I decided a strobe light was better than a flare gun for my flying survival kit. The batteries probably only last a couple hours though, so I only plan on turning it on when I think someones actually in the area, when I would typically use a flare.

I'm not too sure about that. What if a bird had crapped on the rock?

All water found in nature should be treated if possible (even well water if you plan on drinking it, though I drank untreated well water all my life and I am ok, I think), if you don't have the stuff to treat it then drinking fresh rain water from rocks, dew gathered from leaves, ect carries less of a chance of making you sick then drinking, say, river water. Which is important because you don't want to get sick while you are trying to survive. There is always the risk of getting sick, you are just trying to lower your risk.

The main problems of pathogenic (disease producing) bacteria via ingestion from insect contaminated water would be the ones they would transmit by their contact with contaminated materials. Flies (and other insects) that land and feed off of the contaminated pile of fecal mater and then land on food and/or water you are about to ingest can easily transmit enteric pathogens. However, in a true survival situation, where you cannot treat/boil the water, risking an intestinal bout would be preferable to dying from dehydration. Even if you drink contaminated water, your personal health, genetic background, number of organisms and a whole host of other factors will all determine if you become ill.

Pete

I once got into a taxi in NYC and was handed a Mission Statement by the driver. As with a great many other business trends, the mission statement will run its course and be replaced with something else. Otherwise, there won't be any new editions in the Buz section at the bookstore.

Tell us more about the single mirror thing.

My personal opinion... If you can treat it then you absolutely should. If you cannot treat it then you absolutely should still drink it.

OK

The glass signal mirrors reflect more light than most of the plastic mirrors. The Ritter PSK mirror is an exception. However, all the plastic mirrors scratch easily compared to the glass mirrors. The flip side is if you drop a plastic mirror it is not going to break like a glass mirror. You will have about 30 seconds to deploy your mirror if you see an aircraft. If you have the large glass mirror you are not likely keep it around your neck because it is big and heavy.

A true signal mirror has a sighting gauze in the center hole that shows a fireball of light where the reflection will shine. To use this type of signal mirror first face the sun. Tilt the mirror so the reflection is just in front of you. Now move the mirror to your eye while looking where the reflection is. You should see the fireball in the mirror. Now you can tilt the mirror and place the fireball where you want the mirror to shine.

The problem is that if your face or hand blocks the sun on the mirror then the fireball disappears. To make a reflection 180 degrees from facing the sun is no problem. I had taken a survival class with the Phoenix Park system and the park ranger had us use two mirrors to reflect light to a point beyond the 180 degrees. To do that you face away from the sun and hold one mirror in front of you, over your head, and shine the light onto your chest. Then put your signal mirror up to your eye and tilt the mirror above your head onto the signal mirror and you can now signal objects in the opposite direction from the sun. It is had to keep the reflection on your signal mirror from the reflection of the other mirror. The Park Ranger was making it a two person exercise. One person held the mirror while the other used the signal mirror. This was a Cluster Foxtrot, as we use to say in the army.

So Gene show how if you face the sun and then when you turn keep the mirror on the eye that is closest to the sun and use the right hand for the left eye and the left hand for the right eye. That way your face and hand do not block the light. I tried it at home and was able to reflect the light straight away from the sun, up, and down. So I don?t need the second mirror or a second person holding one. I am able to do a 360 degree sweep of the horizon with only one mirror.

It works! Give it a try.

<img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Here in the desert I would hate to get diarrhea from bad drinking water. That would make me more dehydrated. I have Amodium AD in my first-aid kit for that reason. I also suspect that it would take force to keep me from drinking any water once I was seriously dehydrated. I know my body would say: I don?t care, just drink.
<img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Two last Air Force comments:

Gene said that pilots have been taught to use their parachute to make a shelter for years. But no pilot has ever used their parachute to make a shelter. I have a survival video of hunters using pieces of parachute to make a shelter and used as a blanket. It must be good stuff.

From interviewing POWs they learned that the men who had a will to survive, survived. The men that did not have something to stay alive for, died. He said is did not seem to make a difference if they were big and strong or small and in poor health.

Gene said if you think you are lost to stop and take a sip of water. He said it helps to clear your mind.