Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:26 am

Chapter 15: Fishing

Don't think that fishing is easy, because it isn't by any stretch of the imagination. Even if there are fish jumping all about, it does not mean that you will catch one. There is a certain amount of luck involved when fishing.

I have been in areas to the Northland near the mountains of my people where I have witnessed schools of fish all about. They were jumping out of the water, fins sticking out of the water, very much apparent. I considered this was going to be an easy meal, but was I fooled. I wound up not catching anything during my three day stay in the remote location making use of scavenged net and handmade fishhooks baited with a fish carcass I found under a bird's nest.

Though of course, don't discount fishing as a viable meal either. The good news is, once a fishing technique is employed, it is a passive way to catch fish. It oftentimes is not needed to be actively monitored and managed, as a fishhook with bait can be left in the water for a day. You are free to check the hooks and nets anytime you have a moment. But again, this does have a certain amount of luck involved when trying to catch fish.

Pole Fishing
The chances of actually having a rod available in a survival situation is slim, though one can be constructed out of a branch and cording or rope. Hooks can be made from anything from bent nails, bones, or even carved wood. Given the versatility of material required, the chances are having something that can work as hook material is very high. You just need to be aware of your equipment and surroundings to think outside of the box.
Krom's Tip: When fishing, it is important to know the cycles of a fish given the time of year. Spring and fall is generally a feeding frenzy time. Fish during summer and winter tend to go deep into waterways making them difficult to locate.

Nets
Given you are in a survival situation, the chances of having a net is slim. But you may be fortunate and find an abandoned fishing village or discarded material that can be utilized. Nets are a wonderful tool if you have them, as they can be laid out into the water. Floating devices on one end of the net and the other tied down with sinking material, like rocks or boulders. By doing this, the net will be opened wide and blocking part of the waterway. The idea is for fish to swim into the net and get tangled into it or try to get through the holes of the net. By doing such, the head gets stuck and the gills prevent the fish from backing out or going forward, hence catching a fish. This can be a great way to obtain a nutrient rich meal, but again, this counts on luck and the movement of fish, the equipment, and time of the year.

Trotline, Limbline, and Jugline
This type of fishing is another passive way to catch a potential meal. The basic equipment is line, hook, and a bait. The idea is to tie one end of the rope or line to a stationary object and leave the baited hook in the water either by attaching it to an overhanging tree branch (limbline), a stump or boulder at water level with line running out into the waterway (trotline) or by securing the line and baited hooked upon some kind of floating device like a corked bottle (jugline). All of these techniques can yield great success and do not need to be consistently monitored allowing you to tend to other needs requiring your time.

Traps
Traps are a way to stop a fish or aquatic creature from escaping. A couple of ways can be done to achieve this. One way is to have a cage with bait inside of it. Have one entrance into the cage allowing for fish to go in easily but have difficulty finding the way out by utilizing prongs or pokes to detour a fish from tempting to get back out.

Another way, which is probably more suitable in a survival situation is building a fish trap out of the environment. This is created by sticking branches, rock, other material into the bottom of the waterway and create a wall into a circle pattern with only one opening. Placing a bait inside of the circle will lure the fish or aquatic animals into the area and find themselves confused with how to get out.

Spearfishing
An active attempt to catch fish is the art of spearing fish or shooting them with a bow and arrow. This is achieved by using a spear, trident, fork, or any object that has a sharp end upon a shaft. The act of wading through water in search of fish and stabbing them when close is a difficult way of catching fish, but it is possible if you have keen eyesight and fast reflexes.
Krom's Tip: Utilizing a dildo has proven to be challenging to use as a spearing device. The tip is usually too blunt and better served as a club for whacking a fish's skull to stun it than anything else.
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:00 am

Chapter 16: Wild Game

The idea of catching or hunting wild game is an attractive option because it gives substantial meat and tastes great. The reality though in a survival situation is that you won't be taking down big game without having archery skills, luck, and time to kill. Given you are in a survival situation, you probably are not equipped with hunting weapons, your luck is poor otherwise you wouldn't be in your situation, and you really have no time to wander around for hours on end in hopes of a deer or elk to wander in your path. Given all of the negatives, you are better off with obtaining small game as many of the techniques are passive once traps and snares are built and set.

Trapping and Snaring

Obviously, the labor intensive idea of getting a large animal is not practical in your situation. You were wise to read this section as this will be a passive way to get some meat in your diet (nothing sexual intended). Traps provide a lot of success given once setup, they work for you even while you are doing something else. A properly made trap or snare can bring you a great deal of food while tending to other tasks required in your situation.

Another boon to learning these skills is that anywhere in the world, this is a viable way to obtain substantial meals. Whether you are in the dessert catching scorpions, the forest trapping raccoon, or the grasslands snaring rabbits; there is game available to you if you know how to catch it.

Snaring Game
The idea is to keep things as simple as possible. The most simple device is a looped cord or string that will tighten around an intended games neck as it tries to bolt, only tightening more until the animal ties out or strangles themself. Either way, you have a meal on your hands. The key though in making a snare is to ensure that the loop is not too large than an animal can go through it, nor too small that the animal's head does not fit.
Krom's Tip: A simple noose is all you need to make effective snares.

Of course, the location of your snares is vital as well. The key is to keep them close to your shelter because you do not have the time or excess energy to hike a great distance to just check if anything has been caught. Once that is kept in mind, the location is vital. Observe for potential animal activity evidence; trampled runs or trails, tracks, droppings, chewed or rubbed vegetation. All of these signs will tell you that it is a viable area for potential game.

Squirrel Snare
Squirrels are plentiful in many parts of the world, lending them to be a viable food source to learn to catch. To construct a snare for a squirrel, use a long pole or branch and learn it against a tree at a 45 degree angle. On the top of the pole, loosely wrap wire nooses a couple of inches in diameter. The idea is for the squirrel to run along the pole and wind up getting caught into the wire noose.
Krom's Tip: To increase the chances of snaring a game animal, it is recommended to place small amounts of bait near or between snares to increase chances of game to come.


Rabbit Snare
To make a rabbit snare, create a loose noose and drape it on low foliage. Connect another piece of rope to the loop and secure it upon a bowed branch or tree overhead. Securing to a taut branch should be a sensitive trigger mechanism will be key in catching a fast moving rabbit. Once when a rabbit enters the loop, the trigger is tripped and the branch or tree will spring cinching the loop tight upon the prey. The animal will be suspended in the air unable to get free.

Trapping Game
Sometimes, snares are not a good option given lack of rope, wire or cording. The construction of simple traps will be your answer to solve this dilemma. Traps range from very simple to very intricate in design. Do what is needed and what materials are available to produce the desired effect: catching a meal.

Krom's Figure-Four Deadfall
To make this trap, three sticks of varying length and a crushing object like a flat rock is needed. When constructed, one short stick is the upright stick and nestled into a release stick that holds the crushing object in place. At a 45 degree angle, the release stick is notched into the bait stick. If properly setup, when looking at the sticks they will make a figure four in appearance lending to it's name. The idea is for the animal to try and eat the bait, disrupting the trigger and the crushing object stamps or immobilizes the prey. This is a simple trap that requires little work or preparatory work to make.

Doug's Deadfall
This is similar to Krom's Figure Four Deadfall in that it utilizes three sticks (two short and one long) and a flat crushing object. The pair of short sticks are linked together through notches and running between them is the bait stick. This is trickier deadfall to create and has caused many smashed thumbs as a result!

Bottle Trap
Many critters can be caught by utilizing scrap jars, cups, tankards or any other object that has steep smooth sides. The idea is to bury the object into the soil and rodents or critters will fall into it. Placing these type of traps near potential hiding places like bark cover or wood that is an inch or two from the ground. The idea is to create a shelter for the rodent to seek out in the case of danger. Do be mindful that snakes also are often caught by such traps!
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:23 am

Chapter 17: Survival Dangers

Nothing will kill you faster than your own self. Your confidence is mandatory for a successful survivor situation. The moment you forgo your confidence is the moment you will drastically decline in your survival. Your confidence is of the utmost importance. Without it, you will perish. The frame of mine in which you keep yourself in will dictate the outcome.

It goes without saying that dangers are all around you. Keeping this in mind will promote your heightened sense of awareness and keeping in mind safety as a primary concern. After all, this is a survival situation in which you will have to play not only defensively, but also offensively. On the offensive, you must be proactive in your survival doing things such as signaling, locating water sources, building a shelter, creating fire, and locating a stable food source. Defensively, you should protect yourself from the hazards that are inherent in the wilderness. You might find all the food and water you need, but if you do not consider the pathogens and other inhabitants of a region like poisonous snakes, you will perish because of your own stupidity.

Despite contrary belief however, at least you have your size and smarts over other creatures found in nature. Generally speaking, other creatures are not necessarily evil or have ill intent to bring harm. They often will strike when cornered or feeling that their life is in danger. This is at least to your favor, assuming your actions will not force an unneeded dangerous or hazardous encounter in the wild.

Weather
Of all the dangers in the wild, your number one enemy or friend is that of the weather. Bad weather is the biggest enemy in which you will have to face. As such, a good shelter is mandatory to help protect you because mother nature will NOT be so kind or care about your comfort.

Extreme heat or extreme cold, too dry or too wet, too windy or too calm... all of these weather patterns pose a great problem depending on your survival situation. Sometimes, it plays in your favor, but more times than not, it will work against you causing your greatest obstacle you will encounter. Keep this in mind, for ignoring weather will radically decrease your chances of survival.

Animals
Few things are more dangerous than that of predation. More times than not, animals will leave you alone as long as you do not compete against their survival. After all, you are in their territory and as such, you are to play by their rules. Taking away an animal's food supply or taking over their shelter will no doubt cause great trouble.

Should you find yourself squaring off with an animal, try to maintain calm and keep your head about you. Animals have a miraculous ability of sensing states of mind. They can sense fear and confidence. Animals will attack if they feel you are weaker than them. On the other hand, having confidence in the situation will many times detour an animal from attacking.

The key though is to make your presence know and not to sneak. Alerting animals of your presence is better than having fear of alerting them to attact danger. Consider it this way, what do you fear more? A person sneaking on your property or a person who is loud and letting his presence be known?

Creepy Crawlies
Those pesty critters that bite and sting are problematic. They have their purpose in the ecosystem just as anything else. Though they are small, they should not be discluded as a threat or danger. Many of them do have a level of toxicity or poison that can cause great discomfort.
Krom's Tip: Avoid any discomforts as possible. A pinched thumb for example is three times worse in a survival situation. Bug bites and bee stings are more bothersome as well. Don't be in a rush and risk a potential minor injury.

The truth is, you are at more risk of creepy crawly attacks than you are of animal or predator dangers. The reason is because there are far more creepy crawly numbers in existence than predators. Discrediting small insects as threats will be your biggest mistake. Some ants are violent and their bites hurt more than that of a snakes.

Keep yourself protected by not allowing easy targets for these critters. When building your shelter, try to elevate yourself off the ground and cover as much skin as you can. Keeping clothing loose allows for easy access for these small invaders to cause great problems. By being alert to these small details can save you a lot of discomfort and problems

Sleep Deprivation
By not getting enough sleep or rest in a survival situation, you are clouding your judgment as well as wearing down your bodies natural defenses. When you rest, your body has an inherent ability to fight off illness and heal itself. By having plenty of sleep, your energy stores will be greater when awake, your alertness will be heightened, and your ability to function in the wild is more efficient.

Region Specific Hazards

Arid, Desert, and Canyon
The sun will be one of your biggest dangers that must be dealt with in these harsh regions. Exposure to poisonous creepy crawlies, thorny plants, contaminated water, and skin irritation from blowing sand/dust are common problems to expect to have. This goes without saying that heat exhaustion or heat stroke is also a large concern you should be having. Dehydration is a common ailment that you will be faced with, so finding a substantial primary water source will be vital for your survival.

Forests and Jungles
Fatigue from travel through brush is one of the largest concerns you will face. Moving through thick brush, overgrown flora, and uneven terrain caused great strain to a body.

Arctic and Polar
Frostbite and hypothermia are some of the most deadly hazards and dangers you will be faced with. Be sure to stay dry at all costs. Sweating in this type of region can be fatal!

Mountains
Shifting rock and terrain is a real concern for these regions. The unexpected movement of deadly debris from above may be fatal should you be in its path. Keep this in mind when moving in this region and have a plan for safety.
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:04 pm

Chapter 18: Weather

You can plan for nearly everything, and work to minimize problems. Nearly all aspects can be controlled in a survival situation. One of the only things that cannot be controlled is that of the weather. No matter how beautiful it is at that point and time, it won't last. Eventually, there will be poor weather that will tempt to wreck your survival instincts and provide extreme discomfort and add danger to your situation.

Weather Sense
Knowing that weather is coming will be your saving grace. You can at least attempt to prepare for the worst and get certain things taken care of before damaging weather occurs. Things such as shelter preparation, gathering of firewood, and storing food so it is not damaged.

Locals
Weather is region specific. Sometimes weather has little predictors, but more times than not, there are some cues that will tell when danger is coming. Animals have an innate ability to predict many things like this. Subtle things such as songbirds ceasing to chatter or the peculiar movement of deer leaving an area. Your best way though to learn of weather changes is knowing the region as best you can, and that would be through the use of locals. They have lived in that area their entire life. They know what the weather is like an as such, often know the keys to when things are about to change for that region. Speaking with them and learning these tips before being stuck in a survival situation could very well be worth your time.

Wind
Knowing the direction of the wind that generally occurs can be a guide for you as well. When the winds start to blow a different direction or changing patterns, the chances of change in the current weather is a strong predictor.

Cloud Cover
Some swear that fortunes can be told just by looking at the clouds. I am not of that belief, however I do know that they can be tellers of change in weather. Low hanging clouds and dark in color oftentimes carry with them a form of precipitation. A mass of clouds on a horizon on a fair and calm day may also be a predictor of things to come and should warrant some preparation. And a general increase in the number of clouds blanketing the sky also is a tell tale sign that things are bound to change from the current weather status.

Sky
The coloration of the sky can be a good way to tell the weather to come. Though they are not perfect, they are indicators nonetheless. On my time spent upon a ship, the Captain used to use the old saying "Red skies at night, a sailors delight. Red skies in morning, sailors take warning." The key also is to not confuse the red sky with a red sun in the morning. A reddish colors sun is a normal occurrence and does not predict anything.

At night time, a clear sky and plenty of stars generally means a clear weather for the next several hours at least. The absence of stars generally indicates a change in weather to come and should consider taking precautions before bedding down.
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:26 pm

Chapter 19: Survival First Aid

Nothing can be more traumatic and diminishing your chance of survival than injuries. They are bound to happen and immediate care for them is vital. Simple injuries wind up compounding quickly when in the wild. A splinter in time will grow infected, the infection grows worse and causing you further illness. It snowballs into something devistating that has adverse reaction to your survival situation. Nothing can kill you quicker than an injury.

Hygeine
Survival is very dirty to say the least. You will be in contact with many things that may cause great harm to your body. It is important to maintain as best you can a clean sense of body to minimize the chance of infections or changing minor injuries into major ones. Keeping your hands, hair, feet and armpits clean are vital areas to maintain as clean as possible.
Krom's Tip: Four regions to keep in perfect condition: eyes, feet, hands, and stomach. These are your most prized possessions in a survival situation.


Herbal Medicines
Working with the witch doctors and shaman of my clan, they have provided me with a list of herbs and remedies that can generally be found in the wild to cure simple problems.

Back pain and Bruises

Arnica: This plant is often used to fighting off bruises and pains that happen. This plant can be identified by the bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that form during the Great Mother’s Tears Festival (June to July and continues until August). This is also known as Leopard’s Bane by some as well as mountain tobacco or mountain daisy. The flowers are dried and used to form a cream with the use of beeswax, water, and oils. These ingredients are mixed and boiled off for an hour over a hot fire. Then strain through a cloth before it cools into a vial and stopper it tightly. Ingesting this cream will poison the individual, it is important to keep away from open wounds and the face.

Gentian: This plant is rare to find as it requires plenty of moisture, full sun, and a sandy like soil. It is easily identifiable by the beautiful blue or purple flower blooms that happen at the end of the Great Mother’s Tears Festival (July-August). It grows to nearly two feet high on average in most locations. The Red Fist use this plant’s roots and boil it in water. Then they take cloths to soak up the boiled water with the root’s extracts and place it upon the ache, bruise, or sore muscles.

Horsemint: This plant blooms during the Great Mother’s Tears (late June-July) and can be identified by it’s pale-yellow flowers spotted with purple colors. The stems range anyone from one foot to three foot tall and square shaped. This Red Fist crush and steep the fresh horsemint leaves in cold water and drink it to relieve back pain. It also helps to cure fevers, inflammation, and chills.

Witch Hazel: This shrub is used as a healing plant to cure the small aches and pains a person may feel. It also works well for injured horses. This shrub can be identified by it’s rich clusters of yellow flowers beginning in later autumn and even bloom during the winter. The bark and leaves are an astringent, and the seeds contain a quantity of edible oil. To prepare this shrub to cure body aches, the leaves were boiled down and rubbed the liquid over the injured or sore spot.

Breathing Difficulties
Mullein: This type of weed can be found throughout the lands and can be identified as having a tall stem with yellowing flowers along the shaft. At the base of this weed are large leaves. The way to prepare this plant is to dry the roots of this plant and pulverize it into small pieces. The root pieces will be rolled into the large leaves and smoked much like tobacco products are.

Creosote Bush: This shrub is a long living and has been thought to live for thousands of years. It grows in harsh, desert-like regions where there is little moisture. As a result, this bush can be identified by its small, waxy leaves that keep it from losing much moisture due to the sun’s rays. It is usually found without much other vegetation around it due to the roots that spread out and act as a sort of repellant. The Red Fist will use the waxy leaves from this bush and boil it in hot water to make a tea.

Wormwood: This plant can be identified by its stringy, forked leaves and the dark green to reddish colored stem. It’s height can range from half a foot to three feet and will have flower blossoms at the 7th to 9th Moon Cycle (or months July-October). The flowers are tiny, yellow-green flower heads without rays. The Red Fist prepare the leaves in boiling water to make a tea.

Burns
Yellow-Spined Thistle: This plant is also known as Bull Thistle, Yellow Thistle, or Spiny Thistle by common folk. It can be identified by it’s three inch head of small yellow disk flowers with long stamen. It has leaves that range from one to two feet long and are spiny as well as lobed. The leaves are often very rough in texture. The Red Fist boil the thistle blossoms and apply the resulting liquid to burns.

Common Ailments
Boneset: This plant is thought to be the cure for the general body pains, fevers, stomach aches, and colds. The Red Fist make this plant into a tea and serve it cold. This plant can be identified by its white to pinkish florets numbering around fifteen per flowery head. It can rise to about five feet tall and have broad serrate leaves that are eight inches long.

Coughs
Aspen: This tree can be used for the inner bark to cure coughs. It can be identified by it’s grayish bark when it is old and to the side facing the sun, a white powder can be found on the bark that can be used as a sunscreen. The leaves are triangular and thin, as well as the stems. Due to the thin stems, they often twist in the wind and dance. The aspen has a tendency to only have branches at the top of the tree where the canopy of leaves will be found. The wood from this tree is brittle and very weak by nature. Not used for many things.

Wild Cherry: The Red Fist use this tree’s bark for coughs and colds. They would make a tea out of the bark by boiling it into a pot of water. The edible black fruit berries are often used to flavor the drink as well. The wood of this true is favored for building furniture because it is strong and durable. It also makes for a great firewood that has a blossom fragrance when burning. This tree is also used as a sedative. A very useful tree to the Red Fists.

White Pine: This tree’s inner bark is used to boil down into a tea. This tree pine can grow up to 200 feet in height with horizontal branches. It can be identified by the clusters of pale-green needles that number in five needles per bundle and range from 2 to 5 inches long. The cones of this tree are cylindrical in shape much like a cigar and are 5 inches long and 1 inch thick.

Insect Bites and Stings
Purple Coneflower: This plant is generally used for all types of insect related bites and stings. It can be identified by the beautiful purple blossoms during the fifth and ninth moon cycle(months). They can be found in dry, open woods, and on prairies. These blossoms have a tendency to attract butterflies, but repel deer.

Stiff Goldenrod: The flowers of this plant are ground up and made into a paste or lotion in which the affected area is applied and bandaged. This plant can be identified by the wildflower plumes of golden color and can grow up to 8 feet in height.

Tobacco:A simply, but effective, way to handle bee stings is to simply place a wet tobacco leaf over the affected area. Tobacco can be identified by the stalk having large leaves dropping off the main stem. At the top of the plant there is a cluster of flowers. These flowers range in color from white to a light red.

Trumpet Honeysuckle: This vine is easily identified by the long, tubular, red flowers that grow off of the vine. The Red Fist will take the flower and chew it to soften it. They will then place it to a bee sting to soothe the swelling. This flowering vine often brings many butterflies and hummingbirds. These vines are often found growing along side walls, fences, or other structures..

Wild Onion and Garlic: These can be eaten straight from the ground and can be found in any grassy area. They can be picked out by the long tails that stick out higher than the grass and when pulled from the soil, they have a bulb that is an onion attached to it. The Red Fist will chew this wild onion and use that to apply to affected areas.

Insect Repellents
Goldenseal: This plant has an erect hairy stem that grows to about a foot in height, with three or four yellowish scales at the base of the plant. The root of this plant is what the Red Fist use as well as bear fat. The Red Fist would pound the roots with the bear fat and smear it all over their bodies.
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:46 pm

Chapter 20: Survival Skills

Flexibility
The best skill you could have is being flexible. The chances are, you exact needs or wants will never be fully satisfied. You will be forced to make do with what you got. A lot of manipulation of objects and materials will be required to make your needs fulfilled to the best of your ability.

Simplify
Being simple is also your best bet. The more complex something becomes, the greater chances of failure as well as the more energy required to make it. For example, ellaborate snares and traps will have more room for error or things not functioning as you expect. This is problematic obviously, as you would have wasted time, energy, and materials in creating something that wound up not giving you the fruit of your labors. Keep things simple is the best skill you can have.
Krom's Tip: Hope. Without it, you will die. Do not ever fall to despair or lose focus.

Tool Crafting
Making something out of nothing is a real confidence booster. The creative process required to make a tool also keeps you focused on the task at hand and also helps shield you from droning on about the misery of the situation. It also is a tool that you can use for a specific purpose. Don't be squimish destroying something that is beneficial to you outside the survival situation. For example, burning expensive clothes as firestarter or filing a key into a point. These items are worthless to you if you do not survive the situation at hand. Keep that in mind!

Rope Making
A difficult sounding task, but it is quite simple in truth. Any fiberous material can be manipulated into making rope. To do this, gather the fibers and proceed to twist them between fingertips into a clockwise fashion. Do the same to another strand so you have two twisted strands that were fabricated in a clockwise fashion. Now proceed to bind the two strands together by twisting in a counter-clockwise procedure. Very simple and effective way to make rope that can be used for your survival needs such as snares and fishing line.

Knot Tying
Granted, tying up catgirls is not the intended purpose of this skill, but it is a great way to practice. Knots that serve a purpose are mandantory to help you in your survival purpose. The following knots are the most useful in my opinion.

Bowline
Superior strength and easy to tie, this knot is a must know for survivalist. It's primary use is generally tying the rope to an object, including yourself.

To tie a bowline, start by making a loop a short distance from the end of the rope. Pass the working end of the rope up through the loop, wrap it around the base, and pull it back down through the loop to finish the bowline.
Krom's Tip: The rabbit goes up the hole, around the tree and back down the hole. That little tale is what makes tying a bowline easy!


Clove Hitch
A great, simple knot that works well for securing objects together. Be careful though, for this knot has been known to slip on occassion.

To tie a clove hitch, work from left to right. Make a loop somewhere along the length of the rope. The make a second identical loop to the immediate right of the first. Stack the second (right_ loop on top of the first. Place both loops over the pole and pull the free ends of the rope to tighten.

Figure Eight
A great knot used often for climbing and for securing rope to an object. This knot binds very well and as such, also is very difficult to untie as a result.

To tie a Figure Eight knot, make a long loop by passing the working end of the rope back under the main rope stem. Cross the working end over the main rope stem and pass it up through the loop from the bottom. Repeat this procedure for the double figure eight.
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:46 pm

Chapter 21:Checklists

Personal Survival Kit
* Bandana
* Torch
* Flint and Steel, Matches
* Linen Bag
* Metal Cup
* Knife
* Healing Potion
* Cording or Rope
* Nonperishable Food
* Calling Horn

First Aid Kit
* Herbal Remedies
* Healing Potions
* Bandages
* Salve
* Knife or Razor

Home Survival
* Axe and Saw
* Basic Tools (hammer, nails, pliers, etc)
* Knife with Sharpening Stone
* Fuel Supplies for Fire
* Clothing and Footwear
* Cooking Containers
* Candles
* First Aid Kit
* Fire Starter and Devices
* Nonperishable Food
* Hygienic Supplies
* Shovel
* Gloves
* Blanket and Bedding
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Krom on Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:52 pm

About the Author

Lord Krom of Stromgald, son of Faldan, Elder of Red Fist Clan is a man of wisdom and knowledge. He has spent much time in the wilderness and in different terrains through his life as a tribal leader and General of the Emperor Stormbringer's Armies. His hope is that this manual may save your life and be of use should you find yourself in a survival situation.

Currently, Lord Krom resides at his estates known as Seven Oak Farms where he raises food and cattle for the Empire. He has expanded his ranch to increase food supply to share with the Empire's neighboring provinces and territories as well. He has come out of retirement as a military leader to serve the Viceroy of Valencia to serve as a General and bring peace to that area of the Empire.



Out of Character
This is a little project that I took great pride in and am a survival/wilderness nut. I love the outdoors and thought I would share some of my knowledge. I give a lot of credit to Les Stroud, some of you may know from his discovery channel series titled "Survivorman". A lot of my information comes from him and his book titled Survive! In fact, I used his format and tweak things to serve TLI. Most information here is true, factual information. It is my hope that you never are forced into a survival situation, however, it is best to be prepared now than to be regretting it in the future! Here in America, we should be mindful of situations such as the hurricanes in Louisiana that has forced people into survival situations. If we all plan a little now, we will be prepared when disaster strikes.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you find the information useful. I built this not only to inform, but also to give reason and justification for some skills that are found without having actual mentors to teach them. My field guide can be helpful and useful in justification for them. Some skills included:

Fire-Building
Weather Sense
Cooking
Hunting/Trapping
Wilderness Survival
Navigation: Wilderness
First Aid/Triage
Rope Use
Distance Signaling
Fishing
Foraging
Geography
Signaling
Winter Survival
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Phaing on Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:56 pm

Thanks, this is one of the most interesting threads I have ever seen here, or anywhere else. =D>
It is also helpful to know what people on wilderness adventures are really dealing with.

And it must hve been challenging, to make it into somthing that fits the Belariath perspective.

Are all those skills unrnaked?
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Re: Surviving the Elements: By Lord Krom

Postby Vysanth on Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:52 pm

This is a great read Krom! :) Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it and have use of bits of it for my character.

That being said, I need to reread it slowly in detail :) its so long but that I think will make it even more interesting to review.
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