A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

If you spend a lot of time outside especially in the wilderness, learning outdoor first aid is a real benefit. People who enjoy outdoor sports are usually very fit and active. But there are a lot of things that can go wrong in all seasons. No matter what you are doing, there is always the risk of injury or other problems to happen. And what makes this especially problematic is that most people are a few miles in from safety which means that a rescue could take a while.

That is why it is very important for people who spend a lot of time outdoors to take an outdoor first aid class. While it is good to also take a regular first aid certification course, outdoor first aid often has its own special unique challenges and needs. Often people in outdoor settings find that they need to improvise and make things such as splints for broken bones and treat conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia. Outdoor first aid classes would focuses on ailments and situations that are unique to the outdoors.

To find places that give outdoor first aid training classes it is a good idea to check with your local sporting goods stores or local mountain club. For example, the Appalachian Mountain Club offers outdoor first aid courses. But larger outfitters such as R.E.I may also offer training courses. Check to see how often the classes are offered and what you need to do to prepare for the workshop.

There are so many situations where first aid is necessary that it is a good idea to learn the skills. You truly never know when you will need them. A beautiful day could rapidly turn into one that is filled with disaster. Rain could come in unexpectedly. The threat of lightening strikes or cold winds and whiteout conditions is also a possibility. Of course, if people stay smart and make good decisions that eliminates a lot of problems. But when you are in the wilderness you need to be open to the possibility that anything can happen no matter how smart you are. Knowing outdoor first aid can really help you out because sometimes that will mean the difference between survival and perishing in the woods.

Here’s a great question and I’d like to add my thoughts.

I saw a great question last night regarding what to do if TSHTF, and it was posted in Hunting. I noticed one of the answerers stated such a question did not belong in the Hunting forum, so I searched Yahoo! Answers this morning for questions using the terms “survivalism” and “preparedness”, hoping to find a category in which such a topic was suitably classified. Yet I found questions in:

Home and Garden – Other
Hunting
Politics
Philosophy
Geology
Hunting

I worked for 5 years at Barnes and Noble, running the newsstand. In all my time there, most every magazine I came across regarding survivalism was filed under hunting. The books ranged from cooking (Apocalypse Chow) to sports under H for hunting (these would be the gun books, including priced guides which have nothing to do with Hunting, technically) to Weapons of War or sports under C for camping (also not really a camping thing, especially if one is preparedness minded for survival At Home). So… if there’s not a classification for this type of topic, and it doesn’t belong in Hunting, where Does it go? o.O

Since preparedness is both a lifestyle and a mindset, I am a bit lost on where to even begin to classify this according to Yahoo’s provided categories. Thoughts?

Glad you asked.  Preparedness and Survivalism are fairly new terminology for many skills that have been taken for granted.  If you were a homesteader a 100 years ago, you could buy a book on homesteading or you literally lived in a tent and being prepared wasn’t a lifestyle choice it was a necessity.  That’s why it was typical for families to stock up for winter.  Its only as of the last couple of years that people have come to realize that if our current infrastructure were to break down that we most likely will be on our own as far as basic needs and that’s why its important to regain those skills that keep us safe and alive.    If cell towers are down and the power is out, you can’t tweet your way out of needing food and shelter.

I believe there is better than a 50/50 chance an atomic weapon will be detonated on US soil in the next 30 years. We are very dependent on technology, and would be the country most devasted by a huge disaster (comet, meteor). Should I teach my kids survivalism, or is that too pessimistic?

any good “how to” websites that deal primarily with these subjects?

For those that are older have you seen the value of preparedness and self sufficiency vastly decline in your lifetime?

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LED is the type of flashlight, on wikipedia it explains pretty well:

A light-emitting diode (LED) (pronounced /??l.i??di?/^[1], or just /l?d/), is an electronic light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many kinds of electronics and increasingly for lighting. LEDs work by the effect of electroluminescence, discovered by accident in 1907. The LED was introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962.^[2] All early devices emitted low-intensity red light, but modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infra red wavelengths, with very high brightness.

LEDs are based on the semiconductor diode. When the diode is forward biased (switched on),electrons are able to recombine with holes and energy is released in the form of light. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. The LED is usually small in area (less than 1 mm²) with integrated optical components to shape its radiation pattern and assist in reflection.^[3]

LEDs present many advantages over traditional light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size and faster switching. However, they are relatively expensive and require more precise current and heat management than traditional light sources.

Applications of LEDs are diverse. They are used as low-energy indicators but also for replacements for traditional light sources in general lighting, automotive lighting and traffic signals. The compact size of LEDs has allowed new text and video displays and sensors to be developed, while their high switching rates are useful in communications technology.

As far as what the best flashlight is for survival really its the one that works!  There are some really great new  Rechargeable Flashlights with Night Lights They’re great because when the power goes out the light turns on!  You’re never in the dark, unless the battery runs out, but its great for small emergencies.