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#1043 - 07/25/01 04:06 AM A message to chris...
Anonymous
Unregistered


Chris kavanaugh i recently read that you lived in arizona. I was wandering if your familiar with the sonoran desert? i live in the middle of the sonoran desert out in the sticks and i was wandering if you could help me come up with a small survival kit that suits the needs of desert survival as compared to mountain and sea.<br>right now all i have in it is...<br>1 small knife<br>1 Flint<br>4 fire tender tab things<br>1 sewing kit<br>30 ft of snare wire<br>25 ft of fishing line (for survival shelter)<br>25 water purification tablets<br>1 4x4 plastic sheet for solar still <br>1 2 gallon water bladder<br>5 feet of tube for solar still<br>1 snake bite kit<br>1 medical kit<br> and that's it and it all fits in a small pouch that goes on my belt. doesnt way much either<br>Is there any thing that i should add to my kit?<br>Thanks much Chris and Who ever else has any suggestions<br>Please i dont mind if any body responds<br><br>

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#1044 - 07/25/01 04:57 AM Re: A message to chris...
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
Ron welcome, I live in Cal. but spent my youth in AZ and make frequent visits. Is your snake bite kit an old cutter type? Destroy it,does more harm than any good and get a Sawyer extractor. Just watch for the Buzzworms,Gilas and Scorpions and shake out boots,bedding etc. morning and evening. Cone nosed kissing bugs, Hanta Virus carrying rodents and rabid skunks are potentially just as dangerous. Solar stills in the desert are not very productive.You can forget about chopping up a century old cactus for juice. The sweat equity to do it is never worth the bitter result. The classic strategy is to locate standing catchments of water. This is done by watching animals travell,usually in the morning and evening hours. My strategy is to mimic a camel and carry water ,lots of water. There are several survival schools in AZ. Take one. I am only familiar with Reevis Mountain School. They are a "New Age" community with an emphasis on primitive skills and native plant use. I am taking Peter's next trek. My contacts have been very positive and feedback from visitors likewise. You may want to take a contemporary course first. Is your snare wire S/S? Those Jacks can actually break brass wire. a neat trick courtesy of the cattle industry: dried cowpies make excellent fuel and even insulation between you and the cold desert floor. <br><br>

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#1045 - 07/25/01 08:04 PM Re: A message to chris...
Anonymous
Unregistered


Thanx a bunch chris and i threw out the snake bite kit and im gonna get a sawyer extractor. i geuss ill get rid of the tube and plastic sheet for solar still. Is it the root of the yucca plant or the base of the leaves that is a natural soap? and whats a buzzworm? i am fimiliar with every thing else but the buzzworm sounds interesting. Thanx again chris!<br><br>

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#1046 - 07/25/01 09:57 PM Re: A message to chris...
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
Sorry! Buzzworm is old cowboy slang for a rattlesnake. Don't throw out the solar still, the teflon tube is a good straw to drink from and the sheeting has many uses.The root is for soap. The leaves can be woven and the needles utilized for awls. The stalk can be roasted and eaten frown. It tastes like old glue but is nutritious. The young petals are good in salads and the seeds can be roasted. Peter at Reevis has a great walking botony class.<br><br>

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#1047 - 07/26/01 04:45 AM Re: A message to chris...
Anonymous
Unregistered


Chris do you have any experience with kreasote bushes? i am wondering cause that is the main vegetation around here and i have no experience with making shelters out of it. Any suggestions?<br>lol bout the buzzworms i knew i herd it before.<br><br>

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#1048 - 07/26/01 05:40 AM Re: A message to chris...
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
Creosote is arguably the oldest living plant,with a specimen in Mojave estimated@17,000 years ( genetically identical offshoots that form the characteristic circle). The indians would secure three ridgepoles and lash or pile whatever was available,including creosote to create the wickiup.Try not to destroy entire colonies though,take parts from each circle. There are two exotic plants in the Sonora, Salt Cedar Bush and Buffel Grass. Utilize them and help the natives! There is an excellent writer on Desert plants. Look for The Desert Smells Like Rain and other works by Gary Nabhan.If you can't secure plant materials to build up in a desert survival scenario,mimic the animals and dig down. A simple depression,possibly walled with a row of rocks and covered with a tarp, jacket or opened sleeping bag makes an expediant shelter. Again, you have several schools out there listed on Doug's resources. Hands on instruction is irreplaceable. <br><br>

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#1049 - 07/26/01 05:55 PM Re: A message to chris...
Anonymous
Unregistered


Thanks a Bunch Chris.<br><br>

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#1050 - 07/30/01 04:30 AM Re: A message to chris...
lostinthewoods Offline
newbie member

Registered: 03/30/01
Posts: 22
Loc: U.S.A. A.Z. prescott valley
What is a cone nosed kissing bug???????? Never heard of it.<br><br>GOD bless the U.S.
_________________________
GOD bless the U.S.

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#1051 - 07/30/01 04:57 AM Re: A message to chris...
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
Kissing bugs are associated with many blood diseases worldwide. In our Southwest the disease is called chagas,or trypanosomiasis,which often leads to heart failure.the common vectors are pack rat middens( and pack rats) and possums.Removing the vectors can result in domestic pets becoming the new host. Thats about the extent of my limited knowledge. <br><br>

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