5 Quick Tips on Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse



Stop screaming like a little sissy and use your head. With these 5 simple rules, you can increase your chances of avoiding becoming zombie food.

1. Fight back to back. 3 or more armed people can cover any expanse by rotating in a circle, with their eyes facing directly ahead. This will avoid any surprise attacks and friendly fire.
2. Know your enemy. Yes, there is an army of undead out there trying to kill you, that much is a known. What is often times forgotten, in the heat of the moment, is the unseen enemy. There will still be bad people in the apocalyptic world waiting to capitalize on your mistakes. There will also be bat-shit-crazy psychos who can't handle the new world that has been over-run by the undead. The point here is to know who to trust and bring into your confidence.
3. Get the right weapons. This is oft debated in any good zombie apocalypse discussion, but that's because it's so true. You are going to need the right weapon for the job. You can start this explorative journey by checking out Weapons of Choice for the Zombie Apocalypse.
4. Dress appropriately. Something a bit more than board shorts, flip flops and a wife-beater t-shirt will be needed here. We understand that platemail armor and full riot-gear kevlar may not be available, but shoot for something like a leather jacket, cargo pants and boots. You want to make it as tough for those suckers to take a bite out of you as possible.
5. Bring along Fido. We have an excellent article about man's best friend as a survival companion here, but here's the low-down just in case you are saving that one for later. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, the chances that Fido will be vulnerable to the virus are slim. Cross zoological contamination is a very rare event in mother nature. This is a brainiacs way of saying birds get bird diseases, dogs get dog diseases, and humans generally just get human diseases.

Hope this help and always remember: keep fighting the good fight!

Intestinal Parasites - Die Worms Die!!!

Not only is something wrong with your poop, but you feel like poop too. It's O.K., we've got your back with a few tips on common symptoms and what to do about it. Please understand, often times the cure to something can be as painful or uncomfortable as the problem itself, but it's necessary. Now, keeping that in mind, let's get down to business!

Symptoms:
We know this is going to sound like one of those prescription drug commercials that scares the shit out of you because of all the possible side effects, but just to cover the bases let's throw out all of the symptoms you could experience if you have intestinal parasites. You could experience any or all of the following: constipation, diharrhea, gas and bloating, irritable bowels, joint & muscle aches, anemia, skin conditions like rashes, allergies to certain foods, lumpy tumors in your abdomen, nervous ticks, sleep deprivation, abnormal grinding of your teeth, and chronic fatigue.

While all of these symptoms are serious, diharrhea is especially dangerous in any survival situation because it dehydrates you and the number 1 rule of survival is to stay hydrated.

Treatments:

A treatment, in the case of an intestinal parasite, is any act that changes the environment of the intestine where the parasite is living. The treatment is used so that the environmental shift may help pass the parasite through the intestinal tract and out of the body. Yuck.

While proper hygiene and food preparation are always the first lines of defense towards these nasty critters, here are some on-the-go remedies that will definitely change your intestinal environment long enough to emancipate yourself.

1. Mix 4 tablespoons of salt with a quart of water and drink it down like a champ. We do not recommend repeating this treatment. You will thank us later after you try it the first time.
2. Drink 2 tablespoons of kerosene. This can be repeated every 48 hours until you kill the parasite or you decide to smoke a cigarette. Please check out our highly informative burn treatment article here if you choose the latter.
3. Eat as many hot peppers as you can get your hands on. A steady diet of these will not only kill your tastebuds, but those pesky worms as well.

Do you think these tips are effective? Do you have any other suggestions on what to do?

We'd love to hear your comments!

Preventative Measures: Six Survival Basics

Taking preventative measures now is one of the most important things you can do to effectively survive any apocalypse whether it be one of a zombie nature, hellfire and brimstone, or just an average run of the mill berserker rampage by mother nature. Today we have put together a starter guide to help you in your quest to be as badass as you can be.  

"Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

One of the biggest secrets in any survival situation is that if you never get sick or injured, you are already ahead of the person who failed to read this blog. Below we have listed what we like to think of as the six basics of preventative measures. These will help keep you alive which is way, way better than being dead.

• Adequate Nutrition - You will want to keep yourself well fed and hydrated with clean water. You body will be able to fight off infection and heal wounds faster if your energy reserves are kept at a high level. We will have more in future articles on how to find sources of fresh water in a survival situation, but for now, please check out our fantastic squirrel stew for ideas on supper.

• Rest - This goes hand in hand with nutrition. An unrested mind is one of the most dangerous forces at play in a survival situation. You can and will be your own worst enemy. Without sleep you will make more mistakes than you would if well rested. Mistakes will lead to cuts and bruises at best and death at worst. Always remember: death is bad. Avoid death.
• Personal Hygiene - It's not just a good suggestion your momma gave you, but it will save your life. Washing your hands and bathing will clear harmful bacteria from your skin that can either make you sick if ingested or infect wounds on your skin.
• Immunizations - Make sure you are up to date on shots and immunizations. If you have a regular physician (recommended) they can tell you when and if you need any shots. Even if you shy away from flu vaccinations which might or might not be a bad thing (but that's another debate), you still want to make sure you are immunized from common diseases and viruses. You know... like chicken pox and stuff like that.

• Dental Hygiene - Some of us are more scared of the dentist than others, but detal hygiene is one of the most important things you can keep up to date on. Not only will cavities hurt like hell, but if left unattended, they can become infected and cause you all sorts of problems. Gum disease can even lead to eventual heart problems if left unmonitored. So suck it up and go get them perty yellows scrubbed clean.
• Adequate Shelter - For ideas on a quick solution check out our excellent Lean-To article. Why are shelters important you might ask? Well, read the article and you will find out some specifics but basically the elements will kill you. You want to stay as protected from them as possible so you can enjoy some of the previously mentioned essentials like rest and personal hygiene.

Knowledge is a currency that will never fade.

Cheers!

Offbeat Fridays: Dinosaur Humor

Today's blog is short and sweet but serves as a reminder for us all to always think ahead and be prepared.

Stay tuned for next week's edition of Offbeat Friday's featuring: Surviving Black Friday.

Cheers!

Man's Best Friend - The Ultimate Survival Companion

It is estimated that the common dog was domesticated from gray wolves approximately 15,000 years ago. Apparently ancient man, at that point in time, had grown tired of being constantly bitten in the ass on long hunts or worse yet, eaten alive after falling ill away from their tribes. Instead of chasing away their four legged counterparts with large tree stumps, they began talking to them, feeding them, and providing them with shelter. This is what is referred to as domestication and through that domestication, dogs ended up being used in vital roles such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, and even protection.

As a project of SurvivalRecon, one of the things we wanted to do was to examine ancient civilizations and early man to analyze their survival techniques and tricks. Upon doing that, one of the very first things we noticed was the extensive inclusion of domesticated animals in their daily lives. Because of this fact, we feel that when a situation arises (such as the collapse of society as we know it) that would call for individuals to take survival into their own hands, knowing how these ancient people survived would be valuable knowledge.

In today's piece, we wanted to explore the inclusion of dogs in a survival scenario. To do that, we will talk a little about some of the reasons we think you should have them along for your apocalyptic ride. Some important things to consider are: threat deterrent and close quarters combat, early warning security, hunting and tracking, as well as simple companionship.



Zombie is yuummmmm.

 A dog has 42 teeth compared to a human's 32. The dog comes equipped with 12 incisors, 4 elongated canines, 16 premolars, and 10 molars. This means Fido can do a hell of a lot more damage than you can by biting the enemy. They can also move faster than you can and clamp on to the forearm or leg of whoever you are fighting, be it uninvited guest or even hungry zombie. What's even better is that being animals ourselves, humans are naturally well aware of this fact. A snarling dog is an excellent deterrent and a formidable close quarters combat companion. If you don't believe it, just take a look at the military and police forces. They don't use attack dogs just because they think it's cool.

The average dog's senses are better at detection than any home security (or shabby lean-to depending on your circumstance) that you could buy. While a dog's hearing, contrary to popular belief, cannot pick up sounds from farther away than humans, it can detect much higher frequency and pinpoint the direction of origin much better than we can. But that's not even the most impressive thing about your furry companion. The real kicker is a dog's sense of smell. You see, Fido relies on his schnozzer more than you do your eyes. In fact, a dog's sense of smell on average is over 7,000 times more powerful than that of a human. Yes, you read that right. And you know what else that means? It means he can smell your enemies before you could ever hear them, see them, or even imagine they were there. Talk about a perfect early warning system! Oh, and this helps a lot when you are out hunting for a squirrel for supper too.

For all the physical and sensory reasons we listed above, your dog is excellent to have with you for early warning security, fighting, and hunting. The intangibles, however, are the fact that Fido is just a good companion to help keep you warm at night too. For decades, the therapeutic effects that dogs can have on their owners have been well documented. Just reaching your hand down and petting Fido has been proven to lower blood pressure and release endorphins in the brain. We believe that relaxation like that will be a premium when the shit hits the fan. It's not like you are going to be able to run into the local masseuse to work out that stress...

Let us know what you think about the article in the comment section below. We'd love to hear your opinions on the topic!

SIDENOTE: SurvivalRecon is a passionate supporter for animal rescue and adoption efforts. Dogs have a right to survive too! :) As such, if you are looking to adopt a dog in the Nashville, TN area, then we would highly recommend Agape Animal Rescue. Please check your local listings or search on Google for other wonderful rescue and adoption organizations in your area if you are outside the state of Tennessee.

That SOB Bit Me! (snake bites)

Snake bites are not only annoying and painful, but they can even make you dead.

What we will explore here is a quick what-to-do and what-not-to-do guide on handling snake bites. The important thing to remember going into this is that your survival success increases greatly with how calm you remain. And we mean this literally. The more excited you become, the faster your heart-rate increases and this has an extraordinarily negative impact on how quickly the venom spreads through your body. So CHILL OUT.

O.K., now that we have calmed ourselves, you should know that while this guide is directed specifically towards venomous bites, non-venomous snake bites can be very dangerous in their own right due to the propensity of them becoming infected. This is a fact that isn't very well known and could save your life. So no matter what sort of snake bites you, clean the wound with soap and water then follow these steps:

What-to-do:

1. If possible, immediately try to lightly clean the affected area with soap and water. This might not be an option, but if possible it is a good idea. At the very least you will want to run water over the wound to try and cool the area and slow the spread of the venom and swelling.
2. Immobilize the area of your body where you have been bitten below your heart level if possible. Hopefully you were not bitten in the face like the nincompoop in the opening caption.
3. Remove any jewelry, rings, or articles of clothing that will be affected by the inevitiable swelling to come. 
4. Using pieces of your shirt, pants leg, or any other readily available material - constrict the affected area right around 3 inches above the wound and in between it and your heart (if possible). You will want to keep in front of the swelling by moving this constrictive band as needed. Be sure you are able to place a finger in between the bandage and the skin so as to not cut off circulation.
5. Pop an aspirin if available, this will help with the pain (along with your colorful metaphors) and decrease the swelling.

What-not-to-do

1. In the event of a snake bite, the last thing you want to do is ingest stimulants like alcohol, tea, or coffee and avoid smoking tobacco. These thin your blood and will allow the venom easy passage throughout your body.
2. Do NOT cut the wound and try to suck the venom out like those cowboys you've seen on television. This is for two reasons. 1) Cutting the wound can lead to increased damage by allowing the toxins further access into the body and 2) You don't want to poison the person yourself (or the person that is trying to help you) by ingesting the venom.