Survival Essays (3060 words) - Camping, Firelighting, Tinder

Survival SURVIVAL Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE NUMBER 1. DEFINITIONS 2 2. SHELTERS 2-3 3. FIRE 3-6 4. FOOD 6-7 5. WATER 7 6. TOOLS 8 7. SURVIVAL KITS 9-10 DEFINITIONS Survival ? Survival is emerging from natural or manmade disaster in a better position than the average person. Preparedness ? Preparedness is making preparations before disaster or disasters strike to improve your chances of survival. SHELTER Shelters are made to stay out of the wind, rain, and sun. Shelters are also used to live in and get plenty of rest. There are many types of shelters. The shelters are classified in to two categories, natural and man made. Natural shelters are shelters that you can find naturally made or not man made. There are many natural shelters. Here are some examples of natural shelters, caves, rocky overhangs, thickets, and many more. You can also find some other types of natural shelters. Man made shelters are shelter that you make. You may be lucky and find an abandoned building or some type of shelter. There are many types of man made shelters like lean-to's, igloos, brick shelters and many more. Here are some examples below that you can make. You can also create and make your very own shelter for your specific needs. Lean -To shelters are shelters that you lean branches or some item onto another. You just need branches or trees, leaves and ferns. Ferns will help waterproof the roof and any other areas that you want waterproofed. Mud brick shelters are sturdier but may take longer to build. You cut the turf in to the size of bricks you want. Then you can build the walls for the shelter. Next you need to build a roof (ferns would work well). Igloos can be made if there is snow. You need a snow pile. First put a backpack or some object in snow at top. Then, dig out an entrance that is big enough for you to get in and out. Next, dig until you find backpack or object, then pull it out carefully. Finally, excavate or shape the inside. Here are some ideas of shelter that you may be able to build. FIRE To build a fire you need three types of materials. The three types of material are tinder, kindling and fuel. Tinder Birch Bark Fine wood shavings Dead grass, leaves Straw Sawdust Dead evergreen needles Completely rooted parts of dead logs Bird down(fine feathers) Milkweed, dry cattails, bulrush Fine, dried vegetable fibers Lint from pocket and seams Waxed paper Gunpowder Cotton Kindling Small twigs Small strips of wood Split wood Heavy cardboard Pieces of wood removed from the inside of larger pieces Wood that has been doused with highly flammable materials such as gas, oil, or wax Fuel Dry, standing wood and dry, dead branches Dry inside (heart) of fallen tree trunks and large branches Green wood that is finely split Dry grasses twisted into bunches Peat dry enough to burn (this may be found at the top of undercut banks) Dried animal dung Animal fats Coal, oil shale, or oil lying on the surface BUILDING THE FIRE Building a fire may take some time, but in the end it is worth it. There are for main ways to build or lay a fire. They are Teepee, Lean ? To, Pyramid, and Cross ? Ditch. Teepee ? Arrange the tinder and a few sticks of kindling into the shape of a teepee or cone. Light the center and the outside logs will fall inward, feeding the fire. Lean-To -Push a stick into the ground at a 30 angle, with the end of the stick pointing into the wind. Put tinder far under the lean-to stick. Lean some kindling against the lean-to stick. As the kindling catches fire add more wood or fuel. Pyramid- Place two larger logs parallel on the ground. Place a solid layer of smaller logs across the two logs. Add 3 to 4 more layers, each layer smaller than the last. Make a small starter fire on top, as it burns it will light the logs below it. Cross-Ditch- Scratch a cross about 12 inches in size on the ground, and about 3 inches deep. Put