connected with the production of serotonin in your brain. If the serotonin level is low, you’re more likely to feel sad. There are various ways to increase your serotonin like exercising, eating less sugary foods, having fun under the sun, or get a relaxing massage. No pressure though, find an activity you’re comfortable with…baby steps!

Depression can turn into a very serious condition and it’s not to be taken lightly. If you are feeling hopelessness, please talk to someone whether it’s a close friend, relative, or even a stranger who is willing to listen. Engage in an activity or hobby that can keep your mind busy. At this grieving stage, you’ll need all the support you can get.

5. Acceptance

Acceptance is coming to terms with the reality of the situation. Recognizing and not just knowing that this is the life you’ll be living from now on will help you cope better and deal with the painful moments accordingly. You’ll make adjustments and reorganize things here and there, but the beauty of acceptance is– now, you’re willingly doing it to get yourself back on track.

As you accept the way things are, you’ll be able to invest in new meaningful relationships and new connections. You’ll understand that every emotion you felt and feel is valid, thus, you’ll be able to recognize and deal with your needs better too.

Video: The 5 Stages Of Grief Explained:

Grieving and coping with a very difficult situation is different for each of us. Allow yourself to feel and grieve properly to promote proper healing. Take into consideration these stages of grief to better understand what you’re going through, what you went through, and what you might still go through. Understand that the best person to help you is you, but of course, there’s no harm in allowing others to help you as well. Keep a positive mindset and have faith that everything will fall back into place.

Have you been through these stages of grief? What did you do to survive? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Up next: How To Survive A Plane Crash

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from SurvivalLife https://survivallife.com/dealing-with-grief/

10 Tips To Help You Trek To Basecamp More Efficiently

When it comes to our emergency preparedness, practice makes perfect. We cannot just throw a bunch of high-speed gear into a backpack and consider ourselves prepped for the trek to basecamp or our BOL. Not only do we need to be familiar with our gear but we also need to master the skills to implement this gear in a crisis. The best way that I know of to develop and maintain these skills is to get out in the field, setup various hypothetical situations and get to work!

10 Tips To Help You Trek To Basecamp

One of the ways that I implement my training is to put on my go bag and hit the trail for a couple day trek. With this type of training, I get to address various facets of my preparedness plan. First off, I trek out a minimum distance of 3 miles. This helps me to gauge how far I can move out as well as the time that it takes me to cover that distance. This is crucial information that I need to truly understand my capabilities as well as my limitations.

Since I am moving out on foot, I am limited on what I can bring with me to basecamp. This makes me focus much more on the contents of my go bag. The more often that I trek, the more that my gear choices get tweaked. Once you are in the middle of nowhere, with only the contents of your go bag to live off of… Let’s just say that I learn my lessons real quick when I forget to pack a piece of crucial gear.

We both realize that it’s one thing to believe that you are prepared. However, our goal is to know that we are ready for any crisis that comes our way. Continual practice and scenario training are a must if we hope to ride out an emergency situation. I realize that if I can bode well in the field for both myself and my family, we will have options that most of our neighbors will not. Options and choices are intangible items that greatly add to my chances of survival.

In order to make your trekking experience sustainable, it needs to be comfortable and even fun. If you have an awful experience every time that you move out on foot… You probably will not be investing time and effort in this type of valuable training. As we say in the United States Marine Corps Infantry…. You Need To Embrace The SUCK!

I want to share few tricks I keep up my sleeve that make the SUCK a hell of a lot more enjoyable. It’s never easy… But we made a decision to be prepared for both ourselves and our loved ones. If you want to increase your chances of survival, while maintaining a good amount of motivation, you need to lead from the front.

Let’s Get Right Into It…

Keeping A Well Packed Kit:

Having an inferior ruck or backpack is an issue right from the start. Your kit needs to be streamlined, durable and comfortable. Once you add a good backpack to your gear, you need to be able to pack it well. If your gear is continually shifting, with each step that you take, your experience will be a relatively awful one. This can also add to abrasions and other injuries to your back and shoulders.

Be sure to balance out your backpack so that it rides high and is stable. Tie down your gear with rope of 550 cord in order to keep the contents from shifting. This not only ensures that you will have a much more comfortable trek, but it will also keep your critical contents from getting damaged.

Maintain Your Spinal Alignment:

When we throw on a pack that is heavily weighted, we have the tendency to pitch forward. In the process, we either arch our back or round it. Either of these two options can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. As we progress through our trek and the miles begin to add up, we will greatly increase our chances for injury by maintaining this type of hiking form.

Maintaining good alignment is a must if you hope to not only reach your basecamp but be able to do work once you arrive. Once thing that I teach my NTC Members is called the Reset Pose. Basically, it is a three-point checklist that addresses proper spinal alignment. The three points are:

1. Stand Tall-

Picture a rope that is used to tie off a big ship, attached to the crown of your head. Now picture that rope pulling you up from your crown making you tall.

2. Shoulders Rolled And Packed Down-

Perform a couple of shoulder rolls. Hold the downward motion of your shoulder roll. Your shoulders are now packed down and integrated with your core allowing your body to operate as one machine.

3. Core Activation-

Imagine a big Mac truck coming at you and a collision is unavoidable. That tense activation that you feel throughout your body, minus your head and limbs, is the type of core activation that I am referencing here.

Those 3 points will always keep your spinal alignment where it needs to be. Keep in mind that the Reset Pose should be used any time that you are performing movement; especially when resistance and weight is added.

Footwear:

Wearing proper footwear is truly about personal preference. What may feel like walking on clouds to one individual, will feel like stepping on a bed of nails to another. What I want to address here, pertaining to footwear, is to always have a backup pair of shoes. Let me tell you a little story about a trek that I took, just a few days ago…

I had been sent an expensive pair of hiking shoes to review. If you have followed my work for a bit, you are well aware that I prefer minimalist shoes for all my activities. Since these new shoes were minimalist shoes, I decided to break them in and put them through my review process, while on a trek. I put them on and began to move out. They were comfortable, had great traction so I continued on the trail. About 2 miles in, I began to feel the ground even more that I usually do with minimalist shoes. I lifted my left foot up to adjust the shoe and realized that they heel of my shoe had completely come apart.

Here I was on rocky terrain, with only one shoe and a 75lb ruck strapped to my back.

Luckily, I always carry a backup pair of shoes in my go bag. I had to remove my pack, open up my kit and grab my back up hiking sandals. In the process I lost valuable energy as well as time. But it also reinforced the importance of keeping a backup pair of light footwear.

Hydration Needs:

Staying hydrated is important for any season but especially in warmer months and climates. Having an ample water supply from the start is a good idea. There are many usual water spots that can be capped off without notice. Relying on these water sources, across your route, may not be a smart strategy. Keep in mind that we are also training for emergency scenarios with our current practice. During an emergency, the route that you trek on, may not be the same route that you use to escape a crisis.

One of the ways that i address my water and hydration needs is with a hydration pack. Not only can I hold a fair amount of water in these types of bladders, but using the attached hose to gulp down water is ideal. When I have a heavy pack on my back, I’m not too prone to taking it off during my water breaks. My goal is to get to basecamp as quickly and efficiently as possible. After all, the real work will start once I get there.

Mess Gear:

Being able to have gear to cook with is obviously an important factor. When I am solo, I make due with the most minimal amount of mess gear. But when I am with my NTC Members or my family, I opt for good cooking gear that will provide us with tasty nutrition. We want to make our loved ones as comfortable as possible while we ride out the emergency. A tasty meal may be one of the few enjoyments, experienced during a SHTF scenario.

Latrine Kit:

When I am on a trek, I prefer digging a hole for all of my latrine needs. However, when trekking on State and Federal lands, digging a latrine may not be a legal option. As you are probably aware of, latrines in remote areas are not the cleanest or most sanitary places on earth. Bringing supplies to make the experience a bit more “digestible” is certainly recommended.

I have come across many people that seem to have stage fright when it comes to using latrines and even port-a-johns while in the field. This will not only make that person extremely uncomfortable but can also need to illness over time. Having a proper latrine kit while on the move is certainly something to consider.

Physical Fitness:

Yup… I harp on this all the time but only because it is so under-addressed with the survival community. Strapping on a 50-80 pound rucksack and moving out for miles is quite a challenge. When you add in difficult terrain and varied elevation… It certainly is no walk in the park. If your physical preparedness is not a skill that you possess, you will be setting yourself up for lots of pain and most likely… Failure!

Wear Long Pants & Long Sleeve Shirts:

It may seem a bit of a stretch to wear pants and shirts while on a trek; especially in the hot months. But keep in mind that even during jungle training, in the U.S. Marines, full BDU’s were always a must. There are many things along the trail that can impede your progress. Thorny plants and bush are forever reminders of this lesson. If the shrubbery is not enough… Then the insects will quickly solidify this lesson for you.

The weather elements also play a role in deciding to dress this way while on the trail. Sun, rain and even hail can wreak havoc on your experience when more of your body is exposed to it. Invest in good clothing that is light, comfortable and dry fast. They will last you for years and keep you on the trail, enabling you to accomplish your mission.

Insect Repellent:

Along the same lines as what we just discussed with clothing… Insect repellent is a must! Whether you are on the move or at basecamp, insect repellent will go a long way in keeping you comfortable. These critters carry all sorts of diseases that can diminish your chances of boding well during an emergency. When it comes to R&R… it will be very difficult to get proper rest when you have creatures buzzing in your ears all night.

Divide Up Your Group Gear:

There is a good chance that you are the leader of your preparedness group. With that role comes great responsibility. The pressure to lead and keep everyone safe if a stressful endeavor. As leaders we tend to, literally, want to carry everyone’s weight for them. Every uncomfortable scenario, every diversion from the plan, becomes your responsibility. It is who we are deep inside and we are obviously doing it out of love for our group members.

As leaders, we want to do everything to make other members more comfortable. This usually leads to the leader having an overweight rucksack while other members are basically carrying around a light day pack. This will not only make you a less effective leader, but will most likely take you out of commission at times where your group needs you the most. Be sure to divide up all of your group gear so that no one in your group, including you, becomes over-burdened. We can only move as fast as our slowest member. The more that anyone is overloaded, the greater the risk of injury. This certainly will not help in getting to your destination in a timely fashion.

Bottom Line:

Trekking can be an enjoyable experience, and it is for most. However, if you do not prepare accordingly, chances are that you will not look too favorably on trekking in general.

Keep in mind that trekking is recreational. But when the SHTF… You can either Embrace The Suck, or become a statistic. So get on the trail and train, hopefully you can use a few of the tips in this article to make your trekking something that you actually look forward to.

Up Next: Making Beef Jerky At Home

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from SurvivalLife https://survivallife.com/10-tips-trek-basecamp/

The Survivalist’s Guide to Occupying Your Time

Time can be your greatest friend or your biggest enemy in a survival situation. Consider the phenomenon of cabin fever, which turns people in close proximity against each other, or having to pass time as a group through the night; how about when you have no choice but to wait for rescue? Here are a couple tips on how you can keep your mind occupied and avoid the passing of time getting to you…

“A key ingredient in any survival situation is the mental attitude of the individual(s) involved.” FM21-76 US Army Survival Manual

By Alex Coyne, a contributing author of Survival Cache & SHTFBlog.com

Social Interaction

Social interaction is an essential part of human nature. Movies like I Am Legend and Cast Away portray this well – Robert Neville takes to placing mannequins over town, and Chuck Noland eventually starts speaking to Wilson, a Wilson-branded volleyball.  Many, recounting time served in the military, recall the social interaction between people the most; never discount its value.

Developing a Quiet Mind

Knowing how to meditate and quiet the mind is a vital skill; after a while, one becomes unaware of the amount of time that has passed and one is able to focus on the total absence of thought or, if needed, solving a particularly complex problem by focusing on the details. Practice meditation for at least ten minutes per day to start. Allow for thoughts to drift – this is completely normal. You can light a candle to aid in focus.

Scheduling Time

Schedule your time whether you are alone or in a group. Knowing what to do and more or less when will help take the edge off. Have a routine, even if it’s a simple one that starts with a walk, a swim or a morning coffee. Having a schedule will also help to avoid general chaos if and when in a group and divide the responsibilities equally.

Also Read: The Prepper Learning Curve

Playing Cards and Other Games

Don’t underestimate what you can do with a deck of playing cards. Part of staving off boredom is keeping your hands and mind occupied and even when you are alone, cards can do just that. Groups of people can pass hours away by playing Poker, Blackjack, Rummy, Bridge, Snap or a range of other card games. The same is true for other games and puzzles – anything goes, as long as you’re keeping busy.

Skill-Building

Practice or learn a new skill. This is something which will undoubtedly come in handy in whichever situation you find yourself in, and if you have a large amount of time to kill you might as well put it to good use. Skills can include anything from getting to know the area to learning how to carve objects from wood.

Music and Art

Ancient tribes of the world are known for their music and art; both can be used as ways to relaxation, and you would be surprised how many art supplies can be made from what’s around you if you have nothing else. Simple pants and pigments can be made by grounding up natural substances – ochre is just one of many examples; charcoal can be made by charring wood. It goes without saying that it can be a more than sufficient distraction in times of need.

Related: Fortifying Your Home

The same is true for music – yes, it is also able to aid in meditation for people to attain a sort of trance state, and it serves the goal of keeping the mind and body occupied.

The Use of Stimulants

When a great deal of time has to be passed for reasons of safety, for example when keeping a look-out throughout the night, the use of (legal) stimulants such as caffeine is worth mentioning. Caffeine has been shown to increase alertness and wakefulness, which could be exactly what you need to get you through a dark, cold and dangerous night in the wilderness. Always take care with the use of stimulants: Check with a medical professional and avoid stimulants entirely should you have any type of heart condition.

How have you had to pass the time? We’d like to hear more about your stories in the comments.

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