Summertime brings thunderstorms. If you are out and about, you will want to take caution as not to get struck by lightning. No place is totally safe from lightning, but some places are worse to be in than others.
When you see lightning, count in seconds until you hear the thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five. This will tell you how many miles away the lightning was.
If the amount of time was less than 20 seconds, you will want seek a safe location immediately. Avoid solitary trees and any unprotected small shelters, such as gazebos and baseball dugouts. Stay out of open areas and fields. If you are in an open field, kneel down with your hands on the ground and your head low; don't lay flat. Do not go near light poles or communication towers. Depressions in the ground are good places for tornados but not good for lightning strikes. Current can travel through the ground and can use you to bridge the depression. Stay away from body of waters, such as pools and lakes. Don't drive around in a convertible or golf cart.
The best place to be is in a large enclosed shelter, such as a house or business. When in a building, turn off your TVs, computers, and other electronic devices. Stay away from using the phone and keep away from eletrical outlets.
If you were on the road, stay in your vehicle but avoid contact with metal conducting surfaces inside or outside of the vehicle. You will also want to park the car away from any trees or poles that may get struck and fall on your vehicle.
If someone does get struck by lightning, call 911 right away. Try moving the person to a safer location so that he/she won't get struck again. Be careful if the person may have fallen and broken any bones; usually this is not the case unless the person fell from a building or high up place. Place something down to insulate the person from ground because of the wet conditions; hypothermia can complicate resuscitation. If the victim is not breathing, start CPR.
When storms are approaching, be aware and be prepared.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Baking Soda
Baking soda can be used for more than just baking. Many people know that sticking a small open container in the fridge can control odors. People also add it to their laundry to get out oil and grease stains. Most people with cats know that baking soda can be added to the litter box to control odors. Baking soda is a wonderful product and should be a part of every household.
Baking soda can also be used as a hygeine product. It can be used as a facial scrub and an exfoliant. After shampooing, using baking soda in your hair can remove residue from the shampoo or styling products and acts as a conditioner for your hair. You can also add it to your bath water to soften the water and your skin.
Besides bathing, baking soda can be used as a toothpaste and a teeth whitener. Or, you can add a half teaspoon of baking soda to a half glass of water to be used a mouth rinse to get rid of bad breath or provide comfort for canker sores.
If you have heartburn or acid indigestion, that half teaspoon in the half glass of water can be used to calm your stomach. If you are on a low sodium diet, don't use this as an antacid.
A baking soda paste can be placed on insect bites, rashes, sun burns, chicken pox, measles, and posion ivy to relieve itching symptoms.
Baking soda can be used as a non-scouring cleaner too. Use about 3 tablespoons per quart of warm water. This can be used to clean marble, formica, porcelain, glass, and plastic surfaces. Stainless steel and silver cookware can also be cleaned with warm water solution but do not use on aluminum cookware.
Washing your cars windows with baking soda will also act a rain repellent and is cheaper than most commercial products for rain repellents.
For pets, besides the cat litter box, baking soda can be used as a dry shampoo on your pets to get rid of pet odor.
Baking soda seems to have unlimited uses. Baking soda is relatively cheap and should be a part of every household.
Baking soda can also be used as a hygeine product. It can be used as a facial scrub and an exfoliant. After shampooing, using baking soda in your hair can remove residue from the shampoo or styling products and acts as a conditioner for your hair. You can also add it to your bath water to soften the water and your skin.
Besides bathing, baking soda can be used as a toothpaste and a teeth whitener. Or, you can add a half teaspoon of baking soda to a half glass of water to be used a mouth rinse to get rid of bad breath or provide comfort for canker sores.
If you have heartburn or acid indigestion, that half teaspoon in the half glass of water can be used to calm your stomach. If you are on a low sodium diet, don't use this as an antacid.
A baking soda paste can be placed on insect bites, rashes, sun burns, chicken pox, measles, and posion ivy to relieve itching symptoms.
Baking soda can be used as a non-scouring cleaner too. Use about 3 tablespoons per quart of warm water. This can be used to clean marble, formica, porcelain, glass, and plastic surfaces. Stainless steel and silver cookware can also be cleaned with warm water solution but do not use on aluminum cookware.
Washing your cars windows with baking soda will also act a rain repellent and is cheaper than most commercial products for rain repellents.
For pets, besides the cat litter box, baking soda can be used as a dry shampoo on your pets to get rid of pet odor.
Baking soda seems to have unlimited uses. Baking soda is relatively cheap and should be a part of every household.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Surviving Power Outages
Power outages can occur at anytime but are more frequent during summer and winter months when power is most needed. Today there were power outages in Manhattan and the Bronx. This power outage affected subway lines, traffic signals, and even a courthouse. The temperatures in New York went over 90 degrees Fahrenheit today. They are restoring power as I write this blog and is seen as being a big incovenience. But, power outages can last for several days in which this would become more of just an inconvenience; it would become a survival situation. Are you prepared to handle a situation like this?
During power outages, it can be hard to get a hold of family members because not only regular telephone service but even cellular phone service can be disrupted. Even if the phones are working, you could run into the problem of the phone lines being jammed. Families should come up with a contingency plan on where to meet up or get a hold of each other in such an event as a blackout. Make sure to account for weekdays versus weekends and holidays.
Since most gas stations need power to operate, you will find out that you won't be able to get gas during an outage. This is one reason that you should always keep your tank full. During an outage you will want to keep driving to a minimal unless you are planning on leaving the affected area. Don't try to leave the affected area unless you have more than twice the needed gas to actually do so. You will most likely find out that other people are having the same idea and the traffic will be worse than can be imagined.
If you are at home when the power outage occurs, fill up as many containers that you can with water. Fill your bathtub full of water if you can. Water is going to be very important in an extended power outage situation. You will need water to consume and wash with. During winter months, make sure you don't have large ice blocks in your tub.
During summer months, you want to keep the contents in your refridgerator and freezer cold as long as possible. Try not to open the doors to your fridge unless you have to. If possible, place bowls of ice cubes in your fridge when the power outage hits. Also, keep your house as cool as possible by closing curtains and blinds.
During winter months, you may want to transfer the contents of your fridge to a garage or a place outside where it's colder. Just make sure to put the contents in a place where animals will not get to them.
Before there is a power outage, there are things you can do in advance to help prepare yourself in case you do find yourself in such as situation. Purchasing a backup power generator can alleviate most of the problems that depend on electricity, such as your fridge and AC. When choosing a power generator, calculate the wattage you will need in a blackout scenario. It is possible to hook up a power generator directly to your home using a transfer switch.
Other things to have on hand before such an event is plenty of batteries for your flashlights, radios, and other emergency equipment. Radios with a hand crank can also come in handy since they don't have to rely on batteries. Walkie-talkies can be used to keep in communication during such events.
Some people get bored without having a TV or computer during such events. Having board games, cards, dominoes, or other non-technological activities around will help break boredom and actually connect families together that TV could never do.
People have lived without electricity for thousands of years. In case of an extended power outages, you will still be able to survive. Just stayed prepared to ease the effects of blackout.
During power outages, it can be hard to get a hold of family members because not only regular telephone service but even cellular phone service can be disrupted. Even if the phones are working, you could run into the problem of the phone lines being jammed. Families should come up with a contingency plan on where to meet up or get a hold of each other in such an event as a blackout. Make sure to account for weekdays versus weekends and holidays.
Since most gas stations need power to operate, you will find out that you won't be able to get gas during an outage. This is one reason that you should always keep your tank full. During an outage you will want to keep driving to a minimal unless you are planning on leaving the affected area. Don't try to leave the affected area unless you have more than twice the needed gas to actually do so. You will most likely find out that other people are having the same idea and the traffic will be worse than can be imagined.
If you are at home when the power outage occurs, fill up as many containers that you can with water. Fill your bathtub full of water if you can. Water is going to be very important in an extended power outage situation. You will need water to consume and wash with. During winter months, make sure you don't have large ice blocks in your tub.
During summer months, you want to keep the contents in your refridgerator and freezer cold as long as possible. Try not to open the doors to your fridge unless you have to. If possible, place bowls of ice cubes in your fridge when the power outage hits. Also, keep your house as cool as possible by closing curtains and blinds.
During winter months, you may want to transfer the contents of your fridge to a garage or a place outside where it's colder. Just make sure to put the contents in a place where animals will not get to them.
Before there is a power outage, there are things you can do in advance to help prepare yourself in case you do find yourself in such as situation. Purchasing a backup power generator can alleviate most of the problems that depend on electricity, such as your fridge and AC. When choosing a power generator, calculate the wattage you will need in a blackout scenario. It is possible to hook up a power generator directly to your home using a transfer switch.
Other things to have on hand before such an event is plenty of batteries for your flashlights, radios, and other emergency equipment. Radios with a hand crank can also come in handy since they don't have to rely on batteries. Walkie-talkies can be used to keep in communication during such events.
Some people get bored without having a TV or computer during such events. Having board games, cards, dominoes, or other non-technological activities around will help break boredom and actually connect families together that TV could never do.
People have lived without electricity for thousands of years. In case of an extended power outages, you will still be able to survive. Just stayed prepared to ease the effects of blackout.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Survival Knives
If you have been watching Man vs Wild on Discovery, you will realize that a knife is probably the most useful single tool that you can have in a wilderness survival situation. It can be used to skin animals, make shelters, lighting a fire with the flint and steel method, cut notches in wood, etc.
There are different types of knives that would be useful in a wilderness survival situation. For a primary knife, you want a strong fixed blade knife that is sharpened only on one side and broad edge on the other side. Some knives will have a saw edge on the broad side but is usually limited in actual sawing capability. The knife should have a securely fitted handle; it shouldn't move about the tang which is the handle part of the blade.
For a backup or secondary knife, you can choose a multi-tool/multi-blade knife such as a Swiss Army Knife. Beware of knives that do not have a locking system and can cause injuries with improper use.
Small machetes are also useful for cutting wood and foliage. Most machetes are over 18 inches in length. I find ones that are around 13 inches easier to carry and just as useful as the bigger ones.
Whatever kind of knife you choose, you will want to carry it in protective scabbard or carrier. You will also want to carry a sharpening whetstone and leather strop to keep your knife clean and sharp. To sharpen your blade, keep it at a 30 degree angle from the flat of the stone, which should be dampened with water or oil, and stroke the blade across about six times in an outward direction before sharpening the other side of the blade with six strokes running toward you. Be careful when sharpening towards you that you don't go to far and injure yourself. After sharpening the blade, strop the blade backwards and forwards on the leather strop to strengthen the edge.
If you look after your knives well and never stick or throw them into tree trunks or the ground, your knife will look after you in a survival situation.
There are different types of knives that would be useful in a wilderness survival situation. For a primary knife, you want a strong fixed blade knife that is sharpened only on one side and broad edge on the other side. Some knives will have a saw edge on the broad side but is usually limited in actual sawing capability. The knife should have a securely fitted handle; it shouldn't move about the tang which is the handle part of the blade.
For a backup or secondary knife, you can choose a multi-tool/multi-blade knife such as a Swiss Army Knife. Beware of knives that do not have a locking system and can cause injuries with improper use.
Small machetes are also useful for cutting wood and foliage. Most machetes are over 18 inches in length. I find ones that are around 13 inches easier to carry and just as useful as the bigger ones.
Whatever kind of knife you choose, you will want to carry it in protective scabbard or carrier. You will also want to carry a sharpening whetstone and leather strop to keep your knife clean and sharp. To sharpen your blade, keep it at a 30 degree angle from the flat of the stone, which should be dampened with water or oil, and stroke the blade across about six times in an outward direction before sharpening the other side of the blade with six strokes running toward you. Be careful when sharpening towards you that you don't go to far and injure yourself. After sharpening the blade, strop the blade backwards and forwards on the leather strop to strengthen the edge.
If you look after your knives well and never stick or throw them into tree trunks or the ground, your knife will look after you in a survival situation.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Meditation for Survival
It's imperative to make proper judgement calls and decisions in a survival situation. Yet, in a survival situation, people are experiencing psychological effects that may impair the decision making process. People can become so stressed as to lead to a complete mental breakdown. One way to deal with this, if there is a time allowance, is to meditate.
A simple breathing meditation can help cope with the stress of survival. Meditation can slow down the heart rate and drop blood pressure, which leads to an improved concentration.
Find a safe and quiet place to sit down and close your eyes. Concentrate on the sound and sensation of your breathing. Breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth. Try to concentrate on the lead of each breath going and out. When your mind starts to wander, which it will, just bring it back to concentrating on your breathing. Try this exercise for five minutes. Once you are done, you should have calmed down enough to make your next survival decision.
Possessing survival skills will be the best tool for handling stress. Knowing survival skills means you will less likely fall into thinking that you are helpless. But, if you do get to that point of being unsure of what to do and you feel a little stress, try meditation.
A simple breathing meditation can help cope with the stress of survival. Meditation can slow down the heart rate and drop blood pressure, which leads to an improved concentration.
Find a safe and quiet place to sit down and close your eyes. Concentrate on the sound and sensation of your breathing. Breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth. Try to concentrate on the lead of each breath going and out. When your mind starts to wander, which it will, just bring it back to concentrating on your breathing. Try this exercise for five minutes. Once you are done, you should have calmed down enough to make your next survival decision.
Possessing survival skills will be the best tool for handling stress. Knowing survival skills means you will less likely fall into thinking that you are helpless. But, if you do get to that point of being unsure of what to do and you feel a little stress, try meditation.
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