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Survival tips
One-minute tips. Each links to its full guide and sources.
The rule of threes
About 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in harsh weather, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Deal with them in that order.
Survival priorities →Bleach for drinking water
Plain unscented 6% bleach: 8 drops per gallon (2 per litre). Stir, wait 30 minutes; it should smell slightly of chlorine. Double the dose for cloudy or very cold water.
Water guide →Signal mirror
Hold the mirror by your eye, make a V with two fingers around the target, and move the flash onto your fingers, then across the target. It can be seen for miles.
Signalling guide →Three of anything
Three whistle blasts, three fires or three flashes mean distress. In Morse, SOS is three short, three long, three short.
Signalling guide →CB channel 9
CB channel 9 (27.065 MHz) is for emergencies and traveller assistance only. No licence is needed for CB.
Radio guide →Baofeng: listen first
Anyone may listen. Transmitting on a Baofeng needs a ham licence and must stay on ham bands; it is not legal on FRS or GMRS. Program it with CHIRP and save a backup first.
Baofeng guide →Phone in a Faraday bag
A Faraday bag blocks radio signals, so a phone inside receives nothing and cannot be located by its signal. Charge it fully before storing, and test the bag by calling the phone while it is inside.
Communication plan →Jump-start order
Red to dead +, red to good +, black to good −, last black to bare metal on the dead car, away from the battery. Remove in reverse.
Vehicle emergencies →Stranded in snow
Stay with the car. Clear the exhaust, run the engine about 10 minutes an hour with a window cracked. Carbon monoxide has no smell.
Vehicle emergencies →Go-bag in five minutes
Water and a filter, 3 days of food, warmth, light, a whistle, first aid with a tourniquet, medicines, copies of documents, cash and a paper map.
Go-bag checklist →Dark Fault puts these guides, Wikipedia and an AI assistant on your own computer, all working offline.
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