Survivalist Being self-sufficient in a technology dependant world

Survivalist Being self-sufficient in a technology dependant world

by | Mar 21, 2021 | Disaster Management, Outdoor, Water

If you had to survive in the wilderness alone, without luxuries like camping equipment and communication devices, how long do you think you would survive?

Due to our increased dependence on technology, we as a society are becoming less self-sufficient. Fewer and fewer people know how to make a fire without matches, build a shelter, hunt food, purify water and gather nuts and berries. If Armageddon hit, let’s face it, most of us would not have a chance of survival.

However, all is not lost. By learning just a few skills and following a few tips, you can become an entirely self-sufficient survivalist. Hopefully, you’ll never end up alone in the wilderness, but even if you don’t, you’ll definitely be able to whip out your survivalist skills on campingand hiking trips.

Hygiene is the #1 cause of Gastro

Your first step to becoming a self-sufficient survivalist is to remember this acronym:

Suss out your situation. Calmly assess any immediate dangers.

Utilize your senses and good judgement. Making rash decisions is likely to end badly (and takes away major survivalist points).

Remember where you are. Try to orient yourself. If you’re lucky enough to have a survival kit with a compass, work out which way north is and try to figure out a route to safety.

Vanquish negative thoughts and feelings of panic.

Improvise with what you’ve got. The best way to be self-sufficient is to be resourceful and creative with any equipment you have with you and anything you can find.

Value your life. The best survivalists have a strong will to live. Don’t give in to apathy.

Act like any animals you can see. Remember, animals are the ultimate survivalists. You can learn where water, food, and shelter are just by watching.
Learn basic skills. If possible, become as self-sufficient as you can before you have to be a survivalist. Learn how to hunt, find and purify water and build a shelter.

Did you know nearly 96% of people suffer from Gastro in their life

Water is vital to any survivalist. If you drink less than two liters a day, you will become less efficient and self-sufficient. If at all possible, prepare yourself and have a water purifierand a vessel to carry water in?

If you find yourself without a method of water purification, you can get water from plants and handmade wells. Sucking the moisture from pulpy plants like cacti can provide some hydration, but be careful never to swallow the pulp. Another option is to dig holes in the ground and wait for water to gather inside.

But survivalists beware: dirty water is dangerous. To be a survivalist, always purify your water before drinking it.

However desperate you get, never drink salt water, blood, or urine. They will dehydrate you, make you sick, and could even kill you.

To become self-sufficient, you’ll also need to learn how to build a shelter.

Use anything you can find, but make sure you choose to set up camp away from anywhere that is likely to flood, have falling rocks or trees, or be ridden with insects and wild animals.

So it’s time to put down your iPhone, GPS, laptop, and iPad, and get a little bit, Robinson Crusoe.

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Water Camping? The Dangers of Camping near Water

Water Camping? The Dangers of Camping near Water

by | Mar 21, 2021 | Camping, Outdoor, Trekking, Water

Reasons why not to camp near a body of water

So you’ve decided to brave the wilderness and go camping. It’s essential you know what you’re doing to minimize harm to the environment and have a good time. Make sure your not Water Camping.

Be very selective when choosing your campsite. Inexperienced campers often opt for water camping, setting up camp by the edge of a body of water with the idea of waking up and leaping straight in. Although water camping always seems like a good idea, it very rarely is.

Hygiene is the #1 cause of Gastro

There are several reasons why water camping is usually a bad idea:

  • Mosquitos can breed in any body of water and are usually rife around creeks, rivers, waterholes, and lagoons. If you camp near the water, you’re likely to be kept up scratching and swatting.
  • You’re more likely to get wet. Many water bodies are tidal, so even when you think you’re far enough away from the water, you can wake up three-inches deep in water. It’s also likely that the plants and the ground around the water have retained a lot of the moisture. This can mean the water comes through the bottom of your tent and seems to seep into everything.
  • If you’re in a well-known area, water camping can end up being a very public, noisy experience. What seemed to be a private oasis when you set up a camp can quickly turn into some theme park for teenagers and obnoxious tourists.
  • Water camping can have a very negative effect on the ecosystem. The plants and wildlife around a water body are particularly vulnerable, especially if there is any hanging swamp. As a general rule, make your campsite a minimum of 200 feet away from any natural water source.

Did you know nearly 96% of people suffer from Gastro in their life

So, where should you camp?

It’s best to choose a private spot with some protection from the elements. Go for an area hidden by an incline in the land or under cover of low trees. However, be careful of tall trees as they can lose branches at any time and are especially dangerous during storms or when there are strong winds.

Despite the downsides of water camping, don’t stray so far away from a body of water that you don’t have reasonably easy access to water . If you do all this, you can be sure to have a camping trip that is more private, comfortable, and sustainable.

 

To minimize your impact on the environment while camping, be careful when bathing and washing up.

Avoid using harsh soaps or chemicals, as these can severely damage the ecosystem and pollute any body of water.

Instead, embrace your surroundings and opt for using sand as a natural scrub for your body and campfire ashes as an alternative to dishwashing liquid.

It’s also a good idea to know the essentials of water purification before you go to ensure your camping water is safe.

 

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Be Water Efficient: How to Prevent Water Wastage in Your Home

Be Water Efficient: How to Prevent Water Wastage in Your Home

by | Mar 19, 2021 | Environment, Water

The facts About Household Water Wastage

 Sydney Water is an Australian state owned entity, dedicated to delivering essential and sustainable water solutions for the benefit of the community.  They have run extensive surveys on numerous households and these are the frightening facts that all of us should be aware of:

 

  • A toilet that continues to leak with out you realizing will be wasting more than 16,000 liters of water a year.
  • A dripping tap wastes up to 2000 liters per minute that it drips. At 24,000 liters worth of drips per year. That drip uses more water than the total average annual water usage of a household
  • If you had to leave a tap running it would waste a total of 17 liters, per minute

Hygiene is the #1 cause of Gastro

How to keep ‘Taps’ on your Water Usages

1.  Check For Leaks

Damp patches are a tell tale sign of a leak.  Have a look in your garden for damp patches on the lawn that might be caused by a leak in your swimming pool.  If there are random damp patches in your garden check that no roots are interfering with underground pipe systems.

Check your walls and ceilings for damp marks where pipes may be leaking.  Always check all your taps inside and outside the house for leaks.  When checking pipes and taps keep an eye out for rust and damaged joints.

2. Keep an Eye on Your Water Meter

One the easiest ways to keep an eye on your water wastage is to keep checking you water meter.  This will also help you find out if you have any leaks.  Pick a time during the day when no one can use the bathroom, laundry, kitchen or any taps in the house.  The best time to do this is in the night when everyone is sleeping.  After about an hour, or in the morning, check the water meter.  If it has gone up then you have a leak.

3. Update Your Taps and Facilities

You may feel like it’s a lot of money to spend on the spot, but in the long term upgrading or improving your bathroom, laundry and kitchen facilities will save you more money than you spend in the upgrade.

The western world is wasting so much water!

What star rating is your toilet?  A single flush toilet uses about 12 liters of water per flush.  If you upgraded to a 4-star rated, dual flush toilet you would only be using as little as 3 liters per flush, without sacrificing the much needed flushing effectiveness of your toilet.  This change alone could save you up to 25,000 liters of water per year.

By fitting aerators to the ends of your taps you could reduce your water flow up to 50%, but not sacrifice any effectiveness of the tap, just save water.  There are many options when it comes to aerators, but for example, fitting a 6 liter per minute aerator to your tap will save half the water used by an everyday household taps, at the very least.  Alternatives that you could look into are control valves and restrictors, which reduce the volume of water passing through a tap.

What rating is your dishwasher?   Did you know that most standard automatic dishwashers use more than 40 liters of water in one load of washing?  By upgrading to a AAA-rated dishwasher you will only be using 18 liters per cycle.

Get Creative

Leaks in the bathroom can be tricky to pin point.  If you have a suspicion that your toilet maybe leaking, try adding a few drops of water coloring into your water cistern.  Now, with out using the toilet for about an hour, if the coloring show up in the toilet bowl then you’ve got a leak.

 When rinsing your plates or washing your vegetable before cooking, always do so in a half filled sink instead of rinsing under running water.  This may seem like a minor detail, but it can save you 6 liters alone.

Rising Population means Increased Wastage

Cutting down on water waste around the household to save money is not the only reason to be reducing wastage.  In 1960 the world population was three billion. In 1990 the world population was little over five billion. In 2011, the world population reached 2011. Overpopulation has begun and will continue to take its toll on our water resources, and water will become more scarce, and therefore more expensive. The above methods to identify and cut down on water waste are precautions to protect our water supply as much as they are to cut down on household expenses.

No matter where in the world you live, we recommend that you use to the water efficiency targets set by Sydney Water as a guideline. For more information on world water, visit the official SureAqua website for more articles.

Other Household Water Saving Tips

  • Use water-friendly equipments and accessories which cut down the wastage of water. For instance-low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets and water efficient dishwasher. Even installing water saving powerheads can help save gallons of water per minute while brushing or shampooing.
  • Stop the use of bottled water at the earliest because it contains carcinogen, neurotoxin xylene and neurotoxin styrene which are very dangerous for health. Moreover bottled water is the same tap water only which many governments already provide. This tap water tested by the concerned authorities is safe and also has a better taste compared to the bottled water. Bottled water leads to increase in carbon content to a great extent so don’t buy it until and unless a necessity. Be safe and drink healthy water. Substitute bottled water with RO water.
  • Practice rainwater harvesting by digging a rain barrel and using the collected water for irrigation. This way the water which was used for watering plants could be put to some other useful purposes. The rain water which is waste could be utilized in a proper way.
  • Sometimes we waste a lot of water at home like by washing car. It is better to get the car cleaned at a place where recycled water is used. Also be precise in doing your task and do it in the best way.
  • Conserving water does not just mean storing the water in tanks and keeping the taps closed. It also means keeping our lakes and rivers clean which we contaminate by disposing off chemicals or other pollutants. This way water becomes of no use and makes you ill.
  • Dripping of water can result in loss of large amounts of water. Get all the leaking taps, pipes, sinks or toilets in your home fixed to avoid water wastage. Be careful and handle the water-related accessories in your kitchen, toilet and bathroom properly and keep a check on any water drip.
  • All the waste water goes into the soil and contaminates it. So be wise in using water especially while brushing or shaving and wash the dishes and laundry with full load. With little caution today, you can get a joyful life tomorrow.
  • It is essential to water the plants but do not overdo it. Also watering the plants in the morning or in the evening when rate of evaporation is low is the best practice. It is good to have lots of plants in house but choose to have the ones which consume less water.
  • Make the best use of grey water (the water clean enough to be used the second time) to stop the menace of water wastage. Water from sinks, dishwashers and laundry washer is grey water which is treated to obtain clean water for re-use.
  • As the proverb goes’ charity begins at home, similarly follow it in case of water also. Start conserving water at home first and then report against those who waste water. Also inform about any leakages or water-run off to the concerned authorities.
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The Effects of Polluted Water Part 2: Preventing Water Pollution

The Effects of Polluted Water Part 2: Preventing Water Pollution

by | Mar 18, 2021 | Environment, Water

This article is a follow up article to The Effects of Polluted Water Part 1.  In this article we will discuss ways to prevent water pollution.  Click here to view ‘The Effects of Pollution Part 1’ before continuing, to learn what water pollution is, what causes it and what the health and environmental consequences are.

 As discussed in The Effects of Water Pollution Part 1, “…water pollution is a problem that all of us should be aware of.  Water Pollution and contamination is an increasing topic of concern and all the health risks involved should be well understood.”

 The world pollution problem can easily be improved and prevented if everyone takes responsibility for their own pollution.  This is easier than most people may think, it all starts with taking precautions in your own home:

  • Don’t litter and be sure to recycle.
  • Don’t throw chemicals, oils, paints or medicines down the drain
  • Use environmentally friendly household cleaning products
  • Plant trees and plants around your home to improve the natural filtration process in the ground. This will stop nasty chemicals draining into natural water systems.
  • Don’t over use pesticides and fertilizers

Hygiene is the #1 cause of Gastro

Almost any every day household activity can possibly translate into water pollution.  From the fertilizers in your garden to the oil from driveways, paint and solvent residues from walls and decks, and even pet feces.  When it rains these are all washed into the storm water sewage systems as well as rivers, streams and lakes.  These are all water sources where we get our drinking water from, and how contaminated the source is determines the quality of our drinking water.

Below are a list of easy and essential steps in preventing water pollution around the house:

Have fewer hard surfaces:

Hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete don’t allow the water to seep into the ground and therefore run off your property and into the storm water systems. Good alternatives to solid surfaces would be grass, gravel, deck wood, paving stones or inter locking bricks.  These all allow water to run into the soil.  You can also control where the water on your roof flows by redirecting your gutters.  It’s best to position them so that rain water flows off into the garden where it can seep into the soil.

Preventing Pollution in your Garden:

Use native plants and environmentally friendly fertilizers.  Plants that are native to a certain area use less water because they are accustomed to the climate.  They are also accustomed to the habitat and are great hosts for other flora, as well as fauna.

 You should always use chemical free, natural fertilizers like compost.  It is easy to create your own compost at home by buying a compost bin.  This helps keep waste from becoming land fill.  Alternatively you could use natural fertilizers, soil conditioners or rotted manure.  These will all help your soil retain moisture and keep your minimize your pollution.

Be sure not to over water your garden.  A large percentage of household water use and wastage is due to home irrigation systems.  If your garden isn’t flat, try not to use inefficient sprinkler system that don’t cover all areas of your garden.  Install a rain gauge so that you know exactly how much water your garden is getting.  This way you know not to water your garden if you don’t need to.  Over watering gardens is one of the main reasons for chemicals draining from the soil and running into water systems.

Did you know nearly 96% of people suffer from Gastro in their life

Throw Away Household Products Properly

Ideally before you choose your everyday household products, you should be looking out for non-toxic alternatives.  You can research products on your chosen supermarkets website and take note of the environmentally friendly products.  When you are finished with them you can make sure that they make their way into the recycling bin or what ever recycling program your city or town offers.  As long as the container and it’s contents don’t go into the ground, then you are making a difference.

Educate Yourself

Lastly, go onto local government websites to find information on your local water situation.  This way you can know the risks you face and aim to make a difference in your community.  Be an activist in all the movements for better protection of our environment. WIth your support laws will be made and ultimately change will be made for the better of our planet.

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The Effects of Polluted Water: Part 1

The Effects of Polluted Water: Part 1

by | Mar 18, 2021 | Environment, Water

“Dirty water is the world’s biggest health risk…threatening both quality of life and public health.”

 The above quote was taken from the official web page of an American environmental protection agency, the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

Even though drinking water quality may vary in different parts of the world, water pollution is a problem that all of us should be aware of.  Water Pollution and contamination is an increasing topic of concern, and all the health risks involved should be well understood.

What exactly is contaminated water?

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies.  Water is said to be contaminated once enough pollutants are introduced to render it unsafe and unacceptable for human consumption or unable to support human life.

    Hygiene is the #1 cause of Gastro

    A World-Wide Crisis

    According to the Australian National Health and Research Council, “….in recent decades, there have been numerous examples throughout the world of poor water quality having an adverse impact on human health. 

    The most common and widespread health risk associated with drinking water is contamination, either directly or indirectly, by human or animal excreta and the microorganisms contained in feces.”

    The greatest risks to you when drinking water are pathogenic (capable of producing disease) microorganisms. Waterborne pathogens which can cause outbreaks of illness in communities, in some cases causing death.

    Did you know nearly 96% of people suffer from Gastro in their life

    Dangers and Consequences

    Pathogenic microorganisms are disease producing microorganisms such as viruses, bacterial diseases and parasitic worms.

     What is a virus?

    A virus is a microscopic parasite of plants, animals, and bacteria in well water that can cause disease.

    Some of the more common viral infection effecting world water today are: Gasroeneritus (cause of Diarrhea), Hepatitus A, Polio, Dengu Fever, Salmonella infection and dysentery.

    What is a bacterial disease?

    Bacteria are single-celled, microscopic organisms found in all environments.  These environments include soil, water, and the bodies of animals and humans.

    Some of the more common bacterial diseases effecting world water today are: Cholera, E.coli, Dysentery, Salmonella, and Typhoid Fever.

    What is a parasitic worm?

    Parasitic worms are worm like organisms that feed on their living host, using them as a source of nourishment and protection.  Parasitic worms live in the intestines and other organs.  They cause disruption to their hosts nutrient absorption which causes disease and illness in humans.

    Some of the most common by parasitic worm related diseases effecting world water today are: Guinea Worm Disease, Schistosomiasis, Enterobiasis, Ascariasis, and Tapeworms.

    How are our waters polluted?

     When it rains the water picks up  human and animal feces and harmful chemicals from the ground.  These travel with the water and end up in rivers, lakes, and underground water supplies.

     In most cases water pollution begins at the water source.  There are two main sources of water.  The first is surface water from rivers and lakes.  Surface water can become contaminated from acid rain, polluted storm water, pesticide in the ground, and industrial waste making its way into the water source.

     The second is groundwater, which comes from private wells or public water supplies.

    Groundwater can be polluted by contaminants that drain into the water source from: landfills and septic systems, careless disposal of hazardous products, chemicals used in farming and agriculture, and leaking underground storage tanks.

     The above ways of contamination are avoided when the water is passed through modern water treatment techniques and facilities.  However, this in itself introduces its own dangers.  Strong chemicals are used in the water treatment process and these chemicals can be harmful when consumed over long periods of time.  According to the Global Healing Centre some of the proven effects of long term exposure to strong chemicals in drinking water are: brain damage, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and cancer.

     Some of the most common chemicals effecting world water today are: Fluoride, Chlorine, mercury, PCB’s (a man made chemical), MtBE (contained in gasoline), Dioxin, HCB (hexachlorobenzene), DDT (a organochlorine insecticide).

     Toxic metals enter our water systems and supplies through industrial process as well as from materials used in your plumbing system.  These include arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver, and can cause acute poisoning and cancer, as well as other health effects.

    Diarrhea – A Global Epidemic

    The biggest world spread disaster of contaminated water is Diarrhea.

    The World Health Organization has pin pointed Diarrhea as a main fatality, causing 4% of all deaths world-wide.  Each year there are approximately 4 billion cases of diarrhea world-wide. In 1998, Diarrhea was estimated to have killed 2.2 million people, most of whom were under 5 years of age.

     

    Make sure you take all precautions necessary when drinking water. For added safety in the home and out the home, we recommend the use of SureAqua water filter products.

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