The Scoundrel's Essential Survival Guide

Copyright Information © 2012 Author. All rights reserved. This eBook, its title, and the e-book design and layout, are all sole property of the Author itself. All other illustrations and images used in this e-book are the properties of their respective owners. No part of this publication may be re-produced or transmitted or utilized or stored in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the Author. Notice of Non-Liability The persons organizing and maintaining this publication, its author, and anyone related to his organization, assumes no liability for errors or omissions, or for damages/disorder, caused/resulting from the information contained in this e-book. The sole objective of this publication is to inspire, motivate and educate anyone who needs to learn about Surviving The Socio-Economic Collapse!!

T ab l e of Contents Prologue ........................................................................5 So what exactly are we surviving here? ........................7 Food...............................................................................8 A Staple of Urban Survival: The Pigeon.......................10 Animal Husbandry: Rats..............................................14 Gathering Water..........................................................17 Communities ...............................................................19 Post-Government Society ...........................................21 Group Interactions ......................................................24 What’s hot? .................................................................27 Medicine......................................................................29 Sanitizing Water ..........................................................42 Tools ............................................................................48

P r ol ogue I can tell you’re the type of guy (or girl) who likes to think ahead, to be prepared for absolutely anything and everything. I can tell because you’re reading this. This guide is meant to get you prepared for a social and economic collapse, a state of emergency where you can’t rely on anyone else for anything. If our money is worthless, how many police officers are going to serve and protect anyone but themselves and their loved ones? How many doctors are going to set up shop and service the world for free?

Gol dman wh at? Precious few. This guide is going to prepare you to live like a scoundrel, the type of person who is already getting by without much (if any) money or help from the government. These are the people that will inherit the earth so to speak, the ones whose lives won’t change much after such a catastrophe. The ones who are willing to hunt, kill, and eat pigeons. The ones who know how to sling up a broken a broken arm and stitch up a deep cut. The ones who know how to stay warm in a city during a long winter. Starting to get an idea of who we’re trying to imitate here?

Onl y if we’r e l uc ky T om Hanks. Yes. The panhandlers. The crazies. The “Domestically Challenged” as our white house compatriots would have us say. These are the people that know how to move on when, for lack of better words, s*** gets real. Let us dissect their peculiar way of life so that we may survive and thrive (in a very liberal, relevant sense of the word) in a world without currency. S o wh at exac tl y ar e we sur viving h er e? A narchy, the result of a socio-economic collapse. Granted, many of these tips will be useful for surviving in a cornucopia of sticky situations: natural disasters, being stranded in a foreign country, backpacking across eastern europe (although you were asking for trouble in that case), etc. Heck, maybe you’re just trying out some long-term unemployment strategy. In any case, we are merely trying to teach you everything you need to know to survive in an urban setting all by yourself. For the sake of this book, we will be using the socio-economic collapse as a means of putting all of these survival strategies in to context. We’re talking no police, no military, no government, no facilities, nonothin’. Just you, the city, and countless competitors for precious sustenance (peanut butter,

mostly). Thankfully, most of those other competitors won’t be nearly as dedicated, creative or as prepared as you. Be prepared to learn about how to gather food in some pretty zany and unfriendly ways and places. Be prepared to learn how to purify water in more ways than one (some more inviting than others). Be prepared to become a Bear Grylls of urban survival. Sincerely, Tom fox & Qwame Brown F ood S toc kpil ing A s the signs around you point increasingly to the inevitable socioeconomic collapse, you may wonder how to prepare. Stockpile correctly and your survival odds only increase. You’re going to need something to eat in the cold early days of absolute anarchy.

S age Advic e: S tar t Car b o- l oading now B est F oods to S toc kpil e: 1 . P eanut B utter : First off, it tastes great. Secondly and slightly more importantly, it’s actually pretty nutritious. Packed with fiber, protein and fats, it also boasts a shelf life of 1-2 years. 2. M ul tivitamins: DO NOT underestimate on the importance of these little bastards. Vitamins required for survival are A-E and K. 3. Canned T ur key, Ch ic ken T una and S al mon: These guys Have a shelf life of up to six months, and might very well be the last conventional meet and fish you’ll ever get a chance to eat. Oh yeah, it’ll also give you nutrients much needed. 4 . Water : Soon after the onset of the collapse your sources of water will run dry. At that point you’ll be at the mercy of mother nature, and you sure as hell better be prepared. 5. M R E ’s: Meals, Ready to Eat, the name says it all. Stockpile as many of these as possible, each one will give you a day of energy and sustenance, and will survive unrefrigerated at average temperatures for up to three years. A S tapl e of Ur b an S ur vival : T h e P igeon

A ssuming that the socio-economic collapse has already occurred, stores will have long been empty when you start feeling the pangs of hunger. Undoubtedly you will have had some food saved in the house, but that food source is very finite, and quickly dwindling. What now? First of all, its best that you think about a obtaining a replenishable food source early into the collapse and save your canned junk for a rainy day. As a born-again HunterGatherer you can never again be certain of your next meal and must go through great pains to make sure that you’re safe in case of emergency. So as your strolling down your street, past the burnt out store fronts and shattered windows of stripped cars, searching for some sort of sustenance, keep an open mind, because your next meal may likely have to be harvested from the open chest of a dirty street pigeon.

B ison of th e N ew F r ontier Now a week or two into the collapse, the chances are most people will still be in denial. They’ll be boarded up in their houses burning through precious food stores, trying to find a way into the countryside, and desperately wasting their energy rummaging through stores which as previously mentioned have been long since looted of any food items. These people will die. You however will live, partially thanks to our new frontier’s bison, the pigeon. Fat, plentiful and complacent the pigeon is a veritable dream food source. While they will have undoubtedly ceased to throng the streets in the numbers they do today, they will be around and they will still be lower on the food chain than your sorry ass. As anarchy draws on pigeons will lose the food sources they once relied on to sustain their near infinite numbers. The pigeon will become a wily survivalist much like yourself, and his weaker brethren will starve to death before you can kill them. You will have to hunt the survivors, and it will become that much harder. That being said, if you play your cards right, and catch enough of these little bastards at the onset you very well might be able to set up your very own sustainable pigeon farm, or at the very least some jerky. There are two ways to hunt these creatures effectively, one involves live capture the other a quick kill. More information on both of these methods can be found in the Tools section. You may want to kill the bird now, and

in that case a firm twist on its neck will do the job quickly and cleanly. However it will sometimes be fine worth your energy to keep the bird alive, either for eating at a later time, or for breeding. If you are traveling light, with no permanent living arrangement, kill it immediately. It will only be a burden as you travel. If you have established a place of residence however, it may be beneficial to domesticate and raise the live animals for meat. Pigeons are prodigious breeders, and can lay a new batch of eggs every month. The eggs themselves can provide valuable nutrition as well as ensure future generations of pigeons for the meat grinder. Again you may ask what these animals need for sustenance. Conventional grains will likely be in short supply so again, scraps will be one of better options. Save all of your food scraps as this is a perfect way to sustain a few birds. If your husbandry venture is larger, you may be forced into maggot harvesting. Take a carcass from one of your past meals and place it in a plastic bag, and leave it outdoors for a day or two. Before long it will be infested with maggots, and your pigeons will eat like urban kings they once were for days. As for water, give them what you can spare. If your low on water than do not waste it on the birds. Farming in this new world is something that can only be done once you’ve mastered how to keep yourself alive. Remember this, and don’t get carried away until you’ve carved a reasonable niche for yourself in this new environment.

The pigeon will prove to be one of your best friends throughout your existence as a vagabond survivalist. As a final note, most pigeons meat is in its breast which can be plucked from the animals chest without the use of any tools excepting your hands. It will take more than a few of these meat chunks to sustain you so be prepared to slaughter en masse if necessary. You must also be sure to cook the meat thoroughly. As mentioned before pigeons are scavengers, and any wild scavenger in an urban environment is likely disease ridden and should only be consumed as a last resort. However, should you find yourself trying to survive the aftermath of a socio-economic collapse, those disease ridden flying rodents may be the only thing standing between you and an open grave.

I ts al l edib l e. Animal Husb andr y: R ats S o you may have been able to survive the initial collapse and subsequent weeks by hunting small game and scavenging food. Eventually however, you’re going to want to set something up that’s a little more sustainable. As you survey your dismal new world in search of a good source of sustainable protein, you may notice the lack of wildlife. Chickens, pigs, cows are all long dead, scavenged by your compatriot vagabonds. You also may notice the plethora of a different sort of animal, no doubt strong in numbers and enjoying the upsurge of rotten flesh made available by society’s demise. These creatures are rats of course. During World War I, rats made themselves at home in the wastes of no man’s land, living off of decomposing bodies. The carnage following a major socioeconomic collapse will no doubt be similar in scale and we can expect these guys to be out in force. In “favorable” conditions, rats have been reported to reach the size of cats and will likely be exponentially healthier than you will be. Besides killing them immediately for food, you have another option. Using the live capture method in the Tools section of this book, it is very possible catch these rats alive and even farm them.

P ic tur ed: R at in “f avor ab l e” c ir c umstanc es. Rats are useful in this respect for one big reason. They are very, very prodigious breeders. A pair of rats can produce up to 880 offspring a year. In case your math is shoddy, that enough to provide you with a deluxe, vermin filled meal twice a day every day of the year. As previously stated with similar operations involving our other little buddy, the Pigeon, this is not to be undertaken if you are in a precarious position in regards to shelter, food or water. Assuming you have your basic needs for survival covered and you are not on the verge of a miserable death quite yet, the rat is a fairly easy animal to cultivate. Its less fragile than the pigeon and more readily acquired, as well as being a better source of meat. Rats can give birth roughly once a month and have litters anywhere between 6 and 25 in size. It takes roughly 5 months for a rat to reach full maturity, however if you’re in bad shape an early harvest should not be out of the question. As for food, again, rats will eat just about anything so there is no need to be picky. Feed them what you can’t eat. Its important that they be given at least 100 grams of water or half a cup. Living arrangements need not be classy, a ply-wood box should be enough to keep them caged while they’re feral, when there domesticated cardboard will do the trick as long as you’re providing them with food and water. Use torn paper as bedding for them, if at all possible change this every few days as it will become soiled quickly.

Finally when one of your females becomes pregnant, separate her from the others, as they will cannibalize your harvest. As rats love nothing more than to get down and dirty, encouraging them to breed will not be hard. Merely catch three or four of the little buggers and put them in your containment area. Be warned, the feral rats you initially catch will be fierce and its best to avoid handling them. When the occasion arises however, garb them by the scruffs of their necks and hold on tight. The last thing you want is a festering rat bite to deal with. If caution is exercised however, your Rat breeding operation will supply you with enough meat to live a fairly comfortable post-collapse existence. Enjoy your vermin stew.

B o nAppe t i t !

Gath er ing Water G athering water is absolutely crucial for survival. In a city without running water, options are scarce. You can expect every convenience store in your area to be looted barren in a matter of days (if the government collapses, who’s stopping looters?), meaning you’re going to have to find new ways of gathering water on your own. This brings us into the realm of rain catchers. Rain catchers can mean the difference between life and death in a number of survival situations. Rain catchers come in all shapes and sizes and improvisation is absolutely key. The more square footage of collection devices you have the better, if you can pull a few gallons every time it drizzles then you’re in great shape, especially in dry climates where rain is scarce. Storage containers like barrels, buckets, and literally anything else without too many holes in it are essential. For long term survival, clorox bleach can go a long way (stagnant water is easily treated with a few drops, see above for more info). Clorox bleach is one item you might be able to scavenge after the initial raiding and looting of every conceivable store in your area. Who would think that it

had the potential to make your water situation a lot easier? Not your everyday average looter. Only looters with unrefined tastes would pass up such a gem. Iodine, chlorine (although not recommended), and hydrogen peroxide are all good for purifying water and should be found in most grocery stores. For those of you in colder climates, water often falls from the sky in snow form and piles up on itself for the taking. Although more convenient than rain in terms of gathering, it’s still just as dirty. It falls from the sky on to dirty pavement, and it’s freezing cold. Do not ingest directly as you may also be ingesting unfriendly chemicals and lowering your body temperature in the process. Snow should be treated much like rain, melt and purify as thoroughly as possible before drinking. Communities H ow will they change in a post-government world? How do people act when theres no one to enforce the rules? How will they act knowing a full jar of peanut butter may be the difference between life and death? Well, there’s no way to be a hundred percent sure, but thanks to some very creative psychological studies we can make some fairly sound conjectures as to how people will behave. How did the ordinary German citizens find themselves running internment camps during World War 2? How did the Donner Party, an ordinary group of

pilgrims, turn to cannibalism?

N ot quite, b ut good guess Make no mistake, human beings are nothing if not tenacious. We have an innate need to survive. We’ll cut off an arm at the elbow if that’s what it takes. When food is scarce, what wouldn’t a rational man do to feed his family? Well, we can only hypothesize. Let’s start with what we do know, using psychological studies to help get a better idea of what we humans are capable of. P ost- Gover nment S oc iety E very day in first world society, people are kept in line by the government. This is the way of our world, and to step out of line is to be criticized, punished and/or ostracized. Don’t Jaywalk or you’ll get a ticket. Don’t steal or you’ll get arrested. On top of that, behaving like a criminal is generally not a good way to get ahead in life (generally, rappers seem to do just fine, but that’s beside the point). So what happens when you have to steal to avoid starving? What happens when the feds stop cracking down on criminals? What happens when we as a society turn to thievery and aggression because we have no other choice? We justify the behavior as normal. Let me give you an example: Philip Zimbardo conducted a study on Stanford University students that documented human

behavior. His study put 24 healthy, mentally sound volunteers in a mock-prison and separated them as guards and inmates. Nine were chosen as guards, the rest were chosen as inmates. The study was supposed to last 2 weeks but ended in just 6 days because of how drastic the changes were in their behavior. The guards became abusive, and the inmates started to show serious signs of anxiety and depression. A few prisoners had to be released early because the high levels of stress and anxiety were taking a physical and mental toll on the volunteers.

We’r e stil l not sur e wh at to make of th at par t. . . What does this mean for post-government you? Well, simply that human beings adapt to new situations incredibly fast. You may think of stealing as petty and low now, but when it comes down to thievery or starvation your opinion is likely to change. If healthy normal college students from reputable backgrounds can turn into abusive power-mongers in just days, imagine what will happen to society as a whole after just a few months. Sound extreme? It isn’t. Let’s just imagine for a second that you can no longer go to the grocery store for food because its been looted dry and your money is worthless. Sooner than later, you’ll be hungry. Do you have kids? They’ll be hungry too. People are going to be desperate above all else, and you need to remember that anytime you interact with another person or group of people.

P i c t u r e d : C o l d bl o o d e d k i l l e r .

Gr oup I nter ac tions S o maybe you’re on the move, whether it be solo or not. Let’s say you and whoever you’re with come across another group of people. Maybe a tight-knit community that has established itself, or a group of wayward travellers. encounter?

How

do you handle

such

an

“T h at’s th e spir it!” Well, situational awareness is key. Also, you’re going to need to get very good at profiling people. A group of people living in a specific area is hypothetically much less dangerous than a travelling group of people. A community that has settled down in a specific area clearly has a means of sustaining itself. Whether it be farming or a huge cache of food, this is a group of people that has a gameplan for at least relatively long-term survival. A settlement like this is hypothetically less dangerous than a group of travellers, as they have supplies enough to last a while, meaning they’re slightly less likely to kill you and take everything you have. Slightly. A travelling group of individuals is quite different. Let’s get judgementalhere, a group of able bodied men that is well armed and roaming openly is a group of people to avoid. No women? No children? No elderly? They clearly don’t want to be slowed down by anything. This is a group of people that was probably living a rugged and or violent lifestyle before the government collapsed, and now has free reign without the law keeping them down. Do you see prison tattoos? Gang tattoos? Let’s get real, this is a group to avoid.

“I c y h ear ted kil l er s and r apists. Al l of th em. ” However, not everyone you meet on the road is going to be like this. Do you see a wide variety of people travelling in a pack? Men, women, children, the disabled and the elderly? Well, then you probably have a group of people that still has faith in humanity. However, a group like this might be a travelling family willing to do some drastic things if times are hard. Again, profiling and situational awareness are key. Wh at’s h ot? T his is something we all have to come to terms with. What is “Attractive” today isn’t going to be attractive tomorrow. Is a 90 pound supermodel with no bodyfat going to do well during a long winter? Is she going to be able to help till a field? Is she going to be able to fight off an attacker trying to steal your food? Will a man who has “Swag” but no survival skills be able to start a fire and purify your water?

“N o. . . Just. . N o. ” Maybe with enough hair spray and cigarette lighters, but those won’t always be on hand. We need to re-evaluate sexy. It’s not about what hollywood says, it’s about what traits are most likely to help you live in a filthy, nasty, cruel world full of suffering and desperation. Child bearing hips and strong arms? Hot. Puts on a good, but not debilitating amount of fat with relative ease? So hot. Can he or she skin a deer or house cat? SOOOOO HOT!Let there be no delusions, let’s pretend we’re in grade school again and pick partners for the end of the world. You can be nothing to each other for now, but the second the sky falls you two are lovers who will raise strong, terrifying children.

N ail ed it! M edic ine WAR N I N G: We ar e not doc tor s. You sh oul d not attempt to r epl ic ate any of th ese tec h niques unl ess th e gover nment h as al r eady c ol l apsed on itsel f and we don’t h ave to deal with any l egal issues b ec ause you tr ied someth ing we tol d you not to tr y in th e f ir st pl ac e. Let’s get star ted. P enic il l in T ea Penicillin.The go-to cure for bacterial infections.Easy to make even on short notice, making it perfect for our post-apocalyptic city slicker. We won’t ask how you got the infection, but we will ask you to avoid making, using, and prescribing the following recipe unless absolutely necessary. We take no responsibility for your lack of responsibility. Seriously don’t try it, dick.

“P ic tur ed: Your potential savior . ” 1. To get started, you’ll need wheat bread. Place the bread in a bag and leave it in a warm place. 2. Once mold starts to form, break the bread into smaller pieces, then put the pieces back into the bag until it’s entirely covered in mold. 3. Once the bread is covered entirely in mold, put the pieces in a pot of water filled ⅔ of the way up (keep the water at about 98 degrees for 3 days, and be sure the sun doesn’t touch the mold too much). After 3 days, the water should turn into a thick brown stew, scrape the remaining large chunks of bread out and you have yourself a nice pot of penicillin tea. It tastes absolutely horrible. Take 2-4 ounces every 4-6 hours. Boiling spruce pine needles into the mix adds vitamin C and a slightly less horrible taste. This should never be done by anyone who is not an expert, do not try this at home or anywhere else for that matter. DO NOT STIR! Just let it sit while fermenting. (Not that you’re going to try and make this stuff anyway, right?) B l ister ine Exactly what it sounds like. Listerine and most other mouthwashes contain alcohol, so there are more than a few uses. I’m focusing on a lesser known use: curing blisters.

“Wal king suc ks al r eady, and one of th ese is j ust gonna make it wor se. ” 1. Moisten a cotton ball or paper towel with mouthwash. 2. Swab area gently and thoroughly. 3. Repeat 3-4 times a day until the blister dries & heals. Listerine can also be used to clean out cuts, keep your mouth fresh-as-hell, and of course; get tanked. Drinking recreationally is not recommended however, as it can lead to vital organ failure. Avoid Listerinis. Listerine is by no means a “cure-all”, and should not be treated as such.

“Okay, no amount of th at. ” E c zema & Ol ive oil

l ister ine is

gonna

fix

This can be a lifesaver for those of you who suffer from eczema. If the government collapses and you just can’t get your hands on a prescription, olive oil can make for quite a stand in. “This can happen AN YWHE R E you have skin. Anywh er e.” 1. Apply olive oil over afflicted area (1 teaspoon per square inch) 2. If eczema is severe, apply olive oil and then cover the afflicted area with plastic wrap to lock in moisture overnight. For those of you without the disease, this may seem unimportant. However, if you have eczema and you allow it to go untreated, the skin can blister and peel and ooze and be genuinely unpleasant, which makes the nomadic, postgovernment lifestyle significantly more irritating. You’re welcome. Ur inar y T r ac t D ef l ec tion So you contract a UTI on the road. It’s not my place to ask how, and honestly I think we’d all just prefer not to know anyway. However, it IS my place to help you survive it. With baking soda. “Yes. You’r e ingesting th at. ”

1. Mix a quarter teaspoon of baking soda with about 8 ounces of water. 2. Stir thoroughly and try to enjoy. 3. Repeat once a day. This solution makes it harder for bacteria to multiply in your bladder, which means that it hurts less when you pee. Continue this until you can get antibiotics, if at all possible. Be sure to get vitamin C in your system to help pass the infection. Cranberry juice is proven to be quite effective. D uc t T ape War t R emoval No, that’s not a punk rock band, it’s an actual cure for warts. Apparently, duct tape wart removal is safer and more reliable than the freezing method. The “man” just keeps it on the DL so you pay more for the medical treatment, brah. “We figur ed you woul d know wh at a war t l ooks l ike wh en you see one. . . . Disgusting. Her e’s a pic tur e of a puppy and a kitten instead. ” 1. Clean wart(s) thoroughly before step 2. 2. Determine the size of your wart(s), and cut the piece(s) of duct tape slightly larger than your wart(s). 3. Rub duct tape into place on your skin. 4. Every 3 days, remove the tape and file down the dead skin. Repeat until the skin heals and the affliction is gone.

I’ve heard my fair share of miracle cures and this on still caught me off guard. Who knew? Such a simple method of treatment for such a common problem. This may get uncomfortable depending on wart location. M ar iner ’s Cur e f or Constipation This one is the stuff of legend. It’s not hard to guess that a colonial sailor’s diet wouldn’t be all that great. Hardtack and dried beef didn’t always sit well, and hearsay has it that every now and then sailors would have to turn to a rather strange source of fiber. Sawdust.

“Looks l ike someone j ust h ad a good B M . ” 1. Check to be sure wood is untreated, chemically treated wood can kill you. 2. Mix 2-3 grams of sawdust in to a good amount of water. Water facilitates digestion. 3. Repeat no more than once a day until bowels vacate. 4. Drink as much water as possible to keep your bowels moving. The FDA allows wood pulp labeled as “cellulose” in to your cereal and other products in small doses. Take no more than a few grams at a time and be sure you drink enough water. Headac h e & M igr aine T ea Rosemary keeps blood vessels dilated and can greatly ease the pain of a severe headache. For migraines, repeated daily doses can help; although rosemary can make you feel more awake and keep you from sleeping which is the best cure for migraines.

“You mean th at stuf f is usef ul ? ” 1. Measure out the water being boiled in cups. 2. Add a teaspoon of rosemary for every cup. 3. Boil mixture (keeping a towel over your head and inhaling the fumes when it’s heating helps a lot). 4. Boil for ten minutes, then strain & sip. 5. Drink some roughly 3 times a day. A pleasant way to try and take the edge off for sure. Ginger and ginger candy can help too, as ginger regulates blood flow, which is key for preventing and limiting the effects of a migraine. M edic al P r oc edur es Absolutely do not try these. These are rudimentary procedures that we hope you will never need to attempt. We are not surgeons, and this information is purely for worst case scenarios, in a post-government world. Do not attempt. Limb Amputation This one is a little more complicated than the rest, clearly. But hey, if pirates with no prior medical experience could pull it off (no pun intended), what’s stopping you? Just know that there’s already a guy who’s famous for sawing off his own arm and that you probably won’t get a book deal for being a copycat.

“T r ust me, I ’ve seen enough Gr ey’s Anatomy to know wh at I ’m doing h er e. ” 1. Be sure you have no other options. Don’t jump the gun, what if help is right around the corner? You’d feel quite silly cutting off a limb only to be rescued a few minutes after you sever the limb. 2. Once limb loss is deemed the only option, make a postamputation escape plan. You don’t want to cut off your arm only to realize you’ll bleed out before you reach civilization. 3. Make a tourniquet above the area you intend to cut and tie it as tightly as possible. Use whatever you can, shirts and belts are great. This will keep you from bleeding out. 4. Try to make the cut as cleanly as possible, if you have no knife a sharp rock might work, although definitely not recommended. I’d recommend reading 127 hours by Aron Ralston. He’s the guy who made this procedure popular by cutting his arm off and surviving long enough to write a book about it. A pirate hook or peg leg will earn you serious street cred, but you’ve gotta way out the pros and cons before making the decision to amputate. S titc h ing Yes, stitching. We all learned how to sew in home

economics, and this is essentially the same thing. Steady hands and a clean needle can be the difference between life and death in a state of anarchy.

“N ot suc h a wussy h ob b y now, is it? ” 1. Assess the wound. Is it bleeding excessively? Is it too deep for shallow stitching alone? Do you have other options? 2. If no other options are available, clean the wound very gently and very thoroughly. Sewing a dirty wound shut may mean amputation further on down the road. 3. Sterilize your needle, and use clean thread or you will defeat the purpose of step 2. Needles can be cleaned with a lighter, but chemical cleaning agents like hydrogen peroxide are recommended. 4. Start on the furthest edge of your cut and work all the way across until the wound is closed. Penetrate enough to be sure the stitches stay put, but not so deep that you damage the muscle tissue. Spiral in and out, back and forth. The pattern should like like the laces on a shoe. 5. Tie off both ends of the string with a know to hold them in place. 6. Cover the wound in a sterile bandage, change the bandage every day until the wound closes and heals. There you have it. All those hours of sewing in home-ec finally paid off. Ideally, you should never have to do this. Unfortunately, accidents do happen all the time and drastic measure often need to be taken. Remember, steady hands are key. Sobriety on the makeshift surgeon’s part is recommended.

S anitizing Water WAR N I N G: Al l tec h niques b el ow sh oul d onl y b e used if ab sol utel y nec essar y, espec ial l y if you ar e pur if ying water with c h emic al s.

“I b et we l ook extr a sc ienc ey wh en we h ol d th e test tub e l ike th is. ” T h e B oil er This one is tried and true, simple enough for even the average scoundrel to pull off in a pinch. Listen closely, because this could save your life. S uppl ies: 1. A pot, preferably clean. Don’t use anything plastic. 2. Means for making fire. P r oc ess: 1. Get a small fire burning as hot as possible. 2. Put your container over the fire until it starts to boil. Pretty simple right? Some experts say that the water should boil for about 15 minutes, while others say that once the water starts to boil, it’s good to drink. Boil all water you’re unsure of.

“I th ink we migh t h ave done th is wr ong. . . ” Ch l or ine- B l eac h M eth od This method is for those who weren’t forced into the boy scouts, and can’t make fire.

“N ever th ough t h e’d make you f eel l ike a b itc h , h uh ? ” S uppl ies: 1. Clorox Bleach (as FEMA Recommends) 2. Water 3. Some serious eye-balling skills P r oc ess: 1. If water is cloudy, add about 10 drops of clorox per gallon. 2. If the water is very cloudy and cold, double the dosage. 3. Let the Clorox work its magic for a few minutes. As you can see, there’s not much to it. The reason this isn’t recommended is because it requires working with chemicals that can kill you. The water will have a strange taste to it. Deal with it. I odine M eth od Iodine has been used to purify water for some time now. It’s relatively easy to use and also quite safe. It leaves a terrible aftertaste, but it’s better than dying of thirst. S uppl ies: 1. Iodine 2. A dropper for precise droplets, if available P r oc ess: 1. 12 drops per gallon

2. Let stand for a half hour before drinking Another simple solution, but a proven winner none the less. No, there is no way to make it taste better. Except maybe thinking about how it’s better than dying. Maybe.

“I took my c h anc es. ” Ur ine P ur if ic ation One of the most taboo survival techniques around.To Purify urine, you’re going to need a few things. A bucket, at least a 2x3 sheet of plastic, some weights, a hole, and some sunlight. And some really indiscriminate taste buds, probably.

“I ’ve h ad wor se. ” - B ear Gr yl l s 1. Dig or find a hole about 2ft wide and 1.5ft deep (if your sheet is 2x3, if it’s larger or smaller adjust accordingly). 2. Urinate into and around said hole. 3. Try and forget that you completed step 5B 4. Place bucket in said hole. Green foliage can also be added to the edges for more moisture. 5. Stretch Plastic tightly over the hole and secure it with weights. Place a slightly lighter weight in the center over the bucket to create what looks like a funnel. 6. Secure hole, be sure its as close to airtight as possible. 7. Play the waiting game. It usually takes at least 2 hours of direct sunlight. Units of Measurement (with water) 1 kg = 2.2 lbs 1 liter = 2.2 lbs 1 liter = about .25 gallons 1 gallon = 8 lbs T ool s Animal T r ap: Live Captur e W e will address the live capture first. Your trap is simple and the materials necessary for its creation

should be extremely easy to procure.

“T oday we wil l not b e teac h ing you h ow to make th is. ” M ater ial s: 1 . Car db oar d B ox 2. T wine/Yar n/R ope 3. S tic k 4 . B ait The methodology is very simple here, and any of the above materials can be switched out as long as it still accomplishes the same function. How T o: 1. Tie your rope, which should be somewhere between 50 and 100 ft. in length to your stick (1-2 ft.). You will then use this stick to prop the box up using its rim, with the box opening facing the ground. 2. Under the box, you will place the bait. 3. Grab the other end of your rope, and move as far away from the box as possible while still retaining line of site. When you have your trap set, wait. Depending on your proximity to the trap, you’ll want to stay as motionless and silent as possible. Before long a hungry animal will have wondered into your trap. Pull the rope. The stick will fall, and box will along with it, leaving your quarry at the mercy of its captor.

You might also ask what constitutes as bait. Good question. This is one aspect of raising/trapping pigeons that will prove most difficult. Unless you have some saved stock of birdseed, which you probably haven’t at this point, you’ll have to get creative. The good news? Pigeons are scavengers and will eat just about anything, and it is for this reason that we strongly discourage you from using any bait that you would otherwise eat yourself. That’s just a plain waste of resources in an environment that punishes the wasteful with starvation. Instead look for some sort of scrap. Maybe it’s a carcass from a previously eaten pigeon, or something rotting in a dumpster. More likely than not though its going to be something nasty and derelict. If it has some value as food itself to you, don’t use it, find something else.

B ait: Get Cr eative T h e S l ingsh ot Eventually you’ll find yourself in a situation where you lack some sort of bait for traps, and have no means to raise any sort of animal. Maybe you haven’t eaten in a day or two and are starting to get desperate. If you’re at that point, then your chances are slim. However, if you had made a weapon with to hunt before you were dealt this latest shitty hand, you might stand a chance. Your best bet, assuming you can’t find some sort of gun or pellet gun would be to fashion a sling shot. Ammunition is always abundant with a sling shot and materials should be easy to find as they are not edible. Here’s a step by step guide to creating your own slingshot:

T h e c l osest th ing you’l l get to a sniper r ifle. ” S tep 1 : Find a sturdy, Y-shaped piece of wood or metal. Look in yards, street side trees, department stores, anywhere! Depending on your environment this should be fairly easy, and at worst you’ll need to be a little creative. 6-9 inches is an ideal length for your stick, and try to avoid material with any imperfections. This can be a serious safety hazard should the stick break, and as a survivor you can’t afford to lose an eye. If you’re using wood, peel the bark off and let it dry. This will give your slingshot strength and durability. S tep 2: Next you’ll have to make a sling. Find a thick rubber band or some other form of elastic material. Here you can use surgical tubing, thin bungee cords, tied together rubber bands ect, as long it is sturdy material that can with stand high amounts of pressure. Experiment with lengths, this is not by any means a science so use your common sense and play around with it. If your using a single rubber band or bungee cord cut it into two equal parts. S tep 3: To create your “pocket” you may use one of a number of different materials cut in a rectangular shape. Leather or strong cloth will do the job perfectly. However if these are in short supply, several layers of duct tape will also suffice. When you fire your slingshot, you will be placing your ammo here. S tep 4 : Make incisions on both sides of the pocket. The

incisions should be about ½ to ¼ of an inch from the edge of your pocket and run parallel to the shorter edges. Slip one end of your rubber band into the slit and loop it around the back of your pocket through the other slit. The band should be equal length on both sides. S tep 5: Finally secure the free ends of your rubber band to your handle. Lots tape will do the trick.

“ C o ngr at u l at i o ns , yo u ’ l l s u r vi ve t h e ni gh t .” eBook Design & Layout: www.ebook-designer.net

Table of Contents Copyright Prologue So what exactly are we surviving here? Food A Staple of Urban Survival: The Pigeon Animal Husbandry: Rats Gathering Water Communities Post-Government Society Group Interactions What’s hot? Medicine Sanitizing Water Tools