Page 50 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

COMMON CORE little shelf-stable
› I like to keep a
You’ll need a knife. A big, honking water handy in
skull-cleaver might look impressive, but case there are no
ready external
you’ll likely get more mileage out of some- sources. Keeping
a flat or two of
thing more compact. Number-10 scalpel bottled water is
blades with a holder make quick work of always a great
skinning chores. A proper multi-tool o ers idea—if you’ll be
in a vehicle.
a blade and much more. If you might need
to make a backwoods camp or manage fi re-
wood, something adequately substantial to
either chop or saw will make camp chores
much more palatable. That could mean
a modest knife, along with a hatchet or a
single blade that represents a compromise
between the two.
Be sure to include a little tape, cord and
wire. Duct tape can be removed from the
roll and then wrapped tightly around itself
so that a fair amount need not take up any
real space. The same thing goes for a length › Below left: I keep a little shelf-stable water in my bag. This gives you something to sip on if you
MREs are now
of nylon trotline. In addition, I keep handy a remarkably tasty. cannot find a reliable external source. A flat or two of store-bought bottled water is
roll of fi ne wire I found in the crafts depart- The appeal lies in always a good idea, particularly if you have space. You wouldn’t want to tote it, but it’s
the fact that they
ment at Wal-Mart. This versatile stu can keep, despite likely worth a little room in your car if that’s how you are rolling. Remember to rotate your
be used for snares, as well as a variety of rough handling, stock to keep it fresh.
and provide a
camp tasks. (In darker spaces, it could serve balanced meal. You can (and I have done this) purify water using clean socks and Clorox bleach. The
as a weapon.) The downside is end result is safe to drink, but it tastes funny and will leave you feeling vaguely ill. By
that they really
And if you wear glasses, keep a spare set don’t last all that contrast, a proper water filter will transform some of the most noxious bilge into clear,
long in the grand
in your bag so you don’t become little more scheme. tasty drinking water. These things need not be expensive, and they take up very little
than baggage in a crisis. room. They also leave you functionally immune to boil-water notices at home. A decent
› Below right: water filter is a must.
Food is important,
HYDRATE OR DIE but it isn’t criti-
cally important
The typical healthy adult can make it 30 in the near term. EVERYBODY LIKES FOOD
to 45 days without food. He’ll be gaunt Mountain House MREs might seem like the obvious solution, but they have a surprisingly abbreviated shelf
and grouchy by then but should, nonethe- freeze-fried foods life. I had more than a few MREs stashed away, only to fi nd they were no longer great to
take a little effort
to rehydrate.
less, remain atop the daisies. By contrast, However, they eat because the “end of the world” was a bit overdue. MREs are typically only fully reliable
you can’t make it more than three or four are tasty when for about three to fi ve years, depending on how they’re stored. It can also be hard to assess
days without water. properly prepared how fresh they are when you get them. Certain components of MREs remain edible for
and last 25 years
or more when much longer periods, but taste can su er.
stored, unopened,
in a cool place. A better solution is freeze-dried food of the sort produced by Mountain House. This stu
is quite tasty if properly rehydrated and prepared, and it lasts 25 years when left sealed.
Freeze-dried food is available in individual pouches and institutional tins. Just keep in

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