Thursday, December 27, 2007

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down II.

Indeed there are many things a person needs to survive in emergency situations, which has become evident upon making the list of all the supplies. But another thing that is quite important is to have several skills available in case such a situation could arise. Here's a list, of sorts, of the different skills and abilities that would come in handy.

Physical fitness. This one is rather important, because you never know when you may be required to take an extensive hike or swim*. Endurance is especially important. For instance: You get stranded in a forest that has a large population of bears. Bears will track food down for miles and if you think that one is following you be ready to take extensive measures to get out of the bear's way.

Self Defense Tactics. Knowing how to fight, how to defend, how to take a punch can be an important part to survival. "Lord of the Flies" is an interesting scenario that shows how crazy people can get. Of course there are several other stories that do it in a less bland fashion.

*Swim. It won't do much good to be physically fit in the water if you don't actually know how to swim.

Knot tying. There are several different types of knots that a person can learn. And each task could be best accomplished by knowing the specific knot that the task calls for.

Marksmanship. If you have a gun, you need to know how to shoot it. A shotgun, is for close range, a rifle for long range, a crossbow has more of an arch than a bullet. Practice shooting.

CPR, Heimlich Maneuver, General First Aid. This one is pretty obvious, and can always be handy. The first aid includes knowing how to suture a wound, stop bleeding and how to keep things sterile.

Edible? Don't eat it if you're not sure if it will kill you. Know what's most nutritious and what's poisonous. Eat very small portions and eat often. Also consume a lot of water, especially if you have to endure rigorous activity.

Hunting and fishing. Learn how to be stealthy, how to track animals down, know their habitats and of course your marksmanship will come in handy here as well. Fishing may be easier in some regards if you have the right tools. *Ahh more things to add to the supplies list*

Fire. You have to keep warm. If your body goes into a state of hypothermia you will die if you don't get warm. Fire is also great to signal your location, boil water, cook food, and well, I suppose we all know how useful fire is. It can also be dangerous of course so take care and know how to keep it under control.

Mending. Clothes don't last forever. So being able to patch them up would probably be very useful.

Morse Code. This may be more important than you think. HAMM Radio, light signals, and maybe even pecking on a wall to be stealthy could be an important form of communication. It is far down this list for a reason though, because if the other person doesn't know Morse Code then it's not really going to help much.

Play. If you can find the time, keep your mind busy. If you have company, laugh and try to enjoy yourself despite the circumstances. If you can't keep your sanity, then you will not last long.
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