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ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2012

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CONTENTS
16

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE

EDITORS CHOICE ITEMS IN OUR

BUYERS GUIDE SECTIONS...

27

36

44

FEATURES
EARTHQUAKE

URBAN

DESERT

12 INTRODUCTION

80 INTRODUCTION

120 INTRODUCTION

13 EARTHQUAKES 101

81 LAST RESORT

This earthquake anatomy class reveals the

nations high-risk and low-risk areas to live in
and much more.
By Torrey Kim

Colorado. Wisconsin. Columbine.

Mass shootings are, unfortunately,
part of society. Know how to react, what to do.
By Alon Stivi

121 WATER, WATER

EVERYWHERE

22 BEFORE IT STRIKES

90 SURVIVAL FOOD

124 SURVIVAL CHECKLIST

Securing your homes integrity is just one of

seven critical steps you need to take before a
quake.
By Wendy Wilson

Want to survive using the same skills that Navy

SEALS employ every day? Consider these tips.
By Don Mann and Ralph Pezullo

32 SURVIVE THE VIOLENCE

1OO LIFE INSURANCE

Whether youre spending a few days

in the desert or escaping a natural
disaster, these are 10 essentials you
must have.
By Torrey Kim

From the economy to solar flares to a terrorist

attack, there are all good reasons to build an
underground shelter.
By Suzanne Leder

COLUMNS

PREPAREDNESS

At home. In a high-rise. Away from home.

Regardless of where you are when the quake
strikes, these tips are designed to keep you safe.
By Wendy Wilson

40 WHEN THE DUST SETTLES

The complete list of what to do after the
shaking stops.
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

50 FALLOUT SHELTERS
A nuclear meltdown following a quake is a
reality. Remember Japan? These tips can
mean the difference between life and death.
By Torrey Kim

60 STARK LESSONS
The lessons we learned from other quakes are
plenty.
By Andrew Luther

68 7.0
A dramatic day-by-day account of a
survivor from the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
By Bryan Meyers

72 EMOTIONAL FIRST-AID KIT

Stay calm and be productive during a quake.
Here are four surefire methods.
By Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D.

76 ITS INEVITABLE
THINKSTOCK PHOTO

Tsunamis hit everywhere but the U.S., right?

Think again. Heres the plan to keep you safe.
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

55

64

PREPAREDNESS

PREPAREDNESS

103 CRUCIAL TO SURVIVAL

Preserving your own food will ensure a steady
supply of meals during any disaster.
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

Finding water in the desert is

easier than you may realize.
By Torrey Kim

6 FIRST WORDS
8 TIPS, HISTORY, STATS
130 CLOSING

WILDERNESS
PREPAREDNESS

106 INTRODUCTION
107 UP IN FLAMES
How to start a fire, and make sure it keeps
burning, every time.
By Abe Elias

110 SURVIVAL 101

Learn survival from an elite instructor and
author, Cody Lundin, at the one of the nations
top survival schools.

114 NO PHARMACY, NO PROBLEM

Plants and herbs can provide natural cures
for a number of ailments.
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

118 THE RIGHT TRACK

When tracking an animal becomes a necessity
for survival, these are the essentials you need
to know.
By Garrett Kim

85

94

THE COVER
Photo: Main Image-Thinkstock Photo,
Cody Lundin - Courtesy of Cody Lundin
Designer: Eric Knagg

BUYERS GUIDES
16
27
36
44
55
64
85
94

FOOD AND WATER

LIGHT SOURCES
GENERATORS
SHELTER
BACKPACKS
MISCELLANEOUS
KNIVES
FIREARMS

FIRST WORDS

Clear vision

ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2012

EDITORIAL
Editor: Doug Jeffrey
Managing Editor: Karen Wilhelmsen
Art Director: Eric Knagg

By Torrey Kim

CONTRIBUTORS
Abe Elias, Paul Hantke, Kristin Webb-Hollering, Garrett
Kim, Torrey Kim, Suzanne Leder, Cody Lundin, Andrew
M. Luther, Bryan Meyers, Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D.,
Wendy Wilson

T WAS 1996.
I had just moved to Northern California
from Connecticut, and I had no prior West

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I was in a San Francisco dcor shop and

had picked up a handmade floor planter. I

didnt understand why it had gel-cushioned

balls along the bottom of it so I asked the sales

person about it.

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She could tell from the look on my face that
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which are made of pottery, are at risk of breaking, she explained. So we add gel cushioning
to the delicates.

My mind
started to
race. Would
I be on the
Golden Gate
Bridge when
it hit?

That way, if the

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Thats
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Internet was so new that resources were

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earthquake
zone.

WHEN WOULD
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but it seemed that everyone except me was

fied, they wonder what they could have

aware of the fact that the big one was immi-

done differently.
Thats why a clear vision of how to

My mind started to race.

weather a quake should be at the top of

Would I be on the Golden Gate Bridge

everyones mind. Consider where you

when it hit? Would I be on the BART subway

would take cover during a quake, how youd

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get in touch with loved ones afterward and

It didnt matter, because one thing was certain: my planters and cabinets may have been
but I was not.

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what lessons you would take to heart.

Prepare completely using the advice in
this issue, so you can take that information
with you as you develop your plan and

myself, my home and my family for what could

ensure that you are prepared for whatever

possibly be a catastrophic earthquake, even

may come your way.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

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TIPS, HISTORY, STATS

Free Weather Apps

That Could Save Your Life

3. AccuWeather

OU CANT BEAT FREE. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT

MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE.

This app goes far beyond its most basic use (giving the weekly fore-

One item that youre likely to have with you if disaster

cast), also showing radar, satellite and interactive maps. Plus, youll get

strikes is your mobile phone. What you may not realize is that

severe weather updates, ranging from high wind warnings to tornado

your phone can also serve as a signal to tell you when bad

alerts to snow and ice predictions.

weather is coming your way. Consider downloading these apps all of

4. Earthquakes!

which are free to your mobile device so you can stay up-to-speed on
impending weather changes.

Warning: This app is addictive. Once you fire it up and load the map,

1. The Weather Channel

youll see all the places that had recent quakes. Click on any town and it
will give you the magnitude of the quake, the time it hit, and the exact dis-

Still considered one of the premiere sources of weather information,

tance between you and that location. It can also send notifications to your

The Weather Channel shares its expert advice in this free app, which

phone when quakes occur nearby, which is essential for those in an earth-

shows you your local weather, the upcoming forecast and how to share

quake zone.

your personal weather-related photos with the online community using

5. Hurricane by American Red Cross

your phones camera.

2. NOAA Now

This app features crucial location-based alerts for those in the path of
a hurricane, gives you tips on what to do during a storm and explains

Following the path of a storm has never been easier than this. Tell the

where you can find an American Red Cross shelter nearby. Be ready for

app which part of the country youd like to search, and it will show you

upcoming severe weather and monitor conditions in your area or

every storm in that area and whats on the way there. With real-time

throughout the storm track, with NOAA weather alerts. Another great

updates showing exactly when a storm will make landfall, you cant live

feature is the Im Safe alert, which messages your family that you are

without this app if youre in a storm zone.

okay via e-mail, text, Facebook or Twitter.

1.

45

1.

2.

3.

THE NUMBER OF STATES AND

TERRITORIES THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES THAT
ARE AT A MODERATE TO HIGH
RISK FOR EARTHQUAKES.

Seeing yourself as a survivor

greatly increases your chance
of surviving [an earthquake or
any disaster]. Thomas J. Nardi,
clinical psychologist

4.

Track Disaster
Zones Online
ACCORDING FEMA, 15 STATES WERE IN
ACTIVE DISASTER ZONES AS OF SEPTEMBER 2012.
Ranging from massive wildfires in Colorado to
flooding in Vermont and Hurricane Isaac in
Louisiana, the damage clocked well into the millions of dollars, and left scores of families without
power for days on end.
That ranking changes from day to day, as disas-

Improve Your Survival Odds:

Fast Facts About Wildfires

ters eventually touch one state or another

throughout the year. No state is completely
immune from problems, so everyone should pre-

PRIVACY. IT CAN

pare for the issues most likely to impact their

BE COSTLY.

regions.
In the Midwest? Get your tornado plan ready.

If you want a home

with total privacy,

destruction
can happen
quickly and on a
massive scale.

near your home.

Prune away deadbranches that cover
your roof, and cut

The northeast needs to buckle down for a poten-

beyond the intrusion of

tial winter snowstorm. The South is still on edge

neighbors but offering

and on a massive scale.

tree branches that

for hurricanes, and the West Coast is always on

the beauty of nature all

If youre surrounded by

come within 15 feet

high alert for earthquakes.

around you, youre

trees, consider these

probably looking at a

tips to improve your

Maintain a 10-foot

exist at any given time by checking www.fema.gov

rural setting with trees

survival odds should a

border around

and scrolling down to the map.

surrounding your home.

fire ever hit your area:

propane tanks

You can be sure to know which disaster zones

picture is, the fact

disasters eventually touch one

state or another
throughout the
year. No state is
completely immune
from problems

Hydration In the Desert

IF YOU SEE AN ANIMAL NEARBY,
YOU KNOW THAT WATER ISNT FAR
AWAY. BRANDON GARRETT OF THE
READY STORE

of a chimney outlet.

and grills.

As serene as this

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

fires if they get

If possible, create a

Dont store flammable

remains that homes

30- to 100-foot safety

items such as newspa-

bordered by forestry

zone surrounding

pers in your living

are at risk of wildfires

your house to keep

and you should always

it away from the

area or garage.
Keep gasoline,

be prepared for what

nearest trees.

propane and other

you will do if one ever

Always rake and

flammable materials

immediately remove

in safety cans and

The fires in Col-

dead leaves, limbs and

away from the base

orado last summer were

twigs from your yard.

of your building.

a reminder that destruc-

These flammable

tion can happen quickly

items will only stoke

strikes your area.

155
and ABOVE

THE WIND SPEED

OF A CATEGORY
FIVE HURRICANE.
9

Source: FEMA

ONE YEAR
THE LENGTH OF TIME SELF-PRE-

SERVED FOOD WILL LAST FOR YOU.

Remember This
Active shooters and terrorists are human. As such,
they have weaknesses that can be exploited by a
group of people committed to survival.

TIPS, HISTORY, STATS

Profit By Disaster

wear a photo ID and will never ask

AVOID FRAUDSTERS WHO

you to pay them a fee.

WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE

OF YOU

Avoid middlemen who

promise you disaster relief if you give
them an upfront payment.
Check the credentials of every-

destruction this past summer, many

one who gives you an estimate for

residents of the storm zone found that

repairs. You can do this via the Better

they were not only facing thousands of

Business Bureau or local Chamber of

dollars in home repairs, but they also

Commerce.

had to contend with scammers who

wanted to profit off of the destruction.
If you ever experience a disaster,

Agree on expected repairs with

your contractor via a written contract
that outlines the work that should be

keep these tips in mind when dealing

performed, a projected completion

with strangers. This information might

date and expected costs.

just save your life savings:

Pay by check or credit card so

you can trace your payments and ver-

Government workers always

ify that you made them.

KNOW THIS

Government workers always wear a photo

ID and will never ask you to pay them a fee.
Source: FEMA

Top Sellers, Top Advice

Read Your Way to Preparedness
CURLED UP. READING A GOOD BOOK. NOTHING
ELSE MATTERS.
If that sounds like you, consider one of these favorites. The
following are the top-selling books in the survival skills category
on Amazon as of press time:

Have you ever

wondered what
separates the
survivors from
those who dont
make it through
a disastrous
experience?

1. Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag:

Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit
by Creek Stewart
You may already have your bug-out bag packed
and ready to go, or you may still be getting ready to
gear up. Either way, consulting this comprehensive
checklist will help you, because it offers explanations of
what you need and why for various disaster scenarios.

2. The U.S. Navy SEAL Survival Handbook:

Learn the Survival Techniques and
Strategies of Americas Elite Warriors
by Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo
Ask anyone who the most elite super soldier is, and the
answer will inevitably be the Navy SEALs. If youve ever pondered exactly how the SEALs survive the dangerous and extreme
circumstances that they must endure, this book will be your
guide. Youll be able to think like a SEAL after reading it and
reviewing its 150 color photographs.

10

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Following Hurricane Isaacs path of

10 Deadliest U.S. Hurricanes

1. Great Galveston

8. Last Island,

Hurricane in Texas;

Hurricane; Louisiana;

1900; Category 4;

1856; Category 4;

8,000 deaths

400 deaths

2. Lake Okeechobee

9. Hurricane Audrey,

Hurricane in Florida;

1928; Category 4;

Louisiana and Texas;

8 10 4

1957; Category 4;
2

2,500 deaths

390 deaths
7

3. Hurricane Katrina

10. Grand Isle,

in Louisiana, Missis-

Louisiana; 1909;

sippi, Florida, Geor-

4. Chenire Caminada

5. Sea Islands Hurri-

6. Georgia-South

7. Great Labor Day

Category 4;

gia, Alabama; 2005;

Hurricane in Louisiana;

cane, South Carolina,

Carolina Hurricane;

Hurricane, Florida

350 deaths

Category 3; 1,833

1893; Category 4;

Georgia; 1893; Category

1881; Category 2;

Keys; 1935; Category

deaths

1,100-1,400 deaths

3; 1,000-2,000 deaths

700 deaths

5; 408 deaths

(Source: National
Weather Service)

QUICK FACTS

Worth a
Million Dollars

3. How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide

to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation ... Anywhere
by Bradford Angier

This $1.99 App Could

Save Your Life

Sustenance, warmth, orientation and safety are the four most

important things to keep in mind when youre trying to survive,
and this book gives you comprehensive information on how to

Pocket First Aid &

CPR from the
American Heart
Association
By Jive Media LLC
$1.99

acquire all of them. Those four sections of the book will lead you

FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

to the essential skills youll need if you find yourself on-the-go and

COMES THE FIRST AID & CPR APP.

in the woods.

This app, which is available for iOS and Android, includes

updated emergency information from the AHA, hundreds of

4. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, And Why

first-aid procedures for various situations (choking, seizures,

by Laurence Gonzales

cuts and wounds, and more) complete with videos, pics and
illustrations, a checklist to ensure you have everything you need

Have you ever wondered what separates the survivors from

those who dont make it through a disastrous experience? This

for an emergency, and a My Info tab so you can store medical

book offers in-depth profiles of people who survived disasters, and

information for quick retrieval (like your doctors phone num-

those who didnt. It examines the differences between these two

ber or your insurance data).

It even features added search functionality and is updated

groups and the choices to make that can lead you through surviving

to support iOS 5. Dont leave home without tons of useful

a disaster.

emergency info, all at your fingertips, in one handy dandy

5. 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive

smartphone app.

by Cody Lundin
Star of the popular television show Dual Survival, Lundin is
known as an industrious survivalist who uses ingenious tactics to
show you how you can stay alive in any situation. Lundin gets
down to the basics in this book, and explains why allowing your
body temperature to rise above or dip below 98.6 degrees can be
the difference between life and death. He uses easy-to-understand
tips to guide you through various survival situations, so that youll
never find yourself freezing to death or suffering from heatstroke.

11

EARTH

Earths
Fury
TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
Devastating. Unpredictable. Terrifying.
They are earthquakes, and they are unlike any

phenomenon in nature. In the span of 30 seconds to a

minute, they can kill thousands and create billions of
dollars in damage.

12

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Earthquakes. Be prepared.

FACTS

When the break

occurs, rock moves
suddenly, sending out
vibrations to the surrounding area. These
vibrations are what
people feel as an
earthquake.
Kate Hutton, seismologist

Earthquakes
The Earths Anatomy and the Mechanics of a Temblor
By Torrey Kim

S THE BIG ONE COMING?

OR IS IT ALREADY IN OUR
PAST? GET TO KNOW THE
BASIC FACTS ABOUT
EARTHQUAKES AS YOU

101

BEGIN YOUR QUAKE

PREPARATIONS.

Whether you live in an earthquake-

prone region or not, you know that the

Earth can move in mysterious ways.
Preparing for an earthquake might
make you curious about the actual
mystery behind a quake. Familiarizing
yourself with the essential facts behind
earthquake science can not only quell
your curiosity, it can help you determine
how likely you are to face a quake in
your future.

EARTHS
ANATOMY
To understand how earthquakes occur, you first have to familiarize yourself with the Earths anatomy.

FACTORS

Our planet can be divided into con-

IN DAMAGE

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

centric sections: Crust or lithosphere on

the outside, below which is the mantle,

Size of the quake

Distance from the
fault rupture
Directionality of the
seismic waves
Soil conditions
Building standards

followed by the outer core and the

inner core, explains Kate Hutton, a
seismologist at the California Institute
of Technology in Pasadena, California.
13

FACTS
When the break occurs, rock moves sud-

The most immune areas in North America

denly, sending out vibrations (think ripples on a

are the prehistoric cores of the main continent,

is undergoing convection (a slow boil if you

pond when you drop a rock into it) to the sur-

such as Wisconsin, Minnesota and parts of

like), Hutton says. The outer core is actually

rounding area, Hutton says. These vibrations

Canada.

liquid and the mantle is solid, on a short time

(seismic waves) are what people feel as an

scale, but flows on the time scale of geologic

earthquake.

time. The crust is generally brittle, does not

The largest earthquake since widespread

use of the seismograph began around 1900 was

A small break causes weak seismic waves,

the 1960 Chile earthquake, with a magnitude of

flow, but is riding around on top of the mantle

while a larger break causes more intense and

9.5. The next largest came 64 years later in

below it.

more widespread seismic waves. The break,

Anchorage, Alaska, with a 9.2 intensity. The

where the rocks are offset, is called a fault.

2004 Sumatra earthquake was third, at 9.1, and

The Earths crust contains a dozen or so

large segments, along with many small ones

Although we all live atop the Earths crust,

called tectonic plates. Where the tectonic

people in specific areas of the planet are more

plates move past each other at their edges, the

likely to experience an earthquake.

motion is generally bumpy, Hutton says.

The places that are most at risk are along

the boundaries between major tectonic plates,
Hutton says.

A good building code

and enforcement
thereof can make a
huge difference in
whether an earthquakes damage is
measured in millions or
billions of dollars.

For instance, California, the Pacific

Kamchatka, Hutton says.

FUTURE
UNKNOWN
Despite speculation to the contrary, the

Northwest, Alaska and Japan, among

question of whether the biggest quakes are still

other geographic regions, are at high risk.

yet to come is unclear.

QUAKES BEGET
MORE QUAKES
If youve experienced an earthquake, you
arent immune to another one

in fact, the

opposite could be true.

Because there is friction between the plates as

two quakes tie for fourth: 2011 Japan and 1952

Most plate boundaries are splintered up

The magnitudes of the largest earthquakes

are generally determined by the size (surface
area) of the largest faults, as well as the
strength of the fault zones, neither of which
should have changed by huge amounts over the
Earth's history, Hutton says. There was more
heat escaping in the past, however, and plates
may have been moving faster. Perhaps large

they try to move past each other, strain builds

from their past history of earthquakes, so

earthquakes were occurring more often. We

up until a break occurs in the brittle crust, typi-

there are more faults than just the actual plate

don't really know, because no one was here to

cally on the plate boundary.

boundary, Hutton says.

record it.

Southern California is an example of this,

as are India, China and Tibet.
The Indian plate has been slamming into
Asia at the geologic rate of about two inches

While theres a certain amount of mystery

surrounding earthquakes, one thing is most
definitely clear: They will continue to happen.
So be prepared.

per year, squeezing up the Himalayas in the

process, she says. Most of the major earth-

Torrey Kim is ASGs contributing editor.

quakes in China are due to splinter faults

caused or activated by this compression.
Even if you dont live directly on a fault
line, however, you may face a large quake,
because the middle of a plate still withstands
stress and strain.
There are large earthquakes less commonly at interior weak spots, Hutton says.
The 1811-1812 series of earthquakes in
Missouri and Kentucky is an example of this,
she adds.

HIGH RISK
VS. LOW RISK
HIGH RISK
California, the Pacific
Northwest, Alaska and
Japan, among other
geographic regions,
are at high risk.

LOW RISK
The most immune
areas in North America
are the prehistoric cores
of the main continent,
such as Wisconsin,
Minnesota and parts
of Canada.
14

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

The overall view is that there is heat

escaping from the Earth's interior, so part of it

KNOW HOW

EARTHQUAKES
ARE MEASURED

WEVE ALL SEEN THE SQUIGGLY

LINES OF A SEISMOGRAPH, BUT DO
WE REALLY KNOW THE COMPLEX
FORMULA THAT SCIENTISTS USE TO
MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF
AN EARTHQUAKE?

THE RELATIONSHIP

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

This quick primer can give you an inside

look at the science behind it.
Earthquake magnitude is a measure of
the intrinsic size of the earthquake, more or
less how much rock moved how far when
the break occurred, says Kate Hutton.
Another way to look at measuring an
earthquake is using intensity, a map
which shows where the ground shaking was

strong and where it was weak, she adds.

An earthquake should have a single
magnitude, as well as a map of intensities
based on damage, human perception and
seismographic recordings, she says.
Damage from an earthquake is only partially determined by its size.
Distance away from the fault rupture is
also important, as well as directionality of
the seismic waves, soil conditions and building standards, Hutton adds.
A good building code and enforcement
thereof can make a huge difference in
whether an earthquakes damage is measured in millions or billions of dollars.

9.5 9.2 9.1 9.0

1960 CHILE
EARTHQUAKE,
WITH A
MAGNITUDE
OF 9.5

THE NEXT
LARGEST
CAME 64
YEARS
LATER IN

ANCHORAGE,
ALASKA

THE 2004

SUMATRA
EARTHQUAKE

2011 JAPAN
AND 1952
KAMCHATKA

THE LARGEST

QUAK
15

EARTHQUAKES
AND VOLCANOES
One of the most
riveting facts about
earthquakes is that
they do have a distinct relationship with
volcanoesbut the
connection is not
exactly what you
might think.
Although many
people believe that an
earthquake is likely to
trigger a volcanic
eruption, the opposite
may actually be true,
according to the U.S.
Geologic Survey. The
group, which is part
of the Department of
the Interior, notes that
although large earthquakes can occasionally trigger volcanic
eruption in some
cases, the connection
is unclear. However,
the group says, volcanic activity is
known to trigger
earthquakes.

FOOD/WATER

The Key to
Y o u r S u r v i va l
Practical Food and Water Products
that Simplify Your Life
You may have the best shelter and sleeping bag on the planet, but without a
way to hydrate and feed yourself, you wont make it for long in the wild or even
right in your front yard should an earthquake or other disaster displace you
from your normal four walls.
Slip a few of these items into your survival kit so you can make sure youll
maintain your energy and ride out the storm.

EDITORS CHOICE

BIOLITE

www.biolitestove.com
Model: CampStove
Key Features: Lightweight, fueled by
wood, portable, charges electronics
and cooks food
MSRP: $129

16

1 BIOLITE

www.biolitestove.com

Model: CampStove
Key Features: Lightweight, fueled by
wood, portable, charges electronics
and cooks food
MSRP: $129
Description
Whats better than a survival gadget that pulls double duty?
This incredibly efficient portable
stove not only cooks your food, but it
also charges your phone, iPod and
other small electronics, without
requiring you to pack propane or
other fuel. Instead, you simply collect
sticks along your journey, then put
them into the BioLite Campstove to
get it fired up.
A mere 1.6 ounces of wood will
boil a liter of water in less than five
minutes, on average. Meanwhile, you
can charge your phone using the USB
port.

2 ZODI

www.zodi.com

Model: Hot Tap Travel Shower

Key Features: Provides instant hot
water, lightweight, portable
MSRP: $145-$170
Description
Its a shower, and a hot water
sourceall in one.
This ingenious device offers
instant hot water up to 100 degrees
for your 10-minute shower, but its
usefulness doesnt stop there. You can
use the hot water (powered by two
propane cylinders and four D batteries) for your coffee, tea, dish-washing
or other needs as well. The unit holds
four gallons of water and only weighs
11 pounds, so you can take it anywhere.

BOILING WATER
FOR PURIFICATION

Youve collected water from

the rain, dew or a running brook,
but you arent sure if its safe to
drink and you dont have a
filtration kit.
Your best bet is to use your
camp stove to boil that water,
which will kill any parasites or
bacteria.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control, you should bring
the water to a full, rolling boil for
one to three minutes to ensure
that all bacteria are eliminated. If
you dont have a way to boil
water, the CDC recommends that
you add 1/8 of a teaspoon of
unscented household bleach to
each gallon of clear water for
purification. Mix it and let it
stand before using it.

CLEAR THE CLOUDINESS

If the water that you collect
is cloudy, increase the bleach
required to of a teaspoon of
bleach per gallon.

1 BIOLITE

$129

Built-in USB port

acts as an iPod
or iPhone
charger

buyers

Guide

FOOD/WA

3 COLEMAN

www.coleman.com

Model: RoadTrip LXX Grill

Key Features: Portable, large cooking surface, durable
MSRP: $169-$250
Description
If youre cooking for a whole family, the LXX will make
dining easier with its extra large cooking surface (285
square inches) to allow you to create an entire dinner.
Offering a powerful 22,000 BTUs of cooking, the
grill can cook for a full hour on just one propane cylinder, but it quickly folds up afterward and rolls away to
your car so you can store it until the next meal. This
grill is incredibly durable and reliable, so if you plan to
be on the road for a few days, months or more, it will
be your most constant companion.

4 SIERRA DAWN

www.sierradawn.com

Model: Campsuds
Key Features: Environmentally friendly, cleans dishes,
clothes, body and hair
MSRP: $5-$10
Description
Campsuds solves several problems at once, all in
one small bottle that packs a huge punch.
Just a few drops of this environmentally safe,
biodegradable cleaner can allow you to wash your
dishes, your clothes, your body and your hair, so even
if youre camping or stranded while youre unable to
live in your home, youll still look and smell fresh.
The soap even works in cold water or salt water,
and that versatility will be essential if your travels take
you far from tap water. With such multipurpose uses,
this may be one of the most important items in your
travel bag!

5 GSI OUTDOORS

www.gsioutdoors.com

Model: Kitchen 23
Key Features: Small size, multiple functions, durable
case
MSRP: $40-$50
Description
You may be eating dinner in the wild or in any temporary housing facility until you can return to your
home, but that doesnt mean you have to sacrifice the
quality and versatility of your kitchen gadgets.
Kitchen 23 offers you 23 useful tools, all in one
small, zippered pouch that weighs less than three
pounds. Need a whisk? Its in there. Cheese grater,
camp towel, salt and pepper shakers, spatula and cutlery for four people are also packed into this resourceful kit. Your meals will be a snap with these fantastic
helpers on hand.

6 BODUM

www.bodum.com

Model: Costa Rica 8-Cup French Coffee Press

Key Features: Lightweight, cool touch,
gourmet quality
MSRP: $45-$79
Description
No power? No problem!
You can still enjoy a gourmet cup of coffee with
this sleek and functional French press. Weighing just
two pounds, it wont bog down your gear pack, and it
only requires hot water, some coffee grounds of your
choice and a little elbow grease to press the coffee.
The stainless steel design allows this product to be
durable, and the cool-touch handle ensures that you
will stay cool as your hot coffee brews.

SIERRA DAWN

$5-$10

18

GSI OUTDOORS

$40-$50

BODUM

$45-$79

buyers

Guide

FOOD/WATER

PANACEA, INC.

$40-$55

PANACEA, INC.

www.adjustagrill.com

Model: Adjust-A-Grill
Key Features: No fuel required, adjusts
to the appropriate height, portable
MSRP: $40-$55
Description
Youve got your campfire raging and your stomach is
rumbling. Why not cook your meal right where youre
warming your handsover the fire!
You can set up the Adjust-A-Grill anywhere youve got
a fire going, and you wont have to inhale smoke while
youre doing it, because this grill adjusts to the right
height, then swivels away from the fire for you to season
your food, flip it or remove it. That way, you arent sticking
your face in the fire. Works amazingly with everything
from flounder to baked potatoes.

8 CACHE LAKE

www.cachelake.com

Model: Variety of camping foods

Key Features: Gourmet quality,
quick to prepare, nutritious
MSRP: $4-$15
Description
You may not expect to find a delicious, wild rice vegetable salad while out on the trail or while displaced, but
thanks to these ingenious products, you can enjoy one.
Designed with campers and survivalists in mind, the
Cache Lake products are light to carry, yet offer a taste of
home cooking right from your campsite. Most products
simply need to be reconstituted with water before being
cooked or reheatedand then just taste and enjoy!

9 MOTOR TREND
www.delk.us

Model: Tailgater
Key Features: Multi-purpose, lightweight, portable
MSRP: $29.99
Description
Hidden inside this sleek and well-designed flashlight,
youll find most everything youll need for a night in the
tent or an afternoon lunch at your campsite.
The Tailgaters exterior, which appears to be a standard flashlight, also serves as a blinking distress light
when needed.
Inside the Tailgater are the key components youll
need to enjoy your campside dinner, with a stainless-steel
fork, spoon, knife and corkscrew.
Weighing less than half a pound, you can store it in
your pocket or backpack for quick use. Just grab it and go
when you need it.

CACHE LAKE

$4-$15

10 LIGHT MY FIRE

www.lightmyfire.com

Model: MealKit 2.0

Key Features: Stackable, functional, lightweight, portable
MSRP: Starting at $19.95
Description
Looking like it came straight out of a Scandinavian
design studio, the MealKit 2.0 is not only beautiful, but
incredibly functional.
Packed into this compact set youll find two stackable
plates, a spork, a waterproof box, a combination
strainer/cutting board and a collapsible cup for your beverage.
The icing on the cake? A stretchable harness that
attaches the entire kit to your backpack for easy carrying.

20

OOKING

AFELY

E YOU FIRE UP YOUR

L, YOURE READY TO
R YOUR SWORDFISH
VEGETABLESBUT
E SURE YOU TAKE
SE PRECAUTIONS
T.
ver Use a Charcoal
ll Indoors
e fumes from burning
arcoal can be deadly if
u inhale them in a conntrated, indoor environnt, the CDC advises. This
ans that even a small,
achi-type grill cannot be
ed in your car, tent or
er enclosed shelter if
arcoal is in use.

MOTOR TREND

$29.99

ange Plates
nt use the same plate
cooked foods that you
e for raw foods, unless
uve washed it in hot,
apy water first, the Food
d Drug Administration
DA) recommends.
place Ice as it Melts
oure keeping your meat
potato salad on ice at
ur campsite, it will most
ely stay cold enough to
vent spoilageas long
the ice doesnt melt.
ring the food in cold
ter isnt the same as
eping it on ice, so
ways drain off water as
melts and replace the
, the FDA advises.

10

LIGHT MY FIRE

$19.95

22

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

BEFORE IT

STRIKES
7

Critical Preparation Tips that Yo

Must Do Before an Earthquake Oc

By Wendy Wilson

TS A REMINDER.
Although residents

County Emergency
Operations Center.
And they impacted

of Southern California
and other fault-riddled

nerves.

regions may be accus-

It felt like there was

tomed to riding out tem-

quake every 15 minutes,

blors, the latest earth-

one after another, said

quake swarm, which

Mike Patel, who manages

struck Imperial County,

Townhouse Inn & Suites in

100 miles east of San

Brawley. My kids are

Diego, left residents on

small, and theyre scared

edge and caused many

and didnt want to come

people outside of the

back inside.
Though earthquake

more common quakeready zones to wonder

swarms like this arent

whether they would be

necessarily the harbinger

prepared if an earthquake

of bigger jolts to come,

struck their area.

its a good reminder for

More than 300 quakes

those living in quake-

shook Imperial County in

prone areas

and even

August 2012. Though most

those who arent in what

were minor, two regis-

are typically described as

tered magnitudes of 5.5

earthquake-heavy

and 5.3 large enough to

regions

shatter windows, knock

themselves

trailer homes off their

just in case.

to prepare

Check out these seven

foundations, cause sporadic power outages and

simple tips offered by the

gas leaks, and prompt hos-

Federal Emergency

pital evacuations, reported

Management Association

Maria Peinado, a spokes-

and the United States

woman for the Imperial

Geological Survey.

23

Your vision
of earthquake
preparedness will
do no good if its
not rehearsed, so
practice your
entire plan

BEFORE
To reduce
your risk
of injury
or death
following
an earthquake,
conduct
a hazard
hunt
throughout
your home
before
a quake
strikes.
FEMA

1. HAZARD CHECKS

4. ASSEMBLE A DISASTER KIT

To reduce your risk of injury or death, conduct a hazard hunt throughout your home, neighborhood, workplace and school before a quake

Put together disaster supply kits and store them in accessible locations at
home, at work and in your vehicle.

strikes, advises FEMA.

Having emergency supplies readily available can reduce the impact of an

Identify and fix hazards like unsecured televisions, computers, bookcases,

earthquake. Your disaster supply kits should include food, water, flashlights,

furniture and unstrapped water heaters. Place breakable or heavier items

portable radios, batteries, a first-aid kit (see sidebar for a list of must-have

on lower shelves, put latches on cabinet doors to prevent them from open-

items), cash, extra medications, a whistle, fire extinguisher, tools and a blan-

ing during shaking and keep flammable materials in latched cabinets or on

ket. Also make sure you have a list of emergency contact information in

lower shelves.

your kit, including numbers of doctors and relatives, and a spare gallon or
more of gasoline somewhere nearby.

Although earthquakes are sometimes believed to be

a West Coast occurrence, there are
actually 45 states
and territories
throughout the
United States that
are at moderate to
high risk for earthquakes, including
the New Madrid
fault line in the Central United States,
reports the Federal
Emergency Management Association.

SOURCES

FEMA
USGS
American Red
Cross
LA Fire Department Emergency
Preparedness Bulletin
Ines de Pablo, a
Washington D.C.trained emergency
management specialist based in
Herndon, Va.
American Pet
Product Association

2. SECURE YOUR
HOMES INTEGRITY
Next, inspect your homes structural sta-

Check
your
homes
chimney.

bility.
Whether youre a homeowner or renter,
take a look at the buildings foundation, roof,
chimney, unreinforced masonry, unbraced
cripple walls, soft first stories and vulnerable
pipes. Speak with a contractor or engineer
(or talk with your landlord) to help you identify your buildings weaknesses and begin to
fix them as soon as possible.

3. BECOME
SHUT-OFF
VALVE SAVVY
Learn where your electric, gas and water
shut-off valves are located, and be sure you
and your family members understand how to
turn them off in case lines are damaged. Also

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

DONT
ASSUME YOURE
QUAKE-IMMUNE

make certain you have easy access to any

tools youll need, like a wrench or pry bar,
should the valve be stuck or blocked.

24

5. MAKE A PLAN
When an earthquake strikes, you and your family should already have a plan in place
that includes where the safe hiding spots are in your house, exactly where and how each
individual will evacuate, where everyone will reunite, where the emergency supplies and
disaster kits will be stowed, and who will be responsible for specific tasks.
By critically thinking through and formulating your plan of action, you will be ready for
whatever emergency comes your way.

6. PRACTICE THE PLAN

Your vision of earthquake preparedness will do no good if its not rehearsed, so practice your entire plan

just like you would if an earthquake hits

from start to finish.

Identify safe places in your home, such as under sturdy tables or desks, so you can go
to them without thinking. Know where the danger spots are, like near mirrors, windows,
fireplaces and tall furniture. Learn CPR and first aid from your local American Red Cross
or other community organization. And dont forget: drop, cover and hold on!

JUST
FOR KIDS
WHAT TO DO BEFORE A QUAKE

Earthquakes can be very scary.

Scientists understand why and how they happen,
but they are still unable to predict when, which
means everyone in the familyincluding young peopleshould be ready to respond at all times.
Consider this list to know what your kids can do to
prepare for an earthquake:

YOUR EARTHQUAKE PLAN

Create a plan before a quake strikes
Include safe hiding spots in your house
The specifics of where and how each individual will evacuate
A designated meeting location
Placement of emergency supplies and disaster kits
Specific responsibilities for each person

CREATE AN EMERGENCY KIT

If you have a spare backpack or overnight bag,

you can create your own emergency kit. It should
contain things like a blanket, some toys and books, a
flashlight, a bottle of water, a toothbrush and some
toothpaste, and a change of clothes (including a
jacket and shoes).

PRACTICE EARTHQUAKE DRILLS

At home and at school, you should practice what

to do in case of an earthquake, including where to
take cover, how to get out of the house or classroom,
and where to meet up afterward. Pay close attention
to the person in chargeremember he or she is
there to help!

IDENTIFY DANGERS

Because you always want to be prepared for an

earthquake wherever you are, learn how to identify
both safe and dangerous places to hide. Make note of
sturdy tables and desks that make great hiding
places; stay away from mirrors, glass, tall furniture
and other items that can fall and hurt you.

LEARN THE DROP, COVER AND HOLD

ON MOTTO

In the middle of an earthquake, you may feel

frightened, which could make it difficult to remember
what to do. So be sure to memorize the earthquake
preparedness motto drop, cover and hold on and
know what it meansdrop to the ground, find a safe
place to hide and hold on while the earth shakes.

Enable Your Ideas with a PCNC Mill

Discerning gunsmiths and manufacturers know theres only one
choice in CNC for affordable precision:
The Tormach PCNC 1100.
Take aim at your most demanding machining needs
- engraving, milling, threading, reaming, and boring. Big
or small, Tormach hits the bullseye to deliver for you.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

2011 Pistolsmith of
the Year SDM
Fabricating Inc.
uses his PCNC
to customize a
357 Magnum.

$8480
(plus shipping)

Every PCNC 1100 features:

1100 lbs cast iron construction

Ground P4 ballscrews and single

shot lubrication

Computer controlled spindle speed

and direction

PTFE bonded slideways (similar to Turcite)

Precision R8 spindle - 100 to 5000 RPM

with vector drive technology

Easy to use in manual or automatic modes

KIDS: TALK TO AN ADULT

In most cases, earthquakes are startling but do little damage or harm if youre prepared for them. However, if youre nervous or scared at all about the earth
moving, talk to your parents or teacher about your
feelings. Remember theyre there to help you and
keep you safe and sound, no matter how much shaking goes on!

Goal Zero
www.goalzero.com
Model: Emergency Solar Essentials Kit (household)
Key Features: Emergency power for your household
MSRP: $2,567.88

Pro

g at

www.tormach.com

25

Shown here with

optional stand,
LCD monitor,
machine arms,
and accessories.

BEFORE

Be aware of
your neighbors,
including the
elderly.

7. PREPARE TO
HELP OTHERS
In addition to readying your
home and family, also make note
of individuals in your neighborhood who could require assistance, such as the elderly or those
with special needs.
You may even want to develop
self-help networks between families and your neighborhood so
that, if the need arises, you can
pool your resources, tools, equipment and skills to assist one
another.

WHAT ABOUT THE PETS?

If youre like two-thirds of the
households in the United States,
you likely own a pet of some
kind. What will you do to prepare
Bailey the Burmese cat or Max
the Greyhound for an earthquake? Heres a quick checklist
to help.

ness, a collar and a leash, pick-up bags, temporary identification tags, a pet first-aid kit, airtight containers filled with at
least 72-hours worth of food, water and medications, an appropriate sized kennel and any other comfort
items your pet will need.

LIST YOUR EMERGENCY

CONTACTS, RECORDS

A list of emergency contacts, like your animal hospitals phone number, as well
as complete veterinary
records and proof of dog
ownership are critical.

IDENTIFICATION, PLEASE

Make sure your animals are

microchipped (a rice-sized electronic device thats injected
under their skin) and always
wear ID tags with your contact
information. This way, if your pet
escapes, youll be more likely to
be reunited.

ACCOMMODATIONS
IN ADVANCE

KEEP THIS
IN MIND

Experts recommend you

care for yourself and your
family before worrying about
your pets, but with some
simple preparations, you can
ensure that your four-legged
family members are
safe, too.

In addition to gathering your

emergency kit and veterinary records,
you should also identify where you and your
pet will stay in case of evacuation. Because the American Red
Cross cannot accept pets in their evacuation facilities, you may
need to find separate accommodations for your pet, like a
boarding kennel, a pet-friendly hotel or a dog-loving friend or
family members place.

EMERGENCY KIT READY

Just as you prepare an emergency kit for yourself, prepare

one for your pets, too. It should
contain things like a collapsible
food and water bowl, extra har-

DONT DELAY
techniques, you and your family
can be ready when the ground
starts shaking with these simple
preparedness tips. In a worst-case
scenario, they truly could make the
difference between life and death.
Wendy Wilson is an award-winning journalist based in Oregon.

YOUR FIRST-

AID KIT

Prepare for an earthquake by knowing hat

healthcare facilities
might not be immediately
available in the aftermath
of a quake. Keep these
items on-hand so you
can handle any issues
that might arise:

Antibiotic ointment
Necessary medications (prescriptions); dont forget
pediatric medications for the
children
Aspirin and/or pain-relief
medication
Diarrhea medication
Eye drops
Cold/cough medicine
Antihistamines (Benadryl)
Insect spray
Ear and nose drops
Hydrogen peroxide
Skin disinfectant spray
Band-Aids, large and small
Medical latex gloves

26

Surgical mask
Instant cold and heat packs
ACE bandages
Butterfly bandages
Gauze pads, 4 inches by
4 inches
Cotton swabs
Adhesive tape (2 inches)
2- and 4-inch wide sterile
bandage rolls
Triangular bandage for sling, etc.
Tongue depressors (popsicle
sticks)
Splint material
Spray bottle with 10 percent
bleach solution for disinfecting
Bandage scissors

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Though scientists have yet to

perfect earthquake prediction

L GHTS

Guiding Light
The Best, Brightest Light Sources Available
USUALLY.
Light is one element that many of us

take for granted.

That is, until an earthquake rocks

hand in front of your face.

In these circumstances, you realize
just how much you need light, which is
exactly why the following pages feature

your citys core, leaving you without

some of the best light sources available.

electricity. Or a hurricane devastates

The function of some of these extend

your community, leaving you in the

beyond providing light, which makes

wearisome, wet darkness. Or even in

them that much more valuable.

the wilderness when you cant see your

Hang on tight. Survive.

EDITORS CHOICE

SUREFIRE

www.surefire.com
Product: P2X Fury Defender
Output (lumens): 500
MSRP: $165

27

buyers

Guide

LIGHTS

1 SUREFIRE

1 SUREFIRE

$165

www.surefire.com

Product: P2X Fury Defender

Output (lumens): 500
MSRP: $165

Description
The P2X Fury Defender is just thatferocious. The flashlight has an integrated strike
bezel if you ever come into close contact
with an attacker, and can be used for selfdefense. The powerful, 500-lumen LED lamp
will temporarily blind an aggressor. The tailcap switch quickly clicks to turn it on and
can lock in place. Its O-ring sealed and
weatherproof, and even includes highenergy 123A batteries with a 10-year
shelf life.
Extra Specs
Lamp: LED
Material: Aerospace aluminum body,
Mil-Spec hard-anodized
Battery: (2) 123A (included)
Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Length: 5.5 inches
Weight: 5.7 ounces
Color: Black

2 AMERICAN

TECHNOLOGIES
NETWORK CORP.

$84.95

2 AMERICAN
TECHNOLOGIES
NETWORK CORP.
www.atncorp.com

Product: ATN Javelin J68

Output (lumens): 200
MSRP: $84.95
Description
The compact yet powerful ATN Javelin J68
is ideal for everything from home defense to
outdoorsy activities. The 200-lumen LED
bulb is bright enough for your defense
needs, and strong enough too (its made
from heavy-duty 6061-T6 aluminum alloys).
In an emergency, the flashlights bezel can
be used as a self-defense weapon. Twist for
constant light, or press the tail cap button
for momentary useits that easy.

4 BROWNING

Extra Specs
Lamp: LED
Material: Aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum
Battery: (2) 3V CR 123A Lithium
Length: 5.7 inches
Weight: 6 ounces
Color: Black

3 BLACKHAWK!

www.blackhawk.com

Product: LEGACY X6-P

Output (lumens): 65
MSRP: $49.99

Description
The LEGACY X6-P features an anti-roll system, is completely pre-focused and provides
a penetrating light beam that doesnt leave
shadows. BLACKHAWK! offers three models,
ideal for duty carry or personal defense.
Modes include momentary switch or constant on. Run time is one hour, and its a
reliable light source that wont disappoint.
Extra Specs
Battery: (2) 3-Volt CR123A
Run time: 1 hour
Length: 5 inches
Weight: 4.3 ounces
Color: Black

$79.99

Battery: (2) AA alkaline

Run time: 1.5 hours
Length: 5.25 inches
Color: Matte finish desert metallic
with black resin

BROWNING

www.browning.com

Product: Hi Power
Output (lumens): 145
MSRP: $79.99

Description
The latest generation of Cree XPE LED
is rated for up to 50,000 hours of use.
Made from long-lasting aluminum, the
Hi Power has an O-ring seal for water
resistance, includes a lanyard, has a
brightness of 145 lumens and an
effective distance of 150 metersall
wrapped up in a striking package.
Extra Specs
Lamp: Cree XPE LED
Material: Aluminum with black resin
handle inlays
28

5 CANDLE LAMP

www.candlelamp.com

Product: Soft Light oil lamps

MSRP: Varies per size

Description
Candle Lamps line of Soft Light oil
lamps are simply amazing. Depending
on which size, they burn anywhere
from eight hours, to a whopping 115
hours. They dont produce the messy,
dripping candle wax your average
candles do, and these ones are disposableperfect for any natural

disaster that has you stuck indoors

with no power.
Extra Specs
Burn times of 8 to 115 hours
No messy, dripping wax of conventional candles
Pure, liquid fuel system
Made of a refined, clear liquid paraffin thats also safe and approved for
food service use
Classified as non-flammable, nonhazardous and has no restrictions
for storage
Fuel cells can be recycled

6 CRIMSON TRACE

www.crimsontrace.com

Product: LTG-701 Lightguard (for

Kimber, Ruger and S&W 1911 pistols)

6 CRIMSON TRACE

$199

8 GERBER

$183
3 BLACKHAWK!

$49.99

7 EUREKA!

$84.99
5

CANDLE LAMP

VARIES

Output (lumens): 130

MSRP: $199
Description
The LTG-701 Lightguard is built for
high performance on 1911 pistols,
with a slim design for ease of holstering. The tactical light features a powerful 130 lumens from the LED, and is
easily attached to a non-railed Kimber, Ruger or Smith & Wesson 1911s
that are either full-size, compact or
bobtail. The LTG-701 is even compatible with Crimson Trace Lasergrips
and uses a similar technology and
gives you a free hand, for more concentration on your task. What more
could you ask for?
Extra Specs
Lamp: LED

could use it all weekend as a primary

light source. Remove the diffuser
globe to spread are light even further.
It features multiple functions: off,
high, low, hold for strobe and electronic switch. The rubberized carry
handle has a hook for hanging the
light, with a Carabiner included.

Material: Polymer
Battery: (1) CR2 Lithium
Run time: 1.5 hours
Color: Black
Performance: Trigger guard attachment, front activation, user-installed
130 LED white light

7 EUREKA!

Extra Specs
Lamp: LED 4 x 1W Nichia
Material: ABS housing with rubber
grip accents
Weight: 3.83 pounds
Battery: (6) D
Run time: 100 to 350 hours
Color: Yellow/black
Performance: Bright, white area
lighting; remove the diffuse globe to
spread soft area light further

www.eurekatent.com

Product: Warrior 400 LED

Output (lumens): 300 on high
MSRP: $84.99
Description
The Warrior 400 LED lantern packs as
much punch as youd ever need a
portable light. This bad-boy can run,
and run, and runfor up to 350 hours
on low, or 100 hours on high. You
29

8 GERBER

www.gerbergear.com

Product: Expert-M Flashlight

Output (lumens): Exceeds 100
MSRP: $183
Description
The Expert-M Flashlight is military
specific with a high output, energyefficient white LEDin one compact,
sleek, rugged design. Its length is just
less than 5.5 inches, and though it
may be small, its still as mighty as
its bigger brethren. Its also waterproof for up to 3 meters, which is
handy in case a disaster ever strikes.
The aircraft-grade aluminum body
with hard anodized black coating is
built to last.

buyers

Guide

LIGHTS

9 GUARD DOG SECURTY

$79.95

Extra Specs
Lamp: White LED
Material: Aircraft-grade aluminum body with Type
III hard anodized black coating
Weight: Less than 5.5 inches
Color: Black
Performance: Waterproof for up to 3 meters, 100
lumens for more than 60 minutes

9 GUARD DOG SECURITY

www.guarddog-security.com

Product: Halo Tactical Rechargeable Flashlight

Output (lumens): 290
MSRP: $79.95

12 LIGHT MY FIRE

$9

Description
If 290 lumens of blinding, white light wont stop
something about to attack, nothin will. The Halo
Tactical Flashlight features five unique settings:
ultra bright (290 lumens), high (145 lumens), low
(30), emergency strobe (290) and S.O.S. emergency
Morse code (290). The light is so bright it can be
seen from an aircraft above. In addition, the battery
is 100 percent rechargeable and comes with a
multi-use battery cradle that plugs directly into a
wall outlet. Its powered by more than 100,000-hour
bulb life and made from aircraft-grade aluminum
alloy to boot.

13 LIGHT MY FIRE

Extra Specs
Material: Type III aircraft grade aluminum alloy,
titanium body
Battery: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (and
charger) included
Weight: 6.2 ounces
Color: Titanium black
Performance: Waterproof, all-weather resistant,
shockproof body

$4.99

10 INOVA

www.inovalight.com

Product: Bolt Series (2L)

Output (lumens): 120
MSRP: $47.99

Description
The Bolt 2L delivers. It features an impact-resistant
head, which also safeguards the lamp from damage, has a non-slip rubber grip and is made from
aluminum with a high graphite anodized finish. With
an effective range of 344 feet and a signal visibility
of 2.5 miles, a burglar will act like a deer in the
headlights.
Extra Specs
Lamp: LED
Material: Aerospace-grade aluminum
Battery: (2) 123A lithium
Run time: 3 hours, 50 min.
Length: 5 inches
Weight: 4.66 ounces
Color: Anodized silver/black

11 KELTY

www.kelty.com

Product: LumaTech
Output (lumens): 30
MSRP: $35.95

Description
The LumaTech personal lantern is perfect for outdoor use and provides up to 99 hours of light
making it as reliable as youd need. The hookshaped bail allows for the light to either be carried
or hung and is made from an anodized aluminum
body. Its even weatherproof, with an internal light
reflector.

Extra Specs
Lamp: 1 Cree LED
Material: Anodized aluminum, Polycarbonate lens
Battery: (4) AA
Run time: 13 (on high) to 99 (on low) hours
Weight: 5.6 ounces
Color: Available in black or gold

Extra Specs
Material: Magnesium alloy with stainless steel striker
Durability: 12,000 strikes
Weight: 50 grams
Color: Available in 10 colors
Performance: Works equally well when wet, spark used as
a emergency signal and handle is an emergency whistle

12 LIGHT MY FIRE

13 LIGHT MY FIRE

www.lightmyfire.com

Product: Swedish FireSteel

2.0-Army
MSRP: $9 and up

Description
The Swedish FireSteel is not something you should
leave the house without if youre going to be venturing
outdoors. This little guy can light a fire equally well in
wet or cold conditions as it does in normal weather.
Its perfect for campfires or gas stoves and can provide
up to 12,000 strikes. The striker produces a 5,400F
degree spark, so youll never be without a campfire to
keep you warm. The bright spark can even be used as
an emergency signal, and the strikers handle includes
an emergency whistle. No dangerous goods shipping
restrictions either.

30

www.lightmyfire.com

Product: TinderDust
MSRP: $4.99

Description
The TinderDust makes lighting fires so easy, even when
its wet. Its all natural and environmentally friendly, with
up to 80 percent resin contentbecause its the resin (oil)
that burns, not the wood. It also burns with a hot flame
compared to paper or paraffin. Not to mention, its light
and compact, so it wont weigh down your pack.
Extra Specs
Material: Stumps from Pinus Montezumae
Content: Up to 80 percent resin
Weight: 28 grams
Container: Lightweight, convenient, waterproof
Performance: Maximum heat energy for minimal weight

11 KELTY

$35.95

10 INOVA

$47.99

14 SUREFIRE

14

SUREFIRE

www.surefire.com
Product: X400 (LED
Handgun/Long Gun
WeaponLight with Red
Laser)
Output (lumens): 170
MSRP: $595
Description
A brilliant, white, tactical
weapon light, the X400
generates 170 lumens
and is perfect so that both
hands are on your gun
when you need it most.
The X400 fits handguns
and long guns with
Picatinny or universal
rails, and adapter mounts
are available for several
non-railed guns. A red

$595

laser sight also provides

high visibility at 5mV, 635
nm. The aerospace aluminum with Mil-Spec
anodizing is built to last,
with impact-resistant
polymer and a coated
tempered window. Even
more, its O-ring and gasket sealed, so you its
weatherproof. Includes
high-energy 123A batteries with a 10-year shelf
life.

14

Extra Specs
Lamp: LED
Material: Aerospace
aluminum body, MilSpec hard-anodized
Battery: 123A
Run time: 2.4 hours
Length: 3.6 inches
Weight: 4.4 ounces
Color: Black
31

THE

SURVIVE
VIOLENCE

No Matter Where You are When the Earth Starts Shaking, Keep
Yourself Safe by Following these Expert Recommendations
By Wendy Wilson

ROWING UP IN SAN JOSE, CA,

MELANIE JAMES PRACTICED

EARTHQUAKE DRILLS OVER AND
OVER AGAIN IN SCHOOL,
AT HOME AND AT WORK.

Back in the 1970s, the mantra was duck and

cover. She knew that when the ground started to

shake, she should steer clear of glass and tall furniture,
find a sturdy table for cover and hold on until the shaking stopped.
At 5:04 p.m. on Oct. 17, 1989, all that practice was
put to good use. Thats when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked the San Francisco Bay Area. The Loma
Prieta quake killed 63 people, injured 3,757 and left
thousands of people homeless.
James, who worked in an office building at the time,
dove under her desk when the ground started to
shake violently. All around her, cubicle walls toppled,
papers and office supplies flew, and fluorescent lights
and ceiling tiles crashed down. Because she knew what
to do, she avoided injury.
I didnt have to think twice about what to do, she
recalls. My desk was in the middle of the room, and
so the safest place was underneath it. I held on while
the ground shook and, once it stopped, I carefully
climbed my way out and calmly hurried out of the
building. Thank goodness nobody in our office was
hurt.
Do you know what to do during an earthquake?
Here, weve outlined three scenarios at home, in a
THINKSTOCK PHOTO

high-rise building and outside and described what to

do to keep yourself and your family safe.

32

I didnt have to think

twice about what to
do. My desk was in the
middle of the room,
and so the safest
place was underneath
it. I held on while the
ground shook
Melanie James,
earthquake survivor

33

DURING

Sources

CDC
FEMA
USGS
American Red Cross
LA Fire Department
Emergency
Preparedness Bulletin
Ines de Pablo, a
Washington D.C.-trained
emergency management specialist based
in Herndon, Va.

AT HOME

IN A HIGH-RISE

When youre at home and feel an earthquake, drop to

For those who work or live in a high-rise building, the

the ground and take cover under a desk or sturdy table.

same rules as above apply

Hold on tight to the table until the shaking stops

under a sturdy table or desk, and hold on tight until the

and if

it moves, move with it.

earth stops shaking.

If there isnt a table or desk near you, cover your face

If youre not near a desk or table, move against an inte-

of the room. Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in

close proximity to you and if you know it is a strongly
supported, load-bearing doorway.
If youre in bed, stay put. Hold on and protect your
head with a pillow unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall, or your bed is near a window that
could shatter. In that case, move to the nearest safe
place.
If youre in the kitchen, move away from the refrigerator and stove, as they could move and shift with the shaking ground. Stay away from overhead cupboards, which
could easily open and lose their contents if theyre not
latched shut.
No matter where you are in the house, stay away
from windows, bookcases, file cabinets, heavy mirrors,
hanging plants and other heavy objects that could fall.
Watch out for falling plaster, bricks and ceiling tiles.
Stay inside and under cover until the earthquake is
over. Research has shown that most injuries occur when
people inside buildings attempt to move to a different
location inside the building or try to leave. Remember
and some of them can be

just as jolting as the initial tremor itself.

rior wall and protect your head with your arms. Dont be

CAN
ANIMALS
PREDICT
EARTHQUAKES?

surprised if a fire alarm or sprinkler systems turn on or the

Several studies
around the world
have suggested that
animals seem to
know when an
earthquake is comingeven if scientists dont.
In fact, a 2003
Japanese study
suggested that dogs
biting or barking
excessively could
predict earthquakes. The reality?
The dogs werent
psychicthey were
able to feel small
tremors called
foreshocks that took
place before the
bigger quake hit,
National Geographic
reported.

staying away from windows, heavy furniture and display

34

electricity goes out.

No matter what, dont use the elevators, and stay away
from windows. The glass can dislodge during the quake and
shatter. When the shaking stops, do not rush for the exit.
Instead, leave via the fire escape in a calm, orderly manner,
shelves with objects that could fall.
Once youre outside, quickly get into an open space away
from the building. The area near the exterior walls of a
building is the most dangerous place to be, as windows,
facades and architectural details are often the first parts of
the building to collapse.

AWAY FROM HOME

When youre away from home whether driving, at a store
or outside you have even more hazards to avoid.
If youre driving, pull over to the side of the road, stop as
quickly as safety permits and set your parking brake. Avoid
stopping under or on overpasses and bridges, and near or
under buildings. Stay away from power lines, trees and other
potential dangers. Remain inside the vehicle until the shaking is

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner

that aftershocks may occur

drop to the floor, take cover

over. Once the earthquake has stopped, proceed cautiously,

avoiding roads, bridges or ramps that might have been compromised by the quake.
In a grocery store, debris falling from shelves will pose the
greatest danger. If possible, get to an interior wall and crouch
down, staying away from windows and large fixtures that could
shift with the quake. If you cant get to a safe place, lie down on
the floor and protect your head with your arms. When the shaking stops, calmly exit the building, being careful of broken glass
and other debris on the floor.
If youre outside, move to a clear area away from buildings,
trees, signs, streetlights, utility wires and poles. If youre on a
sidewalk near buildings and unable to get to an open space, duck
into a doorway to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass, plaster and other debris. Once youre in a clear or secure place, stay
put until the shaking stops and its safe to venture out. Remember that debris collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects
can continue to rain down well after the shaking stops.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Earthquakes strike without warning, but if youre prepared and
aware of what to do when one does hit, you can avoid injury.
Know the drop, cover and hold on mantra and always be
mindful of what youd do if the ground started shaking.

JUST FOR

KIDS
EARTHQUAKE
AT SCHOOL

What would you

do if the earth starts
shaking while youre
at school?
Many classrooms
in earthquake-prone
areas practice drills
so the students are
prepared to act
quickly and safely.
Heres what experts
recommend:

1. DROP
TO THE GROUND

Whether youre
sitting at your desk,
working at a table
or playing in the
playground, the
first thing to do is
drop to the ground.
Doing so will prevent you from getting knocked over
by the shaking.

2. COVER
YOUR HEAD

Next, find safe,

strong cover. If youre in
the classroom, duck
under your desk. If
youre in the school
cafeteria, hide under
the bench or table. If
youre outside, dont run
to the building. Instead,
crouch close to the
ground and cover your
head with your arms.

3. HOLD ON TIGHT

To keep that cover over you, hold on to the

desks or tables legs while the earth shakes.

4. LISTEN
TO YOUR
TEACHER

When the
shaking
stops, follow
the lead of
your teacher
or other
adult. Typically, they
will get you
outside and
take roll to
make sure
everyone in
your class is
safe and
accounted
for.

5. WAIT
FOR YOUR
PARENTS

When a
strong
earthquake
strikes,
schools
may require
your parents to pick
you up
because it
could be too
dangerous
for you to
get home
by yourself.

Wendy Wilson is an award-winning writer based on the

West Coast.

Research has shown that most injuries occur

when people inside buildings attempt to move
to a different location inside the building or
try to leave.

THE CHECKLIST
AT HOME

Drop to the ground and take cover under a desk or sturdy

table.
Hold on tight until the shaking stops.
If you cant get to a table or desk, cover your face and
head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the
room.
If youre in bed, stay there. Protect your head with a pillow. If there is a heavy light fixture that could fall, move to
the nearest safe place.
If youre in the kitchen, move away from the refrigerator
and stove.
Stay away from overhead cupboards.
Stay away from windows, bookcases, file cabinets, heavy
mirrors, hanging plants and other heavy objects that
could fall.

HIGH-RISE

Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy table or desk

and hold on tight.
If youre not near a desk or table, move against an interior
wall and protect your head with your arms.
Dont use the elevators.
Stay away from windows.
When the shaking stops, do not rush for the exit. Leave
via the fire escape.
Once youre outside, get into an open space away from
the building.

AWAY FROM HOME

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

If youre driving, pull over to the side of the road and stop.
Avoid stopping under or on overpasses and bridges, and
near or under buildings.
Stay away from power lines, trees and other potential
dangers.
Remain inside until the shaking is over.
Once the quake has stopped, proceed but be careful of
damaged roads and bridges.
In a grocery store, watch for debris from shelves.
If possible, get to an interior wall and crouch down.
Stay away from windows and large fixtures.
If you cant get to a safe place, lie down on the floor and
protect your head with your arms.
When the shaking stops, exit the building.
35

GENERATOR

G e n e r at e
Power
8 Great Ways To Produce Instant Electricity
Its more than a convenience.
Keeping a generator on-hand isnt just a nice item to have on-hand when the
power goes out. It could prevent your food and medications from spoiling by
powering your refrigerator or keep your air conditioner running in cases of
extreme heat.
With various options in terms of wattage and power, youll find just what
you need with the following listings, which can run on a variety of fuel types.
Get power. It can be a lifesaver.

EDITORS CHOICE

MOBILE SOLAR

www.mobilesolarpower.net
Model: MS-150
Key features: Towable, does not require
gasoline, runs 3,500-watt loads
MSRP: $19,000 and up

36

MOBILE SOLAR

$19,000

1 MOBILE SOLAR

www.mobilesolarpower.net

Model: MS-150
Key features: Towable, does not require
gasoline, runs 3,500-watt loads
MSRP: $19,000 and up
Description
No gasoline on-hand when your power
goes out? No problem. You can capture
energy from the sun no matter where you
are with this mobile, solar generator. Simply tow it behind your car to wherever your
destination may be, tilt the panels toward
the sun and youll be able to power a
3,500-watt load.
Not only will the mobile generator
serve you well on the road, but it also
serves double-duty as a place to store all
of your emergency supplies. Additional
room inside of the trailer unit means that
you can stash your bug-out bag, backpack,
tools, tent and more. That way, when
youre ready to hit the road with your alternate power source, youll already have
your supplies with you.

2 LINCOLN ELECTRIC
www.lincolnelectric.com

Model: Bulldog 5500

Key features: 5,500-watt surge
AC generator, welding capability
MSRP: $2,013

Description
Theres nothing better than having two (or
more) tools in one, and the Lincoln Bulldog
delivers. The portable unit can be used as
a backup generator for standby emergency
power, but is also a high-powered AC stick
welding machine, allowing you to deliver
140 amps of welding output for your arc
welding projects. This means that all of
your on-the-road repairs can be taken care
of straight from the generator.
The unit runs on gasoline and also features 5,500 watts of AC output to run any
other tools or products you need to operate
if your power goes down. With no oil filter
to replaceeverthis unit will keep you
up and running for hours.

LINCOLN ELECTRIC

$2,013

3 ALL POWER AMERICA

www.allpoweramerica.com

Model: APG3203
Key features: Runs on diesel fuel, 4-gallon
tank, extremely quiet
MSRP: Starting at $1,498
Description
Got diesel? Youve got power with this
mighty 7,000-watt generator that runs
exclusively on diesel fuel. Easy to program
thanks to its digital control panel, this generator can run for 11 hours at half-load and
eight hours at full load.
Despite being incredibly portable, this
generator can hold four gallons of diesel
fuel. Youll find that its best attribute is the
one that makes you not even realize its
there. Nearly silent, the generator runs at
just 69 decibels. Thanks to this clever and
quiet generator, youll still be able to hear
the music playingpowered by the generators own 120-volt outlet.

ALL POWER AMERICA

$1,498

buyers

Guide

GENERAT

4 MOBILE SOLAR

www.mobilesolarpower.net

Model: MS-225
Key features: Does not require
gasoline, runs up to 7,000 watts,
extra storage inside
MSRP: $29,000 and up

MOBILE SOLAR

$29,000

Description
Going mobile takes on a new meaning
with this solar generator, which features six full panels to collect the suns
rays. That translates into enough power
to run 7,000 watts of electricity, and its
still towable behind your vehicle.
This generator features a 120/240volt inverter system and can store up to
25kWh of energy. That means that if the
sun ends up hiding behind the clouds
for a day or two, youll still have power
on-hand thanks to this units power
storage capability. Like the smaller unit,
this model features plenty of room
inside the trailer so you can store all of
your survival gear for a quick getaway.

5 GENERAC

www.generac.com

Model: iX800
Key features: Light, compact, output of
850 watts, able to power electronics
MSRP: Starting at $319

6 HYUNDAI

Description
Looking for a grab-and-go generator
that wont break the bank? Youve got
everything you need in this lightweight,
portable unit that weighs just 29 pounds
but can power your electrical items for
up to 3.6 hours at half-power. With a
quick-carry handle and a capacity of a
half tank of gas, this generator would
even fit on a bicycle carrier if you were
to take off quickly following a disaster.
The iX800 can deliver 800 watts of
clean power, which means it uses an
inverter generator technology system to
ensure that you wont burn out your
electronics if you plug them into the
outlet.

6 HYUNDAI

$600

www.hyundaipower.ca

Model: HY2000si
Key features: 2,200-watt running
power, portable, lightweight
MSRP: Starting at $600
Description
You wouldnt run a car without an
exhaust and mufflerwhy should a
generator be any different? This
portable unit features such additions to
keep it quiet (only 65 decibels), so you
can hear everything going on around
you and not just the sound of a generator running.
Portable and lightweight, the generator has a 120-volt AC outlet and 12-volt
DC power. It can run for 5.5 hours at
half-load and has a mighty 2,000-watt
running power ability. Featuring inverter
technology, this generator can safely
power even your sensitive electronics.

5 GENERAC

$319

7 BRIGGS & STRATTON

www.briggsandstratton.com

Model: P2000 PowerSmart Series Inverter Generator

Key features: Lightweight, quiet, long-lasting
MSRP: $699
Description
So sleek and small that you might mistake it for your
portable vacuum cleaner, youll be amazed at the

38

power this generator can offer. Able to run for 6.5

hours at quarter-load capacity, this generator weighs
50 pounds and can hold a full tank of gas.
Part of the companys PowerSmart Series, this
model delivers 1,600 watts of running power and 120
volts of electricity while running quietly. Thanks to its
inverter technology, it can cleverly adjust its engine
speed based on the device you plug into it, ensuring
that you wont damage any of your favorite electronics.

7 BRIGGS & STRATTON

WHAT IS INVERTER TECHNOLOGY?

$699

It might be daunting to hear generator terminology if

you arent familiar with it, but you can break down the
specifics of an inverter generator with these quick tips
from Spencer Savage, general manager at Yamahagenerators.com.
The biggest difference between a standard generator
and an inverter is an inverter model provides a pure sine
wave of clean power, Savage says. The pure sine wave is
required to power today's electronic devices which have
microprocessors like computers, TVs and microwaves.
Standard generators take their power directly from the
alternator, which is fine for powering non-"intelligent"
devices like power tools or lights, Savage says. Inverter
models are perfect for powering RV's or for dry camping.
In choosing an inverter, you need something lightweight and powerful, he adds.
Therefore, if your generator needs require you to power
anything electronic, then you need an inverter model generator. If you are only powering lights and power tools like
on a construction job site, then youll simply require a standard generator.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN

SHOPPING FOR A GENERATOR

HONEYWELL

$569

$990

www.honeywellgenerators.com

Model: 2000-6066 2,000W 126cc 4-Stroke OHV

Key features: Very light, portable, quiet
MSRP: Starting at $569
Description
Dont want to do any heavy lifting? You wont
have to with this 29-pound powerhouse. Running at 2,000 continuous watts, youll be able to

Portability: If you experience frequent stormsfor

instance, if youre in a hurricane zoneyou may
want to consider a stationary generator, which an
electrician can install permanently, allowing you to
immediately have power
no matter what befalls
your home. If, however,
you want the flexibility of a
portable generator, you
should choose one thats
easy to transport. These
can be moved from room
to room to suit your needs.
For instance, you might
keep it in the family room
to power your computer
during the day and then
move it to your bedroom
so you can run a fan while
you sleep.
Electric start: You may
wonder how youll garner
electricity when your
power goes out, but this is
inherent to most modern
generators. It takes the

YAMAHA

HONEYWELL

YOU MAY KNOW A FEW PEOPLE WHO LIVE OFF

THE GRID, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, AMERICANS
ARE STILL DEPENDENT ON ELECTRICITY. WHEN
THE POWER GOES OUT, ITS THE GENERATORS
TIME TO SHINE. UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT
YOU SHOULD BE CONSIDERING WHEN SHOPPING
FOR YOUR GENERATOR WITH THESE TIPS.

charge up your fridge, television, fan, cell phone,

and other devices with ease and in relative quiet
thanks to its low-decibel, fuel-efficient motor.
The tank of this unit holds half a tank of
gas, and it can run for 4.5 hours at a 50 percent load. Thanks to inverter technology, you
wont have to worry about it damaging your
laptopso consider this your best buddy
when the power goes out.

39

9 YAMAHA

www.yamaha-generators.com

Model: EF2000iS
Key features: Portable, quiet
MSRP: $990
Description
This lightweight, portable and
quiet inverter model features a

place of a pull-rope (like

most lawnmowers have)
and will allow you to start
the generator quickly and
easily.
Low oil shutdown: This
will keep you from facing
costly repairs down the
line. Find a generator that
immediately turns off
when the oil is low.
Type of fuel: Whether you
prefer gasoline, natural
gas, diesel or solar energy,
you should make a firm
decision before shopping
for your generator,
because the options fluctuate from one unit to the
next.
Warranty: Get the longest
manufacturer warranty
possible. With an investment this big, you dont
want to chance the generator breaking quickly and
find yourself out of luck
and in the dark.

handy gas gauge so you always

know how much time you have
left to run your generatorand it
also has an advantage that many
competitors dontit is CARBcompliant. This means that the
strict California emissions standards, which preclude you from
using many other brands of
generators, have approved the
EF2000is for use.

WHEN THE DUST

SETTLES

Important Steps To Take After an Earthquake

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

By Kristin Webb-Hollering

40

Structures will likely

be unsafe following a
quake. Stay outside
and away from debris.

HEY ARRIVE WITHOUT WARNING, AND THEY CAN TURN YOUR

LIFE UPSIDE DOWN.
THEY ARE EARTHQUAKES.

Not only should you have a plan before they

strike, but its imperative to have a plan for afterward, too, especially because you may find yourself
stunned and wondering what just happened. But you
cant wait long after the ground stops shaking.
Rules are deadly, says Patrick Corcoran, Coastal
Hazards Outreach Specialist and professor at Oregon State University. Look around with a prepared
eye, but you must realize that to be able to execute
a plan, you must anticipate the unpredictable.
If you live in earthquake country, you should
always be acutely aware of your surroundings, Corcoran advises.
The chances of being at your home, with your
prepared survival kit, and against an interior wall are
small, he says. All plans go out the window at this
point.
Which is why its critical to have the plan in place.
Think of escaping an earthquake or tsunami in
terms of music, Corcoran says. Classical music traditions plan linearly and follow defined paths, while
jazz music uses a handful of principles based on what
is in front of you. Use what you have in front of you
to survive.

41

AFTER

GOTCHA HAZARDS
TO AVOID

fumes, leave immediately, FEMA advises.

Dont ever assume something is stable if it doesnt look damaged. Once
outside, you are not necessarily safe from harm.

While most of us envision a post-earthquake environment to consist of

Downed power lines and gas leaks are real killers after the tremors

dangers such as falling rubble and chasms in the highways, the more realistic
dangers are things you may not have even considered. Knowing what the

stop, says Corcoran, and landslides are particularly bad if you live in a hilly

most dangerous hazards are following a quake will potentially save your life.

region.
If you live near a beach, stay as far from the water as possible to protect

It wasnt the earthquake that killed people in San Francisco during the
1906 disaster, Corcoran says. The fires are what killed the majority of

yourself from any potential tsunamis, which could happen within minutes

people because the water mains broke, and the fires couldnt be put out.

following an earthquake.

Indeed, fire is the most common hazard after an earthquake, FEMA indi-

CHECK YOUR UTILITIES

cates on its Web site. The agency recommends keeping a fire extinguisher
in your home, particularly if you live in a quake zone.

One threat that is close to everyones home is the risk of your utili-

In addition to fires, you should watch out for the other gotcha hazards

ties wreaking havoc on your safety. If you hear any hissing sounds,

that pop up after an earthquake, which are usually more deadly than the

leave your building and turn off the gas at the main valve if possible,

actual quake. If you are inside during the quake, your first order of business

FEMA advises. Call your gas company after you are safely away from

should be to protect your head from falling objects. Look around you for

the property.

loose materials and try to move outside to a natural area free from debris

In addition, if you smell burning or hot insulation, turn off the elec-

or dangers. Help those who are injured or trapped and get them to safety.

tricity at your circuit breaker. Avoid any down, sparking, or frayed

In addition, you should ensure that nothing toxic spilled inside of your

wires or power lines, and do not step in water if live wires are nearby.

home during the quake. Clean up any bleach, gasoline or other flammable

During a quake, plumbing lines are also likely to come loose. If you

liquids right away. But if you smell natural gas or other strong chemical

see any sewage or water leaks, avoid running water and call a plumber

ESSENTIALS
FOR YOUR
SURVIVAL KIT

Avoid broken electrical lines following a quake.

CAR OR SOLAR
CHARGERS FOR
CELL PHONES

You might not have

electricity for a while
after a quake, but youll
certainly want to contact loved ones.

DUST MASKS FOR

CONTAMINATED
AREAS
Walking through a
post-earthquake environment can create
multiple hazards,
including dirty air. A
mask will ensure that
you continue breathing.

Downed power lines and gas leaks are

real killers after the tremors stop.
Patrick Corcoran, Coastal Hazards Outreach Specialist and professor
at Oregon State University

42

Its no fun to think

about, but the chance
exists that you wont
have plumbing after an
earthquake. These
items will keep your
area sanitary.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

TOWELETTES,
GARBAGE BAGS
AND TIES FOR
HUMAN WASTE
AND SANITATION

REMEMBER THIS

Staying alert after an

earthquake doesnt just
mean you should find your
way to safetyit means
guarding yourself from
additional tremors.
Aftershocks are common, and although they are
typically less violent than
the main earthquake, they
can do additional damage
to structuresparticularly
those that are already
weak from the initial
quake.
Its not enough to stay
alert to aftershocks for the
few minutes following the
quake. They can occur
days, weeks or even
months after an earthquake, FEMA notes.

right away. If water lines in your yard are spilling, call the water company
and ask its representatives to send someone to turn off the water main.

WORRYING INTO ACTION

In the end, we have a better chance of surviving if we prepare appropriately and stop stressing.
Americans are neurologically challenged when it comes to worrying
about natural disasters, Corcoran says. We know it happens, but we cant
accept it happening to us.
Corcoran asserts that 90 percent of the people in Japan in the last
tsunami and earthquake evacuated because it is a real event to them
their parents and grandparents remember, and it is part of their personal
history. Most Americans no longer have relatives or neighbors that lived
through a big one.

Keeping your kids

safe following a
quake will be a
top priority.

Accepting that a major earthquake is inevitable, especially on the West

Coast, is the first step in escaping its destruction. And have that plan for
afterward.

Americans are neurologically challenged when it comes to worrying about

natural disasters. We know it happens, but we cant accept it happening to us.
Patrick Corcoran

JUST FOR

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

KIDS

EARTHQUAKES ARE REAL HAZARDS IF YOU LIVE IN A DANGER

ZONE, AND CHILDREN NEED TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT
TO DO WHEN THE TEMBLORS STOP.

Putting a plan together and

talking about all the possible scenarios might seem overwhelming
as a parent, but your family will
most likely be separated after the
disaster, and their survival might
depend on this preparation.
In addition to knowing the
plan, kids need to know where to
go, who to trust and what to
avoid. Both FEMA and the American Red Cross have great activities and ideas to help prepare
children for earthquakes, including the following:

Encourage children
to always go to
higher ground if
possible and protect their bodies
from falling debris.
Set up a predetermined place where
youll meet up after
an earthquake, but
do not rush there
because travel
might be dangerous right after the
quake.

Show kids what

to avoid: power
lines, playgrounds, parks,
broken buildings and
beaches.
Teach them who
to trust (teachers, emergency
personnel, safe
neighbors) if
you are not
together.

Make them
memorize an
out-of-town
relatives
name and
number to
call when
the phones
go back on,
in case you
do not
reconnect
after the
quake.

43

THE CHECKLIST
WHEN THE SHAKING STOPS
Protect yourself from
falling objects.
Move outside to a natural area free from
debris or dangers.
Help those in need.
Ensure nothing toxic
spilled.
If you smell natural gas
or other strong chemical fumes, leave immediately.
Be wary of downed
power lines and gas
leaks.

If you live near a

beach, stay away from
the water.
If you hear hissing
sounds, leave your
building and turn off
the gas.
If you smell burning or
hot insulation, turn off
the electricity.
If you see any sewage
or water leaks, avoid
running water.

SHELTER

Peaceful
Slumber
The Very Best in Tents,
Sleeping Bags and Bivys
From high altitudes and plunging temperatures to strong gusts of wind, here
are some shelter options that will keep you warm so youll be able to get a good
nights sleep, any time of year. Keeping warm may be key to your survival, which
is why weve picked out sleeping bags and tents that wont weigh down your
pack, but sure do deliver.

EDITORS CHOICE

MOUNTAIN HARWARE
www.mountainhardwear.com
Model: UltraLaminina 32
Key Features: 32-degree bag for women
MSRP: $240

44

SLEEPING BAGS
AND BIVYS

BIG AGNES

1 BIG AGNES

$339.95

www.bigagnes.com

Model: Three Wire Bivy

Key Features: Lightweight, breathable,
waterproof
MSRP: $339.95
Description
This light bivy is a solo shelter that features
external aluminum DAC Featherlite NSL
poles, making setup a breeze. The eVent
fabric is breathable and waterproof to vent
moisture, keeping not only your bag dry, but
you too. A mesh bug net provides protection
and ventilation. Stake-out loops are oversized so skis can anchor the bivy to snow.

COGHLANS

$8.99

2 COGHLANS

www.coghlans.com

Model: Emergency Survival Poncho

Key Features: Reduces heat loss, lightweight
MSRP: $8.99
Description
The Emergency Survival Poncho is there
when you need it most. Just stuff the poncho in your backpack, and youll have a
backup plan to fight against hypothermia.
The poncho can help reduce heat loss in the
cold. Its made from a composite layering of
polyethylene and metalized aluminum. It
also features a hood and reinforced seams
in rain poncho format for maximum mobility
in your emergency survival situation.

DEUTER

$89

DEUTER

www.deuter.com

Model: Starlight EXP

Key Features: For kids, extendable up to 12
inches
MSRP: $89
Description
The Starlight EXP is a kids sleeping bag, to
give your little one the ultimate warmth on a
chilly night. For growing youngsters, the bag
can be unzipped at the foot, to extend it by
12 inches. If the child cant reach the bottom, the extra material makes for a cozy
foot warmer. Weighs 2 pounds 3 ounces,
body size 67 inches, outer lining is soft
nylon taffeta with a inner of Deuter-softmicro. The fill is high-loft Hollowfibre.

BAUER
4 EDDIE
FIRST ASCENT

EDDIE BAUER
FIRST ASCENT

$299

www.eddiebauer.com

Model: Karakoram +20 Down Sleeping Bag

Key Features: For high altitudes, premium
850-fill goose down
MSRP: $299
Description
The original Kara Koram bags became legends among mountaineers, and the new,
high-tech reproduction is as good as it gets
for high altitudes. The mummy shape makes
it ultra lightweight. Its 850-fill, premium
European goose down provides superior
warmth and the 20-Denier Pertex shell is
abrasion-resistant. An interior pocket keeps
electronic essentials safe from freezing
temperatures; three-dimensional footbox
design for maximum comfort and space.

45

buyers

Guide

SHELTER

KELTY

$94.95

ESSENTIALS
5 EMERGENCY

www.beprepared.com

Model: Space Sportsmans Hooded Blanket

Key Features: Reflective to provide heat in
subzero temperatures
MSRP: $14.95
Description
The Space Sportsmans Hooded Blanket will
reflect and help retain more than 80 percent
of radiated body heat, for warmth and protection against the elementseven in subzero
temps! Ideal for a survival situation outdoors
when hypothermia is a danger. Its fully
bound, multi-ply material weighs only 12
ounces and is tear- and puncture-resistant.
Be prepared.

EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS

$14 95

6 KELTY

www.kelty.com

Model: Cosmic 20 (Solid)

Key Features: Three-season,
synthetic for wet or dry climates
MSRP: $94.95
Description
For a prepper on a budget, the Cosmic 20 is
a great three-season, synthetic bag that
wont empty your bank account. Perfect for
wet or dry climates, itll keep you warm in
temperatures all the way down to 20F/-7C.
Made from 50D polyester taffeta and
Cloudloft Pro insulation, its two-layer, offset
construction is top-notch. Ground-level side
seams prevent heat from escaping. Stuff sack
included.

7 MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR
www.mountainhardwear.com

Model: UltraLaminina 32
Key Features: 32-degree bag for women
MSRP: $240

Description
The new UltraLaminina 32 is part of Mountain
Hardwears Spring 2013 line, and is the
womens version of the mens UltraLamina
32. Engineered to be the lightest and
warmest synthetic bag available for women.
Built to keep someone warm, this 32-degree
bag has superior insulation, and wont weigh
down your pack since it weighs only 1 pound,
15 ounces.

8 OUTDOOR RESEARCH

www.outdoorresearch.com

OUTDOOR RESEARCH

Model: Alpine Bivy

Key Features: Water- and weatherproof, 30
ounces
MSRP: $240
Description
The fully featured Alpine Bivy is what youll
need for long nights above tree line. The
GORE-TEX Respiration Positive fabric protects
you from the harsh elementsrain, snowstorms and morewhile collecting interior
condensation. The overlapped zipper lets you
breathe without letting in the cold air. A single
pole can be used to create overhead space if
needed or left at the trailhead to save weight
while you carry it. At only 30 ounces youll be
able to keep on trekking without the bulk.

$240

9 SALEWA

www.salewa.com

Model: Phantom 3D Flex7 Sleeping Bag

Key Features: Synthetic fiber down,
Silverized technology
MSRP: Starting at $234

46

Description
This sleeping bag is known as the flexible
allarounder, built to withstand a wide range of
temperatures. It also allows freedom of movement for your arms and knees, and includes Silverized Down technologythe worlds first
anit-bacterial silver treatment for down fillings.
The parallelogram chambers mean exceptional
warmth and weight performance, and weighs in
at 1,200 grams. Also available in an XL version.

11

SLUMBER JACK

$44.99

SALEWA

$234

10

SIERRA DESIGNS

$269.95

10

SIERRA
DESIGNS

www.sierradesigns.com
Model: Pyro 15
Key Features: 600-fill down, pillow pocket, 15 temp rating
MSRP: $269.95
Description
The Pyro 15 utilizes Core Comfort

11 SLUMBERJACK

Technology by mapping the

bodys warmest and coolest
parts, and providing insulation
where its needed mostover
the torso. This system maximizes
heat retention and cools through
non-insulated areas during high
exertion activities. The temp rating is 15, with a 600 fill-power
down and 30D polyester microrip-stop shell.

www.slumberjack.com

Model: No Fly Zone Bivy

Key Features: 14-ounce mesh
bivy, keeps out bugs
MSRP: $44.99

Description
The No Fly Zone Bivy features lightweight mesh for a guard against

47

unwanted bugs invading your

space. The Delrin hoop keeps the
mesh up, away from your face, so
you can enjoy a comfortable nights
sleep. The stretch cord on the bottom provides a tight fit around a
sleeping bag and pad, keeping
insects out. It also comes with a
matching stuff sack. Weighs only
14 ounces; 100-percent polyester,
rip-stop fabric.

buyers

Guide

SHELTER

12

ALPS MOUNTAINEERING

$279.99

TENTS

12 ALPS MOUNTAINEERING
www.alpsmountaineering.com

Model: Chaos 3
Key Features: Easy assembly one-pole design, freestanding, weatherproof
MSRP: $279.99
Description
ALPS Mountaineering made the Chaos 3 super easy to
assemble, making one wonder why the name Chaos
was chosen. This tent will keep you dry and without fumbling over faulty zippers. Other features include a one-pole
design, freestanding properties, two doors and two
vestibules for gear storage and extra protection, and aluminum poles that are strong. Assembly is a breeze: simply
snap the tent clips in place over the poles, and presto.
Factory-sealed fly and floor seams will keep you dry when
theres chaotic weather outside, or ventilation with its
mesh roof for hot weather. So thats where the Chaos
comes from

13

BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT

DIAMOND
EQUIPMENT
13 BLACK

$839.95

www.blackdiamondequipment.com

Model: Bombshelter Tent

Key Features: Four-person, four-season tent
MSRP: $839.95
Description
The Bombshelter has been expedition-tested and is a
trusty four-person, four-season, single-wall tent thats
exceptionally stable in windy conditions. Features two
doors and a two-vestibule design, with four interior poles
that intersect seven timesfor maximum strength. Other
specs include four interior, mesh pockets, ToddTex singlewall fabric, optional ground cloth, and its even available
with fire-retardant fabric to meet requirements in select
US States and Canada (check your states requirements).
The average packed weight is nine pounds, 12 ounces.

14 EDDIE BAUER FIRST ASCENT

www.eddiebauer.com

Model: Stargazer
Key Features: Three-season tent for two
MSRP: $299

Description
The Stargazer is a three-season backpacking tent that
makes roughing it comfortable. Thats because its so
spacious, lightweight, keeps you protected from harsh
elements outside, uses single-pole setup for easy pitching
in any weather and has two vestibules so you and all your
gear stays dry. The design, which utilizes steep walls,
helps maximize the floor space. It also includes doubledoor design for easy entry/exit, four interior storage pockets, DAC Featherlite aluminum poles, rip-stop nylon and
20D polyester mesh, and weighs four pounds, five ounces.

15 EUREKA!

14

EDDIE BAUER FIRST ASCENT

$299

www.eurekatent.com

Model: Alpenlite XT Tent

Key Features: Four-season tent for extreme weather
MSRP: $349.90
Description
Eureka! has produced one of lightest four-season tents
around, built to withstand extreme weather conditions
all year long. The Alpenlite XT features a six-pole frame
with vestibule, clip and post and grommet corner attachments for fast setup, high and low venting, a front
vestibule for storage space, and a cold weather, PU-transparent window to brighten the interior. The web storm
guyouts and logos are reflective, making them visible at
night so its easy to find your tent if you walk off. Includes
six pockets, two gear loft loops and two flashlight loops.

16

minivans or SUVs, and is a three-season

tent. Made from 68D polyester 450 mm fly fabric.

KE

www.kelty.com

Model: Carport Deluxe (large)

Key Features: Attaches to a car, mesh window,
three-season tent
MSRP: $329.95
Description
Keltys Carport Deluxe is a covered shelter that
attaches to the side or rear of a roof rack on a car.
This design allows for roll-up sidewalls, a large
mesh window with shade and extra stuff poles so
you can walk under the shelterfor both vehiclebased base camp or at a campground site. This
48

17 MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR
www.mountainhardwear.com

Model: Hoop Dreams 4

Key Features: Four-person, lightweight,
large shelter
MSRP: $250

Description
This lightweight, teepee-style tent from Mountain
Hardwear is built for a party of four. The one-Trussing, one-center support pole and a layer of fabric

15

19

EUREKA!

MSR

$349.90

$499.95

16

KELTY

$329.95

18

MOUNTAIN
HARDWARE
Skyledge 3 DP

17

MOUNTAIN
HARDWARE
Hoop Dreams 4

$550

$250

complete the frame. This tent can be used for backpackers and as a shelter outdoors while its raining. A
large shelter at an affordable price is a must-have for
any venturing into the great outdoors.

18 MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR

user, be
yet just
g
size.
The DryPitch system lets you pitch the fly first and then
set the canopy up underneath, out of the rain. The 3in-1 pitching system allows the tent to be pitched in
three ways: fly only, canopy only or the fly plus the
canopy. Freedom of choice has never been so sweet.

www.mountainhardwear.com

Model: Skyledge 3 DP
Key Features: 3-in-1 pitching system (fly only,
canopy only or fly and canopy)
MSRP: $550

Description
The Skyledge 3 DP is built for the serious backcountry

19 MSR

www.cascadedesigns.com

Model: Dragontail
Key Features: Single-wall, expedition, two-person,
four-season
MSRP: $499.95
49

The Dragontail is a single-wall expedition

tent with a cavernous, hooped design
and easy-pitching pole clips. An overhead ventnow with zippered closuresruns the length of the tent, which
gives it the ventilation. Its ultra light,
weighing in at less than 5 pounds. With
improved protection to seal out spindrift
and the peaked center, which helps shed
rain and snow, combined with addition
features like DuraShield-coated fabrics,
large vestibule, four internal pockets and
more, the Dragontail is one tent thats
always got your back.

SURVIVE A NUCLEAR LEAK

How To Survive Following an Earthquake-Driven

Nuclear Leak or Meltdown
By Torrey Kim
50

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

N THE WAKE OF THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER

dict they could experience.

PLANT LEAK IN JAPAN, AMERICANS BEGAN TO ANA-

The Congress members identified eight nuclear reactors on the seis-

LYZE JUST HOW MANY FAULT LINES LAY IN THE

mically active West Coast, and 27 more reactors near the New Madrid

SHADOW OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.

fault line in the Midwest. Thirty-one more reactors in the United States

In fact, Congressional Energy Committee members Edward Markey

are of the same design as the Fukushima plant, 12 of which are located
in seismically active zones, the Congressional letter added.

(D-MA) and Lois Capps (D-CA) wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Com-

No matter where you are, you could be at risk of a nuclear leak if

mission in March 2011 to stress that several nuclear reactors in the

United States located in seismically active areas are not designed with

an earthquake ever strikes. Following is the information you need to

sufficient levels of resiliency against the sort of earthquakes scientists pre-

stay safe.

51

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

SURVIVE A NUCLEAR LEAK

52

FIGHT OR FLIGHT?
If word comes to you that a nuclear leak has

CREATE
YOUR SHELTER

occurred, youll have to make a split-second deci-

If you decide to stay home and wait

sion about whether its safer for you to settle into

out the nuclear exposure, dont fear the

a secure place or to leave the area, says Shane

worst

Connor of Ki4U, Inc., a nuclear preparedness

shelter forever.

advice organization.
You never want to be caught outside, stuck

you wont be in your makeshift

Thats a big part of the good news,

with a nuclear bomb explosion, as

in a car if fallout has begun or could arrive before

radioactive fallout loses its lethal intensity

you leave the area altogether and get to a safer

very quickly, Connor says.

place, Connor advises. You never want to risk

The intensity is 90 percent gone in

being exposed outside at all, even just for a couple

seven hours, and 99 percent gone in 48

minutes once fallout has begun or during those

hours, he adds.

first couple days of the highest lethal intensity.

If you are unsure of whether you can safely

However, with a nuclear power plant

meltdown, it could be spewing forth

flee, you are better off staying put, Connor

radioactive fallout for days and weeks, or

advises.

more. In that case, eventual evacuation,

If you are not highly confident of where the

fallout is coming from, where the wind is going to

when safer to quickly do so later, may be

your only option.

be blowing it, how soon it will arrive, and that you

Even a cramped and uncomfortable,

can evacuate and be long gone before it even ever

last-minute, thrown-together, expedient

does arrive, then you need to forget about evacu-

shelter would be bearable for getting

ating and quickly hunker down, best as you can,

through those first couple days of the

right where you are, he says.

worst of it, Connor advises.

Inside your mass-piled shelter in the center of

the house that could be all the difference
needed between survival or a lethal dose.
Shane Connor of Ki4U, Inc.

IF YOU DONT HAVE A

BASEMENT AND YOU
ARENT AWARE OF ANYONE NEARBY WHO HAS
ONE WHERE YOU CAN
CAMP OUT DURING A
NUCLEAR THREAT, YOU
CAN PUT TOGETHER A
LAST-MINUTE SHELTER
BY USING WHAT YOU
HAVE ON-HAND.
For instance, you can push
a heavy table into the center
of the house, Connor advises.
If no heavy table is available, you can take internal
doors off their hinges and lay
them on supports to create
your table, he says.
Next, he adds, youll stack
any available mass on top of
and surrounding the open
sidesanything heavy will do,
including books, wood, bricks,
sandbags, heavy appliances,
full file cabinets, full water
containers, your food stocks,
even boxes and pillow cases
full of anything heavy, like dirt.
Everything you can pile up
and around it has mass that
will help absorb and stop
more radiation from penetrating insidethe heavier the
better, Connor says. However, be sure to reinforce your
table and supports so you do
not overload it and risk collapse.
Youll want to leave a small
crawl-through entrance that
you can later cover after you
enter the shelter, and you
should create a gap at the top
to allow exhaust air out. Create another four- to six-inch
hole at the other end of the
shelter to allow fresh air to
enter.

SHOULD YOU TAKE

POTASSIUM IODIDE?
If you live near a
nuclear power plant,
chances are that your local
government will distribute
potassium iodide for you
to ingest following an
emergency.
However, dont swallow
that pill right away. You
should only take potassium
iodide if you have been
instructed to do so by local
public health or emergency
management officials, the
Centers for Disease Control
says on its Web site.

Air does not become

radioactive, Connor adds, so if
your home is reasonably snug
and outside air intakes are
closed, there wont be any
wind blowing through it to
carry the radioactive fallout
dust inside.
Inside your mass-piled
shelter in the center of the
house, youve maximized your
distance from the fallout outside and surrounded yourself
with radiation-absorbing
mass, and could then be cutting your exposure by 100-fold
or more, Connor says. That
could be all the difference
needed between survival or a
lethal dose.

WHAT LEVELS
ARE SAFE?

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

DONT HAVE A
BASEMENT?
DONT PANIC

According to the
Environmental Protection
Agency, you should limit
your exposure beyond
background radiation to
about 100 mrem per year.
As an example, a medical
X-ray typically delivers
less than 10 mrem.

53

complete disruption of services, Connor says.

This includes no water, sewer, food, electricity, fuel,

medical aid, communications, police, fire, etc., he says.

You can rely on any stored water and well water if you
have means to extract it (but not surface water), as well as
packaged and sealed food, he advises.

STOCK NON-FOOD ITEMS

In addition to food and water, youll ideally have a radiation-detecting instrument with you to confirm that radiation
levels are safe before you emerge from your shelter, Connor

Shane Connor
of Ki4U, Inc.

advises. If you dont have one, he recommends that you have a

battery-operated, portable radio from which you can glean
information that local officials disseminate.
Id also have plenty of cheap N95 particulate filter respirators on-hand to use during the event, and also for afterward, to keep any remaining radioactive dust out of my lungs
for a couple weeks, Connor adds.

LESSON LEARNED
If last years Japanese earthquake taught us anything, its
that nuclear power plants are not always quake-proof.
Be ready.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU HAVE?

If you live near a nuclear plant, whether or not youre near a fault line, stock your basement or projected
shelter with dozens of gallons of drinking water per person and some packaged food.
If youre storing canned foods, be sure to place a manual can opener with your food stockpile.

RADIATION INTENSITY LEVELS

HOURS

The intensity is 90-percent

gone in this amount of time.

99

PERCENT

After 48 hours, this percentage

of the intensity is gone.
54

REACTORS IN THE
UNITED STATES ARE
OF THE SAME
DESIGN AS THE
FUKUSHIMA PLANT
THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

phe

66 REACTORS

contend with everything you would for any major catastro-

REACTORS ARE NEAR

THE NEW MADRID
FAULT LINE IN THE
MIDWEST

After surviving fallout and later emerging from your shelter, and before aid arrives or evacuation begins, you have to

You never
want to
risk being
exposed
outside at
all, even
just for a
couple minutes once
fallout has
begun

NUCLEAR REACTORS
ARE ON THE SEISMICALLY ACTIVE WEST
COAST

DONT EXPECT TO
DRINK TAP WATER

08 27 31

SURVIVE A NUCLEAR LEAK

PACKS

B u i lt f o r
S u rv i va l
Durable Backpacks that Will Carry,
Preserve Your Valuables
When the time comes that you have to hike miles out of town to maintain

your own survival, everything you carry becomes valuable

even a pack of

matches. Preserve those items with a quality backpack that will allow you to
continue on your path while keeping your cargo safe.

55

EDITORS CHOICE

BULLETBLOCKER

www.bulletblocker.com
Model: Ranger Pack
Key Features: Anti-ballistic safety
layer allows this to be bulletproof;
lightweight, durable and high capacity
MSRP: $279

buyers

Guide

BACKPACKS

1 BULLETBLOCKER
www.bulletblocker.com

Model: Ranger Pack

Key Features: Anti-ballistic safety layer
allows this to be bulletproof; lightweight,
durable and high capacity
MSRP: $279

BULLETBLOCKER

$279

Description
If you have to head out of town following
a disasterwith no warning or prep time
it would be fairly uncommon to already be
wearing a bulletproof vest under your
clothes. However, if you have the BulletBlocker Ranger Pack, your survival gear is
already packed in a completely bulletproof
bag, tested to Threat Level IIIa protection.
Both a quality backpack and a lifesaving
shield if you ever have to hold it in front of
you to take shelter from a threat, this pack
serves double-duty and allows you efficiency like youve never seen.
Not only is it dual-functional, but it also
offers several durable, zippered pockets,
comfortable straps and a large size (3,200
cubic inches) to fit a good weeks worth of
gear. It features a hardy rubber bottom so if
you set it in the field or mud, you know it
wont soak through or tear.
Although the bulletproof capability
makes this pack 20 ounces heavier than a
standard backpack, its worth the extra
weight to know that it can withstand a ballistic threat without being bulky or metallic.
In fact, the bag is made of sturdy, durable
fabric that does not reveal its true identity
as a bulletproof shield. With no tags or other
identification that announce the bags bullet-blocking capability, it blends right in to
the other bags youll see on the trail.

2 CAMELBAK

www.camelbak.com

Model: Charge LR
Key Features: Lightweight, 70-ounce
hydration capacity, lumbar support
MSRP: $90-$120
Description
Making your way out of town on foot or
bicycle can be made much easier with this
pack, which contains a reservoir that holds
70 ounces of water, juice, sports drink or
any other liquid.
A long straw tube connects directly from
the reservoir to your mouth so you can stay
in motion while hydrating. The lumbar support straps and the snug fit of the design
help ensure that you wont suffer back
strain despite carrying a full pack of liquid
on your back.
Better yet, the bag also includes additional zippered pouches that allow you to
pack along some food, matches, a hat, a
GPS or anything else that must stay dry and
away from the reservoir.

3 KIFARU

www.kifaru.net

Model: Multi Mission Ruck (MMR)

Key features: Removable frame for use as
a freight hauler, large capacity, durable
MSRP: $650-$900
Description
It would be difficult to find a backpack
more versatile than the MMR, which can not
only haul everything you need for a several-

Durable rubber base

day trip, but also converts into a freight hauler to handle your
heavy lifting.
Thanks to its sturdy construction and extremely durable fabric,
you can take this pack in any weather without having to worry
about whether it will hold your belongings securely.
The bag includes a water bladder to store your hydration fluids, zippered radio access and a separate pouch for a sleeping
bag, as well as an extendable snow collar for those cold weather
days. Disassemble the various bag compartments to convert this
into several smaller day bags, or wear it as a complete set to carry
all of your items at once.

56

BACKPACKS VS.
MESSENGER BAGS
OR TOTES
You may prefer the sleek, hip look of a messenger bag or the durable practicality of a duffel when
you hit the roadbut there are several good reasons that explain why youll benefit from a backpack if you have a long journey ahead of you.

CAMELBAK

$90-$120
BUGOUTBAGZ

Deluxe Back Pack Package

400

KIFARU

$650-$900

A backpacks basic design allows you to distribute the

weight of your supplies across your entire torso, which
ensures that you wont put too much stress on your spine,
hips, legs and shoulders.
The addition of a hip belt will ensure that your pack doesnt
bounce up and down against your lumbar spine.
Always use both straps of your pack, as well as the hip
belt, and make sure that all straps are secured well so it
fits snugly against your back.

57

buyers

Guide

BACKPACKS

MAXPEDITION

$142.99

4 MAXPEDITION

www.maxpedition.com

Model: Condor II
Key Features: Large capacity for its light weight;
durable; features a hydration system
MSRP: Starting at $142.99
Description
Fans of the popular Maxpedition Condor will
absolutely love the new and improved design,
which maintains all of the features of the roomy
and durable original, but also adds more webbing,
compression straps, easier access to the highercapacity hydration system and room in the inner
pocket to accommodate a firearm using a separately sold holster.
Constructed with water-resistant fabric, the
lightweight pack can hold 1,847 cubic inches of
materials and features breathable material on the
back so your skin will stay cool as you carry it

5 THE NORTH FACE

www.thenorthface.com

Model: Angstrom 30
Key features: Ultra light, breathable
hydration compatible
MSRP: $100-$120
Description
The North Face is well-known for
keep you warm in its famous jackets
sleeping bagsbut its quality absolu
its backpacks as well.
Weighing only 1 pound, 14 ounce
empty, the pack can hold 1,830 cubic
material and features several stretch
you can easily grab your energy bar,
maps while youre on the go.
Also featuring a hip belt for stabil
wont get wet during rain or snow if y
included rain cover, which you can s
zippered pocket when the sun shines

6 GRANITE GEAR

www.granitegear.com

Model: Escape A.C. 40

Key features: Ultra light weight, mol
to fit the spines contours
MSRP: $180-$230

THE NORTH FACE

Angstrom 30 comes in a
few different color
choices.

Description
Carrying 35 pounds has never fel
Although the Escape A.C. 40 can
much weight (and fits 2,250 cubic inc
youll feel like youre hauling a bag o
theres a reason for that. The backpa
ated using an air current suspension
ing it to mold to the contours of your
In addition, it is available in short
torso sizes, so if youre petite you wo
struggle with a pack thats too tall. Y
chiropractor will thank you!

$100-$120

7 HARKEN

www.harken.com

Model: Rogue Backpack

Key features: Waterproof, lightweigh
high-capacity
MSRP: $130-$140
Description
Originally designed for sailors, th
entirely waterproof and UV-protected
planning to make your escape by sea
pate forging through streams or lakes, you ll love
this backpack.

you to drain any excess air so the pack remains light

58

enough gear for your outing.

FEATURES

CHECKLIST
6 GRANITE GEAR

$180-$230

WHAT TO KNOW WHEN

SHOPPING FOR BACKPACKS
Any bag can hold your goods
for a finite time period, but you
wouldnt want to rely on a plastic grocery tote to carry a load of
survival gear for daysor even
weeksat a time.
Thus, you should consider
the following factors to ensure
that youve got the right backpack for your needs as you
begin your survival trek.
Strap design: For maximum
comfort and ergonomic advantage, ensure that the backpack
straps are padded and that they
bend easily. Anything too rigid
will begin to cause discomfort
after a few hours.
Weight: Youre most likely
carrying a few pounds of materials in your backpackso you
dont want to add to that significantly by starting out with a
heavy pack. Ensure that you
invest in a well-constructed,
lightweight bag, especially if you
plan to walk long distances.
Durability: The old camping
adage cotton kills doesnt just
apply to your clothesa backpack made entirely of cotton will
soak completely through if it
rains. Likewise, a pack constructed of a synthetic product
like nylon is a great idea, but
make sure the material isnt too
thin or it will tear quickly. Make
sure the stitching is strong and
the thread isnt too thin so your
seams wont rip.

HARKEN

Air-Purge Valve
will allow you to drain
any excess air so the
pack remains light
and flat without having to open it and risk
water access to the
items inside.

$130-$140

Breathable back: The alltoo-common sweaty back syndrome is inevitable when carrying a backpack for long time
periods, but you can lessen the
effects by selecting a backpack
with breathable material on the
back, such as mesh or foam.
Hip belts: If youre carrying
more than a few pounds, you
can stabilize your pack and save
some stress on your spine by
securing a hip belt. Your best
bet is a backpack with a padded
and well-secured hip belt.
Internal and external pockets: If youre on the go, youll
want easy access to the items
you use often, and you should
make sure theyre safe and
secure. Thats why zippered
pockets are essential to your
backpack requirements. Make
sure you have both internal
pockets (for items like your wallet that you want to remain extra
secure) and external ones that
allow you to reach around to
your pack to grab things like
keys or matches.

What We Learned From Last Years Earthquake in Japan

By Andrew M. Luther

QUAKE. MORE THAN 22,000

DEAD. DAMAGE PRICE TAG
OF $235 BILLION.
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
(also referred to as the Great East

Japanese Earthquake) that occurred on March 11,

2011 and the tsunami that followed devastated
much of Japan, and it was the most expensive natural disaster in history.

As soon as the first

waves of the Japanese earthquake
occurred and its
strength was understood, tens of millions of Japanese
residents received
an alert

Out of the tremendous devastation that fol-

lowed, however, many important lessons were

learned. Weve highlighted some of the most important ones here so you can be armed with knowledge
that will help you survive if a quake hits your region.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Japan has arguably the worlds most advanced early
warning system in the world for earthquakes and
tsunamis. As soon as the first waves of the Japanese
earthquake occurred and its strength was understood,
tens of millions of Japanese residents received an alert

60

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

MAGNITUDE 9.0 EARTH-

DEVASTATION FOLLOWING THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

via text message, e-mail or on television, to name just a

few of the ways it was delivered.
While the alerts impact ranged greatly depending on
how far victims were from the epicenter of the earthquake,
even just a few seconds was enough time for many drivers to
get off of bridges, for students to huddle under their desks
and for all trains to automatically stop running.
Early warning signals save lives. As more technology
users around the world subscribe to such systems or have
them publicly available during the next massive quake,
fewer lives will be lost.

61

EARTHQUAKES
NOT JUST A
PACIFIC PROBLEM
While California and Japan often get
much of the press related to earthquakes
and tsunamis, earthquakes have struck
the rest of the United States numerous
times since the countrys foundingand
could again at any time.
Damaging earthquakes have occurred
in areas east of the Mississippi River in
areas as diverse as Washington, D.C.,
Tampa, Fla., and Memphis, Tenn. Perhaps
most frightening thing about these EastCoast quakes is the deadliest of them
the 1886 Charleston Earthquake
occurred where no tremor had ever been
felt before and claimed close to 100 lives.

LESSONS

NUCLEAR STRENGTH

HOW THE U.S. HAS STRENGTHENED

FACILITIES SINCE JAPANS QUAKE
The Fukushima nuclear disaster was a devastating reminder about the power of
earthquakesas well as the damage that a nuclear meltdown can cause in just a
matter of minutes.
In response to the tragedy, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
created a list of recommendations for securing our nuclear facilities using a threetiered, prioritized schedule. Some of the agencys recommendations were as follows:

TIER 1

TO BE STARTED
IMMEDIATELY:
Seismic and flood
hazard reevaluations
Station blackout regulatory actions
Spent fuel pool instrumentation
Stronger emergency operating
procedures and severe accident
management guidelines

TIER 2

TO BE INITIATED WHEN
FURTHER INFORMATION
IS AVAILABLE:
Spent fuel pool makeup capability
Emergency preparedness
regulatory actions
Reevaluation of other external
hazards (tornadoes, hurricanes,
drought, etc.)

TIER 3

TO BE ADDRESSED
AFTER TIERS 1 AND 2
ARE COMPLETED:
Ten-year confirmation of seismic
and flooding hazards
Potential enhancements to the
capability to prevent or mitigate
seismically-induced fires and floods
Emergency response data system
capability
Emergency preparedness topics
for decision-making, radiation
monitoring and public education
Pre-staging of potassium iodide
beyond 10 miles
Transfer of spent fuel to dry cask
storage
The issues above are just a sampling of
what the NRC is recommending in the
short- and long-term. To read the full
report, visit the agencys Web site at:

THE U.S. HAS RECENTLY DRAFTED NEW GUIDELINES FOR PROTECTING NUCLEAR FACILITIES.

www.nrc.gov.

Many Japanese builders had the foresight to retrofit structures to survive a major earthquake, and that decision turned
out to be extremely beneficial. Those buildings, located in the
most affected areas of the quake, largely survived as did those
inside of them. This, however, brings up a very important
point while Japan was often prepared, many of North Americas most vulnerable cities are not.
A 2011 analysis of the area off the American Northwest
Coast showed that the area has been subjected to numerous

The
Fukushima
disaster
was largely
a wake-up
call for
the rest
of the
world.

believed that the tsunami killed many more and caused more
damage than the earthquake itself. Yet even this was
expected many of the low-lying areas were prepared with
early warning systems, tsunami alarms and designated high
grounds that saved thousands from the more than 120-foot
high waves that followed.
What happened next, however, was unexpected

the

complete meltdown of several reactors at the Fukushima

Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. What started off as an earthquake soon developed into one of the worst nuclear disasters since the 1986 Chernobyl accident that killed thou-

major megathrust earthquakes over the past 10,000 years at

sands. More frightening, the toll of the Fukushima Disaster

300- to 500-year intervals, with the last one occurring at least

300 years ago. The conclusion? There is a 40-50 percent chance of a major

is not currently known, nor may it ever be known with great accuracy,

earthquake in the next 50 years along the coast that could affect major popu-

because potentially thousands could die early deaths from cancer caused

lation centers such as Portland, Ore., Seattle, Wash., or Vancouver.

by high radiation exposure.

Moreover, the fact that so few earthquakes have occurred in this area

THE WAKE-UP CALL

recently led many builders to create structures with little thought to the
damage a major quake could cause.

The Fukushima disaster was largely a wake-up call for the rest of the
world. In 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency created its Draft

DISASTER BEGETS DISASTER

Action Plan on Nuclear Safety to strengthen nuclear emergency preparedness and radiation protection of people across the world so that the lessons

In reality, the disaster in Japan was more than an earthquake. It was a

learned in Fukushima are taken to heart and a similar disaster doesnt impact

triple threat.

another city.

When the earthquake first occurred, it set n motion a series of events

for which Japan was not prepared. Shortly after the earthquake, a major
tsunami wreaked havoc on the coastline and killed many people. In fact, it is

Andrew Luther is a freelance writer based in North Carolina.

62

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

RETROFITTED BUILDINGS

COULD WE
BENEFIT?
THE EARTHQUAKE EARLY
WARNING SYSTEM
Its clear that the Japanese earthquake warning system saved countless lives when the quake struck.
With the chance of an American
quake growing by the day, the question is obviouswhy dont we have
such a system in place?
Soon we might.
The United States Geological Survey and scientists on the West Coast
are currently developing an earthquake early warning system, but the
system isnt ready to put into place
just yet.
Funding shortfalls have hurt the
odds of the system going live anytime
soon, the L.A. Times reported in
March 2012. The article noted that
the Japanese system cost $1 billion
to construct, and the U.S. needs
another $150 million to get a similar
program running.

FIRE TRUCKS LINE UP TO ASSIST FOLLOWING THE EARTHQUAKE

63

MISC

Dont Forget
to Pack
Key Items for Survival
That feeling that you didnt pack something right after you left the

house.

Was it the toothbrush? Cell phone charger?

The thought eats away at your brain until you finally remember.
In a survival situation, you might not get another chance to go back

home and bag your essentials, so stick these in your bug-out bag. Make a
checklist and dont forget. Survive.

64

EDITORS CHOICE

GOAL ZERO

www.goalzero.com
Model: Emergency Solar Essentials Kit
(Household)
Key Features: Emergency power for
your household
MSRP: $2,567.88

TYENT USA

$64.95

1 TYENT USA

www.tyentusa.com

Model: TYgo Portable

Key Features: Portable water filter
MSRP: $64.95

$79.99

Description:
Youll always need clean drinking water, and
now the TYgo portable water filter comes
with pH testing drops so you can see how
incredible this little guy really works. Its cartridge contains alkaline minerals, magnets
and filter medium, so it re-mineralizes and
ionizes ordinary tap water while filtering out
chlorine, heavy metals and bacteria. Enjoy
clean alkaline hydration on the go, as the
TYgo will eliminate E. coli, B. subtilis and S.
aureus, and give you one less thing to worry
about.

2 NAVELITE

www.navelite.com

Model: NavELite Backlit Magnetic Compass

Key Features: Compass face with wristband
MSRP: $79.99
Description:
The NavELite compass is worn on your wrist
for ease of use and was patented by two Special Operations soldiers. This compass will
face the demands of survival and even has an
illuminated face for low- or no-light situations. Ergonomic feel, reliability and a simple
design are just some of the benefits of the
worlds fire on-demand, backlit, magnetic,
wrist compass. The NavELite, for when survival counts.

3 CHACO

CHACO

$115

www.chacos.com

Model: Mens Basin Shoe

Key Features: Incredibly comfortable
active shoe
MSRP: $115
Description:
For long stretches of being outdoors, youll
want the support of a comfortable shoe. The
Basin shoe by Chaco is for adventure, athleticism and activity. Built on a LUVSEAT platform, its perfect for hiking or whatever else
you throw its way. Made from 25-percent
recycled rubber, has an EcoTread sole, and
PU-coated leather and canvas upper so you
can keep on treading.

4 GOAL ZERO

www.goalzero.com

Model: Emergency Solar Essentials Kit

(personal)
Key Features: Personal solar energy
kit and flashlight
MSRP: $159.94
Description:
The Emergency Solar Essentials Kit will keep
your phone charged so that you can stay connected with the people you love most. This kit
includes a Guide 10 Plus recharger (to store
energy in AA batteries for recharging you
phone or tablet), the Nomad 7 solar panel (to
collect the solar energy from the sun and
charge your phone in 1-2 hours), the Chubby
Flashlight (with rechargeable LED and can
double as a latern) and four rechargeable AA
batteries. Get the discounted price through
the end of 2012.

NAVELITE

GOAL ZERO

$159.94

65

buyers

Guide

MISC

5 GOAL ZERO

5 GOAL ZERO

www.goalzero.com

Model: Emergency Solar Essentials Kit (household)

Key Features: Emergency power for your household
MSRP: $2,567.88
Description:
For emergency preparedness, use this great kit to
power anything from electronics to tools to home
appliances, like the fridgeall with green energy. The
kit includes the Yeti 1250 Solar Generator, Boulder 30
Solar Panels, solar panel tripod, Boulder carrying
cases and Light-A-Life (two 3-watt LED lantern lights).
Keep your phone, laptop, TV, refrigerator, freezer,
washer and dryer or more, going through the storm.
The solar panels can collect 120 watts of power for
the generator to operate, for maximum energy from
the sun. Get the discounted price through the end of
2012.

6 POWERTRAVELLER
www.powertraveller.com

Model: Solarmonkey Adventurer

Key Features: Portable power in
extreme situations
MSRP: Starting at $138

POWERTRAVELER

$138

Description:
Tested in some of the worlds most unwelcoming
environments, the solarmonkey adventurer is made to
efficiently solar charge your electronics when power
is scarce. The solarmonkey adventurer features two
compact solar panels for charging, with a 2500mAh
internal, lithium-ion polymer battery. Weighing only 6
grams, the polysilicon solar panel offers photovoltaic
efficiency up to 17 percent and features a USB 700mA
at 5v output (to support iPhones, iPads, iPods, cell
phones and other 5v gadgets). The carabiner also
allows for attachment of the kit to tents or rucksacks
The travel case is made from a tough, condura-type
material with thermal insulation. The kit includes the
portable charger, five adaptor tips, one USB connection cable, one carabiner and the neoprene travel
case.

7 OUTDOOR HANDS

www.outdoorhands.com

Model: Skin Therapy Cream

Key Features: Relieve dry, cracked skin
MSRP: $10
Description:
For relief of uncomfortable, dry skin, Outdoor Hands
Skin Therapy Cream does the job with dramatic
results. Developed by a clinical pharmacist for his
family, this line of skin cream treats cracked, chapped
and dry hands that other creams cant heal. Its made
from a blend of certified organic oils for healing and
botanical extracts for moisturizing. Contains no mineral oils or petrolatum and leaves no greasy residue.

OUTDOOR HANDS

$10

ZEISS
SPORTS OPTICS
8 CARL
www.zeiss.com

Model: CONQUEST HD
Key Features: Sharp, long-distance viewing
MSRP: Starting at $999.99
Description:
Zeiss CONQUEST HD binoculars come in four different
sizes (8x42, 10x42, 8x32, 8x42) and features an HD
lens systems to view clear, natural colors. They are
compact and lightweight, with a wide field or view.
The LotuTec coating provides protection and they have
amazing focus abilities with a bright, 90-percent light
transmission. See far distances any time of day and in
any weather conditions.
66

CARL ZEISS
SPORTS OPTICS

$999

IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF, BUT WHEN . . .

Earthquake, Tornado, Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Ice Storm, Snow Storm, Wild Fire, Flooding . . .
Most of us have experienced a number of these natural disasters in our lifetime. Keeping your
SURVIVAL BAG close so you can grab it and have something to help immediately sustain life,
could be the difference between living to tell the story and being a statistic. Take it from
me, there are things you can do to increase your chances of survival. Let us help you
prepare. Log on to www.SurvivalBagsInc.com. Educate yourself, then plan and train,
to SURVIVE!!
-Mike Haller, President, Survival Bags, Inc.
Former U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Volunteer Firefighter & Paramedic

Are you prepared to ACT in the event of an

Active Shooter or Terrorist Attack?

Learn How to:
Prevent a violent intrusion
Escape or hide from a shooter
Protect yourself and your family
Survive an Active Shooter attack
Improve security at work, school,
or place of worship

Get your copy of the

Active Shooter Survival DVD

Order now at info@actcert.com or call

866-436-4872
The ACT survival measures can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Survival in the Wake of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake: A Day-by-Day Account

Bryan Meyers is a computer consultant whose job often takes him to unique locations. In January 2010, he was in Haiti.

HANK GOODNESS FOR SLOW

TRAFFIC IN PORT AU PRINCE.

The road was blocked in both directions, so

Editor

another like a stack of pancakes. Nearly 300 people

Fanel and I decided to walk the last 200 yards to the

died in the hotels rubble. If Fanel had gotten me to

hotel. Fanel didnt speak English and I don't speak

the hotel two minutes earlier, I would have been

my way back to the Hotel Montana with

French, but we managed to communicate with

crushed under tons of concrete along with everyone

my driver, Fanel Antoine.

expressions and a few common words.

else who was in the building.

Following my training class, I was on

Because I had stayed at the bank a little later than

usual, he was trying to deliver me as fast as he could,

was touted as a four-

but to no avail. A large truck in front of us was lum-

star hotel near

bering up the steep, winding hill to the hotel, block-

Petionville, a Port au

ing our way. We were finally seconds away from the

Prince suburb. It was

hotel when our whole world started to shake.

the premier place to

The car rocked back and forth. A tall retaining

The survivors were shouting, crying

The Hotel Montana

and screaming, and the scene was

The destruction
along the way
was indescribable. Office
buildings and
schools had completely pancaked.
The entire downtown area was
flattened.

stay and be seen in

wall crumbled right before our eyes, onto the truck

Haiti, a secure and sta-

ahead. The hillside and the roadway collapsed

ble refuge from the

behind us, but the car was untouched. The violent

reality of the rest of

shaking lasted about 30 seconds.

the city. But when we

Having experienced a couple of earthquakes, I

got to the hotel site, it

knew pretty much right away that we needed to get

was no longer standing.

out of the car, into the open and certainly away

All six stories had col-

from what remained of the retaining wall.

lapsed on top of one

68

chaos. I tried to call my wife, but the

cell service went down almost immediately and stayed offline for days. I recognized a bartender and a couple of waiters that I had befriended. They were a
little bloodied, but said they were okay.
The shopping area, restaurant, bar
and parking garage had all collapsed. I
heard shouts from under the debris in
the parking garage and the hotel, but
there was no way to get to the people
underneath. It was the most horrible,
helpless feeling I had ever experienced.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

By Bryan Meyers

TUESDAY
JAN. 12, 5:30 P.M.
Fanel insisted that our only alternative was to walk the
six, hilly miles back to the bank in downtown Port au
Prince. By that point it was getting dark. This was not a
strategy I would have considered even 45 minutes earlier.
The pathways of Port au Prince could be mean streets,
especially at night, and I was a pretty conspicuous target in
a Haitian crowd.
Taking stock, I had with me my messenger bag with my
passport, laptop, cell phone, and, fortunately, a flashlight.
We also had a half-full water bottle between us.
So we started back on foot. Since we were going into
town and everyone else was trying to get home, most of
the foot traffic was against us. It took nearly three hours
walking in the dark among downed wires and rubble in
the streets, up and down hills and into back alleys.
The survivors were all gathered in the streets in
groups, or were trying to get to their homes. Fanel could
not reach his wife and family, and he was worried sick.
But he stuck with me. He became my new best friend and
a genuine hero in my eyes.

TUESDAY 8:30 P.M.

When we finally saw the bank, it was the only large
building still standing in downtown Port au Prince and it
was the only one with electricity. So Fanel left me in the

IN THE YEARS AFTER

Rebuilding is a
painfully slow
process, and much
of the country is in
the same state that
it was the morning
after the earthquake.
Nearly 400,000
people still live in
tent cities across
the country.

parking lot in the care of the bank guards and walked

home to check on his family.
I had been in the habit of tipping him $5 per day for
driving me back and forth. I hugged him, and gave him my
last $50 and my prayers. He probably saved my life, so it
was a pretty puny tip, but it was everything I had.
I sat down in a chair in the middle of the bank parking
lot, surrounded by several armed guards (who spoke only
French), afraid to go into the building itself. It looked very
sturdy, but we had just experienced one hell of a shake.

WEDNESDAY,
JAN. 13, 6 A.M.
The husband of the bank supervisor who hired me
came by the bank looking for his wife and children. They
were supposed to meet him at home, but his home had
been flattened. He and I kept each other company all
night. He escorted me on another walking tour of the
streets to a nearby hotel, looking for food. I got a few
hours of fitful rest on a couple of pool cushions beside the
hotel pool.
THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

The U.N. brought in some huge equipment overnight

to try to clear some rubble and find people under it. The
backhoes, front loaders and cranes came in on flatbed
trucks escorted by armed guards with machine guns. Heli-

69

Several hurricanes
and tropical storms
have caused devastating flooding.
Sanitation infrastructure is in major
crisis mode.
A cholera epidemic
has killed more than
7,000 people and
sickened more than
250,000 others.

SURVIVAL STORY
copters were overhead surveying the dam-

person it's very emotional.

about 200 other people in a 25x100 room.

age as the sun rose. Even where there was

Office buildings and schools

Despite the fact that the Embassy had run out of

had completely pancaked. The

water and MRE meals, I had to trust them when

entire downtown area was

they told me more would be arriving soon.

no rubble, cars were tossed everywhere and

in every position along the streets.
I began to suspect that food riots would
probably start in a few days if food didnt
arrive soon. The main market downtown in
the Delmas neighborhood had collapsed
and all of the food was buried under tons
of rubble. Word arrived that the National
Palace (the Haitian White House) had partially collapsed, along with several government buildings.

WEDNESDAY
9:30 A.M.
Marie, the bank supervisor, walked into
the bank parking lot, and I was able to tell
her the good news that her husband was
alive. She commandeered a bank vehicle and
drove me to the U.S. Embassy.
The destruction along the way was indescribable. You may have seen it on TV, but in

FANELS

FATE
I finally found
out the fate of my
driver, Fanel. His
wife and family
survived the
earthquake without injury, but
their home collapsed in ruins.
After about 18
months living in a
tent in a churchyard, they were
finally able to get
a new home into
livable condition.
He was one of the
fortunate ones,
because the bank
stayed in business
and he was therefore able to keep
his job.

flattened. Among everything

WEDNESDAY,
11:00 P.M.

else, the National Prison collapsed and the police released

all of the inmates.
Also along the way, we

There was a flight out this evening at 6 p.m.

passed by an overwhelmed

bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican

hospital with hundreds

Republic, but the Embassy prioritized people, and I

maybe thousands

didn't make the cut. There were 45,000 Ameri-

of injured

people in the courtyard.

cans in Haiti. After 24 hours, they had evacuated

Amazingly, Marie's husband (a

about 70.

doctor) was helping out at

THURSDAY,
JAN. 14, 2 A.M.

the hospital courtyard and

saw us drive by. It was a very
happy reunion.
I registered at the Embassy

A major aftershock

it had to be at least a

and said goodbye to my Hait-

6.0

ian friends. I was in the hands

can imagine, just when I was thinking it was okay

of the U.S. government and

to get under a roof again. It seemed like the

watching CNN in an uncom-

ground was shaking all the time, but I knew that

fortable plastic chair, with

had to be just in my mind. My new friend, Steve,

cleared out the Embassy faster than you

I heard shouts from under the debris in the parking garage

and the hotel it was the most horrible, helpless feeling
I had ever experienced.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BRYAN MEYERS

RE
FO

BE
E
TH
E
AK

QU

70

showed me a clever trick: he set a half-full

water bottle on its side to see if the water
shook. That was the one indication we had of
whether another quake was hitting.

THURSDAY 9:30 A.M.

The evacuation process was nothing like the

EARTHQUAKE

FACTS
OCCURRED

slowly made our way to near the front of the line

to get into a group of SUVs. After much waiting
around, we took off in a crazy caravan of about
20 Suburbans with diplomatic plates, lights flashing, horns honking, causing some of the worst
traffic jams Port au Prince could handle.
We arrived at the airport about 30 minutes
later and drove directly out onto the Tarmac. No
metal detectors, no passport control just us
standing out on the Tarmac, waiting in the Haitian sun.
The airport was a flurry of activity. There
were planes from all over the world, including
Belgium, Spain and France. There were several
large ones from the U.S. and other countries.
Reporters and cameramen were everywhere.

THURSDAY 2 P.M.
After we stood on the Tarmac for about five
hours, our plane a Coast Guard C-130 with

I picked seats in the back row just in front of the

rear cargo ramp where all the luggage was being
stored. They raised the ramp, and we took off for
the 40-minute ride to Santo Domingo. A soldier
sat on the luggage to keep the stack from falling
down on us. The Coast Guard got us to Santo
Domingo to rousing applause on landing.

Jan. 12, 2010

movies no helicopters on the roof or giant C5A aircraft crowded with refugees. Steve and I

seats bolted to the cargo deck arrived! Steve and

7.0
The magnitude

316,000
250,000
30,000
Deaths attributed to the quake

RESIDENCES DAMAGED, DESTROYED

THE NUMBER OF OFFICE BUILDINGS

DAMAGED OR DESTROYED

THURSDAY 6 P.M.
The Embassy presence in Santo Domingo was
amazing. The staff even donated some of their
used clothing to us. I put on my first fresh shirt
since Tuesday. I also got some fresh albeit
used underwear.
They encouraged us to make a free phone call
home, and I did. Finally, I took an Embassy-chartered bus to a hotel and headed to my room.
After a glorious, long, hot shower, I began making plans to get home. All of the flights out of
Santo Domingo were full, but I managed to get a
seat to Atlanta on a Friday morning flight and
would be home in Montana by Saturday noon.
Bryan Meyers is a Montana-based computer consultant and technical writer. He is the author of several
books and many magazine articles in IBM midrange
technical publications. Through his company,
enskill.com, Bryan provides computer training to organizations worldwide.

AF
KE

E
AK
QU

A
QU

TH

TH

TE

TE

AF
71

EMOTIONAL

FIRST-AID KIT

4 SureFire Methods To Stay Calm, and Productive, When the Earth Moves
By Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D.

STROKE.
I felt my arm shaking. I had a glass of

As you can tell, no one enjoys that experience.

OUR NEEDS

water in my hand, and it began to splash

We have an innate psychological need for

about. I thought I was shaking, but then I

security, and we need to believe we are in con-

realized everything on the table was being

trol. When something challenges that belief, it

knocked about. It came to me. I'm not mov-

causes stress and throws us into a state of dise-

ing

quilibrium.

the room is!

That was Dave.

There is perhaps no greater feeling of disequi-

Following is Mike.

librium and of losing control than to be caught in

"It was about 2:00 a.m., and my dog started

an earthquake. The physical disorientation we

barking. I felt the building shaking like crazy. I

may experience parallels our psychological disori-

thought, 'This is it. I'm going to die.'"

entation. We can lose our physical and emotional

And Tony.

balance as we lose the stability of solid ground

"A few hours ago I had a house. Now I have

beneath our feet.

nothing. It's all gone. But I was lucky my family

and I are alive.
These are the actual words of my patients.

Thomas J. Nardi,
clinical psychologist

People react differently to the crisis of an

earthquake. Some stay calm, using humor to help
defuse the tension. Others direct their concern

They are relating what it felt like to be in an

toward other people, while some give in to

earthquake. All of the quotes are from actual

despair and panic.

experiences.

Seeing yourself
as a survivor
greatly increases
your chance of
surviving.

There is a solution.

72

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A

EMOTIONAL
PREPARATION KIT
Many people especially those who live in
areas prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes, quakes, tornados and severe snow

AVOID THESE
NEGATIVE WORDS
Cant
Wont
Never
Worst
Shouldnt
Stupid
Foolish
Unable

simulations you can create your own mental

drills.
Practice even if only in your imagination

storms have emergency kits in their homes.

what you will do and think when facing a particu-

These kits usually include first-aid materials, flash-

lar threat, like an earthquake. The more you

lights, batteries, water, food, blankets, etc. Such

mentally rehearse what you will do, the easier it

preparation makes sense, but you should also

will be to channel your fear into productive

have an emotional preparedness kit.

action, and productive action replaces panic.

In this type of kit, there are various "items"

you want to have stored in your mind before a
crisis. These are important ideas that you
would do well to consider and review regularly

before you find yourself confronted by a

natural calamity.

2. TALK TO
YOURSELF
Remind yourself to stay calm, breathe and
think positive thoughts. Negativity such as, I
cant handle this! or Ill never make it! will

1. DONT PANIC

lead to negative results. If you believe you cannot survive, you won't. Conversely, believing

Easy to say, hard to do, right?

you will survive boosts your chances of a posi-

Not necessarily.

tive outcome.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Ramp up your
positivity by banishing these negative words from
your vocabulary
when talking
about yourself
and your abilities:

How does the Army train recruits not to

panic in combat? By practicing countless drills and

73

PSYCH
COMBAT
AND
ELIMINATE SELF-PITY
Cognitive behavioral psychologists
have identified key thoughts that can
contribute to feelings of depression. One
such thought is self-pity.
Feeling sorry for yourself does not
help you to survive or thrive; it only produces feelings of depression. When
things are going wrong, combat depression by challenging thoughts of self-pity.
Remember, as bad as it might seem, it
really could have been worse. And, by
not succumbing to self-pity, you can put
more thought and energy to productive
action.

3. FLEX YOUR
EMOTIONAL
MUSCLES
Positive thinking, like the belief

Seeing yourself as a victim fosters a negative psychological mindset, because it means surrendering
to panic, defeat and, at times,
death. Seeing yourself as a survivor

that you will persevere, needs to

greatly increases your chance of

be rehearsed and drilled into your

surviving. It increases your physical

mind.

and psychological strengths and

Positive affirmation can be given

on a daily basis to build up what I
term emotional muscles. Just as

means you will not just give up, but

will struggle forward to survive.
If you can view the quake as an

muscular strength can be devel-

adventure to be experienced, you

oped by consistent exercise, so can

have a survivor mindset. As with

emotional muscles. Handling rela-

any adventure, there is risk and

tively minor frustrations and set-

danger, but that is what makes it

backs by repeating positive coping

adventurous. Your body's auto-

statements will make it easier to

nomic nervous system will meet a

apply them to more serious chal-

crisis by releasing a tremendous

lenges.

amount of adrenaline into your

The traffic is particularly heavy?

bloodstream. Your heart will race,

Remind yourself, "I can tolerate

your perceptions of time will be

this; I'm going to stay calm.

altered, your body may even shake

Remaining positive while dealing

and you may feel dizzy. These are

with minor problems will prepare

all counterparts of your body's

you to better deal with the more

sympathetic nervous system. Your

major ones.

body is preparing for action, to fight

or flee.

When a crisis occurs, you have

If you interpret these sensations

as panic, you will feel like a victim. If you, more healthily and
more correctly, interpret them as

two choices: You can think of

"excitement" and energy, you will

yourself as a victim or a survivor.

feel like a survivor.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

4. DONT BE
A VICTIM

74

Serious About Survival?

RELOAD!
CERTAIN CONTROL
We cannot control when or if an earthquake,
or any other natural calamity, will strike. All we
can control is how we react to it. By careful psychological preparedness, we can enhance our abil-

EMOTIONAL
PREPARATION
CHECKLIST

ity to deal with whatever adventure awaits us.

Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D., the director of the LIU
Hudson Graduate Counseling Programs at Orangeburg
and West Point, NY., is a clinical psychologist and creator of Eclectic Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Dont panic and visualize

success
Think positive thoughts
Engage in positive affirmations
See yourself as a survivor

XL 650

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When a crisis
occurs, you have
two choices:
You can think
of yourself as
a victim or a
survivor.
Thomas J. Nardi,
clinical psychologist

bluepress.com
75

ITS

INEVITABLE

Tsunamis Will Hit the U.S. and This Is How To Prepare

By Kristin Webb-Hollering
76

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

Near-field tsunamis, like the one in Japan in 2011, only

give residents about a 10-minute or less warning of
their impact. Dr. Dan Cox, professor and scientist

TTER DEVASTATION.

prepare is now. Get the facts about these

waves because of the way they mimic a mas-

NONE OF US CAN ERASE

deadly waves.

sive tide coming in and out violently. In actual-

THE IMAGES WE SAW

ON TELEVISION CAUSED
BY THE 2004 INDIAN
OCEAN TSUNAMI.

But as we watched from afar, most

ity, however, they are not affected by tidal

THE CAUSE
Translated from Japanese, tsunami actually
means harbor wave. The term originates from

changes, but rather are a product of submarine

or underwater seismic activities commencing
from ocean-floor earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides.
According to the National Oceanic and

Americans were secure in the belief that they

Japanese fishermen who would travel back to

are immune to the risks of tsunamis. Unfor-

shore from days at sea, only to find devastation

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

tunately, however, that is foolish thinking.

caused by these massive ocean surges, which

eral agency that monitors the oceans, atmos-

The reality is that tsunamis are projected to

are usually not visible from the ocean.

phere, weather and climate changes

hit the U.S. at some point, and the time to

They have often been misnamed tidal

77

a fedsubduc-

tion earthquakes are the most common causes

TSUNAMIS
of tsunamis and occur when tectonic plates
collide. That force pushes the ocean to move,
forming these enormous, powerful waves.
The last two massive tsunamis, the
2004 Indian Ocean disaster and the 2011
Japanese tragedy, were both generated by
these types of earthquakes. The fault lines
and movement of tectonic plates under the
Pacific and Indian Oceans are among the most
active in the world, and because of this, we
often hear the term ring of fire to describe
all the seismic commotion.

A TSUNAMI IS DUE
As a society, we often underestimate the
power of water and are generally shocked by
the damage it causes. Dr. Dan Cox, Professor
of Ocean and Coastal Engineering at Oregon
State University and a scientist for the O.H.
Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, suggests that a tsunami hitting the Cascadia Sub-

HOW MUCH

TIME

DO YOU

HAVE?
Following an
earthquake, the
timeline varies on
how soon a
tsunami will hit,
mostly depending
on how far into
the ocean the
event that caused
it was. But no
matter what, you
wont have long
to prepare.
The NOAA
simulations show
that when a 9.0
earthquake hit
the United States
coast in 1900, the
initial tsunami
wave followed
just 20 to 30 minutes later, with
waves as high as
30 feet.

duction Zone, which runs from Vancouver,

Canada to Northern California, could wreak

The research shows us that this could happen again and

that the cycle, which comes every 300 to 500 years, is fast
approaching. Dr. Dan Cox, professor and scientist, talking about a tsunami
hitting the U.S.

STATS ON TSUNAMIS

KEY
PREPARATIONS

TIPS

200 1964
250K,
$10
BILLION

The NOAA notes that the

2004 Sumatra tsunami killed
this number of people and
caused this amount of damage in economic losses to
the Asian economy.

The year of the Alaskan quake,

with a 9.2 magnitude, that
produced a tsunami throughout the Pacific Basin.

$1
BILLION
PER DAY

Map out
where you
would goon
foot, because
roads will be
flooded.
Share a meetup location
with your family so everyone will be
able to
reunite.

The NOAA estimates that the

U.S. would lose $1 billion a day
if the ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach, CA are closed due
to tsunamisand that doesnt
even include the cost of infrastructure repairs.

78

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Since 1900, the number of

tsunami events that have
impacted the coast of the
U.S. and its territories
(www.tsunami.noaa.gov).

With as little as
20 to 30 minutes
before a
tsunami hits,
you must prepare now for
what youd do if
you live near the
coast.

DEVASTATING

TSUNAMIS
SUMATRA, INDONESIA,

Dec. 26, 2004. Nearly

250,000 people died with $10 billion in damages.

zones and more activity and awareness to help

people escape, says Cox.
Due to the immediate reaction needed when a
tsunami attacks, the best advice is to be aware of
the resources available to you in your community,
he recommends.
In the end, it is your situational awareness
that will count the most, insists Patrick Corcoran,
Extension Coastal Hazards Outreach Specialist and

PACIFIC COAST OF JAPAN

March 11, 2011. More than
18,000 people died with $235 billion in damages.

Professor at Oregon State University.

Take a walk one night, locate the inundation
zones and find the evacuation route ahead of time,
Corcoran recommends. Be prepared to move to

LISBON, PORTUGAL
Nov. 1, 1755. Around 60,000 people died.

KRAKATAU, INDONESIA
Aug. 27, 1883. An estimated
40,000 people died.

higher ground and realize you are not immune from

getting hurt. The Big One is inevitable.

PREPARATION IS KEY
The first step in escaping a tsunami is educating
yourself, so find the higher ground now before it

ENSHUNADA SEA, JAPAN

Sept. 20, 1498. At least
31,000 people died.

is too late.
Kristin Webb-Hollering is a freelance writer
based in North Carolina.

havoc on the Pacific Northwest. In fact, previous

tsunamis have already hit this area, and the next
one cant be far behind.
The research done by Brian Atwater about
the 1700s Cascadia earthquake and tsunami in
the Pacific Northwest shows us that this could
happen again and that the cycle, which comes
every 300 to 500 years, is fast approaching, he
says. In fact, this cycle has repeated itself for up
to 6,000 years.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF ITS COMING?

ON THE BEACH

If you feel the earth shake, do not wait for a tsunami warning, experts at the NOAA say.
Move immediately to higher ground, the agency advises on its Web site. A regional tsunami from a
local earthquake could strike some areas before a tsunami warning could be announced.

AT SEA

You are actually slightly better off deeper at sea in the event of a tsunami, since the wave activity is
imperceptible in the open ocean, the NOAA says. Therefore, if you hear of a tsunami on shore from your
boats radio, do not return to port.
If you are aware there is a tsunami warning and you have time to move your vessel to deep water,
then you may want to do so in an orderly manner, in consideration of other vessels, the agency suggests.

The remains of this past damage are called

the ghost forests, decimated forestland along
the coasts in Oregon and Washington that epitomize exactly the devastation the Big One can
cause. The tsunami surge rushes in and tramples
all in its path.
Tsunamis have behaviors, and those behaviors affect the damage they inflict and how prepared you have to be, Cox says. Near-field
tsunamis, like the one in Japan in 2011, only give
residents about a 10-minute or less warning of
their impact. Their devastation is on a massive
scale. On the other hand, far-field tsunamis can
THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

be anticipated like ones that have hit Hawaii,

where there have been hours to prepare for
their impacts.
Is it possible to prepare for a disaster as epic
as a tsunami?
Yes, there are community drills in danger
79

URBAN

Mankinds
Fury

80

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

TIPS FOR URBAN PREPAREDNESS

Its something right out of Hollywood.
In 10 minutes of unadulterated insanity, a
deranged killer takes out as many people as
he can with some of the nastiest weapons
known to mankind.
Its sheer terror, its totally random and
its reality.
Mankinds fury. Be prepared.

SHOOTER

DIRECT
MEASURES
COURSES WILL
TEACH YOU ...
How to
disorient and
disable the shooter
Take control
of his weapon
Identify signs
of dangers
Implement
preventive
security to harden
possible targets
and improve crisis
communication

LAST RESORT
When An Active Shooter Goes On a Rampage, Employ These Survival Measures
By Alon Stivi

NOTHER MASS
SHOOTING
MASSACRE.
This, like the others, took more innocent victims.

Everyone seems preoccupied with

asking so many questions in an attempt

to understand why these perpetrators
kill and who is to blame: parents, the
media, video games, guns or the economy? These are all the wrong questions!
Men, women and
children worldwide have
been the victims of such
attacks for years. The
massacres in
Columbine, Virginia
Tech, Fort Hood,
Aurora, Mumbai, India,
Beslan, Russia, Tuusula,

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIRECT MEASURES

Finland, Utoya Island,

Norway, Toulouse,

Be prepared
and if it
comes down
to it ... dont
just duck
under a desk
and die
fight back.
Alon Stivi

France and many others

are tragic examples of the threat that
shooters pose to public safety.
Yet, many people chose to ignore
the risk by assuming that such attacks
will not happen or believing that they
can be protected by local law enforcement.
These are dangerous assumptions.
81

SHOOTER

PRINCIPLES
OF ACTIVE SHOOTER
SURVIVAL

FULL SECURITY
We all know that there is no
such thing as 100 percent security,

death and suffering.

As community leaders, busi-

and no one knows where and

ness managers, teachers and par-

when the next attack will occur.

ents, we are in a position of

Active shooters and terror-

trust. If we do not act responsi-

ists always attack the most vul-

bly, we are failing those who put

nerable targets. They plan their

their trust in us and accept the

attacks meticulously and over a

loss of innocent lives. Doing

long period of time and exploit

nothing to prepare and accepting

weaknesses in security systems.

defeat is unethical and un-Ameri-

They attack with surprise and

can. As Americans, we do not

their goal is to inflict the largest

give in or give up. We know that

number of casualties as quickly as

life is sacred and we fight for

possible. That is why most casu-

what is right. A mass murderer

alties in these incidents occur

killing innocent men, women and

during the first 10 minutes,

children is wrong!

before law enforcement inter-

Escape, evaluate and

evacuate if safe to do so
Hide and barricade
yourself if escape is
impossible
Fight for survival if confrontation is unavoidable

are always the same: large scale

It is time we start asking our-

Whether the shooter is a

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

selves the most important ques-

vention.

tion: What can be done to sur-

mentally deranged person, a reli-

vive and stop the violence during

gious fanatic, a vengeful employee

the attack when escape is

or an outcast student, they all

impossible and the shooter is on

use similar tactics and the results

location killing people?

Dont Stop Here

FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOG ON AT WWW.ACTCERT.COM OR WWW.TERRORISMRESPONDER.COM.

NEVER GIVE UP

Alon Stivi says be prepared and dont just

duck under a desk
and diefight back.

BEST OF THE BEST

Alon Stivis Resume

Security and counterterrorism specialist

Post-certified law
enforcement trainer
who emigrated from
Israel more than 20
years ago after serving in an elite unit of
the IDF

82

Has taught closecombat tactics to the

U.S. Navy SEAL CQB
instructors
Protected Fortune 500
executives and dignitaries, and traveling
executives worldwide

Currently serving as a
as a Terrorism Liaison
Officer with the Los
Angeles Sheriff
Department
Teaches counterterrorism and survival
courses funded by the
Department of Homeland Security

 many people chose to

ignore the risk by assuming
that such attacks will not
happen or believing that they
can be protected by local
law enforcement. These are
dangerous assumptions.
Alon Stivi

EVIL INTENT

UNDER ATTACK
Under life-threatening circumstances, a per-

rapidly assess the threat, locate exits, use cover

and evacuate safely when possible, or how to

son will automatically resort to employing skills

barricade in an enclosed space and deny access

and a plan of action that have been practiced

to the shooter.

previously. In order to survive, we must be

The program teaches step-by-step last resort

trained to think like a survivor, manage the

survival measures on how to disorient and dis-

stress and follow through with an effective plan

able the shooter and take control of his weapon.

of action.

It also teaches how to identify signs of dangers

There is no doubt that victims of such

and implement preventive security to harden

attacks all share a common desire of staying

possible targets, and how to improve crisis com-

alive. What they lack is the knowledge necessary

munication. The program can be learned online

to act in self-preservation.

by anyone, anytime, anywhere. It will increase

In courses funded by the Department of

Homeland Security, we teach participants how to

survivability and improve cooperation with the

first responders.

DURING THE CHAOS

TIPS FOR BARRICADING YOURSELF DURING A LOCKDOWN

1 Keep quiet
2 Silence your cell phone (vibrate mode)
3 Turn off the light
4 Stay out of the line of fire (in corners)
5 Hide your belongings from the line of sight

6 Use available hiding places

7 Barricade and lock the doors
8 Post a sign with the letters SIP (Shelter In
Place) on or under the door

83

An active shooter will

try to inflict the largest
number of casualties as
quickly as possible.

WHAT

YOU
MUST

DO

Think like a
survivor
Manage the
stress
Follow through
with an effective
plan of action
Rapidly assess
the threat
Locate exits
Use cover
Evacuate safely
when possible
Barricade in an
enclosed space
and deny access
to the shooter

SHOOTER

EXPECT THIS

Expect to be at gun
point, yelled at and
maybe even handcuffed.

In order to survive, we must be

trained to think like a survivor,
manage the stress and follow
through with an effective plan
of action.
Alon Stivi

VIOLENT KILLERS
In our lifetime, none of us should ever face a suicidal, violent killer. No one deserves to be a victim. Yet, this type of violence does happen, and it is more common place than we
would like to believe.
Security cameras cannot stop these killers, and ignoring the
threat will not make it go away. Counting on others to save us
will not always work. We must be prepared to take action to
save ourselves!
Remember that active shooters and terrorists are human,
just like the rest of us, and as such, they have weaknesses that
can be exploited by a group of people committed to survival.
Action always beats reaction, and there is strength in numbers.
If you are working together and are determined to fight, your
chances of survival are actually good.
The next tragedy can be prevented and more lives could be
saved if we focused our attention on teaching people what they
can do to save themselves when the next attack occurs at a
workplace, school, mall, movie theater or place of worship.

THE ELITE

Alon Stivis
resume is
unparalleled.
Among other
credentials, he
is a security and
counterterrorism specialist.

Be prepared and if it comes down to it ... dont just duck

under a desk and die

fight back.

Alon Stivi is CEO of Direct Measures International.

TO
W
HO INTERACT

WITH THE FIRST

RESPONDERS

COMPLY with instructionsdo not resist

REPLY when asked to provide information
RELAY only factual informationnot emotions
REPEAT the instruction you receive to others
REVEAL yourself and show empty hands

84

KNIVES

On the
Cutting Edge
Survival Requires a Reliable Knife
Caught in the wilderness. A car when you have to cut off a seatbelt. Or skin

your prey so you can have a meal.

There are countless survival scenarios that will put your knife to good use.

Here are some options thatll do the trick.

Survive, and be prepared to do whatever it takes.

85

S CHOICE

AR OPS

ww.bearopsknives.com
Model: Constant
Type: Fixed blade/all-purpose knife
MSRP: $217

buyers

Guide

KNIVES

1 BEAR OPS

www.bearopsknives.com

Model: Constant
Type: Fixed blade/all-purpose knife
MSRP: $217
Description
The Bear OPS Constant is built to meet
the tough demands for those in law
enforcement and emergency services
but will do the job nicely for your survival
needs. This fixed-blade is strong because
its made of full-tang, 154CM steel thats
tougher than tough. The blade will also
hold its edge for daily use, ideal for corrosion resistance, and has a non-reflective, black, titanium coating. The fingergrooved handle is textured G-10, for
added strength, and the insulating qualities of this knife make it practical in
extreme hot or cold conditions.
Extra Specs
Blade style: Modified drop-point
Blade material: 154CM steel
Blade length: 4.13 inches
Handle: Textured G-10
Overall length: 9.38
Weight: 9 ounces

2 BOKER USA

$23.95

2 BOKER USA

www.boker.de/us

Model: Magnum Waves

Type: Folding defensive/all-purpose knife
MSRP: $23.95
Description
Tough things can still come in beautiful
packages, and Magnum Waves is proof
of that. The design isnt just stylish
though; the raised waves on the handle
provide increased gripping area. The titanium-coated, 440 stainless-steel blade is
made even better once you see its
affordable price tag. If youre only saving
it for the raining day when youll have to
defend yourself, its a shame. Youll want
to be using this guy all the time.

3 BENCHMADE KNIFE COMPANY

$195

Extra Specs
Blade style: Drop-point
Blade material: Titanium-coated, 440
stainless steel
Blade length: 3.75 inches
Handle: Wave-contoured aluminum
Length open: 8.5 inches
Length closed: 4.75 inches

3 BENCHMADE
KNIFE COMPANY
www.benchmade.com

Model: 275 Adams

Type: Tactical folder
MSRP: $195
Description
The Adamas series by Benchmade was
designed by custom knife maker Shane
Sibert to honor our nations heroes,
which is why a portion of the proceeds
from each sale goes to the Ranger Assistance Foundation. The knife features an
AXIS locking mechanism, ambidextrous
thumb studs, a desert tan, machined G10 handle for a secure grip and a
reversible, tip-up pocket clip. Its a thing
of beauty, for a great cause.

Extra Specs
Blade style:
Drop-point
Blade material:
D2 tool steel
Blade length:
3.82 inches
Handle: G-10
Overall length:
8.7 inches

RIVER
4 COLUMBIA
KNIFE & TOOL

www.crkt.com

Model: M16-10KSF Special Forces Tanto

Type: Folding tactical knife
MSRP: $49.99
Description
This no-frills cutting tool performs are well as it
looks. With a flat, black finish, exposed fasteners and weight-reducing holes in the handle,

86

this knife means business. The traditional

framelock system ensures a solid blade lockup. The blade opens exceptionally fast, ready
for your survival needs.
Extra Specs
Blade style: Tanto, partially serrated
Blade material: 8Cr13MoV stainless steel
Blade length: 3 inches
Handle: 2CR13 stainless steel
Length open: 7 inches
Length closed: 4 inches

4 CRKT

5 GERBER

$49.99

GERBER

www.gerbergear.com

Model: CBF (Combat Fixed

Blade)
Type: Fixed blade knife
MSRP: $37
Description
Gerbers CBF is built to handle
whatever you can throw its way
while youre in the field. Its
tough, indestructible and reli-

able because the full-tang,

stainless steel knife features a
154CM high carbon tanto blade,
for hackin and slashin your
way through just about anything. Use it for cutting, prying,
slicing and scraping. The lower
portion of the blade is serrated,
the knife has a rubberized grip
and a blunt pommel, and it
comes with a molded plastic
sheath for several carry options
on a belt or MOLLE-compatible

$37

vest. If your daily use will

require getting down to business, meet your new best
friend.
Extra Specs
Blade style: Partially
serrated tanto
Blade: 154CM high-carbon
steel
Blade length: 4.25 inches
Overall length: 9.25 inches
Weight: 4.9 ounces
87

6 KA-BAR KNIVES
www.kabar.com

Model: Short KA-BAR USMC,

Serrated
Type: Fixed blade tactical
MSRP: $93.31

Description
KA-BAR is a well-trusted brand, and
this knife is equally dependable. Its
the size of the original G1 standardissue version. The USMC-stamped
and partially serrated clip-style

6 KA-BAR KNIVES

$93.31

blade make it eye-catching. The

leather handle is easy to clip, and
might I add badass-looking as well.
It also features a metal butt cap
and guard.
Extra Specs
Blade style: Clip, partially serrated
Blade material: 1095
Cro-Van steel
Blade length: 5.25 inches
Handle: Leather
Overall length: 9.25 inches

buyers

Guide

KNIVES

TOPS KNIVES

7 TOPS KNIVES

www.topsknives.com

Model: onPoint Tactical

Type: Utility/survival knife
MSRP: $139.95

Description
The onPoint Tactical is built for survival and
utilitytwo things anyone can take advantage of who is outdoors. Designed by Kevin
Reeve, this knife features a flat grind to slice
through wood and materials easily, while
keeping its edge. The high-carbon steel
blade, combined with black traction coating,
means TOPS has done it again and made a
knife so dependable that youll be covered if
dangerous comes your way.
Extra Specs
Blade material: 1095 high-carbon steel RC
56-58
Blade length: 4 inches
Handle: Tan canvas micarta
Overall length: 8.38 inches
Weight: 6.3 ounces

8 KERSHAW

www.kershawknives.com

Model: Funxion EMT

Type: Folding duty/rescue knife
MSRP: $59.95
Description
The SpeedSafe, assisted opening easily
deploys the blade using only one hand, so
you can keep another weapon in your other
hand, if needed. The modified tanto blade is
serrated, and the knife acts as a cord cutter,
hex wrench and carabiner clip for uses that
exceed your personal protection. The lightweight aluminum handle has rubber inserts
to secure a tight, strong grip.
Extra Specs
Blade style: Partially serrated,
modified tanto
Blade material: 8Cr13MoV stainless steel
Blade length: 3 inches
Handle: Aluminum wtih rubber insert
Length open: 7.25 inches
Length closed: 4.25 inches

SPECIALY
KNIVES & TOOLS
9 SOG

www.sogknives.com

Model: SlimJim XL (in black)

Type: Discreet carry, open-assist folder
MSRP: $90
Description
Slim is definitely still in. Created from a single piece of steel, the SlimJim is the
thinnest assisted knife in the world. It features SOG Assisted Technology (S.A.T.) for
fast blade release, so its got your back
when danger calls. It has a reversible
stealth carry clip and is available in two
sizes, with a fully blackened-out version
(shown here).
Extra Specs
Blade style: Clip-point
Blade material: AUS 8 stainless steel
Blade length: 4.18 inches
Handle: Bead-blasted, 420 stainless steel
Length open: 9.36 inches
Length closed: 5.18 inches

KERSHAW

SOG

10 SUREFIRE

$90

$295

$59.95

10 SUREFIRE

www.surefire.com

Model: Charlie Utility Knife

Type: Folding tactical/
multi-purpose
MSRP: 295

88

Description
The blade on the Charlie Utility knife
sports a thumb stud and finger
guard/slip opener level for added
function. On one side of the frame and
grip, its bead-blasted titanium features an integral frame lock. The other
side is sculpted, black, hard-anodized
7075 aluminum. Translation? Its built
to last and endure whatever you throw
its way. At only 5.4 ounces, this nononsense knife is ready to work.

Extra Specs
Blade style: Modified
spear-point
Blade material: 154CM
stainless steel
Blade length: 4.1 inches
Handle: 7075 aluminum/titanium
Length open: 8.5 inches
Length closed: 5 inches

11 OUTDOOR EDGE CUTLERY

$159.95

12 BOKER

www.boker.de/us

Model: Boker Plus Credit Card Knife

MSRP: $34.95
Description
The Boker Plus Credit Card Knife has a
slim, unique look designed by knifemaker John Kubasek. Its compact
profile and removable pocket clip provides a variety of carry options, even
in a credit card slot in your wallet. Or,
you can carry it with a clip in the
pocket of your shirt, or a ball chain
(included) around your neck. Other
features include the sturdy frame lock
mechanism, titanium liner, stainlesssteel blade, finger coils and a G-10
handle. Its easy to carry with you
every day, in any way you like. All 1.1
ounces of the knife are light and discreet.

12 BOKER

$34.95

Credit Card Knife Specs:

Blade length: 2.25 inches
Blade steel: 440C stainless steel
Overall length: 5 inches
Grip: G-10
Weight: 1.1 ounces

13 VICTORINOX

www.swissarmy.com

13 VICTORINOX

$60

Model: Hunter XT
MSRP: $60

Description
The Hunter XT is part of Victorinoxs
hunting knife line and features multipurpose functionality. With this knife,
you can take advantage of its
ergonomic, dual-density handle, nonslip grip, one-handed opening, secure
locking mechanisms and tools. This
one item features many capabilities:
one-hand gut hook, bone saw, Phillips
screwdriver, reamer and key ringall
in one. What are you waiting for?
Happy hunting.

14 LEATHERMAN

www.leatherman.com

Model: Leatherman OHT

MSRP: $82

Description
What can you do with one hand and
one multi-tool? Im about to give you
16 reasons why the Leather OHT
should be your new partner in crime.
Heres what its comprised of: springaction needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters,
420HC knife, serrated knife, Phillips
screwdriver, small screwdriver,
medium and large screwdrivers, saw,
strap cutter, can opener, bottle
opener, oxygen tank wrench and a
cleaning rod attachment. If youre still
not impressed, it has a stainless-steel
body, every feature locks for safety,
and the wire and hard-wire cutters
are replaceable but keep their edge
three times longer than regular steel.
Hmm did we mention its one-hand
operational and backed by a 25-year
warranty? Youll love it; so dont let
this knife be the one that got away.

14 LEATHERMAN

$82
EDGE
11 OUTDOOR
CUTLERY
www.outdooredge.com
Model: The Outpak
MSRP: $159.95
Description
The Outdoor Edge Outpak is the perfect
gift for any hunter on your holiday gift
list. This is because the Outpak is a biggame set, all organized in an easy-tocarry case. This handy dandy set
includes gut-hook/skinner/caper

combo, axe, wood-bone saw,

ribcage spreader, folding
boning knife, ceramic sharpener, pen, tape measure,
flagging tape, sip-ties and
game cleaning gloves; all in a
roll-pack organizer with compartments. Easily cinch the
organizer to a backpack with
the condura straps, and
youre ready for the time of
your life hunting and camping
in the great outdoors.
89

Learn the Secrets the U.S. Navy SEALS Employ To Stay Nourished
By Don Mann and Ralph PeZzullo

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

From Chapter 10 of The U.S. Navy SEAL Survival
Handbook by retired Navy SEAL Don Mann and former
SEAL Team Six Commando Ralph Pezzullo. Copyright
2012, printed with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

90

ANT TO SURVIVE
USING THE SAME
SKILLS THAT
NAVY SEALS
EMPLOY EVERY

DAY? CONSIDER THESE TIPS ON

FINDING SUSTENANCE FROM
THE JUST-RELEASED BOOK THAT
WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE
OF YOUR SEAT.
Since food ranks third on the basic
survival skills priority list, dont worry
about looking for food until you have a
good water source and adequate shelter.
Although you can live three weeks or
so without food, youll need an adequate
amount to stay healthy. Without food,
your mental and physical capabilities will
deteriorate and youll become weak.
Most natural environments are filled
with a variety of items that can meet our
nutritional needs. Wild plants often provide
the most readily available foods, although
insects and small wild game can also support dietary needs in a survival situation.

COURTESY OF SKYHORSE PUBLISHING, DRAGONFLY- THINKSTOCK PHOTO

91

PINE CONES
About 20 species
of pine trees
grow pine cones
that have seeds
large enough to
be food for
humans. Place
the pine cone
next to a fire so it
opens up. Then
the seeds can be
harvested easily
and eaten.

logs are relatively

ed to a stew.

Earthworms can be dried like jerky and added to

stew. Grubs, worms and larva can also serve as
excellent fishing bait.

Most insects are rich in protein and fat, the two most vital
nutritional needs for survival.
Don Mann, retired Navy SEAL

Most insects are

rich in
protein and fat, the
two most vital
nutritional needs
for survival.
Insects with bright
colors should be
avoided, as they
might be toxic.

Meats and fish are good sources of protein and

fat and provide virtually everything for long-term
survival that you would need. However, at the first
stage of a survival situation, edible plants are the

chicken bouillon cubes. On a cold night out in the

wild, a cup of hot broth will warm you up nicely.
Hard candy, i.e., a Jolly Rancher, offers a
quick hit of sugar, which can be very helpful.

most appropriate diet, as plants are easily accessible and contain the necessary carbohydrates.
In a survival situation, take advantage of the
food sources available. Try to vary your diet to

EDIBLE INSECTS
Most insects are rich in protein and fat, the

make sure you get the appropriate proportions

two most vital nutritional needs for survival.

of fat, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vita-

Ants, grubs, grasshoppers, dragonflies, worms

mins.

and centipedes are edible.

Seek the more abundant and more easily

Some arent the most appetizing and some

obtained wildlife, such as insects, crustaceans,

taste pretty good. A good way to get over your

mollusks, fish and reptiles, while you are prepar-

natural resistance to eating insects is to dry them

ing traps and snares for larger game.

by the fire and add them to whatever you cook. I

recommend that all insects be boiled or roasted

FOOD TIPS

to kill parasites.
Insects with bright colors should be avoided,

A single emergency food bar can contain up

as they might be toxic.

to 3,600 calories and is designed to provide you

with enough nutrition to last up to three days.

THE AUTHORS

Stash a few of these in your E&E kit, your second

Don Mann is a retired Navy SEAL

line gear or in your go-bag.

Ralph Pezzullo is a former SEAL Team Six Commando

Also easy to carry and useful are beef and

92

COURTESY OF SKYHORSE PUBLISHING, CATERPILLAR - THINKSTOCK PHOTO

DID
YOU
KNOW?

EDIBLE
Ants, grubs, grasshoppers,
dragonflies, worms and centipedes are edible.

HESITANT?
Some insects arent the
most appetizing and some
taste pretty good.
To get over your resistance
to eating insects, dry them by
the fire and add them to
whatever you cook.

GRASSHOPPERS
According to entomologists, a single large grasshopper
is comprised of 60 percent protein and 6.1 grams of fat.

Eating a handful of them roasted (not raw) is nearly

the equivalent of consuming a hamburger.

If it walks, crawls, swims or flies, it is most likely safe to eat

and will provide the nutrition and energy your body requires.
Don Mann, retired Navy SEAL

COURTESY OF SKYHORSE PUBLISHING

BASIC FOOD SURVIVAL RULES

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

If it walks, crawls, swims or flies, it is

most likely safe to eat and will provide the nutrition and energy your
body requires.
All fur-bearing mammals are safe to
eat and will provide you with nutrients
and calories.
All six-legged insects are safe to eat
and will provide you with nutrients
and calories.
DO NOT eat spiders.
Almost all freshwater fish and birds
are safe to eat and will provide you
with nutrients and calories.
Use EXTREME CAUTION with plants.
Dont eat them unless you know
theyre safe.
Do not eat mushrooms, unless you are
absolutely certain it is nontoxic, or
any plant that has a milky sap.

93

FIREARMS

Geared for
Protection
The Best Firearms for Survival
Chaos is not your friend under any circumstances.
The following options in self-defense are designed to keep the bad guy away.
Make sure order remains.

EDITORS CHOICE

GLOCK

www.glock.com
Model: 35
Action: STR
Caliber: .40 SW
Barrel Length: 5.31 inches
Special Features: White outline,
adjustable rear sight
MSRP: $679

EDITORS CHOICE

TAURUS

www.taurususa.com
Model: The Judge
Action: DA
Caliber: .45 Colt/.410 Bore
Capacity: 5
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Special Features: Fires shotshells,
slugs and .45 Colt bullets
interchangeably
MSRP: $695

94

1 GLOCK

www.glock.com

Model: 35
Action: STR
Caliber: .40 SW
Barrel Length: 5.31 inches
Special Features: White outline,
adjustable rear sight
MSRP: $679
Description
This is the largest .40 SW that
Glock currently makes, giving it a
sight radius of 7.56 inches and a
5.31-inch barrel that raises the
velocity of its 40-caliber rounds
over shorter barrel lengths. They
call this model the Practical/Tactical, as it and its 9 mm
counterpart (the Glock 34) are
among the most popular pistols
used in Limited Class in action pistol shooting. Some police departments issue it as well, as the
longer, heavier barrel and slidedecreasing muzzle flip increases
both accuracy and the speed of follow-up shots. There is an accessory rail under the barrel in 3rd and
4th generation models that will
gladly accommodate a tactical
light, laser or combo. Its too big
for most shooters to comfortably
conceal, but it functions identically
to the concealed Glocks many
shooters carry daily and for
self- defense use, its hard to beat
its 22+1 magazine capacity of +P
personal defense rounds in a factory-made, extended capacity
magazine. You can even add a
Scherer or Glock +2 round magazine extension for 24+1 capacity.

2 GLOCK 31

$649

2 GLOCK

www.glock.com

Model: 31
Action: STR
Caliber: .357 SIG
Capacity: 15
Barrel Length: 4.49 inches
Special Features: Gen4 models
have interchangeable backstraps
MSRP: $649
Description
This full-size duty pistol is standar
issue for many law enforcement
agencies, as its controls are intuitivenearly all Glocks have fun
tionally identical controls and
ergonomics, individual
frame/slide/grip length dimen
notwithstanding, and its spec
ized caliber is desirable for p
tion and occasional use aga
dangerous animals (think d
bores, wounded deer, etc.)
.357 SIG cartridge produces terminal ballistics very nearly identical
to .357 Magnum rounds, but this
Glock packs 15+1 rounds when
fully loaded three times what
many defensive .357 Magnum
revolvers hold. Super capacity
.40SW factory magazines work just
fine with the .357 SIG cartridge
when you want to keep a 22+1 at
your bedside.

3 BERETTA

$690

3 BER

www.berettaus

Model: 96A1
Action: DA/SA
Caliber: .40 SW
Capacity: 12
Barrel Length: 4.9 inches
Special Features: Accessory rail,
ambidextrous safety-decocker
MSRP: $690

Description
The Beretta full-size service pistol family includes many similar
styles of handguns that are centered around the design used for
the M9the militarys 9 mm sidearm. These pistols come in 9
mm and .40 SW, which is essentially their only difference. The
96A1 is their current .40 SW version of the military arm, and
features a 12-round magazine (the original 96FS magazine was
only 11 rounds), which is an improvement ... but the big
improvement is Berettas inclusion of an accessory rail on modern 96A1 and 92A1 pistols.
95

buyers

Guide

FIREARM

4 BROWNING

www.browning.com

Model: Hi-Power Mark III

Action: SA
Caliber: 9 mm
Capacity: 13+1
Barrel Length: 4.6 inches
Special Features: Ambidextrous safety, locked
breech, ergonomic grips
MSRP: $1,059.99
Description
John Browning designed the Colt 1911. Then
he designed the Hi-Power, though he passed
away before finalizing the Hi-Power (which
was completed by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium). This is his refined version of the 1911,
and as it was available in 9 mm originally, it
went into widespread use with police forces
and militaries around the world while the 1911
caught on here. While his 1911 design solidified his fame in the US, it was the Hi-Power
that garnered much of his fame abroad, for the
same reasons it serves you well today: solid
construction, 13-round magazine, intuitive
thumb safety (that is ambidextrous), and locking breech that make it an accurate and reliable defensive pistol that fits most hands very
well.

5 COLT

5 COLT

$1,063
7 HECKLER

$2,310

www.coltsmfg.com

Model: Delta Elite 1911

Action: SA
Caliber: 10 mm
Capacity: 8
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Special Features: Standard
1911 controls, powerful
cartridge
MSRP: $1,063
Description
The Delta Elite is Colts 10 mm, full-size defensive pistol. The ballistics of the 10 mm are very
similar to those of the .41 Magnum, but as a
semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol, the Delta
Elite packs 8 rounds into easily swapped magazines. The recoil is stout, but the defensive
power is solid, and as a Colt 1911, the design
is the standard to which all other full-frame
pistols are compared.

6 CZ

www.cz-usa.com

Model: CZ 97 B
Action: DA/SA
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 4.5 inches
Special Features: Loaded chamber indicator,
cocked-and-locked capable
MSRP: $686
Description
This is a full-size CZ .45 ACP handgun with
robust, fixed sights and a 10-shot magazine that
puts it two rounds ahead of the average 1911
magazine. This is one of the rare .45 ACP pistols
that offers true DA/SA operation. The CZ 97 B
also offers a firing-pin block safety and framemounted manual safety that allow it to be stored
either hammer-down for a double-action first
shot or cocked-and-locked for a single-action
first shot. The grip feels akin to a Hi-Power, the
frame-mounted safety is near where you find it
on 1911s, and the DA/SA operation makes it similar to many smaller caliber duty pistols ... making it truly intriguing.

6 CZ

$686

7 HECKLER & KOCH

www.hk-usa.com

Model: Mark 23
Action: DA/SA
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 12
Barrel Length: 5.9 inches
Special Features: Cocked-and-locked capable,
high capacity standard magazine
MSRP: $2,310

96

p
A dream pistol for many, this is nonetheless an elite personal protection gun for those who take absolute reliability seriously. Designed
for Special Forces use, but available to civilians, this 12+1 capacity,
.45 ACP is a very, very large handgun ... and its weight, combined
with H&Ks internal recoil dampening technology, helps deliver comfortable handling and quick follow-up shots. Its accessory rail takes
many aftermarket lights and lasers, and its DA/SA (with safetydecocking lever) mechanism can be carried cocked and locked,
1911-style for a single-action first shot.

9 SIG SAUER

www.sigsauer.com

Model: P226 Tactical Operations

Action: DA/SA
Caliber: .357 SIG
Capacity: 15+1
Barrel Length: 4.4 inches
Special Features: Short reset trigger,
accessory rail
MSRP: $1,302
Description
This powerhouse pistol is available in 9 mm,
.40 SW or the very appealing .357 SIGfrom
the company that pioneered the .357 SIG cartridge, which is designed to reach near-.357Magnum performance from a rimless
autoloader cartridge. With 15+1 capacity for
those hot rounds and four magazines arriving
from the factory, this pistol is ready to go for
personal defense right out of the box. The
SIGLITE Night Sights with TruGlo tritium fiber
optic front sight certainly help. The accessory
rail is just icing on the cake.

SIG SAUER

$1,302

10 SMITH & WESSON

www.smith-wesson.com

Model: M&P45
Action: STR
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 4.5 inches
Special Features: Interchangeable backstraps
MSRP: $599

8 RUGER

$799

10 SMITH & WESSON

$599

Description
The M&P series from Smith & Wesson has
been making big waves in the law enforcement, personal protection and even competitive communities at least in defensive pistol competitions. This offering is their full-size,
modern-duty pistol, a striker-fired part polymer, part stainless-steel handgun with a 10shot magazine and Novak sights. Chambered
in .45 ACP, it has all the stopping power a
modern defensive pistol should have, and is
backed by the legendary Smith & Wesson
name.

11 TAURUS

www.taurususa.com

Model: The Judge

Action: DA
Caliber: .45 Colt/.410 Bore
Capacity: 5
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Special Features: Fires shotshells, slugs and
.45 Colt bullets interchangeably
MSRP: $695

11

TAURUS

$695

8 RUGER

www.ruger.com

Model: SR1911
Action: SA
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 8+1
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Special Features: Skeletonized
hammer and trigger, oversized
beavertail grip safety
MSRP: $799

Description
This handsome stainless-steel pistol features
an extended thumb safety, oversized beavertail grip safety to ensure that the safety is
disengaged no matter your heat-of-themoment grip (unless its really off, in which
case you dont want the pistol discharging
anyway), and Novak three-dot fixed sights
all of which combine to make this a premium
1911-pattern pistol for less than a premium
price.
97

Description
This double-action revolver has been a darling
of personal defense magazines and instructors since its introduction a few years ago.
The original Taurus Judge kicked off a revolution in the .410 shotshell, personal-defense
loads optimized for their 3-inch barrels. After
the initial skepticism wore off, its innovative
concept earned solid footing in the tough personal protection market. Its rifled barrel is
grooved in such a manner that spin-stabilizes
.45 Colt rounds and shotshell slugs, and also
disperses the shot in a useful spreadread,
not too loose at pistol combat distances. That
means its less likely to penetrate your walls
and pose hazards to family members than a
.45 Colt slug, and the ability to score multiple
buckshot hits from a single pull of the triggereven if you miss center mass just a little
bitmakes this an appealing choice. Many
other shooters agree; youre free to disagree.

buyers

Guide

FIREARM

BENELLI

www.benelliusa.com
Model: Nova Pump Tactical
Action: Pump
Gauges: 12 ga
Chamber: 3.5 inches
Chokes: Cylinder
Capacity: 4+1
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
Special Features: Ghost right rear
sight, magazine cutoff
MSRP: $459
Designed for personal defense and
police work, this pump action 12 ga
accepts virtually any load in shells up
to 3.5 inches, utilizing a front blade
and rear ghost ring sight system to get
your slugs or shot on target. Its polymer stock and lightweight receiver are
integrated to keep moisture and dirt
out, with improved strength for
improved service life.

12 RUGER

$1,049

MOSSBERG

www.mossberg.com
Model: 500SPX
Action: Pump
Gauges: 12 ga
Chamber: 3 inches
Chokes: Cylinder
Capacity: 5+1
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
Special Features: Ghost ring rear
sight, adjustable M4-style stock with
5-shot caddy
MSRP: $637

12

RUGER

www.ruger.com

Model: Super Redhawk

Action: DA
Caliber: .44 Mag
Capacity: 6
Barrel Length: 7.5 inches
Special Features: Scope mounting points,
adjustable iron sights
MSRP: $1,049

This tactical shotgun is ready to serve

in a pinch, with its 5+1 standard
capacity and 3-inch chambers that are
ready for high-brass personal defense
loads. The ghost ring rear and bladestyle front sights will get you on target
fast. The ported barrel will keep you on
target for fast follow-up shots, while
the unique strap on the forearm helps
you cycle the pump without losing
traction on the forearm itself. Should
you need to switch ammunition
typesfrom shot to slugs or back
the five-round carrier on the collapsible M4-style stock holds ammunition
at the ready.

Description
Ideally suited to experienced
shooters with large hands and
fair strength, the Super Redhawk
packs six rounds of .44 Mag
punch and is the largest pistol we
feel inclined to include as a selfdefense referenceboth in
frame and power. It will stop just
about any wild or human threat,
including some vehicles, and will
of course digest .44 Spl practice
loads to save your wrists at the
range. Reloads are easy with
double-action revolvers like this,
but you probably wont have to.

BERETTA

www.berettausa.com
Model: TX 4 Storm
Action: Semi
Gauges: 12 ga
Chamber: 3 inches
Chokes: Cylinder
Capacity: 5+1
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
Special Features: Ghost ring rear
sight, accessory rail atop receiver
MSRP: $1,450

SEMI-AUTOS VS. REVOLVERS

The debate between semi-autos and revolvers for personal defense shall never die and is largely irrelevant these days.
With plus-capacity revolvers like the Smith & Wesson M&P R8 8-shot .357, and eminently reliable high-capacity semis like
Springfields XD Tactical .45, there is no shortage of firepower or fine-tuned reliability in modern defensive pistols.
The choice, then, comes down to the least common denominators between all of your authorized shooters: their familiarity
with firearms, their ability to control recoil and the way the firearm fits the range of hands your household represents.

98

This shotgun is part of Berettas Storm

series of defensive arms, and rounds
out their pistol/carbine/shotgun collection. A 12-gauge with 5+1 capacity, it
uses a rear ghost ring and front blade
sight combination to get you on target
like a rifle, while the traditional styling
is pure shotgun through and through.
The chrome-lined bore offers improved
service life, and its overall empty
weight6.4 poundsmeans that its
a light-handling, responsive arm.

SHELTER

LIFE
INSURANCE
5

Reasons to Build an Underground ShelterSooner

Rather Than Later

By Suzanne Leder

THE WORLD FOREVER.

TERRORIST ATTACKS
CAN OCCUR IN ANY
SHAPE, ANY FORM,
ANY CITY.

AND HOW ABOUT THE ECON-

OMY? OR SOLAR FLARES? MOTHER

ALL THESE SERVE AS NOT-SO-

the builder of 56 log shelters. You certainly

GENTLE REMINDERS THAT WE

can be more relaxed about the uncertain

OUGHT TO BE PREPARED FOR

future when you have a fully stocked under-

JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

ground shelter.

Enough searching on the Internet and you

The very point of having an underground

might find the schematics for the perfect

shelter is being prepared before catastrophe

underground shelter, but when do you know

hits, but if youre looking for the perfect rea-

if its the right time to build one?

son to start construction, examine these top

NATURES EARTHQUAKES CAN

Having an underground shelter is like

ALSO CREATE HAVOC ON THE

having life insurance, says Marc Eagle Eyes,

WORLD.

author of Earth Changes, Get Ready and

100

five reasons.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

EPT. 1, 2011 CHANGED

1. NEUTRALIZE
NUCLEAR
ATTACK RISKS
The fear of nuclear materials
being sold on the black market is a
concern that permeates the
thoughts of many Americans.
You can find resources on the
Internet to learn where historical
enemy targets are within the United
States. Most of these targets are military bases, shipyards, missile silos,
high-tech industrial regions, transportation hubs and highly populated
areas like New York, Chicago and
Los Angeles.
If youre in these likely zones, it
might benefit you to build an underground shelter right away. Many
experts predict that a nuclear attack

PLAN BEFORE

YOU BUILD
Take some
time to consider
where to place
your shelter.
For instance, if
your home is
north of a military
base, use the
southern wall of a
basement as a
guideline for your
shelter. You
would therefore
put as much mass
(such as the soil
piled against the
basement wall)
between the
nuclear detonation and its aftereffects. That
means less
radioactive exposure for you and
your family.

will happen, and some say it may

happen in the next few years.

2. WATCH OUT
FOR WAR
Tensions persist in various parts of the world, and
should there be a war, you may find that having an
underground shelter will be invaluable

even a poten-

tial lifesaver.
Many are concerned about Israel and Irans nuclear
sites, which may spread radiation across the Middle
East. Others can see the possibility of dirty bomb
attacks in the United States due to this continued
strife.
Its easier to think of all the reasons to build an
underground shelter now rather than think of the reasons not to, Eagle Eyes says. The governments of

WHAT TO KNOW
BEFORE YOU BUILD
IF YOURE CONVINCED THAT AN UNDERGROUND
SHELTER WOULD BENEFIT YOUR FAMILY, TAKE
THESE FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE
YOU BREAK GROUND.
Consider the longevity of the structure you have in mind.
You need to be prepared for a long stay underground,
Eagle Eyes says. For instance, look at air pipe systems and ventilation options to ensure that youll have
fresh air.
Think about the type of material youd like to use, based
on your personal requirements. For instance, concrete or
metal may be smart if youre concerned about a nuclear
leak. However, if privacy is a concern, you might consider
using logs to create your underground enclosure,
because theyre impervious to satellites.
Know who will construct your shelterare you a master
handyman or will you require assistance? If you dont
have advanced construction skills, you should hire someone to build for you or buy a pre-assembled kit, available
at various locations and online.

the world know something is coming, so as individuals,

That
could
mean
radiation
spreading
across
America,
so you
will need
to get
underground.

101

we need to take note and prepare as soon as possible.

SHELTER
CHECKLIST

Food
Water
Flashlights
Radio
A comfortable
sleeping area
for children
Toys for children
Toys and food
bowls for pets

SHELTER
3. EASE THE FEAR
OF ECONOMIC
COLLAPSE
The economy of the United States continues to sink, so do you know what youll do
if the value of the dollar drops to nothing and
infrastructures break down?
THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

You can be the one who is fully prepared

by building an underground shelter.
Consider creating a shelter that includes
more than simply survival gear. Here, you can
store stockpiles of foods and goods that may
be hard to come by in the event of an economic collapse.

CONSIDER THE RADIUS

4. EVADE THE
EFFECTS OF AN
ENVIRONMENTAL
DISASTER

Even natural disasters that

are far away can land on your
front door.
In fact, continuing and current effects of Japans tsunami
could be a reason to build your
underground shelter.
It would only take another
monster quake in Japan to
push the reactors there to
melt down, Eagle Eyes
warns. Also, there are still
some great concerns about
reactor four in Japan, with its
huge pile of spent fuel rods. If
they melt down completely,
that could make most of the
northern hemisphere there a
taboo area. That could mean
radiation spreading across
America, so you will need to
get underground.

Images of natural disasters have no

doubt burned into your consciousness.
Whether a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood strikes, the victims suffer
more than trauma. Theyre often left in the
lurch waiting for aid

including drinkable

water, food and shelter. Should a disaster

affect you, you can allay these troubles by
having all the resources ready in your backyard.

5. SURVIVE SOLAR
FLARES FROM BELOW
Intense solar flares have been increasing beyond levels ever
recorded before.
Not only do solar flares have the potential to wipe out
power grids, but large coronal mass ejections (CMEs) could contain dangerous amounts of radiation, including fatal levels of
gamma rays. Thats why the only place to be is below ground.
An underground shelter can be the assurance of life, not just
a place to ride out a hurricane and its waning effects.
If you are worried about solar flares during the solar maximum next year, you can cover the roof with ceramic tiles; that
will give you protection up to 3,500 degrees, Eagle Eyes says.
In other words, you dont have to build your shelter 20 feet
deep to be safe from solar flares.
Suzanne Leder is a freelance writer who covers a variety of subjects in her work, including everything from Victorian home tours to the

Having an underground shelter is like having

life insurance. You certainly can be more
relaxed about the uncertain future when you
have a fully stocked underground shelter.

most helpful phone apps. She is also a novelist, and you can follow her
on Facebook under the name S.E. Leder.

KEEP COMFORT ITEMS NEARBY

Marc Eagle Eyes, author of Earth Changes, Get Ready

Your underground shelter may not simply be a temporary living

spaceyou should expect to be there for a week or more if a disaster hits.
Ensure that you stock the shelter not only with provisions such as
food, water, flashlights and a radio, but also with comfort items that
will allow your family to feel more at home. If you have kids, make
sure you have a comfortable place for them to sleep as well as several toys that are important to them. If you have pets, keep several
pet toys and food bowls in the shelter as well.

102

CONSIDER THESE POINTS ABOUT

A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR ATTACK
Nuclear materials could be sold
on the black market;
Likely targets for nuclear attacks
include military bases, shipyards,
missile silos, high-tech industrial
regions, transportation hubs
Highly populated areas like New
York, Chicago and Los Angeles
could be likely targets.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

COURTESY OF SUZANNE LEDER

THE HARSH REALITY

Crucial To

Survival

During a Disaster, Ensure that You Have an Ample Food Supply With These
Food Preservation Tips
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

TS SIMPLY A HOBBY UNLESS

YOURE CONFRONTED WITH A
DISASTER.
Then it becomes crucial for survival.
Home canning is a hobby that many people
consider a passion. But, if disaster strikes,

thats when the stockpile of healthy provisions

becomes invaluable.
But before you rush out to buy your supplies

and start adding to your pantry, follow these guidelines to ensure your emergency food is safe and
sanitary.

BEST FOODS
Your first step as a food preservation expert is
to determine the foods you will be storing.
Highly acid foods like peaches, pears, tomatoes
and apples taste the best and last the longest
because the natural acids in the fruits help in the
long-term preservation process. You can also jar or
pickle low-acid vegetables like carrots, beans,
cucumbers and peas, but the pickling spices and salt
may discolor or break down the composition of the
produce.
Youll want to avoid any foods from the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
and cabbage) because these foods will disintegrate
THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

during the boiling process, resulting in a big pile of

jarred mush, advises registered dietitian and canning expert Kathryn Hollering.
Meat, poultry and game can be jarred, but they
require a pressure cooker and extremely sanitary
processes to avoid bacteria.

103

The most important key to good

open kettle, says Hollering.

They all use a form of boiling the

canning is purchasing firm, high quality

product, but they are different and

produce from a local farmer, particu-

must be applied to the appropriate

larly a farm that is native to your state,

foods, or botulism can occur, she

Hollering advises.

says.

Produce that travels a long dis-

A pressure cooker is a large kettle

tance to get to you will lose part of its

with a strong lid, sometimes with a

flavor and quality along the way

clamp and a built-in gauge for watching

and

the same is true for meat and poultry.

the boiler temperature. For water

If you are using fresh game, it must be

bath canning, often used when canning

properly cleaned and kept cool until

fresh fruit, you will need a four-gallon

canned.
Even though mobility might be
important to you in an emergency,
sturdy glass jars are the best and safest
storage for your stockpile. Ball mason
jars, lids and rings are the easiest to
find in the United States, and they can
be purchased online or at a variety of
local hardware, grocery and department stores.
Keep in mind: you absolutely must
use new lids that fit precisely for each

Rushing the
process or cutting corners
will only result
in a deadly product, wasted time
and ruined food.
Kathryn Hollering,
registered dietitian

particular size jar. Reusing old lids can

lead to contamination of the food.
Your last purchase should be the

kettle and lid which holds seven jars

apparatus used to prepare your prod-

during the process. Although you can

uct.

employ the same four-gallon kettle for

There are three types of prepara-

tion: pressure boiling, water bath and

the open-kettle method, this style of

canning is not recommended because

104

CANS VS. JARS

Although many people use the term canning even if they are
utilizing glass jars for food preservation, some prefer to actually
use a metal can instead of a jar.
If you opt for cans, youll have to invest in some additional
equipment. You should buy a pressure canner, as well as several
metal cans and a can sealer. The canning supplies are often more
durable than glass jars, so many people prefer to use them, but the
preparation costs are slightly higher due to the additional equipment required.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

THE PROPER STEPS

Survival

Crucial To

the food may not be fully sterilized

due to leaving the lid off. Other

BEST
FOODS
VS.
WORST

helpful tools are strainers for separating seeds and pulp from fruits and
vegetables, canning tongs for taking
cans out of the kettles, and spices
and preservatives to add to your
result for flavor, color and consistency.

WASH,
BOIL, COOL
Once youve got your equipment in place, youre ready to start
preserving.
First, thoroughly wash and clean
your produce. Then, peel it and
place it in sterilized jars. Fruit is usu-

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage

tle, for both water bath and

pressure boiler canning, will
determine how many jars
you can prepare at once.
For water bath preparation, cover the kettle and
bring it to a full boil for one
hour, then process the
pints for another half hour
at a partial boil, Hollering
says. For pressure-boiler
canning, add two to three
inches of water to the bottom of the pan, insert the
rack and place your jarred

be either cold packed or hot packed, Hollering

ing the lid with the clamp.

A vent or petcock should be opened to

Blanching or quickly scalding vegetables is

emit steam for about 10 minutes, then closed,

recommended before packing them in the jar to

and the pot will pressurize in three to five min-

enhance flavor, but be careful not to overcook

utes. The heat needs to be regulated to adjust

them or your vegetables will have a sludge-like

for altitude, and the gauge should shake a little

consistency. Many different seasonings can be

during the process. When the food has been

added to the jars for flavor, ranging from hot,

fully pressurized to 240 degrees to kill all bacte-

homemade sugar syrup for fruit, to pectin for

ria, bring the pressure gauge slowly back down

thickening jams, to lemon juice to prevent

to zero, open the vent to let out steam and

browning. Meat and game need special care and

carefully take off the lid.

Rushing the process or cutting corners will

tle. Steaming and pre-boiling are greatly encour-

only result in a deadly product, wasted time and

aged to avoid spoilage.

ruined food, Hollering says.

Important: dont forget to leave a little

Allow your jarred food to cool for 24 hours

room at the top of the jar, known as head-

and then store in a cool, dry place away from

space, for expansion.

heat, sun or humidity. Lastly, check all of your

Once your food is in the jar, put on the

jars for cracks, dislodged lids or mold, discard-

sterilized lid and rings, and securely tighten.

ing any that look suspect. Your stockpile is

Place your sealed goodies on the kettle rack

ready and safe to eat for up to a year.

AVOID BOTULISM WHEN CANNING

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

WORST

the lids. The size of the ket-

and sealed products in the pot, securely fasten-

cleaning, and they must be free of fat and gris-

Botulism is not a common illness in

this century, but it can still be outrageously dangerous because it causes
paralysis and can be fatal.
Home-canned foods can pose a
major risk of botulism, particularly when
the food in the can has low acid content,
reports the Centers for Disease Control
on its Web site.
To ensure that you keep your home-

Peaches
Pears
Tomatoes
Apples
Carrots
Beans
Cucumbers
Peas

hot water two inches above

ally placed fresh in the jar, but vegetables can

says.
Preserved
food can
last up to a
year long.

BEST

and submerge them with

preserved foods safe from botulism, be

sure to cook low-acid foods such as
meats and vegetables in a pressure canner and not a water bath canner. You
can, however, use a water bath canner
for high-acid foods such as fruits, jams
and jellies.
Always follow directions regarding
time, pressure and temperature to avoid
any bacteria entering your jar or can.

105

WILD

wilderness
Fury

106

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers,
Little we see in Nature that is ours.
William Wordsworth, so eloquently, reminded
mankind that it should slow down and appreciate Mother
Nature.
Other times she grabs us by the neck and demands
our attention.
Wilderness fury. Be prepared.

FIRE

Start a Fire Anywhere with These Cant-Miss Tips

By Abe Elias
ENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH,

mankinds existence. Keeping in mind that our

IMPORTANT SKILLS IN

AS IT CAN KEEP YOU FROM GET-

ancestors with less knowledge of science and

SURVIVAL.

TING HYPOTHERMIA AND ENSUR-

significantly smaller brain capacity than we

ING THAT YOUR WATER IS

have were able to master this skill, we should

FIRE, REGARDLESS OF THE CLI-

POTABLE AND YOUR FOOD EDIBLE.

not be daunted when trying to learn how to

MATE, CAN MAKE THE DIFFER-

Fire itself is considered a keystone for

THE ABILITY TO START A

PHOTO - ABE ELIAS

T IS ONE OF THE MOST

107

get a blaze going anywhere, any time.

FIRE

TOP

FUEL

CHOICES

Dead leaves
Grass

Bark
Branches

I have seen many fires fail even after a flame is started due to one
main reason: the lack of preparation. Abe Elias
FIRST STEPS
Your first step is to know the most effective way to lay out your fire-making materials
and understand the two simplest ways you can
light it.
In my area, things like the inside of cedar

flourishes, the slightly larger item will begin to

a number of people armed with matches or

ignite and serve as a source to ignite the kin-

even a lighter and still fail to get a sustainable

dling.

fire going. Therefore, its important to know

Kindling is any size of fuel, from the size of

a pencil to the size of your thumb. Kindling
must be as dry as possible because the fire

some of the little tricks to help you start a fire,

no matter what the source of combustion is.
Youll first divide your aforementioned fuel

bark, birch bark, cattail down and tinder fungus

started with the tinder will not have enough

sources into their perspective fuel piles, and

are popular. However, you can also use man-

strength to actually dry out wet or very damp

then youll start working on organization. The

made tinders such as char cloth, paper and

wood.

method of laying a fire that guarantees a fire

chemical-based items, and still get an excellent

result.

The next stage of fuel ranges from just

above thumb thickness to large logs or even

every time is an A frame structure.

I start by building an A frame from mate-

bigger items. If you gather all of these sources

rials about the size of large kindling. After I get

is started due to one main reason: the lack of

together and have them at the ready before

that structure in place, I begin to build the walls

preparation. Before you even think about trying

you start, you have a much greater chance of

of the structure by leaning kindling-sized fuel

to start a fire, you should have all the fuel you

fire-making success.

along the outside of the frame. It is important

I have seen many fires fail even after a flame

to note that you should not position the open-

need. The three main fuel classes are tinder,

kindling and then plain fuel.
Tinder is anything that is dry, ranging in size
from fine fibers smaller than a human hair, all

LIGHT YOUR FIRE

Once youve got your materials gathered,

ing of the A frame straight into the wind. Lining the outside with kindling not only serves to
feed the fire when it starts

this structure will

the way up to the size of a pencil. The key to

its time to discuss starting a fire with a match.

also act as a basic wind block, allowing enough

success with any of these items is that they

Confused?

air in to feed the fire, yet not enough to blow it

should be very dry. Small, dry fibers will easily

Well, l can tell you that if you have ever

catch aflame or will be able to be blown into a

learned to start a fire by friction, you will never

flame from introducing an ember. As the flame

again forget your matches. Even so, I have seen

out.
After I have created the basic structure, I
then place large fuel (about the width of my

PHOTOS - ABE ELIAS

108

wrist) around it, just touching

the base to re-enforce it and
serve as fuel as the fire grows.
Finally, I stock the inside
with tinder. The finest fibers
should be on the bottom and
the increasingly larger pieces
should be carefully placed on
top of the tinder bundle. Be
careful not to place too much
on top of the finer tinder or
you will compress it and not
allow air to feed the fire. On
the outside nearby, I keep
even more tinder to feed the
fire as it grows.
Your frame is built and

STRIKE

JUST RIGHT
A handy trick to
lighting a match is to fully
support the match while
striking it.
If using a striker pad,
such as the one on a box,
hold the box firmly
between the thumb and
index finger of the opposite hand to the one striking the match. Holding the
box between your index
finger and thumb leaves
the inside of your hand
open, making it possible
for you to shield the
match from the wind with
your palm.

your materials are in place

now its time to introduce a source of ignition.
In our first example, youll use a match. Once

disturbing the bundle. As the spark catches,

As a second example, you

might consider using a ferro rod

gently blow on it until the spark flares into a

as your ignition. If this is your

flame.
No matter which ignition you use, once

preferred option, you want to be

sure to gather extra dry, fine

you have a flame you should start feeding

fiber material. Start off by building

more tinder as previously mentioned.

your A frame as with the

PRACTICE FIRST

match. However, in order to use

the ferro rod, youll have to
strike it so the sparks go directly

Properly preparing your fire is half the

into the tinder bundle in the A

work. To practice fire-starting, your best bet is

frame.

to take the occasional walk in the woods and

A common mistake in this sit-

practice gathering the material it takes to pre-

uation is to scrape the rod with

pare for a fire. Before you find yourself in a

the striker by moving the striker.

survival situation, practice creating a fire as

Sometimes when youre moving

often as possible. This way, youll know what

the striker, your hand will go fly-

serves best as tinder in your own geographic

ing, hitting your fuel and poten-

region.

tially damaging your hard-earned A frame.

A more efficient method is to brace the

Abe Elias has been an outdoor survival instruc-

your match is lit and glowing, youll gently

hand with the striker on the ground and then

tor since 1993. His work has been published in

introduce the flame to the tinder bundle,

draw back the ferro rod quickly, allowing you

various publications such as Gun World and he

which should generate ignition and growth.

to focus the sparks toward the tinder without

is a field editor for Knives Illustrated.

Be careful not to place too much on top of the finer tinder or

you will compress it and not allow air to feed the fire.

01: Natural tinder I collected. Top to bottom: A feather stick, birch bark
(scraped for fibers) and tinder fungus, dead dry grass, twigs off a dead
pine tree branch and twigs from a maple tree.

02: The wrong way to light a match: The match is unsupported and there
is no way to block it from the wind after lighting.
03: The right way to light a match: The match is supported, and the box
and the palm of your opposite hand are ready to form a windshield.
04: When using a ferro rod, brace the hand with the striker against the
ground and draw the rod sharply back so you dont hit your tinder bundle.
05: As your A frame burns, you will need to keep feeding the fire as it
will fall inward on itself into a neat pile and will burn out with no other
fuel being added.
06: A basic A frame structure allows air to circulate through to fan the
fire but blocks strong gust from extinguishing it. No points for neatnessjust pile on the wood to cover the gaps.

DID YOU KNOW?

If youre not familiar with ferro rods, you could be

missing out on a great tool thats a must for any survival
kit because it works under any condition. Whether its
wet, dry, hot or cold, a ferro rod always produces a
spark.
Short for ferrocerium, the rod is created using a
metallic material that gives off sparks when scraped
against a rough surface (such as a steel knife). Some
survivalists refer to the ferro rod as a flint or starter
rod, but the material and intent remain the same.
109

Cody Lundins curriculum

entails preparation for a
multitude of disasters.

SURVIVAL
Cody Lundins Aboriginal Living Skills School
Provides Courses In Preparedness, Survival

ROCRASTINATION IS NOT IN
YOUR VOCABULARY.
AND THATS EXACTLY WHY
YOUVE BEEN LOOKING AT
VARIOUS SURVIVAL COURSES.

REAL HARD. TO MAKE THINGS EASIER

FOR YOU, WEVE COMPILED AN
OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE COURSE

THINKSTOCK/COURTESY OF CODY LUNDIN

TYPES AND COURSE MATERIAL YOU

CAN STUDY FROM CODY LUNDIN (OF
DISCOVERY CHANNELS DUAL SURVIVAL), ONE OF THE WORLDS ELITE
SURVIVAL INSTRUCTORS.
REGARDLESS WHAT DISASTER OR
SITUATION YOU FIND YOURSELF IN,
YOULL BE READY. THATS GOOD NEWS
BECAUSE PREPARATION IS ONE OF
YOUR FAVORITE VOCABULARY WORDS.

111

SURVIVAL 101

IN
D
D
is h
Am
Gre
the
hua
in t
all
to those who dare venture
into them unprepared.
This course explores
how to keep you and your
loved ones alive during a
possible desert emergency.
Discover the truth
about what it takes to
prepare for and adapt to
arid landscapes in the
southwest and around the
world, says Lundin.

In the field with

Cody Lundin ...

ALSS COURSES
COURTESY OF CODY LUNDIN

Skills Courses (Desert Daze, Essential Abo,

Self-Reliance Symposium, Staying Alive,
and more)
Adventure (Winter Wonderland, Desert
Drifter, Nothing Course, Ultimate Abo)
Skills Intensive Courses
Custom and Private Courses

112

HE NOTHING
OURSE

COURSE SPECIFICS
DESERT SHELTER

Its a scary thought.

What if you were dropped off
the wilderness with absolutely
thing but the clothes on your
ck? Would you know how to
oritize your needs and have
e ability to recognize and perrm the skills necessary for survival?
If you take Lundins course,
the answer will be yes.
In this course, you, Cody and
the other students in your tribe
walk into a wilderness landscape
and create a primitive base camp
directly from natureusing no
modern gear.
The Nothing course is the
epitome of the ALSS mantra: the
more you know, the less you
need, and lets you blend common-sense survival priorities
with Stone-Age fundamentals to
improvise and adapt all of your
needs directly from the environment at hand.

Where, what, why and how to build improvised shelter to prevent hyperthermia, how to
sleep cooler using physics, using space blankets
and tarps, and desert clothing choices.

WATER WISDOM
Learn the truth about creating water through
evapotranspiration, bag and solar stills, how to
defeat dehydration and hyponatremia, simple yet
effective maximal hydration techniques, desert
water requirements for men and women,
natures water indicators, and modern and primitive water disinfecting techniques.

SIGNALING FOR RESCUE

Getting attention using mirrors, ground to air,
sound and smoke, setting up your vehicle for
rescue, and activating the search-and-rescue
system.

HOT WEATHER PSYCHOLOGY

AND PHYSIOLOGY
Hot weather trip planning, recognizing desert
priorities, arid land traveling techniques, desert
survival gear and dealing with fear.

BUILDING
SHELTER
Where, what,
why and how to
build winter shelters, including a
quinzhee, a hole in
the snow, snow
trenches and
super shelters

MAKING FIRE

GETTING WATER

From halfmatches, metal

matches, magnesium, natural tinder bundles,
techno tinders,
fire lighting when
everythings wet,
fire on snow, fire
as a tool, fire
safety and
physics

From snow and

ice, preventing
dehydration, water
disinfection methods, flavoring
options, maximal
hydration tips,
body water
requirements in
the cold

BOOKS - COURTESY OF GIBBS SMITH.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

FOR MORE INFO

WEB: www.codylundin.com
BOOKS: 98.6 Degrees and
When All Hell Breaks Loose
PHONE: (928) 713-1651
E-MAIL: abodude@codylundin.com

DID
YOU
KNOW?
With more than
23 years of experience, ALSS is
Arizonas oldest
and best-known
professional
wilderness survival, primitive living skills and
urban preparedness schools. It
remains as one of
the oldest continuously operated
self-reliance
schools in the
United States.

WINTER WONDERLAND
Exposure to extreme cold can kill the unprepared within hours.
Knowing what to do can be a lifesaver in defeating hypothermia, the worlds biggest
outdoor killer. Challenge yourself by adapting to Old Man Winter in northeastern Arizona.

113

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

MEDICINES IN NATURE

114

NO PHARMACY,
NO PROBLEM
Fix What Ails You With These Nature-Based Solutions
By Kristin Webb-Hollering

IFE CHANGES.
When an earthquake or other catastrophe strikes, the grocery
stores are out of operation and the water systems shut down. Chaos
reigns and food, water and shelter may be first on your mind, but
common illnesses are what usually catch people off-guard. Luckily,
there are many natural cures you can use when the pharmacies are

closed for good.

Whether you will be fleeing disaster or in the thick of it, a first-aid kit filled with

homeopathic remedies is essential in a disaster.

Since you may be carrying your belongings on your back, make sure your remedies are very safe, lightweight and durable, instructs Tim Dooley, MD, ND, a San
Diego-based physician educated in both traditional and homeopathic medicine, and
the author of Homeopathy:
Beyond Flat Earth Medicine.
Dooley recommends familiarizing yourself with plants and herbs
ahead of time and realizing that
your resources are going to vary
significantly by the climate, plant
life and water resources in the
area.
Simple homeopathy refers to
using common remedies with multiple uses that you can carry with

Since you may be

carrying your
belongings on
your back, make
sure your remedies are very safe,
lightweight and
durable. Tim
Dooley, MD, ND

you easily, Dooley says. The

trick is to remember that homeopathic remedies are different. In fact, it is accurate
to say that they differ from conventional medications much like a carrot differs from
a stick. Conventional medicines are like sticks: they force a change in everyone,
every time. Homeopathic remedies are like the carrot: they elicit a response, but it
is very different from a forced change. You must have the correct carrot, that is,
the right incentive to elicit a response.

115

Mint is one of
several natural
cures for an
upset stomach.

MEDICINES IN NATURE

QUICK

FIGHT AN UPSET
STOMACH

THE COMMON
HEADACHE

Minor abdominal illnesses are common in crises

Possibly the toughest infirmity to escape and

CHECKLIST

brought on by both stress and unsafe food and

usually the one that plagues us the most

STOMACHACHE

water. Thankfully, many antidotes for stomach ail-

headache

ments can be found in your own backyard.

There are several natural medicines that can aid in

Ginger
Peppermint
Mint
Chamomile

HEADACHE

Assuming this is the run-of-the-mill stomachache that doesnt agree, ginger (such as used in

the

is commonplace in emergency situations.

decreasing this frustrating affliction.

First, you should find out why the person has

Willow bark
Vervain
Feverfew
Ginger
Peppermint
Chamomile

cooking) often helps, Dooley advises.

sip or two of chamomile tea, as often referenced in

can help, he says, while other commonly found

COMMON COLD

old tales, will also do the trick and calms nerves

herbs that are useful include vervain, feverfew, gin-

simply and comfortably.

ger, peppermint and chamomile. Sometimes

He also asserts that peppermint or other mint is

helpful to ease the pain and can be found all over. A

Dandelion root tea can help a stomachache,

and it seems you can find it anywhere, Dooley

sion, a sinus or a migraine, Dooley says.

Willow bark, because it has natural aspirin in it,

headaches can also be brought on by dehydration,

lack of food and sleep, too much sun, colds and the
flu, and many other things that can be avoided by
taking care of them in a disaster and being prepared
in advance.

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

Echinacea
Elderberry
Garlic
Goldenseal

the headache, and the reasons can range from ten-

116

THE COMMON COLD BE PREPARED

Everyone hates the discomfort of the common cold, but do you know how you would you
deal with this illness following a disaster, when
every pharmacy and grocery store is shut down?
Fortunately, there are many plants and herbs
that can lessen the effects of this everyday infir-

More and more people are embracing

natural cures for common illnesses.
With the changing world and the
seemingly increased risk for disasters,
having a core knowledge of what is
available when illness strikes is essential
to your survival.

mity. Many people today already use alternative

medicines to stave off the cold in the winter,

Kristin Webb-Hollering is a North

Dooley notes.

Carolina-based freelance writer and

Echinacea, elderberry, garlic and goldenseal

part-time literacy consultant who spent a

are commonly found and utilized regularly, and

few years teaching before taking up

all four of these remedies have been used for

freelance writing. Her interests are

centuries and have multi-purpose applications for

reading, cooking and politics.

varying degrees of flu and cold-like symptoms.

Echinacea, if taken daily, will ward off a cold or

MAKE YOUR OWN

CURATIVE HERBAL TEA

lessen its impact, while elderberry will thin out

mucus. Meanwhile, goldenseal and garlic have too
many medicinal properties to list, and are essential

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

for long-term survival after a disaster.

AN UPSET

STOMACH

If youre interested in making your own soothing tea from

dandelion, ginger or peppermint, you dont have to stroll
the aisles of a grocery store to
do so. Follow these steps to
make your own tea:
Using chamomile as an
example, you can grow or
find the herb and then harvest the flower at its peak;

Dry the flowers completely,

either by hanging them upsidedown or spreading them on a
clean and dry piece of paper;
Crumble the dried flower into a
small, seed-like consistency, and
discard the stems and leaves;
Place the dried tea (the crumbled flowers) in cheesecloth or
a straining spoon, and hold
them in your hot water to steep
for about two minutes until your
tea is the strength you desire.

TRACKING, FINDING YOUR OWN FOOD

THE
RIGHT
TRACK

Tracking is all about observation.

Observe everything and look for
the reasons why things are as
they are. Steve Engel

When Tracking, Hunting An

Animal Becomes a Necessity
for Survival, These Are
Essentials You Need To Know
By Garrett Kim

OR SOME, ITS A HOBBY THAT CREATES GREAT

ADVENTURE.
FOR OTHERS, ITS BORN OUT OF A NECESSITY
FOR SURVIVAL.
ITS ANIMAL TRACKING.
LEARNING HOW TO FIND ANIMALS IN THE

WILD TAKES PATIENCE AND TIME. YOULL GET ON THE

RIGHT TRACK WITH THESE TIPS THAT CAN HELP YOU
DETERMINE JUST HOW TO FIND THEM

1. OBSERVE
EVERYTHING, NOT
JUST FOOTPRINTS
If youre just starting out as a tracker, you
might be tempted to merely follow animal prints
but youre probably

overlooking other distinctive signs that an animal is

nearby, says Steve Engel of AnimalTracksBySteve.com.
Tracking is all about observation, Engel says.
Observe everything and look for the reasons why
things are as they are. Scat (droppings) are of particular significance because they can tell you where
an animal was, often when it was there to great
accuracy and what it has been eating. The animal
has essentially gathered information about its diet
from everywhere it roams and deposited it in a

LINK TO OTHER
ANIMALS

Evidence of an
animals presence other
than footprints is called
sign, says Engel.
Feeding sign of herbivores is prevalent and
learning how to interpret
it will provide lots of
information about them
and by extension about
what their predators
might be up to.

neat package for you to examine.

118

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

across the dirt, sand or snow

2. SAFETY WHILE
TRACKING
As you observe your surroundings for signs of an animal, be sure to stay alert for any signs of danger, as well.
There are dangers in being outdoors, Engel says.
The trackers should know what the potential dangers
are wherever they go

from the types and abundance of

stinging and poisonous insects, to skunks, to large and

potentially dangerous herbivores and carnivores, to the
presence of cliffs or unstable ground in the environment.
For example, he suggests, noticing fresh tracks of a
cow and calf moose, regardless of pattern, would be good
reason to stop and take stock of the situation.
Getting off the trail may not be your best option
perhaps backtracking would be better, he says. Standing
very still and picking up what clues you can as to their
whereabouts would be the best first thing to do; then
base your next action on what information you can glean.
The same would go for coming up on the tracks of an
adult bear with cubs, especially in grizzly country.

ASSUME

DONT
AN ANIMAL IS TAME
YOU MAY BE ON HIGH
ALERT FOR BEARS AND
MOUNTAIN LIONS, BUT
YOU ARE MORE LIKELY
TO APPROACH OTHER
ANIMALS, SUCH AS DEER
AND MOOSE. HOWEVER,
THAT MAY NOT BE YOUR
BEST IDEA.
Keep in mind there are
more moose than bears to
watch out for, and moose are
as dangerous as bears, if not
more dangerous, in a situation of protecting their
young, Engel adds.
I like the
ing that go
judgment
comes fro
experience
and exper
ence come
from bad
judgment.

3. WHEN TO FOLLOW,
WHEN TO BACKTRACK
Tracking an animal can allow you to follow it and
get close, but backtracking where it has been can also
be useful if you want to learn about its behavior rather
than its reactions to being followed.
You will get to know its territory and get a sense
of its personality, Engel says. If you find a den or resting spot along the way, that is great information to have
and you can inform your decisions as you go about
tracking that animal.

STRONG GUIDELINES
If you find yourself in a position in which you
must track out of necessity, follow these guidelines,
as they should lead you to your next meal.
Garrett Kim, a North Carolina resident, is a
regular contributor to Beckett Medias publications.

There are dangers in being outdoors from the types and abundance of stinging
and poisonous insects to large and potentially dangerous herbivores and
carnivores, to the presence of cliffs . Steve Engel, of AnimalTracksBySteve.com
TRACKING APPS

JUST HOW HELPFUL CAN THEY BE?

Apps for tracking animals?
Yes.
Just what will they think of next?
Whether you want to capture animals, study them or avoid
them, you could probably benefit from a way to identify which
types of tracks youre viewing.
Several phone and tablet apps, such as MyNature Animal
Tracks, exist that can give you on-the-spot tracking guidance to
help you match a track or scat that you find to the animal that left
it.
If you want real-time updates from locals who saw a particular animal in your area, you should find an animal tracking blog in
your region. Many exist, and it just takes a quick Google search to
find one near you that can tell you the most common spots to find
a particular animal and what times of day it is most abundant.

MAKE A NEGATIVE
A POSITIVE

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

HOW TO LEARN FROM

DISAPPEARING TRACKS

Nothing is more frustrating for an animal

THE HAZARDS
tracker than following tracks for milesand then
OF TRACKING
finding that they simply disappear. But the end of
Stinging and
your tracks doesnt necessarily mean that your
poisonous insects
excursion is over. Consider this.
Skunks
1. If a track leads toward a tree, look upward.
Large and potentially
Its possible that the animal stopped there and
dangerous herbivores
and carnivores
climbed for a while.
Environmental dangers,
2. If, however, the final tracks are surrounded
such as unstable ground
with a circular shape or what appears to be the
outline of wings, it could mean a hawk or other
bird of prey captured the animal.
3. Finally, make sure your tracks actually end and dont just
go in a circlemany animals circle for a bit before moving on,
and its possible your animal did so, and then followed its incoming path to backtrack out of an area.
119

Prepare so you can survive

Sunrises paint the desert landscape golden.
From Southern Californias Mojave to the Great Basin to the Sonoran,
deserts spangle the North American landscape with red rocks, rugged mountains, mesquite and cactus. But like its counterpart

the wilderness

the desert

has a ruthless side.

Deserts fury. Be prepared.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

DESERTS

Deserts
Fury

120

Three Methods To Stay Hydrated

No Matter Where You Are
By Torrey Kim
IRACLE BABIES.
FOLLOWING AN EARTHQUAKE,
THEY SURVIVED SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER. THEY, HOW-

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

EVER, ARE THE EXCEPTION.

121

HAVING ACCESS TO FRESH WATER IS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL WHETHER ITS FOLLOWING A
DISASTER OR IF YOURE LOST IN THE DESERT OR WILDERNESS. SO, IF YOU FIND YOURSELF FAR FROM A
FLOWING SPRING, DONT GIVE UP HOPE. YOU CAN STILL FIND WATER IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK
FOR IN YOUR SEARCH. CONSIDER THESE UNIQUE SOURCES FOR WATER.

NO. 1
LOOK FOR CRITTERS
Just like you, animals need water every day to
ensure that they stay healthy. If you see an animal
nearby, you know that water isnt far away, says
Brandon Garrett of The Ready Store, which offers
emergency preparedness solutions.
Likewise, vegetation is a good sign that water
is near, since most plants require it to stay alive,
he adds.
If you dont catch sight of plants or animals,
you should note whether mosquitoes are biting,
because they are another indicator that water
isnt far away. However, make sure the mosquitoes arent simply gathering around stagnant
water, which is typically unsafe to drink.
If you're looking for water over long distances, look where the birds are circling, Garrett
says. They'll often circle around waterholes.

If you're looking for water over long distances, look where the birds
are circling. Theyll often circle around waterholes. Brandon Garrett
SILVER IS
NOT GOLD

CONSIDER THESE UNLIKELY

WATER SOURCES

Where You Wont Find Water

Watermelon
Cucumber
Lettuce
Zucchini
Radish
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Grapefruit
Tomato

THE

ROUTES
TO WATER
Animals are near
water sources
In low elevation, dig
Dew in the morning
122

Spinach
Sweet
peppers
Eggplant
Celery
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Broccoli

Source:
The University
of Kentucky
College of
Agriculture
Cooperative
Extension
Service

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

If youre desperate for a drink, the last thing youll want

to do is eat something, because it may make your throat
dryand your body utilizes water in digestion, which you
dont have to spare.
However, some foods can actually provide you with
water. Check out this list of water-dense foods, all of
which have a water content of more than 90 percent. If
you happen to pass some growing in the wild, consider
stopping for a snack:

The advice you get

from the silver screen isnt
always golden.
Plants indicate water is
nearby, but it isnt always
possible to cut one open
and drink from it despite
what the movies show.
If you need to drink
from a cactus, locate a
barrel or prickly pear
cactus, both of which
contain a pulp that can
provide you with water.

FIND MORE INFO HERE

THE READY STORE
www.thereadystore.com

Although plants indicate that water is nearby, it

isnt always possible for you to cut one open
and drink from it, despite what you see in movies.
NO. 2
LOOK IN
UNLIKELY SPOTS

A popular myth is that you can drink

any water from a cactus, Garrett says.
But cacti often store water in a gooey
juice that isn't fit for human consumption.
If you need to drink from a cactus, locate

If you dont see water nearby, dont

panic

a barrel or prickly pear cactus. They both

you might be able to find it with a bit

of effort. If you are in a low elevation, you

contain a pulp that you can eat to provide

should be able to dig a hole until water

you with water. Make sure that the juice

appears, Garrett says.

is clear before you eat the pulp.

Other plants also contain water, and

However, being at higher elevations

doesn't necessarily mean that you can dig

you can get to it by crushing the plant

down and automatically find water, he says.

until water leaks out. However, ensure

Instead, he advises, you can look for

that the plant isnt poisonous first and

water in valleys or crevices of rocks, where it

that it hasnt been treated with pesticides,

tends to accumulate.

which can be toxic.

If you're out in the wild, you're less

Although plants indicate that water is

nearby, it isnt always possible for you to cut

likely to come across plants that have

one open and drink from it, despite what you

been treated with pesticide or other

see in movies.

man-made products, Garrett says.

NO. 3
DONT
FORGET DEW
If you fall asleep thirsty, you may
still awaken to a vast water source
dew that collects on the leaves and
grass during the night. You can either
soak up the dew with a clean rag and
then wring it into a container, or hold
the dewy leaves over a jar and wipe
the water down into the jar. Because
dew collects in small amounts, this
process may be time-consuming, but it

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

could also be a lifesaver.

AVOID QUENCHING
YOUR THIRST THIS WAY

Never drink salt water, because the excessive

amount of salt can lead you to actually
become more dehydrated, putting a strain on
your organs, especially your kidneys.

When youre thirsty, it may be tempting to drink

the first fluid that you see, but some water
sources are dangerous and can make you
extremely ill. Stay away from these options when
its time to wet your whistle:

Avoid drinking untreated standing water or water

from a swamp. Standing water contains bacteria
that can hurt you if it isnt treated or thoroughly
sanitized through boiling or other means.

123

Weve all heard survival stories of people who

drank their own urine to survive, but although
this wont kill you immediately, it isnt a longterm water source, because urine contains
waste products that can, over time, damage
your kidneys. You can drink your urine for a
few days at the most while you seek a fresh
water solution.

SURVIVAL CHECKLIST

124

SURVIVAL
CHECKLIST
Dont Leave Home Without These
10 Essentials Items
By Torrey Kim

LAN AHEAD.
NO MATTER WHAT DISASTER YOU
NEED TO ESCAPE, YOU DONT WANT
TO BE HALFWAY THROUGH YOUR

JOURNEY BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT YOUVE

LEFT AN IMPORTANT ITEM BEHIND.
CHECK THE FOLLOWING OFF OF YOUR LIST
BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT ON YOUR OWN TO

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

ENSURE THAT YOULL BE COVERED UNDER

EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.

125

SURVIVAL CHECKLIS
1 THE FAMILY
PLAN

Naturally, family comes

first but no one thinks theyre
at risk of actually leaving anyone behind in a tenuous situation. Remember, however, the
stories from Hurricane Katrina
about how many people were
unable to get to relatives in
nursing homes or at babysitters homes following the
storm.
Create a clear plan about
who will pick up the kids at
school, the grandparents at
their homes and the family
members from work if a disaster is imminent.
In addition, keep a list of
pet-friendly hotels in your car,
so if you have to cut out of
town quickly, you can head
straight to one of them with
your animals.

any required medications and

the means to administer them.
For instance, if you have a diabetic family member, be sure
you have an extra pack of sterile syringes that you could use.
In addition, dont forget
about sanitation requirements.
Keep sterile wipes on-hand to
clean any surfaces where you
might need to eat. In addition,
have some anti-bacterial hand
wipes with you, as well as toilet
paper, paper towels, feminine
protection, diapers and any
other items that you use in
your everyday life.

4 COMMUNICATION
DEVICES

Depending on how you

landed in a survival situation,
theres always a chance that
cell towers wont be operational. Youll want to pack
some two-way radios, a set of
flares or smoke signals, and a
transistor radio to signal people in the event of an emergency.

5 LIGHTS

You wont get far without

sustenance, and you should
have a plan about how youll
get it. Your best bet is to pack
non-perishable food and water
for survival now so youll have
it ready when the time comes.
Your only alternate in a survival crisis would be to know
how to find it in the wild. If
thats your plan, hone those
skills now so you wont come
up short.

3 FIRST-AID
AND
SANITATION

Keep a first-aid kit nearby

to handle any scrapes or maladies that may hit you on the
road, and also be sure you have

TOOL KIT CHECKLIST

HAMMER
SCREWDRIVER
SET WITH
MULTIPLE-SIZE
HEADS
PLIERS
CAN OPENER
SHOVEL
CROWBAR
DUCT TAPE

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

2 FOOD AND
WATER

Pack several flashlights and

a few extra sets of batteries in
case you need light when no
electricity is available. However, dont rely solely on those.
We all remember the
scene in Castaway when
Tom Hanks character fell
asleep with his flashlight on,
and it didnt last him more than
a night. You should also have
some candles and several packs
of strike-anywhere matches so
you will be able to rely on their
light if all else fails.

126

ay
b site tod
e
w
w
e
n
m
Visit our
unting.co
ndarrowh
a
w
o
B
.
w
ww

or
agazine f
m
e
t
a
m
i
The ult
g archer
n
i
t
n
u
h
todays

SURVIVAL CHECKLIST
6 SHELTER

Your best bet is to have the

appropriate tent(s) to house your
entire family should a disaster
strike, but if you dont have one,
you can always create a makeshift
shelter out of materials youve got,
such as tarps. However, if youre
planning in advance, you can get a
tent, some sleeping bags and blankets to create a home on the road
if necessary.

7 FUEL

Your survival plan may including hunkering down close to home,

but if it doesnt, youll need to be
able to get where youre going
without running out of fuel.
In certain
circumstances,
gas stations
may not get
refilled by the
fuel supply
truck, and
youll be out of
luck. For
example, when
hurricanes are
on their way,
most coastal
gas stations run out of fuel quite
quickly, so its a good idea to keep
some gasoline in your garage for
emergency situations.

8 A KNIFE

Keep a few local maps with

you, but also have a good U.S. road
atlas in case your travels lead you
beyond the expected route.
Keep an address book with
the maps so you can
make your way to the
home of a loved one if
you need to escape somewhere safe.

10 FOUL
(AND FINE)
WEATHER
GEAR

Heading out of town in August

doesnt just mean bathing suits and
tank tops. You never know how
long youll be on the go, so be sure
to pack the right apparel for rain,
snow, heat and temperate climates,
just in case.

KEEP CASH

ON-HAND

When disaster
strikes, ATMs will run
out of cash quickly,
and odds are strong
that they wont be
refilled anytime soon.
You may not even
have access to the
money in your savings account because
the banks could be
closed. The only way
youll be able to land
a hotel room, buy
supplies or fill your
gas tank is to have
some cash with you.
Calculating how
much to carry is up to
you, but you should
at least be sure you
have enough money
for a few nights in a
hotel room and
several tanks of gas.

CREATE YOUR OWN

EVACUATION ZONE
If you live near a nuclear power
plant, a known hurricane region or tornado alley, you are all too familiar with
signs throughout your community that
point you toward the evacuation route.
But the evacuation signs will only
take you so far. Take a ride around
your towns evacuation routes and
map out what you would do after the
final sign to continue your journey out
of town after the routing signs end.

No survival kit is complete

without a knife. This is not only a
smart idea from a self-defense
standpoint if youre ever in danger but its also essential for tasks
youll face throughout your journey. From cutting branches to slicing into rope, a knife will be one
of the most important things in
your kit.

You may think maps

are pass now that
mobile phones
and GPS systems have created such flexibility for travelers,
but if those arent
useable, youll have
to rely on good
old-fashioned
paper maps.

mobile
systems have c
flexibility for trave
but if those arent useabl
youll have to rely on good
old-fashioned paper maps.
128

THINKSTOCK PHOTOS

9 MAPS

AD INDEX

THINKSTOCKPHOTO

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CLOSING WORDS
Victory at all costs, victory in spite
of all terror, victory however long
and hard the road may be; for without
victory, there is no survival.

THINKSTOCK PHOTO

Winston Churchill, British politician and statesman

130

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9/21/12

12:50 AM

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