Re Arney:

I was actually thinking of using the portable multimedia survival database as a reference tool during an emergency and as a training aid whilst out and about rambling in and about the countryside.

The primary idea was to build a visual database of locally available wild foods together with the methods and techniques used to identify and process them. Ray Mears newly released TV show 'Wild Foods' was excellent. The TV show showed the wild foods, which were available to aboriginal Britons and the techniques and methods used, which were used to produce nourishing foods, as they were done many thousands of years ago.

As Ray Mears would say 'the more you know, the less you need to carry.' This exemplifies the philosophy and techniques employed by the 'Bushcraft movement' within the United Kingdom.

A specific example would be a subsection such as a mushroom database - Rogers Mushrooms is an excellent resource. The idea would be to put a pictorial database of say the 50 most commonly available mushrooms which were available to eat and 50 of the most common poisonous ones on to the phone database. Therefore a mushroom could be identified with much more confidence. This skill in identification is something that takes many years to accomplish.

I know that pocket text book guides are useful, but these might not be available or to hand during an emergency where as my cell/mobile phone will probably be. It would allow me to determine whether a particular mushroom was edible or poisonous for example. There is also a market for certain wild grown mushrooms species, which are available from the Glens of Scotland with some rare and delicious mushrooms costing more per pound than the finest Wild Salmon. I could be rambling through the Glens whilst making money at the same time.

In an emergency situation, such as a power outage, the cell phone is a very useful communications tool. It is also now a source for entertainment as most can play MP3 tracks and short Video clips with some having in built FM radios. Some can even record Video and capture high resolution photographs as well. The cell phone could also potentially be a survival resource, with the ability to show and describe survival techniques and methodologies to those who are lacking in certain techniques and abilities. I will admit I would be one of these people as I lack the skills of those, such as renowned bushcrafters including Ray Mears with regard to there ability to describe flora and forna or even to those who have the knowledge of the lost forgotten art of mushroom identification. I know a short descriptive video is in no way a substitute for experience, but I feel it would be something useful especially in a survival situation.

For example, those weak in navigation skills or those weak in common sense (a little common sense is clouded by the fear of the unknown as many have not even experienced viewing the milky way – many have never even experienced the dark of the darkest night) it too, could also be a useful resource.

You are perfectly correct about the issue regarding battery power, but if a cell phone signal is unavailable in an emergency then it cannot hurt to have the survival database on the Transflash card for some point of reference. A method to keep the phone battery powered up would also is useful. Solar chargers, hand held chargers or 12V car chargers are commonly available though, for most cell phone handsets. The video and pictorial database may even be able used to subdue some irrational group fears also, if employed where group dynamics start to become an issue. Information is power, if you can demonstrate what you are saying is valid then a lot of pointless argument can be put to one side.

As with the equipped website there is excellent and practical information, why not make it portable and use some instructional videos to emphasis various basic survival pointers. It may prove invaluable for those who make incorrect decisions based on TV programs such as 'Man v Wild'.