Author: Jones
12 January 2020 06:15
Community: League of Book Lovers
Tags: weekend sticky interesting books books literature
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These books do not tell stories about heroes or great warriors, but about ordinary people who, by the will of fate, found themselves in unusual and even dangerous circumstances. People for whom the entire range of interests and tasks has narrowed to only one goal - to survive. In prison, on a desert island, or in a post-apocalyptic world. They need to figure out how to escape.
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Cormac McCarthy "The Road"
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Post-apocalyptic novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. First published in 2006, the novel follows the journey of nameless father and son characters through a United States devastated by an unnamed cataclysm. The novel was awarded the British James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2006 and the American Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007.
Jon Krakauer "Into the Wild"
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In April 1992, a young man from a wealthy family hitchhiked to Alaska, where, completely alone, earning food by hunting and gathering, he lived in an abandoned bus - in completely wild conditions... The real story of Chris McCandless became famous throughout the world thanks to the skill of the famous writer Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn's brilliant film adaptation.
Henry David Thoreau "Walden, or Life in the Woods"
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In the spring of 1845, the 27-year-old author, imbued with Emerson's transcendentalist ideas, decided to experiment with isolating himself from society and focusing on himself and his needs. He settled on the outskirts of Concord (Massachusetts) in a hut he built himself on the shore of Walden Pond. He provided everything necessary for life on his own, spending most of his time gardening, fishing, reading the classics, swimming and rowing. In total, Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days in solitude. At the same time, he did not hide from people and regularly communicated with the residents of Concord, including the owner of the pond himself, Emerson...
My humble experience (survival instructions)
For a long time I asked myself the question: “Do I have the right to write instructions on how to practice survival in the event of the arrival of a northern animal?” After all, I didn’t survive a nuclear strike, I don’t know much about survival in forests, steppes, seas and other places. By and large, I only have experience of surviving in war. Little experience. Very modest, but I collected this experience bit by bit, not on bookshelves, but in conditions of real danger.
I do not pretend to be a messiah or a harsh, experienced survivalist, just as what I can share with you cannot be called the only survival guide. As you know, my dear readers, I am currently writing a story on a topic that is close to all of us. And so, now I decided, in parallel with the story, to start writing a small survival guide.
This was prompted by my communication with Chester, Zhivchik, Orgy, Doctor, March Cat, Alchemist and other comrades on the site https://www.crashplanet.ru. I wish my comrades good health and will try to convey to them my humble experience. If during the war and other “minor” inconveniences this experience helps them survive, I will be incredibly happy!!!! So let's get started.
Part one - “Psychology of survival”
Any cataclysm does not begin spontaneously. His arrival is accompanied by all sorts of signs, by which, in fact, the arrival of this cataclysm can be determined. But at its core, man is a lazy creature, doubtful, and most importantly, subject to panic and rumors. Example: everyone in Grozny talked long and persistently about the war in Chechnya, but only a few prepared for it as a cataclysm. The rest, including your humble servant, did not go beyond chatter.
It was later that those who were able to survive talked about what was not reported, it was unknown where to run, there were no funds, etc. But that was later, and at that moment there were many prerequisites for understanding that war was inevitable. This includes non-payment of salaries for several years, and the deterioration of the situation in the city and the republic itself, this and the constant hint of war on TV, in short, there were more than enough “bells and whistles”, but the people preferred not to see or hear about a possible war.
And even the fact that immediately before the start of the war patriotic films and programs began to be shown on television was perceived only as another whim of the government. Even when planes began to fly over the city, people still did not believe that there would be a war, and only the first bombings made them believe in the fact of war.
Conclusion: until they started bombing specifically, until bricks and shrapnel started falling on their heads, until the first dead and wounded appeared, people did not believe that there would be a war, or rather, they did not want to believe. Because, having believed, you need to prepare, but there are no funds for preparation, everything goes to food. Isn't the same thing happening now?
Panic
Immediately after the bombing, first quiet and then complete panic began. Everyone who could rushed out of the city. Even those who seemed to be prepared still succumbed to Her Highness’s panic. Entire blocks left. Throwing everything along the way. Just to have time to leave. Those who could not leave remained in the surrounded city to die. But they also sought refuge in basements and cellars. Needless to say, the panic, which lasted relatively short, brought disorder and chaos into the lives of residents who could have left the city much earlier.
Try to pick up and transport much more. People who until recently lived in illusions of the world, succumbing to panic, simply fled. Without anything. Instead of figuring out WHERE to run in advance, then they simply ran to “nowhere.”
From this there is a general conclusion: do not try to hide the truth from yourself, do not try to live the realities of the world until the last moment. No matter how much you prepare for a cataclysm, panic and confusion will still push you to rash decisions and actions. It is these first friends that will turn out to be the most destructive for you, but don’t try to sit around for a long time either. Long “thinking” is the path to inaction.
At the same time, do not try to cover the entire expected list of disasters when preparing. This will lead to the fact that with a reasonable probability you will not prepare for any. Don’t waste your energy and resources on discussing and preparing for many options, prepare for a universal scenario. Both in terms of means and possibilities, it is much easier.
Basically, you have to survive in your home, so use your knowledge of your yard to adapt to the conditions that arise.
First: don't try to collect a bunch of things. There are things that are necessary, and there are things that just get in the way. So, a knife is a very necessary thing, but not when you have a dozen knives and they all need something. In camping conditions, and survival in the city, even in your own home during a disaster, is fraught with the fact that you may find yourself on the street, and then you will not need special knives for cutting anything and everything. So put them off until calmer times.
Hide them along with excess dishes and things in the shed, and use one or two. It seems that this is not such an important point, but practice has shown that in the event of an attack by marauders, the abundance of cutting and piercing weapons at hand does not help, and sometimes hinders the defense. In addition, the abundance of knives in the house can lead to the fact that during a fight the enemy will grab your own knife lying on the table and use it against you. So it’s better to have one knife in your hands.
Axe
Often, in the event of a threat of attack on one's home, the average person pins great hopes on the presence of an ax in the house. It would seem that this object has a lot of advantages - it’s heavy, it’s sharp, and you can hit it with a butt, but, time-tested, an ax in the house is the weapon of a person who knows how to use it in a limited space. For the average person, an ax is usually useless and sometimes dangerous, because it gives excessive confidence, but does not give skill. Question: How will you use it in case of attack?
Most of the neighbors I interviewed stated that they would wave in front of them in order to not let the enemy get close. But asking me to demonstrate this process led, at best, to damage to furniture and walls in the house, and at worst, to minor injuries, for example, bumps, bruises, and cuts. Therefore, a person who picks up an ax must at least learn to wield it. It is important to learn how to wield an ax within the intended area of use. Simply put, what’s stopping you from taking a small hatchet and walking through the rooms in advance, waving it?
He himself will “tell” you where and how to act, where to swing and hit with full force, and where it is better to poke at the enemy without any swing in the chest or face. All you have to do is remember the order of movements in certain places in the apartment, this will not only give you the opportunity not to get confused, but will also help prevent the criminal from imposing his will on you.
In general, any item in your home can serve as a strong argument in your hands. Especially if your life and that of your relatives is at stake. So don't be shy, go through the rooms with different household items. Let your wife laugh at the fact that you are walking around the rooms with an extension cord, a fork or a rolling pin, give her such pleasure. As you walk around the house, try to touch various objects, as if you were grabbing a chair or a clothes hanger with your hand.
After a short tour, you will realize that you don’t know your place of residence well, and you simply didn’t know about using some things in defense. Example: one of my acquaintances, a man of about fifty, quite plump and in ordinary life suffering from shortness of breath, was able to perfectly resist the pressure of two young looters in their attempt to profit from his own apartment. Moreover, one of the attackers was armed with a gun, although, as it later turned out, not loaded, and the other was holding a knife in his hand.
The man successfully used a hanger standing in the corridor, knocked out the eye of one of the attackers and bloodied the face of the second. When he pushed them out of the apartment onto the landing, the neighbors intervened. The robbery was not only prevented, but also the criminal subsequent actions of these people were stopped.
Gun
I don’t argue that the presence of a gun in the house is a positive factor for the defender. Especially if it is a multi-charged Saiga. But even having a gun at home does not completely save you, but only increases the defender’s chance of success. The main thing is to walk through the rooms with a gun in advance and find the most favorable places for defense. It also wouldn’t hurt to mark out the attacking sectors of fire from the windows and think through options that would interfere with return fire.
Example: your humble servant, long before the war, this had to happen, went around all the rooms with his father and “shot” all the sectors of fire for himself. During the war, thank God, this experience was really useful only once. At the same time, the armament was an old 12-gauge single-barreled gun, but even this “karamultuk” was enough.
When shots began to be fired from the extreme window towards the attackers, there were three of them, and the return fire did not bring harm to the defending person, the marauders, first bypassing the house, climbed over the fence, and after I continued shelling from the other window facing the yard, they simply retreated. In the morning I found an empty barn opened, but it was empty even before they arrived. But in the house itself, according to the advice of an experienced person, I would be afraid to fire. Because there is an option to hit your relatives. At the same time, reloading a single-barreled gun in a short fight is not realistic.
Now I want to touch on the topic of looters. At first there are few looters. Before the war and at the very beginning, the authorities still pay attention to them, catch them and shoot them, but as the conflict drags on, the number of looters grows. Most looters are loners, driven to plunder by hunger. They mainly look for empty houses and take food and water.
These people, basically, are either not armed, or their weapons are not working properly. They are very afraid of security forces and do not poke their noses into places inhabited by people. They usually take away food, and even then only what they can carry in their hands. But as the conflict grows and the attention of the authorities weakens, with a decrease in the amount of food left behind during the flight, and most importantly, with an increase in the number of looters themselves and with the appearance of captured weapons, loners, timid and not arrogant, begin to gather in groups of five to ten people and attack residential buildings. Such groups are no longer afraid of the authorities, because there is no authority, they are not afraid of the average person, because there are many of them, they usually come during the day, masquerading as army soldiers and police.
These groups are much more dangerous. It is practically useless for one family to fight such a group. It helps to create a self-defense group from residents of a block, in the private sector, or one multi-story building. At the same time, the population also has weapons, and even a large group of marauders in a collision becomes difficult to fight. We must not forget that looters, basically, are the same peaceful people who went out to rob, first out of hunger, and later for profit.
Imagine, transport is checked by troops and police, the military will still react to prolonged shooting within one area, if only because there is a possibility of a breakthrough behind enemy lines, residents do not give up their goods for free. The work of a looter is difficult and thankless. His constant tactics: a quick “attack” and an equally quick “rollback”, and with a profit or a bullet in the head, it depends on your luck. Therefore, usually during the day children or women are sent for reconnaissance. And only after receiving complete data on the presence of weapons and the number of people, the gang decides whether they will carry out a raid or not.
Residents can be advised to immediately create a self-defense detachment, arm themselves and think through fortifications blocking the entrance to the territory of the yard or the territory of the block. Typically, both the military and the police are quite favorable towards this method of law enforcement. There are several reasons for this favor, firstly: the military and police are partially relieved of their responsibilities for maintaining law and order; secondly: they receive a detachment capable of detaining both a criminal and an infiltrator, and, under certain circumstances, also signaling a breakthrough in their sector by the enemy; thirdly, the barricades of self-defense units are excellent for emergency defense in the event of an enemy breakthrough.
Therefore, both the military and the police in such cases turn a blind eye to the presence of unregistered weapons, and sometimes they themselves bring outdated and broken ones for sale to the detachment. In addition, the self-defense detachment is usually entrusted with the functions of housing arriving units, as well as providing provisions. In addition to the above, the creation of a detachment serves to bind the front and rear with mutual responsibility.
Construction of barriers to prevent looters from entering the private sector: at the beginning and end of the block, barricades are built from scrap materials. This takes into account the factor of using the road for transporting parts or ammunition. In the corner houses there are resting places for members of the detachment, as well as a place for cooking and attending to natural needs. Two to four people are on duty at the entrances, the rest are located at home. After a certain time, the guards are replaced. There were cases when a detachment of ten people was armed with only three guns and one revolver, but, seeing the sentries with weapons, even large gangs of marauders did not dare to attack the block.
The installation of barriers to make it difficult for looters to enter the courtyard of a multi-story building is almost the same as the above. The only difference is the material. In the fencing of multi-storey buildings, more furniture is used than boards, logs, and sandbags.
The question is often asked, why a gun if there are a lot of ownerless weapons all around? I’ll answer the question with a question: have you often come across unattended weapons in working condition, and even with cartridges and in your name? After the Russian units entered the city, the gun was taken away, they scolded them a little and were released, but the guys who were found with machine guns or cartridges for them ended up in a filtration camp for a long time. After this, many either did not return, or returned, but as disabled people.
Another frequently asked question concerns whether I myself participated in marauder raids? I’ll answer directly - if you want to eat, you’ll go. I always took only food, water, and medicine. I went through several checks to see if I had stolen goods on me, but I was never afraid, because I knew there was nothing except food.
Everything would be fine, but besides the looters, there is a threat of being bombed or shelled. To reduce the likelihood of death from bombs and shells, you need to prepare a shelter. So, the next topic of our conversation.
Shelters
I probably won’t tell you a secret if I say that proximity to warring opponents is detrimental for the peaceful average person. All “gifts” that go to the wrong address go to the civilian population. If we add to this the fact that an ordinary person is not familiar with the sound of a mine, cannot hear a bullet flying past, does not know where the fire is coming from and with what weapon, then the picture turns out to be simply deplorable. For every soldier killed, five to six civilians are killed.
And sometimes the right shelter saved the lives of more than one or two people. Not many people can boast that they either already have a shelter, or they have the funds for the emergency construction of one, so I propose for your consideration the construction of shelters in outbuildings. The first is, of course, the cellar.
The cellar is located in the house, and this makes it the first refuge for the family in case of war. It would seem easier than ever, I just opened the lid, started a family, brought in the groceries, closed the lid and order. But more than once I observed the picture: people in the cellar died from suffocation, from an explosion, the collapse of a house, from the penetration of carbon monoxide. There are many reasons for death. Therefore, let's look at ways to prepare a cellar into a simple, but quite durable and comfortable shelter. So, first: the walls of the cellar must be made of brick. And the thicker the wall, the greater the chances of salvation. Under no circumstances should the roof of the cellar serve as the floor in the room.
Conclusion: the roof of the cellar should be strengthened as much as possible. As an example, we lay pipes on brick walls, attach the formwork from below, fill it with concrete half a meter thick, after the concrete hardens, soil at least half a meter thick is poured on top. It follows from this that the cellar must initially be deep. And even such strengthening of the cellar does not provide a complete guarantee of salvation. There must be an emergency exit from the cellar to the street.
In the case of my house, it was an iron pipe with a diameter of half a meter. I don’t know who dug it in or why, but this “emergency exit” allowed me to live to write this book. The shelves in the cellar should be located taking into account the fact that during the bombing they turn into places for people. When building a cellar, be sure to consider a small niche for the toilet and water. The function of the toilet in my cellar was performed by a bucket with a lid. After the bombing, it was emptied into a street toilet.
A forty-liter flask was equipped to store water. Ventilation must also be provided to the cellar in advance. In the case of my house, the ventilation was a pipe with a diameter of one hundred and fifty, coming out of the cellar at a distance of half a meter from the walls of the house. The floor of the cellar, originally earthen, was covered with boards for warmth. There was a small stove-stove in the corner. The chimney was previously routed outside the house. I covered a piece of the floor under the stove with bricks to eliminate the possibility of the floor catching fire during the fire. These are the measures I took in advance that helped me significantly strengthen and equip the cellar.
In many southern regions, cellars are not built, but in the yard, usually under a barn, you can always find a basement. And so, the next topic: the basement.
The basement is usually already lined with bricks during construction, since its walls also serve as the foundation of the building under which it is located. The basement ceiling is also usually reinforced in advance, and ventilation is also provided in advance during construction. Usually basements are used as a natural refrigerator, so the depth of the basement is quite large. The entrance to the basement is located near the entrance to the building; a brick or wooden staircase leads down.
Since the basement is mainly fortified, we will pay attention to its interior decoration. Basement shelves, unlike cellar shelves, are initially wider and deeper, since in peacetime the basement is the main place for storing household food supplies. So they don't require any modifications. All that remains is to prepare a place for the stove, insulate the basement walls, for example, with plywood, place a primitive bathroom and a place for storing water, install furniture, and insulate the doors with heat-insulating, non-combustible material.
It's good when a person has his own home! What should a person living in a high-rise building do? Basements are usually flooded with water, they are inhabited by all kinds of living creatures, cockroaches, fleas, mice, rats. And is there enough space in the general basement for all the residents of the house? There are many questions, but there is only one answer: if you have time to prepare, then even in cramped conditions, you can survive. I’m telling you as a person who saw with his own eyes residents of multi-story buildings surviving in the basement, went down into these basements more than once and, despite the fact that they were not prepared, hundreds of people calmly survived in them. Imagine if these people chipped in in advance and together prepared their basement for subsequent living. So, the next topic: a basement in a multi-story building.
Let me make a reservation right away, I did not live in a multi-story building, I don’t have my own experience, and of all the basements under multi-story buildings, I saw only one, more or less equipped, but even this rather primitive arrangement allowed the residents of the house to live with sufficient , for wartime, comfort. Judge for yourself. Example: a nine-story house with eight entrances, naturally, there are eight exits, all exits are open, openings are made in the basement walls between the entrances. According to residents, this was done so that if one of the sections was destroyed, people could get into the other and escape.
Heating such a basement is not easy, so heating was out of the question, but the residents cooked food on the rims of a truck. These makeshift stoves were located in several places in the basement near the windows. That is, they drowned themselves “black”. The same stoves served to illuminate the basement. Residents' mattresses, folding beds and mesh beds lined the walls. Naturally, privacy was out of the question; too many people sought salvation in this basement.
The outside windows were covered with sandbags. In response to my question about lighting and natural ventilation, I was told that lighting and ventilation had to be sacrificed due to constantly flying shrapnel and bullets. After the death of several people, under constant fire, the remaining residents sealed the windows with sandbags and threw garbage on top. Only those windows that were located on the side opposite to the shelling let in light and smoke from the fires. Food was also shared; the residents simply allocated one room for food and instructed the old people to guard it. The water was drained from the pipes into a handy container.
And they replenished it, if possible, with melted snow and extracted from the broken houses of the private sector located behind the house. There, in rare moments of calm, they collected food together. The food was provided by the whole world. Cooking was entrusted to several women. Thus, the community was able to survive, despite the fact that the house was under constant fire; part of the house was destroyed by a falling air bomb; it did not reach the basement and exploded on the upper floors. Lucky. I counted seventeen graves in the yard. These were the graves of residents who died during the first bombings.
Two more enemies of a resident of a peaceful city during the war. This is hunger and lack of water. The second is perhaps much more important, since there is still food in the city, even during a siege. Even if there is little of it, even if you get it at the risk of your life, but still, the lack of water is much more difficult for a person to bear. Next topic: water.
Water
Although the events I took for analysis took place in winter, the lack of water was felt everywhere. Therefore, dear reader, I ask you to accept some tips from me on detecting life-giving moisture, storing, collecting and cleaning.
First: during a disaster, remember that water is never clean. All those places from which you are accustomed to getting water may be either in the sphere of influence of one of the warring parties, which means access to the source will be extremely difficult, or located in the immediate combat zone, which means a trip for water can cost your life, or The water at the source may not be suitable for consumption at all. The first thing to pay attention to is the separation of water dishes.
Select containers for drinking water and containers for technical water. It is most convenient to keep drinking water in metal forty-liter flasks. The lid of such a flask closes tightly, and debris does not get inside, the same factor affects the avoidance of water loss. Already during the first bombings, the water supply stopped supplying water, and subsequently completely froze. Therefore, we had to look for sources of water, as well as ways to transport it.
Any vehicle driving through enemy-occupied territory automatically becomes an enemy vehicle. No matter what signs you put on it, no matter how you try to pass unnoticed, sooner or later either it will be requisitioned from you for the needs of the front, or you will come under fire, sometimes arranged only in your honor. Therefore, a bicycle and a car are your reliable allies and helpers.
The presence of a car in a house or apartment is in itself already luck. This simple vehicle will help you in many of your affairs, such as: obtaining water and food, transporting things, transporting the wounded, transporting the fuel you have killed. But from the laudatory ode to the wheelbarrow, let's move on to places where water is stored. In any city there are several such places: fire stations, hospitals, sanitary and epidemiological stations, technical wells, military units, city reservoirs.
Any fire station or hospital has special water storage facilities and underground reservoirs. The water in them is usually disinfected. It is constantly updated and at the time of an emergency it is usually intended for distribution to the population, but distribution usually does not occur due to the fact that these places are the first to be captured by the military and access to water is cut off. The same embarrassment awaits water seekers in military units. What remains, as a rule, is a sanitary and epidemiological station, a school fire reserve (not all schools have one), and natural sources of drinking and industrial water.
Sanitary and epidemiological station
Usually people do not take this very important and serious institution seriously, but in vain. It was the city’s sanitary and epidemiological station, located in the area where I lived, that became, if not the only, but reliable source of drinking water. Although the stock available in the sanitary and epidemiological station is less than the stock of underground tanks of fire departments, this organization takes disinfection and subsequent storage more seriously than even the Ministry of Health, because the fight against the emergence and spread of epidemics is the direct responsibility of the sanitary and epidemiological service.
Example: when drinking water brought from fire reservoirs, even after boiling, some discomfort was felt in the stomach and intestines, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, pain, but when drinking water brought from the SES, even without boiling, nothing like that was felt.
The next source of water during the war was wells, wells, and springs. Water from these natural sources is divided into: suitable for consumption and technical.
Unfortunately, in the area where I lived there was only a well with technical water. Under normal conditions, this water is unsuitable for drinking, since it is mineral, but given the general shortage, this water was perfectly consumed. We must not forget that a fair amount of water remains in the water pipes after turning off the pumps. This is especially noticeable if a person lives in a lowland. This water is also usable, and it is important to know how to get to it.
I managed it like this. After the life-giving stream stopped flowing from the tap, I climbed into the well for supplying water from the yard to the house and, unscrewing the inlet into the house from the tap, drew water directly from the pipe for some time. Since my house was not in the lowest part, the water pressure was enough for me for two weeks. For technical needs, such as laundry, mopping, flushing the toilet, bathing, I collected rainwater and snow. For these purposes, I had barrels around the house under the gutters. By using this, albeit not particularly clean, water, I was able to maintain order in the house and save such precious clean water.
Nutrition
No matter how much food supplies you accumulate before the war, sooner or later, the supplies will be depleted. Let's look at ways to replenish supplies. The first way is to go to the store. No, don’t think, during the war the shops are closed, but this does not mean that there are no products in it. Nobody advises you to break into shops in the area on the very first day of the war. It’s just that during a war, it’s not uncommon for aerial bombs and shells to hit the buildings themselves, and a destroyed building is no longer a store, but it’s not just ruins either.
So, your humble servant, being an avid smoker and especially suffering from a lack of tobacco, became the happy owner of two full boxes of Belomor, simply by visiting a stall destroyed by a shell. Since you are not one of those who had the happy idea of visiting a store at such an inopportune time, you risk, at best, simply finding yourself in front of empty shelves and utility rooms. But even if so, do not despair.
Walk around the store again, and fortune may reward you for your attentiveness. For example, in a completely empty room of a former store, I managed to find a box of matches, a box of candles, three packs of salt, several packs of, albeit wet, but completely preserved washing powder, and, as if in mockery, left to me, unarmed, a sawn-off shotgun of a double-barreled shotgun sixteen gauge. This outing substantially supplemented my depleted supplies.
But you should always take into account that in such premises all sorts of “surprises” are possible, left for you by past visitors to the store. So, in one store, after a careful inspection, I removed three trip wires and one grenade launcher shot. In case of haste and inattention, the fate of, at best, a cripple would have awaited me. In addition to shops, various bases are of interest to replenish the grocery and household basket.
But you need to take into account the fact that the idea of looting does not only occur to you, and people will rush to steal food and household goods much earlier than you, while facing the danger of being killed. Basically, bases and storage facilities are looted directly during hostilities or immediately after they cease.
Residents of nearby streets, who have suffered more from shelling and bombing than you, and who have completely depleted their reserves, will attack the “ownerless oasis” faster than you. Sometimes, having paid a very high price, they will take away all the most valuable things from this “oasis,” but even after such a quick and greedy robbery, much remains either unnoticed or left as second-rate. Example: after the base was repeatedly raided by looters, I managed to get a bag of flour and a bag of peas, and on a second visit, another box of caramel candies and two boxes of bottled kerosene. Which also significantly replenished my reserves. A significant addition to the diet is the meat of slaughtered farm animals obtained from minefields. So, for helping the owner pull a wounded cow out of a minefield, the animal, frightened by explosions and gunfire, broke through the barn door and ran away, but on the way it ended up in a minefield, and after cutting up the carcass together, I got a leg and ribs. And after shells and bombs began to reach the streets of the “upper suburb,” a herd of goats and sheep came to me at night to “ask for political asylum.” Naturally, their urgent request was satisfied by me. Since there were very few people left on the street, mostly old people and women, all these “gifts of nature” were divided among everyone.
Fishing
Many people imagine her on the shore with a fishing rod in her hands, but wartime fishing is strikingly different from peacetime fishing. The first difficulty is that bodies of water suitable for fishing often turn out to be on the other side of the front from the fisherman. But even if the body of water is right next door, it is likely that it will be under fire. If this is not the case, then you should be afraid of “fishermen” in uniform.
Many units standing on the banks of reservoirs did not disdain to diversify their diet with fish. But there was no question of fishing rods. The lack of fishing rods was compensated for by the presence of grenades and grenade launchers. The whole process happened like this: a truck or armored personnel carrier drove straight to the water. The fishing participants came out. Grenades were thrown into the water. Young guys scooped up caught fish near the shore, usually two or three bags, a group of fishermen got into a car and drove off to the location of the unit or checkpoint. The whole process took no more than half an hour.
That's all military fishing is all about. “Where is the romance, where is the soup and everything that comes with it?” - the reader will ask, but the romance went to the locals. Burying himself in the high reeds, the local fisherman waits for the departure of the military fishermen and, making sure that his presence has not been detected and that the military have moved far enough, sets off from the shore on a hastily assembled raft or a leaky boat in search of fish.
He risks getting shot or shrapnel, he risks drowning or catching a cold, but the desire to somehow replenish his depleted reserves pushes him to search for fish. After the explosion of three to five grenades, there are a lot of stunned fish. The soldiers take only the largest one, and all the little things, the middle ones, are usually ignored. It is for this little thing that a desperate fisherman swims. A hungry man is willing to take risks for a bag of fish.
So I, succumbing to the persuasion of the neighbor’s boy, his description of the ease and effectiveness of the outing, saddled my bike in the company of three neighbors, and went on such a fishing trip. I won’t describe how we got around the rubble and checkpoints; we’ll talk about them separately. Arriving at the shore of the pond and sitting in the reeds, we waited for the military.
We didn't have to wait long. About half an hour later an armored personnel carrier rolled up to the shore. After shooting at the reeds with a machine gun to be sure, five people came out. After the armored personnel carrier left, we pushed the boat into the water and swam to collect fish. While fishing like this, no one noticed the arrival of the next batch of fishermen. Imagine a picture of a boat in the middle of the lake. There are four people on the boat. Fog is a mandatory attribute of a reservoir in February in those parts. And on the shore there are wary soldiers who have come for fish.
Hearing the splash of oars and not understanding what was what, these militant fishermen began to concentratedly water the lake with machine guns. We froze. Automatic bursts rushed about five meters away. But after the soldiers began to fire at the sound from a grenade launcher, as best they could, all four of them rowed to the opposite bank. Still, I brought two bags of fish home, but after such a shock I never went fishing again.
After the bases are devastated, and the war does not end, you have to go door to door in search of food. Naturally, you first pay attention to the destroyed houses. It’s not difficult to get into such a house, it’s difficult to find something to eat, since besides you, at least fifty people have already climbed into this house. Therefore, gradually you either stop looking and are content with what you brought in advance, or you begin to think about exchanging food from the military for food.
After this, looting takes on a different direction. Someone climbs into houses in search of treasures, and someone, like your humble servant, begins to approach the winery. By this time, one of the warring parties had left the plant, but, as usual, did not inform the enemy about its departure. And now, in no-man's-land, there is the coveted alcohol. Hundreds of people are trying to get to him. Dozens succeed in this. So, at my house I got two flasks of alcohol and several boxes of cognac and wine.
Alcohol is a blessing in war! After drinking a glass of alcohol in the evening, you can finally fall asleep. And you won’t be woken up by gunfire outside your windows, or looters wandering around the yard, or even a mine or shell hitting your house. Besides, alcohol is currency! At the same time, the currency is hard! You can exchange everything for alcohol, from dry rations to captured weapons. I wasn’t interested in weapons, but I was very interested in diesel fuel for lamps, food, and cigarettes. At the same time, I managed to exchange alcohol for free passage through several checkpoints. So the power of alcohol during war is great.
Cloth
The topic of overalls is discussed on many survival forums. Therefore, the next topic of my story is clothing. So, when it comes to all kinds of overalls, protective jackets, pants, high-top boots, I give just one argument. If you were a sniper, how would you feel about a person in protective gear in your crosshairs? Would you have the time and desire to consider a stranger as a peaceful person?
Most likely, you would shoot first, and only then would you figure out whether the person was peaceful or not. For the same reason, I always caution against putting any identifying mark on clothing. Anything that catches your eye will most likely cause your death. My clothes were simple: an old winter jacket, old pants, a sweater and a hat. The more natural you look, the more likely you are to avoid becoming a target.
More than once I have found corpses stripped naked. Usually, looters and military personnel simply pulled the thing they liked from the dead person...
Umberto Eco "The Island the Day Before"
0
The novel takes place in the first half of the 17th century. The main character, a young nobleman Robert de la Grieve, finds himself on an abandoned ship anchored somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The ship's crew died at the hands of the aborigines after landing on one of the nearby islands. Unable to swim, Robert is forced to remain aboard the Daphne, which slowly drives him crazy. Loneliness forces him to remember his former fears - about his self-invented twin brother, who for many years poisoned Robert's existence. Tormented by the image of an unreal brother, the hero suddenly meets a living man on an abandoned ship who changes his life - the old Jesuit Caspar van der Drossel, a mad old man who is confident that the man who controls the 180th meridian can also control time and distance.
“Coronavirus. Survival instructions" by Ancha Baranova read online - page 1
Ancha Baranova
Coronavirus. Survival Instructions
The publishing house thanks Inga Kuznetsova, literary editor-stylist, for her work on the book.
I want to thank:
mother Valentina Ivanovna from Penza, who is at risk, and brother Yuri, for providing technical support;
Jerry and Lisa Plies;
School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA and separately - Professor Joseph Weissman;
a wonderful team that worked on the book: Inga Kuznetsova - literary editor, Roman Volkov - literary agent, Polina Totoeva - project manager, Alexander Vorobyov - artist, Marina Smorodova - production editor, Anastasia Kalinina - production editor, Elena Arefieva - production editor, Olga Ro - editorial director, Igor Voevodin - producer, Nadezhda Grinchik - editor, Gavriil Blinov - layout designer;
separately - biomedical holding Atlas;
Gennady Medetsky, who persuaded me to make a channel on YouTube, and all the readers of my channel for wonderful comments and fresh information;
Professor Vikas Chendhok and Associate Professor Mariaelena Pierobon for taking on the teaching load for the first two weeks of coronavirus, because no one canceled lectures, and my students for their patience;
as well as the media that published materials included in this book: RIA Novosti and correspondent Natalya Paramonova, popular science publication N+1 and correspondent Elizaveta Yasinovskaya, Russian Reporter magazine and Maria Pazi, Olga Timofeeva-Glazunova, Anastasia Zolotova, online news publication Lenta.ru and correspondent Natalia Granina, popular science magazine “Health” and Elena Chudnaya.
Ancha Baranova
From the author
Coronavirus is sweeping the planet. In this book, I will try to tell you how to protect yourself and your loved ones, and also not to lose courage during this difficult situation. We will talk about what we already know for sure, and about what is still completely unknown about this new enemy of humanity - the SARS-CoV-2
. I hope this book will help us all come together and think rationally about the problem. Only complete awareness will ensure the ability to quickly and flexibly respond to an ever-changing situation.
I will try to speak to you briefly and without unnecessary scientific terms - so that this book becomes a reference guide for every family. And yet, immersion in biology and medicine - albeit shallow - cannot be completely avoided. You know the expression: “A pessimist sees the glass as half empty, but an optimist sees it as half full”? As with any everyday trouble and even tragedy, humanity will learn from the coronavirus pandemic the necessary lessons that will be very useful to us in the future.
It is already possible to say with confidence that as a result of the pandemic, the biological literacy of Russians will noticeably increase - and in the field of not only virology, but also general medicine, as well as epidemiology and even biotechnology. This knowledge will undoubtedly be useful to us in the future. Moreover, I sincerely hope that the newborn interest in biology will not subside even after the harmful coronavirus is forever neutralized and, already toothless, locked in frozen laboratory test tubes.
And yet, this book is not a theoretical textbook for you, but a completely practical guide to action. I will not tell you about experimental drugs described only in scientific articles, and not at all because they do not work. I will not do this simply because for an ordinary person, a new highly scientific medicine produced in a thousand or even ten thousand doses in some Japan is like a warehouse of medical masks on the Moon. This is the truth not only of the Russian outback, not only of our capital, but also of all other capitals of the world. After all, an experimental medicine needs to be tested from all sides - this will take months and years - and also industrially produced in huge quantities so that there is enough for everyone.
Our much more realistic hope is the hope of a vaccine. There is no doubt that a vaccine will be available in the medium term. Work is underway on this in parallel in every country, and the Russians here have a good chance of reaching the finish line first. However, this finish is not close either: it will take at least a year. Not to a prototype, of course (we will hear about it quite soon), but to a real mass vaccine, available at least to health workers to begin with.
I hope that this book will help you get to the finish line with minimal losses to your health, wallet, and nerve cells, which - as scientists have recently shown - are still restored, but not as quickly as we would like.
Ancha Baranova
Introduction
Coronaviruses
- a number of viruses known to us, which received this name because of their appearance: all of these viruses have a round shape, and on top of their “body” they are equipped with protrusions of “sticking out” proteins, which makes them look like the corona of the Sun.
Coronaviruses are not so rarely found in humans, and many other animal species have their own coronaviruses. As a rule, animal coronaviruses are not transmitted to humans, and transmission from humans to animals is completely out of the ordinary. But for every rule there is an exception: several coronaviruses came to us from bats. Including the newest one, the same SARS-CoV-2
, which we all think and talk about today.
Scientists and doctors know that coronaviruses primarily cause infections of the respiratory tract and intestinal tract. They have a wide range of clinical manifestations. Those coronaviruses that infect the respiratory tract have been recognized as pathogenic species in wild and domestic animals, and as a cause of mild to severe respiratory disease in humans.
Most coronaviruses that can infect people are weakly pathogenic - including types 229E, OC43, NL63
and
HKU
, long known to scientists.
These viruses in healthy people infect the upper respiratory tract and cause seasonal respiratory diseases of these same respiratory tracts ( ARVI
) - mild or moderate, as well as digestive disorders, which the uninitiated are often lumped together under the common name “intestinal flu”.
Unfortunately, highly pathogenic coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
and
Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS).
These highly harmful viruses infect the lower respiratory tract and cause severe pneumonia, which often leads to
fatal acute lung injury (ALI)
and
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
, which has severe health consequences and is even life-threatening.
Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
not the most terrible, but at the same time, infection with it is not easy, and there is no hope that for every sick person this infection will disappear without a trace in three days.
…
There is no need to be afraid of the new coronavirus, you just need to be prepared for it.
Of course, it is better to try to avoid the virus. And if it turns out that you have become infected with it and become ill, you need to “recognize” the offender “by sight” and take measures to prevent the disease associated with it from becoming severe.
This book was written precisely to help people overcome their fear of COVID-19
arising from lack of awareness, and act competently and calmly, protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Robert Shtilmark "The Heir from Calcutta"
0
The action takes place in the 18th century. A pirate ship under the command of Captain Bernardito Luis El Gorra captures a ship in the Indian Ocean with passengers: the heir to the earldom, Fredrick Ryland, who is traveling to England from Calcutta, and his bride Emily Hardy. Bernardito’s assistant, Giacomo Grelli, nicknamed “Leopard,” appropriates Ryland’s documents and comes to England with a new name. Emily goes with him as his bride to save her fiancé's life. Captain Bernardito and the real Ryland find themselves on a desert island.
Arkady Fidler "White Jaguar - Leader of the Arawaks"
0
The trilogy (“Robinson Island”, “Orinoco”, “White Jaguar”) by the Polish writer and traveler Arkady Fiedler tells about the fate of a descendant of Polish settlers who, fleeing the wrath of the English lords, flees North America and ends up on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean, and then into the tribe of South American Arawak Indians and leads their fight against the Spanish, English and Dutch conquerors. The author sharply exposes their “civilizing” mission.
Jack London "Interstellar Wanderer"
0
The story is told in the first person by a San Quentin prison inmate (agronomy professor Darrell Standing) sentenced to death. For a long time, Darrell spent in solitary confinement, where he was repeatedly tortured with the so-called “strait jacket” - a piece of tarpaulin that tightly tightened the entire body like a lacing, causing angina pectoris. Trying to alleviate the torment he is experiencing, Standing tries the “little death” method (a kind of trance state), suggested to him by another prisoner using tapping. As a result, he travels among the stars, and then experiences the experiences of many of his past incarnations. Descriptions of travel through one's past lives constitute the bulk of the book.
Disinfection and search for water.
Yes, the earth is 75 percent water (and also our body), so I can say that there will always be enough of it, and maybe even much more than we need. But don’t you understand that water should be potable, that is, clean and safe to drink? This is not the kind of water you can find anywhere, and then baby when you need it.
In urban survival in places where people are full of people and drinking water is very unhygienic and the possibility of water contamination is very high, you must learn to find and disinfect water. When water is contaminated, it is obviously unsafe to drink. Learning to find drinking water in urban areas is an important survival skill.
Additionally, you can collect rainwater in a container as most of the stored water will help in many natural disasters. And rainwater is heaven sent if you've had to supply your own water for a long time. The sad truth is that when rainwater is nowhere to be found, the streams and rivers that are supposed to provide water often become polluted. In this case, learn how to sanitize and disinfect water.
Jack London "The Sea Wolf"
0
The famous novel “The Sea Wolf”, about the captain of the schooner “Ghost” “Wolf” Larsen, a strange personality: a ruthless, rude, strong man and at the same time a kind of philosopher... He professes the philosophy of “life starter” - a natural principle that unites man and an animal surviving in an unfriendly world. The more leaven a person has, the more actively he fights for his place in the sun and achieves more.
Jules Verne "The Mysterious Island"
0
During the American Civil War, five brave northerners escape captivity in a hot air balloon. A terrible storm throws them ashore on an uninhabited island. The courage and talents of the new settlers of the island help them arrange their lives without feeling the need for food, clothing, or warmth and comfort. The peaceful stay of the “Robinsons” on the island is disrupted by the threat of an attack by pirates, but some mysterious force helps them in the most difficult situations.
Text of the book “Life in the Wild. Survival Instructions"
Bear Grylls Life in the Wild. Survival Instructions
Never give up - until you die!
Lord Robert Baden-Powell
“We are pilgrims, master:
We'll move on - maybe
For that last blue mountain covered with snow,
Or maybe to the other edge of the raging sea.”
These words, taken from J.E. Flecker's book The Golden Journey to Samarkand, are carved on the memorial clock tower at Special Forces headquarters in Herford.
I dedicate this book to all the scouts in the world - each of the 28 million. You are part of a worldwide army of goodness and one of the most powerful and most peaceful youth movements of all time. You have something to be proud of. But pride requires modesty and dedication from the scout. Remember that your strength is in the skills you acquire, in the support you give to your friends, and in the adventures that fill your life.
As a leader of the Scouts of Great Britain, I am continually amazed by the fortitude that is inherent in Scouts around the world.
So may this power never dry up! Bear Grylls, UK Scout Leader
Introduction
More than a hundred years ago, a lieutenant general of the British army organized a week-long camp for twenty boys on Brownsea Island, located off the southern coast of England. His name was Robert Baden-Powell. He named his boys "scouts" after military intelligence officers who, he said, were "selected for their intelligence and courage to go ahead of the army during combat and find out where the enemy was." And Baden-Powell taught the Scouts what he himself had mastered during his impressive military career - the ability to observe, navigate and survive in nature, and build shelters.
Baden-Powell could not have imagined how powerful the scouting movement would become today. Or maybe he did. After all, “intelligence and courage” will never go out of fashion, and this book is dedicated to them. Intelligence and courage are the beating heart of the Scout movement.
Much has changed over the past hundred years. Cities grew, technology improved. But the natural world remained as it was. The stars that help us navigate remain in their places; the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west; the animals leave the same tracks as before, and the fire burns just as brightly. Our scouting duty is to understand and protect nature and all living creatures in it, to be able to withstand the elements and to have the courage to follow where the spirit of adventure given by the Lord calls us, wherever it leads us.
I have written many books about how to survive in the wild and about various fascinating places on Earth. In these books I used my experience gained in expeditions and campaigns in which I had the opportunity to participate. But I wrote almost nothing about the skills I acquired during my service in the special forces. Much of this book focuses on skills that I still use today. The reason is simple. There are virtually no differences between the knowledge and skills taught in special forces and those used by scouts. And in this guide I tried to summarize this knowledge and adapt many of the techniques that are used to train special forces soldiers for training scouts. Mastering these skills and assimilation of knowledge will help them become well-trained specialists who will make up the elite of the scouting movement.
The Scout motto is “Be Prepared!”, and life, at its core, requires constant readiness to overcome difficulties. The Scout trains and prepares for new adventures, learns to work in a team, understand nature and masters skills that will help him survive in any conditions, in short, he prepares for this life, as well as for another. We find peace in our souls through faith, and faith gives us the courage to go beyond the comforts of our existence. For everything that a person strives for is precisely achieved by going beyond this comfort, by the desire to take risks; go towards your dream, overcoming difficulties; to love, overcoming pain; hope, brushing aside doubts, and live boldly, despite fear. In my life, I realized that the main thing is to be together, because together we become stronger. And the main thing in the life of a scout and pathfinder is to rejoice, fight, dream and move forward, taking those you love with you on hikes.
So, go ahead, friends! Life is an adventure that you have to plunge into without any fear.
God bless you.
Lieutenant Commander Royal Navy (Honorary)
Bear Grylls, UK Scout Leader
Chapter 1 EQUIPMENT What equipment do professionals use. What You Really Need and What You Don't
Trouble awaits only those who are poorly prepared.
Roald Amundsen, polar explorer
Protection from wind, rain, cold and sun - “deadly” weather factors
It is very dangerous to underestimate climatic conditions. They can destroy you anywhere - you don’t have to go to the Sahara or Antarctica to do this. Respect the weather, learn to understand it - and you will always be able to survive.
To understand how the deadly combination of wind, rain, cold, heat and sun can affect you, you need to know how the human body reacts to temperature. Humans are “homeothermal” creatures. This means that their body temperature is constant. Various mechanisms allow it to be maintained. For example, if we are hot, we sweat - this is how our body cools down; if we are cold, then we tremble - this is a reflex reaction that forces the muscles to move. At the same time, heat is released, which warms us.
Thanks to mechanisms for maintaining a constant temperature, we do not freeze in the cold and do not die from overheating. Our body consists of a hot inner core (which contains the vital organs: brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys) surrounded by a cooler protective shell (muscle, skin and fat). The core temperature usually stays around 36.8°C. Even in very cold climates, this temperature should not vary more than two degrees in either direction. If the core temperature rises above 42.7° or falls below 28.8°, then in the first case the person will die from overheating, and in the second - from hypothermia.
But even with smaller temperature contrasts, too high or, conversely, too low a temperature has a very harmful effect on our body. Getting frostbite and hypothermia outdoors in freezing weather or passing out from dehydration in extreme heat is much easier than you think. Below I will discuss how to deal with these problems if you encounter them. But it’s better to try to avoid them - that’s why you need to clearly know how to protect yourself from cold or heat. And by protection I mean not only tents and sleeping bags, but also clothes and shoes. Because they are your first line of defense against the vagaries of the weather.
Choosing shoes and caring for them
“It’s the legs that make the soldier,” says the old saying. This is true. Ask any soldier who fought in Southern Afghanistan about this. The main battles took place in the green zone - along the banks of rivers, covered with lush vegetation and fertile soils. The ground here was so swampy that the soldiers’ feet did not dry out for hours, and sometimes even days, regardless of the quality of their shoes. And when they finally managed to dry their feet, the skin would crack and hurt. Infection penetrated into the cracks. If the same thing happens to you, your trip will turn into torture.
It is unlikely that you will ever get into the green zone. However, you'll be hiking in a variety of different types of terrain, so it's important that your shoes don't let you down. Long treks are taxing on your legs and you need to take care of them.
Bring only the most comfortable shoes with you. In the army, sunburn is considered to be an injury caused by the soldier himself, and can result in court martial. In peaceful life, you also have to take care of the condition of your feet. Therefore, take every opportunity to dry your shoes and constantly check for calluses and scuffs. In a word, take care of your legs like the apple of your eye, because it is very difficult to live without them - however, you know this even without me.
BOOTS
Regular sneakers seem very comfortable (and look cool), but they are completely unsuitable for hiking and expeditions. Sneakers absorb moisture and rub your feet, which also get very cold in them. In addition, sneakers wear out quickly. I took them with me on an expedition only once - when I had to climb a mountain for a very long time in very moderate temperatures and I needed shoes in which my feet would retain their flexibility. But, as I already said, sneakers quickly become damp and then take a very long time to dry.
A pair of quality, durable boots will last you much longer, and your feet will be more comfortable in them. Ideally, you would have specific boots for each type of terrain, but this is impossible to achieve. It is better to choose boots that are suitable for all occasions.
Buy boots half a size up. This will allow you to wear two pairs of thick socks (your feet will be warm and your shoes will not rub your skin). Also, remember that the foot lengthens in the heat and loose boots will never become tight. For uneven surfaces, high boots with ankle support are needed. Boots should be strong but light, since every extra gram of weight during a day's trek results in additional energy loss. And when you have to lace them with frost-numb hands, you'll be glad that they have hooks and rings.
Traditionally, boots are made of leather. The skin, up to a certain limit, is waterproof (and if it is rubbed with fat, this limit increases) and allows sweat to evaporate. Some leather boots are lined with waterproof material, which, however, makes the leather stop breathing. And during a whole day of walking, this can become a real torment for you.
Break in your shoes before you go hiking. To do this, put on the socks that you will take with you on a hike, put your feet in your boots, lace them up and stand for a minute or two in a basin of water. Then walk around in them until they are dry. During this procedure, the leather of the boots will soften, they themselves will take the shape of your feet, and you will feel comfortable wearing them.
I will never forget my first day of training with the French Foreign Legion in North Africa. We were given uniforms and, without even being shown the place where we would sleep, they ordered us to make a forced march. And we walked in our new, shiny heavy boots, put on with very thin socks, and measured mile after mile across the rocky and sandy desert. But after a few miles our legs began to bleed, and this whole pack of former prisoners and mercenaries, among whom I was, tiptoed through the desert, like a crowd of ancient crones. Some of my friends took several weeks to heal their legs and walk again without pain. And I learned one rule well: wear your boots yourself, without hoping that the legion will do it for you.
SOCKS
The best socks are wool ones. Wool absorbs sweat and, unlike other materials, allows moisture to evaporate. Always have a pair of spare socks in your backpack. Never wear socks with holes. And not at all because mom will swear, but because the wool around the hole, soaked in sweat, rolls up and forms hard growths that will rub the foot to calluses. (Once I saw a soldier who was wrung out his socks, and blood was flowing from them. He knocked his feet until they bled. So it’s better not to joke with socks.)
TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET AND SHOES
The British Royal Marines, as well as most special forces around the world, including the English one where I served, are trained to cover long distances on foot. They developed rules for caring for boots and feet.
• If, when taking off your shoes, you see that they are wet, stuff them with newspaper. Dry them in a warm, well-ventilated place, but not over an open fire or where it is very hot, as this will cause the leather to lose its natural lubrication and crack.
• To prevent the laces from freezing in the cold, rub them with wax, grease or softener.
• If your socks (or boots) are too tight, this prevents free blood circulation and your feet quickly become cold. To prevent this from happening, there should be a small layer of warm air between the shoe and your foot. And believe me, no one needs frostbitten feet. (See page 269, section on how to avoid frostbite.)
• Always have several pairs of clean socks with you. If your feet get wet - and in some places you can't help but get wet - change your socks as soon as possible. If conditions permit, dry your boots before putting them back on. If you can't change your socks, simply wring them out and put on dry ones at the end of the day. (If you're traveling in cold, wet areas, it's a good idea to have waterproof socks made from a material that your feet can breathe in.)
• To avoid chafing your feet during a long hike, wear two pairs of socks - in this case, the sweaty skin of your feet will not rub against your boots.
Clothing for different environmental conditions
Nothing better than clothing can protect us from environmental conditions. In extreme climates, life itself depends on the right clothing. But even in temperate climates, the success of your expedition largely depends on how you dress.
Obviously, the clothes you need to take with you will depend on the conditions in which you will be hiking, but no matter what you wear, you should take care of your clothes. This is why the Army, as well as the US Air Force, trains soldiers to follow these rules. They will be useful not only to the military, but also to civilians.
Make sure your clothes are always clean.
In summer, this is necessary to maintain hygiene rules and for your convenience. In winter, clean clothes will keep you warmer. Dirty and greasy clothes lose their ability to retain heat.
Avoid overheating.
In extreme heat, a person sweats - this is a natural way of cooling. But if you sweat a lot while hiking, your clothes will become wet and lose their ability to protect your skin from overheating. Additionally, as sweat evaporates, the body cools down. Therefore, if you overheat, you can then become very cold. To prevent this from happening, wear clothes in hot weather that can be unbuttoned or open to reduce sweating.
Wear loose, layered clothing.
The best way to protect yourself from overheating or hypothermia is to create “air pockets.” Wearing a few loose t-shirts will create layers of what the pros call “dead air.” These T-shirts will keep you warmer than a thick sweater that doesn't have layers of dead air. If you wear layers, you can remove the layers on top if you feel like you're starting to overheat. Always wear loose clothing, because tight clothing impedes blood circulation and leads to cooling of different parts of the body and even numbness.
Make sure your clothes are always dry.
Wet clothing absorbs your body heat, so if you're staying overnight, don't go to bed without drying what's wet—both the outside (snow, rain, or cold) and the inside (soaked in sweat). It is often difficult to stay dry while hiking. If you're going to a place where it's going to rain or snow, wear a waterproof jacket and pants over it.
Carefully inspect your clothing to see if it is torn or dirty.
Your clothes will be under a lot of stress, so pay close attention to the condition they are in.
Mend your clothes.
Sew up holes as soon as they appear. It's amazing how quickly small holes turn into big ones! And if your clothes become thin, they will no longer effectively fulfill their purpose, and you will become defenseless against environmental conditions.
Having learned all these rules, think about what clothes you need to take with you on a hike.
UNDERWEAR
Let's start from the very beginning - carefully consider what kind of underwear you take with you. If you wear underwear that is too warm, you will overheat and chafe your skin. If your underwear is too thin, you will freeze.
When you go somewhere where it's very cold, consider thermal underwear that covers your legs and arms. Be sure to make sure that it is not too tight, otherwise the blood will circulate poorly and will not be able to fulfill its task - to deliver oxygen to the cells of the body and carry away metabolic products. Don't bring cotton underwear - it's comfortable in dry climates, but if it gets wet (from rain or sweat), it will lose its insulating properties. It is better to take linens made of wool or synthetics - they dry faster.
Don't wear thermal underwear just because you like it - it will be very uncomfortable in hot weather.
SHIRTS
Again, do not bring cotton shirts. Wool retains heat even when wet (this is their advantage over artificial fibers), but now there are many synthetic materials that dry quickly, warm well and, in some cases, are waterproof and windproof. One of my favorite pieces of clothing is a very thin, lightweight, windproof jumper that I layer over a brushed shirt under my jacket. It holds heat well, is windproof, and is easy to put on and take off. You can roll it up and put it in your backpack - it weighs almost nothing.
TROUSERS
Hiking trousers must be chosen very carefully. They should be strong, but light and dry quickly. The regular trousers of the British Army are very good, not least because they have ten pockets in which you can carry various sharp and piercing objects. Bring a pair of waterproof pants as well. They are worn over regular trousers and should be loose so your feet won't sweat and you can pull your trousers over your boots.
JACKETS
The jacket is your protective shell, or shell. It must be waterproof and windproof. In addition, there are a number of other requirements that should not be forgotten. The jacket should be large enough to accommodate several shirts or sweaters under it in cold weather. In warm weather, air should circulate underneath it. A hidden zipper keeps wind and rainwater out. The jacket should have a waterproof hood that can be worn over a hat. The hood and cuffs should be elasticated or have Velcro fasteners so that water does not get under them, the wind does not blow, and a layer of air is retained inside. Choose a jacket with a large pocket on the outside for a map.
Many people like to wear camouflage jackets. What if you get lost and people start looking for you? A person wearing a jacket in bright colors is much easier to find. In such situations, the color of the jacket becomes a matter of life or death.
Protection for head, arms and legs
GLOVES
It’s not for me to tell you how terrible it is when your hands are cold. Hands, like feet, are the most difficult to keep warm. We've already talked about how important it is to choose good socks. In cold weather, good gloves are equally important.
Mittens are the best for keeping you warm, but they are uncomfortable if you have to work with your fingers - and you will have to work with them a lot. It is best to wear a pair of thin gloves under the mittens - then, taking them off, you will not get cold hands. Just watch your mittens and gloves - they can easily be dropped and lost. To avoid this, sew them to the cord and pass it through the sleeves of the jacket. This is what our mothers did when we were little, but I still use this method now – when I climb the mountains. If you drop your glove while climbing a mountain in cold weather, you can consider your expedition over.
I always keep a couple of spare gloves in my backpack, just in case. Many times I loaned them to my comrades when they lost theirs.
CAPS AND HATS
Caps and hats perform two tasks: they protect the head from the cold and from the sun's rays in hot weather.
In cold weather, your head loses a huge amount of heat - at a temperature of 4 ° C, up to 50% of your entire body heat is lost. The best headdress for cold weather is a woolen knitted helmet, which can cover your entire head during frost, and in warmer weather you can roll up its edges and turn it into a regular woolen hat. Of course, it lets water through, but you have a jacket with a waterproof hood.
Remember also: if you walk around with your head open during the heat, you risk overheating and getting dehydrated and sunstroke. A wide-brimmed hat will protect you from all this. Don't be a fool - wear hats in the heat!
OTHER PROTECTIONS
To protect against heat and wind, you can use hoods in the form of a fabric tube that is worn over the head, scarves, wind masks, padding for helmets, and even homemade double mittens. All these items weigh almost nothing and are very comfortable to wear.
GAITERS
Gaiters may seem too old-fashioned to you, but they are very comfortable. Made from waterproof canvas materials, they cover the space between boots and trousers. If you attach them to your boots, they will protect your feet from lumps of earth and branches, and also keep snow out of your shoes. If your hike takes place through snowdrifts, tall wet grass or marshy areas, you cannot do without gaiters. I always include them in my list of essentials.
Daniel Defoe "Robinson Crusoe"
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A novel by the English writer Daniel Defoe, first published in April 1719, telling about the moral rebirth of man in communication with nature and immortalizing the name of the author. Written as an autobiography of the sea traveler and planter Robinson Crusoe, who wanted to get even more rich quickly and illegally, but as a result of a shipwreck he ended up on a desert island and spent 28 years there. Defoe himself called his novel an allegory.
Man-made disasters
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A man-made disaster is an accidental accident that causes mass loss of life, panic and environmental resonance. Man-made emergencies are divided into industrial and transport .
The worst industrial disaster imaginable is an explosion at a nuclear power plant.
This April marked 28 years since the Chernobyl accident. As a result of the explosion, the fourth power unit was completely destroyed - the world faced the largest and most severe nuclear disaster.
How to survive a nuclear explosion
Thousands of people were exposed to radiation at Chernobyl. According to the international organization Doctors Against Nuclear War, tens of thousands of accident liquidators have died, and more than 10 thousand deformities in newborns and cases of thyroid cancer have been recorded. Perhaps these consequences would not be so large-scale if people knew how to shelter from radiation . But many did not even know about the Chernobyl explosion and a week later went to May Day demonstrations.
How to take shelter during a nuclear disaster
As for transport man-made disasters, the most frightening of them is an airplane crash. Many people believe that it is impossible to survive if you fall from the sky. But there are examples in history when people remained alive and practically unharmed.
How to survive a plane crash: 5 important facts
