Zombie Survival & Defense Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

Gas Metal Arc Welding (Stick)

brandon_a_boyer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:22:33 CST

One of the most widely known forms of welding. Gas Metal Arc Welding utilizes metal rods coated in a layer of flux to provide filler material for the welding process. The electrode is placed in the holder and the work-lead is connected to the part to be welded. The electrode is then briefly touched to the workpiece and withdrawn, this motion establishes an arc and allows welding to begin.

Welding

brandon_a_boyer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:08:49 CST

The American Welding Society defines welding as follows

“A localized Coalescence (the fusion or growing together of the grain structure of the materials being welded) of metals or non-metals produced either by heating the materials to the required welding temperatures with or without the application of pressure or by the application of pressure alone, and with or without the use of filler materials.”

Essentially this means that a weld is made when separate pieces of material to be joined combine and form one piece when heated to a temperature high enough to cause softening or melting and flow together. Pressure may or may not be required, and sometimes pressure is used by itself to force the two pieces to combine and form one piece. Filler metal may or may not be added to the weld. Remember I’m using the word material because welding is not limited to metals. However for our purposes, this guide will be limited to steels and aluminum (aluminium for our friends across the pond).

This guide will eventually have the following subjects.

Welding Safety
Picking a welding process.
Fundamentals of Arc Welding
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
OxyAcetylene welding and Oxyfuel Cutting
Plasma cutting
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Brazing and soldering
Gas Storage and delivery systems
Welding Cast Iron
Steel metallurgy
Welding Terminology
Q/A

If you have suggestions pm me or place a comment on This thread

Below is a chart of welding and allied processes.You'll see alot of these abbreviations being used in my articles.

Plasma Cutting

brandon_a_boyer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:07:50 CST

Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC)

What is Plasma Cutting?

In a nutshell plasma cutting is a process that uses a high temperature arc of plasma to rapidly liquify a metal so that a stream of pressurized gas can cut through it.

A Plasma Cutter can effectively and cleanly cut nearly any conductive solid, cleanly and quickly. However Plasma cutters are limited in the material thickness that they can cut, practically speaking the thickest material that can be cut is approximately 2" of mild steel. Beyond that you are better off using oxy-fuel cutting.

What types of Plasma Cutting are there?

There are several different types of plasma cutting available, I'll talk a little about the different types, and then go into which ones would be the most useful for our purposes.

Dual Flow Plasma - Uses separate Shielding and Plasma gases to create a stable arc and increase electrode life.
Air Cutting - Uses a stream of compressed air to both cool the electrode and as a cutting gas. Simple, no bottled gases required. Poor electrode life.
Water Injection - Uses water instead of a shielding gas to improve cut appearance and nozzle life.
Oxygen Cutting - Uses a stream of very pure oxygen to assist cutting via thermionic reaction.
Underwater Cutting. Uses a specialized torch to cut under water, either through necessity or to reduce noise and air pollution in a shop.
High-density / High-definition. Uses special electronics and torch design to compete with laser cutting on an industrial level.

So which ones matter to me when the zombies come?
Honestly Air cutting is probably your best bet. Hauling around a bunch of consumables is substantially easier than hauling around several tanks of shielding gas. And with the advent of halfnium electrodes you'll get good consumable life assuming you handle the torch properly.

How does plasma cutting work?

Plasma cutting uses an electric arc and a tightly focused stream of gas to great a high temperature stream of plasma. The arc is so hot (numbers range from 4000 to 7000 degrees Celsius) that it instantly melts the base metal, allowing the material to be pushed away by the gas pressure. Because of the super high temperatures involved this process works with almost any conductive materials

How to Plasma Cut:

Typically I hate linking guides to other websites, but Miller Electric has a guide that has a fantastic description of plasma cutting.

Miller Electric Plasma Cutting.

Firestarting

Zee-Man — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:19:30 CST

UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1/22/2010

Seems easy, but it's not.

Lighters
Matches
Metal Flint
Flint & Steel
Primitive

Tinders

Lighters:

There are several types of lighters available to you. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses for use, so let's take a look at them.

"Zippo" Lighters:

survivor: "....Zippo's a good one. Whadya trade for it? "

Originally made by the Zippo Company back in the 1930's, the term "Zippo" general means a refillable fuel type lighter.

Refillable - You can refill using lighter fluid.

Windproof - These types of lighters will burn in the wind.

Hands Free Flame - This lighter, once lit, works without holding any buttons and can be set down if you need to without going out. This also makes me easier to use as a light source than any other lighter since there are not buttons to hold and you can keep your hand away from the flame.

Heat Source - This can provide you with a small temporary heat source (while it has fuel) in an emergency. This specifically is good in cases where the effects of Hypothermia begin before you can start a fire.

Not Child Proof - This lighter is not child proof like the modern Bic "safety lighter", so a child CAN get this to work without much difficulty. That might be a GOOD thing! (see below)

Simple to Use in a Emergency - This lighter is much easier to use than a Bic type lighter for children or anyone that has lesser physical strength in their hands. This also applies to people who are injured, in a state of panic or suffering from the effects of Hypothermia. In these situations, having a "non child proof" lighter is an ADVANTAGE. This lighter can also be struck without using your thumb.

Fuel Evaporates - The biggest disadvantage to Zippo lighters is that the fuel with evaporate out of the lighter in high temperatures. So you cannot leave in your car or in the sun. You MUST carry extra lighter fluid in it's refill container when you have one of these lighters for long term storage or long trips. This doesn't apply to daily carry, but does apply to storage and trips more than about a week.

Messy - Yeah, they can leak if you overfill them and it is best to carry it right side up. Their are belt cases specially made to carry a Zippo on your belt upright and they are recommended for carrying.

Repairable - Zippo brand lighters are repairable and their motto is "It works or we fix it free". You can easy replace the flint, flint spring and fiber fillings if they wear out. These parts can be found in most local drug stores.

Flint Spark - Even without fuel, the Zippo's flint will still spark and can be used to start fires.

Impact Resistant - Fuel lighters WILL take a beating and keep working. As long as the flint wheel works, this lighter will light regardless of how many dents or dings it has. Even holes in the lighter may or may not effect it working depending on if the wick is damaged and the lighter has fuel. Of course with a hole, the fuel will evaporate quickly, but the lighter WILL function if it has fuel.

NOT Waterproof - Fuel lighters are not waterproof, so if they are soaked, they will not work. HOWEVER, they can easily be disassembled and laid out to dry. Once dry, they can be refueled and will work.

Butane Lighters:

survivor: "....if you wanna start a fire after gettin' drenched, get the blue flame, baby.."

Butane lights look similar in appearance to "Zippo" fuel lighters, but they use butane fuel instead of lighter fluid and have a "blue flame" that "jets" out instead of a flickering flame. Butane lights have become more and more the replacement for the fuel lighters.

Refillable - You can refill with Butane fuel.

Wind Proof - Works in the wind and have even better flame directional strength than a fuel lighter since the fuel is under pressure.

SEMI-Child Proof - Butane lighters are a little harder to use than fuel lighters as they have to have a fuel "button" (striker wheel) compressed to be lit and requires you to hold the button down during use like a Bic lighter. This is hard for a child or other person with weak hands, but they are not called "safety lighters". (see the fuel lighter's Simple to use in an Emergency above.)

Not Repairable By the User - Even if you have a Zippo BLU lighter, it must be sent back to the manufacture for repair. This is because the lighter must be sealed to work properly.

Not Messy - No leaks and how you carry them does not matter.

Fuel Retained - Since Butane lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.

Fuel Drain - Butanes use a button trigger to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel. Many lighters have a cover over their top to keep this from happening, some do not.

Impact SEMI-resistant - Butanes are SEMI-resistant to impact damage as their cases are usually made from some type of hard polycarbonate. BUT...if ANY damage cracks or penetrates the body of the lighter, they will not work.

Waterproof - Because the lighter is sealed, Butanes are waterproof.

Fuel Gauge - Most butanes have a window so you can check the fuel level of the lighter. This will let you "top it off" if you want.

Focused Flame - The Butane "jet" makes it easy to focus on what you are lighting. No loss of flame to the wind.

High Temperature - Butane burns at much higher heat than any fuel lighter, so this gives good ignition to hard to burn tinder. About 1900 degrees.

Disposable "Bic" Lighter:

survivor: "....don't give up on your Bic when it's outta fuel..."

Usually known as a "Bic" by the manufacturer, these are cheap disposable lighters that are used daily and discarded when empty.

Not Refillable - Use them and trash 'em.

SEMI-Windproof - Disposables are partially windproof, but due to the restriction of the flame may or may not give you enough flame to work with. Some have adjustable flames, others do not.

Cheap - They are usually between .50-$1.00 in price and Bic brand say 3,000 lights out of their models. This lets you carry several lighters for less than the cost of a cheap fuel or butane lighter.

Child Proof - Most disposable lighters are child proof and require manipulation of the safety latch to strike them. Some even have a toggle lock switch. This may be difficult to use by design.

Fuel Drain - Disposables use a button trigger like the Butanes to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel.

Toggle Lock - The advantage to the toggle lock is that it keeps the lighter from losing fluid if they are accidentally trigger while you are carrying them. If the lighter does not have a lock, you can use tape to lock the button in place for storage.

Fuel Retained - Since Disposable lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.

Impact Damage - Disposables are not impact resistant and can easily be damaged by impact or crushed. If they are damaged, they will not work.

No Fuel Needed - Since they are disposable, you don't have to carry extra fuel. Since they are cheap, you can just carry several lighters with you.

Flint Spark - Even without fuel, Disposables will make a spark using the flint, so they can be used to start a fire. It is easy to removed the safety latch and flame guard to make it easier to direct the spark into your tinder. These will last a long time and save you if you have nothing else to start a fire with.

Waterproof - Disposables are sealed, so they are waterproof.

Matches:

In general, matches are a simple and cheap way for starting a fire. They can be common paper or wooden, waterproof & wind proof.

The advantages to matches vs lighters:

- not perishable
- not effected by temperature
- easy to protect (match case)
- simple to use
- cheap

"Strike Anywhere" matches have a white tip of phosphorous compound and are designed to be struck on "any solid surface". Also called "fiction matches".

They are now considered hazardous material for transportation and have fell out of favor due to the extra cost to transport them. The reason for this is that they will ignite if they impact something, even in their box.

"Safety" matches are "strike on the box" types of matches that are safe to transport and will not ignite due to impact. You MUST have the box striker to get them to ignite.

NOTE: If your matches get wet, don't panic. Get them out of the box (be careful not to rub their tips) and lay them out in sunlight to air dry. I have submerged the plain kitchen matches for up to 5 seconds in water, let them dry and they have worked on the first strike!

Paper Matchbook:

Paper matches or Matchbooks are very common today and for the common use of smokers, these work and are cheap. Many times they are promotional advertising items. Some military rations have a waterproof paper matchbooks in them, but these are harder to find for the average civilian and are not used much by today's military.

- Not Waterproof
- Not Durable
- Short Burn Time
- Easy to use.
- Very Cheap: about $.25

Wooden Kitchen Matches:

These are the common strike on box wooden matches. They have good burn times as the match is longer than a paper match and the wood burns slower than paper.

- Not Waterproof
- Cheap: about $.50
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Can be dried if dunked in water
- Can be waterproofed

Waterproof:

Basically the same wooden match as the Kitchen match, but they have be treated to be waterproof.

- Waterproof
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Harder to strike - due to waterproof covering on the head.
- more expensive: about $2.50

Wind & Waterproof:

These are the best of all matches that are available. Also called "Lifeboat Matches". Pictured is the best of this type, the NATO Mk.2 Lifeboat Matches. (NATO inventory #9920-99-966-9432)

Not only are they waterproof, but their long burn time (even in wind) makes them the best.

- Waterproof
- Wind Proof
- Long Burn Time
- hard to strike - due to covering on the head.
- Durable
- Expensive - $7.00 for NATO; $3.50 Cheaper versions
- Best Match available

Metal Flints:
*Ferrocerium Flint Rod

Metal flints are the most durable of all fire starters. They are waterproof, temperature proof, long lasting and hard to break. They represent the modern world's version of "flint and steel".

The number one drawback with metal flints is that they require some skill to use them effectively and they are much harder to use verses a lighter or a match.

Swedish FireSteel:

Probably the best of all metal flints. Scout model (red) is good for 3000 strikes and the Army model (black) is good for 10,000 strikes!

- Burns hot at 5500 degrees
- Best of this type

Magnesium Block with Flint Rod & Striker:

One of the most common and available.

- burns hot at 4000 degrees.

LOTS more coming............

Ironhand

Alternative Fire Starters

White76Knight — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:54:39 CST

Don't have a match? Try some of these!

We all know the importance of fire in a survival situation. It provides a means to cook food and boil questionable water, it also provides a great boost to moral, but far more importantly, a decent fire would provide us with life sustaining warmth. According to the oft quoted Rule of Threes, lack of food can kill you in about three weeks, and lack of water can do you in even faster in three days (depending on conditions), but more insidious than either is the lack of warmth. If the body is unable to maintain its core temperature, exposure to the elements can kill you in three hours, perhaps even less under extreme conditions.

Bearing this in mind, the ability to start a fire to keep yourself warm can be crucial to your continued survival. To this end, most people who think of themselves as being well prepared will at least carry a supply of matches or lighters with them, but what can we do if we should find ourselves caught in an emergency with such resources unavailable?

The truth is that mankind mastered the science of creating fire long before either matches or lighters were invented, so to learn some of the best ways to light a fire without them, we are best served to turn out attention towards our forefathers. How did they light a fire in their era? What worked for them will also work for us... with a bit of practice.

First of all, no method of fire starting is likely to bear fruit unless we have the essentials at hand. These have already been discussed in great detail on the "Building Fires" page. If you have not already done so, you should probably read that page first, because starting a fire without using modern methods is often time and labor intensive. It would truly suck to spend all that time and effort to generate a flame, only to have that flame gutter out because you had failed to get your tinder prepared properly.

Now that you have your tinder bundle ready, with a good batch of kindling laid up and a sufficient supply of firewood to keep the fire going, it's time to start producing sparks...

Metal Flints:
Ferrocerium Rods, or Metal Flints, are the most durable of all fire starters. They are waterproof, temperature proof, long lasting and hard to break. They represent the modern world's version of "flint and steel".

The number one drawback with metal flints is that they require some skill to use them effectively and they are much harder to use verses a lighter or a match. With that said, however, they are whole a order of magnitude less time and labor intensive than most more primitive methods of fire lighting. There are several variations of Metal Flint based fire starters, a few of which are discussed below.

Swedish Fire Steel:
Probably the best of all metal flints. Scout model (red) is good for 3000 strikes and the Army model (black) is good for 10,000 strikes!

- Burns hot at 5500 degrees
- Best of this type
- A youtube video showing the use of the fire steel can he seen here.

There a vast number of similar fire starters available, and they will all pretty much do the same job. An actual brand name Swedish Fire Steel will retail for about $20-30, and they can usually be had on sites like ebay for $10 or less plus a couple dollars for shipping, whereas one of the many similar ferrocerium rod designs can just as easily be had on ebay for less than two bucks, including shipping. Now these cheaper models may not be as high in quality, but they still work, and for those on a tight budget, they make a fine alternative.

TIP: Almost all of these ferrocerium fire starters come with a striker attached to the rod itself via a short length of cord as shown in the picture here. In some cases, however, the cord is not quite long enough to allow the striker to generate sparks without first untying it. Separating these two components presents a small risk of losing one or the other, so to prevent this we can substitute a longer cord. Alternately we can replace the cord entirely with any elastic band which will stretch long enough to allow proper operation of the rod and striker together.

Magnesium Block with Flint Rod & Striker:
One of the most common and available variations of the previous ferrocerium rod fire starters.

- burns hot at 4000 degrees.

This variation simply has the ferrocerium rod bonded into one edge of a block of magnesium. To operate, just use the striker to shave a small pile of magnesium flakes from the block (a pile about the size of a dime will do) then strike sparks from the ferrocerium rod into the pile. The magnesium readily ignites and burns for a few seconds, better allowing the tinder to catch. This, of course, will likely work best if the pile of shavings has been deposited into the middle of the tinder bundle, or if your tinder bundle is at least right at your fingertips, and is ready to be immediately dropped upon the brief ensuing flame. As mentioned above, the chain or cord connecting the block to the striker as shown in this image can, of course, be replaced by something longer or by an elastic band.

TIP: The magnesium shavings are very light, and can have the tendency to blow around in the wind, making it a little difficult to get them into a neat pile. This can sometimes be overcome by taking a piece of one inch diameter plastic pipe, about four inches long, splitting it in half lengthwise, then drilling a hole at one end of a half pipe section so that you can add it to the chain or cord with the striker. To operate, simply lay the half pipe section down flat, then set the corner of the block into the hollow while you shave the magnesium. The flakes will collect in the pipe which can then be used as a funnel to deposit them wherever you want them.

The Blast-Match:

The Spark-Lite:

The Four Finger Fire Starter:

Old Time Flint and Steel:
Somewhat less modern than the artificial ferrocerium rods is the steel striker with natural flint. To use, get your hands on a piece of high carbon steel, that is about 98% iron and 2% carbon. Then get a piece of flint or other hard sharp object such as quartz. Strike a sharp edge of the flint a glancing blow with the steel. Doing this just right takes practice. Very tiny particles of fresh iron should fly out off of the steel. Upon contact with oxygen in the air, the surfaces of these iron particles spontaneously ignite and give off heat as they oxidize (rust). Because the surface area of the iron particles is so large compared to their volume, the particles will quickly heat up and glow red hot, becoming sparks. Catch the sparks in prepared tinder and use it to start a fire.

Magnifying Lenses:

The Broken Flashlight Bulb:

The Bow Drill:

The Hand Drill:

The Push Plow:

Emergency Fire:

The Broken Flashlight Bulb on a larger scale, this requires you to have a vehicle and jumper cables. You connect the jumper cables to the car battery. You then take the other side of the cables and put them right next to your tinder then you simply push both sides together and the sparks will ignite the fire.

(Only do this in a emergency as it is not the safest way and will waste your battery power. Do this if you don't have another way to start the fire.)

NOTE OF CAUTION:
The number one thing to remember about starting fires without using modern matches and lighters is that pretty well all of the common methods require some amount of skill to ensure success. Contrary to what you may have seen in the Survival Shows on TV, lighting a fire with a Metal Flint is not necessarily as simple as flicking a lighter. Lighting the same fire with a Bow Drill is DEFINITELY not.

The obvious irony of trying to light fires in a survival situation is that the time when we most urgently need it, when the snow or rain is falling and a harsh wind is blowing, is also the time that it is most difficult to light one. Our firewood or kindling may be wet, and cold may have numbed our fingers making it difficult to physically manipulate whatever tools and materials are at hand. Such a situation is clearly NOT the right occasion to try out some old method of lighting a fire for the first time. When exhaustion and the elements have already pushed you to the brink of death, only realizing then that you haven't quite mastered the finer details of the Hand Drill (or whatever method you chose) is likely to get you killed.

The answer, of course, is practice. Just as you take your gun to the range to practice your shooting, or take your car to an abandoned lot to practice your driving, so too should you gather a little kindling and a pocketful of dry tinder and head to your backyard to see if you can light the fire under favorable conditions. Chances are that you won't succeed on your first attempt, or your second or third for that matter. Keep trying until you get it right, then keep doing it until it becomes such second nature that you can almost do it blindfolded. Now try it when there's a little rain falling, or after you've finished shoveling the driveway and your hands are wet and cold. Once you've truly mastered a technique, try again using a different method so that you have more than one option available if emergency strikes, just don't forget to revisit techniques already mastered from time to time, just to keep them fresh in your mind.

Only then can you be certain that you will be able to use those techniques successfully when your life is on the line.

Building Fires

Zee-Man — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:54:23 CST

"Building fires", notice how we always talk about building them. We never talk about making fire, or creating fire, or igniting fires. Fires require effort and a certain amount of precision, hence we build them. This page will cover the essentials of building fires and a few fire laying methods.

Safety First
Fire is one of the most enjoyable aspects of spending time outdoors. In our homes, fire is a useful tool and a means of heating. We often talk about "playing with fire" because it is fun! Like many fun things, fire must be approached with care. Learn how to treat burns. Have a means of putting your fire out. Ensure you have a means of controlling your fire as well as a means of preventing it from spreading.

Materials

When building anything, choosing the right materials has the biggest impact on the results. With fire building in the wild, species is less important than other characteristics. Moisture content is the first thing to consider. Dry materials are most desired, although, wet material can be used. Seek material that is dead and in the air first. Dead and on the ground can be used but will need some extra preparation. Live is the least desirable. After moisture content, size is the characteristic of most importance.

Tinder

Tinder is very fine material. Certain plants make very good tinder with very little preparation. One is, generally, looking for hair-like or paper-like thickness. Crushed dry leaves make good tinder. The more hair-like the better for tinder. If fine material is no available, one can process larger material to get the desires thinness.

Milkweed
Phragmites
Birds Nest

Feather Stick
Char Cloth
Dryer Lint

Cattails
Cotton Balls - plain
-or may also be soaked with petroleum jelly
Steel Wool

Pine Needles
Tampon
Frayed Twine

A note about char cloth and dryer lint as tinder: When preparing these tinders in advance, it is recommended to use 100% cotton. Man made fibers will melt before becoming char. Dyer lint having man made fibers tends to smoulder more than ignite.

Milkweed	Phragmites	Birds Nest
Feather Stick	Char Cloth	Dryer Lint
Cattails	Cotton Balls - plain -or may also be soaked with petroleum jelly	Steel Wool
Pine Needles	Tampon	Frayed Twine

Tinder Bundle

Having a fair supply of tinder, one forms it into a tinder bundle. Form the bundle into a ball about the size of one or two fists. Make a depression in the ball and have the most fine material in the depression.

Accelerants

Accelerants are volatiles that burn very fast. Lighter fluid, alcohol, perchlorate, gun powder are all examples of accelerants. In a survival situation this type a material is not easy to find. Natural accelerants include pine gum and birch bark. We are no longer scouts or guides, we need feel no shame in using accelerants.

Lighter Fuel
Gasoline
Kerosene

Grain Alcohol
Lower proofs do not work as well

Birch Bark
Pine Gum
Hand Sanitizer
70% is Better

Using Accelerants Can Be Extremely Dangerous!
Never Use Accelerants Without Taking Extreme Precaution

Lighter Fuel	Gasoline	Kerosene
Grain Alcohol Lower proofs do not work as well
Birch Bark	Pine Gum	Hand Sanitizer 70% is Better

About the Shape of Your Fuel

The shape of your fuel has a significant impact on success. All fuel has a certain amount of thermal resistance. For fast ignition, one has to exceed steady state and overcome the thermal resistance. Round material achieves steady state slowly. Split material ignites faster since the fine edges have less resistance than the main body.

Kindling

Kindling is the next step up in thickness from tinder. Kindling is intended to burn quickly but have enough mass to establish some charcoal. It can be sorted into a few grades.
Tiny - ranging from 1 to 3 mm
Pencil - about 5 to 7 mm
Fat - 1 to 1.5 cm
Heavy - 2 to 4 cm

Light Fuel

Light fuel is larger thicknesses. This size is intended to burn slowly, but should also burn quickly enough to establish a lot of charcoal. 5 to 8 cm cross section is good for light fuel.

Heavy Fuel

This size material is intended to burn very slowly. The the mass needs to be sufficient to provide a large quantity of charcoal. If there is a choice of species, then this size material is where the effort should be spent.
You should know the species in your area and their characteristics. For more information about species see our Firewood page. Heavy fuel is 10 to 15 cm cross section. It can be much larger as well if the overall fire is huge like a council fire.

Basic Fire Building - Lean To

This is the most basic firelay requiring little effort, yet utilizing the fundamentals of fire. A stick of light fuel is thrust into the ground at an angle, or leaned onto a rock, or leaned onto a piece of heavy fuel. Tinder is laid under this ridge pole. Kindling is then leaned onto the ridgepole. Ideally the open end of the lean to is facing into the wind. The lean to can be sided as depicted, or it can have a single side.

Tipi

Requiring slightly more effort than the lean to firelay, the tipi is started by leaning a few sticks of large kindling into a tri-pod over the tinder bundle. Soon after striking a spark into the tinder, the various grades of kindling are added. As the fire becomes more self-sustaining, light and heavy fuel are added. Care must be taken to prevent this firelay from collapsing on itself. Upon collapsing the lay may smother the fire out. Collapsing may also send sparks and coals some distance from the fire. The tipi, presenting its circumference, is suitable when wind direction is shifting frequently. Both the tipi and the lean to firelays are used as "starter" fires for larger firelays. Cooking with a tipi firelay is usually done using a spit or by hanging the food above the fire.

Log Cabin

The log cabin firelay is a hybrid of sorts. Starting with a tipi or lean to, heavy and light fuel is stacked around in the fashion of Lincoln logs. This firelay is useful when fuel wood has been on the ground and has higher than desired moisture content. When burning log cabins, one must be attentive to collapsing. Log cabins burn quickly, establishing a heavy bed of coals. This makes the log cabin useful for most types of cooking, including baking. This is another lay that is useful for shifting wind conditions.

Top Down Firelays

The previous firelays are ignited at their base. Pyrolysis is occurring above the heat source which allows the unburnt volatiles escape without ignition. Such bottom up fires burn at about 17% combustion efficiency. A top down firelay has the heavy fuel at the bottom with light fuel and kindling stacked above. Fuel and heavy kindling is stacked with little space between them. Fat kindling and smaller is stacked with plenty of air space intervening. The tinder bundle is placed in a nest of tiny and pencil kindling. The fire is ignited at the top, of course. Pyrolysis is now occurring below the heat source. Turbulence draws the unburnt volatiles into the heat causing a secondary combustion. Top down fires have a combustion efficiency of 80%. Top down fires are slow starting, often requiring additions of kindling. While slow starting, this type of firelay is very long lasting. Because of it high efficiency, this firelay yields the highest amount of sensible heat.

Council Fire

The council fire, also called the pyramid or pyre, is a top down fire. A foundation of large logs is laid side by side to form a solid base. Each subsequent layer is slightly shorter as the platform or pyramid rises. This solid mass of right angle firewood layers takes a little effort to light but it's well worth it for the huge amount of coals it produces, especially when the fire is lit on the top most layer and burns down through the layers. Council fires last many hours and are suitable for large numbers of people, especially when light and heat are wanted for extended meetings. Small council fires can be started in the late afternoon to be used for cooking dinner. A large council fire having a 6 foot by 6 foot base will burn for over 6 hours without the need for additional fuel. Being fired from the top down, one need not worry about collapsing. Once the fire is fully involved, smoke is of little bother.

Torch/Candle/Furnace

Swedish Candle makes a very enjoyable campfire to sit by for the evening There is no need to add wood to it every 30 minutes or so, just one log, one match. It also makes an excellent cook fire because billies, kettles etc. can be placed on top. First select a good sized diameter log, the the one in the image is about 18" diameter and 42″ in length. Then, using a chainsaw (a bow saw could be used by making parallel cuts) rip the log length wise to within 4″ of bottom cutting it three times to make what looks like a cut pie on top. Tip your chainsaw in-wards at the bottom to make the inside of cut lower than outside. This gives the fire, once lit, air from below which is drawn up the length of the log to top, like a chimney.
Prepare for lighting by sliding dry tinder into the slots. Initially, the fire will be very active with tall flames. This is likely why it is called a candle. After a few minutes it will dampen down and appear only to be smoldering. After another 10 minutes, flames will again be visible with the fire being self-sustaining.
An alternative method is to use 3 or more large logs (depending on their diameter) bundled together. The larger the diameter the fewer the number should be used. Some method of "binding" should be used around the base. This could be a hole into which the bundle is placed. It could be bailing wire. It could also be a "rope" of green withies. One example uses several 3" diameter logs of equal length, surrounding one of very short length.
The width of the openings in the candle, will play a significant role in determining how long the fire will burn. The fire in the image lasted for over 4 hours.

Long Log

This firelay can be scaled to various needs. Started by using one of the basic firelays, kindling and light fuel is added to fill the trough. The parallel logs are the heavy fuel, but smaller heavy fuel can certainly be added. A small long log of about 2 feet length is suitable for cooking such as boiling water and frying. A large long log of 5 to 6 feet length is suitable for making a firebed. If winds are gentle, orient the long axis parallel to the wind path. If winds are powerful, orient the long axis perpendicular to the wind path and dig a few cross trenches under the windward log.

Finnish rakovalkea

Literally translated as "slit bonfire", this is constructed by placing one long piece of fuelwood atop another, parallel, and bolstering them in place with four sturdy posts driven into the ground. Traditionally, whole unsplit tree trunks are used for the fuelwood.

Kindling and tinder are placed between the logs in sufficient quantity (while avoiding the very ends) to raise the upper log and allow ventilation. The tinder is always lit at the center so the bolstering posts do not burn prematurely.

The rakovalkea has two excellent features. First, it burns slowly but steadily when lit; it does not require arduous maintenance, but burns for a very long time. A well constructed rakovalkea of two thick logs of two meters in length can warm two lean-to shelters for a whole sleeping shift. Second, the construction causes the logs themselves to protect the fire from the wind.

Star Fire

A star fire, or Indian fire, is the fire design often depicted as the campfire of the old West. Imagine five or six logs laid out like the spokes of a wheel (star shaped). A fire is started at the "hub" and each log is pushed towards the center as the ends are consumed. It's another fire that can be kept burning all night long with little maintenance. This firelay is actually very similar to the Swedish Candle in that oxygen is drawn into the combustion area through narrow slits. This, of course is much more two dimensional and requires regular attention.

by: Zee-Man

Related Pages:
About Fire , Firewood , Fire Starting , Where to Build Fires , Alternative Fire Starters

About Fire

Zee-Man — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:17:52 CST

"'There's another thing. We can help them find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire.'
'Fire! Make a Fire!'" -- Lord of the Flies

Using fire industriously is a behavior that distinguished humans from other animals. In the hierarchy of needs, fire satisfies the need for body temperature regulation. Not only is it good for destroying zombie corpses, but it is the foundation for many human industries. This first industry being the need for potable water.

In the following pages explore:

How to start fires

How to build fires
Fuel for fires

Firewood

Where to build fires
Heating Appliances

Alcohol Camp Stove

First, let us learn more about the heat source we all know and love to play with; Fire! Fire is the heat and light that is released during combustion. For the purposes ZSDW is concerned with, we are only discussion combustion of hydrocarbons.

In order for combustion to occur there must be thee factors simultaneously present; fuel, heat, and oxygen.

Should any leg of of the triangle be removed, then combustion will cease. Hence most fire extinguishers aim to remove oxygen or temperature. Water, carbon dioxide, and dry chemical extinguishers accomplish both goals. (Note to those bugging in: Home use fire extinguishers should be of the "ABC" variety. )

Further, combustion occurs in a number of stages; Drying, Pyrolysis, and Charcoal. At any time during a fire all three stages may be occurring at once. The pyrolysis stage is chemical break down of the hydrocarbons yielding

heat and light. During this stage hydrogen, methanol, carbon monoxide, and a soup of -enes and -ines are released.

We have not had enough Threes yet. In order to have complete combustion we have another three factors to consider: time, turbulence, and temperature. Reducing any of these three will result in less complete combustion. (Note to those bugging in: incomplete combustion leads to creosote formation in your chimney. This is true for all fuels. Have your chimney for fireplace and house heater inspected annually. {cf. CSIA.org } )

How do these three affect combustion? The moisture content in fuel will affect both time and temperature. Fuel that is too wet has prolonged drying and looses heat to latent energy. Fuel that is too dry burns too quickly reducing temperature. How densely the fuel is introduced will affect turbulence. How much air can mix with the fuel will affect turbulence. Too much air will affect temperature as will too little air. A very good example of these concepts is in the "bird's nest" tinder ball. You will always notice that the "pros" have a fluffed up tinder nest with a pocket for the coal. The fluffing increases turbulence and the pocket regulates how much air is received. The "pros" always caution against blowing on it too rapidly. Of course they also always harp on the necessity of dry tinder. What is not obvious is the balance of the three factors is always there; hard won by experience.

For both survival situations and in the homestead, burning of any fuel requires wisdom and caution. Both of these are gained though practicing the use of fire. If approached with caution, playing with fire need not be pyromania, but should be considered pyrology.

by: Zee-Man

Alberta Survival

Sharpie41 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:47:19 CST

Welcome to the Alberta, Canada Survival Guide. This page is dedicated to the province, Alberta. For information on Canada as a whole, please click on the flag or click on "The Canada Survival Guide" in the side/navigation bar.

Population: Estimated at 3,645,257.

Geography: 4th largest province, the USA is to the south, British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, and the North West Territories to the north. Alberta has terrain from the barren desert to ever present trees on the mountains, from the dense forest to the flat prairies. Skills for survival vary, but basic survival skills are relatively similar.

Gun Laws: No different than anywhere else in Canada

Resources: Oil, lumber, agriculture, wildlife

Law Enforcement: Most municipal police services are armed with .40 calibre Glocks (Mostly Model 22s) the RCMP use the 9mm S&W 5946. Vehicles are standard Ford Crown Vics for patrol, assorted vans as "paddy wagons", assorted trucks are used by the truck units, my cities Tac-Team (SWAT) use the ARMET Balkan. Chase cars in my city are Dodge Chargers.

Military Presence: We have a very large military presence, most of the regular army here is in Edmonton, we also have CFB Penhold, Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, CFB Suffield (With BATUS there as well, BATUS is the British Military base on CFB Suffield). There is also all the reserve components in the cities.

How to Survive: Largely depends on where you live, survival techniques are going to be different from the desert near Drumheller and the mountains or the forest. Basic survival skills apply (Shelter, water, fire and food in order for most situations, sometimes they may get switched around, for example, in Drumheller water would be very important, before shelter even)

Sources: Mostly my head, some from Wikipedia

Please note, this page is still under construction, if you have anything for me to add, or to elaborate on, feel free to PM me

Zombie Colony - Weapons

John_234 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:52:04 CST

Zombie Colony will initially ship with very basic, but functional weapons that cover the bases for combat styles. Confirmed features: a slower reload when not completely out of ammunition, functional iron sights, bullet drop and travel time over range, dynamic scopes, and the ability to change ammunition.

Features that may be added include magazines being actual items, jamming and quality of ammunition.

9mm Handgun [Image]
Type: Handgun
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum (Average)
Capacity: 17 Rounds
Fire Mode: Semi Automatic

Description: The Glock 17 is one of the most common pistols in the world, so it was an obvious choice for the bread-and-butter handgun in Zombie Colony. It is relatively accurate, holds many rounds and is very reliable. It's the starting weapon of the players for most game modes and is a very dependable backup even in late-game.

.357 Revolver [Image]
Type: Handgun
Caliber: .357 Magnum (Average-High)
Capacity: 6 Rounds
Fire Mode: Semi Automatic

Description: The S&W M13 is a lesser-known revolver, a .357 Magnum version of the earlier, and highly successful M10 series. It's intended to represent the medium-sized, easy handling .357s that made S&W famous.

Gameplay wise, it is a lower-capacity, more powerful and slightly more accurate alternative to the Glock, equally functional as a backup but tailored to a slightly differing style.

.22 LR Handgun [Image]
Type: Handgun
Caliber: .22 LR (Low)
Capacity: 10 Rounds
Fire Mode: Semi Automatic

Description: An extremely common Ruger .22 pistol with a bull barrel and fine sights, designed for target use and plinking.

Firing a weak round, the Ruger is good for learning general handgun handling and markmanship while ammo is short, as well as finishing off crawlers and slower zombies. With an improvised suppressor, it can be quite a handy gun for scavenging missions.

Riot Shotgun [Image]
Type: Shotgun
Caliber:12 Gauge (High)
Capacity: 8 Rounds
Fire Mode: Pump-Action

Description: An Ithaca 37 shotgun designed for police use, this model is equipped with an extended tube magazine, notch-and-post sights, and a brace for the barrel and magazine tube. One of the oldest designs still in production, the Ithaca is notable for it's slick action and ambidextrous design.

Shotguns, due to their lack of magazines and versatile ammunition selection, often become the primary weapon of choice in Zombie Colony, but small mag cap, slow reloads and bulky ammo means they take quite a bit of finesse to employ properly. Every shot, no matter how powerful must count.

Ranch Rifle [Image]
Type: Rifle
Caliber: .223 Remington (Average)
Capacity: 30 Rounds
Fire Mode: Semi-Automatic

Description: This rifle is a Ruger Mini-14 with an traditional M-14 style scope mount and an Aimpoint sight. The Mini-14 series is very common in the US, and this rifle was a way to slip in a very civilian, relatively common weapon without straying into the immediately recognizable AR or AK territory.

A sort of "civilian assault rifle," the Mini-14 is not exceptional for it's class, but is far more accurate than most early game rifles, and the red-dot sight enhances accuracy even in unexperienced hands. It doesn't recoil very hard and packs a lot of rounds, lending to the Mini's versatility.

Hunting Rifle [Image]
Type: Rifle
Caliber: 308 Winchester (High)
Capacity: 5 Rounds
Fire Mode: Bolt-Action

Description: A slightly less mainstream rifle, the CZ-550 American is a relatively conventional firearm firing a variety of full-bore rounds. It is effective, simple, and elegant. The slightly unfamiliar lines of the CZ are intended to reflect how many hunting weapons exist outside of the Winchester, Remington and Accuracy International designs that litter video games and movies.

The CZ functions purely as a sniper rifle in Zombie Colony. With an internal magazine, reloads are slow, and the bolt slows recovery between shots. Extremely powerful and long-ranged, it can make short work of any normal enemy.

To be Implemented Later:

1911
Stoeger Uplander (12 & 20 Gauge)
Sawn-Off SxS
Benelli M1
AR-15
AK-47
FN FAL
Springfield M1A
SKS
MP5
SUB-2000
Winchester 1892 (.357 & .44 Magnum)
Ruger Blackhawk (.357 & 9mm)
Desert Eagle (.357 & .44 Magnum)
S&W M29
Ruger 10/22
S&W M&P 15-22
Walker Colt

Alcohol Camping Stove

Zee-Man — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:36 CST

Camp Stoves That Run On Alcohol

The stoves that this page will be dedicated to are the lightweight stoves that run on alcohol. I see these as more practical and lightweight than propane and kerosene stoves and simple to improvise if forced to. Where many people will be using wood for heat and cooking, that is sometimes not possible and in some parts of the world wood is a hard resource to come by. Urban survivors and people confined to the indoors would also find this form of stove useful.

Fuel that is acceptable for these stoves is Denatured Alcohol, Ever clear 90 proof grain alcohol, methyl alcohol (yellow bottle of Heet) and M1 Methanol ($3 a gallon at race shops). Isopropyl Alcohol is not recommended (red bottle of Heet).

A ready made model can be found at http://www.packafeather.com/store.html.

For step by step instructions on how to make a Penny Alcohol Backpacking Stove go to http://csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html. You can find Instructions & FAQS as well as recipes.

In all my research thus far it seems as though Heet in the yellow bottle is the best improvised fuel for these stoves.

Check out all the different videos on youtube and decide which one you like best. There are sturdier models made from soup cans that can heat 2 cups of water in 6 minutes with 2 ounces of fuel. 2 ounces of fuel will last about 30 minutes. This could also be used as emergency heat.

The disadvantage of using methanol as opposed to propane is that it will take twice as long to heat water and food using methanol. However propane might not be as easy to find as the different kinds of alcohol and methanol.

Using grain alcohol might be the best for some. Its a dual purpose liquid that can be used for medical purposes as well as fuel. Rubbing alcohol can be used in a pinch but I've read that it isn't recommended.

The simplest method of building your own can stove I could find. It wouldn't be too big of a deal to do the same thing with a multi- tool.

Firewood

Zee-Man — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:19:02 CST

When it comes to heating or building all most of us will use wood, but most people will just simply try to cut a tree, throw it in a fire or frame it up and call it done. Well you just can't do that. You have to consider whether the wood is seasoned, type of wood, how to cut it, how much to use and the strength for building.

Types of wood

Ponderosa Pine Firewood	Pine- Found anywhere in the world. Pine is called the starter wood, Pine burns fast and good to start a fire. Although a good starter wood its not recommended to keep a lasting fire as you can use a lot very quickly also don’t cook as it will change the flavor as pines are usually a sappy tree. Pine is also the most commonly used wood in home construction. Pine is a strong stable wood so if you want to start home construction look no further. Pine is a fast growing woods can grow several feet in a year if under a good moist terrian. Most pine trees yields several cords( Rule of thumb 15 on 30, 15in base on 30feet high tree, yields a half cord 30 on 60 is a full cord )Note Pine is the easiest to cut.
Cedar Tree Fallen	Cedar- Best for fires and heat. Cedar most common in the southwest US, is the best for fire, Slow burning( I burn them in my family's fireplace throw on a single log at 9pm and ill wake up at 6am and still see embers burning) Cedar is not only slow burning but hot. 2 or 3 logs of cedar burn all night as well cedar is a tight wood (dense) meaning the fires burn harder to get to the harder wood making the fire small but the embers HOT. Great for heating an area, or morle. Cedar is not recommend for any real construction as the wood itself is generally small, on a great note cedar is highly resistance to decay, so no worrys of cutting it then leaving it. Only down side cedar leaves a charcoal after taste on food and is by FAR the hardest to cut( if you cut cedar you know I'm not ************) I don’t know if theres a rule of thumb on this usually it take several full grown bushes to even get a cord. This wood is suggested for only the coldest nights or when moral is lowest.
Oak Fire wood	Oak- Another easy to moderately hard wood to cut (depends on size) burns hot and leaves no after taste. Some pubs or grills use this wood to cook pizzas, calzones, breads. Oak is not highly used in home construction. It is use more for finishing as its a nice pretty wood, so its recommended to shy away for this if needed in build a home. Rule of thumb is almost identical to pine. Oak is best for moral(as it produces large flames, burns hot, and best to cook food. Only draw back is it burns to ash in only a several hours and its possible to go thought several cords in a week, if that’s all you use.
Juniper Fire wood pile	Juniper- Most popular in the deserts. Juniper is a softwood meaning they ignite easily and can heat an area faster then any of the other woods. These woods are usually more plentiful and sometimes more attractive then pine. Only MAJOR thing to consider they can create more smoke and creosote(that tar that gathers in your flute or that black charcoal in the pit). Juniper has a shaggy bark which make it pop and crackle(like crumpling paper all night) when burning. CAUTION: Be sure to use a full fireplace screen or some type of guard as the embers often will jump out of the pit when burning!
Aspen Stacked	Aspen- if you use aspen you deserve every pain you get. Aspen grow only 7k and higher. Aspen take a while to even get started but when burning they burn for a while. Aspen drawbacks are its hard to get burning, once burning something they don’t stay lit so you have to keep relighting them, also they produce a rather gross stinky smell, and HUGE amounts of soot and like a balck charcoal rub off. Also the trees so small it would be of any home use. I rather stay shy of this wood in gerneral.

Specific Types of Firewood- The following is a list of many common types of firewood. Where possible I have mentioned its suitability for the cooking and/or as a smoking wood. Which woods are available to you will depend on several factors including your location and the season:

Alder - Alder gives off little heat and burns quickly, however, good charcoal can be made from it. Has a delicate flavor with some sweetness. For smoking its mild flavor can accent fish, pork, poultry and game birds nicely.
Almond - Almond is on my short list of the best firewood types. It is very hard with long-lasting high heat, and a sweet smoke flavor which compliments almost all types of meat beautifully. An excellent fireplace and cooking firewood.
Apple - Perhaps the king of all cooking woods, this is definitely one of the best firewood types. However, it tends to be more rare as firewood because it is quite attractive and can be used in furniture making and other decorations. It has a heavenly sweet smell which is great for cooking and smoking. It burns hot without giving off much flame, making it ideal for firewood cooking in a fire pit. The flavor is mildly smoky with hints of fruity sweetness. Great with poultry and pork but will compliment just about anything. If you can find any, snatch it up!
Acacia - In the same family as mesquite, acacia has a similar flavor but is not as heavy and not as hot burning. A good cooking wood.
Ash - Excellent firewood. Tends to burn very well, even if a bit wet and green. Distinctive flavor goes well with fish and meats alike.
Beechwood - This has some good heat and flame but tends to give off a fair amount of sparks, making it less suitable for an indoor fireplace and cooking.
Birch - Birch gives off good heat but tends to be consumed pretty quickly. The flavor is good, similar to maple which compliments pork and poultry nicely.
Cedar - Lovely smell, like the inside of a cigar humidor. Gives nice steady heat without too big a flame. Excellent for cooking and smoking. Cedar planks can be soaked and used to cook foods like pork and fish (cedar planked salmon being a classic dish) on a grill to great effect. Definitely one of the best firewoods for cooking if used correctly.
Cherry - Another of the best firewood types, this burns hot and with a low flame similar to apple. It has a mild fruity flavor excellent with almost anything, including poultry, pork and beef.
Crabapple - Very similar to apple wood in function and flavors.
Douglas fir - Slow burning with a lot of heat. Good firewood. Tends to be a bit resinous for cooking.
Elm - Tends to have a high water content so it smokes quite a bit but still has good heat. Ideally this needs long seasoning (up to a few years) to be really dry and burn hot and evenly and without too much smoke.
Eucalyptus - Like elm, this has high water content and needs long seasoning. There appear to be many different varieties that vary somewhat but in general, once seasoned, these are hard woods that give good heat. They can have a slightly resinous, medicinal, although not unpleasant, smell due to the gums contained within, making them less than ideal for cooking. However, it can be an excellent heat source if well seasoned.
Grapevines - These precious pieces of wood have a great rich and fruity aroma that flavors poultry, red meats, game and lamb beautifully. Gives off lots of smoke and can have a hint of tartness. Because they tend to be smaller pieces and branches which are available, this is ideal for fast fires to quickly cook smaller cuts of meat. Alternatively, it can be used along with other woods as a smoking wood to add flavor.
Hawthorn - One of the best firewood types. Burns very hot and long. Excellent.
Hickory - Considered the "king of smoking woods", hickory is a hard, high heat wood that gives off a strong sweet, almost bacony flavor which works beautifully to flavor pork, ham and beef. Great long lasting heat. Definitely one of the best fire wood types.
Juniper - This wood snaps and pops a lot. Like pine it is a natural insect repellent with a distinct aroma, smelling like a piney cedar chest. Not great for cooking. The berries on the other hand can be used for flavoring several types of dishes (they are the primary flavoring agent in Gin also).
Lilac - Very light, subtle smoke flavor with floral nuances. Can be good with seafood and other milder dishes.
Lime - This is actually a quite poor fuel wood, not giving off much heat. Better for other uses like carving.
Maple - Smokey but with a mellow, slightly sweet aroma and flavor, this is a good fuel wood. Compliments pork, poultry and game birds nicely.
Mesquite - Another one of the most popular woods for cooking either as a primary fuel or as a smoking wood. Burns very hot with a smokey but richly flavored smoke. Nice earthy flavor is good with just about anything including beef, fish, chicken and game.
Mulberry - Like pear, this is similar in many ways to apple. Sweet smelling smoke is great for cooking.
Oak - Oak is one of the best fire wood types. It requires a good deal of seasoning time (as much as 2 years) but then is a good slow burning wood with lots of heat and a small flame. If it is not fully seasoned the smoke can be very dense and bitter. The flavor is a heavy smokey flavor which is good with bold foods like ribs, red meat, pork and heavy game.
Other sweet fruit woods - Fruit woods such as apricot, plum, peach, nectarine all tend to be excellent flavoring agents for lighter meats like chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. They tend to be a bit milder and sweeter than hickory.
Pear - An outstanding firewood similar in characteristics and use to apple.
Pecan - While not the best firewood for heat, it has an excellent sweet and mild flavor similar to hickory which makes it excellent for smoking.
Pine - This burns well when well seasoned but has a tendency to crackle and pop because it is resinous and a softwood. Good for kindling since it lights easily but too much can leave a strong piney smell which is nice outdoors but can be overwhelming indoors or with food. Can also leave an oily soot in your chimney. I'd avoid this for cooking.
Pinion pine - While most pine is a softwood, this type is one of the hardest pines with a pretty outdoorsy fragrance and also has natural insect repelling characteristics. Not good for cooking but a nice outdoor fire pit wood. Popular for use in chimineas.
Spruce - This is a very sparky wood which burns quickly. Not one of the best.
Walnut - Walnut, all types, tends to give off a heavy smoke which when used alone can be quite bitter. Best to use along with other sweeter woods like almond, pear or apple with heartier fare like red meats and game.

Well that's it! So what is the best firewood? As you can see, that depends on the answer to the question, best firewood for what? While some are good for cooking, others are not. While some are good starter woods, others are not. I hope this list and info will help you find the best firewood for your needs.

Introduction

Why would anyone want to make their own charcoal? For one thing, good hardwood lump burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes and is much easier to light. You also know where it came from, what it contains and what was done to it en route. There are endeavors other than barbecue that require high quality natural charcoal: It is still the preferred fuel for forges and blacksmithing. Folks who make their own fireworks and black powder need specialty charcoals with specific burning properties such as that made from willow or grapevine. When grilling or even barbecuing in open pits with charcoal and wood, the quality of the charcoal is really not that critical. There is enough airflow to dilute impurities. Now that I have a Weber Smoky Mountain, though, charcoal quality, impurities and additives become very important. It is a great little cooker and will do everything folks say it will, BUT there is precious little airflow and the meat is bathed in smoke for hours. What you burn, you eat! I have read how the major manufacturers make briquettes. That leaves me either burning to coals, which is impractical for the small amount of coals needed by the WSM, or making my own lump, which is just a way to burn to coals and store them for use as needed. Being somewhat of a skinflint, I would rather utilize the resources at hand and make my own lump as opposed to buying it. My objective in this endeavor was to use existing technology to design a simple, cheap, reliable and efficient method for the small-scale production of charcoal for home use utilizing readily available materials and minimizing the release of pollutants.

How to make Charcoal:

Timing is important. Plan to start your burn on the hottest, muggiest day of the year with a comfort index of at least 105 and air quality just above the minimum to sustain life. These conditions won't affect the charcoal process at all but will ensure that the experience is memorable.
There are two basic methods of making charcoal: direct and indirect:

The direct method uses heat from the incomplete combustion of the organic matter, which is to become charcoal. The rate of combustion is controlled by regulating the amount of oxygen allowed into the burn and is stopped by excluding oxygen before the charcoal itself begins to burn. This is the ages old method used by colliers to make charcoal in a pit, pile (clamp) or, more recently, in metal or masonry chambers (kilns). See the links below for more information.
The indirect method uses an external heat source to "cook" organic matter contained in a closed but vented airless chamber (retort). This is usually carried out in a metal or masonry chamber (furnace). The indirect method results in a higher yield of high quality charcoal with less smoke and pollutants and requires less skill and attention than the direct method.

For my first tests, I decided to try the indirect method. There had been some posts on a pyrotechnics newsgroup describing a procedure for making small quantities of willow or grapevine charcoal in a cookie tin or five gallon bucket. For the furnace, I used a 55 gal oil drum with the top cut out and a 12" wide X 10" high hole cut in the lower side for maintaining the fire. I used two iron rods stuck through the sides about 8" from the bottom to support the retort. I also kept the top which had been cut out. After the fire was well established , the top was placed on the drum and supported by rods to help hold the heat in yet allow a good draft. The retort was a 16 gal. steel drum with lid and I cut about six 3/8" holes in the bottom with an acetylene torch. I burned it out well in the furnace to eliminate petroleum residues. These drums are used for lubricants such as transmission fluid and gear grease and are readily available.
After the retort was loaded with air dried hickory the top was sealed and the drum was placed in the furnace or burn barrel. Wood scraps and bark were placed under the retort and around the sides and lit with newspaper assisted by a little burnt motor oil to get things off to a fast start. There was right much smoke for the first hour, but as things heated up and the moisture was driven off, it burned so clean that all you could see were heat waves. With the vent holes located in the bottom of the retort, the vapors and gasses were discharged into the hottest part of the fire and burned.
I stopped the first test too soon and only had about 1/3 charcoal. The rest was charred chunks of wood. The second test burned for about 3 hours, until the gasses had just stopped burning around the holes in the bottom. Results: 56# of wood yielded 17 1/2# charcoal or 32% by wet weight. Assuming an EMC (equilibrium moisture content) of 12%, The yield exceeds 35% on a dry matter basis. This is very good as most direct burns result in 20 to 25% at the best. I got over 2 1/2 five gallon buckets of good lump and only one large (4"X6") chunk showed signs of incomplete conversion with some brown in the center.
I was going to run a series of trials to compare the indirect method with direct (bottom lit) and direct (top lit). After several burns using the retort, I decided that there were such obvious advantages to the indirect method that I abandoned studies of direct burns. The retort method is easy, reliable, and does not require the skill and attention of direct burns. The equipment and materials which I used are readily available worldwide. As the gasses and volatiles are discharged into a hot bed of coals, I believe that most of the pollutants are burned, adding to the furnace heat. I also suspect that yield and quality are better. From what I have read, 35% by dry weight is excellent; the resulting charcoal burns hot and clean; you can almost light it with a match.

The indirect method also appears to be more compatible with heat recovery and waste wood utilization systems. I live on a farm in Virginia and my wife operates a small sawmill. Disposing of slabs and wood waste is a serious problem. I can burn a lot of the hardwood slabs in my indoor masonry heater/cooker. We have not found an economical use for pine slabs (we can't give them away) and have started burning them in a field. This is obviously a wasteful and polluting practice. My ultimate goal is to build a small masonry furnace that would hold several 55 gallon drum retorts and recover heat for domestic space heating during the winter. Charcoal could be a marketable by-product. I would burn pine slabs and waste wood in the furnace and make charcoal from hardwoods in 55 gallon drums. This approach appears to be very energy efficient as the gasses released by destructive distillation are utilized.

Critical Survival LLC Gear Reviews

LJ126 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:03:28 CST

Critical Survival LLC

	4624 Cypress Creek Pkwy Houston, TX 77069 (832) 286-1441 www.CriticalSurvival.net

4624 Cypress Creek Pkwy
Houston, TX 77069
(832) 286-1441
www.CriticalSurvival.net

The Zombie Survival & Defense Wiki and our newest partner, Critical Survival LLC, have teamed up to bring zombie movie fanatics and "Z-Poc" survivalists custom gear reviews - all performed & written by well-known ZSDW veterans! The reviews will feature items that are sold inside of the Critical Survival store, and will highlight the functionality, cost, and durability and function of each piece of gear.

Who is the ZSDW Review Team?

LJ126	Jahadaz	Ironhand

LJ126

Jahadaz

Ironhand

*Please send questions, concerns and comments about the review team to LJ126.

Directory
Each month, the ZSDW Review Team will put together a series of articles, outline our test rationale, personal opinions and post-testing reflections. Stay tuned for the latest review news and updates!
To navigate to the review section, click on the images or hyperlinked text in the table below.

	Mini Maglite 2-Cell AA 21 November 2011 Reviewed by LJ126
	AMK "Ultralight/Watertight .9" 9 December 2011 Reviewed by LJ126
	MRE, Southwestern Beef and Black Bean 10 December 2011 Reviewed by LJ126
	Industrial Revolution Stormproof Matches 11 December 2011 Reviewed by Jahadaz
	Doan Magnesium Fire Block 11 December 2011 Reviewed by Ironhand
	Wetfire Tinder by Ultimate Survival Technology 11 December 2011 Reviewed by Ironhand
	Silva Polaris Compass 14 December 2011 Reviewed by Ironhand
	Potable Aqua 14 December 2011 Reviewed by Ironhand
	Backpacker's Pantry "Cold Pasta Salad with Vegetable" 15 December 2011 Reviewed by Jahadaz

More reviews coming soon!

The Perfect Bug-Out-Bag, From The Ground Up.

Marsden — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:36:14 CST

by JeffCee
edited by Ironhand

One of my obsessions is bug out bags and what should go in them. With this in mind, I'd like to figure a generic kit that just about any one could use as a starting point for their own preparations. We can debate item by item until we get to the perfect additions to everyone's own kit.

So let's start with a few ground rules:

1. This kit is for when you're on the move. Weight is a factor.
Yeah, you can hike with an 80 lbs. pack, but can you run with it? How about fight? Climb? If you can include the accurate weight, bonus points( bonus points are exchangeable for bragging rights.)

2. Nothing fictional.
I want a stealth suit and light saber, also, but they don't sell those at Big 5.

3. Stuff you can actually get pre-breakout.
That gatling gun and Sherman tank, you got a license for those? Also consider price.

4. One category at a time.
If we are talking about food I don't want to hear about ammo unless it's chocolate.

5. Please support your suggestions.
"'Cause it's awesome is why!" is less convincing then you would think.

6. Assume the user will be initially untrained.
There will have to be instructions or it will need to be intuitive, like a can opener.

7. Be as specific as possible and include a link to the item if you can.
Exactly which Swiss army knife will see you though the Apocalypse? Because mine doesn't have a lobotomizer.

8. Home made and modified items are awesome.
Please include instructions on how you make it.

This will be like scientific deduction. Your answer might be great . . . for you. But remember the guidelines. There is always the possibility of a better solution. Even after we move to a new category, if you find or think of something, great! Let us know!

Water Storage

With out a clean source of it, you're dead in a week, zombie bite or no. How are you going to carry it? You can have multiple items. If you pick an item that has other functions too, all the better.

Bottles and Canteens
** These are stand alone systems you can carry in your hand. **

Nalgene Bottles: these wide mouth bottles each hold a 32 oz. of liquid and are super tough. They also sell bottles with survival kits.

Nano-filtration Water bottle (Lifesaver Bottle) - A nano-filtration unit would be ideal. But some type of water treatment besides boiling will be necessary if you're using non-tap sources of water.

Integrated System
** These are built into some sort of support gear, like a back pack, waist pack, or load bearing vest. **

Hydration bladder - Hydration bladder is probably best bet.They eliminate the sloshing sound of Canteens plus take up less space when empty plus the last I looked my Walmart had about 30 for 5 bucks each.

CamelBak - These Camel bags are made state of the art in America i think?... anyway, they range from a small 1 compartment carrier to a large bag with a small seat attached.

Transportable Cache (these can be moved from temporary base to temporary base, but not usable on the move)

Non-Transportable Cache (these can be set up for you to draw from if you can return to an area, but are not packable)

Containers
The US FEMA website has some of the best information about water storage and treatment.
FEMA water storage
FEMA water sanitation
Containers are one of the the best ways for storing large amounts of water. Those 30 gallon Rubbermaid storage tubs you have can be cleaned out and filled with water. Follow the directions on the FEMA site on how to prepare containers and treat water for long term storage.
The FEMA water storage page tells how to use two liter soda bottles (and tons more) to store water. If you grabbed 30 2 liter soda bottles from a store and filled them with water, that would last one person about 16 days according to 1 gallon per day.

WaterBob™ --Water Bathtub Oblong Bladder "The WaterBOB™ is a fresh water containment system used to store up to 100 gallons of potable drinking water in the event supplies become scarce during times of natural or man-made disasters. Water can be stored up to 2 weeks in a controlled environment." Might not be able to carry a bathtub, but if you have room you could use one if you found it.

Gallon Milk Jugs - You know how plastic is forever. Instead of throwing it away you can fill it full of water. Hard to stack, though.

Water purification

To begin to tackle the subject of water purification, one must first understand the difference between purification and filtration.

Water Filtration: The removal of bacteria, protozoa, and general sediment from water.
Water Purification: The removal, or act of rendering waterborne viruses inactive as well as the removal of bacteria and protozoa.

Purification would seem to be the obvious choice of the two, but without a specific tool for that purpose one may be forced to use other methods. Optimally, one would use a filter and a chemical to sanitize the water.

Possible chemical treatments;

Iodine i.e. Potable Aqua
Chlorine Dioxide i.e. Katadyn Micropur

Popular filter choices:

MSR Miniworks EX Water Filter

Katadyn Hiker

Katadyn Pocket Microfilter

SteriPen UV water purifier

SteriPEN® Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier (AD-RP). The Adventurer is half the size of the SteriPEN Classic. Because it’s fast (48 seconds for 16 ounces), light (under 110g/4 oz), easy and effective, it’s perfect for hikers and campers who value powerful products in small packages with no loss of effectiveness. Adventurer is especially effective against common protozoa like Cryptosporidium. Its optional solar charging case let’s you go off the grid—way off. Adventurer ships with 2 non-rechargeable (disposable) batteries, a nylon case and users guide
www.hydro-photon.com

Boiling Water

Purifying water by boiling it is the safest, easiest way to make water drinkable. Simply filter all dirt/debris through several coffee filters or tee-shirts till the water is clear. Then bring the water to a fast boil and hold the boil for 1 minute and let it stand for 15 minutes. Now you have safe drinking water. Boiling water may give it a different taste, so stir the water or pour it into another container and back again to add air to the water.

Note: This was taken from www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html

Chemical Purification

When boiling is not practical, certain chemicals will kill most harmful or disease-causing organisms. For chemical disinfectibe effective, the water must be filtered and settled first. Chlorine and iodine are the two chemicals commonly used to treat water. They are somewhat effective in protecting against exposure to Giardia, but mbe effective in controlling more resistant organisms like CryptosporidiumChlorine is generally more effective than iodine in controlling Giardia, and both disinfectants work much better in warm water.

You can use a non-scented, household chlorine bleach that contains a chlorine compound to disinfect water. Do not use non-chlorine bleach to disinfect water. Typically, household chlorine bleaches will be 5.25% available chlorine. Follow the procedure written on the label. When the necessary procedure is not given, find the percentage of available chlorine on the label and use the information in the following table as a guide. (Remember, 1/8 teaspoon and 8 drops are about the same quantity.)
Available Chlorine Drops per Quart/Gallon of Clear Water Drops per Liter of Clear Water 1% 10 per Quart -- 40 per Gallon 10 per Liter 4-6% 2 per Quart -- 8 per Gallon (1/8 teaspoon) 2 per Liter 7-10% 1 per Quart -- 4 per Gallon 1 per Liter (If the strength of the bleach is unknown, add ten drops per quart or liter of filtered and settled water. Double the amount of chlorine for cloudy, murky or colored water or water that is extremely cold.) Mix the treated water thoroughly and allow it to stand, preferably covered, for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand for an additional 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, allow the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or pour it from one clean container to another several times.

• You can use granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water. Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately ¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately ½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.

• You can use chlorine tablets to disinfect filtered and settled water. Chlorine tablets containing the necessary dosage for drinking water disinfection can be purchased in a commercially prepared form. These tablets are available from drug and sporting goods stores and should be used as stated in the instructions. When instructions are not available, use one tablet for each quart or liter of water to be purified.

• You can use tincture of iodine to disinfect filtered and settled water. Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit may be used to disinfect water. Add five drops of 2 percent U.S. or your country’s approved Pharmacopeia tincture of iodine to each quart or liter of clear water. For cloudy water add ten drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.

• You can use iodine tablets to disinfect filtered and settled water. Purchase commercially prepared iodine tablets containing the necessary dosage for drinking water disinfection at drug and sporting goods stores. Use as stated in instructions. When instructions are not available, use one tablet for each quart or liter of filtered and settled water to be purified.

ONLY USE WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, OR FOR BRUSHING TEETH

This was taken from: www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html

First Aid Kit
Two Things seem to come into play with first aid Kits, Contents and container.
So there will be two sub-categories for this section. repeats will be deleted so please read the section before you add to it.
Thanks!

First Aid Kit Contents

There are many kinds of First Aid Kits but they all serve the same purpose. To supply medical supplies for quick use so that you can help until officials arrive. Seeing as there will be very few officials that can help (Stress, Not one in your group, ETC) Then you will need to add a few items. Here is a list of things that you should start with.

1. Gauze
2. CPR/Breath Mask (Most First Aid Kits don't come with these but they are findable and can sometimes be pricey but if you don't use one you could be vomited on during CPR)
3. Antibacterial Soap/Ointment
4. Baking Soda (For Sea Sickness)
5. Adhesive Tape
6. Alcohol Wipes/Swabs
7. Cotton Balls
8. Disposable Latex or Vinyl Gloves
9. First Aid Guide (Comes in Handy during Hurry Situations)
10. Hydrogen Peroxide (Very Handy for Cleaning Wounds)
11. Insect Sting Swabs (Sometimes these are hard to find but they're worth it
12. Moleskin (For Blisters)
13. Scissors (To cut the Gauze and such)
14. Tweezers

After you have acquired these things you will want to put the things that can leak in small bottles (Maybe Film Bottles) and the things that are sticky (Antibacterial Soap, Etc) in small Plastic Baggies. Then you will want to put all of this into a large plastic baggy so that you have it all in one place. While assembling think about what you will likely need first and put this near the top. If you put your gauze at the bottom then you'll have to pull everything out to get to it and that's not fun. You can add onto this list personally if you have a skill in a certain area of the medical profession that requires tools to perform. Do not add tools that you don't know how to use because having that tool may force you to use it.
---Cylon1994

.

1. Antibacterial soap is almost pure advertising, regular soap is as effective. I like the Dr. Bronners Organic Liquid Soap, however while that is usable as both soap and shampoo, it's not in bar form, and thus is a leak/spill hazard
2. duct-tape or 100mph hour tape
3. Conversely use real alcohol for disinfectant, and your gauze or bandana for wiping. Stupid packaging is weight that you don't get to re-use, and means you can't take another item
4. Get the super-scissors that cut thru anything http://www.crocodilecutter.com/ or http://www.macgill.com/productDetail.aspx?catId=10&subcatId=112&product=7777 - cuts thru leather & metal
5. Nail clippers
6. Needle and thread, large gauge needle + surgical thread (usable for sutures, clothing repair, rough medical work)
7. Multi-tool or Needlenose pliers (too hold onto that needle when you heat it in the flame, to grab your pot from the fire when the handle breaks)
8. Drinking Alcohol 180-200proof -- wood alcohol is typical for medicine stuff, because they don't want the tots drinking it. Both will kill germs, and flush out wounds. Both evaporate faster than water, and can cool off overheated people (heat exhaustion). Drinking alcohol can also be used to deaden pain, and as a cheap method of anaesthesia (get them blind drunk/unconscious and then cut 'em open, or pop that shoulder back in). Also, it's the only trade good that has real value in a post-money society. It's also long-term storable.
9. Flexible cutting board
10.No-doze - speaking of meds, this may be good to have.
Don't be shy about bringing tools that you don't know how to use :P.-- Ender42

For reference, google "army combat lifesaver." This is a course designed for the average soldier in the event that he or she is the first one on the scene of a medical emergency. The Combat Lifesaver manual covers basic medical procedures as well as evacuation techniques. While I agree with many items mentioned above, many are more of these items are more for comfort than essential medical equipment. It may be a good idea to set up some sub-categories for items useful in first aid. Most EMTs use ABC (airway, breathing, circulation) to categorize their equipment. Some things I'd put in a first aid bag for Z day follow:

Bleeding:
CAT tourniquet or other prefabricated tourniquet - for stopping a severe arterial bleed in an extremity. If this is not available, ACE bandages work well. Many pre-fab tourniquets are available as their use is gaining greater acceptance in civilian emergency response.
Chemical bandages (quick clot, etc.) - there are a number of chemical bandages on the market that quickly stop bleeding by causing the blood to clot more quickly than naturally.
Emergency Trauma Bandage (aka Israeli bandage) - designed for use by the Israeli Army, this bandage is easy to use. You open it, wrap the wound, and a novel "pressure bar" places extra pressure over the wound to slow the bleeding.

Airway:
Many devices available to patent an airway. The military uses a nasal airway, which is really easy to use. You just lube it and push it in the nose. Even easier than that is the J-tube which can be put in the patient's mouth to keep the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway. For the more advanced, there is the combi-tube or king LT. These airways are easy to use. Just follow the instructions on the package. It's that easy. Should be available through a medical supplier.

Splinting:
S.A.M. Splint - works great for any type of improvised splint for a broken arm, leg, even c-spine. The S.A.M. splint is basically a 3' x 6" piece of bendable metal embedded in foam.
Cravats - useful for splinting arms, shoulders, and a very versatile piece of equipment.

Meds:
Antibiotics - Azythromycin is a personal favorite and has more uses than just the "clap." It can be administered in a single dose drink or in a week long daily regiment. It's easy to use and a broad spectrum anti-biotic. If your casualty survives the field, chances are you'll need to treat for infection.

Anti-anxiety meds - Valium and Zanex are great for treating people who are experiencing severe anxiety reactions to the zombie outbreak. If you can't find those, I'd recommend a good whiskey or bourbon.

IVs:
Saline and Hextend - One for dehydration, the other for treatment of bleeding. If IVs are out of your skill set, simple salt tablets or gatorade mix help prevent dehydration by replacing electrolytes.
telex

First Aid Kit Containers/ Bags

I saw this thing a while ago in a catalog that would be a good thing for a group. if you're in a group, get the one member who's the most skilled in medicine and get them to carry the "portable hospital." It's not just a first aid kit, it's a freakin' medical backpack, which can treat everything from gunshot wounds to amputations. The only problem might be that it's too bulky. -Rambo-117.
http://www.macgill.com/productDetail.aspx?catId=12&product=73901
'All your eggs in one basket' - have someone *else* carry the hospital. Also helps because your medic can go up to them (facing away) and start accessing items - without having to stop, put down their backpack, open it, etc. That said, that's not a go-bag item - thus it belongs in a different list, a list for group preparedness.-- Ender42

HANDBOOKS

I can't stress it enough, ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE FORGOTTEN OR NEEDED OR CHECKED UP ON MUST HAVE A HANDBOOK!!!!!!!!!

That means first aid, CPR, explosives treatment and use, anything you might think of.

The Anarchist Cookbook - Get the Anarchist Cookbook. YOUR BEST BET!!! It teaches you explosive and weapons manufacturing, how to operate said explosives and a MANY other things.
HAVE A HARD COPY WITH YOU!!!!! - mew2456

Counterpoint: The Anarchist Cookbook not only contains large amounts of useless information, but some of the things in it will kill you. Many of the instructions are incorrect. I have tried direct nitration of hexamine, and I'm glad I merely lost some lab equipment scrounged from junkyards. However, for someone who quit messing with explosives, and needs a refresher, the Cookbook is a great way to remember the chemical processes. -HeavenlySword
Seconded, cookbook is not an end all.

Improvised Munitions Handbook: This book show you how to make a A dual directional scrap fragment launcher or a shotgun from a water pipe. There is a .pdf file out there on the web;) - tomahawk11

SAS Survival Handbook - I have the SAS survival handbook. It's the best thing in the world. It's absolutely amazing. So much information. Try to get one. Edible plants, edible animals, poisonous plants and animals, shelter building, varying climate survival, animal tracks, direction finding, injury treatment, injury prevention, fishing, hunting, trapping, survival kit, knife use and sharpening, plane signals, ground signals, emergency signals, emergency radio codeword and use, orientiering, crash survival, wilderness movement, mountain movement, all terrain movement, various different disaster survival, everything you need. -dominickmagas

The Zombie Survival Guide- While many senior members on this site would burn me at the stake for saying this, The ZSG is a great & funny way to introduce your non-zombie apocalypse prepared friends to surviving better, once you save their asses from the hordes. Be sure to warn them this is not a good survival guide by itself, and that doing many of the things in there (such as hiding on roofs) may lead to painful deaths or reanimation. I recommend you have a copy of the SAS Survival Handbook for them to read after reading the ZSG. -HeavenlySword

The Survivor series, the Poor Man's James Bond, and Granddad's Book of Chemistry by Kurt Saxon at Atlan Fromularies
byates

Communications:

Instructions for Basic navigation by the stars in your hemisphere.-- Ender42

Communications I have a CB hand held radio (AA battery powered).
I have a crank or rechargable radio.
Some may have a ham radio like a short wave but it lets them talk rather than listen in.

If possible get a CB radio and put one in your car or a generator of some kind for one at home. they are like walkie talkies but have a longer range and more channels to speak on but channel 9 is for the police, but any other should be fine to talk on. -

residentmagnum

1.Whistle - long-range signaling device. Carry a morse-code breakdown.
2.Mirror - metal, hole in the center == signaling device, look around a corner, personal care.
3.Shortwave radio.
4.Satellite phone.
5.Cellphone - may or may not survive much past the power outages. Some cell-phone towers are on independent power/backup generators, which are automatic. Most of those are man-less installations, and thus there's no lure for zombies to cause malfunctions in those installations. Unfortunately, the telephone grid may get locked up with too many calls, however if an infestation is rampant, there will (eventually) be many fewer users on the grid, so that problem should dissipate.
6.Writing implements - charcoal from a fire-burnt stick will be passable, but you don't always have that with you, and that only works on some surfaces. Greasepencil is very useful - write on windows, boxes, textured surfaces, etc. A (micro-)Sharpie is good as well, except that it dries out (ROTATE this item). Also, get a toothbrush container, or the like to protect your implements from being sat on, or otherwise smooshed/crushed/mutilated. You've already got paper for firestarting material to write on.-- Ender42
A Snowman brand Marker, extra wide tip, found in most art stores, can write on pretty much anything, useful for tagging buildings. -D4RK4NG3LX

Brigade Quartermaster sells small solar kits that can recharge cell phones, laptops, and the like- nightcreeper78

For simplicity's sake, all electronics should be run on rechargeable AA batteries. -Data

Power (Electricity):

Duracell Power pack 1800 ideal for home use
Click picture for more info.

Duracell Power pack 450 ideal for vehicle use
Click picture for more info.

Navigation:

Here are some categories for navigation tools, thanks Ender42.

Compass - Get a real one, not a cheap inaccurate one that screws into the bottom of your Rambo knife.-- Ender42

Local terrain maps (USGS) for your area.-- Ender42

Road maps for your area.-- Ender42

GPS unit - Unlike other hypothetical preparedness situations, zombies are unlikely to take out satellites.-- Ender42

(Considering the rule 'Untrained User' GPS unit is the only acceptable navigation tool. Prefferably one with automatic map updating. Someone trying to use anything other than the simplest map who is not trained in the most basic navigation skills will likely get themselves lost. How many people really know how to triangulate their location on a map. Further, you forgot the most basic mapping tool, a protractor. In a situation where you are 'On the run', if you are navigating to a grid coord, a gps is the fastest way to know where you are going. Said GPS should be run on a minimum amount of AA batteries. -Data ~~~~)

Misc:

Keys - add a key ring to the bag, preferably attached to the exterior on a flexible/detachable and easy to reach place. Start with house and car keys then add keys to other houses or cars you could use, if you start moving around mark the doors and keys identically in some way so you aren't searching through your ring to find the right one. Keys to the gun cabinet or other storage should should also be kept. If your collection gets two large keep the keys sorted by place or type. Collect keys to other vehicles in the area, make sure they start and have some gas before saving the key, having multiple escape vehicles will come in handy. -- Zame

Vacation Home

LJ126 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:48:34 CST

Vacation Time at ZSDW!
Here is where those on Vacation can keep track of their "Time Away From the Old Zombie Board Home". Bans are posted chronologically, top - bottom.

User Name

Banned By

Reason

Date "Out", and then expected Date "In".

Shawnzx
H3l (clone)

Devilnuts

Was going to expire on August 17th, user came back on duplicate accounts, blew his only chance. Ban is permanent, and any subsequent accounts as well.
*NOTE: was unbanned, and immediately became abusive of other users.

Permaban

eman1997

Devilnuts

Ban was going to expire Saturday, May 30.
But since he created a duplicate account "eman1985" and told me to get bent, I really don't care when he gets unbanned. I'm not doing it.

Permaban

zombiekiller87

ViolentKisses

Posted a vulgar thread on my profile

Permaban

delta2131

3DayAsylum

Link here

Permaban

Ineedabetterusername

ViolentKisses

Ban able offences posted in tags.

Permaban

usmcfr888

Norcal_Survivors

General bad behavior and failure to heed warnings.

buttmann,BUTTMANNN

Shawnzx duplicate account.

Permaban

usmcfr888

DevilNuts

Abuse of staff members.

Permaban

wasr762

John_234

Abuse of staff members. Canceled account and returned later to flame staff.

Permaban

X_Bladez

DevilNuts

Told me to suck his nuts.

Permaban

kornfanja

John_234

Spewed false information about the AK series (They said it was an open bolt weapon, did not need to be charged, etc.) Apparently asked another mod to lock thread when I corrected him and others agreed.
Later messaged a stream of profanities and insults, ranging from calling me a "*** dumpster" to claiming to be an FBI agent and that I could "shove it up...".
Failed to cite whatever source they got their information from, and tried to brush off insults by:
"anyway, im a dick online, and its just that i make lame decisions when im mad, so be gentlemen and agree to disagree, and never speak to each other again?"
Ban is permanent.

Permaban

hie54

John_234

Literally posted a thread saying: "no zombies are coming that retarted" then PMed
"what the hell you nerd" in response to my comment.

Permaban

misster_poetaitow

DevilNuts

Jacking up the fiction page without reading the rules.

Permaban

Colonel_Lingus
Colonel_Lingus2

AgEnT_GrEEn, John_234
AgEnT_GrEEn

Name is a play on oral sex, failed to cease sexual innuendos while on the site.
Issues later resolved with Marsden and ban was lifted by John_234.

Ban re-instated upon later dissemination of events, executive order issued by SkipNChurch and carried out by AgEnT_GrEEn, Ban is permanent

Permaban for these accounts and any resultant clones from said user

DillonGrant

jamesrascal

Trolling, Spamming, Horrible use of words, Flaming

8/11/09 Unless stated otherwise to staff

Thunderstar203

Ironhand

Spammer

Permaban

team_jacob_luver

John_234

Chain letter spammer

Permaban

alicegirl1

John_234

Chain letter spammer

Permaban

ZDrDave

Littlejon126

KNOWING thread, GUM AND HARD CANDY thread, PAIN thread,

Permaban

billybad _45

John_234

Shawn clone. Thread.

Permaban

MadhattaPUA

DevilNuts

Inflammatory behavior, general belligerence.

8/18 to ???

mattdubs

DevilNuts

Abuse of staff. 1 day ban.

8/18 to 8/19

SpecOps21

John_234

User was a troll. Thread.

Permaban

Z-VIRUSES

Marsden

Perma-ban for attaching suspicious documents to the Z-Fiction page.

Permaban

Benzx

DevilNuts

Trolling on behalf of shawn.8/23/09

Permaban

Smd123

PedroAsani

Trolling. Thread. Also in comments "**** youi ***** your gay" (deleted)

Permaban (JR)

eman_1997

Littlejon126

Duplicate account, "Ban Debilnuts" thread

Permaban

Nedoxe

DevilNuts

Member abuse. Thread

8/30 until 9/13

JamieIddon

John_234

Member abuse. Thread

9/1 until 9/4

Zombiemasta45

Littlejon126

Thread, Member Abuse and lewd conduct.

Permaban

ColinBartholomew

Marsden

Stirring up **** and trolling.

Permaban

footprints777

Marsden

Advertising ****...

Permaban

spikeball 314

Devilnuts

Trolling, suspected shawn clone.

Permaban

Chaingunfighter

Marsden

Vandalism

Permaban

itstheendoftheworld

JamesRascal

Vandalism

Permaban

happyfeet95

Ironhand

personal attack on another member

Permaban

abletonlive05

Ironhand

Posts look like troll.
Posted in German which was translated as "Greet Ms, storm prohibition leader"
other posts here

also 2 other accounts setup with similar look within a few minutes. G3rman & DeutscherMannThese have not been banned yet.

Permaban

winnybaby

Marsden

Scammer, requesting personal details.

Permaban

pokecrazy

Marsden

Racist, Troll, Dendrophiliac, banned for stirring up crap.

Permaban

pokecrazy0

ViolentKisses

Same as above just a second account of this troll thought it best not to leave it active

Permaban

pokecrazy1

Alt account of pokecrazy.

Permaban

pokecrazy2

John_234

Alt account of pokecrazy.

Permaban

chaingunarc

Devilnuts

Abuse of staff via PM, ignoring warnings.

10/27 - 11/10

coinladder

PedroAsani

Abuse of members, deliberate damage to page

Permaban

beverly82

PedroAsani

Spambot

Permaban

Bamoh

3DayAsylum

Time out

11-14-09 to 11-17-09

xdouchemonkyx

Ironhand

Troll name and post
Douchemonkeys team :pMe - weetabix, bubble wrap, a pillow to bury myself in :)Eric Cartman - well of course we need him around :)God...

Permaban

zombie_argonaut, ZAsurvivalist13, zombie-apocalypse-2k,

timberrattler, LJ126

Abuse of members, ignored warnings.

Ban term increased to 1 month due to creating separate account to access site while banned.

11-17-09 to 12-17-09

Ashely_J_Williams

John_234

Vandalising pages.

Permaban

danceswithzombiesGFY

PedroAsani

Trolling

Permaban

truth1

ironhand

This is troublemaker Reddson. Banned for making trouble for the staff, specifically targeting issues to cause trouble on the site, mis-information (and arguing the fact), and rehashing old vendettas on the site. I welcomed him in good faith under the alias of truth1 and I am banning him strictly on his current behavior (and I don't really care about the past).

Permaban

ChiMoon

ironhand

banning for site spam. several attempts to clarify as real person have failed, so they're gone. see email dated 11/28/09 to all moderators about bogus contest.

Permaban

SlimyJack

PedroAsani

Trolling. Possible account hijacker.

Permaban

Currenshrimp

PedroAsani

Spamming of sites.

Permaban

John-234

Freelancer47

Impersonation of an Admin

Permaban

james-rascal

PedroAsani

Impersonation of an Admin

Permaban

THEREALJOKER

PedroAsani

Troll

Permaban

sgtrichardl
sgtrichard (second acct)
Sgt.Richard

Ironhand

Member banned for posting offensive material and for making threats after they were warned about their offense by 2 mods. Emails of conversations on file with Pedro and Ironhand

Permaban

BIGGS1992
biggs@1992
biggs199
biggs19
biggs1

PedroAsani

And 3DA

Spamming his own site through the PM system.

Duplicate accounts.

Permaban

Permaban

UbeRZkillA

PedroAsani

Threats towards another member.

14/12/09 - 21/12/09

kody987

timberrattler

unnecessary vulgar remarks directed towards another registered user.

12/15/09-12/16/09

SGTGerman

timberrattler

Arguing for the sake of arguing. Two day timeout.

1/6/10-1/8/09

deathseekrakodo

3DayAsylum

Spamming the forum with demotivationals

1.8.10 - 1.11.09

Portland_VF

LJ126

Neo-Nazi recruiting campaign

Permaban

deathseekrakodo
thisistrash (dup)

LJ126

"nnaruto25" thread - harassment, baiting, trolling. Second strike.

Paroled Early - 2/4/10 by LJ126. Dup account permaban.

1/18/10 - 2/1/10, +1 week for dup. account.

Release date: 2/8/10

drunkenhard

timberrattler

Failing to heed warnings. Called registered user a ****. General bad attitude.

1/22/10-1/24/10

rexhexjj

PedroAsani

Trolling

Permaban

yyyj

Littlejon126

Spam

Permaban on 2/8/10

24.205.41.205

StrykerPez

Anon old troll, just to be sure they never come back.

Permaban 2/17/10

Seenus, Seenus1

PedroAsani

Trolling, Duplicate account to circumvent the ban

Permaban

Camm1993

PedroAsani

Spam

Permaban

m.i.c.ha.e.l.h.c.ana

PedroAsani

633 pages. You ******.

Permaban

urd

Marsden

Trolling, severely immature, unfunny.

Permaban 15/03/10

pokethezombiebunny
superjew21

3DayAsylum

Trolling alts of pokecrazy

Permaban from 21/3/10

johnshorst

PedroAsani

Not 13. Violation of the ToS

3/4/10 - 3/4/11

gangstaniggazombies

PedroAsani

Look at the name

Permaban

Alicestar

ZSDW Staff Vote

Multiple violations of Moderator SOP, slander, harassment of staff and registered users, performance related issues as staff.

TBA

jjj0622

PedroAsani

Trolling

Permaban

andyjor

PedroAsani

Spammer

Permaban

connorhorst

Marsden

Not 13. Several bloody alt accounts. Trolling.

Permaban

LordSod, Zombiewoman

StrykerPez

Multiple accounts, trolling, insults

Permaban

APRIL 30 Spambot - 21 accounts banned. Listed on the right.

Littlejon126

Medical advertisement in profiles. The following accounts were banned: Macehanna, shandyflood, dalbertmeado, stanwykdeari, waverlyburke, hillockevaden, martaclayc, thoraldunjolly, cathicasta, shermonarnes, merrilhirsc, speedyclove, garretlamer, violetoverm, janicevande, stormysetze, wulfweardsmast, rollinnimmo, blackgaude, kayannaholtz, jaxinenicol.

Permaban

coolcheckthisoutyo

John_234

Troll.

Permaban

Pokecrazy2000

Freelancer47

Dup Account of Original Poke**** account.

Permaban

nightwolf16701

StrykerPez

Troll, insulting.

Permaban

Pichu9000(expert)

LJ126

Underaged user - only 12 years of age.

Banned for one year, or until May 16th, 2011

Mallninjagonesane

Drewblet

Dupe account.

Permaban

Marsden.

3DayAsylum

Impersonation

Permaban

BamBamm

3DayAsylum

Flaming.

June 1, 2010

Rider12356

LJ126

Trolling after multiple warnings.

May 29, 2010

MALEPERSON

LJ126

Trolling after multiple warnings.

May 29, 2010

CMHatem

PedroAsani

Trolling.

May 30th, 2010

demon_of_the_desert

Drewblet

Dupe account.

Permaban.

O'Doul

LJ126

Trolling after multiple warnings

Ban reinstated after he canceled his account.

lordawesome, lordawesome2,
lordawesome3

LJ126

Harassment of staff and registered user, duplicate account.

Permaban

InfernoGust

3DayAsylum

Harassment and Sexual Harassment of Staff.
EDIT: Reproached. Reason: Deemed unnecessary.

Ban revoked June 05, 2010.

************, ************

PedroAsani

Spamming

Permaban

zDavidRayz

LJ126

Duplicate account for DavidJRay - banned at request of owner.

Permaban

O'Doul

timberrattler

Harassment of staff

Permaban

O'Doyal44
O'Royal_Pain

ViolentKisSes
PedroAsani

Harassment of staff, Bypassing of ban through multiple accounts.

Permaban

steamlen

3DayAsylum

Erratic and disrespectful behavior towards several members.

July 23, 2010

SterlingCooper

PedroAsani

Erratic and disrespectful behavior towards several members.

July 29th, 2010

Arkilight

LJ126

Fighting with Brandon_A_Boyer - See thread "Teenage Survival... For Real"

August 3, 2010

Brandon_A_Boyer

LJ126

Baiting a fight with Arkilight - See thread "Teenage Survival... For Real"

July 27, 2010

DeltaBravo1294

PedroAsani

Abusive language, political bashing. See thread.

August 2, 2010

PerfectErin3232, HotLucinda5156, PrettyLuella0813, HornyFrancine3334, PrettyNeva038, HotHelene2832

LJ126

Porno-spam account, see account profile

Permaban

HotBillie0404

Marsden

Porno-spam account, see account profile

Permaban

genessies

timberrattler

Abuse of other users. General douchebaggery.

August 20, 2010

TheFabulousMrO

ironhand

general trolling with sexual content or baiting.

Permaban

PerfectRobin5156
HotMeredith3034
PrettyPatsy1215
HornyCheryl2228

Drewblet

Porno-spam accounts. And uncreative names.

Permaban

PrettyDenise2126

Marsden

Porno-spam accounts. Definitely Drewblet; spambots aren't what they used to be.

Permaban

steamlen

timberrattler

Disrespect of staff. Inflamatory statements.

Permaban

nktele

Freelancer47

Spamming site.

Permaban

SGTWINTERS

Drewblet

Troll thread; harassing a user

Permaban

Score3

PedroAsani

Religious bashing. Thread

September 23rd, 2010

SterlingCooper

AlexHigginbotham

Harassment and threats to staff

Permaban

DoinItForTheLulz
DoinItForTheLulz7654

AlexHigginbotham

SterlingCooper dupe accounts/trolling/staff harassment

Permaban

Omgseanrox

Maricely

Spamming

Permaban

Wuwenling

LJ126

Profile thread spamming

Permaban

Game_Face

Ironhand, Maricely

Trolling

Permaban

anninhilator
anninhilator2
pgsaw

timberrattler

Trolling

Oct. 13 2010
2 day timeout

DAARON!!!!!!!!!!v

timberrattler

Trolling

Permaban

*zithromax*

Maricely

Spam profile

Permaban

notshawnzx

Maricely

Shawnzx clone. Thread.

Permaban

Flickydicky

LJ126

Inappropriate screen name.

Permaban

GloriaNelsontu1017

Maricely

Spam profile

Permaban

CoraBellzi1031

kinelta

spam profile

Permaban

houseofsilence

AlexHigginbotham

Dupe account of Seklo to troll

Permaban

seklo

AlexHigginbotham

Made a dupe account to troll

Oct. 27, 2010
1 week timeout

EvelynLopezse1006

Maricely

Spam profile

Permaban

JosieWoodxa1014
SallieWoodxa1010
MelodyWoodxa1047
RamonaWoodxa1051
NinaWalkerzi1011
BelindaWoodxa1042
DarlaLopezse1035
HeatherLopezse1043
KelliWalkerzi1009

Maricely

Spam profile

Permaban

Kickman560

LJ126

Harassment of forum member

Permaban

Michaelburn

PedroAsani

Underage

14 November 2011

skgingerkid	timberrattler	O'Doul clone. Inappropriate links.	Permaban
Colonel_angus	AlexHigginbotham	Was asked to change his username. Refused 3 times then started thread trying to rally support against the mod team.	Permaban
Peniss	LJ126	Inappropriate user name.	Permaban
hargallipoli	Maricely	Spam	Permaban
freecoupon	John_234	Spam	Permaban
RimfireRick	AlexHigginbotham	Mom dropped the ball that he was underage. At least he said no to drugs.	Until 13th birthday (2012) or when Linda says it's O.K.
JulianaWalkerzi0159 CaroleBrookssi0103 DionneAndersonmi0137 LornaBrookssi0129 JamieAndersonmi0118 PearlGarciaxo0102 PaigeGarciaxo0122 MarquitaBaileylo0124	Maricely	Spambots	Permaban
9876379	Drewblet	Spam	Permaban
iceman78	PedroAsani	Trolling Nibiru rants	15 January 2011
giftdesmond	Marsden	Scammer account.	Permaban
BabyKilla831 BabyKiller831	LJ126	Steaming Pile of Racism Duplicate account	Permaban
gyratedarkhawk	Marsden	Underage 1 year ban.	21st January 2012
zombieowner	timberrattler	Trolling	Return date of Jan. 25
eaglesfate3	timberrattler	Underage 2 year ban	24th January 2013
masonzebra	PedroAsani	Trolling via Writer Request	Permaban
Pierre22	PedroAsani	Trolling in French. Original, but you're still banned	Permaban
Poneski	PedroAsani	Trolling and spamming messages	Permaban
howtosurvive Shane1234	PedroAsani	Attitude. Calm down.	Return 19th February 2012 (Permaban due to "gettodachoppa" account)
gettodachoppa	PedroAsani	Trolling	Permaban
shane123456	Marsden	Trolling	Permaban
John_Wayne. The_Expert Drewlbet	Marsden, Drewblet	Trolling (And uncreative movie references)	Permaban
Fuel_Fire_Desire	Marsden	O'Doul is back.	Permaban
Zombie_bob	LJ126	Abuse of staff, generally poor attitude	7 Days (until 3-24-11)
Shrabon77	Devilnuts	Advertising (22 Mar 2011)	Permaban
3stephen0331	timberrattler	General Douchebaggery	2 weeks (until 4-7-11)
pogeyBAIT	timberrattler	Duplicate account	Permaban
DEATHB4DISHONOR	timberrattler	3stephen0331 clone	Permaban
Ready_For_Z-Day	timberrattler	Abuse of site members	2 Day Timeout
amusedeagle	LJ126	Violation of CoC; public argument of another ban.	1 week (until 5-9-11)
RAHOWA, RA_HO_WA	PedroAsani	Racial Holy War name reference	Permaban
Zombie-Forum.com	LJ126	Advertisement	Timeout until staff decision on advertising policy
Keyboard_komando	LJ126	See PM*	6/5/2011
TherealZOMBIEkiller	LJ126, DLOWTHEMAD	See PM* Repeated Troll and bail. ban dodging PM harrashment, and general buttmonkey activity	Permaban
Capt_Bonazana	Marsden	Racism/Sexism/Trolling	Permaban
walmartworshipper	timberrattler	trolling	Permaban
TehSurvivalistt	Marsden	Trolling, Necrothreading, Vulgar	Unban on 27th June
A_Mail_Ice	Marsden	Trolling.	Permaban
Dvideo	PedroAsani	Yet more trolling	Permaban
Bleak_91	timberrattler	Abuse of staff. Making idle threats.	Unban July 5th
ValentineDay ValentineDay`	PedroAsani	Trolling	Permaban
Gunnersrus	timberrattler	Trolling	Permaban
Micklinek	LJ126	Spamming on two separate threads, profile	Permaban
Kody987	PedroAsani	Abusive language	20th July
1AllyBear1	LJ126	Underage user - Minimum age for ZSDW is 13 years old.	July 15th, 2013
fagmannnnnnnnnnnnnnn Fagmassnnnnn	SasquatchJim	O'Doul clones.	Permaban.
Aston_J_Vanilla	Marsden	Andering_J_Reddson clone.	Permaban
Randering_Edison	LJ126	Being a ******* troll.	Permaban
Fatspik	Marsden	Trolling	Permaban
Rextee	LJ126	Baiting/Trolling	Extinction
epic_epicness	ItsMrManCub	just looking for trouble, found it, and decided to pick a fight.	Unban 10-28-11
addisonvelabar sarinaavilasar virgiiliodonmo	Jahadaz	Spam accounts	Permaban
zombiepunisher	Maricely	Offensive language	Permaban
DoomsdayInsurance	LJ126	Unauthorized solicitation	Permaban
Conmiro	Staff Vote	Abusive thread on new member profile	Until 12:00 AM CST on November 14
burgman09	PedroAsani	Trolling	Permaban
spiderrider	Timberrattler	burgman09 clone	Permaban
deadmanwalikng	SasquatchJim	Trolling, CoC violations, and flaming	Permaban
slingshot1	Timberrattler	Abuse of members and staff.	Until November 21, 2011
pyroblast 1	Timberrattler	Dupe account of bomber.	Permaban
nightflier12	LJ126	Trolling, abuse of staff and veiled insults to entire staff membership	Permaban
nightflier11	Strykerpez	Duplicate account, see above	Permaban
nightwalker2011, Image2011	LJ126	Dupe account of nightflier12, baiting site membership	Permaban
Liberty_shot	Marsden	Trolling	Permaban
Epic_Epicness	LJ126	Baiting an argument with senior staff and registered users, flooding discussion with off-topic posts after warning.	Until December 16th, 2011
crittergetter	LJ126	Libel; baiting; belligerent posts in private messages, on the forum, and on his own profile; disrespect for entire ZSDW community	Permaban, effective 12/23/2011.
TheTwilightDance	Marsden	Mass mailing of spam	Until February 1st, 2012
humanroach	Staff decision	Harassment of site members and staff; creation of multiple accounts with the purpose of violating the Code of Conduct.	Permaban, effective 1/3/2012
s'a'z=skots_agenst_z	timberrattler	Trolling	Permaban
Rimjob:D	LJ126	Unbelievable stupidity.	Permaban

LJ126 Practical Skills Primer #5 - Concepts of Marksmanship: The Dreaded "Chicken Wing"

LJ126 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:56:52 CST

The "Chicken's Wing"

I'll be honest, this is a topic that I see get thrown around a whole lot on esteemed mall ninja circles such as the Youtube shooting community and Arf-dot-com, and it's really appalling how little some folks actually know about the topic. There's a lot of misinformation out there, and while I don't claim to have all of the answers, I do have some. I feel there's some clarification needs to be performed on this often misunderstood topic.

What is the "Chicken Wing?" The chicken wing refers to the firing arm of a long-gun shooter, and more directly, it's position in relation to the rest of said shooter's body. If the elbow is pointed more or less down - as many tactical and modern Olympic shooters do - they are supposedly shooting correctly. Now, think of your whole body as a clock - your head being 12 o'clock, feet being six. If your elbow is above what would be the 3:30 or 9:30 position (right and left arms, respectively) the shooter is supposedly guilty of "chicken winging" and often accused of being a novice marksman. The latter, my friends, is not always correct. Note the image above - betcha there's a reason his elbow's up.

In short, the so-called "chicken wing" isn't always inappropriate - sometimes, you might want to be doing it. Depends on the long gun, it's stock configuration, and whether you're going to require rapid fire or "pie" your way around a corner, or if you're going to require a stable, consistent firing position for slow-fire precision sessions. You should learn what's correct for a given situation and do what is most comfortable and consistent for you. Comfort means you'll keep doing it, and consistency means accuracy. Hits count, missing does not - no matter how cool you look while you're doing it.

If the rifle you are firing has a full pistol grip on it (AR, AK, some shotguns, most modern semi-automatic rifles) and you will be required to make multiple, successive shots, your elbow should be down. Not only will the grip be more comfortable on your wrist, this position reduces the affects of recoil due to successive firings and helps prevent "breaking the plane" while maneuvering around a corner. Olympic marksmen aren't worried about tactical movement, but their weapons are generally equipped with pistol grips - hence why they usually shoot with their elbows down. However, when their stocks looked more like the ones mounted on conventional hunting rifles, their elbows were up.

If your elbow is up - like a "chicken wing" - several things happen. Put your finger in the shoulder pocket between your clavicle (collar bone) and your shoulder. Lift your elbow, and note that the pocket becomes LARGER. This is good you are shooting a very high recoil rifle, or require consistent stock toe placement when shooting from the standing off-hand or kneeling positions, as there's a little more surface area to mate with the butt of the rifle. Also, if you are shooting a straight-grip or semi-pistol grip stock, having your elbow almost parallel to the ground facilitates a better firing grip, though this will vary from shooter to shooter and from stock to stock.

To summarize, for those too lazy to read the above:

When is the "Chicken Wing" inappropriate?

During "tactical" maneuvering in the confines of a building -- so that your firing elbow is less exposed
When the long arm you are using has a defined pistol grip -- for a less awkward wrist position

When is the "Chicken Wing" possibly a good thing?

When firing a long arm with a traditional semi-pistol grip or straight-grip stock
Standing off-hand, using a hasty sling

"Hits count, missing does not - no matter how cool you look while you're doing it."
~LJ126

Potable Water

Zee-Man — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:53:22 CST

The Necessity of Water

Although some experts say one can live for four to 10 days 1 without water if circumstances are perfect, they seldom are. Two or three days is generally considered the longest a human can survive without water. One needs to consider both quantity and quality. 2 to 3 liters of water are needed daily just to sustain life. Add heat and exercise and the quantity increases. With most fresh water in the world polluted by bacteria or viruses, water quality is important. In the absence of a means to purify water, drinking and getting sick may be preferable to dying of thirst. Parts of this risk assessment are the probability of rescue and the availability of a means of purification. With adequate planning, this can be avoided by storing or making potable water or water that is safe 2 to drink.

How Much Water Is Required?

The diminishing rule of three states that a human can live 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 minutes without air. By this axiom we easily see that water is often the highest priority of survival. Temperature regulation sometimes takes the highest priority for a short period of time. When it does, the need for water reasserts its dominance quickly. An average male (female requirements tend to be less) requires about 2 liters of water daily at optimal conditions simply to maintain life. Here 3 is a great calculator to estimate how much water is needed for variable conditions. Optimal conditions include the body remaining at rest, health to be nominal, food intake to be without excess, and environmental temperature to be close to 72 F. The further removed from these conditions a body becomes the more water is needed. The following table provides a good illustration of this concept.

Max Daily Temperature	Number of Days in the Shade
	No Water	1 Quart .95 Liter	2 Quarts 1.90 Liters	4 Quarts 3.79 Liters	10 Quarts 9.46 Liters	20 Quarts 18.93 Liters
120 F / 48.9 C	2 days	2	2	2.5	3	4.5
110 F / 43.3 C	3	3	3.5	4	5	7
100 F / 37.8 C	5	5.5	6	7	9.5	13.5
90 F / 32.2 C	7	8	9	10.5	15	23
80 F / 26.7 C	9	10	11	13	19	29
70 F / 21.1 C	10	11	12	14	20.5	32
60 F / 15.6 C	10	11	12	14	21	32
50 F / 10.0 C	10	11	12	14.5	21	32

Source 4

Digestion and metabolism of food increases the usage of water in the body. One should refrain from eating if water is not yet procured. The exception to this are foods that are comprised of a large quantiy of water such as fruits, berries, raw (freshwater) fish, eyeballs, and succulents.

Water Intoxication

One can drink too much water. A radio station conducted a contest where contestants were asked to drink water without relieving their bladder. This lead to the death of one contestant. 5

“water intoxication [is] an increase in the volume of free water in the body, resulting in dilutional hyponatremia. Common causes are excessive ingestion of water, increased infusions of hypotonic IV solutions, or excess secretions of antidiuretic hormone. Clinical manifestations are abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and dizziness. It can potentially lead to convulsions and coma. 6”

Making Water Potable

While water is by far the most common substance on the surface 7 of the planet, that which is safely drinkable is not common. Out of the 332.5 million cubic miles of all the water in, on and over the Earth 8 only ~25.1 thousand cubic miles is surface water.

Popular survival television shows often state that a large percentage of available water is contaminated. Some sources claim that 90% of available fresh water is contaminated with the information attributed to the US EPA.. This may be spurious information. When researching this article Only one article was found with a similar statistic 9. This statistic was relating the amount of a specific pollutant source, not total pollution. While this was not exhaustive research, it appears that the “90%” estimation is the result of lazy interpretation of a factoid.

Regardless of the statistics, sources of contaminants are so prevalent from human impact and natural events that one would be unwise to ingest untreated water. The probable presence of just animal feces 10 is enough to adversely impact a survival situation.

Preparation - Using City Water

Municipal water is subject to the Clean Water Act. As such it is commonly accepted as safe to drink. Even so there are events which precipitate a “boil water advisory”. The EPA, as the regulatory agency enforcing the CWA, at one time found many municipalities to be in violation of standards. It is ultimately the burden of the end user to determine it their water is safe to drink, whether by using a testing service 11 or kit, or by applying themselves as a “human litmus” test. In terms of preparation, water can be stockpiled in containers in advance of disaster. At the onset of disaster, water contained in household pipes can be collected for stockpile.

Pollutants and Contaminants

When speaking of water, there is no such thing as un-contaminated water available for drinking. Pure water is produced during the oxidation of hydrogen. Such water is in its gaseous state. When it condenses in the air that condensation usually is formed around a seed particle. Seed particles are usually a free ion of some element or molecule. Condensation will occurs on surfaces as in a still. Unless the surface upon which the condensation occurs is, and is maintained as, sterile that condensed water must be considered contaminated. For the purposes of this article, however, we are concerned with higher concentrations of contaminants.
Contaminants can be grouped into three broad categories: mineral, chemical and biological.

Mineral contaminants are usually macroscopic. In most cases minerals themselves are not dangerous, provides surfaces and pores in which biological contaminants can thrive. Soluble minerals are considered under the chemical category. Mineral contamination sources include industrial waste, sediment run off or erosion, and glaciation.

Chemical contaminants are grouped in two sub-categories: Organic and inorganic. Organic contaminants include household detergents, industrial volatiles and solvents, petroleum products and byproducts, and insecticides. Organic contaminants can occur naturally, but are usually the direct result of human impact.

Inorganic compounds include fertilizers, acids and alkalies, industrial waste, toxic metals and metallic compounds. Sources for inorganic contaminants are largely due to human impact. However, inorganic compounds occur in large quantities naturally as well. For example acids are formed during active volcanism, nitrogenous compounds (fertilizer) are fixed by many plants (notably clover and legumes), and alkalies are dissolved from minerals. Other dissolved minerals are also found in water. While this article is largely addressing fresh water, it bears mentioning that sea water is well known for the mineral contaminant, NaCL- commonly known as salt.

Biological contaminants can be grouped into two sub-categories as well: Animal/Plant waste/debris and pathogens. Waste and debris from animals (those seen with the naked eye) and plants are usually macroscopic with their greater danger being support for pathogens. Some contaminants from this category may be found in suspension (microscopic) or solution.

Pathogens include microscopic animals, bacteria, and viruses. Two of the most talked about pathogens are Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidia . Both of these induce diarrhea which further increases dehydration. Aside from these diarrheals, pathogens cause many illnesses and are responsible for a large percentage of the world death toll. Of importance is the tendency of viruses to encyst when in a non-supportive environment. Some encysted pathogens have survived multiple hours of exposure to 212 F (ie Salmonella).

On Rainwater

Rainwater is counted as potable water. It should be noted that rain also washes pollutants from the air. Further, rainwater collection systems can be sources for contaminants. As a general rule, no water is any cleaner than its container.

_____________________________________________

Methods of Purification

The following methods of water purification each have drawbacks. Ultimately they should be used in combination. Water purification producers use all of these methods. In an emergency situation one may not have the resources to do any more than one method. In such cases the survivor must use their best judgement to decide on purification. Remember, in the absence of a means to purify water, drinking and getting sick may be preferable to dying of thirst. Parts of this risk assessment are the probability of rescue and the availability of a means of purification.

Filtration
Filtering water, in most cases, does little to purify water. Basic filtration is intended only to remove gross particulates. Activated charcoal filters utilize adsorbtion characteristics to remove fine particulates, some organic and some inorganic contaminants, and some dissolved chemicals. Ceramic filters utilize micro-porosity and may be teamed with activated charcoal. Reverse osmosis utilizes semi-permeable membranes to remove nearly all non-dissolved contaminants.
ZSDW Filtering Methods of Purification

Chemical
Chemicals can be used to precipitate organic and inorganic compounds, although, such usage is limited to laboratory and municipal treatment facilities. At home one can alter the pH of water which will kill a limited range of pathogens. It is commonly assumed that alcohol has historically been used to purify water. One liter of water would need more than 700 milliliters of Old Grandad to kill a sufficient number of pathogens and would yield a liquid that is 140 proof. Chlorine in various forms and concentrations are very effective at killing pathogens. Iodine is quite effective at killing pathogens.
ZSDW Chemical Methods of Purification

UV-A radiation
Ultraviolet (A) light kills nearly all pathogens. The duration and intensity of exposure to achieve purification varies.
ZSDW UV Methods of Purification

Thermal
Temperatures exceeding 165 F are proven to kill pathogens. Water is usually boiled (212 F) so that a the need for a measuring device is not needed. The bubbles produced during boiling provide a visual indicator of having exceeded the need temperature to achieve pathogenic sterilization. Thermal purification does not directly address any contaminants other than pathogens.
ZSDW Thermal Methods of Purification

Distillation
Distillation is much more complex than it seems. Simple distillation is sufficient to remove dissolved solids. Basic fractional distillation will separate liquids having disparate boiling points where the difference is greater than 25 C. Basic fractional distillation requires some temperature control. Full fractional distillation requires a functioning column and exact temperature control.
Fractional distillation is beyond the means of normal 12 survival situations. Simple distillation can be contrived in many normal survival scenarios.
ZSDW Distillation Method of Purification

Containment
Containers for water are available in a wide variety of materials and sizes. Containers are either flexible or (semi)-rigid. Materials range from natural to man made. Materials commonly used include, wood (or other plant sources), leather, ceramics, plastics, and metal. Each material has idiosyncrasies which should be considered. A means of sealing the container is highly desirable.
ZSDW Water Containment

by: Zee-Man

_______________________________________

1 Survival Topics:Your Online Survival Kit - How Long Can You Survive Without Water? http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-long-can-you-survive-without-water
2 In industries dealing with safety assurance it is a common practice to avoid the word safe because no amount of testing can prove something to be safe. Conversely, the terms unsafe, dangerous, and hazardous are avoided unless there is distinct evidence of fact; usually difficult to prove. In either case, verbiage relating to risk is used instead.
3 MNN http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/sponsor/hydration-calculator-helps-you-be-water-wise
4 Survival Topics:Your Online Survival Kit - How Long Can You Survive Without Water? http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-long-can-you-survive-without-water
5 MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16614865/ns/us_news-life/t/woman-dies-after-water-drinking-contest/#.TyOSQIH7fGE
6 Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier.
7 Specifically the surface. View this link to see the worlds net water compared to the rest of the planet.
8 US Geological Survey http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html
9 US EPA http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/edu/bioremed.pdf cf. 90% directly
10 Survival Topics:Your Online Survival Kit - That Water Is Unsafe to Drink http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/that-water-is-unsafe-to-drink
11 ie. http://www.e-watertest.com/order.html?gclid=CLe8iZPj8a0CFUfd4AodXRhNtQ - some municipal water producers offer water testing which may be free of cost.
12 In this case normal means those likely to occur without considered preparation. The author has equipment ready to bug-out for performing basic fractionation.

Northern Ontario

randomknife666 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:50:00 CST

Welcome to the Northern Ontario Survival Guide. This page is dedicated to the Northern division of the province, Ontario. For information on Canada as a whole, please click on the flag or click on "The Canada Survival Guide" in the side/navigation bar.

Population
745,372
Geography

Gun Laws

Resources

Law Enforcement

Military Presence

How to Survive

Sources

What handgun should I buy?

John_234 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:48:49 CST

READ THIS

For the hypothetical zombie apocalypse, it's a very common question. Preparing for a disaster, or just for some extra comfort going to sleep at night, buying a firearm of any sort is a uniquely American concern, the US being one of the few places that handguns are relatively common in. The concepts explained in this article will apply to other places, but it will for the most part be discussing the American market. This is meant for those with a working knowledge of firearms. If you need to brush up on the parts of a handgun and it's general operation, check out this page.

What is a handgun good for?

Killing people when you don't have a better gun. For defensive carry, it's important to realize that a handgun is not like a baton or pepper spray. Drawing that gun and pulling the trigger is pretty much a death sentence and shooting, even when it's justified, is a huge legal concern. On the other end of the spectrum, a handgun is a disadvantage in any serious firefight. They pack a less powerful bullet, carry less rounds, and ultimately are harder to use than any rifle or shotgun. Handguns are only so common because they are easier to carry. When you can pick what gun to fight with, don't pick a handgun.

It's a unique mindset. Drawing a handgun in any circumstances is the very last option, but when you have do, you must do it with the intent to survive the fight, not to wound or avoid legal trouble. If you don't understand that mindset, a defensive firearm is not for you, and double for something as handicapped as a handgun.

Purchasing a Handgun

Buying a handgun is relatively simple. You go to a dealership in person and get a background check, sometimes a delay depending on the state, then pay for the handgun. Online, the pistol is sent to a FFL (Federal Firearms License) holder, which would be any gun shop. But there are so many handguns on the market that picking one can get problematic.

Truth be told, the best way is to go to a gun shop with a decent selection and take a look at their most popular models. The key thing at that point is how natural a fit the gun is to you or not.

Is the grip too wide?

Is the trigger too long to reach?

Are the magazine release and safety conveniently located?

Are the sights clear?

Is the trigger too heavy?

Is the gun too bulky to comfortably carry?

Based on those observations, ask the shop owner about a model that is better in that specific respect. Be polite and try not to make an annoyance of yourself, but also use common sense. If he tells you that X pistol is the safest ever designed, does that also mean it's difficult to use? If Y gun will kill anything on two legs, will it kick you on your ass shooting it, too? A good concern is parts availability too, especially magazines, springs and such common components.

If you've looked through, found a gun that really fits you, it's time to take it out to the range. See what calibers you can handle, and put at least thirty rounds down range for reliability. Even the most reliable gun can jam up if you have weak wrists or a bad stance, especially pocket pistols.

Common Questions

By that time, it should be pretty clear what you want to get. If not, here are some additional tips in a Question-And-Answer format.

Q: Revolver or pistol?
A: This is almost completely personal choice, but there are some important differences. Revolvers offer less firepower overall with slower reloads, and less rounds in the cylinder than most magazines. Autoloading pistols have more moving parts, more chance of failure and are generally more complex in operation. For those who have difficulty with recoil causing jams (as a pistol requires a firm wrist) or have some sort of disability, the revolver may be the only option.

Most pocket autoloaders are slimmer than a comparable snub nose, but the round count for the compacts tends to be pretty similar. One significant difference in the defense role is that the revolver has significant intimidation factor, with it's five or six bullets sitting exposed in the cylinder.

Q: What is the difference between trigger types?
A: Single action is the original, and generally extremely fast. It means that the trigger only drops the hammer, meaning the hammer needs to be cocked before the gun can be fired. Single action weapons are generally carried "locked and cocked," with the hammer cocked, chamber loaded, and safety on. They can allow very rapid, accurate targeting but require significant practice and caution.

It's worth nothing that a "single action revolver" is drastically different from a single action pistol, as a single action revolver is almost always a replica of an older "cowboy revolver" which utilizes a loading gate instead of a cylinder, and must be cocked before every shot, rather than a pistol, which cocks the hammer upon recoiling. Generally speaking, a single-action revolver is too difficult to use reliably for defensive purposes.

Double action is a bit more complex. The trigger can either raise and drop the hammer, or simply drop the hammer from it's pre-cocked position. The first shot is a longer, heavier double action pull, but the slide cocks the hammer for single action follow up shots. This potentially gives the best of single and double action, but it's also more complex and can be quite difficult to get used to.

Double-Action-Only (DAO) is where the gun fires in double action for every shot, like a revolver. It has the advantage of less complex action, with a trigger pull generally improved over a typical double action. Most lack safeties, so all they user has to do is point and shoot. Probably the best choice for a beginner.

Q: What is the best caliber?
A: This is hotly debated, but there are some ground rules.

The wider and heavier the bullets are, the more impact they'll have on the target, and the faster they'll put them down. Higher velocity ensures more effective expansion of hollow point bullets and such, as well as increased penetration of bullets in general. Too much velocity means the bullets won't penetrate deep enough in the target to be lethal.

However, heavier bullets means more recoil, and higher velocity means hotter powder loads, which in turn generally means bigger flash, which can be a bad disadvantage at night.

The author's personal rule of thumb, is to take the largest caliber that doesn't sacrifice shooting ability and capacity too much. That is, if the .45 ACP pistol is hard to control and doesn't carry enough rounds, there is nothing wrong with a .40 S&W or a 9mm Parabellum. Shoot the gun and the bullet that fits you the best, not necessarily the one that looks the best on paper. Despite the complaining to the contrary, any modern bullet can kill.

The most common defensive calibers in the US tend to be; .380 ACP / 9mm Short, 9mm Parabellum, .38 Special, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Sig, .44 Special, and .357 Magnum.

In some other countries, military calibers are banned, causing oddball cartridges like 9x21mm IMI to be the common option. Otherwise, 9mm is fairly dominant as far as handguns go globally, except in areas where large amounts of surplus mean you'll find 7.62x25mm Tokarev ammo, and

.44 Magnum, .454 Cassul, .45 Long Colt (with modern loadings), .50 Action Express and other stout loadings are probably beyond the needed firepower for human targets, though those in bear country might find the need for such a powerful handgun.

Q: How should I pick ammo?
A: You can find details on identifying ammunition at this page. For range use FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) is fine. For self defense, JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) is generally considered the best choice, as it expands upon impact to increase stopping power and has less of a tendency to penetrate the bad guy and kill someone behind them.

Essentially, a good bullet expands when it hits the target to at least one and a half times it's own size, and penetrates around 12 to 18 inches, where they will reach internal organs but not leave the target and hit something behind them.

Other types of bullets exist that often have a strong appeal for self defense. EFMJ (Expanding Full Metal Jackets) are bullets that look, and feed like FMJ (as some guns will jam with JHP) but expand. They don't expand as well, but they lack the stigma of hollow points and are used by some cops that aren't allowed to carry JHP.

Frangible ammo is also hotly debated. Magsafe and other well known brands use a bullet that is either made of compressed powder, or made of a soft nose containing pellets that prevents penetration in interior walls and ricochets in a closed environment. Many also do not contain lead (Non-Toxic ammo) due to this latter use. Many shooting schools require frangible, non toxic ammo to preserve their ranges, but generally speaking, these rounds lack the penetration to be a serious option for defensive shooting.

Ask around for a reliable brand. Look up typical ballistic results. Do some tests for yourself, and fire at least one hundred rounds to see how reliable the ammunition is. Fire a few at night. Too many people have no clue how their defense ammo shoots because practice ammo is cheaper.

One final tip: If you reload bullets, try to avoid using them in a defense gun. While it's legitimate to most shooters, any competent lawyer will catch the detail that you "make bullets" and throw you in the worst way possible. It's possible to have an expert explain why this is not true, but it's hassle one could do well avoiding.

Q: How do I keep a gun safely in a house with my family / roommates?
A: People will recommend gun cabinets, gun locks, hiding them. While locked cabinets prevent theft, a defensive gun will probably not have the luxury of being locked up. If you can find a fast method of doing so, go for it. Otherwise, the best option is probably telling family exactly where the gun it, showing it to them to fulfill their curiosity, and putting some respect into them over what it can do. Shoot a watermelon or a jug of water, the same concept as showing someone a stove burns them, it has been said.

Q: How much maintenance does a gun require?
A: All guns should be at least field stripped and cleaned after each shooting session to prevent buildup of powder and bullet residue.Depending on the gun, you might need some basic tools, especially for removing the grip panels, if it has them. At minimum:

Basic cleaning kit for your gun with various size nylon brushes and a hooked rod for patches
Cleaning patches
Gun oil
Solvent
Paper towels
Necessary tools to strip the gun down, generally a flathead screwdriver and a non-metal pin punch
Gloves (recommended as gun solvents are highly caustic)

Some additional things to make it easier:

Q-tips
Tooth brush
Work surface cover
Bronze brush for harder fouling

On a semi auto, you'll strip the gun, clean out the barrel with solvent, clean any powder residue, oil the bore very lightly, as well as the working parts - this takes about ten minutes. This should be done after every time the gun is taken out. There is detail stripping, where the entire gun is taken down for thorough cleaning. This can take a few hours, and most people only do this a few times a year.

Any semi-automatic also needs good magazines, so don't skimp on them, and replace the springs regularly. If a gun starts to misfeed for no reason, it generally means the springs have been worn down. Contrary to popular belief, springs don't wear down over time, but over being loaded and unloaded, basically, used.

Revolvers, alternatively just need the cylinder popped, each chamber cleaned thoroughly, like the barrel, then any fouling on the forcing cone and breechface cleaned (absolutely no oil near the firing pin area.) They are usually not detailed stripped due to their internal complexity.

Q: How much should I expect to pay?
A: On the lower end, expect from $300 for a used factory gun. You shouldn't have to pay more than $800, though some semi-custom 1911s and H&K products will cost right in that range. Some surplus guns may also be good purchases, though any older or used gun should be checked with a gunsmith.

Q: What else should I buy with the gun?
A: Before anything, solid eye and ear protection that is rated for firearms. Don't short cut with sports gear and generic earplugs. It's not worth permanent damage. A single gunshot has the same sound level as a jet engine, which can damage your hearing with a single exposure. Your hearing doesn't regenerate, either. You might question the glasses, too, but remember ricochets are not uncommon, and even functional guns can spray lead pieces and unburned powder.

A basic cleaning kit with brushes, patches and solvents for regular maintenance, a larger one if you have more than one gun. A quality kit with exchangeable brushes will cost less in the long run. Many people also use a tooth brush for small cleaning.

A sturdy, preferably lockable gun case is essential, even if you don't plan on locking it up. Public transportation without a case is considered brandishing. A soft case can cost as little as twenty dollars, and a hard, lockable case can be anywhere from thirty to several hundred dollars.

Most guns come with gun locks from the factory, but if they don't, you may want to pick one up, depending on what the handgun is used for - a lock will be less of an option if you only own one gun, and use it for defensive use, for example. Gun locks are cheap - most police department give them out for free.

For most defensive use, you'll want at least two spare magazines (or speedloaders and such for revolvers). Serious shooters tend to double the number of magazines, so they can swap out the ones in use as springs wear down. Magazines can cost from twenty to sixty dollars a piece.

Depending on what you need the handgun for, a good holster will be a wise investment. Cheap holstetrs are like cheap tires on a car. Not worth the trouble. Kydex and leather are the dominant materials for concealed carry holsters, and the options are truly endless. (Note: A link to a holster article will be placed here.) Price tend to start from fifty dollars.

Q: What kind of training should I seek?
A: As much as you can. Take a hunter's safety course, at the absolute minimum, as they're available across the country. A concealed carry course is wise even for those who don't carry, as they give much legal and mindset advice. Find classes, get a good setup and stick with it, train regularly. But make sure you train well.

See if you can find a beginner's course, potentially a discount through the gun store you purchased your handgun at. NRA certified trainers are not hard to source.

Many DVDs are available on the market that show a variety of skills, among them names like Viking Tactics, Magpul Dynamics, Tactical Response, or well-known individuals like Gabriel Suarez, Jerry Miculek

Eventually, one of the best ways to train is with competitive shooting. The biggest names are IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation), USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) and IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association). The first two are rather flashy and take expensive gear, though both have limited classes that allow completely stock guns. IDPA is specifically designed to simulate defensive encounters.

Either way, nothing prepares you for stress like performing in front of twenty or thirty shooters that know exactly what you're doing wrong. Some of the best shooters, like late NYPD stakeout officer Jim Cirillo, built their skills with simple competition.

Years of PPC (Police Pistol Competition) were what people contributed to Cirillo's impressive gunfight record, including shooting three perpatrators in a hostage situation without any of them getting off a single shot, with his simple S&W revolver in under three seconds. The front sight on his revolver was sharp, instead of blurred by the normal adrenaline rush tunnel vision, and his trigger presses were even. Intense competition stress had taught him how to cope. Not everyone can do that, and not everyone will get into the situation that requires such coordination, but everything helps.

Don't rely on any one form of training, find buddies who shoot often, take classes, keep your skills sharp and critique yourself to see what you can improve on. Like any other hobby, shooting is about improvement as well as spending money and showing off.

Common Models

Here are some layman's descriptions for the common models of handgun out there.

1911 [Kimber 1911 Image] [Rock Island Armory M1911A1 Image]
Known to some as the "Colt" or "the .45," the 1911 has been an American favorite for just short of a century. Known mostly for it's .45 chambering but can be found in most any caliber. The 1911 is the epitome of the professional's gun, comfortable, accurate, controllable and eminently customizable. However, it's low magazine capacity and single-action operation make it a difficult choice for beginners. 1911s tend to be rather expensive, and due to their great proliferation, quality can vary hugely.

Bersa Thunder [Image]
What is essentially an Argentinian take on the Walther PPk, the Thunder is an affordable .380 with a few more features than the Makarov or PP models. It's slightly more expensive, a little more than $200, with a grip tang, better stock sights, magazine release and a slightly less weight.

Beretta [92F Image] [PX4 "Storm" Image]
The sidearm of the US forces for several decades, the 92F has become one of the most popular pistols across the US, immensely common among police service and private citizens. It is reliable, accurate, and carries many rounds (18 for the 9mm version with modern magazines). However, it's large grip and long trigger make it a difficult gun for shooters with smaller hands, and it is quite a large gun. One of the original "wonder-nines," it is very widespread and is normally a double action design with a decocker/safety on the slide. Compact, slimline, reinforced slide and DAO versions are also common. The 92 can be found for $500 on average used.

The PX4 is also gaining in popularity, as Beretta's polymer framed entry into the market. Though internally different, it's operation and takedown is identical to the Beretta 92, so many of the same rules apply. It is acclaimed for it's accuracy and ergonomics, but it's recent entry means the price is still high, between $500-$600 on average.

Browning Hi-Power [Image]
The very first high-capacity nine, the Hi-Power has been used by countless nations around the world, so much that the word "Browning" is synonymous with "handgun" in most countries. Though longer and packing less rounds than most of a similar size, Hi-Powers are thinner than most designs . Traditionally single action, Hi-Powers are available in conventional double/single action and increased capacity magazines in modern productions. A surplus Browning caan cost between $200 and $500 on average, and a production model generally over $600.

CZ-75 [CZ 75 Image] [ CZ 82 Info Shee t]
One of the original "wonder nines," the CZ75 is considered one of the finest nine millimeter pistols ever designed, with great ergonomics, a slick trigger and fine craftsmanship. It's a very accurate and reliable design, although large and heavy for carry. A number of variants are now offered through CZ-USA. New models cost just above $500 on average.

The surplus Cz-82, or the Dan Wesson imported CZ-83 is essentially a product-improved Makarov, with double the magazine cap, better controls and a fairly good trigger for a military gun. Considering most cost less than $400, the CZ-82 can be an extremely good deal for concealed carry. Military models in 9mm Makarov can cost just over $200 with holster, cleaning rod and spare magazine. Modern variants are also found in .32 ACP and .380 ACP.

Desert Eagle [XIX Model Image] [Chamber Image]
Having this handgun on the list alone will cause some complaints, but it's definitely worth touching on for sake of how well known it is. The Desert Eagle comes in three calibers not normally found in autoloaders: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .50 AE. Due to the power of these cartridges, it uses a gas system similar to that found in a rifle. It's big, powerful, and accurate. Though not as bad for combat use as some make it out to be - it is the only common magnum autoloader, after all, for most, the increased maintenance, cost, and size would probably make the Desert Eagle a bad choice. It was built from the ground up as a hunting handgun, hence a light single action trigger and cutouts for scope rings on the barrel. They can cost from $800 to $2000, depending on the model and configuration.

Glock [Glock 17 Image] [Glock Family Chart]
Not the original plastic gun, but definitely the most influential. The Glock models dominate the police market and are extremely popular across the US, as well as being used by the police forces of the UK, Germany, Austria, Australia and several other nations. It is extremely reliable (though reloads aren't recommended) and very durable. The Glock's most popular and sometimes controversial trait is that it is extremely simple. No safeties, no long trigger pull or decocker. Just a trigger. It is often described as the revolver of pistols in terms of reliability and simplicity. Another reason they are liked is that the trigger is basically single-action - despite being a striker fired pistol, it has a scant 4.5 lb trigger weight, less than a typical 1911.

Glocks come in a staggering number of variants, and parts, holsters, and general knowledge on their operation is fairly easy to get your hands on. They are currently in the fourth generation. Third generation models are relatively common used, and tend to run between $400 to $500.

Heckler & Koch [Mk23 Image] [USP Image] [P30 Image] [P2000 Image] [HK45 Image] [P7 Image]
H&K has sold a number of interesting pistol designs over the years, though their primary seller of late has been the USP (Universal Service Pistol) series. Designed to be as modular as possible, the USP is available in a staggering number of variants in three of the most common calibers (9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP). The USP is extremely rugged and accurate, as well as packing a decent capacity for the size. However, it's quite bulky, even in Compact format and is somewhat unsuited to concealed carry. USPs cost between $700 to $800 on average, with limited edition models breaking the one-thousand mark.

The P2000 and P30 are similar in that they are USP derived pistols that are not available in .45 ACP, but save much space and are generally considered ergonomically superior in grip size and trigger pull. They are gaining popularity with law enforcement organizations and come with HK options like the LEM double-action-only trigger systems. The HK45 is another slimmed-down USP derivative, meant to duplicate some of the strong points of the 1911. While still retaining HK controls, it has a longer barrel, thinner grip and a more convenient safety.

The P7 is discontinued, but worth covering as it comes up every now and again in used sales. It is known as the "squeeze-cocker" for a lever in the front of the grip that cocks the pistol. This feature makes it very fast to fire, if a little odd to get used to. Incorporating an unusual hydraulic buffer system, they are generally well liked, reliable and suited to concealed carry.

Finally, the Mk23 is worth covering as one of HK's most infamous pistols. It was designed for the US SOCOM "Offensive Handgun" requirements and is the basis of the USP series. A number are available for civilian sales, though they are quite expensive at over two-thousand dollars apiece, and can only take Mk23 specific accessories. It is known for a very large grip and overall size that makes it unsuited to most uses.

Hi-Point [C9 Image]
The name "Hi-Point" will bring a scowl to the face of many an elitist shooter. The company is known for offering a number of rifles and pistols, which rather than using locked breeches found in conventional designs, direct blowback. Available in .380 ACP, 9mm Para, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Capacity is rather pathetic at 8 rounds for a 9mm, due to the single-stack magazine, and the trigger is unremarkable. What's the good part? It only retails at $165. Hi-Points are incredibly cheap, but reliable, and the factory will repair anything with the gun, doesn't matter who sends it in or what happened. Interestingly enough, their models are also rated for +P ammunition.

Makarov (PM - Pistolet Makarova) [Image]
Like most Soviet designs, the PM is found in many variations in a number of states. It is based broadly off the Walther PP, and is an excellent pistol for the price, generally $150-$200. It carries a round slightly more effective than the .380, has a decocker and a half-decent trigger. It's only potential problem is the European magazine release, though it probably isn't an issue for the use the Makarov generally meets.

Sig-Sauer / SigArms [P226 Image] [SigPro Image] [P230 Image]
Sig designs are known for typically excellent Swiss workmanship and are often considered the epitome of the ideal double-action pistol. Their flagship design is the P220 series, now available in a staggering number of variants in all popular calibers. They generally lack a safety, opting for a decocker, and are generally fairly bulky. Supremely accurate and reliable, as one might expect, they are very expensive, as are the magazines.

The SigPro is the first polymer endeavor in the Sig series, and one of the first modern pistols to incorporate interchangeable backstraps for different hand sizes. It costs a good bit less than the traditional Sig pistols, and while slightly large for carry, it is as reliable as it's P220 cousins.

Recently, Sig has come out with the P250, intended to compete with pistols like the Beretta Px4, S&W M&P, Springfield XD and Glock. Compact and reliable, it hasn't been very popular due to the unique, but expensive removable trigger mechanism, which is viewed by many as a gimmick.

Sig also sold the P230, a Walther-PPk clone designed for concealed carry, now discontinued in favor of the slightly modernized P232. They also produce the P238, a sub-compact 1911 pistol in .380, and the GSR (Granite Series Rail) 1911 line.

As I update this article, I have to say that SigArms has unfortunately lost much of the quality that made it so famous over the years, and their guns are losing favor for older, German-produced Sig guns, or other models like the FNP series or S&W M&P.

Smith & Wesson Revolvers [S&W Model 60 Image]
A generic name for a line of very popular snub nose revolvers made by S&W, the "Chief's Special" designs were widely produced and just as widely copied. Along with the Colt Bodyguard, it is the granddaddy of all snub noses. Five shots of .38 Special, not a very impressive amount of firepower, but in a very handy and reliable package. There is an incredible variety of accessories made for these very common guns. "Chief's Special" can apply to the original S&W models, (Model 36, 60) Taurus clones (primarily the 85) and some of the recent Ruger models (SP101 and LCR). Price tends to float just around $400.

Smith & Wesson Pistols [S&W "Third Generation" Image] [Sigma Image] [S&W M&P Image]
[S&W 99 Image]
The "Third Generation" is the common name for alloy pistols, based slightly off the 1911 design. Similar in controls to the Beretta 92, these pistols were among the early "wonder nines" and have had steady, if unspectacular sales in the US for several decades. They are large, reliable and come in a number of configurations. Many older Model 39s and 59s can be found used for reasonable prices.

Somewhat maligned, the Sigma series is S&Ws first attempt at polymer pistols - though it was so similar to the Glock that they had to negotiate a lawsuit to continue producing it. Original Sigmas are a bit of a buyer beware pistol, as they crop up dirt-cheap used. While not terribly unreliable or inaccurate, poor ergonomics and a terribly heavy trigger pull made them unpopular. It is said that the later productions had much better triggers.

The S&W M&P is quickly becoming one of the most popular polymer service pistols, being one of S&W's best successes. The combine Glock-like reliability and simplicity with excellent ergonomics, a good grip tang, and options like long slide variants, safeties (on .45 ACP models) and a large caliber selection. A number of differing backstrap sizes and a reasonable trigger make it a good mid-sized pistol for a variety of hand sizes. Along with the Springfield XD, many consider the M&P a highly competitive, if slightly pricier alternative to the Glock series.

A slightly lesser known pistol that has been around for a few years is the S&W 99, essentially a slightly redesigned Walther P99. It has interchangable backstraps, a slightly redesigned triggerguard and comes in .45 ACP as well as 9mm and .40 S&W. It is worth noting that the various models do not necessarily fit into the more readily available Walther P99 holsters.

Springfield Armory [XD Image]
The XD was initially known for being a "Glock alternative" that had a few more safety features. It is a Croatian HS-2000 that has been imported by Springfield Armory, and over the years the basic model has evolved into compact variants and larger, higher capacity XD-M models. Reasonably reliable, it incorporates a grip safety, somewhat uncommon on polymer pistols. The trigger is often described as being closer to a revolver than a typical pistol, longer and slightly "mushier." Parts are becoming increasingly easy to find and many gunsmiths will work over the XD pistol. Many models are available, from compact models, to a number of mid-size "service" models, and some with features like longer frames and manual thumb safeties.

The Rules - What you should know before reading these pages and handling weapons.
Firearms - A basic guide to different types of firearms.
Accessories - The add-ons that may just give you an edge in that gunfight.
Ammunition - An overview of types of ammo and reloading.
Weapons reviews - A user-created database of reviews for various zombie-slaying implements.
Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns, Heavy Weaponry - A user-created guide to using and maintaining firearms you are likely to come across.

Zombie Colony

John_234 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:37:32 CST

Zombie Colony is an upcoming, multiplayer FPS zombie survival title built on the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch engine and code. While still in pre-alpha-stages, the basic concept and gameplay has been fleshed out enough to post the concept publicly.

ModDB Link

A hybrid FPS (First Person Shooter) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game, the player must go out in the world and recover resources to build up a post-apocalyptic settlement. The gameplay covers everything from RTS-style base building and NPC commands, to a free-roam map with resources, survivors and hidden buildings to enhance base capabilities.

The game starts off with just you, half a tank of gas and a handgun. You drive out to raid some supplies and make off for an isolated area, using the scant supplies to build-up against the inevitable onslaught of zombies. As you survive day by day, your access to supplies, skills, and allies increase, allowing you to make contraptions like flaming pits, electrified fences and catapults to fight the infestation.

At the same time, a stronger base means less responsibilities defending, and your access to explore the actual maps increases.

The game is currently a multiplayer pre-alpha, but a separate single-player experience is planned. Among other features, exploring friendly bases, vehicle based and alternate game modes are planned, as well as realistic gun handling, a stamina and health system, and a persistent online skill system.

The game is very work in progress, but the code is laid out. Any animators or mappers familiar with the Source engine, HL2, L4D and so forth are welcome to help.

For the time being, it's a non-profit project but that could change in the future.

Resource System (UNFINISHED)

Game Modes (UNFINISHED)

Weapons

Zombie Colony - Game Modes

John_234 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:31:14 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.