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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Finding Food on the Seashore and Deserted Island

Tropical Islands are rarely desert islands, They will usually offer plenty to eat, both in the water and in the island. Seashore plants will differ according to the climate and they will be available when weather or tide prevent you gathering food from the sea. In the water you can find seaweeds of different varieties, which are a very valuable food source. For the Survivor, when on a deserted island, protein, fat and carbs are all extremely important for the energy that is needed to keep surviving until you are rescued or you self rescue.



 Seaweed can usually be found where the water has rocks and is more shallow so that the sun can reach them. Seaweed can also be dried and stored for months. It's good to have foods that can be stored for long periods of time, especially for the survivor, you never know how long you will be at a certain area or if you will be waiting to be rescued or if your going to self rescue.


 Mollusks & Bivalves... such as oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels should close tightly when trapped. When hunting for fish, mollusk, bivalves, lobster, sea urchins or other sea life, it is best to do it at low tide, when rock pools can be inspected and buried mollusk and other creatures can be dug from the sandy shores. Only eat mollusk that are alive and remember that if a mollusk is above the high tide water level (above low tide is fine), but if above the high tide level or if the water or fluid that comes out of the mollusk appear to have a green or yellow tint in color DO NOT HARVEST OR EAT these! They will make you extremely sick and may be toxic and can cause death. Survival code is that you NEVER risk eating or messing around with something that your are not exactly sure what it might be. If you are unsure, it is best to just leave it alone and look for something else to eat that you know is OK. Remember Fresh water fish are always OK to eat, But Salt water or ocean life has a lot of different varieties of fish that are extremely poisonous. Stick with what you know, It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Gastropods ... There are a few different varieties of gastropods such winkles and whelks that have an operculum (kind of like a trap door) that closes the entrance to the shell. It should close tightly if the shell is shaken. Some Gastropods, such as Limpets and Abalones have no operculum but are tightly anchored to the rocks, It is best to use a knife to pry underneath the edge of shell to harvest them from the rocks. If they are difficult to pry off of the rock then they are good to eat, but if they come of way to easy then they are more than likely sick or dead (just make sure that there is no green or yellowish color water or fluid before eating them). If there are any limpet found still anchored after high tide, then they are still good to eat. The Tide will usually wash away sick or dead creatures.

  
Cooking Shell Fish... You can cook shell fish in many different ways, with Bivalves such as clams, scallops, oysters and mussels, you can Boil them for 5-10 minutes, or you can place your bivalves (mussels, oysters, clams, etc..) on the coals of your fire for about 5-10 minutes and when the shells open they are ready to eat!!



SEA SNAKE
Fishing... Fish and sea snakes require more catching. Some fish are dangerous and all sea snakes are venomous. Distinguish snakes from eels by their scales and their broad flattened tails. On the coasts the best time to fish from the shore is about 2 hours after high tides. If you fish when the tides are still coming in you are going to be constantly retreating. Saltwater is known to rot clothing, shoes, and boots, so when fishing do it in shorts, or in your underwear or a bathing suit. (or if you are on a deserted island, go naked, it's not like anyone is going to see you and it will cool you off).

 Sea fishing requires a larger hook than freshwater fishing, if you don't have a hook, as a survivor you improvise by using things that are around you for instance you can use trash that washes up on shore from the ocean to make a hook or you can make a four prong spear. (which I will go over in another post).
  
Sea Eel
A wide variety of bait can be used when fishing in the ocean. You can use limpets, conch, snails, or even lug worms that can be dug up on sandy and muddy beaches. At low tide look for the coiled worm casts that shows you where their L-shaped burrows are.
  
Make use of the tide to help you catch fish by building large arrow shaped fish traps from stakes or rocks. Point them away from the shore. Fish will be caught when the tide recedes. This is what is called "Lazy man Fishing" or better yet "Low calorie Fishing". Using this method, not only will you have dinner being caught with out you having to expel calories that your body needs, babysit a pole or spear fish, but you can forage for food, water, and work on your shelter, which ever needs to be done priority wise. Work Smarter, Not harder.
Different types of Echinoderms





SEA CUCUMBER
Echinoderms... Another useful source of food, the echinoderms include starfish (not worth bothering with as food), sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers creep about on the seabed or burrow in the sand. They look like wary black cucumbers, up to 8 inches long. Sea cucumbers should be Roasted over a fire until done or boiled for five minutes before eating. Sea Cucumbers are very tough and chewy after they are cooked.


SEA URCHIN
Sea urchins, or sea eggs as they are sometimes called, are usually prickly balls which cling on to rocks, just below the low water mark but they have burrowing relations, the cake and heart urchins and the sea  potato which can be found beneath the sand. Split open and eat the egg like 'yolk' inside. You can eat it raw, but it is safer to boil. AVOID any if their spines do not move when touched or if they smell bad when opened.



DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRUSTACEANS
Crustaceans... These include crabs, crayfish, shrimp, prawns, crab, and lobsters, all of which make their homes in rock pools. Lobsters are usually found beyond the tidal zone but sometimes can be found in deep pools or crevices. Look Under stones and seaweeds... Though you will have to be quick to catch them!!! A net would help. Improvised one from clothing and a piece of wire or a sapling. Sand crabs are abundant in the tropics. Active at nigh, they can be chased back to their burrow at the top of the beach dug out. Some even climb trees and can be knocked down.
   Freshwater crabs, crayfish, and shrimp are also found in many parts of the world. They are smaller than sand crabs and usually found in shallow water.

 All Crustaceans spoil quickly and they may contain harmful parasites. They must be eaten as soon as possible, so keep them alive in water until you are ready to cook them. They are cooked alive, either by plunging into boiling water, so that they die almost immediately, or by putting them in cold water and heating it up, which is claimed to lull them in to unconsciousness so that they feel no pain. Boil for 20 minutes. If you don't have some kind of container that you can boil them in, you can always put them on the hot coals of your fire for about 15 minutes or so. You will know when they are done.

Crabs have poisonous sections which must be removed. You do this by twisting off the claws and legs, then, with the crab on its back, place your thumbs under the flap at the tail and push upwards. Pull the flap up and away from the body and lift it off. This prevents the stomach contents from touching the flesh. Next press on the mouth and stomach come away in one piece. The lungs (known as "Dead men's Fingers"), which are harmful to eat, can them be pulled out and discarded.

 Lobster is easier to prepare. Cut along the back towards the head and split open. The stomach lies just behind the mouth and is removed with the head and intestinal cord.

Seabirds... Most ocean coast are alive with seabirds, Fish for them. Leave baited hooks among offal on flat rocks, even throw baited hooks into the air to be taken on the wind.  Try wrapping bait around stones. The sudden change in weight can make birds crash.
      Ground nesting birds can provide a rich source of eggs. Look for the ones that are easy to collect before risking raiding nests on cliffs. You can also try to catch the birds themselves at night when roosting, but do not risk climbing.
 
The White Tern lays their eggs directly on the tree branches
 Some birds, Like the White Tern, lay there eggs on branches in trees, These birds are easy to spot because they are white with a long, sharp, black beak. You can tell when you are close to one with an egg because the bird will flap its wings, and you can see the birds little spotted eggs just resting on a tree branch.
  







Thanks for reading, Be sure to read Surviving On A Deserted Island and Seashores And The Survivor
For related post on this article. Don't Forget to check out The Ruff Survival YouTube Channel.





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Friday, March 29, 2013

Surviving on a deserted Island

 SURVIVING ON A DESERTED ISLAND


 
 

Islands offer a special challenge to the survivor, especially small islands and those lacking resources. The feeling of loneliness is emphasized on an island and the sense of isolation acute. The problems are mental as well as physical. To help overcome them explore the island thoroughly and establish a daily routine.

  
Climb the highest point to make a sketch of the island and get a mental picture of the terrain. Explore every creek, cranny, bay and beach of the coastline. Then take you reconnaissances inland until the island is familiar.
 
The island may have been inhabited in the past. Remains of building offer a basis for shelter. Fence post and wire will be useful to repair your boat or build a raft. Vegetables may still be found growing and rats seem to follow man everywhere, sometimes they are the only permanent wildlife to be found.

 Shelter... Shelter will make life seem better and even a scrape in the ground will give some protection. If you find caves ensure that they are not tidal before you decide to use one. Remember that even caves that seem safe may be flooded or cut of by spring tides, which are higher than normal.

   On a barren rocky outcrop shelter may simply mean finding a place out of the wind. Water may depend on you collecting rainfall and distillation. Food will be whatever clings to the rocks, birds and bird eggs if you are lucky, and what you can haul from the sea.

Resources... On any small island resources will be limited. Take care not to over exploit any one of them. Water is often a problem, lack of it is the reason many islands are uninhabited. Lush vegetation will draw attention to spring and streams. Digging above the high water mark may produce water. Catch and store rainwater.

  
To desalinate sea water by distillation you need a lot of fuel, which may be scarce. Driftwood may be available and some seaweeds will burn when dried, but you need wood to get the fire going. Seal blubber also makes good fuel. Have a fire only when you really need one. Search beaches after every tide, not just food wood, but for plastic bottles or containers, netting, and other trash. Everything has a use for the survivor.
  
Once familiar with your island, venture out at night, more creatures can be seen and foraging may be more rewarding.


Coconuts... The coconut palm is found right through the tropics and subtropics and can provide many valuable resources. The fronds can be used for shelter, the husks for ropes and as tender for fire, growing points taste just like cabbages, the milk for hydration, the meat for calories, and the shell for cups and containers.
 
Removing The Coconut Husks... To remove the fibrous husk around the coconut force it over a sharpened stake, hit it on a sharp rock or split it with a hand axe. Extract the milk by piercing one of the dark 'eyes' of the nut itself before smashing the nut open to get the meat.
  
Coconut milk is a safe, refreshing, and very nutritional drink. A large nut may hold about 1 liter of water. Drinking the very young green or old dark brown nuts will give you diarrhea, so take that into consideration before drinking to many of those, Use them as an emergency back up, when you have no water at all to drink.  If you happen to get the coconut that still has what I like to call the "cotton candy" part of the coconut, where the center is a spongy edible delight, enjoy it, you don't find them often and it is the very best part of the coconut, full of rich nutrients and vitamins.

Extract coconut oil by exposing chopped white meat to heat, sun, or fire, Then collect the oil as it runs off, or by boiling and skimming the oil as it rises to the surface. Rub it on to  protect from sunburn, and chafing from saltwater, to repel insects, as a salve for sores and blisters or mixed with wood ash as a substitute for soap.

Climbing Palms... If coconuts don't fall on your head and you cant knock them down, or if you need to reach some high bananas, don't try to climb the tree trunk like a rope. Instead, tie a strong bandage of cloth into a strap and slip it around your ankles. Adjust it to hold your feet close to the trunk and then you can press the soles of your feet inward and grip with them while shimmying up the tree.

                  ATTRACTING RESCUE

  • LAY OUT SIGNALS TO ATTRACT SEARCHERS BY ARRANGING ROCKS, SEAWEED AND ANYTHING THAT GIVES CONTRAST AND MOVEMENT WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS.

  • SAND IS EXCELLENT FOR POLISHING METAL TO MAKE MIRRORS TO SIGNAL WITH.

  • IF YOU CAN SEE A SHIP YOU CAN TRY AD MAKE CONTCT ON A VHF RADIO (IF YOU HAVE ONE)

  • A BIG  'X' IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE MOST URGENT SYMBOL OR LETTER FOR AN INTERNATIONAL RESCUE SIGNAL

  • 3 LINES IS ALSO KNOWN AS AN INTERNATIONAL RESCUE SIGNAL

  • WRITE   SOS  AS BIG AS YOU CAN WITH DEADBRE, SEAWEED OR ANYTHING THAT IS A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN WHAT THE BACKGROUND IS.

  • FIND SOMETHING BRIGHTLY COLORED THAT DOESNT GO WITH THE SURROUNDINGS, PUT IT ON A LONG BRANCH OR STICK, STICK IT IN THE GROUND AND MAKE IT LIKE A FLAG SO THAT RESCUE PERSONAIL KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND

  • MAKE A HUGE FIRE, USE TRASH AROUND THE ISLAND THAT HAS WASHED UP FROM SEA, LIKE FLIPFLOPS, STIROPHOME, RUBBER, ANYTHING THAT WILL PUT OF ALOT OF DARK OR BLACK SMOKE.

  • NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP TRYING, KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN TO EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.

  • MAKE 3 CONTROLLABLE FIRES THAT YOU CAN HAVE READY TO LIGHT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF POSSIBLE RESCUE
And always remember... These methods can be used no matter where you may find yourself when trying to achieve self rescue or become found.

Thanks for reading, please check out my other post that are related to this one, I have the links below.
Also Thanks for all of your support, G+'s, Comments, shares on twitter and Facebook.
Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/ruffsurvival
Eric from Ruff Survival

Hi guys!! We wanted to update our post today (5/20/15) and let everyone know that we have a couple of new things to share, First off, I know its been a while sense we have added a new post, Don't worry, We haven't forgotten about our blog, We have just been incredibly busy with our new baby which is fixing to turn 1!! Yay!! We will be posting fresh info for all of you survivalist out there at least a couple times a week.
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 http://ruffsurvival.blogspot.com/2013/03/seashores-and-survivor.html
http://ruffsurvival.blogspot.com/2013/03/getting-water-from-plants.html

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Seashores and the survivor

SEASHORES 
 
Lets talk about the Seashore... Most seashores offer abundant sources of food and excellent prospects for survival. Even where they appear bleak and barren, there is food to be had. Coastal waters are the home of many life forms-- Seaweeds, fish, birds, molluscs and the plankton that support the marine animals. Inland lakes and water ways of all kinds will also team with life, with the exception of the Dead Sea and other areas of extreme salination, and those heavily polluted by man.
     Coasts can range from sheer cliffs to long and gently sloping beaches. From the sea a towering cliff offers no opportunity to escape the water. Even a stretch of beach at its foot is likely to be cut off by high tide in tidal waters, though it could offer a few hours of respite before swimming off to find another landing place. All kinds of shore, however, offer resources to exploit and there are few better places to be stranded.

Sandy Beaches...  Sandy Shores tend to be gentle and sloping. The tide goes out a long way, revealing large areas which are the habitat of burrowing species, let below the exposed sand. They include many worms and molluscs and they also attract feeding birds. Look for signs of buried mullucs. It is usually easier to spot the marks left by the syphons of buried bivalve under the shallow water at the sea's edge.
   Where the sand is not inundated by the tide and is blown into dunes, it may be possible to find fresh water and it is here that plants will grow.
  Sand is easily blown by the wind and gets into everything. Dunes also tend to be full of aggravating insects, so don't choose them for making camp or building shelter, if you can move beyond.

Muddy shores and estuaries....  Where a slow moving river joins the sea it deposits sediment, rich in nutrients, forming large mud flats. These can support many species of worms and mulluscs and provide a rich feeding ground for birds and animals.

Rocky Shores....  Rocky shores, if their cliffs are not too sheer, trap pools of water when the tide recedes. These pools may team with life. Rocks form a strata to which the many univalve shells can cling, and anchor for weed and sea urchins and crevices where octopus and other cephalopods can live.
   Soft rocks, such as chalk, marl and limestone, erode quickly and their surfaces are smooth, but hard rocks fracture in chunks and provide good nesting sites for birds.

 

Pebble Beaches...   Stretches of pebble beach, often found between sandy and rocky sections of the shore, sustain least life. The continual movement of pebbles makes a difficult habitat for most plants and animals.
 
Tides....   Tides vary considerably according to both location and time of year for they are caused by the counter-gravities of the sun and moon. In enclosed seas, such as the Mediterranean, they range over only a few meters. The Bay of Fundy, Between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, has a difference of 52 feet between low and high tide.
   A line of debreis along the beach; a change in appearance and texture from the long dry sand to that which is daily inundated; weed, shells, and color changes on vertical rock faces, all these will help to indicate the level to which the water is likely to rise.
    Always check access to and from a beach or rocky shore. Keep an eye on the rising water level so that you do not run the risk of being cut off. Tides not only scour the beach but throw up valuable flotsam and jetsam, often providing fuel for fires and may leave large fish stranded in rock pools along with their inhabitants.
 
          That's all for today....
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Getting Water From Plants

Water From Plants


Water Collectors... Cup shaped plants and cavities between the leaves of bromides (many of which are parasitic on the branches of tropical trees) often collect a reservoir of water.
       Bamboo often holds water in its hollow joints. Old and yellow stems are more likely to be water bearing. Shake them, if you can hear water slurping around cut a notch at the bottom of each joint and tip the water out.

 *  Ttraveller's Tree Ravenala madagascariensis, one of the banana family, can hold 2-4 pints of water between the bases of the chevron of leaf stalks.

Vines... Vines with rough bark and shoots about 2 inches thick can be a useful source of water. But you must learn by experience which are the water bearing vines, because not all have drinkable water and some have poisonous sap. The poisonous ones yield a sticky, milky sap when cut. You will know not to try that type again. Otherwise it is a matter of trial and error and worth trying any species.
      Some vines cause a skin irritation on contact if you suck them, so it Is better to let the liquid drip into your mouth rather than put your mouth to the stem, and preferable to collect it in a container.
     To obtain water from a vine select a particular stem and trace it upwards. Reach as high as possible and cut a deep notch in the stem. Cut off the same stem close to the ground and let the water drip from it into your mouth or into a container. When it stops dripping  cut a section from the bottom of the vine first as this will cause the liquid to run up the vine through capillary action.

Roots...  In Australia the water tree, Desert Oak and Bloodwood have their roots near the surface. Pry these roots out from the ground and cut them up into 12 inch lengths. Remove the bark. Suck out the moisture or shave to a pulp and squeeze over the mouth.
     It is not easy to find some of the most useful desert roots unless you have been shown by someone with experience. Australian Aborigines can identify a tiny twig which grows from a football like bulbous root, which can be a life saver. But unless you have been shown how to find them it is not worth expending your energy and resources looking.

Palms... The Buri, Coconut and Nipa palms all contain a sugary fluid which is very drinkable. To start it flowing bend a flowering stalk downwards and cut off its tip. If a thin slice is cut off the stalk every 12 hours the flow will be renewed, making it possible to collect up to a quart each day. Nipa palms shoot from the base so that you can work from ground level, on grown trees of other species you may have to climb up them to reach a flowering stalk.
     Coconut milk has considerable water content, but from ripe nuts it is a powerful laxative and drinking too much would make you lose more fluids.

Nipa Palm


Buri Palm





Cacti...  Both the fruit and bodies of cacti store water, but not all cacti produce liquid safe to drink. The Saquarro, the giant multi fingered cactus of Arizona, is VERY Poisonous. Take Care to avoid contact with cactus spines, they can be very difficult to remove, especially the very ine hair like ones, and can cause festering sores if thy stay in the skin.
 
Saquarro Cactus

*Fun fact about the Saquarro cactus: Sereus giganteus of Mexico, Arizona and California, grows to 17 feet high and holds large amounts of fluid-But it is extremely poisonous. Collect and place in a solar still to evaporate and recondense during the cold night.



    The Barrel cactus Echinocactus grusoni can reach a height of 4ft tall, and is found in the southern United States through to South America and requires a considerable effort to cut through its tough spine covered outer skin. The best method is to cut off the top and chop out pieces from the inside to suck, or to smash the pulp within the plant and scoop out the water sap, which varies from tasteless in some plants to bitter in others. An average sized 3 1/2 foot Barrel cactus will yield about 1 liter of milky juice and the is an exception to the rule to avoid milky sapped plants.


Barrel Cactus

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Methods of Distillation

Distillation

Distillation kits are part of the equipment of life rafts, but they can be improvised. To distill liquid you need to make something to do the job of a laboratory retort. Pass a tube into the top of a water filled covered container, placed over a fire, and the other end into a sealed collecting tin which, preferably, is set inside another container providing a jacket of cold water to the vapor as it passes out of the tube. You can improvise the equipment from any tubing (pack frames for instance). To avoid wasting water vapor, seal around the joins with mud or wet sand.
    An easier method is a variation on the desert still. It takes a little longer for the water to condense but may be easier to set up.

 Instructions: Take a tube from a covered vessel in which polluted/saltwater, or even urine is to a boil. Set the other end under a solar still. A sheet of metal or bark, perhaps weighted down, will cover the vessel. Even a cone of leaf over the water pot will help direct the steam into the tube.

Water From Ice or Snow... Melt ice rather than snow, it produces a greater volume faster for less heat, Twice as much for half the heat. If forced to heat snow, place a little in the pot and melt that first, gradually adding more to it. If you put a lot of snow into the pot, the lower lever will melt and then be soaked up into the absorbent snow above it, leaving a hollow beneath which will make the pot burn. Lower layers of snow are more granular than on the surface and will yield more water.

Water From Sea Ice...  Sea ice is salt (not good for drinking) until it has aged. The ore recently frozen, the saltier it will be. New sea ice is rough in contour and milky-white in color. Old ice is bluish and has rounded edges, caused by weathering.
         Good water can be obtained from blue ice, the bluer and smoother the better. But beware of even old ice that has been exposed to salt spray.

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How to Make a Solar Still

Solar Still



Dig a hole in the ground approximately 36inches across and 18inches deep. Place a collecting can in the center, then cover the hole with a sheet of plastic formed into a cone. The sun's heat raises the temperature of the air and soil below and vapor is produced. As the air becomes saturated, water condenses on the underside of the plastic, running down into the container. This is especially effective in desert regions and elsewhere when it is hot during the day and cold at night. The Plastic cools more quickly than the air, causing heavy condensation. This kind of still should collect at least 1 pint over a 24 hour period.
  The still may also double as a trap. Insects and small snakes are attracted by the plastic. They may slide down into the cone or wriggle underneath it and drop into the hole and then cannot climb out. A solar still can be used to distill pure water from poisonous or contaminated liquids.

* Roughen underside of sheet with a stone to ensure droplets run down it. Use stones or weights to secure edges and keep cone shape. Fix can so that trapped creatures cannot tip it over.
    If feasible use a syphon to a lower level to draw off water without disturbing the still.

Warning about Urine and Sea Water
Never drink either... NEVER!!! But both can produce drinking water if distilled, and sea water will provide you with a residue of salt.



Getting water from Condensation

Condensation



Tree and plant roots draw moisture from the ground, but a tree may take it from a water table 50ft or more below, too deep to dig down to reach. Don't try, let the tree pump it up for you by tying a plastic bag around a leafy branch. Evaporation from the leaves will produce condensation in the bag.
 *Choose healthy vegetation and bushy branches. On trees keep the mouth of the bag at the top with a corner hanging low to collect condensed evaporation.
Placing a polythene tent over any vegetation will collect moisture by evaporation which will condense on the plastic as it cools. Suspend the tent from the apex or support with a padded stick. Avoid foliage touching the sides of the trap or it will divert water droplets which should collect in plastic lined channels at the bottom.
    Even cut vegetation will produce some condensation as it warms up when placed in a large plastic bag. Keep the foliage off the bottom with stones so that water collects below it, and keep the foliage from touching the plastic. Use Stones to keep the bag taut. Support the top on a padded stick . Arrange the bag on  a slight slope to encourage condensation to run down to the collecting point. When no longer productive carefully replace with fresh foliage.

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Thanks Eric from Ruff Survival