10 Foods That Supercharge Your Brain

More often than not, we focus on foods that energize our bodies and increase our physical stamina. But, we forget that we have to feed our brains as well.

from Survivopedia
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

Basic Land Navigation (Simplified)

Basic Land Navigation (Simplified)

via YouTube Video Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

Building a 72 Hour Emergency Kit

Building a 72 Hour Emergency Kit

via YouTube Video Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

APPLYING THE ART OF TRACKING

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth of five installments in a series of articles by guest author Kyt Lyn Walken on tracking and its applicability to prepping. — Wild Bill

As I have previously written, the fundamentals of the Art of Tracking are firmly based in the use of all five senses and developed in three main stages: observation, examination, and correct interpretation of a specific trackline.

Easy to say, but quite challenging to put in action, especially if you find yourself training on the toughest surfaces you can imagine!

Tools of the trade

Before going into the differences between the various types of soil and environment, let me point out some of the most common “tools of the trade” for a Tracker:

• a measuring device, 
• a hand torch (flashlight for us Americans), 
• note paper along with pen, pencil and rubber (eraser)
• tweezers, which are useful to remove any debris on tracks, such as fallen leaves, pine needles, discharged materials which can partially or entirely hide tracks 
• casting materials such as plaster cast or Shake n’ Cast

These items easily obtained and relatively affordable, but will be extremely useful for helping you succeed at tracking.

As most manuals on tracking will tell you, a good hand torch works better than head lamps since it’s easier to adjust the light toward the trackline. A light that is too much high in relation to the tracks you are following doesn’t provide you the additional luminosity you need not only during darkness, but also in the shade or during a poorly-lit day.

So doing some “dirt time on ground”, looking for tracks and following them, is as possible at night as it is during daylight! Be just aware of the fact that, during the night, noises seem to be four times louder than during the day. That’s when squirrels can sound as large as Sasquatch!

© Kyt Lyn Walken
Used with permission

I recommend a hand torch of not less of 1500 Lumens, which will give you more than enough light to see at distance and fully light the track your following or examining. Torches which offer the possibility to switch colors (green/red/blue/white) can help you to better see the inner details of a pattern and detect erosion, wear pattern, and so on), by chosing the color that best fits the characteristics of a specific terrain. 

Terrain Challenges

Fernando Moreira, in his book “Visual Mantracking for Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue” (2016), writes that red light works best on sandy soil. In the same manner, which you may already be aware of, blue light can determine blood stains, while my experience shows green aids you in observing tracks on dry leaves bed, especially in case of poor light.

So now that you have seen how tracking at night is possible, what about tracking on hard surfaces like craggy slopes, former dry glaciers or even in an urban environment?

Let’s consider a hike in the beautiful area of Dolomiti, part of the Italian Alps. The area is really breathtaking, but being a Tracker there can be extremely challenging. In order to understand how it is possible to follow tracks in this specific context, let’s think about the movement of our feet on rocks.

When we step, the ball of our foot strikes first, then we roll forward and ultimately stand on the toe. Our shoes, as well as animals’ hoofs or paws, hit the ground causing a relocation of the rocks and pebbles. In this way, we can notice the bare ground no longer covered by the stones. To the expert eye, any alteration of the natural state would be immediately noticeable.

But what about urban environments, where hard surfaces prevail? We can observe sign there, too, but it’s a very difference challenge.

© Kyt Lyn Walken
used with permission

As asphalt and concrete are the major and most common elements on streets and main roads, we must be able to locate the ideal spots where we can easily detect tracks. Do you remember “Track Traps” from the earlier “Understanding the Fundamentals” article? Well, they also exist in big cities and metropolitan areas.

Construction sites (which often contain sand), public gardens, playgrounds, private gardens, flowerbeds: all are valuable Track Traps. Even on hard surfaces, the transfer of any element like water, mud, feces and so on represents a fitting track trap.

What about indoor environments? Many crimes have been successfully solved by the forensics through the application of Tracking, which is considered a corner stone in any phase of data collection and examination.

The case surrounding OJ Simpson, for example, showed how the collection of evidence related to footprints found at the crime scene (specifically, blood stained prints on hard surface) led to the proper interpretation not only of the whole trackline, but also to the reconstruction of the entire sequence events. (William J. Bodziak, former FBI Agent, in his manual “Forensic Footwear Evidence: Detection, Recovery and Examination“, 1990).

In the next article we will learn more about how to move while tracking and how to minimize our disturbances on the terrain.

---

Kyt Lyn Walken is the official European representative and instructor for Hull’s Tracking School (Virginia, USA), and is a certified Conservation Ranger for C.R.O.W. (Conservation Rangers Operations Worldwide). She has been an outdoors and tracking enthisast since childhood. Kyt lives and works in Europe, and can be contacted at www.man-tracking.com

The post APPLYING THE ART OF TRACKING appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

The Pros And Cons Of Energy Efficient Bulbs

It's important not to overlook the benefits of CFLs and LEDs for situations that require low heating combined with the increased spectrum and light intensity options.

from Survivopedia
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

How Repurposing Makes You A Better Prepper

We, gear junkies, tend to get excited when a new piece of gear comes out and can’t wait to get our hands on it. But there’s a problem with being a gear junkie…

from Survivopedia
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

Gun Rights Rally in Virginia

Written by Pat Henry on The Prepper Journal.

After weeks of preparation, thousands of gun-rights supporters, including leaders from the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) and Gun Owners of America are gathering at Virginia’s state capitol square for Lobby Day.

As expected, Governor Northam put a gun ban in place to prevent law abiding citizens from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights during the event. The apparent reason is to prevent violence, and was based on credible threats. If the liberals are going to demand that our president present what evidence he had to eliminate a terrorist leader, then I believe the People have the same right to demand the same from Northam.

For those saying firearms have no place at a gun-rights rally, you’re wrong. That’s precisely the place they belong. In Arizona, we’ve have many rallies in support of the 2nd Amendment where attendees were armed, some carrying rifles. There were no violent incidents apart from some confrontations started by those wanting more gun control. Such irony.

Even further, the FAA enacted a drone restriction for the area surrounding the Virginia state capitol, creating a no-fly zone for a 2.3 mile radius from the capitol building. You can bet that government-flown drones will not be banned. Nothing like preventing the public from recording the proceedings.

So far, thousands of pro-gun supporters have shown up to attend the rally within a fenced off area on the capitol grounds. So…Democrats do support fences after all. Thousands more are staying outside the fenced area where the carrying of firearms isn’t being restricted.

Democracy in action. Because, ‘Merica.

The post Gun Rights Rally in Virginia appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

8 Off-The-Grid Safe Retreats That Suit You Best

The housing options listed in this article are the most popular ones, and the one you pick should take into account factors such as location, budget, and needs.

from Survivopedia
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

8 Types Of Gloves True Preppers Have

It is better to have a wide variety of gloves on hand so that you can address any situation that comes up without an increased risk of damaging your hands.

from Survivopedia
Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies?
#SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag