Elk;Versus Wapiti;Versus;The North American Moose Fable

Once again, it is shown that Americans; including but not exclusively; peoples from the United States of the Americas, have a great problem; when it comes to escaping tendencies toward fictation; or in identifying everything; or indeed-anything; including themselves; correctly, that is. Antelope, Bannock, Buffalo, Red Willow, Kinnikinnick; the name of the area in which they live.

Introducing an Elk, common throughout 
Europe and the National Animal of Norway.

SORCE: http://information.indianorway.com/2009/04/21/national-animal-of-norway/

© JB Olsen/R Sørensen/Samfoto-I do not believe he will object in this case.

Norway's national animal is the ELK, directly above. They are not related to the wapiti(below); which is NOT an elk; and the wild form of which exist only in North America.  

Known throughout Europe; the elk is the largest mammal in Norway. It can be found in considerable numbers in that country and other countries throughout Europe.They are browsers and live mainly on grass, bark and other plants.

The Wapiti above is found mostly in Canada and wild only in North America.  

The North  American Moose may well have been introduced into this country by the ancient Norse when they first discovered it during one of their Vikings.

©Al (Alex-Alexander)D. Girvan, All rights reserved.

A Log Survival Cabin-and Everything You Need to Know About Survival Shelters

The building of a log shelter, of any size,will require a greater number of labour intensive, hours, than for which the average disaster/emergency survival exists. In any and all cases, anywhere in Canada; if you have no other shelter available; and, it is any later than mid September; the building of one is going to take more time than you have available--that is, before you freeze to death; or die of hypothermia.

What Is Hypothermia?

Used as a prefix, ‘hypo-’ means ‘under’ or ‘below normal’.  So hypothermia means below normal temperature.    

When you are awake, your body needs to maintain a core temperature of approximately 37oC (98.6oF).  This is sometimes referred to as ‘normothermia’, i.e. your normal temperature.   

Medically, hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below 35oC (95oF).  This represents a 2oC (3.6oF) drop from normal body core temperature.  This allows for normal temperature fluctuations that occur through a 24 hour period, including temperature changes in your body while you sleep. 

In reality, however, if someone is awake, normally fit and healthy and has a body core temperature of 35oC (95oF) in a remote outdoors setting, they are likely to be in trouble already.  If they still have the energy they may well be shivering violently.  In the outdoors, you need to do something about a falling body core temperature before it gets to this stage.  We need to look for signs and symptoms of hypothermia in our companions.  Learning to recognise the signs and symptoms – and recognise them early – is very important--at any time--not just in disaster/survival situations. 

Really, more intended for PIONEERING bushcraft; or long term inhabitation than disaster/emergency survival; a log cabin is perhaps one of the most permanent shelters that can be constructed from natural materials. It requires a huge initial outlay in time, energy and resources but can provide an extremely useful and resistant long term shelter. It also has value (but, only when practised in a environmentally friendly, responsible manner) as a 'troop project' or for putting those pioneering/axe/saw skills into practise.

The first thing you will need to decide is the size of your log cabin. You can always add sections at a later stage but the main section should be designed with a size (and use) in mind. You will need to clear a suitably large area and flatten the ground, removing any rocks, undergrowth etc.  The shape is up to you, but I suggest you stick with the standard rectangle/square and a sensible size for a small cabin would be around 8-10 ft. square

The next thing you will need is a ready supply of logs. Please take care when constructing your cabin that you get permission to fell any trees or remove any logs. Obviously standard safety procedures should be undertaken if you intend to 'make your own'. The main body of the cabin is relatively simple to construct, simply arrange the logs in a square, the only complication being the joints at each end (you could simply lash the logs together and fill in any gaps, although I would not recommend this for any reasonable sized cabin).

As you can clearly see, in my model illustration, simply stacking the logs, one on another,would leave very wide open spaces between them. By the time you  got all of them all filled; you would, in reality, have a reinforced sod shelter. Like an Inuit iglu, the shelter could then keep you fairly warm, even in the coldest conditions; but, just one problem—you would be long dead.

The second model illustration, above, depicts true saddle notching and, requires, perhaps, debatable, a greater expenditure of time, and labour; but, it will allow you to achieve a very close fit; if you are truly willing, and able to spend your –most valuable possession-TIME that really, requires no chinking. The logs are notched only on the bottom side. Other methods are at least slightly, more complicated and are used to produce even stronger, and/or neater (urban civilised) looking, cabins.

The third illustration, shown above, illustrates what is, probably, best described as a Double Saddle Notch; for which is, almost, a necessity to have also available a broad axe; or at least a good draw knife-gives-rather can give-with a greater expenditure of labour and TIME-an even closer fit. 

To join the logs simply 'notch' at each end (although not at the very end). Be careful to leave a overhang each time and do not remove this overhang, it is what will give the cabin strength. In the illustrations the logs have been notched top and bottom, using a simple notch.If done properly, this method can produce a very tightly fit wall, with little, or no, need for any chinking (so can the saddle notching method).
One on the main tricks is the very start. For what will be the width of you cabin; do not notch the first two logs. This will lift up the two logs on what will become the length of the cabin, giving an opening of half a log and this is where you fit the beams for you flooring in. From then on it may take a little work but the logs can be made to fit tightly together (I do suggest putting a small amount of moss between, to act as insulation).

There are many other methods and variations of corner notching, some of which are shown above: for the first (top left of illustration), also a simple method-actually even simpler- 

When using the last shown method; the very end of each horizontal log is notched (using the interlocking dove tail design) and then fitted into the corner post. 
Logs, also, may be squared, on at least what is to be the bottom, and top, sides. The first log is notched half way through, on what will be the top side; while the other is notched half way through on what will be the bottom side. This, flattened, or squared, construction, keeps the logs level on all sides. The more advanced methods require a skilled craftsman; and are not usually used for short term, or survival type construction.

Simply stacking logs on top of each one another you will quickly run into problems. Because any natural log will have some 'taper' to it you will want to alternate their direction at each layer. Remember to leave space for a doorway too!, preferably on the side away from the prevailing wind. If you feel particularly ambitious construct a door frame from shorter sections. I would not bother trying any fancy 'doors' (at least at the early stages), a simple cloth covering to the door will suffice. You may also want to include windows, although for a typical ten foot square cabin, the door and chimney will give ample light and ventilation, and the increased effort in constructing a (safe) window is simply not worth it.

Unless you like sleeping in pools of water you will want a sloping roof to your cabin. As you near the required height you will need to build up the back of the cabin higher than the front. A simple lashed cross frame across the top will support your roof. Remember to notch your cross beams to fix them in place.

Now comes the waterproofing. Firstly you will want to fill in the gaps between the logs. The best way to do this is to mix up a 'paste' of mud, leaves, grass, moss, wood chips and caulk the gaps by firmly inserting your mixture. Try to force it right into the gap. For very large gaps you may want to fill the gap with a sapling, or branch, before, and after; caulking.

The roof is the final part of the structure. I would recommend a 'light' roof on a timber frame rather than a solid log roof (I don't think I could trust my construction to hold the weight safely!). Simply lay (lash) saplings down across the main cross beams and cover in the desired material. You could try for a thatch by weaving long grass in and out of the saplings, or you could go for the full tile method, bark is an ideal material for this, either way a layer of mud across the saplings/thatch will help to make the roof completely waterproof. These bark tiles could even be pegged down with small twigs while the mud underneath is still soft. If you wish to have a fire within the cabin you will need to leave a small hole for smoke to escape (although you must NEVER leave the fire unattended!). Those of you with far too much time on your hands may wish to make a full stone chimney.

Link:

To see other shelters: requiring fewer resources and lot less effort, valuable energy, effort, skill, and time to construct.©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved

The Sod Survival Hut-Everything You Need to Know About

Though like log construction they are really, more intended for pioneer bushcraft; or long term inhabitation than disaster/emergency survival;There are some who claim that the sod hut is a forerunner of the all snow igloo; which to put it as mildly as I am able, is very highly unlikely. Firstly, sod huts are not are not brick or adobe, they are usually rectangular or square in shape and not being impervious to water, generally employ some kind of frame support. Unlike the all snow igloo, they are not free standing, dome shaped and do not employ arch or spiral construction.

But, like, the debris shelter, or any other shelter made from mud,sod, turf or tundra can be a viable  alternative: in areas where either timber itself is scarce, or if you just don't happen to have your trailer load of fancy "survival" tools along to work with. 

Although there was usually no lack of available timber, early pioneers of Ukrainian decent; especially those who settled in the area of present day Mundare, Alberta, Canada used a lot of sod or clay construction. 

Fire- places do not have to be inside and fire reflectors may be used in conjunction with any type of shelter; notice the fire reflector in above illustration.

WATER PROCUREMENT

Water is always one of your most urgent needs in a survival situation. You can't live long without it, especially in hot areas where you lose water rapidly through perspiration. Even in cold areas, you need a minimum of two quarts  of water each day to maintain efficiency.

More than three-fourths of your body is composed of fluids. Your body loses fluid as a result of heat, cold, stress, and exertion. To function effectively, you must replace the fluid your body loses. So one of your first goals is to obtain an adequate supply of water.

ABOVE-GROUND STILL

STILL CONSTRUCTION
You can use stills in various areas of the world. They draw moisture from the ground and from plant material. The flaws in this method--you need certain materials to build a still, and you need time to let it collect the water. It takes about twenty-four hours to get 0.5 to 1 quart of warer.

To make the above ground still, you need a sunny slope on which to place athe still, a clear plastic bag, green leafy vegetation, and a small rock.
To Make the Still

• Fill the bag with air by turning the opening into the breeze or by "Scooping" air into the bag.
• Fill the plastic bag half to three-quarters full of green leafy vegetation. Be sure to remove all hard sticks or sharp spines that might puncture the bag.

CATION: Do not use poisonous vegetation. It will provide poisonous liquid.

• Place a small rock or similar item in the bag.
• Close the bag and tie the mouth securely as close to the end of the bag as possible to keep the maximum amount of air space. If you have a piece of tubing, a small straw, or a hollow reed, insert one end in the mouth of the bag before you tie it securely. Then tie off or plug the tubing so that air will not escape. This tubing will allow you to drain out condensed water without untying the bag.
• Place the bag, mouth downhill, on a slope in full sunlight. Position the mouth of the bag slightly higher than the low point in the bag.
• Settle the bag in place so that the rock works itself into the low point in the bag.

To get condensed water from the still, loosen the tie around the bags mouth and tip the bag so that the water collected around the rock will drain out. Then retie the mouth securely and reposition the still to allow further condensation. Change the vegetation in the bag after extracting most of the water from it. This will ensure maximum output of water.

THE POUND, DOG-CATCHERS WAND

Is just another variation of the simple snare. it does have some uses; such as dragging an animal out of a beaver lodge, burrow, or den.

The Two Items, Most Commonly Inadequately Considered, or Overlooked Entirely In Emergency Survival Kits--What Are They?

CLOTHING; and adequate, serviceable, warm, preferably waterproof FOOTWEAR. 

This is the reason that a woman (and many a man) may find it much harder to survive after: getting lost in a remote area, a natural disaster, or a terrorist attack.While women, in general, usually have an adequate CARRY ON THEIR PERSON survival kit; they will often overlook serviceability and warmth in favour of fashion. While many men may be just as guilty, to make matters worse; women, OFTEN, do not have any survival kit, at all; in their vehicles. For single women, even in their homes, serviceable warm footwear is very likely to be lacking.