Category: Outdoor & Survival

Moving without a Driver’s License

Posted by The Team –

by Misty S Bledsoe

You will need to use alternate transportation if you cannot enlist the help of friends or family.//Photo courtesy of alvimann-Morguefile.com

Naturally, if you have a suspended driver’s license you will be unable to relocate your belongings to another city without having a trusted family member or friend drive your moving van. There is the option of hiring a moving company to transport your belongings but that can be rather expensive. If neither of these things are an option, then you will need to consider a final alternative to relocating with a suspended driver’s license. It involves placing your belongings into a storage unit and moving with only what you can transport via bus or plane.

  • Research the various storage units available to you locally. Keep your eye out for “move-in” specials and other attractive deals for new customers. Pick one based on price, location, and other things like lease terms. You will need to decide if you want a month-to-month contract or a lease like 6 months. You will also need to save about $200 to $500 in spendable income to help set certain things up in your new residence.
  • Begin moving your belongings into the storage unit with the help of friends and family.
  • Pack the things you will need once you move into your new location into your large bag. Things to include are important papers, identifications, contact information for all of your creditors including utility companies for your current residence and your future one, laptop, peripherals, and other electronics, and clothing to last one week for both business and personal use.
  • Move to your new residence and use the spendable cash to purchase things like plates, utensils, a lamp and other low cost household items you can obtain at second hand stores like Goodwill, Value Village or garage and yard sales. The largest item you may need to spend money on would be a good quality air mattress or a used mattress until you can figure out how to move the rest of your belongings.

Consider pairing down your items by hosting a garage or yard sale or sell your items on classifieds like Craigslist before moving the belongings into a storage unit. You could also mail items such as clothing and or bedding to your new residence approximately one week prior to your move. You can adjust the days of mailing depending on how much money you want to spend on shipping.

Expect to move some of the items yourself to your storage unit. If you do not have friends or family to help, then you may be forced to give your belongings away quickly to anyone who will accept them. Do not abandon items at a residence for any reason as you could be subject to fines from either your landlord if you rent or the city if you are homeowner and the left behind materials create a waste hazard. If you cannot give away your belongings to neighbors and relatives, then consider calling local churches of any faith to see if they are willing to collect your belongings for members of their congregations or any charities the churches might be affiliated with. 

Getting Good All-Season Tires

Posted by The Team –

by Misty S Bledsoe

photo courtesy of jppi/Morguefile.com

There are different types of all season tires made for different types of vehicles. Each local tire carrier will carry a different model of all season tires for you to choose from. The sales consultants will look up the make and model of your vehicle and educate you if necessary, on the differences between the types of all season tires available to you. To find the best option for your vehicle, follow a systematic approach.

 

  1. Identify the make and model of your vehicle by looking at the vehicle registration or reviewing the owner’s manual. Most vehicles have the make and model imprinted in various places on the outside of the vehicle as well.
  2. Determine what types of situations you want your all season tires for. All season tires vary in scope depending on whether or not you plan doing some heavy offroading compared to types that are simply made to handle everything from improving traction for standing water to driving on packed snow. The make and model of your vehicle will narrow down the types of all season types that will safely fit your vehicles.
  3. Call, visit your local tire distributor or log onto their website. Ask the consultant what type of all season tires would be good for your vehicle. The tire distributor website may have menu choices to help you choose what type of all season tires may be good for you.
  4. Narrow down your choices depending on price, guarantee and warranties provided by the tire distributor.
  5. Choose which tires are best and then pay for them to be installed.

Try shopping for all season tires during spring or summer when bad weather is not on the horizon. You may be able to find better deals this way. Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase your tires as that can prevent you from shopping around. You may lose money by doing this. Also, don’t purchase any all season tires that are blatantly not made to fit your vehicle as it can void some vehicle warranties and or subject you to possible injury while driving.

Emergency Gear to Carry in Your Car

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by Misty S Bledsoe

What would you do if you were unexpectedly stuck in your car?//Photo courtesy of gracey/morguefile.com

You never know when you will be stuck in your car. Maybe there is a blockage on the freeway or a road gets blocked and you feel as though you may be stranded. If you have the kids with you, do you have snacks on hand? How about medications and water? What about warm weather preps?

  1. Start a box that is designated to stay in the trunk of your car or truck that is designated for emergency gear. Rubbermaid containers with snug lids work well for this.
  2. Put the jack and all necessary accessories to change a tire in this box or tub. Make a list of other things you could need.
  3. Include a first aid kit, a large water bottle for each passenger your vehicle can carry, and a spare change of clothes. The most important changes of clothes should be extra underwear, plenty of socks (in case they get wet) and t-shirts. Extra t-shirts/sweatshirts can be layered for passengers in the winter months or can be used to hang in the windows to block sun in the summer months depending on the situation.
  4. Carry things like a small bottle of aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen and Imodium. You can usually find these or their generic equivalent at your local dollar store. Carry extra medications you may be required to take in case of an emergency.
  5. Pack candles, flashlights and a fire source such as matches or extra lighters. Keep matches and lighters away from children. These can be used for light or to start a campfire if you’ve gotten lost in the woods or are trapped in a blizzard. 
  6. Consider word puzzles, coloring books and crayons and other fun type of games for kids and adults alike.
  7. The last important item: Toilet paper.

Even if you only have water, toilet paper and snacks you will be better off than if you had nothing. Do your best to be thorough however and customize the box to meet the needs of your family. Carry your emergency box whether you ever use it or not. You will find over time you will end up using at least one item and you’ll be glad you took the 30-60 minutes to prepare for your families safety.

Important!

**This list is not all-inclusive. Nothing can ever prepare you 100% fully for every conceivable emergency. You are still in charge of making your own decisions. Be as detailed as you can think of will only help you in the long run. Consult expert survival advice when preparing for dangerous trips or otherwise may run into dangerous rather than inconvenient situations while traveling.**

Heating with Wood: Uses and Locating

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by Misty S Bledsoe

Firewood stored outside.//Photo courtesty of alvimann/Morguefile.com

Uses

Many individuals use wood heat as their primary source of heat in their homes. Wood can be purchased by the cord (stacked at eight feet in length, four feet high and four feet wide) or chopped and stacked in similar types of dimensions in sheds, under carports, between two trees on land or simply against up against a home. People can burn wood in fireplaces and wood stoves located inside the home. Others utilize wood pellet stoves, which uses wood by-products that come in large bags of pellets that are ready for burning.

Cordwood can take from six months to sometimes two years of sitting and drying so that the moisture content is low enough for efficient burning. Burning wood as a form of heat year round or at least seasonally can be accomplished by having more than one stack of wood at varying degrees of seasoning. If you are just starting out purchase one to two dry seasoned cords of wood to start with and then purchase or harvest more wood that you allow to season at various lengths. Always burn the wood that has been seasoning the longest first. Burn the wood that has been seasoning the least last. If you can’t wait until next year or the year after to use the wood, then purchase only dry seasoned wood that is ready to burn.

Locating

You can find individuals selling cordwood through local classified ads or sometimes noting roadside signs. Cordwood can be purchased as “seasoned” or “green.” Do your best to negotiate a lower price for green wood than seasoned wood. Other times you obtain a permit from a county government to harvest your own wood on your own from local forestland. Check with the permits division for your city to see if this type of permit is available where you live, especially if you have or can borrow a chainsaw and a pickup truck.

Getting wood by harvesting it yourself is much cheaper than buying it from another person. Don’t neglect to pick up downed or dead tree branches that can be taken home and chopped at your disposal. If you choose to forage for extra firewood this way, the best time to find several downed branches and trees is usually right after a good windstorm. Make sure you get permission from any necessary landowners before you start taking downed wood.

You can buy wood pellets by the ton from the manufacturer online or choose to purchase as many bags as you need from a local distributor like a hardware or home improvement store or livestock feed supply stores. Wood pellet stoves don’t require any chopping or stacking of traditional firewood. It’s often cheaper to buy wood pellets in bulk. People that are moving or changing their primary source of heat may have extra bags of wood pellets they want to sell. Searching local classifieds for individuals selling their extra bags of pellets can be a good resource.

Mass.gov: Wood Pellet Heating

http://www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/doer/publications/doer_pellet_guidebook.pdf

 Onlinedictionary.datasegment.com: Cordwood

http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/cord+wood

What Types of Survival Foods are Good to Buy?

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by Misty S Bledsoe

Pasta is just one form of good food to stock up on. Photo courtesy of clarita/Morguefile.com

Pasta is just one form of good food to stock up on. Photo courtesy of clarita/Morguefile.com

Knowing what types of survival foods to buy are not difficult. Simply consider what you and your family eat now. Then ask, “Could I get this item in a canned, dehydrated, or powered mix instead?” These items are usually found at grocery stores in the baking supply, ethnic, and canned food sections.

Canned Foods

Canned foods of all kinds are great to stock up on, especially if it’s on sale or you can get in bulk form. Try adding canned meats along with all types of canned vegetables, fruits, and soups. Many things like canned meats, chili, soups, and sauces can be added to other non-perishables to create other food concoctions.

Dehydrated Foods/Mixes

Dehydrated foods are usually more expensive and if you are able, you should buy some. Packages come in various sizes and include full-blown meals to side dishes. You can also purchase these in the largest size of #10 cans.

Powdered Mixes

Any mix you can find where you see, “Just add water,” is a good thing to purchase. Pancake mixes, muffins, some cake and biscuit mixes come in this form. In a survival situation, you can always boil water for at least 10 minutes to kill any bacteria, and then add it directly to these mixes to make a batter ready for cooking.

Hot and Cold Cereals/Pastas

Both hot and cold cereals last the longest when stored in airtight, waterproof containers.

Dried pastas are another good survival food that last for months and can be customized as needed for taste preferences when prepared.

Important

Always think about what your family will and won’t eat. If no one in your family eats lima beans, purchasing them in bulk will be a waste of time and money. There is no use of adding extra stress to an already stressful situation just because there isn’t anything good to eat. Chocolate and other comfort foods should also be added to your list. Always eat from your stockpile of food and when you purchase more supplies, replenish it with new items.

Stocking Up on a Budget

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Stocking up on a variety of canned goods is never a bad idea. Sideshowmom/Morguefile.com

Stocking up on a variety of canned goods is never a bad idea. Sideshowmom/Morguefile.com

by Misty S Bledsoe

You never know when an emergency is going to happen. Having provisional supplies on hand could mean the difference between life and death depending on your situation. Stocking up on stuff is great, but how do you do it when you live pay to paycheck or have just a little bit to spend here and there?

  1. Stretch your grocery bill. This is a top priority. Use coupons, watch the sales, shop generic brands, and buy in bulk when necessary. Buy things when they are on sale. Visit discount grocery stores like Winco, Grocer’s Outlet, and Food4Less. Depending on your area of the country, you probably have a store that sells off brands, misprinted labeled can foods, or takes extra inventory from the bigger stores and sell these items much cheaper.
  2. Buy extra toiletries and household products too. This includes feminine products, toilet paper (all brands are not equal), bars of soap, dishwashing soap, laundry soap, batteries, candles, matches, lighters (storing them in safe place, of course,) and toothpaste. Don’t forget deodorants and razors.
  3. Buy generic brand medicines. Buy the large bottles of ibuprofen and Tylenol. The same goes for bandages, Neosporin, cold, and cough medicines.  
  4. Use your Dollar stores. I always get 4-5x more time dishwashing soap for the same price as I would have spent in my local grocery store. Go to the dollar stores first and gather as much as you can from your regular shopping list. Get the rest at discount grocers. This will always save you money.

As your supplies grow over time, you’ll notice certain products you’ll purchase in bulk more often. Some of these could be bar soap, toilet paper, rice, oats, band-aids, and laundry soap.

Keeping it simple and building your supplies consistently will lead to a successful storage of extra supplies. Every time you go out, ask yourself, “Can I get this at the dollar store?” remembering if you can you will often get way more bang for your buck. Ask yourself, “Am I low on this item?” If it’s on sale, buy 1/3 more than you think you’ll need. Putting a little thought and effort into gathering your supplies will go a long way to making sure you actually achieve your goal of doing so on a budget.

Everyday Emergency Awareness and Preparation

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by Misty S Bledsoe

A lot of speculation is happening around the globe in terms of end of the world, or end time apocalyptic events. Each religion has their own viewpoint and even those among the Christian religion have varying interpretations. I subscribe to my own personal beliefs on the matter but no matter how you view it, things in the world are bound to get worse for many people before they get any better.

Being prepared to survive in any situation requires knowledge, training, and a certain level of comfortableness in dealing with potentially catastrophic situations. If you’ve never thought about how to survive when life is turned upside down, one thing that anyone can do is simply begin to be aware that it could and might happen. Thousands lost their loved ones in a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina will forever be remembered by most, and right now in far reaching countries, children die from starvation and disease daily. Men and women fight to keep us safe overseas, regardless of your stance on the issue.

What types of things do you do now to be more prepared? Are you prepared enough? There are several types of incidents, natural and otherwise as outlined in history, that cause delays for supplies being delivered to grocery stores and interrupt water and power supplies.

Be more aware of your every day surroundings. How would handle it if you could not get your kids from day care because traffic is snarled? What would you do if everything seemed normal, yet when you got home and turned on the water to start dinner, nothing came out of the faucet? After investigating, you learn it’s happening to all your neighbors. No notice, no information from the city, no ETA of resolution, and no plausible explanation. How would that affect your daily life?

This actually happened to me one night and the water outage lasted nearly three hours. Since, I had a supply of emergency water equaling about 20 gallons or so stashed under my sink, I was prepared. I did not alarm my children or send them into a panic, but instead started boiling water to make macaroni and cheese for dinner. I put on pots of water with the largest pots I could find and began to warm them, one to wash dishes with, and the others to mix with a bucket of cold water, producing a “just right” temperature and introduce the kids to bathing with a bucket of water instead of a shower if I had to.

Luckily, the water came back on. I replaced my water supply and continued on with life. If I didn’t  have emergency supplies on hand, the situation of not having water coming into my home with two small children could have become stressful and uncomfortable.

The more prepared you are now, the less stressful it can be weather out very uncomfortable and possibly life changing events.

Hiking Basics

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rachjose/Morguefile.com

rachjose/Morguefile.com

by Misty S. Bledsoe

If you aren’t in shape, start an exercise program and work up to comfortable level of hiking based on the type you want to do. (Always consult your doctor before beginning any excerise program.) If you don’t, then give yourself a lot of extra time for your day trip.

Pack as light as possible. If you think your pack is now light enough, keep stripping items or subsituting for lighter materials.

 

Essentials:

  • First aid kit
  • Toilet paper
  • Compass
  • Cell phone or GPS locator

Always let someone know where you will be and when you plan on returning. Take extra freeze dried food with you if you plan on being overnight. Take plenty of water.

These are common, well-known things about hiking.

Alone in the Wild

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by Misty S Bledsoe

Ed Wardle set out to survive off the land in parts of the Yukon Territory for 12 weeks with a map, 18 pounds of rice and oats to supplement what he could catch off the land, a Hennessey hammock, a gun, light, water pot, filming camera, and a few other supplies. He is an outdoorsman but not a survival expert. I applaud him for being able to stay just 50 days in the wild the way he did.

I was not used to seeing a person do this as compared to Bear Gryles and Les Stroud in my favorite Man vs. Wild and Survivorman shows. They are trained survival experts and only stay 7 days in the wild with very, very little if any supplies at all; usually nothing more than knife or some cord of some sort. After watching many of these survival shows I began to wonder if Wardle had researched the area fully before being dropped in by plane. Hadn’t he found what could be eaten and not eaten in terms of plant life? Why didn’t he eat any frogs, bugs, or grubs to stay alive when he really needed it?

To his credit, he seemed to be under many restrictions such as hunting seasons and so forth for the area he was in. I told my husband, “By now, I would have eaten some frogs or something, seriously…” Nevertheless, I was not in his situation. I knew about those things and maybe so did he, but he allowed himself to get to a point of hunger that began to affect his mind for a short period of time. The production crew eventually had to drop emergency food to him. Good thing and just in time. I think if he was more prepared and more vigilant in his research perhaps, he could have avoided several of his more uncomfortable moments.

Bottom line: I applaud him for doing so well and lasting so long. I think he put some heavy unrealistic expectations on himself given his skills and dream. I would like to see him do it again another time when he is more prepared. He shouldn’t give up and he should not be discouraged. He did well for his situation despite the fact that some of his viewers knew he could have done better for himself. Good job!

Scenic Hot Springs Review

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jade/Morguefile.com

jade/Morguefile.com

by Misty S Bledsoe

Skykomish, Washington—mile marker 59 on Highway 2

Scenic Hot Springs seems to be a popular destination for hot spring enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest despite the fact it sits on private property. Anyone entering the property without the proper permissions is tresspassing and will face consequences.

The official website for the hot springs is http://scenichotsprings.blogspot.com/. You must visit the site to see about official rules, regulations, status changes, and ways of obtaining permission to visit the springs.

The hike is roughly 2.5 miles up with a gain of roughly 2000 feet in elevation. It is a challenging hike and not for the faint of heart. The pictures show a beautiful history of the hot springs and the history is full of unique stories.

Recent blog postings show dustings of snow and recent signs of vandalism and people having obviously breaking the rules that are in place. If you consider yourself a friend of the hot springs you will not try to sneak onto the property or break any of their established rules. Again, it’s vital you visit the official site for more information including permission on how to enter the springs.

Olympic Hot Springs

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roganjosh/Morguefile.com
roganjosh/Morguefile.com

by Misty S Bledsoe

Port Angeles, WA–The Olympic Hot Springs is located about 10 miles outside of Port Angeles. Follow the signs in town to the Olympic National Forest Visitor station to get all the information on local trailheads, camping requirements, rules, etc… Upon arrival to the forest, you’ll need to purchase a trail pass for $15.00 which is only good for 7 days. Year round ones are available for $30.00.

There are many trailheads and pay to camp spots along this road. The trailhead to the Olympic Hot Springs is at the end and is 2.4 miles to the hot springs. Note: the gate is to the end of this road is closed off in the winter time due to weather conditions but the trails and campgrounds before this may still be available. Check with the visitor station before arriving. The beginning of the trailhead to the hot springs is met with a smaller parking lot, a somewhat sophisticated outhouse, and trailhead information. No overnight camping is allowed at the hot springs. For that, hikers must climb additional mileage before arriving at the springs. The trailhead to the campground is specifically and clearly marked about a quarter of a mile before arriving to the hot springs.

The hike to the hot springs is mostly paved. You must watch your step because there are occasionally pot holes and washed out parts, plus you will cross the stream a couple of times en route and one place there are no assists except to rely on your good balance to cross the rocks that are in place. The climb is a gentle steady climb of about 300-400 feet. If you don’t exercise on a regular basis, you will feel the effects of this hike.

  • Bring extra water
  • Anticipate weather changes
  • Anticipate it to be cooler than normal and sooner than expected
  • Be responsible and pack your garbage out.
  • Horses, bikes, and dogs are not allowed.

Before reaching the springs, you will smell the sulfur. The Olympic Hot Springs do not meet safe standards to bathe in so if you plan on soaking, soak at your own risk. Each spring sits alone either just below or above the trail itself. Make shift rings make the shallow pools that are available. The one at the very end is believed to be the deepest at roughly 24 inches at the deepest spot, as of this writing. It also seems the hardest to get to as it involves a very steep climb for about 30-40 feet above the trailhead.

There are no signs either banning or permitting clothing optional rules. Visitors were found to be partaking of each preference and at their own risk. For information for this particular visitor center contact: 600 E Park Ave, Port Angeles, WA 98362-6798, (360) 565-3000 or on the web at: http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm

 

Book Review: How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter, and Self-Preservation that Makes Starvation in the Wilderness Next to Impossible

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Misty Bledsoe: Fern Leaves

Misty Bledsoe: Fern Leaves

By Misty S. Bledsoe

The last time I flew, I remember looking down periodically at the landscape below, marking the water, the mountains, and overall terrain. I would also ask the stewardess where we were over periodically for point of reference. I was not worried that the plane would go down, but I knew after reading this book, that if it had and I actually survived that I would have a better chance than normal of surviving as long as I remembered key things.

Author Bradford Angier originally published this book as “Living off the Country: How to Stay Alive in the Woods” in 1956 and carries the language of the time. Sentences and paragraphs are formal and to the point.

Have you ever wondered what you would do and how you would survive if you found yourself lost in the woods? This book covers 285 pages in its paperback form on everything you would need to know.

For anybody who is the survivalist type or you just have always wondered how is staying alive when lost in the woods with very little or no supplies possible, this book is a must read. After reading it, I personally recommend that each person in your party have one on their persons as a reference when hiking, camping, skiing, day hiking, backpacking, or even just traveling.

The book is broken down into 26 chapters in four parts ranked for priority and reference: substance, warmth, orientation, and safety. Each chapter is evenly spaced and relatively easy to read. The author includes pictures, patterns, and speaks in detail about food finding, water, shelter, and first aid.

He discusses candidly about prevention of getting into these situations to begin with but if you ever find yourself in one, it can obviously mean life or death trying to escape it. It’s obviously much better to be well versed in these techniques just so you have the knowledge of it and hopefully you will never have to use it.

This book is not a quick broken down version of survival techniques you may find in any local bookstore. This book is jam packed with detailed information on how to survive in just about every capacity you can think of if you are lost and have no supplies or little supplies, regardless of how you found yourself in that situation.

He goes into how to do this despite any unforeseen weather such as drenching down pours to even unexpected snow, snow shelters, and quick shelters in the woods. Consistently throughout the pages, Angier details priorities given the particular situation he is discussing in a “if this is the condition, you need to do this kind of shelter if available then concentrate on food” type fashion and when its visa-versa he will tell you. Reading the entire book, the reader begins to get and instinctive feel for priorities depending on the given situation.

It needs to be known that no one book can contain all the material necessary for survival, neither can just by reading it will ensure ones survival if lost in the woods. However, if a person is only going to have one survival book in their home library, this is the one I would not be without.

About

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Misty Bledsoe lives in the Puget Sound and holds a Bachelors degree in Information Technology with a concentration in Computer Programming from American Intercontinental University. She has been writing for more than 15 years for both offline and online publications both under her own name and psuedonyms.  Her primary blog is found on this site and chocked full of useful information on a variety of topics.

(c)2008-2010 Misty S. Bledsoe. All Rights Reserved including code manipulation. No part of this blog may be reproduced without the author’s expressed written permission.