A boy who recently survived an avalanche says he learned what to do from watching the Discovery Channel.
Here's a comprehensive list from Secrets of Survival on what to do if you find yourself engulfed by a snow slide:
If Caught in an Avalanche:
*Discard all equipment (skis, poles, snowboard, snowshoes). If you have a snowmobile, leave it.
*Remember the terrain. Be prepared for falls over cliffs, collisions with trees, and the stop in the runout zone.
*Seek shelter behind rocks, trees, vehicles.
*Crouch low and turn away from the avalanche.
*Cover nose and mouth.
*Brace against impact, hold onto trees, etc.
*Do not cry out or open your mouth as the avalanche is occurring.
As the avalanche slows:
*Pull hands and arms to the face and make an air space.
*Thrust and kick to the surface just before the snow comes to a complete stop.
*Try to stay on top and work your way to the side of the avalanche.
*Thrust an arm toward the surface.
When the avalanche has stopped:
*Try to dig yourself out.
*Call out when you can, especially when rescuers are near.
Effectiveness of Bystander-Initiated Cardiac-Only Resuscitation for Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest -- (Circulation. 2007;116:2900-2907, American Heart Association, Inc.)
Many people who have been trained in CPR believe that if they are assisting someone in cardiac arrest, they need to do mouth-to-mouth breathing and chest compressions.But two studies in the journal Circulation say that survival chances may be worse when people do mouth-to-mouth.The studies from Sweden and Japan found no significant difference between survival rates in about 15,000 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to authors from the University of Arizona.
"To rescue someone who suddenly collapses for no apparent reason, mouth-to-mouth breathing makes no sense," said Dr. Gordon Ewy, director of The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center. His team's previous work in the laboratory suggested what the real-world results showed. "Studies have shown over and over again that four out of five bystanders would not do CPR because of the mouth-to-mouth part," he said. "If people don't have to worry about the so-called rescue breathing, they are much more likely to actually do CPR on someone who needs it. This fact alone is the key to saving more lives. If someone calls the emergency medical services and does nothing, the individual has almost no chance of surviving." He said assisting with breathing doesn't make much difference because oxygen is still in the blood for a while. Chest compressions keep the oxygenated blood circulating to the heart and brain.
(Salt Lake Tribune) --
The way things were going, Bob Foster figured the end was near and there was no safer place to be than inside a rock in southern Utah.That was 1979.
Nearly 30 years later, Foster still lives in a mammoth sandstone slab south of Moab, an astonishing creation he calls Rockland Ranch.
Through the years, Foster has carved eight homes and a "charity house" into the rock, creating comfortable and even luxurious dwellings.
When he started it all, Foster was a younger, stronger man - one driven by apocalyptic fears and his fundamentalist Mormon faith to find a safe haven to rear his polygamous family.
"It was crystal clear this is the place," Foster said. "I knew I was to cut holes in rocks for a refuge center."
Foster signed a 50-year lease for the property, located on state school trust land, and began blasting home-sized holes in the sandstone.
There are 22 years left on the lease, which runs about $6,400 per year, but Foster doesn't expect the government to last that long.
So his work continues.
(ABC News Medical Unit) -- Doctors Say Fitness, Not Weight, Is Major Factor in Staying Healthy
Researchers report that older people who are fit -- even if they are
also fat -- are likely to live longer compared with those who are out
of shape. The study is the latest research to suggest that being a bit
overweight may not be as dangerous to your health as other factors.
Another article I found suggests that getting off the couch is of the utmost importance because
the body's ability to dispose of fat virtually shuts down when we're sitting.
My neighborhood newsletter had a small article on renting solar equipment, and mentioned that it would not cost anymore than your current electric bill. Between the rent of the solar photovoltaic cells and the small amount of electricity that you would have to buy from the power company to make up the difference -- these two combined would never exceed what you normally would have paid for a monthly electric bill. And on the solar side, that flat rate you pay for rent would never go up for the life of the contract.
Their literature compares it to the cell phone industry, and how it really didn't take off until companies started giving away cell phones when you sign up for a one- or two-year contract. Of course we all do pay for cell service infrastructure (the phone itself, the cell towers, the switching equipment, the fiber-optic lines) through our $50 a month cell phone fees. Could solar power from the sun work the same way?
They tie those solar panels directly to the grid, so no batteries are involved. But who is to stop you from charging your own UPS system off the grid? And who would be there to prevent you from bypassing the grid in an emergency?
I'm staying home, but if you have to deal with airports this week, you might want to read this article on holiday travel.
The main points are:
- the early bird gets the flight
- use online check-in services
- know what to bring and what to leave behind
- avoid alcohol
- cell phones are a flyer's best friend
- pack light - travel with carry-on luggage only
Here's the latest TSA rules for prohibited items.
Fly smarter -- log on to FlightStats to check on the latest advisories, weather, delays, etc. There's even a link for FlightStats on your mobile phone. With FlightStats mobile, you can send proactive flight alerts to your email or to your mobile device.
Why switch over to the LED side? Think reliability, efficiency, and brightness.
A LED flashlight produces light through light emitting diodes (LEDs) rather than an incandescent bulb, making them cooler, more energy efficient and tougher. Incandescent light used in traditional flashlights utilizes a filament wire encased in a glass vacuum tube or bulb. When electricity is supplied to the wire from the batteries,
the wire glows with heat that produces light. The heat, however, is not
only lost energy but it eventually burns out the wire and the bulb must
be replaced. A LED flashlight harnesses light created by an entirely different process. Two types of semiconductor
materials are used in a LED: one type that has an abundance of free
electrons and the other that has a deficit. When enough energy is
supplied in the form of electricity, a threshold is reached that pushes
some of the free electrons in the abundant material to jump to the
attracting material. When that electron takes its place in the new material a photon or particle of light is released.
A LED flashlight draws only 5-10 percent of the power of an equivalent light bulb, conserving batteries and saving money. It can also hold up under 5-10 years of continual use. A sturdy LED flashlight, powered with lithium batteries (lithium batteries have shelf lives of over 10 years) is a winning combination for any survivalist. Add solar rechargeable batteries, and you have the ideal set-up.
If you have a lot of the older Mini Maglite flashlights around the house (with incandescent bulbs), I would suggest converting them all to LEDs. The fastest way to do this is buying an LED replacement kit from a company like Nite Ize. Nite Ize carries upgrade kits for even C and D cell flashlights.
If you'd rather keep your incandescents and simply upgrade the entire flashlight, consider the new Maglites with LEDs already installed. It took them a while, but Maglite is finally on the bandwagon! These new Min-Mags, with a three watt LED, feature that trusty and durable aircraft aluminum body that can also serve in some self defense scenarios.
SureFire flashlights could be considered the Cadillac or Mercedes Benz of the flashlight world. They are prized in the law enforcement and military community for being the brightest, toughest, and most versatile flashlights in the world. They command high prices, but they are quality made, and when reliability is an important factor, you try to choose the best. If I had a couple extra hundred dollars laying around . . . I love going through their catalog.
First impressions with the CREE XR-E (4W)
Barricade Fire Blocking Gel is a revolutionary product that
is changing the science of fire fighting and exposure protection.
During recent years, the increasing number of out-of-control
wildland/urban interface fires has made headlines around the world.
These challenging incidents, such as the devastating fires in California,
Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Florida have threatened lives and destroyed many
homes, businesses and other structures. Even more unfortunate is
the fact that firefighters have been injured and killed in their valiant
efforts to fight these monsters. BARRICADE®
will finally allow us to control and extinguish these fires safely and
effectively.
BARRICADE has been tested
and proven in the most severe firestorm conditions and is being lauded by firefighters, homeowners and government officials
for saving millions of dollars worth of property.
Retardant Gel Helps Protect Homes From Wildfires -- Fox News
Fire Gel: "Like Spraying A Wet Blanket Over Your Home" -- CBS
New Fire-Retardant Gel Can Save Homes - Washington Post
Discussion about the gel on firehouse.com.
(New York Times) -- TOKYO, Oct. 19 — On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hopes will ease Japan's growing fears of crime.
Deftly, Ms. Tsukioka, a 29-year-old experimental fashion designer, lifted a flap on her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers — by disguising herself as a vending machine.
The wearer hides behind the sheet, printed with an actual-size photo of a vending machine. Ms. Tsukioka’s clothing is still in development, but she already has several versions, including one that unfolds from a kimono and a deluxe model with four sides for more complete camouflaging.
. . . “It is just easier for Japanese to hide,” Ms. Tsukioka said. “Making a scene would be too embarrassing.” She said her vending machine disguise was inspired by a trick used by the ancient ninja, who cloaked themselves in black blankets at night.
Great links to explore if you want to learn about using shipping containers as shelter.
More links from makezine.com.
