Surviving past 2012

If you want expand your knowledge of survival techniques and methods for the urban environment, the best place to start is with first aid and medical training. You can go to the Red Crosses website for information on the training they give. You put your zip code in the box on the main page and it will take you to your area to see what is available.

They give courses ranging from first aid and CPR to caregiving to water safety. These classes may have to be given to a group as opposed to personal training but would be worth checking on. Maybe your workplace would be interested in setting up a class for its employees. Look on line for first aid training, you are going to find lots of info that you can use. If you have a local volunteer fire department, try to get with them for some training and experience.

Learn self defense tactics through a martial arts program of some type and learn how to shoot if you are not doing so already. You should at least have a handgun for self defense and learn how to use it. Your local shooting range should give classes for safety and correct shooting skills.

Can you predict the weather? Some people can tell the upcoming weather by reading the types of clouds and reading barometric pressure and such. This would be a good skill to know so you can get some idea what kind of weather is coming if we don’t have use of meteorologist.

Try to get training in the above skills plus anything else you feel would be needed. These would not only be useful to you but those around you as well.

WARNING: Practice at your own risk! NONE of this is legal advice, you and you alone are reponsible for your own actions and the choices you make! This obviously is not just limited to 2012, but any natural disaster or situation where you need to kick into survival mode immediately! I have uploaded a preview of one of my dvds which is currently in production and about to be released during my upcoming UK and Euro tour begining in March 2010, also made available at our online learning center www.raw-combat.com 2012 KNIFE SURVIVAL Tactical Knife Fighting for Self Protection Covering the tactical usage of Folding Blades, Fixed Blades, Throwing Knives & Machetes! CONTENTS Selecting a multi-purpose (Survival & Combat) Blade Knife Anatomy & Care Practical Concealment & Postioning Deployment & Weapon Retention Tactics and Practice Practical grips and methods Martial Arts VS Survival Self Protection/Survival Mindset Drills to practice (with various demonstrations of applicatons) Fight tactics of various international (both military & LE) Special Forces ALONG WITH EVERYTHING THE ‘MASTERS’ DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW!!! Get your copy at one of Luke Holloway’s seminars!!! (see world tour dates & info here) www.raw-combat.com

Are you someone who likes adventure? Then, outdoor activities like camping, hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking and much more will surely enthrall you. If you like spend your vacation close to Mother Nature, all you need to do is to plan a camping or hiking trip. Before planning a camping trip, you need to pack the right kind of apparels, tents, sleeping gear, headlamps or flash lights. These camping accessories will sure to make your trip a memorable one. But, your camping backpack is still incomplete without an emergency survival kit. Emergency survival kits will protect you in all kind of unfavorable situations, like rain, power cut, injuries and much more. These safety kits are not only for outdoor activities, but deserve a small space in your car to help you in case of road accidents.

Tupelo Super Store has a wide range of emergency survival kits that helps you protect your family and friends in adverse situations. A complete protection package, the Deluxe Emergency Survival Kit from Tupelo Super Store has all you need to have a memorable and safe camping trip. Designed based on the advice of experts, this camping survival kit is a real life saver. Food and water are the essentials of life. What will happen if you get stuck on a dense forest on your hiking trip? The Deluxe Emergency Survival Kit will help you survive such life threatening situations. It comes with 12 boxes of Aqua Blox water boxes and 24 – 200 calorie food bars. This camping survival kit also has water purification tablets and each tablet can purify up to 1 liter of water. The Deluxe Emergency Survival Kit also has an emergency sleeping bag, respirator dust mask, and AM/FM radio with headphones and batteries for communication. A 30 hour emergency candle and a rechargeable squeeze flashlight will light up your way at night. It also integrates a first aid kit with all essential medications that lets you treat injuries, burns, and infections. Temperature is unpredictable when you go for camping, hiking, or even driving. Deluxe Emergency Survival Kits have body warmer and poncho to keep you warm in extreme cold and protect you from rain. Above all, to keep you entertained on your trip, this kit also has a deck of playing cards. If you are planning to go on a camping trip with your partner, then the Deluxe Emergency Survival Kit for 2-Person from Tupelo Super Store will be a great choice.

To fit well within your budget, Tupelo Super Store also has the Essentials Emergency Survival Kits. You can also get camping survival kit for children at this online store. Make your vacation outdoor not only fun, but also safe with Emergency Survival Kits.

A 72 hour survival kit for each person in earthquake country has been goal for not only the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) but also for the local Southern California based Survival Kits Online. As the “Golden Guardian” earthquake drill approaches in November 2008, Californian’s are urged to sign up at www.shakeout.org and to participate in the largest earthquake drill ever.  On November 13, 2008 at 10 AM the entire state will be asked to duck and cover to simulate the “Big one” that is seemingly very over due.

After the year long study the USGS (United States Geological Survey) has concluded and presented a scenario of a 7.8 earthquake on the San Andres fault.

The study comprised eight counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura. Its results will be used as the basis of an emergency response and preparedness exercise, the Great Southern California ShakeOut, and for this purpose we defined our earthquake as occurring at 10:00 a.m. on November 13, 2008. As members of the southern California community use the ShakeOut Scenario to plan and execute the exercise, we anticipate discussion and feedback. This community input will be used to refine our assessment and will lead to a formal publication in early 2009.

 

“Another way that Californians can make sure they are fully prepared is to write their disaster plan and get a 72 hour survival kit” says Scott Kastner owner/partner Survival Kits Online. “We opened our business with the goal of helping to save lives and this disaster drill will reach millions. If we just reach one person with the message and one life is saved this world will be a better place.”

Each year in September “Emergency Disaster Preparedness Month” is observed by our nation. It stresses, as does the California ShakeOut, for citizens to make a disaster plan and get survival kits. But the ShakeOut puts a more urgent twist on preparation. It is not the unexpected that makes Californians prepare, just the contrary, the time bomb which runs through California is called the San Andres Fault and it is ripe for the shaking.

Each year California has thousands of earthquakes mostly under 3.0 on the Richter Scale. It is the once in a century or two type of earthquake which has the potential of killing hundreds if not thousands. These are the types of earthquakes which make preparations vital.

There has been some confusion in the past whether to stand in a doorway or duck and cover. These issues are spelled out very carefully on the www.SurvivalKitsOnline.com website. Following recommendations made by the OES and the USGS, Survival Kits Online points out that duck and cover is the most effective way to survive a temblor.

“Making a disaster plan, purchasing a survival kit and practicing your plan increases your chances of survival exponentially. At www.SurvivalKitsOnline.com we are here ready to help you get prepared to survive” Kastner.  

    

Part 4 of 5 examines the massive Planet X preparations our governments are making in anticipation of a 2012 Planet X flyby. Produced and hosted by Marshall Masters, a former CNN science feature field producer, this program offers a straightforward view of this coming human event. As the co-author and publisher of Planet X Forecast and 2012 Survival Guide, Marshall believes that 2012 will be a survivable, evolutionary event.

One of the biggest mistakes day hikers make is assuming they don’t need to plan for wilderness survival. After all, a hiker usually reasons, “I only plan to be out for a few hours. I’ll be back long before sunset. There’s no reason to carry more stuff than I have to.” Unfortunately, hundreds of hikers die or become seriously injured every year by relying on this faulty reasoning. Wilderness survival requires planning ahead and making three basic assumptions.

The first assumption you should make is that you may be gone longer than you plan. If you’re planning a day hike (a few hours or more), plan as though you’ll be out overnight. Bring enough water for the hike, plus enough for the night and the following 24 hours. You may become lost or otherwise unable to get back to your starting point by sundown. Your body will already have lost a great deal of water from the exertion of the hike. The last thing you want is to find yourself stuck in the wilderness overnight with no water. It may seem like a hassle to carry so much water. However, your survival chances will increase exponentially if you have enough water to sustain you in case of emergency.

If you are stranded in the wilderness overnight, always assume that the temperature will drop. Even in the desert, overnight temperatures can be significantly colder than in the daytime. Exposure to cold or inclement weather can result in hypothermia and may even lead to death. Day hikers should never leave home without additional warm clothing. A sweatshirt, long pants, socks, and rainproof jacket or covering should be carried in a backpack. You also should consider carrying a thermal emergency blanket, which is lightweight and compact for easy carrying. They reflect heat, protect from weather and are fire-resistant.

The third assumption day hikers should make is that they may become injured. If you aren’t prepared for the possibility of an injury, you could find yourself in trouble. Hikers should always carry a basic first-aid kit. Many hikers who have chosen not to carry one in order to save weight or space have regretted it later. Make sure the kit is fully stocked with band-aids, a sterile cleanser, gauze, adhesive tape and cloth bandages. Always replace items later if you use something from your kit.

Some other important things to remember:

* Take a buddy. Hiking alone is never recommended. It can be very dangerous, especially if you become injured. Hiking with a partner increases your chances of getting out of the wilderness alive if you get hurt.

* Take a cell phone. Dozens of hikers are rescued every year because they carried a cell phone. Having a cell phone may reduce your chances of injury or death by up to 50 percent.

* Make a plan. Be sure you know the area where you’ll be hiking. If you haven’t been there before, get a map of the area and mark the trail you’ll take. Make copies of your map, and make sure every member in your group has a copy.

* Inform someone at home. Never go into the wilderness, even for a short time, without telling someone where you’ll be, and when you plan to return. Leave a copy of your map with the person and explain your plans in detail. Tell them where you plan to leave your car. Arrange to call when you begin your hike and as soon as you return. This way, if you don’t get back when you planned, someone else will know and have a good idea where you are.

Using your head ahead of time may very well save your life. It just pays to be prepared.

When planning a trip into the wilderness, whether it be for camping, fishing or hunting there are some survival essentials that you must take with you.

Shelter

We will start with your shelter. This is one of the obvious survival essentials. Although some people do not mind sleeping under the stars, having shelter from the elements can make or break your trip.

There are many different types and sizes of tents on the market. Determine how many people will be sharing your tent before your trip and whether or not you will need a second tent to store your gear. If you do not want to bring another tent, bring a tarp (if you have room) to cover your supplies to keep them dry.

Secondly, a sleeping bag that is designed for the climate is another of the survival essentials. All sleeping bags should have a label that indicates the temperature rating of the bag. However, they are not always accurate. This is one item that you should not go cheap on; you usually get what you pay for in a sleeping bag.

Food and Water

You should always bring enough food; this may seem like an obvious survival essential and it is. When planning your trip, it is very important to plan your meals. This way you should be sure of taking enough food and not taking too much with you, especially if you are hiking or portaging.

Since water is heavy to carry, take a water filter and pump or iodine tablets if there will be water where you are going. If water is going to be scarce on your trip then one of your survival essentials will be taking enough water with you for everyone in the group. I hope that you will have a pack mule or something to carry it all!

Make sure you have a variety of healthy food with you so that you are not deficient in some vital nutrients. You can expend a lot of energy while outdoors and you need to replenish your strength each day.

Tools

A sharp hunting knife is another of the survival essentials. No camper should venture into the wilderness without one. It is used as a tool and a weapon of protection if needed.

An implement for cutting wood is also an important tool. Check out the local camping supply stores for some very handy folding saws. A small hatchet can be very helpful as well.

I usually carry a good multi tool as well. This can be clipped on your belt along with the knife. With the advances in technology, you have other resources readily available these days, including a GPS and satellite telephone.

Backpack

A good waterproof pack would be an important piece of equipment, but would it be a survival essential? Not necessarily, a pack will not save your life, but it will keep your gear from getting wet and it is much easier to carry everything as well.

Fire

At one time, waterproof matches were considered one of the survival essentials. However, not so much anymore. With the advent of fire paste and other fire starters, matches are becoming obsolete. I have had waterproof matches get wet and become useless. Even carrying a small lighter is a good idea. There are ways to start a fire without some fire starter of some kind, but it can be difficult without experience.

First Aid Kit

Having a stocked first aid kit is another of the important survival essentials. Before leaving on your trip, check your kit to make sure it is not out of anything. Some important components of the kit should be band-aids, antiseptic, gauze, tweezers, bug bite cream or spray and other items that may be needed for the area you are traveling in such as snakebite kits etc. Also, included should be painkillers such as Tylenol for example. If anyone in your group requires specific medication then they are responsible for bringing it with them.

Planning

Planning the trip is one of the most important aspects of the survival essentials. Your route should be mapped clearly. You should have more than one map with you. In addition, you must provide your trip plans to friends or family who are not going with you. People need to know when to expect you back and where to look for you if you are not back on time. Alert the local authorities or park Warden to your trip plan as well. In addition, stick to your plan; do not decide to change it when you have already begun the trip. Search and Rescue can be quite expensive!

Wilderness trips can be a lot of fun if planned properly. Never take a trip without the survival essentials.

What is stress in today’s world, and why and how should we manage it?

Stress is medically defined as something that evokes a response from a person’s natural defense mechanism known as ‘fight or flight’.

Additionally, we define stress as a physical or psychological stimulus producing both mental tension and physiological-physiological reactions. In any definition, left unmanaged, it generally leads to illness. That is why it must be managed.

What is Stress Management then?

Stress management are techniques that enable a person to cope with and eventually eliminate stress.

What are the Causes of Stress?

Stress can be different to each person, but we generally today find stress being caused by our work, daily events in modern life, or any of the classic stressors that evoke the stress reaction.

These often include danger (or perceived danger), threats, anxiety, and especially illness. There are other classic stressors such as moving homes, changing jobs, the death of a loved one, which are all stressors of the first category.

What Stress Can Do to You Left Unmanaged

Doctors today, from all over the world, and in almost every medical system, acknowledge unmanaged stress as a major cause of most illnesses. Stress is known to directly reduce the effectiveness of our immune systems.

Unmanaged stress leads to stroke and heart attacks, and some doctors believe even cancer. Unmanaged stress can lead to severe complication in pregnancy and can affect the unborn child as well. Simply we must learn to manage our stress..

Stress Management Techniques

There are today many techniques of stress management, which include, but are not limited to regular exercise, meditation, developing a positive attitude, relaxation exercises, yoga, and self-realization exercises, special massage, regular vacations, and more.

It has been suggested a major cause, and thus a major relief from stress is time management. Most people get bogged down in their chores and responsibilities, and these nag away at your conscience. This creates a huge amount of stress.

Instead, if a person can become more organized, set their goals, realize what their priorities are, and manage their time well, they can alleviate much potential stress.

Sure Fire First Aid for Stress

When stress is just too much to bear, withdraw yourself to the nearest restroom there you can (usually) lock the door and be alone.

The first thing to do is to wash your face and wrists with cool or cold water. Do this slowly, and while you doing so, inhale and exhale deeply.

Drying your face and hands carefully, and not rushed, sit down (there is always a “seat” in a restroom), and close your eyes, fold your hands in your lap. With closed eyes, continue to inhale and exhale deeply, but now, start “watching” your breath. Pretend you can see the incoming and outgoing breath rushing in and out of your body. Feel the incoming air oxygenating your system with living giving oxygen and energy. Feel the spent air leaving your body, and as it leave, attach to it the particular stress which has just been bothering you so.

Do this for 10 minutes only, and return to the world. You will find you are refreshed, re-energized and have in a way, managed your stress rather than your stress managing you.

To survive – to hang in there – to keep your head while all around you others are losing theirs – to stay in play – is a critical skill of leaders. Let’s face it – even the most astute, successful person will suffer setbacks, and surviving and overcoming those setbacks is the true measure of a leader.

To some, survival sounds like a skill for a loser. And, frankly, there are many who try to survive by holding back, by not taking risk, by getting as invisible as possible. Those are not the behaviors of leaders – they are not what survival means in this article – and they lead to failure.

An example of survival and leadership:

A client had a business unit that was doing badly. Unprofitable, losing customers, over budget. The business unit leader had been in the job for six months – not long enough to have created the mess, but long enough to be held accountable for it. Her predecessor had held the job for ten years – and then retired with honors. There were many days when she felt like giving up. She felt that she was more a victim than anything else. She had been a top performer in every other assignment given her. She felt she had gone from the top 5 percent in her company to being perceived as a loser by former colleagues. Everyone likes a winner – no one wants to be associated with what looks like a loser. No one was going to rescue her from this situation – she was either going to sink or swim.

She felt she had four choices:

1 – She could quit and find another employer – she was highly regarded in the market.

2 – She could stay and look at who to blame. She could try to cash in on her former accomplishments and get a transfer – or not be held accountable – or be given lots of slack.

3- She could let the situation tear her down, wallow in self pity and blame fate, and turn into a part of the problem – rather than be part of the solution.

4 – She could do what she had to do to survive the situation – stay afloat, give herself a timetable, work to improve performance, and then decide where her future lay.

She chose the last alternative. She reviewed it with her boss – he agreed with her. For the first time in her career she was faced with stabilizing a losing business, rather than growing a winning one. What a difference! Going from winning as a strategy to surviving – as a strategy – at least as a first step strategy.

She shared her survival strategy with her staff – and watched their reactions. They ranged from acceptance to indifference. This unit was part of a much larger company, and some of her staff had friends in other parts of the organization that could “take care of them.” She let some people transfer to other parts of the business – got rid of some others – and brought in key people who saw their new positions as a chance to prove themselves.

She put together a “stop the bleeding” short term plan with goals and measures that could be quantified and tracked and reported on regularly. No “BHAGS” here ( Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals). Her boss gave his support -while keeping the situation at arm’s length. The plan was shared with the people in the business unit, and every person was expected to establish goals that contributed to the plan. Some did – some didn’t. The plan worked – at least to the extent that the bleeding stopped and the business returned to marginal profitability in six months. No celebrations were held – but the leader and her staff were pleased with their progress -they knew just how much had been accomplished – although no one else seemed to share their emotions.

As the six month plan unfolded, it became clear to her that some significant investments in capital and systems were going to be necessary if the business was to prosper – and there was some risk that, even with those investments, prosperity might not happen. The fight for capital was intense, and other, more successful business units got their share – and hers as well.

She gave it six more months. In that time, steady progress was made, customers were won back, and profitability continued to improve. At the same time, she sensed a growing impatience from her boss with the rate of progress – but no real help in the form of additional resources. At this point she was 18 months into her job, and while she had seen major progress, very little recognition of her accomplishments came her way. She gave it six more months.

At the end of two years in the assignment, when continued improvement went unrewarded, she resigned.

When asked about that experience five years later, she said it was by far the most valuable of her career. When pressed to identify what particularly valuable lessons she had taken from the experience that helped her be successful – and she had become very successful – she listed the following:

-You gotta pick your spots carefully. Every organization has top units and bad units. To decide to survive in a marginal unit with little upside is not very bright. Be sure the survival situation has an upside.

-The decision to fight through a tough situation, and take the risk of surviving, must be a conscious one. And once it’s made, all effort must be directed forward. It’s easy in these situations to adopt a “why me” or victim attitude – and that is fatal. Managing, defining and communicating expectations in a survival situation are absolutely critical skills – more than in a highly successful business. Pressure from above to see progress can lead to commitments being made that simply cannot be kept. And intentions sound good at the beginning of a reporting period – but only results matter. “Hockey stick” forecasts and plans – where all the good news is forecast to occur near the end of the measurement period – are always greeted with suspicion.

-Tolerance for mistakes is much lower in survival situations. And negative outcomes that would be ignored in a successful business are magnified and used as examples of just how bad things are – while good news is received with skepticism. Protecting and insulating the people committed to making it work from harsh criticism and judgment is a major task for the survival leader.

-A survival leader must have a core group of optimistic believers who are committed to making it work.

-Stay in close contact with the Boss – absolutely no surprises are allowed.

- Keep people focused on improvement through widely communicated goals they can share and buy into.

-Don’t let people see discouragement at bad news – and there is always bad news in survival situations. Negative emotions will be multiplied 100 times by those that observe them.

- Survival mode must be a temporary situation – it’s easy to slip into a survival mind set and make it a long term behavior.

- Survival – both personal and organizational – is often thankless. While in survival mode leaders have to see the value of their contribution themselves. Often, there is very little positive recognition given to survival.

- The worst thing a survival leader can do is to stay in place and let the situation grind them down. When the best shot has been given, and it remains apparent that that isn’t enough, move on – that’s always a choice – always. Know when to hold, and know when to fold.

- In the stress of survival situations, it’s easy to personalize all kinds of things. Don’t. The ability to see things for what they are – no more or no less – is a necessary ability. Trying to ascribe motive, or waste time on hidden meanings are great ways to lose control and perspective.

These Lessons In Survival were learned the hard way. That’s the only way to learn. If you see yourself or your organization in survival mode – use these Lessons to inventory what and how you can apply them to get through it better, quicker and more successfully.

There are many instances where people have survived in spite of having been diagnosed with fatal cancers. The reasons behind this are many. Many people are trying alternative treatments for combating cancer. The radiation and chemotherapy which is the usual treatment routine for cancer patients is emotionally and physically draining.

Most of the alternative treatments available are based on the fact that cancer is a physical symptom of imbalance in emotional, spiritual, mental and physical well being. Bringing all these back into balance would treat the cancer affecting you.

1-The first step is to heal emotions and eliminate stress. Emotional stress leads to increased production of adrenalin which culminates in high blood sugar, low levels of oxygen therefore fermentation and mutation of cells leading to cancer. Hence healing these negative emotions is critical for treatment. The usual modes adopted are hypnotherapy, counseling etc.

2-The next step is avoiding stress. Any kind of stress will enhance the cancer cells and thus have to be avoided. Jobs can be changed; residence can be shifted etc with the aim of keeping stress at bay.

3-Reducing stress calms the autonomous nervous system and hence the cortisol levels in the body decrease. Yoga, aromatherapy, meditation, relaxation techniques help in this. Laughter therapy is very commonly used for this purpose. Laughter lowers blood pressure, and boosts immune system which kills the cancer cells.

4-Melatonin levels have to be increased since this is responsible for inhibiting cancer cell growth and the regulation of the immune system. Daily sessions of meditation have increased melatonin levels for the desired affect.

5-Many natural products are seen to possess immune system boosting properties. Recovery from cancer should support the immune system and its components. Wheat germ extract has been found to be very effective in this regard.

6-The body has to be cleansed of viruses, bacteria and fungi. These organisms are responsible for causing disruptions in the Krebs cycle leading to cell mutation and cancer. The parasites have to be de-wormed from the body.

7-Toxins like mycotoxins, chemicals, alcohol, antibiotics etc have to be thrown out of the body. The detoxification has to extend to other organs like gall bladder, colon and the kidneys.

8-The body pH has to be re-alkanized. Smoking, alcohol consumption should be stopped. A healthy diet rich in anti oxidants to be followed. The diet should be rich in anti cancer foods which aid in getting the body rid of cancerous cells. Cancer cells cannot survive in alkaline environment.

9-The inner belief that cancer can be cured has to take deep roots. This confidence in the system would aid in treatment by enhancing progress.

10-Believing that God would help is very calming to the mind and body. Faith in God is proven to increase confidence levels and bring about good health and mental well being.

11-While preparing to start alternative treatment it is better to be prepared for change in a big way like, diet, system, routine etc. The flexibility would make healing faster.

To Your Health!