american survival guide - december 2014 usa

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 DECEMBER 2014 U.S. $8.99DISPLAY UNTIL: 12/9/2014

SPECIAL SECTIONS

GEAR REVIEWS

LOCKDOWN: PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR ANY EMERGENCY

SNOWBOUND AND HUNGRY:

HOW THE DONNERPARTY SURVIVED

Learn To Read a Topo MapMake a Tea-Light Heater

When the Bleeding Wont Stop Fieldstrip Your Colt 1911

Solkoas Suma Pro Survival KitSOGs Jungle WarriorVolcano 3 Collapsible Grill

BIOLOGICAL WARFAREHOW READY ARE YOU?

SIX CELLPHONE

SURVIVALTOOLS

THAT WORK

OUT OF THE ELEMENTS: 17 TARP

SHELTERS

THE LAST LINE OF

DEFENSE:INSIDETHE CDC

DRDS TACTICAL

TOMAHAWK

FIRST LOOK:

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4 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE

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COVERINVISIBLEWEAPONS Bacteria, Bugs, and Bioterrorism:Surviving SomethingYou Cant SeeBy Carrie Visintainer

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AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE (ISSN 2331-8937) Volume 3, Number 7 is published 9 times a year January, February, April/May, June, July, August, September, November, December by Engaged Media by Beckett, LLC,22840 Savi Ranch Pkwy., Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER: send address changes to American Survival Guide c/o Engaged Media by Beckett, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244. 2014 by BeckettMedia, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. GST #855050365RT001 Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Return undeliverableCanadian addresses to: PITNEY BOWES, INC. P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

John Galletta is a anti-nuclear terrorist trainer and one of thedriving forces behind apparel company Brothers & Arms USA.Biohazard suit is courtesy Orange County Waste Management,Securis Tactical Tomahawk courtesy DRD Tactical.

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BACKCOUNTRY90 INTRODUCTION

91 WHITE HOT KILLERCombating Heat-Related Illnesses By Jeff Zurschmeide

94 MOBILE SURVIVAL KITSix Ways Your Cell Phone Can Save Your LifeBy Creek Stewart

98 THE FUTURE IS IN THE CLOUDSUsing Clouds to Predict the Weather By Ryan Lee Price

103 SUPER GRILL MASTERThe Volcano III Triple-Source Collapsible GrillBy Ryan Lee Price

106 BRAIN BUSTERDRDs Securis Tactical TomahawkBy Ryan Lee Price

108 A ROOF OF POLYETHYLENE17 Ways to Make a Shelter from a TarpBy Ryan Lee Price

114 THE SOG JUNGLE WARRIOR This is Not Your Daddys Pocket KnifeBy Ryan Lee Price

HOW-TO36 NEVER GET LOSTHow to Read and Orient a Topographical MapBy Ryan Lee Price

39 CHEAP HEATHow to Make a Tea-Light HeaterBy Ryan Lee Price

42 BREAKDOWNHow to Field Strip a Colt M1911By Ryan Lee Price

FEATURES

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 | DECEMBER 2014

COLUMNS6 FIRST WORDS

8 NEW PRODUCTS 12 NEWS & NOTES

32 PREPPING WITH RALSTON 130 DEAD END

16 A LITTLE GIRLS DREAM: THE KIRAVAN An Uber-Techy Million-Dollar Adventure Truck By Ryan Lee Price

24 STORIES OF SURVIVAL: THE DONNER PARTYA Journey into the Greatest Tragedy in theHistory of Western MigrationBy Bryan Dumas

28 CIRCUMVENTINGCATASTROPHE How to Avoid Disaster in the Safest City in AmericaBy Larry Schwartz

60 MISSION CRITICALInside the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionBy Ryan Lee Price

122 BEING SELF-SUFFICIENTThe 10 Key Capabilities and 35 Must-HavesYou Need During An EmergencyBy Larry Schwartz

URBAN66 INTRODUCTION

67 BIG SURVIVAL COMES INSMALL PACKAGESSolkoas SUMA Pro Survival KitBy Ryan Lee Price

70 DESTINATION: HOMEPutting Together the Last Get-Home BagYou Will Ever NeedBy Creek Stewart

76 LOCKDOWNSurviving the Unknown in the Place YouKnow Best: HomeBy Jeff Zurschmeid

81 AVOID THE DRAIN: WATER RECLAMATION Mankinds Oldest Technologies MeetsTodays Most Basic NeedsBy Larry Schwartz

GEAR GUIDES

46 GAS MASKS 62 ENTRENCHING TOOLS

85 GENERATORS 116 CAMP LANTERNS

THE COVER:Photography: THINKSTOCK

Design: JESSE CAO

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 / DECEMBER 2014

EDITORIALEditor-in-Chief: Ryan Lee PriceManaging Editor: Kari Windes Senior Creative Director: Eric KnaggArt Director: Jesse Cao

CONTRIBUTORS Tim Ralston, Larry Schwartz, Tori Tellem, JeffZurschmeide

ADVERTISINGGabe Frimmel - Ad Sales Director(714) 200-1930 - [email protected] Clifford - Senior Account Executive(714) 312-6275Mark Pack - Senior Account Executive(714) 200-1939Gennifer Merriday - Ad Traffic Coordinator

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AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE (ISSN 2331-8937) Volume 3, Number 7 is published 9 times a year January, February, April/May, June, July, August, September,November, December, Engaged Media by Beckett, 22840Savi Ranch Pkwy., Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POST-MASTER: send address changes to American Survival Guidec/o Engaged Media by Beckett, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas,TX 75244. 2014 by Engaged Media by Beckett. All rightsreserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue inwhole or in part is strictly prohibited. GST #855050365RT001Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608.Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: PITNEYBOWES, INC. P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty orresponsibility by Engaged Media by Beckett as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

BY RYAN LEE PRICE

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Battle Of The BugsMOST NORMAL PEOPLE dont really think about germs. People wash their hands(not often enough probably), maybe dash on some Purell when the situation callsfor it, and thats about it. If you get sick, you get sick, and theres very little peoplethink they can do about it. And theyd be right.

The human body is literally covered from head to toe with germs, 24 hours aday, seven days a week, and theres nothing you can do about it. Around 10,000 dif-ferent species of microbes are infesting every nook and cranny of your body, butwhat might shock you is that adds up to easily a couple of pounds of germs andmicrobes.

Interestingly, no amount of washing or lathering on anti-bacterial lotion is goingto remove the thousands of microorganisms that call you their home. Even though

most everyone harbors low levels of some very harmful types ofbacteria in their stomachspathogens that are known for

causing specific infections like salmonella, shigella,yersinia, and vibrio cholerae, for examplethere are

a host of good bacteria crawling around in theretoo that your body needs to survive. Washing

your hands is a good thing. You cant do itoften enough, but for some, the thought ofbeing caked in bacteria causes them tooveruse anti-bacterial lotion. It does a greatjob at not only killing the bad bacteria andgerms that threaten your health on a dailybasis, but it also kills the good bacteria,like Staphylococci, which is present on theskin and helps blood to clot.

When my daughter was almost two, shedeveloped a sore throat, fever and a rash, so

we paid a visit to our pediatrician for anexamination, thinking it was just a simple

virus. The doctor took one look at her andannounced that she had been stricken with scarlet

fever. It sounded so dire, so Victorian, like out of aEmily Bront novel. In fact, in The Velveteen Rabbit, the lit-

tle boys toys had to be burned because of scarlet fever, and inthe World War Zs climactic ending, Brad Pitts character injects himself

with scarlet fever to ward off zombies. Sure, my daughters body was busy fighting the disease, but it was a losing bat-

tle, and later, when I did some research on scarlet fever, it was chilling to read thatif she were born 100 years earlier (or left untreated), the virus would have eventu-ally killed her. The discovery of penicillin in 1928 quickly put the reins on the dis-ease, and my daughter is happy and healthy today because of it.

On page 50, we take a closer look at germs, microbes, and bacteria, but from amore sinister approach. From plague-riddle bodies tossed over the walls ofbesieged cities to assassins with needles plying the darkened alleys of the spyworld, the story of biological warfare is long and far from over.

What can you do about it? Be warned and be prepared.

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W W W . B L A D E - T E C H . C O M 8 7 7 . 3 3 1 . 5 7 9 3

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The Eclipse OWB Outside the Waistband Holster is the perfect alter-QDWLYHKROVWHUIRUWKRVHZKRZRXOGUDWKHUFDUU\WKHLUUHDUPFRQFHDOHGsecurely on the outside of the belt rather than Inside the waistband. The Eclipse is a Pancake style holster with a full sweat guard designed WRULGHFORVHWRWKHERG\DQGDOORZIRUDIXOOFRPEDWJULS

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NEWPRODUCTSC U T T I N G - E D G E I N N O V AT I O N

3. KEEPING WARMProduct: Lithium Ion Soft Shell Heated JacketManufacturer: DeWaltContact: Dewalt.comMSRP: $209

With four heating zones for the upper left andright chest, mid-back, and collar, the 20-and/or 12-volt batteries can provide up to sev-eral hours of continuous heat. The jacket has adurable water- and wind-resistant outer shell,and the LED controller offers three tempera-ture settings (low, medium, and high). Thejacket even has two USB power ports for charg-ing portable devices. The battery and chargerare not included.

Specifications: Made from soft polyester material Sizes: Small to XXXL Adjustable waistline and sleeve cuffs Accepts 12- and 20-volt DeWalt batteries Five pockets (including cell phone pocket) Optional hooded model available

2. HOME SECURITYProduct: CanaryManufacturer: CanaryContact: Canary.isMSRP: $249

The Canary home security system is a stand-alone device that keeps your home and familysafe. It employs an HD video camera, multiplesensors that track everything from motion, tem-perature, and air quality to vibration (in case ofan earthquake), sound (e.g. breaking glass) andyour daily movements. Controlled via youriPhone or Android, it will alert you when it feels,sees, or hears anything out of the ordinary. Asudden temperature change can suggest a fire,while unusual sounds can mean an intruder. Itlearns your activities and schedule.

Specifications: HD camera with night vision Wi-Fi enabled Live video and sensor data streamed to your

smartphone Has guided action plans in case of emergen-

cies Can trigger house alarms silently and remotely Dimensions: 6 x 3 inches Comes in black, white, silver

1. KATADYN POCKETProduct: Katadyn PocketManufacturer: KatadynContact: Katadyn.comMSRP: $282.81

Filtering water in an off-grid situation (ormerely camping) is paramount to your survival.There are a lot of filtration systems on the mar-ket, but few have the longevity, speed, andcapacity as does the Katadyn Pocket, a com-pact, lightweight filter. It is made of heavy-dutymaterials and is suited for continuous use. Thesilver impregnated ceramic element is effectiveagainst bacteria and protozoa. It has a 20-yearwarranty and comes with a prefilter, bottle clip,and carry bag.

Specifications: 0.2-micron ceramic filter (cleanable) 13,000-gallon capacity 1 quart per minute output Weight: 20 ounces

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AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE 9

6. K2 HYAK PACKProduct: K2 Hyak Pack KitRetailer: BackCountryContact: BackCountry.com/MSRP: $149.47

This kit is designed for backcountry skiers andsnowboarders who need to travel light butrequire reliable avalanche safety equipment. Inthe pack, the kit includes a 230cm avalancheprobe and a light snow shovel. The pack hastool-specific pockets and can accommodateskis or a snowboard. The padded shoulderstraps are comfortable, while the additionalstraps can be used for heavier loads.

Specifications: Internal insulated hydration sleeve Fleece-lined goggle pocket Avalanche probe is made of lightweight car-

bon (has centimeter scale). The shovel has an extendable shaft and can

be used as a deadman anchor.

4. WINGS OF LIFEProduct: Life Gear Emergency Survival Kit (LG567)Retailer: SearsContact: Sears.comMSRP: $188.39

This emergency survival kit contains a hygienekit, emergency red flasher, respirator mask,leather working gloves, thermal blanket, sig-naling whistle, waterproof cash bag, writingpen and pad, signaling mirror, all-weather pon-cho, directional compass, multifunctional, anda first aid kit. The bag itself has ring hooks foradded attachments, a back ventilation systemfor cool air flow, sleeve system storage for foodand water, detachable wings, water reservoirpocket, cell phone and walkie-talkie carryingcase, and see-through pockets for quick accessto items.

Specifications: Grab-and-go pack can be stored anywhere Weighs 8.6 pounds Dimensions: 5.5 x 14 x 19.5 inches Equipment enough for three days Recommended by the American Red Cross

and FEMA

5. STAY HYDRATED Product: CamelBak Linchpin Hydration PackRetailer: Tactical GearContact: TacticalGear.comMSRP: $209.70

The harness, made by Mystery Ranch, is cus-tomizable to fit differing torso lengths, while itcan also be adjusted to wear with or withoutbody armor. The narrow profile fits betweenthe shoulder blades and allows for a widerange of motion and is thin enough to fit intight spaces. The reservoir tank can hold 100ounces of liquid (3 liters) and it includes anauto shut-off valve for quicker filling.

Specifications: Large fill port with quarter-turn open/close External side pockets to carry three M16 mag-

azines each Radio equipment compatible with two lash

points and dual antennae ports Lightweight, durable 500D Cordura fabric Dimensions: 19 x 18 x 14 inches Weight: 3.3 pounds Total capacity: 1,984 cubic inches

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NEWPRODUCTSC U T T I N G - E D G E I N N O V AT I O N

8. TACTICAL TOURNIQUETProduct: Tac Med Solutions - SOF TacticalTourniquetRetailer: 1110 GearContact: 1110gear.comMSRP: $29

Extensive research went into the developmentof a more effective and easier to use tacticaltourniquet. The SOF Tactical Tourniquet-Wideuses high-strength, lightweight alloy compo-nents to ensuring reliability in a variety of cir-cumstances and on the largest of limbs. Thehigh-strength hook-and-loop straps aredesigned for security, strength, and ease ofapplication. The 1 -inch tourniquet strap pro-vides a wider compression area that allows foradditional arterial compression and more com-fort for the patient. The tourniquet handle ismachined from a single piece of high-strengthaluminum bar stock.

Specifications: 1 -inch tourniquet strap Quick-connect, snap-lock buckle design Lightweight alloy components Single-application method, regardless of

location. Small size for easier storage

9. SURGICAL KITProduct: 5ive Star Gear surgical kitRetailer: AO Tactical GearContact: AOTacticalGear.comMSRP: $24.95

When accidents happen and youre miles fromthe nearest medical aid, sometimes youll haveto take things into your own hands. This surgicaltool kit contains all the stainless steel instru-ments you will need to perform a variety ofemergency medical procedures. Comes completewith: Two straight hemostats, one pair of scis-sors, one curved hemostat, one pair of tweezers,one scalpel handle, one suture set, two scalpelblades, one holder, one needle probe, two alco-hol wipes, one pen light, and two antisepticwipes. The tools do not arrive sterile.

Specifications: Made from stainless steel Weight: 0.7 pounds Tools come sealed in a plastic pouch.

7. WATER CARRIER MSR DROMEDARY BAGSProduct: MSR Dromedary BagsRetailer: BackCountry GearContact: BackCountryGear.comMSRP: $29.95Expandable, collapsible MSR Dromedary Bagslet you carry 2, 4, 6 or 10 liters worth of water,but without the bulk of bottles. They havethreaded openings that attach directly to thebottom of any MSR WaterWorks or MiniWorksfilter. The three-in-one caps let you drink, pour,or fill with ease. Made with durable, abrasion-resistant, laminated nylon and food-gradepolyurethane, these water carriers are tougherthan typical vinyl products and flexible even infreezing conditions.

Specifications: Made with food-grade polyurethane Can be used in extreme temperatures (freez-

ing to boiling) Multiple grommets for easy hanging or carrying Weight: 5.4 ounces

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CAN'T GET ENOUGH ASG ? WHEN YOU'RE NOT OFF THE GRID, BE SURE TO FIND US ON FACEBOOK.

10. CAR SURVIVAL KITProduct: Family Road GuardianRetailer: Survival Gear USAContact: Survival-Gear-USA.comMSRP: $199.90

This Family Road Guardian is an auto survivalkit, blizzard survival kit, and a 72-hour survivalkit all in one. It is geared for road trips and longdistance drives, providing food, enough to feeda family of four for one day, and gear for a vari-ety of survival situations. It is packaged securelyin a red duffle bag with wheels and extra roomfor some personal items. It is a good way to beprepared in case you become stranded due toan accident or other natural disasters.

Specifications: Food has a five-year shelf life Emergency light sources: candles, light stick,

radio/flashlight Shelter and Warmth: survival blankets, pon-

cho fleece blanket, tube tent Tools: paracord, knife, goggles, sewing kit,

gloves, tow rope Hygiene/First Aid: waste bag, tissues, hygiene

kit, first-aid kit Also includes a deck of cards and a notepad

and pencil

11. WALLET SURVIVALCARD Product: Survival Card Multi-toolManufacturer: USTContact: USTBrands.comMSRP: $6.99

This is a compact and easy to carry plastic cardthat puts 13 tools into the space of a credit card(nearly). It includes: Attachment loop, miniPhillips head screwdriver, small flat-headscrewdriver, magnifying glass, eight-sidedwrench, position wrench (4 sizes), butterflywrench, large flat-head screwdriver, bottleopener, file edge, knife edge, can opener, 2-inchruler, and mini compass.

Specifications: 0.08-inch thick stainless steel blade/tools in

ABS housing Dimensions: 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.4 inches Weight: 1.6 ounces

12. ETON POWER Product: Eton FRX3Manufacturer: Eton Corp.Contact: EtonCorp.comMSRP: $69.99

This all-purpose, rechargeable weather alertradio with solar panel and hand-crank powergenerator will keep you in the know, on alert,and well connected. When the Alert functionis on, the radio will automatically broadcastemergency weather alerts for your area such ashurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms. Stayup to date with its AM/FM/NOAA weather banddigital radio with display and alarm clock. Also,theres an AUX-input to play your own music.Cranking the handle for a minute will provideenough power for 15-20 minutes of music.

Specifications: Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.8 x 2.6 inches Weight: 1.4 pounds Powers by solar panel, hand crank, recharge-

able battery LED flashlight

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STUDENTS CAN WIN SCHOLARSHIP FOR HURRICANE PREPTHIS CALL TO ACTION goes out to all high schooland college students. Express Glass Repair andBoard Up Services is holding an essay contest andscholarship on the topic of hurricane preparedness.

Three topics are the focus: What are some waysthat governments and nonprofits can pre-educateand encourage residents to be more prepared? Whatare the steps one would recommend for a Floridafamily seeking to prepare against hurricanes? Doesthe essay writer think the government should allowmore (or less) building in flood-prone areas? ExpressGlass Repair and Board Up Service is located inFlorida, but the contest is open to studentsanywhere in the U.S. The deadline is December 31,2014. Details and rules can be found atwww.expressglassfl.com/hurricane-preparedness-essay-contest/

Worst Billion-DollarWeather DisastersCAN YOU NAME the top billion-dollar weatherdisasters in the U.S. since 1980? AccuWeather can: > Hurricane Katrina, 2005: $149 billion> Superstorm Sandy, 2012: $66 billion> Hurricane Andrew, 1992: $45 billion> Drought/Heatwave, 1988: $34 billion> Midwest Flooding, 1993: $34 billion

AccuWeather has aligned with others, such theNational Weather Service, to spearhead the Weather-Ready Nation project, which according to the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration is aboutbuilding community resilience in the face ofincreasing vulnerability to extreme weather and waterevents. The goal is to help the public, firstresponders, emergency managers, and others be ableto make quick, live-saving decisions. The AccuWeatherapp will give you minute weather updates whereveryou are (even right there on your own street).Information translates into money and lives.

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Cell Phone Tower Or Surveillance Device?THEYRE CALLED INTERCEPTOR TOWERSsurveillancedevices that look like cell phone towers and are designed tointercept voice and data from any cell user in the area,according to Popular Science. But who exactly owns them?No one knows. Or more correctly, no one is saying. Therehave been rumors of law-enforcement agencies behind onesin Florida, Arizona, and California. And the U.S. Customs andImmigration uses the ones at the U.S.-Mexico border. Thefinger has been pointed at the military, too.

According to Popular Science, 43 different state and locallaw enforcement agencies in 18 states have surveillancetechnology. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Unionand the Electronic Frontier Foundation view the interceptorsas an unlawful search, since theres no warrant. One thingeveryone speculating can agree upon is that no one can saywith authority that its not spies or criminals behind thetowers. Unleash the conspiracy theories! (Like the one abouthow theyre being used for mind control.)

Hazmat Suits InHigh Demand ForEbola PreventionA GLOBAL MANUFACTURER ofspecialty protective gear, includingthat worn by healthcare workers andfirst responders on local, state, andfederal levels, has stepping up itsmanufacturing capacity due toincreasing demand for hazmat suits forthe Ebola virus.

Christopher J. Ryan, president andCEO of Lakeland Industries,acknowledged reports of a shortage ofhazmat suits, but noted, Weunderstand the difficulty of gettingappropriate products through aprocurement system that in times ofcrisis favors availability overspecification, and we hope our addedcapacity will help alleviate thatproblem. The U.S. State Departmentput out a bid for 160,000 suits.

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Can Social Media IdentifyHealth Risks?THERES A NEW SOCIAL MEDIAsurveillance tool that could give publichealth officials insight into things likea health-related epidemic orthreatening situation (say, terrorism).The ChatterGrabber software wascreated by researchers via the VirginiaTech Bioinformatics Institute, and sofar the platform has been tested withinan app called EpiDash for monitoringnorovirus outbreaks. It works byscreening social networks forstatements of interest, like in that caserelated to gastric illness. Being able tostay current with the public as itTweets or posts about issues couldbecome a useful early-warning systemfor officials.

Earthquake Sign Of ShameSAN FRANCISCO is trying out a newway to make building ownersmostlyof apartments and hotelscomplywith earthquake-retrofitting. Big signswill be posted that read Earthquakewarning! making their violation of thebuilding code public knowledge.Owners were told a year ago to lookinto retrofitting. Its not intended tocreate panic; its intended to notifytenants and also to let landlords knowthat there are real consequences tonon-compliance, Patrick Otellini, SanFranciscos director of earthquakesafety, said of the warning placards,according to Reuters.

Multi-tool Just For KidsYOUR EMERGENCY kit/backpack likely has amulti-tool. Now your childs can too, and its anindustry firstthe Leatherman Leap is a multi-tool designed specifically for children. A bonus isthat it allows parents to essentially grow the toolwith the child; it can be used without a knifeblade, which can be added when the parentsdeem its age-appropriate. The other tools arepretty much what youd find in the adult version,including pliers, a ruler, wire cutters, tweezers,and a bottle opener. Built in safety locks makesure fingers and tools dont run into one another.Learn more at Leap.Leatherman.com.

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A Little Girls Dream: The KiraVan AN UBER-TECHY MILLION-DOLLAR ADVENTURE TRUCK Story by Ryan Lee Price

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aving a daughter late in life produces a unique set of problems,especially when youve spent the majority of your 60-plus years onthis planet striving to better the world through education andinvention. For most of his life, Bran Ferren had been travelling theworld, building unique contraptions, and solving complicated tech-

nical problems for everyone from Walt Disney to Uncle Sam ... and making mil-lions upon millions of dollars doing it. Four years ago, life threw him a curvewhen Brans partner of 25 years approached him with a different problem: Thetime to have children, she announced, was now.

The massive off-road KiraVan hasbeen developedto traverse anynumber of dif-ferent terrains,from swampybogs to 3-feet ofstanding water.


In 2009, Kira was born, and thus Branslatest focus: fatherhood. He had spent agreat deal of effort building the client list ofhis latest company, Applied Minds, a superhigh-tech design firm, so now he had thetime to devote to his newest client, hisdaughter. Since he understood readily thathe wont be available for most of Kiras life,he has redirected his energies to her educa-tion and future well-being (even so far as torecord interviews with himself so that Kiracan benefit from his knowledge years fromnow). Ive loved watching my daughterlearn about life, he says. Theres a bigworld out there, and Ive seen only a portionof it. The latest project, started just aboutthe time Kira was born and completed justthis year is the ultimate adventure truck,designed and built for the main purpose oftaking Kira nearly anywhere on earth with-out limitations or a compromise in comfort.He calls it the KiraVan.

As questions mounted in the designphasewhat materials to make it out of,what facilities should it havewhat facili-ties could it have?Bran traveled the globein search of experts to answer them. He


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[ABOVE] A host of antennae and communication devices are stored on theroof and can easily be deployed at a moments notice from within the cab.

[TOP] The KiraVan is able to travel up to 2,000 miles without refuelingand navigate slopes as steep as 45 degrees. It holds enough supplies tolast a family of four for three weeks.

[OPPOSITE] The completely custom-made cockpit would be easily at homeon a supersonic jet as it is in an off-road vehicle.

A Little Girls Dream: The KiraVan


spoke with mining experts, oil drillers, andarctic explorers about their equipment,needs, and desires for changes in newequipment. How does an off-road vehiclefunction over different terrain? How woulda high-tech computer system work in sub-zero temperatures?

After four years of design, testing, build-ing, rebuilding, and more testing, the KiraVanwas unveiled earlier this year. What resultedwas the most elaborate off-road vehicleever created, capable of traversing most anyterrain with its six Kevlar-coated tires andsurmount grades as steep as 45 degrees. Ithas remarkable endurance, not needingrefueling for nearly 2,000 miles at a time,despite its 51,000-pound girth.

Following behind the enormous cab isKiraVans massive trailer, which is 31 feetlong and more than 10 feet high. It is hometo an ecofriendly bathroom, a custom-designed kitchen complete with an espressomachine, and Kiras own penthouse loftwhich she helped design. Since Bran isntsaddled with the usual limitations that nor-mal people havetime, manpower, and

moneyno expense was spared in the Kira-Vans construction. Bran had access to someof the worlds best engineers.

The main truck is adapted from a Mer-cedes Unimog, similar to the MaxiMog hedesigned several years ago, but again, theonly thing that was left is the chassis andsteering wheel. The rest was scrapped. TheMercedes chassis was lengthened anddoubled in thickness to handle the bulkand weight.

Behind the wheel, the operator sits in lux-urious comfort on vibration-cancellingleather chairs designed by Bose. The pas-senger can control a number of drones thatcan be dispatched to check traffic condi-tions or to investigate the road ahead. Alsocontrolled from the dash are the trucksseven masts that telescope up to 60 feet,taking with them cameras, weather equip-ment, lights, and communication antennas.

Touch-screen cockpit displays monitorthe vitals of the tire pressure of the six tiresand battery lifeas well as the navigationdutiesline the roof and dash. The situa-tional-awareness system consists of a joy-


IT HAS REMARKABLE ENDURANCE, NOT NEEDING REFUELING FOR NEARLY 2,000 MILES AT A TIME, DESPITE ITS 51,000-POUND GIRTH.



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[TOP] Inside the main traileris a small galley andplenty of storage.

[LEFT] A view fromthe dining area showsKiras own loft thatshe helped design.

[BOTTOM] The upstairs diningarea comfortablyseats a family of four.



ASG_1412_21 9/29/14 1:24 AM Page 21


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stick-operated control base connected to theKiraVans 22 cameras, including infrared ther-mal imagery. Onboard is every conceivablemethod of communication from off-the-shelf walkie-talkies and UHF-band radios tosuper-accurate GPS systems and email.

Currently, the KiraVan is completely tornapart, awaiting upgrades of some of its sys-tems and some general reconfiguring of oth-ers. Bran is in no hurry to complete the pro-ject, as his main client wont be able to drivefor another 12 years.

[ABOVE] The nerve-center ofthe KiraVans trailer isan impressive bank ofcomputers used tocommunicate with theoutside world, as wellas monitor the localsurroundings and thevehicles welfare.



ASG_1412_23 9/29/14 1:25 AM Page 23


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The saloon was eerily still.All eyes were on the six-foot-tall shell of man whostared off into the muskydin with steely blue eyes.

The question lingered in the air likethe pipe smoke swirling from themouths of the men standing aroundhim: Did you really eat people?Finally, after moments of painfulsilence, Lewis Keseberg turned,flashed a smile that chilled the bonesof the men in the room, and said,Human liver is the sweetest thingIve ever eaten.

Lewis Keseberg was the last per-son retrieved from the snowboundhell that befell the Donner Party in1846-47. Though he wasnt the onlymember of the ill-fated group toresort to cannibalism, despite claimsthat it never happened, he was the

only one tried for murder. WhileKeseberg wears the anointed crownof evil personified in the DonnerParty tragedy, he lays out reasonswhy the balance of justice might justsway back in his favor: I have beenborn under an evil star! Fate, misfor-tune, bad luck, compelled me toremain at Donner Lake. If Godwould decree that I should againpass through such an ordeal, I couldnot do otherwise than I did.

The story of the Donner Party isone of sheer survival and the deter-mination of man to live. But it is alsothe story of how to survive and howto prevent yourself from ever havingto face the darkest moments in life.Kesebergs fate was cast the day hejoined with the Reed family and theDonner brothers on their journey toCalifornia.

Stories of Survival: The Donner Party

MY FATHER, WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, TRIED TO SMILE AS ONE FRIEND AFTER ANOTHER GRASPED HIS HAND IN A LAST FAREWELL. MAMA WAS OVER-COME WITH GRIEF. AT LAST WE WERE ALL IN THE WAGONS. THE DRIVERS CRACKED THEIR WHIPS. THE OXEN MOVED SLOWLY FORWARD AND THE LONG JOURNEY HAD BEGUN. VIRGINIA REED, DAUGHTER OF JAMES REED

James and Margret Reed

A JOURNEY INTO THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN MIGRATIONStory by Bryan Dumas

ASG_1412_DONNER 10/1/14 3:29 AM Page 24

Travelling out of Springfield, Ill.with the Reed family were the broth-ers George and Jacob Donner andtheir kin. All three families hadpacked their wagons according to aguidebook published by LansfordHastings, a man whod never madethe trip himself. Necessitiesincluded: One wagon loaded withbolts of cotton and flannel, glass,beads, mirrors, and other trinkets totrade with the Indians; expensiveitems like textiles, silks and satins totrade with the Californios uponarrival; farm equipment, furniture,and household goods. A secondwagon was loaded with items neededfor the trail. A third wagon was setaside as a shelter and dining cart.

It is surprising that George Don-ner or James Reed would have both-ered with the suggestions put forthin the Hastings guide. Donner waswell accustomed to moving. As thefrontier pushed west, he had trav-elled with it from North Carolinawith his parents, then on his ownfrom Kentucky to Indiana to Illinois.He also spent time in Texas and hada familiarity working with oxenteams. He would have understoodthe most basic tenant of backwoodstravel: Take what is necessary; leavethe rest behind.

Reed served in the Black HawkWar and worked at one time oranother as a merchant, railroad con-tractor, and furniture maker. Peoplespoke of him as a man who wasquick with decisions and decisivein action.

Unfortunately for those travellingwith Reed, he was also a self-mademan and not one to play things safe.He didnt come from a fatherlesshome to be one of Illinois more suc-cessful men by avoiding risks.

Theyd left late from Springfieldand had taken longerdue to theiroverburdened cartsthan expectedto reach Independence, Missouri.Though nothing in their journalsindicates alarm, their arrival in mid-May was already weeks behind theaccepted departure date for cross-continent travel. A late group waswaiting in Kansas for any stragglers,

and the Donner/Reed group wiselydecided to leave quickly to catch up.This would be the last good decisionthat the Donner Party made.

Life on the trail was full of hard-ships. Swollen rivers, floods, disease,and boredom. Routine became themost common way to cope withthese. Women did the cooking andcleaning. Men tended the animals,hunted, and repaired the wagons

mostly broken axles. Children, too,found chores to pass their time.Theyd fetch the water, clean dishes,and find firewood. The mundanehelped alleviate the fears of theunknown.

Not all of the unknown hardshipsturned out bad.

The first Indians we met werethe Caws, wrote Virginia Reed inher diary, Who kept the ferry, andhad to take us over the Caw River. Iwatched them closely, hardly daringto draw my breath, and feeling surethey would sink the boat in the mid-dle of the stream, and was very

thankful when I found they were notlike grandmas Indians. Aside fromstealing horses, the Indians were amild nuisance (most travellers on theOregon Trail who were killed byIndians were done so west of theParting Of Ways).

At Fort Laramie, he happened tocome across James Clyman, anacquaintance from his Black HawkWar day. They spoke about the besttrail west. Clyman was working hisway east and had just come acrossthe infamous Hastings Cutoff. Hewarned Reed against taking the trail,calling it impassable and said it was


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The cut treesshow the snow

level from theprevious winter.

Truckee Lake, 1860s

Truckee Pass, 1870s


26

the most desolate country perhapson the whole globe. He looked atReed and implored that Reed takethe regular wagon track, and neverleave it.

Reed wanted nothing to do withwhat he considered a roundaboutcourse if he could take a straightroute to California and beat as manyemigrants as possible. For Reed, hehad one goal: Get to California andget land. To do that he was going togo straight. He placed his trust inLansford Hastings who was, himself,leading his first group across theshortcut named for him just to try toprove its worth.

When the group reached FortBridger they had hoped to meet upwith Hastings. However, hedalready left to lead a group across histrail. Having trusted their fate towhat was becoming a remarkablyunreliable man, it would have madesense for the Donner group to aban-don their shortcut and swing northto catch the official trail to California.

Before them lay a blank world.Unlike the trails theyd traveled, thisnew cutoff had never been crossedand lacked the normal markings ofthe overland trails: Used campsites,river crossings, and, most impor-tantly, wagon ruts to follow.

But Reed and Donner pressed oneven against the wishes of GeorgeDonners wife. The men werequickly initiated into the hard life ofmountain men. Their travel slowedto a crawl, as they tried to scout andblaze a trail across the WasatchMountains. They were forced to cutroads into the mountain, clear densebrush, and pull their exhausted oxenover the summit. What should havetaken a week turned into nearly amonth. They still had nearly 80 milesof alkali flats to trek.

It was here that the Donner Partywas beginning to fracture. It becamean every-man-for-themselves situa-tion, where families, trying to avoiddehydration, would unhitch theiranimals, rush them ahead to anysource of fresh water, return to haultheir wagons a few miles, and thenrepeat. It was a disorganized panic.

Animals were lost, wagons aban-doned and tempers began to sim-mer. The fateful decision to use theshortcut had cost them two monthsbefore they reached the regular trailinto California (near Elko, Nevad).

Instead of rallying behind astrong leader, the party plummetedinto a death spiral of animosity anddivisiveness long before theyreached Truckee Lake on November1, 1846. James Reed and John Snydergot into a heated argument over tan-gled cattle and when all was saidand done, Snyder was dead andReed banished from the party. Kese-berg abandoned an old man namedHardcoop who was having troublekeeping up, and the rest of the partyrefused to help the man. Two mem-bers of the team murdered a thirdwhile helping him cache his sup-pliesan apparent attempt to stealhis supplies.

On October 12, the Piute Indiansattacked and killed 21 oxen. Then itsnowed and it didnt stop. Theywere stranded, and it all appearedhopeless. By Truckee Lake, they dis-covered three dilapidated cabins andsettled in to wait out the storm.

Once in their snowbound prison,the Donner Party collapsed into adesperate greed of survival. Con-trary to most group survivalinstincts where a shared calamitydraws people together to survive,the members of the Donner partysplit apart and eventually estab-lished a string of camps of tentsmade from hides and ramshacklecabins nearly eight miles long fromTruckee Lake (now Donner Lake)through Alder Creek. Familieshorded their scarce supplies andquickly exhausted their food supply.The pack animals were the first tobe sacrificed for survival followed bythe dogs and finally they resorted toboiling blankets and hides to make apaste-like soup. Families refused toshare supplies with others in direneed or sometimes demandedridiculous payments.

Faced with certain death, 15members of the Donner Partyformed what Virginia Reed calledthe Forlorn Hope and on home-made snowshoes set out for SuttersFort in Sacramento. Four of the menleft behind their families and threeof the women left behind their chil-dren. In blinding snow, freezingnights, with no sense of direction,and no food, the group broached theidea of cannibalism. There was talkof having two people duel and theloser would become dinner for therest. Ultimately, they decided to letthe hand of death dictate who wouldfeed the rest. The first to go was a


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The Donner Party


bachelor named Antoine; whileasleep, his arm fell in a fire and noone in the group woke him. In all,seven members of Forlorn Hopewere eaten; two Indians that hadcome up from Sutters Fort to aid theDonner Party were hunted downand killed. Only seven members ofthe Forlorn Hope group reachedSacramento.

On February 19th the first rescueparty arrived. It would take foursuch groups and two and a halfmonths before everyone was res-cued. When the second relief group,led by Reed, reached Alder Creek,evidence of cannibalism was every-where in what would becomeknown as the Starved Camp.Imagine the difficult decisions thatfaced mothers as they looked attheir starving children. It is mostlikely that many of the children atethe dead, but had no idea what itwas that they were eating.

When the last relief group arrivedat Alder Creek, they found Kesebergas the sole survivor wallowing inindescribable filth and the dese-crated corpses of at least five people.George Donners head had beencleaved in order to retrieve his brain.Two kettles were filled with blood,livers and lungs.

Faced with unimaginable hard-ships the Donner Party resorted tothe only thing they could in order tosurvive. Keseberg summarizes it bestwhen he said, A man, before hejudges me, should be placed in asimilar situation; but if he were, it isa thousand to one he would perish.

Looking at those that survived andthose who didnt a pattern emerges:Those families who stuck togetheroften through selfish meanssur-vived while the bachelorslikeHardkoop and Antoinewerequickly discarded or dispatched.

Certain social expectations, likekinship and family ties, will bindgroups together no matter the cir-cumstance. The Donner Party, fromtheir trials in the Wasatch, to thedrive across the Great Salt Lake, totheir harrowing experience in theSierras show that in dire times peo-ple will cope with hardships fromour most basic nature: survive.

Donner Party monument. The 22-feet highbase represents how deep the snow was.


Bug out, bug in, shelter in place, backwoods refuge,disaster retreat. These are terms that are familiar tothose in the preparedness community, and they areall based on location. A big part of the survival indus-

try focuses its effort on escaping disaster, on removing oneselffrom the epicenter of the problembe it an earthquake, bliz-zard, flood, or terrorist attackand relocating to somewheresafer. The concept is sound, but this begs the question, Whatis the best place to start from to avoid disaster in the firstplace? We all want to live somewhere that will provide a richenvironment to prosper, low crime rates, stable utility infra-structure, and little or no danger of natural disasters. It can bea challenging search, but not an impossible one.

Circumventing Catastrophe

HOW TO AVOID DISASTER IN THESAFEST CITY IN AMERICAStory by Larry Schwartz

ASG_1412_SAFECITY-CX 10/6/14 12:32 AM Page 28

earthquakes, although of lesser magnitudethan those found along the West Coast.

HURRICANESThe Gulf Coast and the Eastern seaboard

experience hurricanes every year, some ofwhich are truly disastrous, such as HurricaneKatrina when she inundated New Orleans inAugust of 2005 and Hurricane Sandy that col-lapsed the power infrastructure from Vir-ginia up through New York in October of2012. While earthquakes can happen anytime during the year, the season for hurri-canes runs for six months, starting in Juneand lasting through November.

TORNADOESThe South Central portion of the country,

to include Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas,Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Min-nesota is aptly called Tornado Alley for thehigh number of tornados that raze towns andfarmsteads every year. Tornado season actu-ally varies by region, but begins in the latewinter and extends into mid summer.

SAFER IS OFTEN ALSO CHEAPERAlthough it sounds counter-intuitive, the

safer regions and cities in the country, thosewith the lowest risk of a natural disaster arealso often cheaper to live in from the per-spective of cost of living and dollars persquare foot of living space in your home. The

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA?Regardless of where you live, the infra-

structure for electrical power and the otherutilities that depend on it will be equallyfragile in terms of failing if the right combi-nation of events occurs, so it is more of a con-stant in our analysis than a variable. Crimerate and economic stability are too variable tobe of use in looking for a city, so we can usethem as final discriminators in our decision.The main thing we can look for is those citiesor regions that have the lowest risk of naturaldisasters happening there.

EARTHQUAKESMany areas of the country are known for

one or more types of natural disasters. Alongthe West Coast is well known for earthquakeactivity for a hundred miles inland, such asthe 1994 Northridge earthquake thatdestroyed bridges, brought down buildings,and left tens of thousands of people homelessor without utilities in and around Los Angeles.

Any of the states and areas between theContinental Divide and the Pacific Ocean aresusceptible to severe earthquakes with thestates just east of the divide is susceptible tomore moderate shocks, as the largestearthquake ever recorded in U.S. historyhappened in Missouri. As illustrated in thenatural disaster threat graphic, there isanother major fault line runs parallel to theMississippi River, with its own risk of


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Follow The DataThis Natural Disaster Map

is from data center

provider DataFoundry. It,

like many other companies

that provide data center or

disaster recovery services

to corporate America,

prefers the desert South-

west for the regions free-

dom from natural disas-

ters and moderate temper-

atures. This area provides

an ideal environment for

its business of safeguard-

ing Americas data from

loss and harm due to nat-

ural disasters that else-

where would destroy

buildings, cause power

outages that last days or

weeks, and generally make

it difficult to transact busi-

ness as usual.

So, if you want a safe

and stable place to live,

look to where the data

centers are setting up, and

then call a realtor.

DATA

FO

UN

DRY.C

OM

.

Natural disasters,as shown in thisgraphic fromDataFoundry.com,illustrates thatmost regions ofthe U.S. are susceptible tosome form of natural disasterwith the lowestrisk areas being inthe desert SouthWest or aroundOhio and the east-ern Great Lakes.

ASG_1412_SAFECITY 10/1/14 3:32 AM Page 29

HOW DO WE MAKE OUR DECISION?So, now that we know the events we want

to avoid and where they are most commonlyfound, how do we decide where our safestcity is? Many newspapers, blogs, and web-sites have done this analysis for us, but theyeach had their own take on what the criteriashould be so it may not match what you arelooking for. They also narrowed their searchdown to major metropolitan areas, whichmay also not be part of your criteria.

The best way to pick your safest city isgoing to be to pick your safest region firstand then pick a city you like in that region.You want to avoid area that run the risk ofhurricanes or tornadoes, any areas nearactive (in geological time) fault lines, areaswith active volcanoes (forget about Hawaiiand Mt. St. Helens). By looking at the U.S.Natural Disaster Map, provided by data cen-ter provider DataFoundry.com, we can easilysee that we want to stay away from any of thecoastal areas, the central plains, and the areabetween the Appalachian Mountains and theMississippi River.

That leaves us with two main areas, whichalso have some of the cities mentionedabove; the desert Southwest and the areaEast and South of the Great Lakes in Ohioand upper New York state. Cities like Austin,Texas, Buffalo, N.Y., or Grand Junction,Colo., have a very low risk of natural disas-ters occurring, they have established utilityinfrastructures which support relativelysmaller populations than those in the moreurban areas so the risk of them failing understress is lower, and, in general, their crimerate is lower.


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Its Cheaper Where Its SaferFor many of the cities with a lower risk of natural disasters, the price per square foot

for homes is much lower than the national average, which according to the U.S. Cen-

sus Bureau is $106 per square foot for a single-family home.

Top 10 Housing Markets at Lower Risk of Natural Disasters

# U.S. metropolitan area Asking home price per square foot

1 Syracuse, NY $89

2 Cleveland, OH $80

3 Akron, OH $81

4 Buffalo, NY $93

5 Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD $174

6 Dayton, OH $72

7 Allentown, PA-NJ $109

8 Chicago, IL $113

9 Denver, CO $129

10 Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI $94

Hurricanes, in additionto creating propertydamage and power out-ages, are a major con-tributor to flooding incoastal areas, due to theheavy rain and windsthat they bring.

Earthquakes are Mother Natures heavy hitter.Although hurricanes and tornadoes can damage build-ings and cause power outages, nothing can compare toraw power that a seismic event brings with it.

PH

OT

OS

BY

TH

INK

ST

OC

K

most densely populated regions are locatedaround topography that supports commercein some way or another. That means they arealong the coast or major rivers where portsare located. Or, they are in areas that supportmanufacturing or agriculture.

Unfortunately, that means that they arelikely in the zones where the risk of earth-quake or tornado or hurricane are muchhigher, as shown on the U.S. Natural Disas-ter map on the previous page. Research byreal estate analysis company Trulia and bythe U.S. Census Bureau, shows that homes inthe safer areas often have a lower cost persquare foot than the national average, andmuch lower than those in the more urbanareas common in the higher risk regions ofthe country.

TABLE COURTESY OF TRULIA.

Circumventing Catastrophe

ASG_1412_SAFECITY-CX 10/6/14 12:32 AM Page 30

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ASG_1412_31 9/29/14 1:25 AM Page 31


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Timothy Bryan Ralston is an American inventor, veteran, adventurer, author and movie consultant for his expertise in the field ofsurvival and preparedness education. He is best known for his appearance in the powerful motivational film, The Compass, andfor being the international spokesperson in the launch of NatGeos No. 1-rated program, Doomsday Preppers.

Just imagine what it would be liketo have your whole world flippedupside down ... in an instant. This isexactly what happens after a disas-ter. One minute you are caught up inthe everyday stresses of life and inthe next, you are forced to fight foryour survival. These types of devas-tating events are not as uncommon aswe would like to think. In fact, theyseem to be on the rise, and occurringin places that are unprepared for suchextreme situations. From violent nat-ural disasters to man-fueled emergen-cies, there isnt a region on earth notat risk in some form or another.

While it may be a toss of the dicewhether you will ever have to experi-ence a massive, destructive event, itis under your control as to how youwould adapt to it. Unless prepared,the aftermath of any disaster isinsanely chaotic and just plain scary.Even during short-term incidents,people will demonstrate animalisticbehavior over the most basicresources. In other words, when itboils down to a persons survival all bets are off.

In order to avoid such a dismal out-come, it is crucial to intertwine pre-paredness into your everydaylifestyle. By doing so, regardless ofwhether it is the misfortune of losingyour job, or something as catastrophicas an EMP, you will have a greaterchance of living to tell your tale.

Survive Through Self-Sustainability

One way to outlast a disastroussituation would be to, well not beaffected by it at all. By gravitating toan off-grid lifestyle, you have the abil-

ity to survive without having to relyon others to fulfil your needs. Instead,you utilize natural resources and com-bine them with your own efforts. Thisway, if ever a major calamity didoccursuch as the grid goingdownyou would avoid experiencingtotal duress.

There are certain areas of inde-pendence to explore that would helpyou achieve this more naturalisticway of life: The use of natural ener-gies, such as wind and solar; creatinga system of self-sustainable food pro-duction with a garden and livestock;having a constant supply of waterindependent of the grid; and mobi-lization that is free from fossil fuels.

Create Your Own StorageAnother option when preparing

for emergencies is to store all of theitems yourself. This is both an easyand effective route, as long your sup-

plies are carefully selected to coincidewith your familys requirements.

A major thought to consider ishow extensive of a time period it isthat you are looking for your storageto last. Are you content with surviv-ing a three-day flood, or are you look-ing to be self-reliant for the next 20years? Deciding what you are prepar-ing for will better determine theamount of provisions you need tostockpile. Be sure to address the mostvital resources such as water, food,energy, and self-defense.

Hone In On Your Improvisational Skills

There is nothing more empoweringthan being able to create somethingyourself, especially when it comes tosurvival tools. There is no telling whattype of aftermath could be expected. Ifit was indeed catastrophic, items suchas bullets (for example) would quicklybecome sparse, making hunting andself-defense more difficult. This is whybeing knowledgeable in ways ofresourcefulness, might be just whatkeeps you alive.

This form of preparation involvesbeing able to take simple easy to findproducts, and turn them into items ofgreater use. I highly recommend par-taking in as many DIY projects aspossible for practice. Educate yourselfon how to make a fire, purify yourown drinking water, obtain food,build shelter, and protect yourself, allwith very basic supplies.

Although all three of these stylesare excellent ways to stand prepared,in my opinion the most efficient wayto be ready for any disaster is to fusetheir principlezs together.

Have A Backup Plan

BY TIM RALSTON

PREPPING RALSTONWITH

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One of the most challenging partsabout preparing is that you neverknow exactly where you will be whena disaster happens. Also, its impossi-ble to formulate your best strategywithout really knowing what it willbe. Even though we may prefer to bein our homes with our supplies andsustainable sources, what if it wasdeemed unsafe to do so? Theres achance that bugging out would beyour only option. In that case, youwould have to rely on minimal provi-sions, tied with your knowledge andskills in order to survive.

My overall recommendation is toalways have a back-up plan to theback-up plan. This way, no matterwhat type of curve ball life throws,you will be prepared to withstand it.For example, grow your own food,but also have a storage pile, alongwith an ability to improvise a tool forhunting. Keep enough water stored tooutlast a disaster, but also know howto locate and filter your own.

By interconnecting these areas ofpreparedness, not only will youachieve self-reliance, but also thepeace of mind knowing you will beready for anything.

DIY Project: PVC BowStep 1: Cut a 1-inch diameter Schedule 40PVC pipe to 54 inches. Step 2: Heat the PVC pipe with a heat gunor over an open flame. Be careful not to over-heat the pipe to the point that it melts.Step 3: Once the pipe softens, press downon both ends with a board. Be sure to distrib-ute the same amount of weight to either side. Step 4: Next, use a tin can to round thesides of the pipe to a desired curve. Let bowsit until cool to touch.Step 5: Create a handle by heating themiddle of the pipe, pressing tightly to forman oval shape. Let cool once again.Step 6: Wrap the handle of the bow withparacord to make a grip and arrow rest.Step 7: Lastly, notch the ends of your bowwith a hacksaw, and string it with paracord.

If desired, customize your bow to your liking. I find that duct tape works well as a wrapping.

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[ABOVE] The first thing necessary is to famil-iarize yourself with the scale of the map.Though most quadrangle maps made afterWorld War II are 7.5-minute in size and at ascale of 1:24,000meaning that one inch onthe map equals 24,000 inches of real-worldlandthere might still be some out there in adifferent scale.

[TOP] Reading and orienting a map is a veryimportant skill to master for anyone whoplans to spend any amount of time in thebackcountry. By coordinating a compasswith a map, youll be able to match the fea-tures of the map with features in the realworld, allowing you the ability to navigatetoward any destination on the map.


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ohn Wesley Powell, thedirector of the United StatesGeological Survey (USGS)from 1881 to 1894 onceremarked: A government

cannot do any scientific work ofmore value to the people at largethan by causing the construction ofproper topographical maps of thecountry.

Although he might have been alittle nearsighted when it came tothe value of scientific work outsidethe field of cartography (think vac-cines and medical research, forinstance), he was correct when con-sidering the publics desirethenand nowto explore this nationsvast landscape.

Early explorers of this continentcharted the coastline soon afterarriving, but the governmentsrecognition of the need to createmaps didnt come until the Revolu-tionary War when on July 22, 1777,

Congress authorized George Wash-ington to appoint Robert Erskine asofficial cartographer of the countryand the seat of war.

Over the next 100 years, wars,skirmishes with Indians and the CivilWar spurred the advancement inmap making and surveying. Duringthe War of 1812, the first Corps ofTopographical Engineers in theArmy was formed, and between1803 and the outbreak of the CivilWar, more than 100 mapping expe-ditions were sent west of the Missis-sippi with the idea of catalogingNorth Americas vast resources.

It wasnt until 1884 that Powellbegan a systematic topographicmapping of the United States. Theoriginal scale was 15-minute, mean-ing an area covering 1/16 of onedegree of longitude/latitude with ascale of 1:62,500. In the 1940s,demand for more detail resulted in1:24,000-scale, 7.5-minute maps.

Never Get LostHOW TO READ AND ORIENT A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPStory and Photography by Ryan Lee Price

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Called a quadrangle, the map con-tains 7.5 minutes of latitude and lon-gitude (1/32 of one degree). Onthese new maps, one inch equals24,000 inches of real-world land. Itwasnt until 1991 that the USGScompleted mapping the entire lower48 states in this new scale. The cov-erage includes more than 55,0007.5-minute quadrangles.

With the larger scale, the USGSincluded almost 200 different fea-tures separated into five colorgroups. Cultural features, smallerroads, buildings, and man-madethings such as trails are printed inblack; main roads and politicalboundaries are in magenta/red;woodland areas and other vegeta-tion are green; rivers, lakes, glaciers,and water features are blue; andcontours lines, depressions, andmountain features are printedbrown. If you see purple, thatmeans it is an update from a previ-ous version (though its a color nolonger used by the USGS).

The various colors make readinga map easy, but theres a skillrequired to see a topographical mapas it was intended: real-world ter-rain. Once mastered, by merely look-ing at a topo map, youll visualizethe terrain as if you were standingbefore it.

CONTOUR LINESContour lines are imaginary; they

are used to represent segments ofthe ground that share an equal ele-vation as well as defining the shapeof the terrains features. They tendto parallel each other, each approxi-mately the shape of the one aboveit and the one below it. However, notall contour lines are created equal.Heavier contour lines are known as

indexed contour lines and normallyshow elevation in feet. Typically,every fifth contour line is an indexcontour line.

Lighter contour lines that fallbetween indexed lines, are knownas intermediate contour lines. Theselines do not have their elevationlisted and are found in sets of fourbetween indexed contour lines. Atthe bottom of the map, under thescale, the contour interval will belisted. Normally it is 40 feet, mean-ing that there is 40 real-world feetbetween contour lines and 200 feetbetween indexed contour lines.

The closer the spacing of thecontour lines, the more rapid the ele-vation change of the feature. This is

Magnetic declination is the number ofdegrees and direction between true northand magnetic north. Because declinationvaries over time, it is advisable to get a rea-sonably current figure by using a currentmap. If magnetic north is east of true north,the local declination is positive (like shownhere). If magnetic north is west of true north,the local declination is negative.

To orient your map, place the compass onthe map so it is parallel to the north-to-southborder of the map, known as the neat line.

Rotate the compass dial until north on thecompass ring lines up with north on the map.Find the magnetic declination on your map.In this case, it 15 degrees positive (east). Ifthe local declination is positive, subtract thedeclination amount from the bearing youjust derived. If the local declination is nega-tive, add the declination amount to the bear-ing you just derived.

Holding the map and compass steadilytogether (the compass should still be on thenorth-to-south map neat line), rotate themap and compass at the same time until thered magnetic needle orienting arrow on thecompass face line up. Your map and yourcompass are now oriented to true north.Look around and compare the physical fea-tures around you with your map; they shouldbe an exact match.

Various symbols are used to depict features

such as building, campgrounds, springs,

water tanks, mines, survey markers, and

wells. Names of places and features are gen-

erally printed in the color corresponding to

the type of feature.

Nature is represented through color and

particular symbols that attempt to represent

whats found in nature. The difference

between a sand beach and a gravel beach,

for example, is the size of the dots represent-

ing the grains of sand.

Though there are around 200 symbols

used on the 55,000 topographical maps cur-

rently in use by the USGS, these are a repre-

sentation of the more popular symbols youll

find on most topographical maps.

A GOVERNMENT CANNOT DO ANY SCIENTIFIC WORK OF MORE VALUE TO THE PEOPLE AT LARGE THAN BY CAUSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROPER TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS OF THE COUNTRY.

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THE FEATURES ON ATOPOGRAPHICAL MAPThe examples here are from the

Waterman Mountain and Fontana

quadrangles in Southern Califor-

nia, about 10 miles north of

Pasadena in the Angeles National

Forest and about 40 miles east of

Los Angeles in the San Bernardino

Mountains, respectively. The

mountains north of Los Angeles

offer a wide range of topography

that well illustrates the various

elements of a typical topographi-

cal map.

1. Just south of Twin Peaks is arather narrow canyon, where the

west fork of the Bear Creek origi-

nates. The contour lines here are

close together, signifying steep

terrain on both sides of the

stream. The 6,600 elevation to

the right can be used to determine

how deep the canyon is compared

to the highest peak (7,761). Every

index contour line represents a dif-

ference of 200 feet, so the stream

is roughly 1,761 feet below the east

Twin Peak. This would not be an

easy climb.

2. The campground to the west ofBear Creek is on a relatively gentle

east-facing slope. If you were to

leave Lower Bear Campground

and head east, you would climb

up to the crest of a 2,200-foot hill

(with an elevation change of only

280 feet. Heading north will pro-

vide a wonderful view of a rock-

littered riverbed via a relatively

steep precipice to the north.

Because the contour lines are so

far apart (in the center of this pic-

ture), that represents somewhat

level ground.

3. One of the highest points onthe Waterman Mountain quadran-

gle map is this 7,283-foot peak,

easily seen by the contour lines

circling around each other. All the

way around, the mountain has a

steady rise and has the appear-

ance of a rounded pyramid in

shape with several sub-peaks on

the southeast face. The red and

white striped line in the lower left

is Angeles Crest Highway.

4. The widely spaced contour linesin this section of the Fontana

quadrangle show a typical alluvial

plane gently descending north

from steadily narrowing canyon.

At the bottom, the map lists the

interval at 20 feet. At the base of

that canyon are several buildings

in black. To the east, the walls of

the canyon rise sharply, from 1,100

feet at the bottom of the natural

amphitheater to 1,538 at its peak.

The green shading shows that this

flat canyon is cultivated with a

road (dotted line) following a nat-

ural steam (blue line) through the

middle of it.

5. This is a particularly beautifulspot on the convergence of three

canyons in the Mt. San Antonio

quadrangle, Vincent Gulch from

the north, Mine Gulch from the

west and Prairie Fork in the east. A

Jeep trail (dotted black line) runs

through the canyon. The dotted

blue line through Mine Gulch indi-

cates a narrow wash, most likely

dry, while the v-shapes of the con-

tour lines in the various gulches

point towards upstream. The BM

4505 is a 4-inch copper marker

placed in concrete by the original

surveyor of the area.

important when traversing anunknown region, as a steep hill ordeep gorge would have contour linesclose together, while widely spacedcontours indicate a gentle slope.

GETTING ORIENTEDIt is common practice that all

maps are oriented with true north atthe top. At the bottom of the map, asymbol of arrows pointing to thegeographic North Pole (shown by astar), magnetic north (MN) and gridnorth (GN). A map is generally ori-ented when it is made to corre-spond to the ground it represents byrotating the map so that north onthe map is aligned with true north inthe real world. Orienting a map iscritical because it allows you topoint in a direction and know withconfidence what terrain lies ahead.Orienting a map is commonly donevia two ways: by terrain associationor with a compass.

TERRAIN ASSOCIATIONWhat if your compass breaks?

You take a spill down a hill and itsmashes on a rock or gets lost.What then? How will you knowwhere you are going or which wayyou need to go? Youll have to orientyour map based on what you cansee, and this is easier if the area youare in has definite features, like a tallmountain or a deep ravine. If you arein an area with little to no referencepoints, like on the plains or in therainforest where your view isblocked, it will be considerably moredifficult, but not impossible.

Hold the map in front of you andlook around. Are there mountains?A cliff? A river? Can you find it onthe map? If so, which direction is itin? Turn the map so it faces in thatdirection and then look for some-thing else to cross-reference or adefining feature on the first objectto further your orientation. Its not

an exact science, but at least it willhelp you head in the right direction.

USING A COMPASSThe compass always points

north. The problem is that the com-pass doesnt point directly to theNorth Pole. Instead, it always pointsto the magnetic north pole, which iscurrently somewhere in northeast-ern Canada. The map, however,points directly toward true north,and you need to know the differencein a real world situation.

Magnetic declination is the num-ber of degrees and directionbetween true north and magneticnorth. Because declination variesover time, it is advisable to get a rea-sonably current figure by using acurrent map. If magnetic north iseast of true north, the local declina-tion is positive. If magnetic north iswest of true north, the local declina-tion is negative.


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Never Get Lost

1 2 3 4 5

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he concept of convec-tion is simple: It is thetransfer of heat fromone location to anothervia the movement of

fluid; in the case of a simple heaterlike this one, the fluid is air. Most tra-ditional heaters utilize forced heat.Fans blow hot air from the heatingcoils of the unit into the atmosphereof the space to be heated, but a fire-place or a campfire disseminatesthe heat to the surrounding areawithout the aid of external forces.

Called free convection (or naturalconvection), the heated air is movedby buoyancy forces, by the physicsof fluid dynamics.

When air comes into contactwith a hot surfaceburning wood ora candlethe energized moleculesin the heated air separate awayfrom each other, which causes theair to be less dense. Less dense airrises, and since nature abhors a vac-uum, cooler air from farther awayfrom the heat source rushes in totake the place of the rising air. In

turn, this new air is heated and rises.As it rises away from the originalsource of the heat, it raises the tem-perature of the surrounding environ-ment, whether it is a tent, a smallroom or the space around a camp-fire. As a result, a cycle begins, withcooler air constantly replacing therising warm air.

Making a small tea-light heater isquick and easy, and whats pro-duced is an efficient way to heat asmall room, a tent or, at the veryleast, a source of heat to keep your

CheapHeatHOW TO MAKE A TEA-LIGHT HEATER Story and photography by Ryan Lee Price

Only a few materialsare needed to make a

tea-light heater. Oddsare good that mosteveryone has these

items around the houseat any given time. Theloaf pan is a standard

9x5-inch pan, while thepots are off-the-shelf,

8 inches in diameter forthe larger, outer potand 6 inches for the

smaller, inner pot.

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Cheap Heat

Four standard tea-light candles are placed in the bottom of the pan.These candles are advertised as lasting four hours, but when groupedtogether and creating a larger amount of heat in whats essentially anoven, they will not last half that time. Cutting down to three candleshas little effect on the overall heat produced.

The smaller, 6-inch pot is then placed over the candles. It rests on thelip of the loaf pan. If your pan is larger in diameter than the pot, con-sider adding a small barbecue grate so the pot doesnt slip off theedges of the pan.

Next, find something to block the drain hole of the smaller pot. A wadof tinfoil or a rock will work fine as long as it is something that isntflammable. The idea is to trap the hot air produced by the candles sothe terracotta absorbs the heat.

Start by lighting all four candles. They can be spread apart a little, aslong as all four of them are directly under the smaller, inner pot.

[RIGHT] Natural convection uses fluiddynamics to heat the surrounding air. Thetea-light pot draws air from outside thepots, pulling it up between the two pots vialow pressure as the hot air escapes throughthe top (and sides). It is a simple conceptthat can create a lot of heat in a small space.



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hands warm on a frigid night. Thematerials are scant, two small terra-cotta flower pots, four tea-light can-dles and a metal pan, in this case, aloaf pan. Though similar, this is a lit-tle more than just a chimney. As theinner pot heats to a high tempera-ture, it warms the air between thetwo pots but also heats the outsidepot as well. We placed our tea-lightheater in a small two-man tent foran hour and we were able to raisethe temperature of the tent by eightdegrees. That doesnt sound likemuch, but going from, say, 32degrees to 40 degrees is a big differ-ence, not only in temperature, but inmorale as well.

Of course, who carries fourpounds of terracotta pots and a loafpan around when theyre backpack-ing in the wilderness? Thats right,nobody. However, imagine theresno power at home and you havevery little in the way of heat but afew tea lights candles and a coupleof pots. Candles alone will providesome heat, but combined with thesurface area of the pots, the diffu-sion of heat will spread farther andlast longer.

A word of caution: The tempera-ture of the bottom of the metal panwill increase as the candles burndown closer to the pan. Use commonsense where this heater is set up, andplace it in a location free from com-bustibles and where it wont be acci-dentally knocked over.

[FROM TOP] The final step is to place thelarger, 8-inch pot over the smaller pot. Again,if the pan is too big, use a barbecue grate or acouple of sticks to support the pots. Centerthis pot and the smaller one directly over thecandles so theres an even amount of spacebetween the pots.

Inside, as the candles produce heat, they aretransferring that heat to the inner pot, wherethe terracotta absorbs and stores the heat.

Taking the temperature of the inside of theunit, from the drain hole of the outer pot,shows an immense amount of heat producedby the heater. In no time, a steady column ofhot air will continue to pour from the heateras long as the candles stay lit. The tempera-ture of the outer pots surface is also hot andmakes for a great hand warmer.



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he Colt Model 1911 semi-auto-matic pistol continues to have agood run, as Colt produced 2.7million units for the United Statesmilitary, which issued them as

standard service pistol well into the 1980s. Ithas been directly copied by a dozen differentmanufacturers and is still a very popularweapon all around the world.

Designed by John Browning, the 2.44-pound pistol is chambered in the .45 calibercartridge especially designed by Browning forthe semi-automatics action. In 1906, the gov-ernment started trials with six manufacturers(Colt, Bergmann, DWM, Savage Arms, Webley,and White-Merril), searching for a new service

weapon for its armed forces. After using theM1873 single-action revolver during the Philip-pine-American War (1899-1902), the U.S. gov-ernment wanted to develop a semi-automaticgun using a .45-caliber shell, particularly for itsstopping power. During the trials, Browninghimself fired more than 6,000 rounds througha single Colt pistol over the course to of twodays, dunking it in a bucket of water when itgot too hot to hold, and the Colt experiencedno malfunctions.

After successful trials, it was adopted bythe U.S. Army on March 29, 1911, thereby gain-ing its official designation, Colt M1911. It wasused primarily by the Army for the next fourwars, slowly being replaced by the 9mm in the

HOW TO FIELD STRIP A COLT M1911 STORY BY RYAN LEE PRICE

Breakdown[TOP] There areseveral variationsproduced over thelast 100 years froma variety of compa-nies. The eld stripis performed on aSeries 70 M1911, butthis picture shows amore recently pro-duced Norinco withaftermarket Hoguegrips. If yours dif-fers in any wayfrom the Series 70shown, consult yourowners manualbefore proceeding.

ASG_1412_COLT 9/29/14

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