Fire, Navigation and Security: When All Hell Breaks Loose

If we were to have a natural disaster, nuclear attack or a national collapse, would you be ready? You probably know what you’d need to have on hand for water, food and shelter. But do you know what you need for fire, navigation and security?

SIDEBAR: Before I hand over my hard-earned dollars I take the time to research products, prices and brands. I thought I would share some of my research with you today on the products I thought were useful and had good reviews. None of the links below are affiliate links — the only benefit I get is helping you to be prepared!

We live in the world of cell phones, laptops, ipads, DVDs, MP3 players, smart phones and all the rest of the gadgets we’ve all become so used to. Most of us wouldn’t be able to survive if we were abruptly thrown from a technology world into a world of nature; and if you’re not prepared or don’t know what you should do, it could end up killing you. Buying survival gear doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. After all, ancient cultures managed to stay alive without all of our gadgets and stores.

All of these items are for the worst case scenario because that’s exactly when an item will be needed and your life could be in jeopardy. So as the saying goes, “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Fire

You?ll need a fire when you’ve just had to walk through flood waters or across a river or it’s raining and cold — you’re drenched and in jeopardy of developing hypothermia. You’ll need to get a fire going and with these items and hardly any work you’ll have a roaring file in no time at all.

If you need to get a fire started in an emergency, maybe you should get something like the Blazer Self-Igniting Butane Micro-Torch. This micro-torch is a small, hand-held, self-igniting torch that creates a 2,500F flame in a jiffy. A flame that hot will get a fire started in no time — even if your kindling is damp or it’s raining — and will have you warming up very soon. You can also use it to cook; but you’ll need to make sure that the flame is blue and not yellow!

A yellow flame signifies that you need to alter the torch and blue means it’s completely burning with butane. (Tips: It would be a good idea to also buy many fuel refill canisters since the torch depends on fuel. One canister can last quite a while but you never know when you’ll need more or how long your emergency circumstances will last.)

Security

We all know that the wilderness is a precarious place, but a major city after an extensive disaster can also be very hazardous. During a disaster, you may need to be found if you happen to get separated from your family or a group. Whether you’re in trouble and being surrounded by criminals or you’re just scouting, hunting or scavenging, you should consider carrying signal flares.

Signal flares like the Orion 617 Emergency Accessory Signaling Kit will work well if someone is trying to locate you. Remember to buy extra flares! You also need to consider purchasing handheld, flame-producing roadside flares to keep in your vehicle. Any roadside flare such as the Orion 9340 30-Minute Red Flares don’t get fired from a gun and are great for starting a fire if needed — even if your tinder is damp!

If you’re trying to survive in the woods during a disaster and are confronted by a grizzly, there’s one thing that will scare him off — an air horn such as the Unified Marine 5007 4005 Air Horn. An air horn can additionally be utilized as a signal. You could alert people who are fishing or hunting that they need to come back to the shelter. Don’t forget to buy several refill cans so that you’ll have them on hand if needed for long-term use.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to see sharp images in complete darkness?

Well, you can with night vision! An item like the one-handed, easily operated infrared buttons of the Night Owl Optics 5-Power NOXM50 Night Vision Monocular is great for finding out if that noise outside your shelter is a bear, opossum or human.

At times you might want or need to observe other people or animals before they know you’re nearby. Alternately, you might not want to be discovered. Perhaps a product such as the Alpen Apex XP 8×42 Binoculars will do the trick. They’re fog proof, waterproof binoculars and just what you’ll need for not only hunting but they’re perfect for identifying far-off features in the terrain which could save you needless miles of walking. If you don’t have binoculars, you might misread the terrain and could end up at the edge of a canyon or cliff or at the bank of a river that’s too treacherous to cross.

Reading the ground from afar assists you in establishing which trails to take that don’t have as many obstacles as well as locating good water sources. If you’re in unfriendly territory, these binoculars will aid you in spotting armed criminals, an ambush, threatening dogs or other dangers before you run across them or before they locate you.

You’re running through the woods in an emergency situation and come to a cliff with a sixty foot drop. Now what?

It’s too steep for you to climb down it. Do you backtrack and hope that you can find a way to detour around the cliff? Not if you have a belay device you don’t! Yeah, I know — what is a belay device? Belay devices are mechanical pieces of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying.

Climbing and descending a cliff is very useful when you’re fighting to stay alive and with a device like the Petzel GriGri 2 Belay Climbing Device, you’d be much safer and it can get you out of harm’s way faster and easier too. (Some climbing lessons aren’t a bad idea either!)

Navigation

A compass is a great tool to have even if you’re just out for a walk and get lost — yet, during a disaster, it’s critical. In times of a crisis you need a compass that won’t have polarity problems but rather one that you can rely on. I like the Cammenga Model 27CS Lensatic Compass. Navigation is a very important survival skill taught in survival school and something you need to learn in addition to polarity protection and correct care for your compass.

A good long-lasting, stainless steel multi-tool is vital during any type of disaster. The multi-tool should have special fittings that can take off hardware around locking mechanisms, disassemble parts off of vehicles and remove ventilation covers. The Victorinox Swiss Tool Spirit Plus with Pouch is a good example of such a multi-tool and has thirty-eight functions and even contains a bit wrench with six bits. This is important if you come across screw heads which can’t be fitted by a common screwdriver.

I would also consider something like a Leatherman Multi-Tool which will also be handy for your firearms — just be sure to purchase the 40 bit add-on set so that you’ll be able to open pretty much anything you discover. Having a multi-tool can be very helpful and even get you out of danger or get you into an empty building when you need emergency shelter.

Now, obviously, you don’t need to buy all of these items. However, the more equipment you’re able to purchase, the better off you and your family will be during a time of catastrophe. Selecting the appropriate gear will get you through any disaster without too much difficulty or stress.

Maybe add these items to your wishlist and post a copy on the fridge? You can also drop a hint or two before your birthday to let folks know any of these items would be a welcome addition to your preparedness efforts. Now, that’s thinking!