FREE ebook Sunday & Monday, Aug. 23 & 24

I'm making the first novel in my Obliterated series FREE for Kindle** download on Sunday, August 23 and Monday, August 24. The full title is:  Obliterated - Would You Know How to Survive?

It is the tale of a worldwide apocalypse (sci-fi so I didn't have to get into politically questionable areas) and how a very small group of people survive. It is laced with real-world camping and survival tips and strategies.

This is a full-length novel --- not a teaser short novella. There are two sequel books, but a reader can enjoy each one independently.

The setting is Albuquerque, NM, and locations to the northwest of the city. For a post-apocalyptic book, it is (purposefully) family friendly such that most readers have no problem with older teens reading it (though you will want to evaluate that for your kids by reading it yourself).

If you enjoy the book, I hope you will leave a high star-rating Amazon review. Independent authors like me depend on achieving 4-star-and-above averages so that we can get noticed. So far, the entire series has four stars and above -- thank you wonderful readers!

**  The format is Amazon's Kindle ebook format. However, Amazon lets you download the Kindle app to almost any device:  computer, tablet, phone. So you do NOT need a Kindle e-reader to take advantage of this free offer. Just type in Kindle app on the Amazon search box and the site will guide you through the download and usage process. Takes only a few minutes.

Baking Soda & Vinegar for Hair -- Why?

It's easy to find lots of posts online about simplifying your hair care routine to baking soda and vinegar. Most are positive, but I have seen a few negative.

I switched to this method almost 4 years ago and would never go back to commercial shampoos and conditioners. The main reason is that my hair and scalp are in better condition since the switch than ever before. That right there is the only reason I need personally.

But, there are other advantages I'll lay out here that can be particularly good for preppers and those in the mobile (RV and vandwelling) lifestyle.

• Environmentally sound. If you are washing your hair out in the boonies and do not want to have fragrances and chemicals around your bathing area, you can't get more basic and natural than baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Gray water is not contaminated if it is to be used for gardens, etc.
• Frugal. The ingredients are pretty cheap and since you do not use much per washing/conditioning, you will save lots and lots of money over commercial concoctions.
• Adjustable proportions so you can find the perfect balance for YOUR hair and scalp.

A huge side benefit for me -- with very curly, thick hair -- is that the vinegar is truly magic! All my life I've struggled with trying to comb my hair and with trying to get out knots and tangles after a washing/conditioning. My mother will attest to regular screams and "ouches" in my youngest years. Now, as soon as I pour on the apple cider vinegar rinse, I can comb it through my hair... tangles seem to fall out before the comb even touches them. Maybe more amazing, after my hair is dry and the curls are going gonzo, I can STILL run my fingers through my hair without snags. Unheard of for me me my entire life before this!

The basic recipe (and the proportions I generally use) is 1 tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water. And the same for the vinegar:  1 tbsp apple cider vinegar in one cup of water.

I use two plastic (safety in the shower) re-usable water bottles to mix my two formulas. This allows me to shake the baking soda and water mixture to blend it well. The vinegar and water needs only a gentle shake or stirring just before use to make sure it has not separated. My bottles each hold enough for 2-3 uses.

I wet my hair, squirt the baking soda "shampoo" near my scalp and lightly "scrub" with my fingertips for just a minute or so. I rinse that out. I pour on the vinegar "conditioner," again trying to get the liquid mostly on the scalp -- it will coat the hair strands to the ends on its own as I comb the vinegar through my hair (many people don't bother with that step if it is not needed to get out tangles). Rinse the hair again and you're done. Don't worry, the vinegar smell will likely be completely gone by the time you use your towel and it will for sure be gone when hair is dry.

As stated above, an advantage of mixing your own is that you can adjust the concentrations. If I have been in a lot of dust or gotten pretty sweaty, I up the baking soda a bit. If my hair seems to be a bit dry (affected by weather), I will lessen the baking soda for a few washes. If I use too much vinegar in the rinse, I find my hair gets a bit heavy instead of staying fluffy. Your results will vary.

For a quicker than usual fast wash, I have been known to wet my hair, use a spray bottle of vinegar to apply the tangle magic, and then rinse thoroughly. This can leave my hair a bit "heavier" but it is actually smoothing during frizzy weather.

Warnings:

1/ Some folks find they have an adjustment period of a few weeks, especially if their scalp is used to lots of products. The scalp may be used to producing lots of sebum to counteract commercial shampoos. I had no adjustment period at all, but with this warning you may want to give yourself some time for your head to adjust.

2. A nice reader notified me that if you color your hair, this system will/may take out the color. Sorry, I didn't even think of that since I've never used hair color.

Know Best Defense for Predators & Other Deadlies

Campers and preppers have a special need to keep up on "best practice" recommendations for dealing with potentially deadly animals of the non-human kind.

As the encroachment of people into previously wild lands continues, some animal behaviors are changing. Even those camping in nice campgrounds in rural areas may find dangerous wildlife encounters are on the rise. Those who boondock and hike are certainly at greater risk of encounters.

Preppers have special needs for awareness in a bug-out location. They may be focused on getting there and establishing defenses against human intruders yet forget they are now in a new wildlife environment with different "rules" and risks.

For example, let's look at the mountain lion (aka cougar, panther, puma) that lives throughout the western US and has isolated populations in places like Florida and Michigan. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare. and death from a mountain lion attack happens much less than death by snakebite or even dog attacks. Many of the few recorded deaths from a cougar are small children who were not accompanied by an adult -- something for parents to keep in mind when in a seemingly friendly outdoor area.

If you encounter a mountain lion, the recommended advice is to look as large as you can. Open your jacket, wave your arms, shout, throw rocks or sticks, etc. (Though be careful about bending movements that make you look smaller.) If the cougar feels cornered, it will be much more dangerous, so back away but do so slowly. Any movement that looks like sudden retreat will trigger the cat's "chase" instinct. Likewise, completely freezing or playing dead may make the cat think you are injured and easy prey.

Have children stand right behind or beside you. If you need to pick up a small child, so so without bending.

If you are attacked, fight back! You will surely be injured but almost all who fight back survive. This leads to the next concern:  how far away is help for your bleeding wounds? This speaks to not being out alone or at least to having a large bandana and/or some bandaging in your hiking/survival pack. (A post for another time perhaps.)

Now, those who know what to do in case of a bear encounter will immediately realize the above is mostly the opposite of what one should do with a bear. And that is the point of this post. Know your wildlife threats for the places that you will be, and know both how to avoid and how to respond to the danger.

Avoiding danger such as from rattlesnakes includes not putting your hands or feet where you cannot SEE. If stepping over a log with debris around it, use a hiking stick to first poke at the area your foot will be feeling to find purchase.

Again, arm yourself with knowledge and aids accordingly. When you google something like "bear attacks," look for trusted sources such as a Forest Service or Fish & Wildlife site.

Don't Let Your Vehicle Be a Death Trap in an Emergency

Today on the forum for CheapRVLiving a moderator posted an article about a 72-year-old man and his dog dying in his hot car. The battery had died and he could not get the door locks nor windows to open. 

This was a very odd situation indeed, but it prompted me to recall what I know about escaping a vehicle in an emergency. (I'm not an expert, but I try remember what studies have shown and have a plan in mind for the unexpected.)

A very handy thing to remember when you are in almost any vehicle is that most headrests can be released and pulled from the seat back. One or both of the long metal rods can be used to create a concentrated point of impact on a car window and break it. Then use the headrest to clear away the shards of glass around the window. Aim for the center of the window if you are going to use a pointed object to batter it. 

If a car has integrated seat headrests, obviously another object would need to be found to do the job. Perhaps an umbrella, screwdriver, small hammer, or even the corner of your laptop.

What if your vehicle has left the roadway and is sinking in water or a crash has disabled your seat belt release and you need to get out fast? There are compact emergency tools such as http://amzn.to/1FVEM82  that can both cut through seatbelt webbing with a razor and shatter a window with a steel point. It's a good prepping tool to have near enough to the driver's seat to grab in case of emergency. One good place to keep it is the driver's door pocket.

If the person trapped in a car does not have a disability that prevents it, another option is to turn sideways and lean back, put heels against the window and then give a sharp kick to break it. If kicking with your feet, aim for the front section of window, toward the hinges instead of the center of the window.

Color in Your Survival Kit?

Survival expert Cody Lundin recommends wrapping bright yellow duct tape around some items in your survival kit. More visibility for small items like a lighter means less chance of it getting lost or left behind. Plus, you have extra duct tape that you can unwind for other uses. 

I would add that you then have a place to write simple instructions using a permanent marker. 

What if you are injured in an emergency? Would others with you know how much tincture of iodine to add to a quart of water to purify it? Would a friend know to scrape shavings from your magnesium block to start a fire in extreme dampness? 

If you become dehydrated or very cold, your brain is going to be foggy at best. Anyone can become confused in a life-threatening situation.

Figure out the shortest way to write instructions anyone can understand on the duct tape wrapped around relevant items and those critical items in your emergency kit are instantly improved.

Earthquake-Safe Homes in a Post-Apocalyptic World?

Earthquakes in the news helped me determine the subject of this week's post.

In my post-apocalyptic novels (the Obliterated series on Amazon), a small band of survivors travel to an area they hope will be safer from the ravages of earth changes. Quakes and tremors are happening at least weekly by the third and final book. This means survivors in the non-electrified world must invent a method of building homes to withstand a lot of shaking.

My own thought process began with how "safer" buildings are erected these days: often the foundation is on a platform that has "shiftable" supports. Basically, the foundation can flex with the movement of the earth.

I thought the survivors' small homes must be:

• flexible to withstand shaking, 
• not underground for danger of being buried,
• without heavy materials that could fall and injure/kill,
• able to be built with hand tools only,
• yet water- and wind-proof.

My first choice (of a few ideas tossed around in the book) was to use the building blocks used in "earthships" -- those wonderfully engineered and quirky environmental wonders. http://earthship.com/construction-materials

The main walls for earthships are made from recycled tires rammed with earth. Earthships are then over-covered with dirt to be partially underground, but my characters would not want that for fear of being buried.

So, they come up with a plan in the second book to build small circular homes. They will wire together tires (with heavy-duty wire or cable), stake the bottom row, fill each with rammed earth and then build up the walls layer by layer. Each layer is also cabled to the one below. Gaps in two offset rows that make up the circle of tires would be chinked with adobe or other natural materials. The roof would be any lightweight sheet of material they could scavenge. The inside floor would be dug out a few feet so fewer tires would be needed.

The hut's foundation would not flex but the walls would. The old "willows bend and oaks break" theory. These would not be pretty structures but should provide thick-walled, protective shelter. In a hand-made new world fraught with earthquakes, what would you build?

A Pocket of Emergency Preps for a Hike

Emergency preparedness for a simple hike? Any hike could turn into an overnighter due to unfortunate events such as getting lost, a sprained ankle, or unexpected weather making a trail dangerous. You won't take a fully loaded backpack on every walk in the woods or jaunt through the desert, of course, so what items are most critical to carry? Here's my list followed by explanations:

• GPS, smartphone with GPS app, or button compass
• emergency whistle
• tiny LED flashlight or better
• flagging tape strips (if there are not easily visible landmarks)
• small pocket knife or multi-tool
• emergency mylar blanket, heat sheet or contractor bag(s)
• lighter and/or all-weather matches
• stainless steel or aluminum water bottle or cup
• a few bandages and insect repellant wipes 
• a small amount of duct tape

First are tools to help you get home if you are lost or delayed. A GPS or smartphone app is the high-tech solution, provided you have marked your camp location before setting out and have the electronic device with you (along with enough battery life or an extra battery) and have a signal.

A simple button compass (liquid filled) is a simple solution to help steer you in the right direction if you’ve taken time to learn the basics and you know the general direction of your camp. The simplest tool is your own awareness: take note of recognizable features that can be seen from a distance all along the way, especially if you make a turn. 

If you find yourself turned around and you’ve taken photos along the way, go back through the photos to see if they show your previous positions.

Next, always carry a compact, loud, emergency plastic whistle (get a non-metal one that doesn’t have a “pea” as those can be a problem in freezing weather). A whistle can be heard much farther than the human voice, and it never gets a raw throat. Three whistles in a series means “I need help.” (Three of anything is the international symbol for “Help!”)

A small but powerful flashlight is, in my opinion, the third essential for every hike. It may help you get home after the sun goes down, preventing the need to spend a night out.

If you have a tendency to wander off course when walking or there are no distant markers in the landscape, consider taking  neon-colored “flagging tape” in your emergency kit. Tie these non-adhesive, nearly zero-weight strips onto branches or anchor an end under a rock. On the way home, collect the pieces you’ve used to mark your path.

Other than the smartphone or GPS, these items are small enough to fit in your pocket or small pouch, so there is really no excuse not to take them with you every time you walk away from camp. Or, the mini LED light, the whistle and even some tiny compasses can go on your key chain. Survival experts insist a knife is also necessary, so consider at least a small pocket knife or multi-tool on your keychain as well.

Now, imagine you are stuck a few miles from your car or RV without the ability to get to it. What additional items can you easily carry on every walk that may help you survive or be more comfortable until morning?

Your immediate need will be shelter from wind, rain, cold or heat/sun. Wearing appropriate clothing when you leave camp is your first line of “shelter.” For mini emergency kits, the most often-used shelter is a mylar sheet sometimes called a space blanket. These are better than having nothing to fend off hot sun or rain, but they are very cheap for a reason.

If you choose to wear something like a fanny pack, or if you have a decent-sized cargo pocket, you would be much happier with an emergency blanket such as those in the SOL line made by American Medical Kits (AMK). These bright orange “heat sheets” even have survival tips printed on one side (and the color helps others find you). Or, take along a 55-gallon trash bag or contractor bag that is at least 3 mil thick (4 mil is even better). Do an online search for “garbage bag shelter” to view the best ways to deploy your “shelter” in various locations and conditions. Here is a link to a very good explanation in a video produced by Colorado Parks and Wildlife: http://vimeo.com/35321994

A fire will not only keep you warmer but also make you feel safer overnight. It also may serve as a signal if someone is searching for you after dark. For these reasons, carry a lighter: one that is NOT childproof but is translucent. Childproof lighters can be difficult to operate if your fingers are cold or shaking from trauma. A translucent reservoir lets you keep tabs on the fuel so you can replace your lighter when needed.

A fire will also be necessary if you must find and purify (boil) water. Hopefully you are prudent enough to carry a bottle of water, but you’ll need more than a liter or two in very short order. You'll only last about three days without water (most can survive a week or two without food). To boil found water, many experts recommend carrying a stainless steel or aluminum water bottle. But in the desert, a metal bottle can get quite hot to carry and use. Consider taking along a metal cup or even a clean small food can if you decide to carry your water in a plastic bottle. If you are using the famous “Altoids tin” for your mini emergency kit, you can boil water in it, but you’d need to do that over and over to get enough to drink.

Most long-distance hikers insist on redundancy for crucial survival items. They would tell you to also carry a flint and steel or, for bad weather conditions, a magnesium stick and striker. Cotton balls well coated with petroleum jelly and kept in folded foil or a small prescription bottle are superb “tinder” to get your fire going from a shower of sparks. However, if this begins to feel too cumbersome, it’s better to keep a simple kit that is always with you instead of a better kit you never take.

Along with the bright colors of your emergency blanket (or contractor bag) and your flagging tape, a signal mirror can help rescuers find you if you are immobile. It is a small rectangular mirror with a sighting hole. If you carry one, know how to use it properly. (Your metal bottle or cup can also be used to reflect the sun in a pinch.)

For comfort, consider adding a few bandages and insect repellant wipes to your tiny kit. Finally, make yourself a small roll of duct tape, or wrap some around your water bottle or other items. It can cover a blister to make walking possible, repair a rip in your emergency blanket and do so much more.