INTO THE WILDERNESS Why Do It Yourself? Digging into the Value of DIY A few days ago, I spent more than two hours dismantling and reassembling the guts of a toilet tank. There were some issues with flushing, and I wanted to see if I could diagnose it myself (I did, actually; there was a small broken part that was simple to replace). A plumber could have done it in ten minutes and probably would have charged me $25 or $50 for the service (in our area, anyway; it would likely be more in other areas). On another recent day, I spent about four hours building a small electronic spider that could walk under its own power. A few months ago, I disassembled part of our hot water heater to figure out why the pilot light wasn’t lighting. Whenever I describe activities like this to friends and family, many of them simply shake their head and ask why I would bother. The reasons are many. First, whenever I do a repair job myself, I know that if I’m ever called on to do it again it will be much easier the second time around. The end result of all of this?
About Leon Pantenburg | Survival Common Sense: tips and how-to guide for emergency preparedness and survival Leon Pantenburg is a wilderness enthusiast, and doesn’t claim to be a survival expert or expertise as a survivalist. Leon Pantenburg As a newspaperman and journalist for three decades, covering search and rescue, sheriff’s departments, floods, forest fires and other natural disasters and outdoor emergencies, Leon learned many people died unnecessarily or escaped miraculously from outdoor emergency situations when simple, common sense might have changed the outcome. Leon now teaches common sense techniques to the average person in order to avert potential disasters. After graduating from Iowa State University, Leon completed a six-month, 2,552-mile solo Mississippi River canoe trip from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minn., to the Gulf of Mexico. His wilderness backpacking experience includes extended solos through Yellowstone’s backcountry; hiking the John A much younger Leon at a silver mine in the Beartooths. Contact Leon at: survivalsenselp@gmail.com Be Sociable, Share!
DIY Inspiration for Up-cycling Throwaway Materials If you’re a tradesman, problem solving forms a part of your daily job, and considering the price of raw materials, you are constantly aware of reducing unnecessary waste in order to cut on costs. Next time you’re at work, inspect the site and look for gems such as unused pallets, wood cut offs and piping. These materials are often foregone and taken to dumps after a specific project has been completed, but can be transformed into something both beautiful and functional – with some crafty work of course! We have searched the web far and wide and racked up a list of interesting ideas to inspire you to up-cycle (that is to reuse discarded objects or material in such a way as to create something of higher value than it was in its original state). Pallet Work Bench Pallets can be found virtually anywhere and are surprisingly hardy as they are meant for carrying heavy loads of bricks and shipments. [Credit: tlp801 on Instructables] Magic 2-In-1 Table [Credit: Dezine on Instructables]
The Knowledge | HOW TO REBUILD OUR WORLD FROM SCRATCH Guest Post: All Dogs Matter Invites You to Our Annual Valentines Dog Walk! Share the love with all four-legged friends this Sunday (February 15th 2015) and come along to enjoy a morning of furry fun in aid of All Dogs Matter. [Credit: Mike Coles] The morning begins at the very dog-friendly Garden Gate pub, Hampstead. Dogs and owners meet and head off across the Heath for a romantic stroll. [Credit: Dogstar Photo] At the pub, you’ll have the chance to snap up some last minute Valentines luxuries for yourself or your canine Casanova! No pooch? The walk is around an hour long, but there is a shorter route for any older dogs that might want to retire to the pub garden a little sooner! A raffle will be drawn, with gift sets from Neals Yard, Woof & Brew Ltd, Pawpost, Bottle Green Homes, Hair of the Dog London and MORE up for grabs! You can pre-register your dog for the event by emailing info@alldogsmatter.co.uk with your name and your dog’s name. Registration starts at 10:30am and we set off for the walk at 11:00am. Getting There By Tube By Bus By Train
Rebooting Civilization: Survivors’ How-to Guide for Restoring Technology after the Apocalypse [Excerpt] Editor’s Note: Lewis Dartnell’s book The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch (the-knowledge.org), distills the crucial information a group of postapocalyptic survivors would need to recover if society were ever to collapse, be it from a pandemic outbreak, asteroid impact or other disasters. This basic knowledge on the key technologies and central scientific principles that underpin our everyday lives would serve as a quick-start guide for civilization itself to help survivors rebuild as quickly as possible and avert a prolonged dark age. Below is a basic primer on photography from Chapter 11. The following is excerpted with permission from The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch, by Lewis Dartnell. Available from Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA), LLC, a Penguin Random House Co. Copyright © Lewis Dartnell, 2014. To talk to Lewis directly about the themes of The Knowledge, join his Reddit Ask Me Anything today (Friday) from 11a.m.
Survive Nature - Techniques for Surviving in every Natural Environment When you find yourself lost in the forest, you should be alert to the fact that there are predators and they are dangerous. Try to fashion a spear or knife out of branches to use as protection. Among the many predators to watch out for, bears are the most dangerous (especially Grizzlies): Black Bears: If you see a black bear 50 yards away or more, then keep your distance and continue hiking always making sure to not get closer. If you happen to come across the bear and it doesn't see you, then carefully walk away and talk loudly to alert the bear to your presence. Grizzly Bears: If you come into direct contact with a Grizzly bear, avoid eye contact. Never run from any bear. The most dangerous scenario is to be between a mother bear and her cubs. What to do if a bear attacks: Black Bears: Fight back. Insects/Spiders: Depending on which forest you are located, there are insects and spiders that are poisonous.
Further Reading by Chapter | The Knowledge This webpage is a reproduction of the Further Reading section of the book, with each recommendation provided as a link for you to obtain the reference if you are interested. A small selection of books discussing the historical development of science and technology have proved absolutely indispensable through many of the chapters of this book, and I would recommend these as excellent texts for reading around the themes of The Knowledge: W. I have also provided below a list of a few of the most relevant sources for the general subject matter of each chapter of the book, as well as the references for specific points. Introduction1. Introduction I, Pencil: Read (1958). Chapter 1 – The End of the World as we Know it Bruce D. Chapter 2 – The Grace Period Chapter 3 – Agriculture Chapter 4 – Food and Clothing