Bushcraft Basics, page 12
How much water do you need? The general rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just for drinking. They also suggest that, in an emergency situation, you should drink a minimum of two quarts (half a gallon) of water a day—more if you’re in a hot climate, sick, pregnant, or a child.
This is all well and good for the most basic drinking needs, but hardly adequate for daily needs. For washing, laundry, cooking, etc. you will need much more. Storing water is a great idea. But if you’re out in the wilderness or bushcrafting, you need to be able to purify whatever water you might find.
My home in Central Oregon is within striking distance of high desert, mountains, temperate rain forests, the Pacific coast and beautiful deciduous forests. I love to roam all these areas, and frequently end up miles from the vehicle and my backup water supply. But these areas all require different variations of hydration gear. Here’s how to decide what will work best for your region.
One important consideration before choosing hydration gear is to understand how long it will take to work. Some sport bottles with water filters work instantaneously—you fill them up, prime the filter, and drink. This is invaluable if you need to quickly rehydrate a child, or someone who is dehydrated to the point of medical emergency.
The best solution for hydration is to carry a variety of methods. My preference for a quick filter solution is the Nalgene Filter System. The bottle holds thirty-two ounces and it draws relatively easily and immediately. The LifeStraw is also an immediate filtration solution that allows you to draw water from any source for immediate drinking.
The chemical treatments, such as the Polar Pure, can require upward of thirty minutes to work, depending on the water temperature. Generally speaking, boiling is not a particularly quick operation. The time it takes to boil water varies, depending on altitude, heat source, shape of container, etc. Then the water will have to cool down enough to drink.
These are the three container styles I rely on. (From left) The Nalgene military style quart bottle takes up less space and doesn’t roll around. The thirty-two-ounce Nalgene wide mouth has a really good filter system that can be added to it. The Platypus collapsibles take up hardly any room, weigh next to nothing, and can be filled in the field.
You must have durable, large capacity water containers available. If you’re out all day in the desert or a flood, for example, there probably won’t be a place or chance to replenish your drinking water, and all you’ll have is what you carry. Also, you might find someone without any water at all.
Here’s what I carry as part of my hydration system, and so far, everything has served me well. (Many of these items are multi-use):
• Nalgene bottle: I like the wide-mouth model and modify mine with a paracord loop and duct tape. The loop is designed so the bottle can be carried on my belt or tied to a cord to lower into a stock tank, depression, or water source that is hard to get to. Don’t think you can just tie something onto the lid retainer—chances are it will break at some point, and as these things go, probably when you need it the most. Nalgene also has a water filter that fits right inside the standard thirty-two-ounce wide mouth bottle. The filters are lightweight, compact, and relatively easy to drink from. I also wrap several feet of duct tape and some paracord around my bottle. These items are useful for everything, and the water bottle is a convenient place to carry them!
• Platypus flexible water containers: These collapsible water containers are available in various sizes as water storage units and they roll up into a small, lightweight pack when empty. I generally carry a couple large-sized extras, rolled up and empty, in my daypack, since they weigh next to nothing and don’t take up much space. Then, if you need to carry water from a spring or other water source, you won’t have to improvise. (Tip: since you will probably need a minimum of a gallon of water per day, it makes sense to take enough flexible water containers to haul a gallon!)
• Tin or metal cup: This is for boiling or dipping water out of hard-to-reach places. Boiling water may prove to be the safest, most effective method of water purification available, providing you have a heat source. A tin cup works great and is incredibly useful. How long should you boil the water to purify it? Bring the water to a boil, and that should kill anything that boiling will kill. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, then vaporizes. Extended boiling will not make the water hotter or kill more nasties, but it will use up more of your fuel! I usually carry a large (about twenty-four-ounce capacity), metal cup for several tasks. My large blue enamel cup and a spoon comprised my mess kit for a nine-day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. I never needed anything else. I have brewed countless cups of tea or coffee over various heat sources with that piece of gear, and I don’t leave home without one!
• Polar Pure or Potable Agua: These are chemical purifiers, and require a certain time period for them to work. I used the Polar Pure system exclusively on a nine-day canoe trip in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters and the system worked really well. Potable Agua comes in capsules or packets and is easy to carry and use. Either Polar Pure or Potable Aqua goes on every outing.
• Six-foot piece of aquarium tubing: I got this tip from Peter Kummerfeldt. Peter recommends including the tubing in case you find water in a crack or crevice and can’t get to it. Just stick the tube in the water and suck it out.
• Coffee filter and bandanna: If you can filter the mud and debris out of the water, it will make any filter last that much longer. In especially turbid, muddy water, wrap the coffee filter around the bottom of any filter and attach it with a rubber band. The bandanna has many uses, including serving as a water filter. A clean one that you haven’t used to wipe your nose is preferable!
• Large garbage bag: Another multi-use item. Use this to catch rain or dew, or as a reservoir for holding water.
• Water filter: Some lightweight method of filtering and purifying water can be incredibly useful. Several companies make sport bottles with filters in them. Using them is simple—fill the bottle and suck the water through the filter. These are the best for hikes along streams, or in areas where you know there is running water available. If the water is really nasty, two drops of plain chlorinated bleach or iodine can be added to each refill before filtering. This will kill minute pathogens such as viruses, and the disinfectant will then be filtered from the water entirely, removing its odor, color, and taste.
Include a variety of water purification solutions in your urban or back country survival kits. (From left) Polar Pure, LifeStraw, and Nalgene bottle with filter system.
So, these items work for me. My hydration system is set up with the premise that there is a piece of equipment along that should be able to handle any situation. Do your research, select your equipment carefully, and include an integrated hydration system in every survival kit.
And stay hydrated in the first place!
How to Choose a Magnetic Compass
Flashback: My Globe Positioning System was acting weird. I was in the high desert west of Bend, Oregon and knew the area. My compass said I was right on course. The coordinates on the topographic map agreed. But the GPS claimed the parking lot was about half a mile when I could see my car about fifty yards away.
In another instance, my brother, Michael Pantenburg, was following an elk trail down into a steep Idaho ravine. When he checked his GPS, there was no connection to the satellites. He navigated out of the area with his compass.
Magnetic compasses are sometimes taken for granted, or ignored, in favor of a GPS. But any GPS is only as reliable as the batteries in it. Or, you may find yourself in an area where the GPS can’t connect with satellites.
Here is a good rule: Don’t go anywhere off the pavement without a quality magnetic compass and know how to use it. But there are a bewildering array of compasses on the market, and they come in all sorts of configurations. How will you pick the best compass for your particular requirements?
This baseplate compass is set for declination, has map scale information, and a small magnifying glass.
I asked navigation expert Blake Miller what he would recommend. Blake Miller has made a career out of staying found. His formal navigation training began when he joined the US Navy in 1973. He served as a navigator on several Navy ships over his twenty-year career. Blake began working with satellite navigation systems at sea in 1976, culminating with the then-new Global Positioning Systems aboard the Battleship Wisconsin. As a volunteer, Blake teaches navigation and survival classes, to students in the local school district and conservation groups. He is a member of a Search and Rescue team.
Blake suggests a good baseplate compass for outdoor travel. Key features include:
• Declination adjustable as I don’t recommend a compass that can’t be adjusted for declination. The packaging will state “declination adjustable.” Some cheap compass packaging states that the compass has declination scales; this is not the same thing. Declination is a magnetic variation that must be adjusted for with the compass. “At most places on the Earth’s surface, the compass doesn’t point exactly toward geographic north. The deviation of the compass from true north is an angle called “declination” (or “magnetic declination”). It is a quantity that has been a nuisance to navigators for centuries, especially since it varies with both geographic location and time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
• Liquid filled housing to dampen the magnetic needle
• Two degree increments on the bearing dial of the compass housing.
• A clear baseplate of adequate size with map scale information and a small magnifier.
Check out the compass before taking it out in the field. Make sure the red needle points north. That sounds really elementary, but I have found two quality compasses where the needle was painted wrong, and the red needle pointed south!
Basic Land Navigation: How to Set a Compass Bearing
You need to know this basic land navigation technique, whether you are in the wilderness or in a city.
One of the simplest methods to keep going in a straight line. To keep from traveling in circles is to learn how to take a bearing.
To sight or take a bearing do the following:
1. Using the owner’s manual, adjust the compass for declination.
2. While holding the compass at waist level, turn squarely toward a distant object. Hold the compass so that the direction of travel arrow points directly at the object. (Point the direction of travel arrow away from you; perpendicular to your body.)
3. While holding the compass, turn the compass housing (the dial) and align the orienting arrow (engraved in the rotating housing) underneath the red magnetic needle.
The bearing data is found where the direction of travel arrow intersects the compass housing. At this point the hiker can walk towards the object (e.g., a mountain peak, a building, etc.) on a bearing. While heading out on the new bearing, consider walking to an object that is in-line with the destination. For example, perhaps there is a distinctive tree or rock outcropping halfway between the hiker and the destination. Simply verify the bearing to the object and walk directly towards it and place the compass in a pocket. Homing in on an intermediate object prevents fixation on the compass and keeps the navigation simple.
Consider using multiple intermediate bearings in route. Remember, a quality topographic map should always be taken into the field with the compass.
An excellent reference book is Staying Found: The Complete Map and Compass Handbook by June Fleming. This is my go-to land navigation reference book.
Do You Need a Gun?
Few actions require more forethought than purchasing a firearm. But more important than the style, caliber, action, and size of the gun is the reason for buying one in the first place.
Why do you want a firearm? Do you really need it? Would you be better off without a gun? You might be surprised.
Suppose you have no firearms background whatsoever, but you want to be prepared for emergencies, and are considering buying one. Maybe you’ve seen some of the TV shows where preppers are armed and their primary focus seems to be the inevitable gunfight that will happen when the Stuff Hits the Fan. Or, let’s say you are concerned about self-defense, and want to be able to protect yourself and your family. As a side benefit, you may want to eventually get into hunting, or think it might be a good idea to learn how to shoot accurately.
Well, don’t just go buy something that goes “bang” before giving it some thought. And you may decide you are better off without a gun.
For me, not owning firearms was never even a consideration. I come from a long line of hunters and shooters, and some of our firearms have been passed down for generations. I grew up on an Iowa farm, and all my peers hunted. Some of my first memories include my dad teaching me gun safety and how to shoot. The first item I ever saved up to buy was a Ruger 10/22 rifle.
In my Dad’s locked gun cabinet were firearms of many configurations, ranging from pistols to shotguns. Dad, a World War II infantryman, had an M1 Carbine, and a couple loaded magazines. That was the weapon he reached for when things went bump in the night on the farm. It never occurred to me to use that M1 “assault rifle” with the extended magazines to do harm to anyone.
Here are some of my opinions, based on experience, which will hopefully impact your decision process:
• I believe in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. But I don’t think everyone should own a firearm. Anyone unwilling to invest the necessary time to become proficient with a firearm, could become a danger to himself or others. A person who is mentally unstable, a convicted felon, or otherwise legally not eligible should not own a firearm.
You shouldn’t just go out and buy a gun. This rifle (top) and handgun have very different applications and uses.
• Before you buy any firearm, take a gun and/or hunter safety course or a concealed weapons class, even if you don’t intend to carry a concealed firearm. There are many educational opportunities available and contacting the sheriff or your local Fish and Game Department is a good way to locate a class. Have a safe, secure place to store the firearm and ammunition before you go shopping.
• Why are you buying a gun? Self-defense? Hunting? Recreation? Target shooting? Learn the differences between firearms—a .38 caliber snubbie revolver for self-defense will not work very well for deer hunting. And that scoped, bolt action hunting rifle might not be the best choice to repel intruders inside your apartment.
Here are some things to think about as part of the firearms-buying decision process:
Where will you secure the gun? Owning a gun that can’t be stored safely is irresponsible. In my view, that is a good reason not to have one.
A firearm is neither good nor evil. It is an unthinking machine until someone picks it up and decides how it will be used. This can be for evil or for good, depending on the user. Possessing a gun won’t keep you safe. Like anything, you must develop the skills to use the weapon.
A semi-automatic weapon with high capacity magazine does not make the best self-defense weapon. Large capacity magazines encourage a lot of “spray-and-pray” in my honest opinion, and the only shots that count are the ones that hit the intended target.
Flashback: A few years ago as a reporter for a newspaper in Oregon, I interviewed US Marine Kyle Thompson of La Pine, Oregon. Thompson had just come back from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he had served on Recon teams. The Marines, all of whom were sniper school graduates, were frequently dropped in Taliban territory to track down terrorist bands and help defend isolated villages.
With any weapon at their disposal, Thompson said some of the Marines frequently relied on the bolt action, .308-caliber M-24 scoped sniper rifle. The Taliban were armed with fully-automatic AK-47s. A common ambush situation, Thompson said, was that a Taliban terrorist would open up on a patrol and empty a thirty-round magazine in a continuous burst. The Marines could stay out of AK range and respond with an M-24.
Probably the most important self-defense question is this: Are you willing to kill someone to keep yourself or loved ones safe? This question needs to be answered honestly before you go any further on the self-defense firearms purchasing path.
In his book On Killing, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman argues that many people could not kill someone, even when threatened with lethal force. Killing from a distance, Grossman writes, such as artillery or bombing, can be relatively easy. But a close encounter, where you can see the other person and witness the impact of pulling the trigger, he comments, can be extremely difficult for most people.
Your unwillingness or inability to use your gun under dire circumstances could cause you to be disarmed. Then you have armed a perpetrator.
If your mind is not made up on any of these points, don’t buy a gun. It will do you no good and may cause harm.
Top Three Firearms for Beginners
I like and enjoy shooting anything that goes “boom,” with a special affinity for traditional black powder long rifles. Every year, time permitting, I hunt elk, deer, upland game, waterfowl, and whatever else I can legally pursue. But I try to stay away from writing about firearms. There is so much of it on the Internet, both good and B.S., that anything I contribute will be adding another drop to an already overflowing bucket.
But the question remains. So, here are my top three long gun choices for people starting out. You need:
1. A .22 caliber rifle
2. A shotgun
3. A centerfire hunting rifle
You can worry about handguns, black rifles, and tactical guns later, once you get the basics.
Also, variations of these three basic firearms are easy to find. If you shop around and watch for sales, you may be able to acquire all three of the suggested firearms for under $1000.
