Tag: Survival

What is Zello, how do you use it

Zello is an app that emulates push-to-talk (PTT) walkie-talkies over cell phone networks. In other words, it turns your cell phone into a walkie-talkie while using it.

It is being used by people around the world as a direct messaging service that allows members to communicate freely, either privately with individuals or over open channels that can support hundreds of thousands of users.

It has been especially helpful to people trying to circumvent government censors in counties like Turkey and Venezuela.

Rescue workers are also turning to Zello to communicate with one another during disasters.

And groups like ANTS  http://americansnetworkingtosurvive.org and Preppernet.com have set up Zello channels for their members to communicate with each other during good times and bad.

In a nutshell, it’s the next best thing if you do not have your amateur radio (HAM) license.

Its Achilles heel is its dependence on the cell phone and internet coverage areas.

To sign up for Zello

Install the free Zello app from your App Store or Google Play store.

Create an account. You will need to choose a username at this time, and you will not be able to change your username after creating the account, so make sure your spelling is correct.

Add contacts. You can do this by entering your phone number and e-mail address to let the app automatically add them from your phone’s contact information. Or, you can add them manually by using the search function to find users by username, e-mail, or phone number.

And that’s it, your ready to go

Next, open the app and play around with it.

There are many things you can do with the app, but most people use it to join a channel they are interested in. Once you are on a channel, you are ready to talk.

What are the three basic types of handguns

A firearm is a portable gun (a barreled ranged weapon), and there are three basic types of handguns.

A ranged weapon is any weapon that can engage targets beyond hand-to-hand distance, i.e., at distances greater than the physical reach of the weapon itself.

The smallest of the firearms is the handgun, and there are three basic types

The single-action revolver is fired by cocking the hammer and squeezing the trigger one shot at a time

The double-action revolver can be fired in the same manner as the single action or by squeezing the trigger to fire (a double-action.)

And the semi-automatic uses a single fixed firing chamber machined into the rear of the barrel, and a magazine that can be used to fire more than one round. Each press of the trigger fires a cartridge, using the energy of the cartridge to activate the next cartridge, which may be fired immediately.

The video below shows how each one works.

Fish antibiotics, would I take them in an emergency

Would I take fish antibiotics in an emergency? Yes.

If you buy fish antibiotics in pill form. And they have the same coloring and imprint codes printed on them as human antibiotics, you are getting the same product.

Amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, penicillin and more, are repackaged and sold as fish antibiotics, sometimes in equal doses.

But there is some risk you should know about

Number 1 – The pills do not have to meet the same handling standards for medication, and may not get stored properly.

Number 2 – You need to know which ones to use and why. I would not use them without first reading the book The Survival Medicine Handbook: THE essential guide for when medical help is NOT on the way, which covers this topic thoroughly.

And finally, check to see if you have the same pills by matching them up with this pill identifier tool.

In the end, it’s up for you to decide if the risk outweighs not having anything to take in a grid down situation.

All prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the U.S. are required by the FDA to have an imprint code. If your pill has no imprint code, it could be a vitamin, diet, herbal, or energy pill, or an illicit or foreign drug. It is not possible to accurately identify a pill online without an imprint code.

20 uses for that cool survival bracelet you’re wearing.

Number 1 – It can be woven into an EDC survival bracelet containing a minimal toolset.

Number 2 – It can be used to set up a tarp or used as tent guy lines.

Number 3 – You can make a lanyard.

Number 4 – Traps can be made to catch small animals.

Number 5 – It can be broken down into a fishing line or used to make a fishing net.

Number 6 – You can use it to replace a broken shoelace.

Number 7 – Turn it into sewing thread.

Number 8 – Floss

Number 9 – Emergency pet leash

Number 10 – Bowstring for a fire drill or DIY hunting bow.

Number 11 – Use it to lash items together.

Number 12 – Create a perimeter tripwire.

Number 13 – Use it to string up a food bag to keep the critters and bears out of it.

Number 14 – Create a zipper pull for your pack.

Number 15 – Make a clothesline.

Number 16 – Replace a drawstring.

Number 17 – Tie up an intruder.

Number 18 – Use it to make a spear for hunting or defense.

Number 19 – Replace a broken generator pull cord.

Number 20 – Use it as a sling or splint broken bones.

Parachute cord, also known as paracord or 550 cord

Parachute cord, also known as paracord or 550 cord, refers to type-III paracord, a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes.

A kernmantle rope is constructed with its interior core protected by a woven exterior sheath designed to optimize strength, durability, and flexibility. Its relatively smooth texture comes from the braided sheath, which has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, making it reasonably elastic.

The US military MIL-C-5040H standard required the material to be nylon. Still, there are products on the market today labeled as paracord that do not correspond to a specific military type and can differ in construction, quality, color, or strength.

The type III 550 cord is commonly found in use. It is nominally rated with a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds, thus the nickname “550 cord,” and has a minimum elongation of 30%.

Military-specification type III cord may be slightly thicker than commercial grade due to it often requiring three nylon fibers per inner core as opposed to two fibers per core in the retail version.

The military cord will be closer to 4 millimeters (5⁄32 in) thickness, whereas commercial versions are closer to 3 millimeters (1⁄8 in) thickness.

Most people today are familiar with the cord due to the popularity of prepping and its use in survival bracelets that are meant to be unraveled when one needs to use it for a specific purpose.

Crafters also weave it into lanyards, belts, dog leashes, rosaries, key chains, and more.

Paracord can be used in survival situations to make bowstrings for hunting or fire drills. It can also be used to make traps and fishing line. The list of uses for this cord is endless and should be a part of your EDC (Everyday Carry) kit.

You wake up to realize your house is on fire

You wake up to realize your house is on fire. Immediately you throw off the covers and run for the front door to escape. You’re almost there, a few more steps, and you’re out, but you fall to the floor, overcome by smoke.

A firefighter pushes on the door, trying to enter but finds its block. He finally opens it enough to squeeze through; smoke and flames race out the door above him. Finding your lifeless body, he drags you outside and begins CPR with the medic crew that just pulled up. Other firefighters continue to battle the blaze.

Your neighbors look on in shock, and the cries of your wife, who has just arrived home from work, can be heard in the distance as a police officer briefs her of the situation.

The exhausted firefighter kneels to the ground and unzips his bunker gear to cool off as the ambulance drives away with your body. A scene that could have been prevented if you had remained calm and crawled out of your house instead of running. There was very little smoke at floor level, but you panicked and forgot this simple rule:

If you awake to an alarm or suspect fire at night, roll out of bed, and crawl, there will be less smoke and heat at floor level.

On average, seven people die in U.S. home fires per day.

Smoking is the leading cause of civilian home fire deaths. Heating equipment is the second most common cause of home fires and fire injuries and the third leading cause of fire deaths.

Smoke alarms save lives.

Make sure you have a working smoke detector in your home.

Don’t be the next victim, remain calm, and survive.

Many disaster stories have been passed down through history.

Many disaster stories have been passed down through history. In this post, we look at some Australian Aborigine stories.

The Luritja people, native to the remote deserts of central Australia, once told a story about an impact disaster:

“A fire devil coming down from the Sun, crashing into Earth and killing everything in the vicinity.”

The Gunditjmara people describe a tsunami:

“A gigantic wave coming very far inland and killing everybody except those who were upon the mountaintops.”

In The Legend of The Great Flood, a drought is described in the time before the flood:

“In the dream-time, a terrible drought swept across the land. The leaves of the trees turned brown and fell from the branches, the flowers drooped their heads and died, and the green grass withered as though the spirit from the barren mountain had breathed upon it with a breath of fire. When the hot wind blew, the dead reeds rattled in the river bed, and the burning sands shimmered like a silver lagoon.

All the water had left the rippling creeks, and deep, still water holes. In the clear blue sky, the sun was a mass of molten gold; the clouds no longer drifted across the hills, and the only darkness that fell across the land was the shadow of night and death.”

In a story about Lake Euramoo, an earthquake is described:

“The broken taboo angered the rainbow serpent Yamany, the dominant spirit of the area … As a result, ‘the camping-place began to change, the earth under the camp roaring like thunder. The wind started to blow down as if a cyclone were coming. The camping-place began to twist and crack. While this was happening, there was in the sky a red cloud, of a hue never seen before. The people tried to run from side to side but were swallowed by a crack which opened in the ground’…”

The Gugu Badhun Aboriginal people tell a story of an enormous volcanic eruption.

“Once upon a time, a huge explosion rocked the land, and a massive crater appeared in the ground. A cloud of malicious dust filled the air, and when people wandered into it, they disappeared forever. The air was so hot that along the waterfronts, the ground appeared to be on fire.”

And finally, this Aboriginal story tells of a time when the sea was lower.

“In the beginning, as far back as we remember, our home islands were not islands at all as they are today. They were part of a peninsula that jutted out from the mainland, and we roamed freely throughout the land without having to get in a boat like we do today. Then Garnguur, the seagull woman, took her raft and dragged it back and forth across the neck of the peninsula, letting the sea pour in and making our homes into islands.”

These stories were once thought to be myths, but science is proving them to be true. Humans have been living with disasters since the beginning of time, and we will continue to live with them.

Learn to live with nature, and you will survive; fight it, and you will lose.

Black pepper and Dr. Scott’s old-time medicine show

Black pepper is the world’s most traded spice and is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. Its spiciness comes from the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers.

As of 2016, Vietnam was the world’s largest producer and exporter of black peppercorns, producing 216,000 tonnes or 39% of the world total of 546,000 tonnes.

Peppercorns were a much-prized trade good in the past, often referred to as “black gold” and used as a form of commodity money. It was so valuable that it was often used as collateral.

So what can you do with the amazing black pepper that many considered a luxury item in the Middle Ages?

Well, flavoring food is the number one use for black pepper, but there are other uses for it. So let’s get this old school peddler show started and talk about its AMAZING applications.

Gather round folks cause I’m going to introduce to you the black pepper, cultivated in the far lands of Asia. 

Friends this black substance can cure cancer and other health issues due to piperine, an alkaloid that gives black pepper (Piper nigrum) its pungency. Studies have shown that piperine exerts protective activity against numerous forms.

Got high blood pressure? I got the answer for that as well. Reports have shown that piperine can lower blood pressure in animals, so why not you?

Have you put on a little extra weight? Piperine can take care of that too. Yes, that’s right, studies have shown the very compound that makes you sneeze, also fights the formation of fat cells.

But that’s not all folks, there’s more! The ancient Chinese used pepper to alleviate coughs and congestion. This multipurpose powder stimulates circulation and mucus flow. Combine it with honey, and you got yourself an excellent natural cough suppressant. Simply mix a teaspoon of powdered black pepper with 2 tablespoons of honey in a cup. Then fill with boiling water, cover, and let it steep for about 15 minutes then strain. Do it three times a day, and your congestion and sinuses will be clear.

And I’m not done folks, this show is just getting started so step in a little closer. This product can also help fight infections and has superb antioxidant effects, Antioxidants fight disease-causing free radicals and boost immunity. In Indian, a study showed that rats induced with oxidative stress showed considerable improvement in their condition when administered with black pepper. Yep, I said it, rats.

Another test conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition in India found that black pepper had the highest concentration of antioxidants in all of the foods they had analyzed.

You got to get you some of this stuff folks because it can also improve your oral health too.

Just make yourself a messaging mixture, and relieve from toothache and other oral infections can be had due to piperine’s antibacterial properties. Simply mix equal amounts of salt and pepper in water and rub on your gums. For a toothache, you can mix black pepper with clove oil and apply it to the affected area.

Now, I know you’re saying to yourself, “Dr. Scott, that’s amazing, sell me some right now!” And I will, but I don’t want you to walk away without knowing about all of the uses for my pepper.

Did you know it can enhance your brain health? Who knew, right? And ladies, if you got a man that needs a little help in the fertility department, then pepper can help you out. It is known to increase testosterone levels as it is rich in zinc and magnesium – two minerals critical for male sex hormones. The zinc in pepper also helps in the development and movement of his little troopers. But go easy with it unless you want one of those big farm families.

Want to stop smoking? It will cure that too. Believe it or not, studies have shown that inhaling the vapor from black pepper can reduce smoking withdrawal symptoms. How’s that for a fix, my friends.

Dang! I’m about out of breath talking about all the benefits of pepper, but I can’t stop now because it also fights wrinkles, dandruff, and a lot of other things.

Its essential oils have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that work to reduce muscle injuries, tendonitis, and symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. It may even help ease the discomfort of constipation, diarrhea, and gas. Now, who doesn’t need help with that? I know I do cause I might just be full of myself today.

So I’ll end this show right here and tell you to take a look at the four pages I referenced for this little post so you can make up your own mind as to what will and will not work.

As for me, I like it on my eggs and grits every morning, and that’s about it.

References Wikipedia, Draxe, Herbpathy and Stylecraze

An atmospheric dust veil and the hunger years

An atmospheric dust veil covered the earth in the years 535/536 CE and brought about death and hunger to millions.

It is believed to have been caused by volcanic eruptions in the tropics or an impact disaster from space; regardless, the devastation had to be overcome by those with the will to survive.

The words from those who wrote about it tell a story we may live someday if another deathly dust veil encircles our world.

The Byzantine historian Procopius recorded of 536, in his report on the wars with the Vandals.

“For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed. And from the time when this thing happened, men were free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to death.”

As you can see in his description, the people at that time had resorted to waring with one another as a pestilence (a fatal epidemic disease) fell upon them. Starvation was pushing them to their moral limits just as we would be today.

Michael the Syrian, of Byzantine, also wrote of the veil.

“The sun was eclipsed for 18 months. For only three hours in the morning, it would give light, but a light that resembled neither day nor night.”

In his writings, we see that the sun only gave light for three hours in the morning. Can you imagine the fear most people would have felt not knowing the cause fo their suffering?

A cloud, dust veil, or dry fog that darkened the earth for a year was mention by others, saying that it caused cold, drought, and food shortages.

Michael the Syrian also wrote.

“During that year, fruit did not reach the point of maturity, and all the land became as though transformed into something half-alive, or like someone suffering from a long illness.”

The Gaelic Irish Annals recorded the following:

“A failure of bread in the year 536 AD” – the Annals of Ulster

“A failure of bread from the years 536–539 AD” – the Annals of Inisfallen

It also snowed in August of that year, in China, which ruined crops in Qingzhou and other provinces, and a dense, dry fog entered Eygpt.

The 536 events and ensuing famine may have also been responsible for the deposition of hoards of gold by Scandinavian elites at the end of the Migration Period. Their gold appears to no longer hold value for them as they sacrifice it to appease the gods trying to get the sunlight back.

Nothing was more important to them than the life-giving rays of the sun.

Other various historical sources from the sixth century describe “a sun that hardly cast a shadow.”

Some today believe this event could be the source of the Legend of the Fimbuwinter, the harsh, cold period of three years of winter without a summer that takes place before Ragnarock, the twilight of the gods–the end of the known world and the birth of a new era.

I can certainly believe the people of that time must have felt as if they were reborn into a new era after the veil lifted returning life to the planet.

Will the sun be taken away from us again one day? I don’t know, but there is no need to live in fear because there is nothing we can do about it. What we can do is live a prepared life and strengthen our minds to become the survivors of our time.

A volcanic winter is a reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulfuric acid and water obscuring the sun and raising earth’s albedo (increasing the reflection of solar radiation) after a massive, particularly explosive volcanic eruption. Long-term cooling effects are primarily dependent upon the injection of sulfur gasses into the stratosphere, where they undergo a series of reactions to create sulfuric acid, which can nucleate and form aerosols. Volcanic stratospheric aerosols cool the surface by reflecting solar radiation and warm the stratosphere by absorbing terrestrial radiation. The variations in atmospheric warming and cooling results in changes in tropospheric and stratospheric circulation. Reference Wikipedia.com