POPULARMECHANICS

ESSENTIALSURVIVALGUIDE

THEONLYBOOKYOUNEED

INANYEMERGENCY

HEARST

books

TABLEOFCONTENTS

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR

CHAPTER1PLANNING

CHAPTER2THREATLEVEL:LOW

CHAPTER3THREATLEVEL:MEDIUM

CHAPTER4THREATLEVEL:HIGH

CHAPTER5THREATLEVEL:APOCALYPTICPHOTOCREDITS

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR

HowtoSurvive

WHENIWAS in fourthgrade,my teacher suggestedabook to readover thesummer:MySideoftheMountain, theclassicnovelbyJeanCraigheadGeorgeabouta teenageboywho runsawayandendsup living inahollowed-out treeand trainingahawk. Inever ranaway fromhome,but I alwayswondered if Icouldhavesurvivedthewaytheboyinthebookdoes.Recentlymywifeand I read thebookandshowed the1969 filmversion to

ourtwoboys.Weaskedthemiftheythoughttheycouldmakeitoutinthewild—onesaidyes,theotherwasn’tsosure.Survival means different things to different people in different situations.

Throughout its existence, which spans 115 years and counting, PopularMechanics has regularly published stories about all kinds of survival: in thewoodsalone;stuckinamountaincragwithnowater;maroonedonanicebergaspolarbearsapproach;trappedinacarbyafallentree.Survivalcanmeansimpleself-sufficiency—living off the land, relying on only oneself for food, shelter,andwater. It canmean digging a bunker in the backyard and stocking itwithcandlesandSpam.Or there’smyfriendEliot.Theotherdayhe foundhimselflockedinhisownbathroominhisapartmentinNewYorkCitywithnophone.After twentyminutes hewas able to dismantle the entire door knob and lockusingonlyanailclipper.Survival.Forthisbook,we’vecompiledourverybestsurvivaltactics,secrets,stories,

firsthand advice, and gear recommendations in one place. The information inthese pageswas as relevant a century ago as it is now,when everything fromclimateconditionstoglobalpoliticsisrifewithuncertainty.Keepitontheshelfin the basement next to your go bag, in the garagewith your flares, or in thebunkeroutback.Studyit.Itcontainsnotjustknowledgeaboutthemostreliablewaterprooffabricsbutalsowisdomonhowtoapproachanysituationinwhichsurvivalisaquestion.Evenifyou’renotthedoomsdaytype,weallhaveinthebackofourminds those threewords thatmakeabook like this indispensable:Youneverknow.

Goodluckoutthere.

RYAND’AGOSTINOEditorinChief

AreYouPrepared?HURRICANES,FLOODS,WILDFIRES,TORNADOES—DISASTERSCANTURNAREGIONUPSIDEDOWNINADAY.ANDFORSOMEUNLUCKYFAMILIESTHECRISISMAYLASTFORWEEKS,IFNOTMONTHS,UNTILPOWERANDCLEANWATERSUPPLIESARERESTORED.SMARTDISASTERPLANNINGCANHELPYOUTHRIVE,NOTJUSTSURVIVE,INTHEAFTERMATH.

ONE MONTH OF MREs and dehydrated meats and vegetables have theirplace,butyoucanmaintainacomfortablestockpileof foodwithout treating itlike a culinary last resort.The strategy is called “storewhatyou eat, eatwhatyou store”and itmeanscreatinga rotatingbufferof food that canbebuilt upover time. Surprisingly, there’s little consensus on how much of a buffer isnecessary,butwesuggestatleastfourweeks’supply.Thisphotoshows315,000calories of food, plus the water needed to cook it—that’s enough to keep atypicalfamilyoffourfedforamonth.It’sacombinationofcarbs(rice,beans,pasta)andeasy-to-eatcannedgoods(soup,fruit,veggies,tuna,peanutbutter),aswellassanitysaverssuchaschocolateandcoffee.Sohunkerdownanddigin.

LONG-TERMPLANNINGDisaster planning begins before you even choose your home, with a simpleinvestigationoftherisksthatyouwillface.Isthehouseinafloodzone?Istherea history of hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes? Then, once you’re settled, yousteadilybuildupresources,securewhat’simportanttoyou,andturnyourhomeintoasurvivablesystem.Andwhendisasterhits,you’llbeprepared.

FILLUPEVERYBASIN: FEMA suggests you store at least one gallon perpersonperdayintheeventofanemergency—28gallonsperweekforafamilyof four. But that wasn’t nearly enough for Conway Yee’s family in Weston,

Connecticut, afterHurricaneSandyknockedoutpower lines anddisruptedhiswell-watersupplyforaweek.Tokeephydratedandclean,“wewentthrough20gallonsaday”fordrinkingandwashing,hesays.Theyendedupdrivingtothelocalhighschooltorefilltheirsupply.“Ifastormisapproaching,Isuggestyoufill up every tub, sink, andwater bottle in the house,” says survival instructorand star of TV’sDual Survival Cody Lundin. A standard bathtub holds 109gallons. Stuck with a stand-up shower? You can purchase 55-gallon plasticdrumsonlinefor$70andup.

SAVE YOUR BYTES: The best way to protect your data from a natural

disasteristobackituptoaremotelocation.Mozy,oneofseveralonlinebackupsolutions,willstore125GBfor$120peryear.(DropboxandGoogleDrivegiveawaya fewgigabytesof storage for free.) Ifyou’d rather storeyourdatawithsomeoneyoutrust,buytwo2TBnetwork-attachedstoragedrivesandsplitthembothintotwoequalpartitions.GiveonedrivetoarelativewholivesinanotherstateandthenhavethedrivesbackuptoeachotherovertheInternetusingrsyncsoftware.Bothyouandyourrelativewillgetlocalbackupandamirroredremotebackup.

AquaPail1000Pourfilthywaterthroughthepailfilterandclean,bacteria-andvirus-freewaterdrainsoutthebottom.Nopretreatmentisnecessary.Thismodelisgoodforupto1,000gallons.

BE FUEL SMART: Storing large amounts of gasoline to run your car andgenerator is dangerous and expensive. The gasolinemust be treatedwith fuelstabilizer or used and replenished every few months. Instead, store six to 10emptyfive-galloncansandfillthematthegasstationinthedaysbeforeastorm.And don’t forget propane for your outdoor grill.When utilities go down, thebarbecuebecomesyourmostreliablecookingtool.

ABriefGuidetoPrepperJargon

BOB:Bug-outbag

GENNY:Generator.Justsayit.

HARDENEDELECTRONICS:Impervioustotheeffectsofparticleradiationorelectromagneticradiation

MAD:Mutuallyassureddestruction,e.g.,nuclearwar

WROL:Withoutruleoflaw

YOYO:You’reonyourown.NorelationtoYOLO.

EDC:Everydaycarry.Canbeaphoneorlighteroraknifeormultitool.

BALLISTICWAMPUM:Astockpileofammunitionthatcanbeusedfortradeorascurrency

GOBLIN:Someonewhowillstartlootingorcommittingothercrimesinasurvivalsituation

BIB:Bug-inbag.Everythingyouneedtorideoutanemergencyathome.

MARAUDERS:Peoplewhocollectgunsratherthansupplies.Theirplan:toraidthepreparedandeliminatethecompetition.

BUDDYBURNER:Ahomemadestoveforcooking

DEEPLARDER:Long-termfoodstorage

GOLDENHORDE:Themassofhelplesscitydwellerswhowillpouroutofmetropolitanareasinanemergency

OPSEC:Operationssecurity.SharingyoursurvivalplanswithotherpeopleisweakOPSEC.

BEYOND FIRST AID: A basic first-aid kit may not be enough to get youthroughtheworstofadisaster.It’sagoodstart—youdowantbandages,gauzepads, aspirin, hydrocortisone, antiseptic wipes, etc.—but unexpectedemergenciesdemandunconventionalremedies.WeaskedMykelHawke,formerGreenBeretmedicandhostofEliteTacticalUnitontheOutdoorChannel,whathewould add.His list: duct tape—great forwound closure, splints, and casts.Superglue—excellent for small, deep wounds. Use tape to hold while drying.Tampons—anunexpectedtoolforstanchingheavybleeding.Needle-nosepliers—useforremovinglargesplintersornails.

SAFEDEPOSIT DOCS: Keep copies of your insurance papers, householddeed,andbirthandmarriagecertificatesinasafetydepositbox.Alsoincludeahome video documenting your house. If your house gets destroyed, thosedocumentsarevitalforreconstructingwhatyou’velost.

NEAR-TERMPLANNING/AFTERMATH

Within 72 hours, a storm can evolve from remote possibility to life-alteringevent.Most disasters give a bit of lead time—with a tornado, that’s just longenough toget to thebasement;withahurricane, there’softenenoughwarningfortheunpreparedtoemptyawholeregion’ssupermarketshelves.Butwhetheryou’vegotminutesordays,usethetimewisely.Focusongettingyourfamilytoasafeplaceandpreparingforthecleanup.

FAST-TRACKSUPPLIES:InthedaysbeforeTropicalStormIrene,in2011,Glenn Derene knew the storm was headed for his house on the Connecticutcoast.Hewent to his computer and joinedAmazon Prime. The service offersfree two-day delivery on everything from generators towater to batteries. “Apackagefullofgoodsarrivedonmydoorstepthemorningbeforethestorm,”hesays.“Ispentmytimepreparingmyhome,notdrivingfromstoretostore.”

SECURE MISSILES: Go through the yard and tie down or bring insideanything that might go flying in high wind. That includes lawn furniture,wheelbarrows,gardentools,pottedplants,andanyconstructionmaterials.

CHARGE’EMUP:Before thepowergoesdown,plug in every rechargeabledeviceyouownandtopoffthebatteries.Afterthelightsgoout,asimpleDIYrecharging station can replenish your laptops, cellphones, tablets, and powertoolsfordays.Here’showitworks:Beforethestorm,useabatterycharger ,such as DieHard’s micro-processor-controlled model, to charge up a gel-celldeepcycle battery , such as the Optima BlueTop. After the local grid goesdark,unhookthebatteryandattachaninverter ,suchastheCobra400-wattpowerinverter.Nowsitbackandenjoysomehomemadejuice.

STRATEGY:POWER

STANDBY($1,800to$5,000withtransferswitch)

LARGEPORTABLE($400to$2,500)

SMALLPORTABLE($900to$1,150)

POWER FUEL CAVEAT

Designedtofeedintoahouseholdelectricalsystem,smallseven-kwunitscanpowerafewcircuits;larger20-plus-kwmodelscanhandlethewholehouse.

Standbygeneratorstypicallyrunonnaturalgasorpropane.Expecttouseatleast140cubicfeetofnaturalgasperhour.Atfall2017prices,that’sabout$1.44every60minutes.

Doublethecostforinstallation,plusmoreforyearlymaintenance

Thesegeneratorsproduce3,000to10,000wattsandcaneitherplugintoatransferswitchorhookuptoindividualappliancesthroughheavy-dutyextensioncords.

Gasolineconsumptionwillrangefromeightto20gallonsperdaydependingontheunitandwhatyou’repowering.

Ifyoudon’thave100-plusgallonsofgasolineon-site,you’llbebackinthegasline

withindays.

Compactandrelativelylightweight(40to100pounds),thesegeneratorsproducebetween800and3,500wattsanduseaninvertertoproduceacleanpowersignalthatwon’tharmsensitiveelectronics.

Theseunitscanrunforuptoninehoursononegallonofgas,soifyourunthisgeneratorjudiciously,youcangetaweek’sworthofusefrom10gallons.

Goodforpoweringsomelights,thefridge,andelectronics—justnotallatthesametime.

ENTERTAINYOURSELF:Ridingoutadisastercan takeasurprisingly longtime.Whetheryoustayathomeorevacuate,planoutsomeactivities thatwillkeep kids busy and adults sane. Think board games, books, playing cards,puzzles,andatabletstockedwithvideogamesandmovies.

GETAPOOLPUMP:Ifyourbasementregularlytakesonwater,aninstalledsumppumpisthewaytogo.Butifyoudon’thaveoneandastormsurgeisontheway, consider a gas-poweredwater pump.A 5.5-hpmodel can pump 150gallonsperminuteoutofafloodedbasementanditworkswhentheelectricityisout. You can get one for under $250, or better yet, split the cost with yourneighborssince they’llprobablybeaffectedby thesurge, too.Butdon’tpumpout any basement unless you’re sure the power’s off and there’s no sewagecontamination.

BELOCATIONSAVVY: “It’s really important tobegeographicallyawareofwhereyoulive,”saysGregCarbin,thewarning-coordinationmeteorologistwiththeNationalWeatherServicedealingwithdownedtrees.Warningsfortornadoesandseverestormswithhailareoftengeographicallyprecise.Soit’sreallyusefultoknowwhatpartoftownyou’rein(northwest,citycenter)andyourproximitytocertainlandmarks(townhall,anearbypond,etc.).Itwillhelpyouunderstandifastormisheadedyourway.

PLANFORFIDO:Animalsareoftenafterthoughtsinadisaster.AccordingtoJenniferAbbrechtoftheLouisianaSPCA,“Theworstthingyoucandoisleave

youranimalandhopeforthebest.”DuringHurricaneKatrina,anestimated80percentofrescuedanimalswereneverreunitedwiththeirowners.Includeyourpetsinyourdisasterplanfromtheoutsetandstockuponextrafoodandmeds.Keepacarryingcageandpre-scoutpet-friendlyhotelsorcampgroundsincaseyouhavetoevacuate.MakesureyourpetshavetagsorgetthemimplantedwithascannableHomeAgainpetmicrochip.

HOWTOSHUTDOWNYOURHOMEINFIVEMINUTES

NATURALGAS

Mostgasvalvesarelocatedoutsideandrequireawrenchforshutoff.Consult your utility company for instructions on proper shutoff, thenkeep those instructions in an emergency drawer by the doorwith awrenchandaflashlight.

WATER

Duringadisaster,crackedexteriorwaterlinescanbringcontaminatedwaterintoyourhouse.Toshutdownyourhouse’swater,simplylocateand turn off the main water valve, which typically is located in thebasement.

ELECTRICITY

In a flood, live electrical outlets can become a danger to both yourfamily and rescueworkers. If flooding is possible, locate yourmaincircuitboxandshutoff themainbreaker. If there isalreadywater inthebasement,donottouchyourservicepanel.

InOctober2012,HurricaneSandycausedmassivefloodingintheNortheastandclaimedatleast40lives.

GettingtoSafety:shouldyouevacuateorhunkerdown?theanswerdependsonthedisasteryou’refacing,whereyoulive,andhowmuchtimeyouhave.

YOURCELLPHONEVIBRATESwithanalert.Astormhasbeensighted.Abombexploded.Thefirescan’tbestopped.Oneofthemostimportantpartsofanysurvivalsituation isstayingcalm,knowingyouroptions,andchoosing thebestoftheminaslittletimeaspossible.

HURRICANE/FLOOD“Gettingpeopleoutofsurgezonesintimeiscritical,”saysFranciscoSanchez,anemergency-responsemanagerinHouston.“Soifthere’sanevacuationorder,thengoasfastasyousafelycan.”Notinasurgezone?Considerridingitoutathome,thenevacuateafterward,ifnecessary.

HAZMAT/NUCLEAREMERGENCYChemicalplantfires,hazardousspills,andnuclearmeltdownsarerare,Sanchezsays,“butbecauseofthingslikewinddirectionandweatherpatternsyouneedtofollow very specific directions.” Listen to the radio. If you are told to stayindoors, shut thewindows, close the doors, kill the a/c, and get to an interior

room.If instructionsare toevacuate,keep thewindowsofyourvehicleclosedandthea/coff.

WILDFIREIfasheriffknocksonyourdoorandtellsyoutoleave,grabyourfamilyandgo.InspectorQuvondoJohnsonoftheLosAngelesCountyFireDepartmentputsitlike this: “Property is replaceable, lives aren’t.Wemake predictions based onweather,drynessofbrush, topography,andpast fires.Wetry togivepeopleasmuchtimeaspossible,butwhenwesaygo,youshouldgo.”

TORNADOA tornado watch from the National Weather Service means that there is asignificantriskinyourarea.Thatgetsupgradedtoatornadowarningwhentheeventisactuallyoccurringanditmeansyou’dbettertakecoverinahurry.Ifyoudon’thaveabasementorshelter,thengettoasmallroomorclosetintheinteriorofyourhouse.

ExpertAdvice:ArthurBradley,anengineeratNASA’sLangleyResearchCenterandauthoroftheHandbooktoPracticalDisasterPreparednessfortheFamily,hasfoundthatacanofCriscoandasheetofpapermakeanexcellentlong-termcandleinapinch.“Rollupthepaperintoawickandstickthewickintothecan,”hesays.Itwillburnforeighthoursadayforamonth.

HAZARD:StructuralDamage

Reentering your home—is it safe? Coming back to your house after anevacuationcanbeanemotionalevent—andadangerousone, too.Seeing their

homes and possessions damaged can cause people to act irrationally in whatcould be an unstable, toxic debris field. If your house has been knocked orfloatedoffitsfoundation,don’tgoinside.

“If you hear shifting or unusual noises that signal that the structuremay fall,leave immediately,” says Francisco Sanchez of Houston’s Harris Countyemergency management office. Same goes if you smell natural gas; get outquicklyandcall thegascompany.Standingwaterfromburstpipesorfloodingcanraisetheriskofelectrocution.

Haveanelectricianor thepowercompanycut thepower toyourhousebeforeyoumesswith thewater. If you see or smellmold, open yourwindows, thenremove contaminated furniture or drywall. If you are on a municipal watersupply,checkwiththetowntoseeif thetapwater’ssafetodrink.Sticktothebottledstuffuntilyou’resure.

CHECKLIST:CLEANUP

You’re going to have a lot of work to do after a disaster, so you’dbettergetgearedupbeforehand.Doyouhave:

CHAINSAW

EYEPROTECTION

EARPLUGS

EXTRACHAIN

GARBAGEBAGS

GLOVES

CHAINLUBE

ROPE

DUSTMASK

BOOTS

LOPPERS

CROWBAR

HAZARD:

GuardYourYardExpensivethingsthatliveoutsidehaveahabitofdisappearingintimesofscarcity. Chain up and lock generators, grills, gas cans, and propanetankstotreesortoyourdecktodiscouragelooters.Nothingconvenientto wrap a chain around? Feed a chain through a concrete block, thenburytheblocktwofeetdeeptocreateadeadmananchor.

ExpertAdvice:Howtodefendyourhomewithafirearm.Townshitbydisastercanattractpredators.Ifyouownagunandaretrainedtouseit,thisisatimetobevigilantbutalsorestrained.MykelHawke,formerGreenBeretandhostofEliteTacticalUnitontheOutdoorChannel,

advocatesgivinganyintruderthreewarnings:

1.Statethatyouhaveafirearm.

2.Tellhimyouarelicensedandtrainedwithyourweapon.

3.Saythatyouareafraidforyourlifeandwillshootifhedoesnotleave.“Ifanintruderpersists,heiseitherinsaneorfullyintentuponengagingyou,”saysHawke.“Eitherway,youhavedoneyourbesttoavoidconflictandmustshootuntilthethreatisneutralizedandyoucancalltheauthorities.”

ExpertAdvice:RobertEisenstein,aphysicianattheRobertWoodJohnsonUniversityHospitalERinNewBrunswick,NewJersey,sayshisfacilitywasatmaxcapacityinthedaysafterHurricaneSandy.“Thebiggestsurprisewesawwasabigincreaseinfall-relatedinjuries—rightafterandbeforethestorm.”Theinjuriescamefrompeopledoing

prepandcleanupwork.“Wehadfootfractures,spineandribfractures,andheadandneckinjuries.”Thelesson?Workwithapartnerwhenonaladder.Anddon’tgoontheroofwithoutbracketsoraharness.

HAZARD:

CanThatTreeHitMyHouse?Useayardstick to findout. Measure thedistancebetweenyoureyeandoutstretchedfist. Grasptheyardstickatthatdistanceandpointitup. Aimyourfistatthebaseofthetreeandmovetowardthehouse.Ifthe topof the treealignswith the topof theyardstickbeforeyou reachyourhouse,yourhouseissafe.

STRATEGY:

TreeRemoval

CASE1:LeaningonaStructureIf that structure is your house, leave the tree alone—youwant your insuranceadjuster to see it. If it’s on a shed or other outbuilding that doesn’t meet adeductible, proceed carefully. According to Husqvarna Tree Expert CaryShepherd,suchtreescanbeunderup-and-downaswellaslateralpressure.Thatpressurecouldreleaseinunexpecteddirectionswhenyoustarttocut.

CASE2:SnaggedonaPowerLineDon’ttouchanytreethat’sleaningonapowerlineandcertainlydon’thaveatitwith a chainsaw. Trees are filled with water and are good conductors ofelectricity.

CASE3:OntheGroundSounds like you’ve got some firewood coming yourway.Butwork carefully.Watchforbranchesthatareundertension.“Makesureyouunderstandhowthattreecantwistorrollbeforecuttingit,”Shepherdsays.“Askyourself,whatsidewillitrollon?Youwanttobeontheoppositeside.”

STRATEGY:

HowtoReadaFEMAMap:Searchforyouraddressatmsc.fema.gov.Ifyourhouseisinablueshadedarea,you’re in a 100-year-flood zone,whichmeans there’s a 1 percent chance of afloodofonefootorhigheraffectingyourpropertyinanygivenyear.Thegrayshadedzoneputsyouinthe500-year-floodriskcategory.DoyouthinkFEMAgotitwrongwithyourhouse?Checkthebasefloodelevationonthemap,thenseeifyourhousesitsabovethatheight.

RECOVERYTwomonths.That’showlong it took toget thepowerbackonat thehomeofJayneandTomLeeinBreezyPoint,NewYork,afterHurricaneSandy.TheLeesareoneof37familieswhowereabletoreturntotheneighborhood—morethan2,000 families remained displacedmonths later. For victims of a disaster, thereturntonormalcycantakeafrustratinglylongtimeaftertherestoftheworldmoves on.While you are still settlingwith the insurance company, protectingyour property, and rebuilding your home, your responsibilities to your job,family,andfriendsdon’tgoaway.Welcometothesurvivallonggame.

FOSTERGOODWILL:“Thesenseofcommunitythatcomesoutafterastormis incredible,” says John Foberg, an HVAC engineer whose Hoboken, NewJersey,homewas floodedafterSandy.Foberg’sneighbors loanedhimcleanupequipment and he gave back by turning his deck into a community barbecuespot.

SAYSOLONGTOYOURCAR:Iffloodingreachedoverthefloorboardsofyour vehicle, your insurerwill consider it a total loss.The adjusterwill quoteyoustandardBlueBookvalueonthecar,butdouble-checkthatnumberbasedonyourarea—andfactorinanyequipmentyou’veinstalled.

DEALINGWITHDEBRIS: All manner of wet, slippery, splintery junk willneed to get shoveled, raked, and dragged to the curb.Wear protective gloves,boots, and longpants.Checkwithyour town to see if there is a public debrisremovalprogram.Ifnot,checkwithyourinsurertoseeifyourpolicypaysforadumpster.

DealingwithYourInsuranceCompany

TakeInventory.You’llneed toproduceadetailed listof thestuffyouhad.Purva Patel, a journalist who reported on the insuranceindustry for the Houston Chronicle after Hurricanes Rita(2005) and Ike (2008), suggests using Cloud-basedservices such as the Insurance Information Institute’sHome Inventory app and the National Association ofInsuranceCommissionersMyHOMEScr.APP.book.

NotsofastwiththeHammer.“Do as little repair work as possible before the adjustercomes to your home,” she advises. Document all thedamage with photos and video. “You want to be able toshowtheagenthowitstarted,”shesays.

Betenacious.

Askforcopiesofanydocumentsandphotosproducedbytheinsurancecompanyandadjuster.Andkeepcallinguntilyouget results. “A lotofadjustersare itinerant,not local,”saysPatel.“Theymovefromstormtostorm.Soyou’vegottobepersistent.”Ifyoufeelyou’rebeingignored,reachouttostateregulatorswhomonitortheindustry.

STRATEGY:

RebuildingSmartAfteryou’veclearedthroughallthewreckageandreceivedasettlementfrom your insurer, now’s the time to build your home into a bulwarkagainstthedisastersofthefuture.

Relocate your electric panel, hot water heater, washer, and dryer to ahigherfloorifpossible.

Switchfromthreetabshinglestometalroofingtoavoidwinddamage.

Elevate your home above the FEMA-designated base flood elevation(BFE).It’sexpensive,butyou’llsaveonfloodinsuranceandFEMAmayoffergrantstoaidinrebuilding.

Disaster-ProofYourLifeProtectingyourhomeandfamilyfromcatastrophesisataskbestdonebeforethestormcloudsgather.Here’showatargetedapproachtodisasterpreparationcanreduceyourrisk.

FORTHEPASTfewyears,researchersattheWhartonRiskManagementandDecisionProcessesCenterattheUniversityofPennsylvaniahavebeenrunninga computer simulation to study how people choose to prepare for potentialnatural disasters. The simulation, called Quake, is a multiplayer game. Allparticipantsstartoutwithahypothetical$20,000incashandahouse,andasthegame progresses they must make decisions about how to use their money. Aplayer can leave that money in the bank, earning a Madoff-like guaranteedannualreturnof10percent,orpayforstructuralimprovementstohelpthehousewithstandanearthquake.Thewinneristheplayerwiththehighestnetworth—cash plus the value of the house—at the end of the game, usually 10 virtualyears.Nearly everyone chooses to keep themoney in the bank.The strange thing

aboutthisresult is thattheresearchers,HowardKunreutherandRobertMeyer,warn the players that quakes are highly likely—the game, after all, is calledQuake.Butplayersclingdoggedlytothatpromised10percentrateofreturn.Onoccasion,thelabteamhaseventoldoneoftheplayersthattheonlywaytowinwastoputthemoneyintothehouse.Eventhen,hewouldtypicallydelayforacoupleofyears,hopingtocashinbeforedoingthehomeimprovements.Then,predictably,anearthquakewouldcomeandwipeeveryoneout.

BEFORETROUBLESTRIKESTheQuake study falls in the fieldofbehavioral economics, inwhichover thepast 30 years it has been determined that people often fail to make rationaleconomicdecisions.Ingeneral,itseems,peoplearetooeagertolockinfinancialgains and too willing to gamble that losses will never materialize. If this is

unfortunatewhenitcomestoretirementsavings,itispositivelydangerousinaworld riven by natural and man-made disasters. “People might be aware thattherearegoingtobehurricanesortornadoesorearthquakes,”Meyersays,“buttheythinktheactualdamageissomethingthathappenstootherpeople.”

2009’sLosAngelesStationFireconsumed160,000acresanddestroyed89homes.

AnEF5tornadodevastatedGreensburg,Kansas,inMay2007.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a devastatingMidwest tornado season in2008, anddeadly flooding inTennessee,Mississippi, andKentucky inMayof2010,publicawarenessofdisastersissurelyatahighpoint.A2009RedCrossstudyfoundthatmorethanhalfofallAmericanshadpersonallyexperiencedanemergencyinwhichthey’deitherlostpowerforthreedays,hadtoevacuate,orhadtoprovideseriousfirstaidtoothers.Yetthesamesurveyfoundthatonly12percentofAmericanshadtakenadequatedisaster-preparednesssteps.However,asthe12percentwhodoplanaheadcanattest,mostdisasterprepis

pretty straightforward stuff. Jeff Swiney, a towboat pilot from Lafayette,Louisiana,hasseenthreemajorhurricaneshithishomeinthepast10years.Hisstrategy forweathering storms is easy to executebecause everythinghasbeenfully planned out in advance. “Nothing’s basic when a hurricane is blowingdownyourhouse,”hesays.“Bythenit’stoolateandthat’swhenyouseepeoplefightingforthelastbagofDoritosatthegrocerystore.”Onceapersondecidestotakedisasterpreparationseriously,thefirststepisto

assess the spectrum of threats. How would each type of disaster affecteverything,fromthestructureofyourhometothecontentsofyourfridge?Fromthere,planningbreaksdownintotwobroadareas:generalmeasuresthat

applytoanysituationandtargetedtaskstoprotectagainstspecificthreatssuchaswildfiresorhurricanes.On thegeneral sideof the ledger, survival experts suggest that familiesplot

escape routes andmake sure that they know how to contact one another in acrisis.Itmakessensetolistallofthecriticalsystemsthatsupportyourdailylifeandhome(hotwaterheater,boiler,waterpump,phone,electricity,Internet)andlearnhowtheywork.Thenyoucancreateabackupplanincasetheyfail.

Once an immediate threat has passed, the survivors of any natural disasterneed to focuson securingwarmth,water, and food—and itdoesn’thave tobedifficult.

THENEXTDAYHeatandelectricitysound like twodifferentchallenges,butbothneedscanbesatisfiedbyageneratorandfuel.Duringalmostanynaturaldisaster, thepowermaygooutandstayoutforawhile.Insuchasituation,generatorscanseemlikemiracles.Inwarmclimates,abackupgeneratorkeepsfoodcoolandyourlightsand a/c running. In cold weather, generators can power either electric spaceheatersor fuel pumps tokeepoil burners running.Butyoucan’t just buy anygenerator,stickitinthegarage,andexpecttoreapthebenefitswhenthelightsgodark.Selectingandusing thismachine isanexercise in loadmanagement.Before

youshop,figureoutwhichhouseholdappliancesyouwanttokeeprunning,theelectricalload(inwatts)thateachonedraws,andhowmanyhoursperdaytheyneedtooperate.Manyretailersfeaturegeneratorcalculatorstohelpyoupicktherightmodel.Once you get the generator home, be sure to operate it safely. To avoid

carbon-monoxidepoisoning,neverrunageneratorinanenclosedspace—setitupoutsideandawayfromopenwindowsanda/cvents.Largegeneratorsworkbest when wired directly into your home’s circuitry. Consider hiring anelectrician to install a transfer switch so you don’t have to plug individualappliancesinseparately.Aftershelter,wateristhemostpressingneedintimesofdisaster.Mostofus

can’tsurvivemore than threedayswithout itandnaturaldisastersoftenknockwater-treatmentplantsoffline.Duringfloods,contaminatedwatercanalsoback-flow into householdwater pipes.Thatmeans that an armyofmicrobes is justwaitingtoinfectyourgutatexactlythetimewhenlocalhospitalsarelikelytobeoverwhelmed.Treatingwateriseasy:Strainit,thenboilforoneminuteortreatwith chlorine bleach (one tablespoon for 10 gallons) and you’ll kill off mostpathogens.Butit’sbettertothinkaheadbykeepingathree-daysupplyofbottledwater(onegallonperpersonperday)onhand.CodyLundin,survivalinstructorand author ofWhen All Hell Breaks Loose, takes it a step further. If disasterlooms,hesuggestsfillingeverythinginthehouse—frombathtubstoone-gallonziplockbags—withtapwaterbeforecontaminationbegins.

Foodistheleastessentialofthesurvivalessentials.Peoplehavebeenknowntosurvivethreelongweekswithoutfood.Butwhowantstogothroughthatkindofsuffering?Aswithwater,it’srelativelyeasytobuildupasupplyoffoodjustbybuyingsomeextradriedbeans,Campbell’ssoup,anddriedfettuccineeverytimeyoushop.Soonyou’llbestockedupwithlittlepaintothebillfold.Ifyou’velostpower,openyourfridgeonlywhenyouabsolutelyneedtoand

your foodwill stayprettycold—especially ifyoucanpower it foracoupleofhourseverydaywithagenerator.Ifyouhavetimebeforethebadweatherhits,organizeyourfridge,puttingthemostperishablefoodtowardthefront,andsavethestuffinthefreezerforlast.Securingyourheat,water,andfoodmaybethestartingpointofdisasterprep

—butturningyourhomeintoarealbulwarkagainstdisastertakesmoreeffort.StudyFEMAmaps to determine the disaster profile of your area and learn asmuchasyoucanabouthow floods,hurricanes,wildfires, andotherdangerouseventscanaffectyourhouseandneighborhood.Theninvestyourtime,energy,andmoneyaccordingly.Youmightbuildstructuralreinforcementsincaseofanearthquake or practice smart landscaping to defend against a wildfire—suchmeasures are detailed elsewhere on these pages. And remember the lesson ofQuakeandsimilarstudies:Whenitcomestonaturaldisasters,thebiggestriskisassumingthattheycanneverhappentoyou.

Inanemergency,ageneratorisoneofyourmostimportantpiecesofequipment.

WILDFIRETHETHREAT: MillionsofacresoftheU.S.burneachyear.WHERE: SunbeltstatesandAlaskaWHEN: JunetoSeptember

Don’t confuse a house fire with a wildland fire that’s about to overrun yourhouse. If you didn’t evacuate earlier—and you probably should have—your

houseiswhereyoumakeyourfinalstand.Shuttingyourwindowsagainstflyingembersisanobviousstep,butjustasimportantistoopenthefireplacedampertoventilatedeadlygasandsmokethatwillprecedethefire.Makesure toshutoffgasorpropanelines,butstopthere.“Don’tshutoffthewater—wecanusethat—anddon’tshutofftheelectricity,”saysFredStowers,a30-yearveteranoftheLosAngelesCountyFireDepartment,whohelpedcombat2009’s160,000-acre Station Fire. “Turn lights on sowe can see inside and tell the differencebetweenthingslikedriftingsmokeandroaringflames.”

KeepYourHomeSafefromFire

1.Makesuretreecrownsareatleast10feetapart.

2.Clearallflammablevegetationwithina15-footperimeter.

3.Thinouttreesandshrubstothepropertyedge.

HOUSEFIRE

THETHREAT: 400,000fireseachyearkillalmost3,000andinjuremorethan14,000.WHERE: AnywhereWHEN: Mostcommoninwintermonths

More Americans die in house fires every year than in all natural disasterscombined.When in doubt, escape the building, but if you judge that you cansafelymount a fire-extinguisher battle, there are two rules you need to know.Ruleone:Staysixfeetfromtheflamessoyoudon’ttorchtherestofyourhousebyair-blastinganascentfireacrosstheroom.Ruletwo:Peopleoftenforgetruleoneandmake thingsworse,sokeepyourescaperoute toyourbackwhenyoupull the trigger.More than50percentoffatalhousefiresoccurbetween11:00p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (peak hours for all fires are 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.), sopractice twoways out of every room at night.Andmake sure at least one ofthemdoesnot relyonastairwell,whichcaneasilybecomeadeadlyvortexofgas, smoke, heat, and flame. “Homes are the only occupancy in the countryallowedbycodetohaveanopenstaircase,”sayshouse-fireexpertJohnNorman,aretiredchieffor theFireDepartmentofNewYork.“Wecall themchimneys.Theyserveaschannelsforfireasitmovesupward.”Finally,itmaysoundbasic,butpickinganoutsiderendezvouspoint iscriticalsoyoucandiscoverquicklywho’smadeitoutofthehouseandwhohasn’t.

The2003Northeastblackoutshutdown10majorcities,includingNewYork(pictured),wherethousandsofsubwaypassengershadtobeevacuated.

BLACKOUTTHE THREAT: Recent large-scale power outages have lasted up tothreeweeks.WHERE: AnywhereWHEN: Outagesspikeinsummer,whena/cdemandishigh.

Power outages are a routine side effect of other disasters, but sometimes a

blackout can be a disaster in itself. The largest recent example in the UnitedStates was, of course, the Northeast blackout of 2003, which left 50 millionpeoplewithoutpowerandcaused11deaths.Alltold,itcausedsixbilliondollarsindamage.Thatblackoutwaswidespread,butitwashardlyanisolatedincident.Onaverage,adozenlarge-scaleblackoutsaffectingatleast50,000peopleeachoccur every year. Like many disasters, blackouts introduce issues of foodspoilage,watercontamination,andexposuretoheatandcoldthatonlygetmoresevere as the outage lingers. The best defense is a generator, but it’s alsoimportant to keep a flashlight and radio where you can easily find them. Inwidespread blackouts, communication networks tend to suffer along with thegrid.Landlineandcellnetworkscangetoverwhelmed,but short textswillgetthrough.AusefulandfreeservicecalledI’mOkletsyoucreateanemergencycontactlistsoyoucansendmassemailswithasingletextmessage.

BLIZZARDTHETHREAT: Winterstormscanparalyzewholeregions.WHERE: EverywherebuttheSouthernU.S.WHEN: DecembertoApril

Severewinterstormscansnowpeopleinfordaysatatimewhileheavyiceandsnow routinely bring down tree limbs and power lines. Homeowners in cold-weatherstatesareusedtobreakingouttheshovels(andeventheroofrakes)forthehardtaskofsnowremoval.Butacleardrivewayisn’tanexcuseforadrive—70percentofwinterstormfatalitiesoccurinautomobiles—sosittightathomeandstaywarm.Ifthepower’sout,ageneratorwillhelpkeepthebasicutilitiesrunning.Butifyoulackbackuppowerandthinkyoumaybeinitforthelonghaul, set up a “camp” inside your housewith a tent, sleeping bags, and yourfamily all shut in in a single room to consolidate heat. Long-lasting cold canburstwater pipes, so prepare the house by turning off thewater supply at the

source, then open the lowest faucet and drain your pipes.But be sure to savesome water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning—eating snow is a dangerouswaytohydrateandcanleadtoacaseofhypothermia.

TIP!DON’TFORGETYOURTOILETPour RV-grade antifreeze or, in a pinch, vodka into the toilet trap to preventfreezing.

Tornadoescanproducewindsof250mphorhigher.InApril2010,adeadlyMississippitornadotraveledmorethan140miles.

AnatomyofaSafeRoom

1.Wallsareconstructedof two layersofplywoodandone layerof14-gaugesteel.

2.Ventilationductsallowpressuretoequalize.

3.Structure takesadvantageof foundationwallsbutdoesnotattach tohouse.

4.Studsarestrappedtoplates.

5.Steeldoorsclosesecurelywithtripledeadbolts.

TORNADOTHETHREAT: Approximately1,000tornadoeshittheU.S.eachyear.WHERE: MostcommoninPlainsstatesWHEN: Springandsummer,usuallyinearlyevening

Tornadofundamentalsareeasy:Gettothelowestfloorinthehouseandputasmany walls as possible between you and the twister. In tornado country,residentsofteninstallundergroundorbasementstormshelters.Forhomeownerswholackbasements,researchersatTexasTechUniversityhavedevelopedplansforDIYabovegroundsaferoomscreatedbypouringconcreteintofoamforms.PlansforDIYretrofitshelters,suchasthebasementbuildinpicturedhere,canbefound at fema.gov. If a tornado catches you out in the open, conventionalwisdomistohideinaditch,butLarryJ.Tanner,oneoftheresearchersatTexasTech who has investigated every major U.S. tornado in the past 12 years,disagrees.“You’llneverseemeinone,”hesays.“I’veseenallsortsofthingsinditchesafteratornado—2x4s,propanetanks,rolledcars.”Lookforacoveredculvertinstead.“Ifyou’reinacity,stayawayfromgrocerystores,gymnasiums,oranythingwithalongroofspan.Takeshelterinlarge,sturdybuildings:Banksandhospitalsareusuallygood.”

FLOODINGTHETHREAT: Floodscauseanaveragefivebilliondollarsinlossesand100fatalitiesyearly—about3,800townsareonfloodplains.WHERE: MainlycoastalstatesandtheMississippiRiverValleyWHEN: Springandfall

Sump pumps are the best defense againstminor flooding and chronicallywetbasements,butifariverisrisingnearbyoracoastalstormsurgeisimminent,thebestadviceistomoveyourvaluablestoahighfloor,thenevacuate.Andifthereareflash-floodwarnings,bequickaboutit.Thesefloodsmovefastandtendtocarrymud,trees,andotherdangerousdebriswiththem.Ifyou’reinafloodzone—check your addresswith the FEMAMap Service Center (msc.fema.gov) tofindout—plananescaperouteaheadoftime.Andneverdrivethroughmovingwater;itcanbeadeathtrap.Almost50percentoffloodfatalitiesarecar-related.

Don’tbelulledintoafalsesenseofsecuritybytheterm“100-yearflood”either.Thatdoesn’tindicatethatafloodwilloccuronlyonceacentury.Whatitreallymeans is that every single year there’s a one-in-100 chance of that level offlooding.Ifyouliveinafloodzone,theU.S.GeologicalSurveyestimatesthatyou’vegotaone-in-twochanceofexperiencingafloodinyourlifetime.

AnSUVsitssubmergedinfloodwatercoveringdowntownstreetsandsidewalksonMay3,2010,inNashvilleTennessee.Morethan13inchesofrainfellovertwodays,leavingatleastseven

deadandthousandsdisplaced.

CheckYourSumpPump

1. Every few months remove the cover to your sump pump well andslowlypourwaterintothetank.

2.Ifwaterpoursbackintothetank,youmayneedtoreplacethecheck

valve.

3.Watch to ensure that the float rises with the water and triggers thepump.

Aportionofhighway5inCaliforniacollapsedafteramagnitude6.7earthquakehitoutsideofLosAngelesin1994.

Quake-ProofYourWaterHeater

1.Createtwobeltsaroundthetankwith¾-inchplumber’stape.

2. Crimp a ½-inch-diameter electrical metallic tubing (EMT) conduit atbothends,thenattachtoplumber’s-tapebeltandstudswithscrews.

3.Attachwaterandgaslineswithflexibleconnectors.

EARTHQUAKETHE THREAT: The most destructive recent U.S. quake (Northridge,California,1994)caused$40billionindamageandkilled61.WHERE: CaliforniaandtheMidwestWHEN: At least one great quake (magnitude 8.0 and up) hitssomewhereintheworldeachyear.

Todaythereisnocrediblewaytopredictearthquakes,sowhenabigonehitsaU.S.populationcenter—andexpertsagree that therewillbeabigone—itwill

comewithoutwarninganditwillbedevastating.Mostmodernhousesareboltedtotheirfoundations,butolderhousesmaybeheldinplacesimplybytheirownweight. To earthquake-proof an older home, spend a few hundred dollars onhalf-inch anchor bolts and earthquake brackets to attach your home to itsfoundation and keep it from shaking or sliding free.Also remember to securemajorappliancesand freestandingbookshelves to thewallsand install flexiblegasandwaterlinestopreventrupturesorleaks.Thosebustedlinescanmakethefieryaftermathofanearthquakejustasdeadlyasthequakeitself.Ifyousmellgas,getoutofyourhouseimmediatelyandkeepaneyeoutfordownedpowerlines. Finally, the most useful technology to have around after an earthquakecouldbeanold-fashionedbattery-poweredradio.“Thepowergridwillbedownandthecellgridwillbeoverwhelmed,”saysMaryLouZoback,ageophysicistwith Risk Management Solutions. “It’s going to be your lifeline forinformation.”

HURRICANETHETHREAT: Eachyear therearesix toeighthurricanes,causinganaveragefivebilliondollarsindamageperseason.WHERE: EasternandSoutherncoastalstatesWHEN: Summerandfall;Septemberisthecruelestmonth

Themostimportantthingtohaveinplaceforhurricaneseasonisaplantogetoutoftown.Towboatcaptainand28-yearCoastGuardveteranJeffSwineyhashadmultiplehurricaneshithisLafayette,Louisiana,homeandheknowsathingor two about disaster evacuation. “You’ve got to have predetermined triggerpointsandthenactonthem,”hesays.“Toomanypeoplewaituntilit’stoolate,whenthestormisoverwhelming,andthat’swhentheygethurt.”Secondonlytothe safety of your family shouldbe the structural integrity of your home.Thebesttimetobuildinhurricaneprotectionisduringnewconstruction,whenroof

straps and permanent storm shutters can be addedwith little additional effort.Butexistingroofscanberetrofittedwithgableendbracesandtemporarystormshutterscanbecuttofitinacoupleofhours.Don’tforgettobolsteryourgarageas well, Swiney says—he braces the entrance with diagonally placed 2 x 4s.“Garagedoorsareweak,”hesays.“Andifahurricane-forcewindgetsinside,itwilltakeyourwholeroofoff.”

TheVisibleInfraredImagingRadiometerSuiteontheSuomiNPPsatellitecapturedthisimage,withatrue,artificialcolorofHurricaneSandy,overtheNortheasternstatesadayafterlandfall.Inthisimage,northisthetopandsouthisthebottom.

QuickandEasyReusableStormShutters

1.Measure the inside frameof yourwindows (make surewindowsareinsetatleasttwoinches).Thendrilloneholeoneachsideofthesill.Usemoreholesforlargerwindows.

2. Cut ¾-inch plywood to fit inside each window frame, then screw infour-inchheavy-dutybarrelbolts.

3.Labeleachshutter tomatch itswindow, thenwaterproof themwithacoatofvarnish.

PreppingLiteWHATPREPPERSDO,ANDWHATYOU,ASLIGHTLYLESSPARANOIDCITIZEN,CANDO.

COMMUNICATION

Prepper:Establishadeaddrop—asecretplace todepositandretrievemessages when communications go down. Tell only trusted confidantsaboutthisplace.

Casualsurvivalist:Getyourham-radiolicense.Plentyofpeoplestillusehamradios tocommunicate, includingFEMA. Inacatastrophe, itmightbeyouronlyoption.

FOOD

Prepper:Practicehuntingtheanimalsnativetoyourarea.Worthnoting:Domesticatedrabbitsarelessgamythantheirwildcounterparts.

Casualsurvivalist:Nonfood itemsyoushouldhave inyouremergencypantry: manual can opener, Flintstones multivitamins, and Sterno (forcooking).

HEAT

Prepper: If the power goes out, a woodstove is great backup. Bettersolution:anoutdoorwoodfurnacethatconnectstoyourhome’sexistingheatingsystem.

Casualsurvivalist:Storea coupleof ceramic flowerpots in the closet.Twopotsnested,turnedupsidedown,andproppedaboveafewcandles

makeaneffectivespaceheater.

HEALTH

Prepper:Aproperlyequippedgobag,orbug-outbag,isheavy.Establishatrainingregimenonvariousterrainssothatyoucanfleewithoutgettingwinded.

Casualsurvivalist:Pickupafitnesstracker.Inalow-foodsituation,it’lltrackyourvitalsandevencountyourcalories.Inthemeantime,you’lljustbehealthier.

SHELTER

Prepper:Buildanundergroundbunker.Ideally, forultimatesecrecy,noton your house property. But that might also require a rather largepurchase.

Casualsurvivalist:Havea listofemergencyshelters.Theyshouldbeaccessible and sturdy—a public shelter, a church, or your neighbor’sbasement,whichalsohasapooltable.

WATER

Prepper: Capacity of your cistern equals (one gallon per person) x(numberofpeople)x(numberofdaysofexpectedcataclysm)x(10—justtobesafe).

Casualsurvivalist:Keepalargewater-filterpitcherinyourfridge.Goodforeverydayuseandasafiltrationsystem.Atthefirstsignoftrouble,fillallextracontainersandthebathtub.

CHECKLIST:

IdealSurvivalKits

A well-stocked disaster kit can save lives in a crisis. Relief agenciesrecommendthathomeownerskeepthreedays’worthoffoodandwateraswellas a kit of medical supplies and other essentials in the house at all times.However,PopularMechanics recommends that our readers go a step further.Outlined at right are threedisaster kits—one for yourhome, one for your car,andoneinabackpackforquickevacuations.Thatway,whendisasterstrikesandthere’snotimetothink,youwon’thaveto.

CARYouneverknowwhereyou’llbewhenacrisisoccurs,sokeepaboxofsuppliesinthetrunkofyourcartosustainyourfamilyifstrandedontheroad.

LocalmapsandroadatlasWritingsupplies(pencils,pens,notebook)Food(e.g.,driedfruit,snacks,cookies)

TwogallonsbottledwaterMesskit(papercups,plates,utensils)CompactsleepingbagorblanketsSanitationsupplies(toiletpaper,moisttowelettes,garbagebags,plasticties)HandsanitizerDucttapeCellphonecarchargerClothes(sweater,waterproofjacket,hat,shoes)First-aidkit(bandages,antibioticointment,antiseptic,aspirin,antidiarrhealmedicine,medicaltape)MultitoolorknifeFireextinguisherJumpercablesLightsticksorroadsideflaresTowlineforhaulingortowing

BACKPACKInanemergencyevacuation, there’snotalwaystimetofindwhatyouneed,so

yourgrab-and-gopackshouldbepreloadedwithallyouressentials.

Importantdocuments(copyofinsurancepolicies,identification,bankrecords,medicalrecords,copiesofdeeds)Prescriptions(medication,eyeglasses)Minifirst-aidkit(bandages,antibioticointment,aspirin)$300cash(insmalldenominations)PrepaidphonecardMatchesinwaterproofcontainerFlashlightandextrabatteriesWhistletosignalforhelpPortableNOAAweatherradio(batteryorhand-crankpowered)Food(e.g.,granola,nuts)andbottledwaterExtrasetofkeysforyourhomeandcarInfant/childnecessities

HOMEThesuppliesinyourhomeshouldkeepyourfamilysafeandhealthyforatleastthreedays—andbeusefulduringthecleanupphase.

Window-sealingmaterials(plasticsheeting,ducttape)

ChangeofclothingFood,includingforyourpetsOnegallonofwaterperpersonperdayandbleach(tosanitizewater)Canopener,plasticutensils,platesLanternorcandlesandmatchesFlashlightwithextrabatteriesNOAAweatherradioDustmasksFireextinguisherHeavyglovesforremovingdebrisRopeFirst-aidkitandmanualDisinfectantandhandsanitizerToiletpaperandbucketHandandpowertools(generator,fuel,chainsaw,shovel,rake,buckets,hose,hatchet,knife,hammer,broom,drill/driver,circularsaw,fullychargedbackupbatteriesfortools)

TALESOFSURVIVAL:

“NothingisImpossibleforThoseWhoFight”

ACOUNTRY’STALEOFSURVIVAL.POPULARMECHANICSGOESTOCUBAANDFINDSAPEOPLEDEVOTEDTOHARDWORKANDINGENUITY—OFTENBYNECESSITY.

BYKEVINDUPZYK

ON OUR SECOND day in Cuba, we saw in one humdrum, 10-minutetransactionacluetothewaylifeislivedinacountrywheredailylifeisoftenachallenge.WehadhiredamancalledFranceltodriveusfromTrinidad,a500-year-old

townonCuba’s south shore, toVaradero, a resort town threeandahalfhoursnorthwest. Francel was tall and thin andwore black, just like his car, amid-1990sPeugeot.At20yearsold,itlookedboxyanddated,butitwasnewerandin better shape thanmost cars in the country—it’s not like everyone in Cubadrivesawell-preservedAmericanclassicthewayyouhearabout.ThePeugeot’sfloormatswere red plasticwith a diamond-plate pattern.The air conditioningworked and so did the seat belts, both noteworthy. Every windowwas tinteddark with the exception of small cutouts so Francel could see the side-viewmirrors.Inexplicably,thecutoutsweretheshapeoftheApplelogo.JustoutsideTrinidad,Francelpulledofftheroadintothesideyardofasmall

house.Amanwithnoshirtonsatonachairoutfront,justsitting.Franceldrovearoundbackintoasmallparkingspaceunderasplit-railcarportwithcorrugated-steel siding. At the next house over, across a small field, I saw a pig and achickenlazinginthesun.Themanfromthefrontappearedandretrievedagascan.Theybarelyspoketoeachother,Francelandthisman.Theywereoperating

within an invisible system. This transaction was, in fact, part of the vast andintricate web of improvised systems that constitutes the only way Cuba trulyfunctions.Multiple generations of life with rationed food, little money, and a

governmentsetonisolationhaveproducedaresourcefulpeople.Wehumansareindeedacreativelittleanimalandwefindwaystohelpourselves.WhereIlive,we have the luxury of exercising creativity for fun. In Cuba, they have to becreativejusttolive.OncethemanhadfinishedfillingthetankofthePeugeot,Francelfiredupthe

carandwedroveoff.Inoticedthefuelgaugeonhiscardidn’twork.“Howdoyouknowwhenyou’reempty?”Iasked.Helaughed.

MY FRIENDS AND I traveled to Cuba on a sort of curiosity vacation.Wewanted to see Cuba before the country’s newly normalized relations with theUnited States became truly normal. InAmerica themakermovement is at itsheight, a wave of people building and making and creating things withtechnologiesthatimprovebytheday.InCuba,they’vehadamakermovementsince1960,fueledlargelybynecessity.Iwantedtoseeiftheinstinctswerethesame.Wespentourfirst threedaysinHavanainacasaparticular,aprivatehome

that rents rooms to tourists. It worksmuch like Airbnb, but it’s a system theCubangovernmentformalizedin1997.WehadbookedaroominCasaLeticia,oneofthemosthighlyratedcasasinVedado,which,accordingtotheInternet,isthehippestneighborhoodinHavana.Acab from the airport droppedusoff in frontof the casa.Thehouseshere

were built right up to the crumbling sidewalks, two or three stories high, andwore fadedpaint stripped todirtypastel shadesby the saltyocean air.AnoldmaninaredHavanaClubvestsataloneonthesidewalk.Twoskinnydogslayontheirsidespanting.Ithoughtthere’dbeenamistake.Wedouble-checkedtheaddress.Wewere in the right place.Upon closer examination I saw a stickerabovethedooroftheinauspiciousbuildingthatwasCasaLeticia:“2014Winner,TripAdvisorCertificateofExcellence.”We rang the doorbell and Leticia herself opened the gate. A large, sunny

interiorcourtyardwaspavedwithperfectceramic tile, lushwithgreenery,andoutfitted with white wrought-iron patio furniture. A peristyle surrounded thecourtyard, yellow-painted columns complementing green-and-blue-stripedawningshungbetweenthem.Inside,theimmaculatehousehadornatelypaintedtwenty-footceilingsand—crucially,itwouldturnout—abathroom,completewithshinynewfixtures.

Leticia,whowas inher fifties,was shortwithblondhair and fair skin.Hereyes never stopped smiling and dimples appeared on her cheeks when shetalked.Shefunneledustowardthediningroom,wherewefilledoutthesimplepaperworkthatloggedourstay.Thensheopenedahandsomelydecoratedliquorcabinet in the corner of the room and produced three glasses and a bottle ofHavanaClub,poureduseachashot,andgaveusadviceforourstayorforlifeorboth.“You are threeyoungmen.Watchout forchicas.There is no such thing as

loveatfirstsight.“Youwillcomeacrosspeoplewhoarevery impressive.Well traveled.They

willspeakmultiplelanguagesandknowplacestotakeyou.Butwhenyougettotheendofthedayandyou’vepaidforeverything,they’regone.“You are here because of the new Obama laws. Visit Cuba with an open

mind.”Leticiahadasystemforeverything.

HAVANA ISA great crumbling beauty in a constant state of repair.WalkingthroughtheneighborhoodnearLeticia’shouse,wesawsomemenpullingcinderblocksuphillonawoodenpalletoutfittedwithcastersandahandlemadeofbentrebar. First appearances—appearances in general—are deceiving.We came tolearn that theoldmanwith the redvestwas agovernment employee,hired towatchcarsovernight.Meninredvestswerestationedaroundthecity,standingguardoverthepopulationoffamedAmericanclassicsandlessfamiliarforeignmakeslikeLada,madeinRussia,andGeely,whichisChinese.Buildingsinthecityseemedtogrowtallerastheyapproachedthewater,whereagreatwalkableboulevard called the Malecón traces the shore. Like Casa Leticia, manybuildingswerepitiableontheoutsidebutastonishingontheinside.Accordingtoourguidebook, threebuildingscollapseperday.When theirgutsspillout, I’msuretheyarebeautiful.Our firstnightwehaddinnerwithacomputerprogrammernamedMedardo

Rodriguez.Ihadreadaboutanentrepreneurshipclubheranandcontactedhimbeforeourtrip.MedardometusattheHotelNacional,oneofthefewbuildingswhoseoutsideisasimmaculateastheinside.ItsitsonabluffoverHavanaBay,outdoor seating arranged around two incongruous bits of decor: cannons fromthearmory thatpreceded thehotelon thesiteandanart installation riffingonbathrooms.Aporcelaintoiletstoodonatiledandgraffitiedpedestal.Alifeguardtowerhadacommodeforachair.Creativereclamation.

Medardo was older than I’d expected for the leader of a group devoted todevelopingastartupculturewherevirtuallynoneexists.Baldingandpushing40,heworetrendyplasticglassesandbouncedwhilehewalked.Heremindedmeofa grizzled SiliconValley veteranwho’d survived the dot-combubblewith hisenthusiasmfortechnologyintact.At therestaurantMedardoexplainedhisrole in theMerchiseStartupCircle,

theorganizationtryingtoengageanddevelopentrepreneursinCuba.Thegroupgrew out of a programming collective Medardo founded at the University“Marta Abreu” of Las Villas in central Cuba in the early 1990s. He taughtprogramming as a practice of creative thinking. The group developed videogamesandevenawebbrowser,butbrokeupintheearly2000s.Itisdifficulttomaintain a programming collective in a countrywhere the number of citizenswithaccesstotheInternethoversataround5percent.That hasn’t stopped the group from reforming under a new guise. Creative

thinking properly focused is entrepreneurship. And to Medardo, beingdisconnectedfromtherestoftheworldhasinfactbeentheverystimulusofhismostcreativethinking.Helearnedfromprogrammingthatbeingconnectedcanbe a distraction. Perhaps, he wondered, programmers learn better without thebuzzing Internet constantly robbing their attentiveness. How easily mightsomeoneelse’screativityreplaceourownifweletit?Aswewere eating and talking, life in the courtyard suddenly stopped.The

space had been full of the din of other tables and friends, a vending-machinehum,theclatterofthekitchen.Suddenly,silence.Thepowerhadgoneout.“NowyouareknowingtherealCuba,”Medardosaid.Asworkers retrievedportable lights,westrangers simultaneouslypulledout

our smartphones, turned on their flashlights, and placed them on the table.Someonesaidthelightwastooharsh.“Usethesaltshaker,”saidavoiceinthecrowd.Myfriendputoneoverhisphone’slight.Thecrystalssofteneditsglow.Each of us who could find a saltshaker did the same, and, just like that, weinventedmoodlighting.

InCuba,whenasystemdoesn’texist,theymake

one.

AFTER HAVANA WE visited Trinidad, a colonial town with cobblestonestreets. We stayed at Casa Balbina, where our host, Ricardo, was a retiredchemistry professor. I told him I worked for an American magazine calledPopularMechanics, and he laughed and explained that Cuba used to have amagazine called Mecánica Popular. Ricardo had to be in his eighties, oldenoughtohavereadMecánicaPopular,theSpanish-languageeditionofPopularMechanics,before theembargostarted in1960. I’veheardsomeolderCubansstillhavecollectionsofthem.TheymightbeontheshelfnexttoConNuestrosPropiosEsfuerzos(“WithOurOwnEfforts”),agovernmentpublicationfromthepost–Soviet era that provided shop notes for Cubans trying to get by as theireconomycollapsed.InPopularMechanics,themottoforourShopNotessectionis“EasyWaystoDoHardThings.”ConNuestrosPropiosEsfuerzosalsohasamotto,fromFidelCastro:“NothingIsImpossibleforThoseWhoFight.”Inearly1960MecánicaPopular split into two local editions:one forSouth

AmericaandoneforMexicoandtheCaribbean.Trinidadfeelslikeacitypausedin thatmoment. Built on an easy slope up from theCaribbean shore, it is ananthill ofworkers.Aman cut tile on a table saw in the dark anteroom of hishome.Anothertossedcinderblocksfromacartonthestreettoafellowworkinginside.Thecobblestoneshadbeenremovedfromahillsidestreet tomakewayfor plumbing work. On another street neat stacks of stones cordoned off arepaving project, the way bright orange cones would be used in the UnitedStates.InCuba,whenasystemdoesn’texist,theymakeone.Trudginguphilltomakeadinnerreservation,wesawamanworkingaloneon

a redbrickwall.He spreadmortar in thickgray slabsandplacedbricks in analternating pattern—header, stretcher, header, stretcher. It was hot and sweatyworkonahotandsweatyday,butheworeprotectivelongsleevesandpantsandaworkbelt.HeremindedmeoftheconstructionworkersonthetracthomesinSacramento, California, where I grew up. The summer sun routinely pushedtemperatures above 100 degrees, but practicality outweighed comfort. Theyworejeansandlongflannel.We ate dinner at apaladar, a privately owned restaurant thatwas part of a

formalizedsystemanalogoustothatofthecasasparticulares.Thewaitersweretrainedby the state-ownedcatering company.Theyweredressed formally andbrought out entrées on platters covered with silver lids, which they removed

fromeveryone’sdishatexactlythesametime.Overdinnerwetalkedaboutwhatwehadseenandwhatwehadnotseen.We

hadbeentomultiplerestaurantsthatorderedonlyasmallportionoftheitemsontheir menus.We had tried to visit museums and been foiled by idiosyncraticschedules.Wehadmadeanattempt tobuyawireless Internetcardat thestatetelecomofficeduringaserviceoutage.“Themostproductivepersonwe’veseenwasthrowingbricks,”oneofmyfriendssaid.Partof the fascinationof seeingmenperformmanual labor inCuba is that,

unlikeintheU.S.,theotheroptionsarelessobviousandtheworkitselfseemedtoanimatethepeopledoingit.WehadseenplentyofCubanswhohadjobsinair-conditioned rooms: rental-car clerks, people who worked in stores. In theU.S.thosewouldbeseenasbetterjobsthanbuildingabrickwall.OnthisstreetinTrinidad,theoppositefelttrue.Afterdinner—chickenandlambwithabuffetofsideslikericeandbeansand

tropical fruits—when we were walking home, we saw the bricklayer’s wallnearlyfinished.

IT’SFUNNY, I almost didn’t get to go toCuba at all.My twobuddieswentthroughCubanimmigrationwithoutahitch.Ididn’thaveanyproblemsatfirst,but when my suitcase went through the scanner, it raised a red flag. I hadbrought 17 copies of the June issue ofPopularMechanics, thinking I wouldmeet people who might like it—people who’ve managed to maintain a 1950Chevroletforsixty-fiveyears,orwhokeepbuildingsfromturningtorubble,orwho’ve cast livelihoods from the rawmaterials of everyday life. People whohavelearnedtoimprovisetothepointwhereimprovisationbecomesthewaytokeep living.But I’doverlooked thepossibility thatasuitcase fullofAmericanmagazinesmightlooklikepropaganda,especiallyconsideringthattheheadlineonthecoverof the“MakerNation”issueI’dbroughtwas“HowYouCanJointheRevolution.”The first customs agent asked if I spoke Spanish (no). She brought over a

secondagentwithbetterEnglishtoaskmetoexplainmyself.ItriedtoarticulatewhatPopularMechanics isabout, thenI tried tomakeupastoryaboutgivingthe magazines to my friends to take home, but the language barrier made itdifficult—and, also, thatmadeno sense.Seeing thecommotion, a thirdagentcame over and immediately started examining themagazine. Things began toturn.Icontinuedarguingmycase,butnowIwaswatchingthisthirdagent.Heflipped through the magazine, stopping on all the best pages: the beautiful

things, the projects, the makers. I struggled for words. He saw something herecognized.

MakeaFireStarterSaveupyourdryer lint over thecourseofa few loads.Takeanemptypapereggcartonandpackeachpodwithaplugofthelint.Meltcheaporhalf-spentcandles inapot.Pourmeltedwaxovereachpod.Allow it todry,thencuteachpodoutofthecarton.Throwacoupleofpodsbeneathsomekindlinginyourcampfireandthey’llstartafirenicely.

TheFourSafestCitiesTAKINGINTOACCOUNTNUCLEARFALLOUT,NATURALDISASTERS,EXTREMEWEATHER,PROXIMITYTOFRESHWATER,ANDEVENVIOLENT-CRIMESTATISTICS.ANOTHERBENEFIT:THEY’REALLQUITELOVELY.

1.SITKA,ALASKA

The big advantage: You’re already used to being isolated. Surprisinglymild year-round, despite being in Alaska. An abundance of wild foodsources.

2.MISSOULA,MONTANA

Surroundingmountainskeepextremeweatheratbay.Verylowthreatofnaturaldisasters.TheClarkForkRiverrunsrightthroughtown.

3.HURRICANE,UTAH

Unfortunate name, yes. But its desert climate will suit cold weatherhaters.TwonearbyreservoirsandtheVirginRiverprovidewater.

4.WHEELING,WESTVIRGINIA

Nomajorhurricane,earthquake,ortornadothreats.Farenoughsouthtoavoidlakeeffectsnowfall.Themoonshinekeepsyouwarm.

Missoula,Montana

FourSummertimeHazardsNEWWAYSTOSURVIVETHEWILDESTOUTDOORSEASONUNSCATHED.

MOSQUITOS!DEETisstill thegold-standardchemicalforhidingfrommosquitoes,butthe latestproductsalsotrickthebloodsuckers’sensoryabilities.Carbondioxide–emitting traps such as the Mosquito Magnet Patriot MosquitoTrapluremosquitoestotheirdoom.There’salsothenewMosquitoBait&Kill fromTerminixAllClear,whichcoatsplantsandbackyardsurfaces ingarlicoil andsugar forup to fourweeks. (Thesugarattracts them, thegarlicoilkillsthem.)

POISONIVY!Evenifyoutearitoutbyhand,poisonivyislikelytoreturn.Tokillavineforgood,spray itduring itspeakgrowthcycle, latespringandsummer,

with Roundup Poison Ivy Plus Tough Brush, which contains bothglyphosate and a surfactant, which helps the glyphosate penetrate thesurfaceof the leaves. Ifyoucan’t find that, tryOrthoMaxPoison Ivy&ToughBrushKillerConcentrate.Agreeneroption:Rentagoat.Theyeatthestuff.

WETCELLPHONES!Ifyourpoolparty isanykindof fun,someone isgoing toendup in thewaterwithhiscellphone inhispocket.Tosave it, turn itoffandwipe itdownimmediately.Tryplacingthephoneinadesiccantbag,suchastheBheestieBag,whichwillremovemoistureusingthesametechnologyastheDoNotEatpackets that comewith shoes.Donot turn yourphonebackonforatleast24hours.It’llshort.

DRYBURGERS!To keep precious fat from leaching out of your burgers and onto thecoals, JoshCapon, chef of Burger & Barrel inManhattan and six-timewinnerof theBurgerBashat theNewYorkCityWine&FoodFestival,recommends loosepatties,ahalf-inchormore in thickness,usingmeatwitha75:25lean:fatratio.Cookforaboutfourminutesoneachsideoverdirectheat.Andstopplayingwiththem.

Burdockflowersarepretty.Theirrootsaredelicious.

STRATEGY:HOWTOIDENTIFYPLANTS

WHENYOU’REHUNGRY,THEWOODSOFFERTHEIROWNVARIETYOFFRESHPRODUCE.YOUJUSTNEEDTOKNOWWHATTOPICK.

THREEYOUCANEAT

WILDWATERCRESSWHEN:EarlyspringandfallHOWTOCONSUME:Putitinasalad,likelettuce

CHICKWEEDWHEN:EarlyspringHOWTOCONSUME:Again,justlikelettuce

BURDOCKWHEN:Fallthefirstyear,springthesecondHOWTOCONSUME:Cooktheroot

THREETOAVOID

POISONIVYWHYTOAVOID:Itcausesdermatitis—itchyskinandblisters

POISONHEMLOCKWHYTOAVOID:Consumingtherootcankillyou,likeitdidSocrates

POISONSUMACWHYTOAVOID:Samereasonaspoisonivy—butevennastier

TheArtofFirewoodITCANBESOMUCHMORETHANCHOPPINGANDSPLITTING.

ByC.J.CHIVERS

ONACRISPDECEMBERDAWN, after a cup of hot coffee and a plate ofwarmeggs,awinter’sweekendroutinebegan.Iroustedthekids,whogroanedand briefly resisted. While waiting for them to dress and find their waydownstairs,Isteppedouttothechillyshackandcheckedthetoolsandsafetykit—padded earmuffs, impact-resistant goggles, heavy gloves, scrench, wedges,rope, first-aid box, and a freshly sharpened spare chain. The saw, a 70.7-ccHusqvarna,brimmedwithbaroilandfresh50:1fuel.Iwalkeddownthegentleslopebehindourhouse.Atthesmallwoodlotatthe

edgeofourneighbor’spropertywerethreetreesthatneededtocomedown.One,a huge locust, had split almost from the ground to 20 feet up. It swayed andcreaked in a light breeze. Beside the locust was a thick maple that wassuccumbingtotheunrelentingindustryofcarpenterants,whichhadsoftenedawide band from about five feet above the soil tomore than 15 feet overhead.Heartrothadfollowedtheants’ intrusion, leavingmuchofthetrunkassoftasStyrofoam.Without an intervention, this treewas going tomeet a violent andunpredictableend.Anotherantcolonyhadsettled intoa secondmaplenearby.Weakened,that treeleanedprecariouslyoverashed.Thesewereproblemsthatwerenotgoingtosolvethemselves.Ourneighborshadinvitedustoremovethetreesandkeepwhateverfirewoodwewished.Soonthekidshadjoinedmeandwesettoworkonalaborthatwouldlast,off

andon,intospring:felling,limbing,bucking,andthenhand-carryingthewoodhome,where itwouldbesplitand thenstacked forseasoning.Wewoulddo itpiecemeal,afewhoursatatime,workingintheeffortbetweentheirhomeworkandotherdemands.Webeganbyclearingafewbitsofbrushunder thefirst tree,makingasafe

placetoworkandanopenescaperouteincaseoftheunforeseen.Wechosethe

fellingdirectionanddiscussedthespotsfornotchandfellingcuts.Thechildrenbackedoffbeforethetwo-strokeengineroaredtolife.Ireleased

thebrake.Thechainbegan tospin.A longchore that Iwould lookforward toeachweekendhadstarted—harvestingfutureheat,together,andalmostforfree.InanagewhenmanyAmericansheatwithgas,oil,orelectricity,therichness

andritualsofgatheringandseasoningwoodforhomesriskfadingintoourpast.Thosewhousewoodheatdomorethansavemoney,livelocally,andkeepsomeof their cash from flowing offshore. They tap into a primal activity and oftenenjoyrewardsbeyondwhattheymightexpect.WhatcanImean?Thevariedtasksrelatedtoheatingahomewithfirewood

cancreate an intimacywithyour surroundingsandwithyour family that is assustainingasthewarmththewoodprovidesasitburns.Even thewoodpiles themselves become a tangible library ofmemory.Each

sectionofourstacktellsofitssource.Theoncebrightyellowsplitsnowslowlydullingtobrowncamefromanoldlocustthathadsnappedinahurricane.Therich gray section with heavy bark has its origins in a leader off a massive,trident-shapedoakthatcrashedtothegroundafteraheavy,wetsnow.Thatoakpiece—mykidsnameditthebeachedwhale—hadtobehand-splitinplaceandcarried uphill, chunk by chunk, to the pickup, exceptingwhat the kids ferriedhomeinahand-pulledsled.Firewoodcomestousopportunistically.Aneighborwillwantatreefelled.A

stormwillblowthroughandknockdownlimbsoruprootandtoppleentiretrees.Afewtreeswillhavetogotomakewayforahomeadditionoraccesstoanewlot.Sometimesitalmostseemsasifthewoodfindsus.

InanagewhenmanyAmericansheatwithgas,oil,orelectricity,therichnessandritualsofgatheringandseasoningwoodforhomesriskfadingintoourpast.

Occasionallythewoodcancarryothermeanings.Wecutandcartedawaythewhite birch rounds from the sprawling grounds of a condo association at therequestofafriendwhowasmanagingtheplace.Thepropertyhadlosttreesinastorm,butthecontractorhiredtocleanupthemesshadleftmuchofthewoodbehind.MychildrenandIendedupwiththebounty,gladtohelp,gratefulforthefuel. Not long after we split and stacked a few truckloads, our friend wasdiagnosedwithcancer.Shepassedwithstartlingspeed.Every timewebringasackofbirchinsideforthestove,wethinkofher,awareoftheemotionalpowerawoodstackcanhold.UnderthetreesonthatcoldDecemberday,theworktookitsshape.Wefelled

thefirstmaple,thenthelocust,limbedmuchofthem,andstartedtocarryhometherounds,armloadbyarmload.Thiswouldtakealongtime.Butwehadbeenluckynottohaveabarrageofwinterstorms,andweknewweshouldcollectandmove as much as we could before winter bore down and covered the site insnow,lockingthewoodinice.Thenextweekendwereturned.Andthenagain,untilthewoodwasfrozenup

tight.Still,wehadplentytodo.Untilrecently,aweatheredstockadefencestoodalongoursouthernpropertyline.Apreviousownerhadinstalledit,andforafewyearsithadbeensagging.ThencameSuperstormSandyin2012,whichneatlysnappeda fewof the rottingposts at thegroundon theway toblowingdownseveralsectionsoffence.Thisledtoanepiphany.Whypaythelumbercostsforanewfence?Whyeven

replace the fence with a fence? What if, instead of rebuilding a suburbanstandby, we built a wood-seasoning rack along the property line that wouldprovidethesamefunction—privacyandawind-break—foraportionofthecostbutwouldbefarsturdier,morehandsome,anduseful,too?Iwasbusywithworkbutscroungedthehourstoremovewhatremainedofthe

old stockade.Then I paid a carpenter friend to install a basic rackmadewithpairedpressure-treated4x6saspostsand2x6srunninglowandparalleltotheground,likebaseboards.A crude but eminently sturdy and functional system had taken form. Each

sectionheldmorethanahalfcord.Withninesectionsandasouthernexposure,our would-be fence amply stored (and cured) a sizable portion of our annualfirewoodneedswhiletakingupalmostnoyardspace.Anditlookedgood.

Withtime,however,flawsinitsquickdesignemerged.Firstthepostsheavedeversoslightlyduringseasonalfreezesandthaws,forcingtheracksoutoftheiroriginalparallelarrangement.Thisnotonly lookedbadbut italsochangedthewaythefirewoodsat,somuchso thatonestackbetweenthepostsbulgedandcollapsedinanotherhardstorm.

FiveWaystoImproveYourFirewood

1.Stackwoodinasinglerow,outoftheshade,withenoughspacebetweenthepiecestoallowairtopassthrough.Thisexposesmorewoodtosunlightandbreeze,whichhelpsdryitoutfaster.

2.Whenstackinguseacrisscrosspatterntomakepillarsateachendforstability.Theyactasbookendsforthewoodinthecenter.

3.Beforesplittingwoodonastump,secureanoldtiretothetopofthestump.Afteryousplitthewood,itwillleanagainstthetireinsteadoffallingtotheground.

4.Cutcordsshorterthanyouthink(around14incheslong),splitthemsmallerthanyouthink(threetosixincheswide),andvarythesizeofthesplits.Thelogswillbeeasiertocarryandthefirewillbeeasiertobuild.

5.Checkyourstate’spoliciesoncuttingyourownfirewood.Manystatesprovidelicensesforanominalfee,orevenfree,thatpermitpeopletoremovetreesfromstateland.

Restackingislaborlost.Soasthelastoftheseasonedfirewoodfounditswayintoourpairofwoodstoves,andaswefoundanewsourceforwoodbutcouldnotworkwithituntilathoroughthaw,itwastimeforanupgrade.Using level, heavy bar clamps and a come-along for tension and framing

lumber to force the posts back square and true, we straightened the posts,bringingeachperpendicular to thegroundandparallel to theothers.Thesewelocked in placewith newly purchased pressure-treated 2 x 6s about three feetabovetheoriginalbottomrack,eachrestingonacleatforextrasupport.Inonerackweframedtheopeningforasmallgate.When winter loosened its grip, we returned to the trees at the edge of the

woodlot out back and finished cleaning them up. Our neighbors lent us theirJohnDeere52logsplitter,aminibeastandagemfromtheearly1980sthathadbecome slightly balky with age. We commenced the next step: splitting thegatheredfueltosize.AfterafewshiftsImanagedtobreakthepullcordoffthestarter.Acalltoa

friendwhorepairscommercialfishingboats ledtoaquicksessionin theyard,duringwhichweremovedthestarter, rethreadedandtied in thecord,and thencleanedandtunedthecarburetor.Soonthemachinewaspurring,itsoldBriggs& Stratton engine contentedly revived. Over the course of the next few

weekendsmysonsandIconvertedabout10cordsofgreenwoodintosplits.Bythenspringhadwarmedtheyard.Potatoesweresproutingandasparagus,

too.Thewoodstovesinthehouseandtheshackwerecleanandsilent,idleuntilfall.Thenewgreenfirewoodwasneatlypiledabouttheproperty,beginningtodry.Thechainsawwascleanedandreadytobeputupforthewarmseasonwithafreshtankofhigh-octane,no-ethanolfuel.Weweredone.Andweknew the satisfying feelingofbeing, inone area at

least,well-preparedbyourownsweatandourownhands.Myonlyregretwasthatitwasover.We’dhavetowaitanotheryeartoresume.

Chivers’ssonsplitswoodduringarecentwinter.

HowtoFellaTreewithanAx

Atreecomesdowninthreecuts.

CUTONE:

Ata45-degreeangledownward

CUTTWO:

Ata45-degreeangleupward,tointersectwiththefirstcut

CUTTHREE:

Intotheoppositesideofthetree,paralleltotheground.Itshouldbeslightlyaboveorequaltothepointofthenotchformedbycutsoneandtwo.Stopwhenthereisahingeleftthat’sabout10percentofthewidthofthetree.Poundafellingwedgeintothecutandthetreeshouldfallawayfromyou.

HowtoSplitFırewoodNOTEVERYHOBBYCANBELEARNEDINAMONTH,AYEAR,OREVENADECADE.SOMEARETHEBLUEPRINTSTOEVERYSKILLYOU’LLEVERLEARN.

SEASONEDSPLITTERSUSEamaul,notanax,toprepfirewood.(Withitsslimtaper,anaxheadoftengetsstuckintheendgrain.)Don’tuseachoppingblock—itreducesthearcoftheswing,whichdecreasespower.Instead,placethelogontheground,fiveinchescloserthanthelengthofthemaulhandle.Standwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart;placeyourdominanthandatthebottomofthehandleandtheotherhandthree-quartersupthehandle.Restthemaulonthewood,thenliftitallthewayup—yourbottomarmshouldbestraightandyourtoparmslightlybent.Asyoubeginthedownwardmotion,slideyourtophanddowntoyourbottomhand.Useyourwholebody,notjustyourarms,andbendyourkneesslightly,snappingthembackasplitsecondbeforehittingthewood.“Youwanttodrivethemaulthroughthewood,socompletetheswingonceyoumakecontact,”saysNathanWaterfield(pictured),ownerofTimberworksForestManagement&SpecialtyWorksinCherryValley,NewYork.

SignsYourWoodIsWell-Seasoned

Woodneedstoage,orseason,beforeitwillburnwell.

Itdoesn’tsmelllikewood.Mostofthewoodyscentyougetiscausedbymoisture.

It’sdullincolor.Seasonedwoodshouldlookgray.

It’snotheavy.Watermakesupasmuchasthree-quartersoftheweight

ofagreenpieceofwood.

Theendshavecracks.Asthewooddriesout,itbecomesmorebrittle.

Thebarkismissingorcomesoffeasily.Whenthemoisturegoes,thebarkusuallygoeswithit.

Itsoundshollowwhenyouhititagainstsomething.(Probablybestifthatsomethingisanotherlog.)

STRATEGY:HOWTOFORAGEFORFIREWOOD

1. Wood from spruce, aspen, birch, willow, or pine trees makes goodkindling.Itlightseasily.2.Bewaryofwoodthatyoufindonthegroundasit’smorelikelytobewetorrotten.3.Mostofyourcampfirewoodshouldcome from lowbranches. If theysnapoffeasily,they’redeadalreadyandwillburnwell.4.Forlonger-burningwood,findanut-bearingtree.Oak,hickory,walnut,andmapleareall hardwoods,whichmeans they’redenserandhaveahigherheatcontent,measuredinBritishthermalunits(BTUs).

HEATCONTENTBYTYPEOFWOOD

OAKBTU:27.6

WALNUTBTU:22.2

ASPENBTU:18.2

MAPLEBTU:25.5

BIRCHBTU:20.8

PINEBTU:17.7

HICKORYBTU:24.6

ELMBTU:20

WILLOWBTU:17.6

ThreeTreeCutsEveryoneShouldKnow

CUT1

NOTCHANDFOLD

Afelled treeusuallyhassaw-pinchingareaswhere the topof the log isundercompressionandthebottomisundertension.Ifyouhaveaccessto the topandbottomof the log,youcanhandle thisoneof twoways.Makeacutstraightdownfromthetopandfinishbycuttingupfromthebottom.Theproblemisthesawcangetpinchedinthedowncut.Anotheroption is to make an angled cut through about a third of the log’sdiameter.Makeasecondangledcutthatintersectsthefirst.Removethewedge.Makea thirdcutup from thebottom that intersects thepointofthewedge.

Cut2OFFSETCUTANDSNAP

Limbingatreecanleaveamassofbrushunderfootthatcantripyouup.Here’s amethod to havemore control over the cleanup. For relativelysmall branches,up to three inches indiameter, say, cut them inawaythat allowsyou to snap themoff cleanlybyhandand toss them to theside. Make two offset cuts, one on each side of the branch. Each cutgoesslightlypastthebranch’scenter.Doabunchoflimbsthatway,putthesawdown,snapeachoneoff,andtossitintoapile,awayfromwhereyou’reworking.

CUT3SPRINGPOLERELEASE

Afalling treewilloftenbendasaplingorabranchunder it, leavingyouwithwhat’scalledaspringpole.Catapultwouldbeabettername.Thebentbranchorsaplingcontainsatremendousamountofstoredenergy.Ifyou crosscut its fibers, you release that energy—just like you releasedtheropeonacatapult.Todealwiththissafely,makeaseriesofparallelcutsontheinside(compressionside)ofthespringpole,shavingdownitswood.Makeasmallverticalcutontop,butdon’tseverthebranch.Thepoleshouldreleaseslowlyonitsown.

THESTANCE

Whenthebottomofachainsawbarmakescontactwithalog,itpullsyoutowardthelog.Whenthetopofabarmakescontact,itpushesyouaway.Ifyou’renotpreparedforeither,youcangetknockedontoyourbutt.Sousetheboxer’sstance.Foraright-handedperson,thatmeansstandingwithyour left foot forwardandyourright footback.Bendyourkneesasyou pivot the saw through the log, and think aboutwhere the sawwillexit.Youdon’twanttoswingoutofthecut,acrossthetoeofyourboot,

andintoyourleg.

ESSENTIALGEAR

BECAUSEYOU’LLNOTONLYLOOKTHEPARTBUTBESAFE,TOO.

Tall loggingboots provide ankle support and tractionwhen the goinggets tough. You can cut safely only if you can stand firmly (see “TheStance,”above).

Chainsawchapsareamust.Ifyoucutintoyourleg,theirchain-stoppingfabricsnarlsthesaw’sclutchbeforethechaincandorealdamage.

Aforestryhelmetprotectsyoureyes,ears,andhead.Itfeelsconfiningatfirst,butyou’llbegladyouhaveitonwhenyougetswattedinthefacebyafallingbranch.

Cold-weather logging gloves with chain-stopping fabric areimportantforthesamereasonthatchapsare.

Acanthookisatime-honoredtoolforturningandpositioninglogs.Yourbackwillthankyou.

ASkillforaLifetime:FishingByC.J.CHIVERS

SOMETASKSAREsorichintheirdemandsthatthehopeofmasteringthemleadstothepursuitofothers,andthentoothers,andsoonforlife.When pursued with intensity, fishing works like that. Find someone who

catchesavarietyoffish,seasonafterseason,yearafteryear,invariedweather,habitats, and conditions, and you have almost certainly found someone whopossessesarangeofdisparatebutinterlockingabilities.Beinganexpertcaster,while a handsome competency, is nowhere near enough. Just as cats are notpredators solelybyclaw,peoplewhomaster fishing’smaingoal—consistentlyharvestingfish—drawfromafullersetofskills.Theycanhandleandworkonboats.They readweather, currents, and tides.They easily tie amultiplicity ofknots—in ropes,wire,or line.Theyunderstand foodwebs.And they typicallycanputtouseanynumberoftools—acastnet,afilletknifeanditssharpeningstone,oramitersawwhenadockorboatrepairisrequired.Theyhaveforcedtheirabilitiestocohere.Thisiswhy,inourhouse,fishingliesnearthecenterofwhatmywifeandI

considerourchildren’slivingclassroom.This is not to understate the obvious: At heart, old-school fishing remains

about catching and eating fish. The waters near our home provide us a largefractionofourannualprotein,beginningwithyellowperchcaughtthroughiceinwinter,continuingwiththespringsquidrunonanearbyoceanicshoal,andthenplunging full-bore into successive finfish harvests deep into fall, as varioussaltwaterspeciesmigratenearNewEngland’sshores.

ADVICEFROMANANGLER:

NEVERRUNOUTOFWORMS

Thenexttimeyouhaveahardtimefindingwormsforfishbait,forcethe tines of a pitchfork into the ground and twang the handle. This

createsvibrationsthatcausethewormstocomeuptothesurface.

Butasourchildrenlearntoharvestthebountiesthatswimwithinreach,theyaredeveloping andhoningmanyother skills, from simple carpentry to animalhusbandry to cooking, brining, and pickling. We allow the possibilities toexpand.Our gardens and fruit trees are fueled by fish frames—the bones andheads of fish with meat removed—buried in compost piles. The trellises andbedsthekidshelpedbuildprovideallmanneroffood(garlic,potatoes,onions,leeks,beans,squash,andtomatoes)thatweservewiththefish.Theturkeysandchickensthekidsraiseeatwithdelightanyexcessbait.

Andalwaysitisbacktothesea,whereeachtriphelpsthechildrendevelopasense of self-reliance and achievement. One weeknight last summer we wereabout 15miles out, tending the bottom in a rocky rip on a tide that had beendumpingagainst a stiffwind.Anocean swellhadbeenpoundingacross it all,creating a confusedwashtub sea.Oncewehad fish in the cooler, the crossingback to themainlandwas black, and it bisected a shipping lane that requiredattentionatthehelm.(Theboys,12and14,pointedoutthenavigationlightsonatugtowingabarge,determineditsrelativedirection,andcalledout“allclear”onthecoursewehadchosen.)Then,asweapproachedland,ablackoutknockedout shoreline power, leaving little to navigate by as the hull covered the laststretch.Theboyshardlynoticed.Theyspottedtheseawallopeningbyscanningalong

a compass heading, then readied lines as we puttered up the channel pastdarkeneddocksbeforescootingcross-tideintothelasttightpassage.Theretheysprung from thegunwale to thedock to tie theboatoff. I cut theenginesandlistenedastheycontinuedthework.Thenextmorningthetwoofthemcarriedtheheavycoolerfromthepickupto

thecleaningtable,retrievedfishfromtheice,andbrokeouttheknives.Anhourorsolatertheyhadfilletedthecatchandburiedtheframesincompostbesidethestrawberrybeds.Mick,wholikes tocook,wastalkingrecipes.Jackhelpedmethinkthroughthedesignandplacementofanewblockandtackle.Everything about the rhythmwe had fallen into showed that the old saw—

giveamanafishandhewilleatforaday,butteachhimtofishandhewilleatforalifetime—onlybrushesthetruth.Teachyourdaughter to fishand shemaybecomeabiologist, amechanic, a

deckhand,acarpenter,andanartist,allonhersparetime.Youmayfindthatyouhaveachildwhocanfree-divewithaspearorbuildyouameticulouslyshingledstorageshedwithaclassicallypitchedroofforyourgearandlobsterpots.Andyouwillhavefish,plentytoeatandplentytoshare—anabundanceofthefoodthatpropelledyouall intomotion in the firstplacebut required thatyou learnmanyotherskillstosucceed.

ADVICEFROMANANGLER:

TEMPTMORETROUT

Eveninthemostheavilyfishedstreams,troutfinditdifficulttoresista

worm offered in either of the following two ways. One successfulmethod utilizes a twig with a leaf or two attached. After the worm-baitedhookispushedthroughtheedgeoftheleaf,thetwigisallowedtofloatdownstream.Whentheleafdriftsoveralikelypool,thehookisjerkedfreebyatwitchoftherodtip.Thebaitthensinksslowlytothebottom,coaxingthetroutintostriking.Theothermethodistomoldaballofclayormudoverthewormandhook.Theballisloweredslowlyintothewaterandwashesawaytoexposetheworm.

TheUltimateSurvivalDogDURINGTHEGOODTIMES,thepreapocalypse,youwantadogthat’sloyal,smart, andobedient.You alsowant a dog that barks likehellwhen a strangerwalks up your driveway. TheGerman shorthaired pointer (pictured) has thesequalitiesandalotmore.Thebreedhaspulledsleds,carriedpacks,andgoneintobattlewitheliteU.S.forces.Itswebbedpawsmakeitagoodswimmer.Itcanbetrainedtoretrievegamethatyoukill—ortokillsmallanimalsitself.Thedog’sversatility derives from deliberate breeding: Spanish and English pointers, thedalmatian, the vizsla, and a tracking hound all went into making this craftycanine.Itscomplexancestryalsomakesitsusceptibletofewailmentsandlikelytoliveupto14years.Somaybestockupondogfood,too.

STRATEGY:HOWTOIDENTIFYTRACKS

WHETHERYOU’REFINDINGFOODORAVOIDINGPOSSIBLEPREDATORS,YOUSHOULDKNOWHOWTORECOGNIZETHEDIFFERENTPRINTSANIMALSLEAVE.

DOGNottobeconfusedwithacoyote:moreoblongwithlessprominentclawsandasmallerhindfootprint

BLACKBEARSimilartogrizzlybearprints,butsmallerandwithshorterclaws

DEERAwalkingdeerleavesaprintlikethisone.Arunningdeer’stoesspreadatthetopandlookmorelikeanupwardV.

SKUNKThehindfootappearssimilartohumanfeet,withclawsthatrarelyleaveanimpression.

TURKEYTrackscanbeasbigas5incheswide,withthreelongfronttoes.Asmalloneinthebackoccasionallyshowsup.

TRAINEasytospotandfollow.Don’tgettooclose.

HowtoPaddleaKayakTherearethreebasicstrokestogetyouanywhereyouneedtogoontheriver.

FORWARD/BACKWARDSTROKECONTROLSFORWARDANDBACKWARDMOVEMENT

1.Reachforwardwiththepaddlebladeandsubmergeitcompletelyinthewater—butnotsodeepthatyourhandgoesin.

2.Pullthebladestraightback,paralleltoyourboat.Thebladeshouldbe

closeenoughtoalmosttouchthekayak.

3.Switchsidesandrepeat.(Reversethestroketogobackward.)

SWEEPSTROKETURNSTHEFRONTORBACKOFTHEKAYAK

1.Reachforwardwiththepaddlebladeoppositethesideyouwanttheboattomove.Forexample,ifyou’dliketoturnright,reachforwardwithyourleftpaddleblade.

2.Putthebladeinthewaterandsweepitoutward,arcingawayfromthefrontoftheboat.

3.Repeatonthesamesideuntiltheboatisaimedwhereyouwantit.

DRAWMOVESYOURKAYAKLATERALLYWITHOUTCHANGINGDIRECTION

1.Reachoutinthedirectionyouwanttomovetheboatandplaceyourpaddleinthewater,directlytothesideofyourhip.

2.Pullthewaterintowardyou,asifpushingitunderyourseat.

3.Continueasneeded.

HowtoPaddleaCanoe

ACCORDINGTOALEXCombofStewartRiverBoatworks inKnifeRiver,Minnesota,whostartedbuildingwoodandcanvascanoesinearlyadulthood,thefirst step in paddling a canoe is selecting a properly sized paddle.With yourhandsaboveyourheadinthesurrenderposition,thedistancebetweenthepinkieedgesofyourpalmsshouldbejustshyofthedistancefromthetopofthepaddletotheblade.

1.Holdingthepaddlewithonehandonthehandleandtheotherjustabovetheblade,situpstraightandleanslightlyforward.Dipthepaddleintothewaterwiththebladeataslightangletothedirectionoftravel.

2.Pullthebladeperpendiculartothehullasitentersthewater.Pullback,finishingthestrokeasthepaddlepassesyourhip.

3.Ifyoudon’twanttoturnawayfromthesideyou’repaddlingon,adjustthepaddleparalleltothehullattheendofyourstrokeandpressoutward.ThisiscalledaJstroke.

Budapest,Hungary,June19,2015.Participantsweighaself-madecanoemadeofconcretebeforetheirrace.InHungary,thisformofsportshasexistedsince2012.Concretecanoesarethesamesizeasgeneralsportingcanoes—mostofthemweigharound150kgbutsomeonlyweigh

40kg—whileaplasticcompositeracingcanoeisusuallyaround20kg.

HowtoMakeaConcreteCanoeMANYENGINEERINGCOMPETITIONSCHALLENGETEAMSTOMAKEACANOEOUTOFWHATSEEMSLIKEANUNFLOATABLESUBSTANCE:CONCRETE.HERE’SHOWTOMAKEYOUROWNWHENHOLLOWINGOUTATREENOLONGERCHALLENGESYOU.

STEP1DesignabasichullformoruseanexistingformonaCADprogram.

STEP2Printcrosssectionsofthehullatregularintervalsontopapertemplates.Transferthesetemplatestopiecesofplywood.

STEP3

Cut out the cross sections from the plywood using a jigsaw or a bandsaw.

STEP4Assembletheplywoodpiecesbystandingthemup—spacedaccordingtothedesign—andfasteningthemtoarigidpieceoflumbercalledastrongback. Insert pieces of rigid foam insulation in the gaps, then trim theexcessusingaknifeorreciprocatingsaw.

STEP5Sightdownthehullformtolocateanylowareasinthefoamorplywood.Ifyoufindany,buildthemoutwithdrywallcompound.Onceanydrywallcompound is dry, sand the shape as smooth as possible. Apply waterwithaclothtothehullformtoreducetheconcrete’stendencytobondtoit.

STEP6Mixtheconcreteandapplya½-to1-inchlayertothehullusingtrowels,floats, and your hands. The thicker the layer, the heavier the boat, butalsothebettertheboatwilltoleratestress.

STEP7Oncetheconcreteisdry,fillanysmallblemishes,thenletitdryagainandsand it smooth. Once the smoothing is complete, carefully lift the hullfromthemold.

HowtoMakeaBaitBarrelUSINGFOUNDSUPPLIESANDAFEWBASICSFROMTHEHARDWARESTORE,WEBUILTALIVEBAITWELLFORASEASONOFFISHINGINTHELAKEBEHINDOURHOUSE.

ByC.J.CHIVERS

ASLONGERDAYSandrisingtemperatureswarmedthelakebehindourhousethis springand the lake’s fish, frogs, and reptilesgathered in thenearest cove,three of my boys began scouring the shallows for prey, using dip nets andminnow traps to capture all manner of life. Soon they had an assortment ofcreaturesinaquariumsinoneoftheirbedroomsandaproposalfortheirparentstoconsider:Canwebuild largeoutdoor tanks tokeepbait aliveand ready forfishing season? The lake’s largemouth bass and pickerel, they said, would bemore likely to strike fish from their ownhabitat—bait that alsohappens tobefree.Theideahadmerit,aslongascostscouldbecontained.Andsowetookiton.Mick,who is 14, did the planning.First he took stock ofwhatwas already

available at home or on our next-door neighbors’ property—a pair of plasticlobster-baitbarrels thatwehadpickedupover theyears, severaloldpressure-treated 4 x 4s, an abundance of six-foot slats from a fallen cedar fence, arectangular plastic basin about 16 inches deep, boxes of varied fasteners, aslightlybentrollofgalvanizedwiremesh,aboutfourfeetofwhitepolymertrimboard,andasmallpileof30-inchlichen-encrusteddropsfromadockbuiltyearsagowithcompositedeckboards.Hethensettosketchingadesignandcompilingalistofwhatwewouldneed

to finish the job. His plan called for shortening the height of the barrels andsecuringtheminasimplewooden-and-composite-boardframe.Therectangularbasinwouldbe seatedbetween them. Itwouldbedivided into threechambersand serveas the system’sheart.Onechamberwould receiveoutflow from thebaitbarrels,anotherwouldbefilledwithgravelforfiltering,andathirdwouldhouseapump,whichwouldsendfreshlyfilteredwaterbackintothetwobarrels

viahoses joined at aT-junction.The systemwould run in a figure-eight loop,with thepumppoweredbyanoutdooroutlet at a tool shed,next towhich theapparatuswouldbebuilt.Iofferedonemodification:Whynotplaceaportionofthetanksbelowgrade,inthecoolerearth,tokeepthewaterfromoverheatingonhotdays?Mywiferequiredanother:achild-safetop.Tocompletesuchasystem,weboughtseveralitemsfromthelumberyardand

pet-supply store—apair of pressure-treated studs (rated for ground contact), abag of clean gravel, a 500-gallons-per-hour electric pump, and a tube ofaquarium-gradesilicone.Astopintheplumbingaisleyieldedhosesandfittingstoconnectitalltogether.Theearlystagesoftheprojectwentsmoothly.ItrustMickwithtools,andhe

knowshowtousemanyofthemquitewell.Withajigsawhereducedthebarrelheights, then measured their diameters, and with the miter saw cut pieces ofpressure-treated studs for a frame. The dock drops were refashioned as sidebraces thatmatched thebarrels’contours,holding thingssnug.Nexthecut thecompositetrimboardintopanelstodividethebasin’sinterior.Oncehesecuredthemwithsilicone,thefilterwasinplace,withgravelinthecentercompartment.TheworkbecametrickierasMickshiftedtotheplumbing.Inaperfectworld

everythingwould fit and be level, allowing the pump and gravity to work inpracticeas theyhadindesign.Butaswedugtheholeswhere the tankswouldsit,weweresurprisedbywhatweshouldhaveexpected:athicktreeroot.Thiscausedonetanktosit,higherthantheother.Theplumbingholeswerenolongerlevel with each other. An afternoon of jury-rigging ensued as we cut freshdrainagewithaholesawandtinkeredwithhoselengthsandplacementuntiltheflowintothebarrelswasequalized.Weaddedanotherpairofdrainagepipestoachieveequilibriumbetweenthepumpandthebarrels’drainage.Waterflowingout now matched water flowing in—an important point, or the center basinwouldendupdryandthepumpdead.The child-safe top was formed bymaking a lattice with fence slats, which

sandwichedthewiremesh,andthenbuildinga2x6pressure-treatedframethatstoodonpostlegsjustabovetheheightofthetanks.Apairofageddoorhingesprovidedthelasttouch,allowingthelatticelidtobeopenedandclosedlikethelid on a huge cooler. This would domore than stop small children; it woulddiscouragethievingraccoons.Ourbaittanksweredone,readyforuse.The next day,when I checked on the pump, I saw the first fish swimming

inside,alongwithapaintedturtle.Theboyshadalreadybeenbusy.

HowtoMakeaTurkeyCall

THESLATE-AND-STRIKERIS the simplest turkey call to create and veryeffective.ChampioncallmakerDonBald,ofLebanon,Illinois,startsbycuttinga piece of slate (he uses chalkboard he salvaged from a schoolwrecked by atornado)withabandsawandsmoothingouttheedgeswithfine-gritsandpaper.Thepieceshouldbe1⁄8-inchthickandfitcomfortablyinthepalmofyourhand.Thestrikerconsistsofahandleandpeg.Useoakoranotherhardwoodforthe

peg.Baldturnshispegsonalathe,makingthemjustunder1⁄2inchindiameterat the top and gently tapered down to the tip, which he rounds off like thebusiness end of a pool cue. All you need for the handle is a piece of driedcorncob.Justdrillahole,placesomeepoxyandthestrikerinthehole,andtestitout.Theshorterthestriker,thehigher-pitchedthesound,sogivetheslateafewstrikes,adjustingthelengthofthepegbelowthehandleuntilyougetthepitchyouwant.Thenlettheepoxyset.Before you use the call, rub both the slate and the striker with 280-grit

sandpaper.It’slikechalkingthecue,andit’llgiveyouabettersound.

GETTINGSTARTEDIN:

CanningandPickling

IT’SDELICIOUSANDHEALTHY.WHATAREYOUWAITINGFOR?

FORMOSTOFHUMANHISTORY,preservationwasasurvivalmechanism.Fermentingandpickling,amongtheoldestformsofcookingweknow,keptusfrom getting sick. Over millennia, we developed simple, almost instinctualtechniques as varied as the cultures that span the globe.But in only a couplehundredyears, technologyhas reduced the repertoireofmost people to two—refrigeration and buying commercially processed foods. And in forgoing thetime-consumingtasksweonceusedtomaximizeourharvest,we’veabandonedtwofundamentalsofeating:nutritionandflavor.Medical studies are now proving what our instincts said all along: Good

bacteriaandmicrobesareessentialtoourhealth.Preservingfoodbyfermentingistheeasiestwaytogetthemintoourbodiessinceitallowsbacteriatomultiplyandgrowbefore enteringour gut.And if you’ve ever tasted a perfect kimchi,youknowit’sgotafunky,sourflavorunlikeanythingelse.So after generations of consuming industrialized food, let’s reintroduce a

practice as old as agriculture itself. No culinary training is necessary, and theresultstastebetterthananythingyoucanbuyinastore.Sure,ittakessomenewequipment,patience,anddiscipline.Don’tsweatthelearningcurve.Unlikeourancestors,wearen’tpreservingbecausewehaveto,butsimplybecausewewantto.

FERMENTINGVS.PICKLING

Pickling simply refers to thepracticeof preserving food inanacidicmedium.Fermentingisatypeofpickling,becausethesaltybrineandlactobacilli create their ownacidicenvironment.Sowhile this recipe

usesfermentation,youcanpicklethings(includingcucumbers)simplybysubmerging them invinegarandrefrigerating them.Theywillstilltastegreatbutwon’tincludethecohortofhealthybacteria.

WHENYOUSHOULDCANNoonewantstoeatgreenbeansfor threeweeksstraight.Useboilingwater tokillbacteriaandvacuum-sealyourexcessharvestinamasonjarandyouwon’thaveto—it’llstaygoodforuptoayear.

FOODS

Theextrafruitsandvegetablesfromyourgardenareagreatplacetostart.Avoidanythingwithbruisesormoldandtrytopreservefruitsandvegetablesassoonas possible after they’ve been harvested. Depending on the produce, you’llusuallygetonequartcannedforeverythreetofourpoundsoffreshproduce.

WHATTOEXPECT

TIMEThe actualcanning—sterilizing airtight containers in hotwater—usually takesonlyabouthalfanhour.Butyou’llwanttosetasideawholeafternoontomaketime for foodprepand the fact thatyouhave toprocess inbatchessincemostpotswon’tholdverymanyjarsatonce.

EQUIPMENT

GLASSMASONJARSTheeasiesttofindareBallorKerr

JARLIDSANDBANDSSealingmetaldiscsandthethreadedmetalringsthatholdthemdown

OVENMITT

CANNINGRACK

JARLIFTERWITHRUBBERGRIPS

LARGEPOT

RECIPESThereisacanningbible,andit’scalledBallCompleteBookofHomePreserving.It’sbeenaroundinoneformoranothersince1909,soitsrecipesaretime-tested.Mostimportantly,eachrecipeexplainshowtoprepareafoodbeforecanningit,which might be as simple as heating whole fruit but often requires a bit ofcooking.

PROCESSFirst—yes, canning actually means sealing food in jars. Once you’ve got thefoodpacked,youcancanittwoways—eitherwithabigpotofboilingwaterorapressurecanner,whichgetsevenhotter.High-acidfoods,likefruitsandsalsa,aresafetoprocessinapotbecausetheaciditydoessomeoftheworkofkillingbacteria.Thatmakes jelliesand jamstheeasiestplace tostart.Low-acidfoodsneedtobeprocessedinapressurecanner.Theprocessesfollowthesamesteps,though:Masonjarsarewarmedinthehotwaterandthenpacked,leavingalittlebitofspacetocreateastrongvacuumseal.Thefilledjargoesbackintothehotwaterforaslongastherecipesays.Thenyouwaitforthecharacteristicpopping

soundmadeasthejarcoolsandthevacuumsecuresthelid.

WHYCANNINGWORKS(ANDHOWTOMAKESUREITDID)

1.JarlidshavearingofacompoundcalledPlastisolaroundtheedgeinatroughthatfitsoverthetopofthejar.Plastisolissoftathightemperaturesbuthardensatroomtemperature.Astheheatofthecanningprocesscausesgasesandthefoodtoexpand,creatinghigherpressureinsidethejarthanoutside,airisabletoventoutthroughthePlastisol.

2.Then,whenthejarcools,thePlastisolhardensintoatightseal.Bythetimethejarhascooledtoroomtemperature,somuchairhasventedthatpressureinsidethejarislowerthanoutside.Thismakestheproperlysealedlidconcave—ifit’sflatorbulging,it’snotsealed.Testitbytappingthelid—apingingsoundmeansaproperseal.

WHENYOUSHOULDPICKLEIfyouwant to improveuponnatureevenmore,submergingfoods inanacidicenvironment not only preserves them for up to three or fourmonths but alsogivesthemadistinctivetangyflavor.

FOODS

Youcanpicklejustaboutanything,butifyou’refermenting—atypeofpickling—useproducewithahighwatercontent,likerootvegetables,cabbage,kale,orcucumbers.Fruitswillferment,butbecauseyeastfeastontheirsugars,youmayneed a starter like kombucha or extra salt to prevent them from spoiling orbecomingtooalcoholic.

WHATTOEXPECT

TIMEPatience is key.Youwon’t spend hours in the kitchen, but, depending on themethod of pickling you choose, it can take anywhere from a day toweeks toachievetheperfectflavor.Feelfreetoeatyourpicklesasquicklyasyouwant,though.

EQUIPMENT

GLASS,PORCELAIN,ORCERAMICCONTAINER

PICKLINGSALT

STONEOROTHERWEIGHT

MIXINGBOWL

WOODENSPOON

CHEESECLOTH

RECIPESTheBall Complete Book of Home Preserving also offers expert guidance onpickles.Sodowe:TrytheClassicDillPicklerecipebelow.

PROCESSPickles are just produce on acid—either vinegar or fermentation’s lactic acid.

Addingvinegar,salt,sugar,andspicesinajarcreatesaquickpickleinaslittleas24hours.Fermentationtakeslongerbecauseithastwostages.Thesaltinthevinegarmix drawswater out of the cucumbers, forming a brine thatmakes itharder for harmful bacteria to grow. Then good lactobacilli bacteria alreadyliving on the cucumbers convert sugars into lactic acid, which preserves theproduceandaddstanginess.Acleanclothorcheeseclothsecuredwitharubberband vents gases from fermentation and forms a barrier tomold and harmfulbacteria.Afteracoupleweeksinthejar,fermentedpicklesareready.

RECIPE:

TheClassicDillPickle

INGREDIENTS

(Foraone-galloncontainer)

4lb 4-inchpicklingcucumbers2tbsp dillseedor4–5headsfreshordrydillweed1/2cup noniodizedsalt1/4cup distilledwhitevinegar8cups water

1.Washcucumbersandremoveblossomends,leaving1/4

inchofstemattached.2.Placehalfthedillatthebottomofyourcontainer,then

thecucumbers,thentheremainingdill.3.Inaseparatebowl,mixsalt,vinegar,andwateruntilsalt

dissolves.4.Pourmixtureovercucumbers,putaweightontopto

keepthemsubmerged,thentightlycoverthecontainerwithcheesecloth.

5.Checkthecontainerseveraltimesaweekandpromptlyremovesurfacescumormold.Picklesthataresoft,slimy,orexcessivelysmellyshouldbediscarded.

6.Atroomtemperature,expecttoallowthreetofourweeksoffermentation(choosingwhentostopisamatteroftaste).Lowertemperaturesslowtheprocess;temperaturesabove80°willmakethepicklestoosoft.

WiththankstoBenjaminChapmanandtheNationalCenterforHomeFoodPreservation

HowtoPitchaTent

PARKERLIAUTAUD,POLARADVENTURER

Whenfour-timepolarexplorerParkerLiautaudembarkedonhisfirsttriptotheNorthPoleat15,he’dneverpitchedatentbefore.“IonlylearnedtosetupthetentwhenIsawitforthefirsttime,whichwaswhenIgottoNorway,”hesays.Liautaudhaslearnedalotsincethen.Everytentisdifferent,sothebiggestthing,he says, is to practice. You should be completely familiar with all of yourequipmentbeforeyoueveruseitinarealsituation.

1.Chooseyourgroundwisely.Ofcourseyoudon’twanttosleeponlavarock,butevenlittlebumpscanmakeyourtentflooruncomfortable.Ifyourtentislong,positionitsothatthenarrowestpartfacesthewind.Otherwisethebroadsidewillactlikeasail,whichcouldleadtoacollapse.

2.Whenyoutakethetentoutofitspack,don’tloseorignoreanypiece.Evenalostclipcouldmeanalessstructurallysecurelodging.Whenyouplacethespikes,makesurethegroundissolid.Placingthemataslightanglealsohelpskeeptheropeortentholesfromslippingoff.

Placingyourtentonaslightinclinewillkeepwaterfromgatheringunderyouifitrains.

HowtoBuildaCampfireTWOBOYSCOUT–APPROVEDMETHODS

THELOGCABINGoodFor:Campfirecooking,slow-burningfiresHowTo:Layyourwoodcrisscross inasquare, thewayyoudidwithLincolnLogsasakid,aroundyourtinderandkindling.Uselargerpiecesofwoodasthebaseandworkupfromthere,withthesmallestpiecesatthetop.

THETEPEEGoodFor:Hotfires,windyconditionsHowTo:Standupthreeorfourbigstickssotheyformapointoveryourbundleofkindling.Theyactasachimney,drawingairin.Thenaddyourlargerlogsinthesameshapearoundtheexistingstructureforsupport.

HowNottoDieATLEASTNOTTODAY.

ACCIDENTS ARE THE leading cause of death among U.S. men 18 to 50years old, accounting for 37,000 of roughly 148,000 annual fatalities. Someinstances of unintentional death, to use the official term, are unavoidable—wrong place,wrong time—butmost aren’t. Staying alive requires recognizingdanger, feeling fear, and reacting. “We interpret external cues through oursubconscious fear centers very quickly,” says Harvard University’s DavidRopeik, author of How Risky Is It, Really? Trouble is, even smart, sober,experienced men can fail to register signals of an imminent threat. Here wepresent20easy-to-missrisksandhowtoavoidorsurvivethem.

OUTSMARTWILDLIFE.Ifyoucomeface-to-facewithawildanimal,thenaturalresponseistobolt,butthat can trigger the animal’s predatory instinct. On July 6, 2011, BrianMatayoshi,57,andhiswife,Marylyn,58,werehikinginYellowstoneNationalParkwhentheycameuponagrizzlybearandfled,screaming.Brianwasbittenandclawedtodeath;Marylyn,whohadstoppedandcrouchedbehindatree,wasapproachedbythebearbutleftunharmed.STAT: Each year three to five people are killed in North America in wildanimalattacks,primarilybysharksandbears.DO: Avoidshark-infestedwaters.Asforbears,alwayscarryrepellentpepperspraywhenhiking;itcanstopachargingbearfromasmuchas30feetaway.Toreducetheriskofanattack,givebearsachancetogetoutofyourway.“Trytostayintheopen,”saysLarryAumiller,managerofAlaska’sMcNeilRiverStateGame Sanctuary. “If you have to move through thick brush, make noise byclappingandshouting.”

Pepperspraydesignedtostopachargingbearcansaveyou,butforPete’ssake,don’twaituntiltheanimalisinchesfromyourhand.

DON’TMESSWITHVENDINGMACHINES.Youskippedlunch.Youneedasnack.Youinsertmoneyintoavendingmachine,pressthebuttons,andnothingcomesout.Yougetmad.STAT: Vendingmachinescaused37deathsbetween1978and1995,crushingcustomerswhorockedandtoppledthedispensers.Norecentstatsexist,butthemachinesarestilladanger.DON’T: Skiplunch.

STAYONTHEDOCK.OnMay20,2013,KyleMcGoniglewasonadockonKentucky’sRoughRiver

Lake. A dog swimming nearby yelped, and McGonigle, 36, saw that it wasstrugglingtostayabovewater.Hedoveintosavethedog,butbothheandtheanimaldrowned,victimsofelectric-shockdrowning(ESD).Cordspluggedintoanoutletonthedockhadslippedintothewaterandelectrifiedit.STAT: ThenumberofannualdeathsfromESDintheU.S.areunknownsincetheyarecountedamongalldrownings.ButanecdotalevidenceshowsthatESDiswidespread. ESD prevention groups have successfully urged some states toenact safety standards, including the installation of ground-fault circuitinterruptersandacentralshutoffforadock’selectricalsystem.DON’T: Swim within 100 yards of any wired dock. But do check whetherdocksfollowsafetystandards.

KEEPITONTHEDIRT.On the morning of July 14, 2013, Taylor Fails, 20, turned left in his 2004YamahaRhinoATVatapavedintersectionnearhisLasVegas–areahome.Thehigh-traction tire treadsgrippedtheroadandthevehicleflipped,ejectingFailsand a 22-year-old passenger. Fails died at the scene; the passenger sustainedminorinjuries.STAT: One-thirdoffatalATVaccidentstakeplaceonpavedroads;morethan300peoplediedinon-roadATVwrecksin2011.DO: Ride only off-road. Paul Vitrano, executive vice president of the ATVSafety Institute, says, “Soft, knobby tires are designed for traction on unevenground andwill behaveunpredictably onpavement.” In some cases, tireswillgrip enough to cause anATV to flip, as in theNevada incident. “If youmustcross apaved road to continueon an approved trail, go straight across in firstgear.”

Docksidewatercanbecomeelectrifiedbyashortinanonboardappliance,afaultywireconnectingaboattothedock’spoweroutlet,orexposedwiringinthedock’spowersource.Thecurrentcoursesthroughaswimmer’sbodyandcanleadtoelectric-shockdrowning.

Escapingthehydraulicrequiresswimmingtothebottomandresurfacingbeyondtheboilpoint,justdownstreamfromthevortex.

BEWARELOW-HEADDAMS.Foundonsmallormoderate-sizestreamsandrivers,low-headdamsareusedtoregulatewater floworprevent invasive species fromswimmingupstream.Butwatch out. “They’re called drowning machines because they could not bedesignedbettertodrownpeople,”saysKevinColburnofAmericanWhitewater,anonprofitwhitewaterpreservationgroup.Toaboaterheadingdownstream,thedams look like a line of flat reflectivewater.Butwater rushing over the damcreatesaspinningcylinderofwaterthatcantrapacapsizedboater.STAT: Eight to 12 people a year die in low-head and other dam-relatedwhitewateraccidents.DO: Curl up, drop to the bottom, and move downstream if caught in ahydraulic. “It’s a counterintuitive thing to do, but the only outflow is at thebottom,” Colburn says. Surface only after you’ve cleared the vortex near thedam.

MOWONTHELEVEL.Whirring blades are the obvious hazard.Butmost lawnmower–related deaths

resultfromridingmowersflippingoveronaslopeandcrushingthedrivers.STAT: About95Americansarekilledbyridingmowerseachyear.DO: Mowupanddownaslope,notsidewaysalongit.Howsteepistoosteep?“If you can’t back up a slope, do not mow on it,” Carl Purvis of the U.S.ConsumerProductSafetyCommissionadvises.

DON’THOLDYOURBREATH.Ifyouwanttotakealongswimunderwater,thetrickistobreatheinandoutafewtimesandtakeabiggulpofairbeforeyousubmerge.Right?Deadwrong.Hyperventilating not only doesn’t increase the oxygen in your blood, it alsodecreasestheamountofCO2,thecompoundthatinformsthebrainoftheneedtobreathe.Withoutthatnaturalsignal,youmayholdyourbreathuntilyoupassoutanddrown.Thisisknownasshallow-waterblackout.STAT: Drowning is the fifth largest cause of accidental death in the U.S.,claiming about 10 lives a day. No one knows howmany of these are due toshallow-waterblackout,butitsprevalencehasledtotheformationofadvocacygroups,suchasShallowWaterBlackoutPrevention.DON’T: Hyperventilatebeforeswimmingunderwateranddon’tpushyourselftostaysubmergedaslongaspossible.

SubmergedSandbar

GOWITHTHEFLOW.The tourist season got off to a grisly start in 2013 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.Duringatwo-dayperiodinearlyJune,fourmendrownedafterbeingcaughtinrip currents.Theunusually strongcurrentswere invisible, not even roiling thesurface. Rip currents occur when water rushing back from the shoreline ischanneled through a narrow gap between two sand bars, accelerating theoutwardflow.STAT: Morethan100Americansdrowninripcurrentseachyear.DO: Allow thecurrent tocarryyououtbeyond the riptide’s flow, thenswimlaterallyuntilyoureachapositionwhereyoucanturnandstrokesafelytoshore.

FORDCAREFULLY.A shallow stream can pack a surprising amount of force, making fording

extremely dangerous. Once you’ve been knocked off your feet, you can getdraggeddownbytheweightofyourgear,strikerocksinthewater,orsuccumbtohypothermia.STAT: Water-related deaths outnumber all other fatalities in U.S. nationalparks;nospecificstatisticsareavailableforaccidentswhilefordingstreams.DO: Crossatastraight,widesectionofwater.Tossastickintothecurrent;ifitmoves faster than a walking pace, don’t cross. Unhitch waist and sternumfastenersbeforecrossing—awetpackcanpullyouunder.

LANDSTRAIGHT.Youhavesuccessfullynegotiatedfreefall,deployedyourcanopy,andareaboutto touch down. Safe? Nope. Inexperienced solo jumpers trying to avoid anobstacleat the lastminute,orexperiencedskydivers lookingfora thrill,mightsometimespulla toggleandentera low-hook turn.“Ifyoumake that turn toolow,yourparachutedoesn’thavetimeto levelout,”saysNancyKoreenof theUnitedStatesParachuteAssociation.Instead,withyourweightfaroutfromthecanopy,you’llswingdownlikeawreckingball.STAT: In the U.S. in 2012, low-hook turns caused five of 19 skydivingfatalities.DO: Scopeoutyourlandingspotwellinadvance(from100to1,000feetup,dependingonyourskill)soyouhaveroomtolandwithoutneedingtoswerve.

Descendingonastraightpath becomesperilouswhenaparachutistattemptsa turn tooclose to theground . Inmidturn,both thecanopyand jumperarespiralingdownrapidly .Withoutenough timeandelevation tocomplete theturnandlevelout, thejumperhits thegroundatadramaticallyelevatedspeed

.

Increasedawarenessofcommotiocordis—ablowtothechestthatcausesventricalfibrillation—hasledmunicipalitiesandsportsleaguestorequiredefibrillatorsateventsincludingbaseball,icehockey,andlacrossegames.

DODGELINEDRIVES.America’snationalpastimemayseemagentlepursuit,but it isnotwithout itsfatalhazards.The2008bookDeathattheBallpark:AComprehensiveStudyofGame-Related Fatalities, 1862–2007 catalogs deaths that have occurredwhilepeople were playing, watching, or officiating at baseball games. Among thecauses is commotio cordis, a concussion of the heart that leads to ventricalfibrillation when the chest is struck during a critical 10-to 30-millisecondmomentbetweenheartbeats.About50percentofallvictimsareathletes(andthevastmajorityofthesearemale)engaginginsportsthatalsoincludeicehockeyandlacrosse,theU.S.NationalCommotioCordisRegistryreports.STAT: The registry recorded 224 fatal cases from 1996 to 2010. Commotio

cordis is the number-one killer in U.S. youth baseball, causing two to threedeathsayear.DON’T: Takeashot to thechest.Evenevasiveactionandprotectivegeararenotsignificantdeterrents.OFNOTE: Survivalratesroseto35percentbetween2000and2010,upfrom15 percent in the previous decade, due mainly to the increased presence ofdefibrillatorsatsportingevents.

KEEPYOURFOOTING.One mistake is responsible for about half of all ladder accidents: carryingsomethingwhileclimbing.STAT: Morethan700peopledieannuallyinfallsfromladdersandscaffolding.DO: Keep threepointsofcontactwhileclimbingandusework-belthooks, aropeandpulley,orothermeanstogetitemsaloft.

STAYWARMANDDRY.Cold isadeceptivemenace—most fatalhypothermiacasesoccurwhen it isn’texcessivelycold,from30to50degreesFahrenheit.Wetclothescompoundtheeffectofthetemperature.STAT: Hypothermiakillsalmost1,000peopleayearintheU.S.DO: Wearsyntheticorwoolclothing,notmoisture-trappingcotton.Ifstranded,conserveheatbystuffingyourclothesorshelterwithdryleaves.

CLIMBWITHCARE.Accidentalshootingsareanobvioushazardofhunting,butguesswhat’sjustasbad:trees.“Atreestandhung20feet intheairshouldbetreatedlikealoadedgun, because it is every bit as dangerous,” says Marilyn Bentz, executivedirector of the National Bowhunter Educational Foundation. Most tree-standaccidentsoccurwhileahunterisclimbing,shesays.STAT: About100huntersayeardiefallingfromtreesintheU.S.andCanada,anumber“equaltoorexceedingfirearm-relatedhuntingdeaths,”Bentzsays.DO: Useasafetyharnesstetheredtothetreewhenclimbinginsteadofrelyingonwoodenboardsnailedtothetree,whichcangivewaysuddenly.

AVOIDCLIFFINGOUT.Hikers out for a scramblemay end up on an uncomfortably steep patch and,finding it easier to climbup than down, keep ascending until they “cliff out,”unable togo either forwardorback.Spending anight freezingon a rock facewaitingtoberescuedisnofun,butthealternativeisworse.STAT: Fallsareoneof the top threecausesofdeath in thewilderness,alongwithcardiacarrestanddrowning.Cliffed-outhikersaccountfor11percentofallsearch-and-rescuecallsinYosemiteNationalPark.DON’T: Takeashortcutyoucan’tseethelengthof.Ifyourealizeyou’velostyourway,eitherbacktrackorcallforhelp.GadgetssuchasDeLorme’sinReachSEprovidesatellitecommunicationtosendadistresscallfromanywhereontheplanet.

USEGENERATORSSAFELY.AfterHurricaneSandy,manyhomeowners usedportable generators to replacelost power, leaving the machines running overnight and allowing odorlesscarbon monoxide to waft inside. The gas induces dizziness, headaches, andnauseainpeoplewhoareawake,but“whenpeoplegotosleepwithageneratorrunning, there’s no chance for them to realize that something’s wrong,” saysBrettBrenner,presidentoftheElectricalSafetyFoundationInternational.STAT: Carbon monoxide from consumer products, including portablegenerators,killsnearly200ayear.OftheSandy-relateddeaths,12wereduetocarbonmonoxidepoisoning.DO: Keepgeneratorsmorethan20feetfromahouse.

DON’TDRINKTOOMUCH.Weallknowthatdehydrationcanbedangerous, leading todizziness, seizures,anddeath,butdrinkingtoomuchwatercanbejustasbad.In2002,28-year-oldrunnerCynthiaLucerocollapsedmidwaythroughtheBostonMarathon.Rushedtoahospital,shefellintoacomaanddied.Intheaftermathitemergedthatshehaddrunklargeamountsalongtherun.Theexcessliquidinhersysteminduceda syndrome called exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), in which an

imbalanceinthebody’ssodiumlevelscreatesadangerousswellingofthebrain.STAT: Uptoone-thirdofenduranceathleteswhocollapseduringeventssufferfromEAH.Between1989and1996,whentheU.S.Armymandatedheavyfluidintakeduringexerciseinhighheat,EAHcausedatleastsixdeaths.DON’T: Drink more than one and a half quarts per hour during sustained,intenseexercise.Butdoconsumeplentyofsaltalongwithyourfluids.

Causedbyexcessivefluidintake,hyponatremiacanmakethebrainswelllikeadehydratedspongesoakedinwater.

DON’TSLIP-SLIDEAWAY.Hikersonaglacierorinareaswherepatchesofsnowremainabovethetreelinemaybetemptedtospeeddownhillbysliding,orglissading.Badidea:Agentleglidecaneasilyleadtoanunstoppableplummet.In2005climberPatrickWang,27,diedonCalifornia’sMountWhitneywhileglissadingoffthesummit;heslid

300feetbeforefallingoffa1,000-footcliff.STAT: Oneortwopeopledieeachyearwhileglissading.DON’T: Glissade, period. But if you ever do it, you should be an expertmountaineerwithwell-practicedself-arresttechniques.Glissadersshouldalwaysremovetheircramponsandknowtheirlineofdescent.

BEATTHEHEAT.ArockformationinUtahcalledTheWaveisremoteandbeautifulbutalsoaridandsweltering.InJuly2012,acouplehikingtheareawerefounddeadaftertheafternoon heat overwhelmed them. Scarcely three weeks later, a 27-year-oldwomancollapsedwhilehikingTheWavewithherhusbandanddiedbeforehecouldgethelp.STAT: Anaverageof675peopledieeachyear in theU.S. fromheat-relatedcomplications.DO: Carry lots of fluids, hike in the morning, and let people know whereyou’regoingwhentrekkinginthedesert.

LETLEANINGTREESSTAND.The motorized blade isn’t always the most dangerous thing about using achainsaw.Trees contain enormous amountsof energy that can release inwaysbothsurprisingandlethal.Ifatreestandsatanangle,itbecomestop-heavyandtransfersenergylowerinthetrunk.Whensawed,itcanshattermidcutandcreateaso-calledbarberchair.Thefiberssplitverticallyandtherearwardhalfpivotsbackward. “It’s very violent and it’s very quick,” saysMark Chisholm, chiefexecutiveofNewJerseyArborists.STAT: In2012,32peoplediedfellingtrees.DON’T: Sawintoanytreeorlimbthat’sundertension.

STRATEGY:HOWTONAVIGATEWITHAMAPANDCOMPASS

ThoughGPSmayseemubiquitous,itdoesn’tworkeverywhere.Mountainsanddensetreecovercanknockoutsatellitesignals—andbatteriescandie.Here’showtoroamthebackcountrywithacompassandtopomap.

1.Orientthemapbyaligningitsmagneticnorth(MN)indicatorwithyourcompass’sreadingofMN.

2.PenciltheMNlineacrossthemap,thenanchorthemapinthisnorth-facingposition;insteadofturningthemapasyouheadtowardyourdestination,pivotarounditasifswitchingseatsatatable.

3.Drawalinebetweenwhereyouareandwhereyouwanttogo.Onceyouturntowardthedestination,thelineoftravelshouldbeperpendiculartoyourchest.

4.Foldthemapparalleltoyourlineoftravel,leavingatwo-inchmarginonthesidethatyouhold.Placethemapbetweenthumbandindexfingerandbegin“thumbingthemap”—useyourthumbtocheckoffterrainfeaturesasyoutravelsoyoucanlookawayfromthemapwithoutlosingyourbearings.

TIP!Estimatehowlongitwilltaketogettoyourdestination.Then,asyoupasslandmarks,seeifyourestimateisholdingup.Itwillgiveyouconfidenceinyourlocation.Anadultmalehikertakes20to40minutespermileonflattomoderatelyslopingterrain.

Keepyourguardup.Ifyourhandshavetocomeallthewayupfromyoursides,youwilltelegraphyourstrike.

HowtoThrowaPunch

STANDWITH YOUR nondominant foot forward, with 30 percent of yourweightonyour front footand70percentonyourback.Makesureyour fist istightwithyour thumboutsideyour fingers.Pivoton theballofyour rear footandtwistyourwaistintowardyourtarget,carryingtheenergyupyourbackanddown your arm. Drive your dominant arm forward and connect with theknuckles of your pointer finger,middle finger, and ring finger. Formaximumeffectiveness, imagine you are punching throughyour opponent.Walls are ill-advisedopponents.

GETTINGSTARTEDIN:

Snowshoeing

THEBESTWAYTOEXERCISEANDEXPLOREALLWINTER.

WHYSNOWSHOE?Unlessyou’reaskier,thesnow-coveredterrainofwintercanmeanfourmonthsinsidewonderingwhat thesunused to look like.Butnot ifyouhaveapairofsnowshoes.Theymaketheoutsideworldaccessibleyear-roundwhilerequiringnomoreskill thanwhat it takes towalk to thecouch.WeaskedMarkElmore,sportsdirectorof theUnitedStatesSnowshoeAssociation, towalkus throughthebasics.Afterthat,weheadedoutside.

THEVARIETIESThe snowshoes you use depend on the terrain you plan on covering and howlong you’ll be out. But in general, remember: The deeper the snow and theheavieryourload,thelargertheshoeyou’llneedtostayontopofthesnow.

RECREATIONALWhatmostsnowshoersendupusing.Thestandardsizeiseightby25inches.Ifyou’reheavierthanaverage,findashoethat’sabitlonger.Ifyou’relighterthanaverage,choosesomethingsmaller, likeeightby22 inches.Besure to lookatthesizeandtypesofbootsasnowshoe’sbindingswillaccommodate.Somecanevenfitsnowboardboots,ifyouhappentoalreadyownthem.Mostimportantonthebindings,Elmore says, is tohavea secureconnectionandawide rangeofmotionthatletsyouwalknormally.

BACKCOUNTRY

Larger snowshoes that allow you to travel in deep powder and support theweightofmultidayhikingpacks.Standardsizesrangefromnineby30inchesto10 by 36 inches, depending on your weight and the weight of the gear youtypicallycarry.

SNOWSHOESSnowshoes come in a variety ofmaterials. The originals, whichmany peoplestillusetoday,werewoodandrawhide.Theyarebeautifulbutcansliponhard-packed snow. Plastic snowshoes are lightweight and inexpensive but lackdurability.Therearecarbon-fiberoptions, too,but thoseareexpensiveenoughthat they’re used only by true aficionados. In the U.S. most people choosealuminum. It’s relatively light and durable and doesn’t require you to pawnfamilyheirloomstopurchase.

THEPARTSFraming:Givesthesnowshoeitsstructure.Widthonmostpairsis

relativelysimilar,butlengthchangesdrasticallydependingonthetypeofsnowthat’stypicalinyourarea.(Thedeeperanddryerthepowder,thelongertheshoe.)Decking:Providessurfaceareatodisperseweightandsupportyou

ontopofthesnow.Typicallymadeofnylon.Binding:Adjustablestraps,buckles,orratchetsthatkeepyourfoot

firmlyattachedtothesnowshoeCrampons:Metalplateswithteethtogripintothesnowandicefor

traction

TIP!Ifyoualreadyownhikingpoles,saveyourselfsomemoneyandjustbuysnowbaskets.Theygivethetipsofthepolesmoresurfacearea—andanotherseasonofuse.

OTHERGEAR

AccordingtoElmore,itisnotthesnowshoeoreventhelocationthatdeterminesthe quality of your snowshoe experience. It’s how you dress. As with anyoutdoorwinteractivity,makesureyouwearlayerstoallowyoutoregulateyourbody temperature. And remember to bring food and water. A few othersnowshoe-specificpiecesofgeartoconsider:

BOOTIESYou’re not going to be warm and comfortable if your feet aren’t warm andcomfortable, so startwithwaterproof hiking orwinter boots and alwayswearthickwool socks. Elmore recommends neoprene snowshoe booties as an easyway to addwarmth andweather protection towhatever footwear you choose.Try:CrescentMoonbooties

POLESHelpyoubalanceonthesnowanddistributesomeoftheworktoyourarmsandupper back.Poles are especially helpful throughdeep snowandonuphill anddownhilltrails.Try:Redfeather3-SectionFastLockpoles

WHERETOGO

IFTHEREISSNOW,YOUCANSNOWSHOE.YOUJUSTMIGHTFEELALITTLESILLYIFIT’SLESSTHANSIXINCHES.

Whereyouare:AstateparkinNewEnglandWhattoexpect:Unlesstheregionisinthemidstofaparticularcold

snap,you’llusuallyencounterdensesnowwithahighermoisturecontentaccordingtoElmore.“Itpacksmucheasiersoyoudon’tneedasmuchsurfaceareaonyourdecking,”hesays.Snowofthisvarietyisgreatforbeginners.Lesschanceoftrippingoveryourself.

Whereyouare:TheColoradobackcountryWhattoexpect:Threefeetofpowderysnowcoveringuneventerrain.Indeep,driersnow,“You’regoingtowantbiggershoessothatyou’restayingontopofthesnowandnotsinkingintoit,makingyourworkharder,”Elmoresays.Whileitwillbefun,itwillalsobetough.Snowshoepoleswillhelpyoukeepyourbalanceasthesnowshiftsandmovesbeneathyou.

Whereyouare:AnywherewithagroomedtrailWhattoexpect:Hard-packedsnowthatmightbeicy.Manyskiingareasandlocalparksoffergroomedsnowshoetrails.Here’swhereyoucantrymovingmuchmorequicklyonsmallershoes.Whenyougetreallyconfident,youcanenterarace.(Foroptionschecksnowshoeracing.com.)

HowtoMakeaWhiskeyTorchWhenyou’vepolishedoffanicelyshapedbottleofwhiskey(oryourpreferreddrink),washitandpeeloffthelabel.Fillithalfwaywithtiki-torchfuel.Feedafiberglasstikiwickthroughasmallcoppercoupling(½to⅝inch).Fitthisintoalargercoupling(⅝to¾inch).Placethisinthemouthofthebottle.Setitonyourpatiotable,lightthewick,andopenanotherbottle.

HowtoLockValuablesDownwithChainsI’vegotavacationcabinandforthefirsttimewe’vehadrepeatedbreak-insandsometheft.Toincreasesecurity,Iwasthinkingofchainingafewvaluablesdown.Isthereachainthatcan’tbecutwithboltcutters?

THESHORTANSWER isyes,youcangetcut-resistantchain. It’shardenedthroughoutitsthickness,anditsflatfacedistributestheforceoftheboltcutter’sjawoverawidearea,therebydiffusingit.Therearealsoindustrialhigh-strengthwelded steel chains that are through-hardened. The larger diameters of thesechains,especiallythe⅝-,¾-,and⅞-inchsizes,areextremelydifficulttocutdueto their girth and hardness. (Note we said difficult, not impossible; there areindustrialboltcuttersthathavejawsizesaslargeas¾inchandaredesignedtocut hardened steel.) Industrial chain is rated by grades; the higher the gradenumber,themoresteelalloyingelementsitcontainsandthemoreresistantitistothevarietyofloadsachainencounters,especiallyintension.Grades70,80,and100areamongthehardestandtoughestavailable.Here’sthekicker,though.We’retalkingchainthatcosts$10to$22perfoot;it’slikelytobemorevaluablethanwhatyou’rechainingdown,afactthatmightnotbelostonanenterprisingthief,whomightjustmakeoffwiththechainitself!Regardlessofhowstrongthechainis,you’dalsoneedacut-resistantpadlock,

such as a shrouded model byMaster Lock or Sobo. You might also have toattach the chain to something secure, such as a concrete footing. Likewise,hasps,bars,andboltshavetobethickandimpregnable.Itdoesn’ttakemuchtodeteralazythief,butittakesalottokeepoutonewho’sdeterminedtogetin,iffornootherreasonthantoprovehispoint.Anyweaklink(ifyou’llexcusethepun)invitestroubleintheformofaboltcutter,anoversizecrowbar,or—don’tlaugh—achainhookedtoalargepickuptruck.Weheardastoryaboutoneguywhosehomewasburglarizedbyathiefwhousedtherearbumperofhispickup

truckasabatteringram,whichheputthroughthefrontdoor.

Itdoesn’ttakemuchtodeteralazythief,butittakesalottokeepouta

determinedone.

Wemightbestatingtheobvioushere,butcabinownershavereliedonsomeprettylow-techsecuritymeasuresovertheyears.First,makefriendswithlocalfamiliesandfellowcabinowners.Inallbutafewcommunities,peoplelookoutfor one another.Next, don’t store anything in the cabin or anoutbuilding thatyou’dbeafraidtolose.Keeppowertools,chainsaws,outboardmotors,orothergearelsewhere.Theremaybealocalbusinessthatcanstoreequipmentforyouforafeeoranearbystoragefacility.Sure,stoppingonthewaytothecabinisanuisance,butsoishavingyourpropertystolen.

Whenyourpropertyisleftunattendedforlongperiodsoftime,thievesnotice.

Finally, alert the local authorities when you’re away. Some rural policedepartments have added four-wheel-drive vehicles, snow sleds, and ATVs totheirfleet,makingitpossibleforthemtopatrolremoteareas.

3WaystoRoastaWholePigCHEFSEANBROCKHASROASTEDHUNDREDSOFPIGSFORHISRESTAURANTS.IFYOU’RESTUCKWITHOUTATRADITIONALKITCHEN—BUTYOUDOHAVEAPIG—YOUCANUSEHISMETHODSTOCOOKIT.

1.Spit.“Youkeepturningittogetaneven,golden-browncrust,”Brocksays.“It’sabitfaster,butit’sopen-air,soyoulosesomeofthesmokyflavor.”Pickastainlesssteelone.

2.Concrete-blockpit.“Ipreferthismethod,”hesays.“Itgivesyouthecontroltocookthepigslowly,movingthecoalsarounduntilit’stender.”Seeglobetrotterdiaries.com/recipes/a-beginners-guide-to-roasting-a-whole-pig.

3.LaCajaChinaroaster.“Youputthepigintheboxwithcharcoalontop,”Brocksays.“Itmakesformoistmeat,andit’salmostfoolproof,butitdoesn’tgivethewoodflavorthatI’mobsessedwith.”Fromlacajachina.com.

STRATEGY:HOWTOBUTCHERAPIG

YOUCANDOmostof theworkwith a five-to six-inch semi-flexibleboningknife. To work on bones, you’ll need a saw with bigger teeth or a cleaver.Remove the head, trotters, hocks, and tenderloin, then separate the pig into

“primals.”Thismeansseparating theback leg (theham)and the front leg (theshoulder) from the middle section and splitting the middle section into loin(chops) and belly (bacon). Next, turn the primals into subprimals. On theshoulder, for instance, thismeans separating the picnic roast from theBostonbutt.Fromthere, trim,sculpt,anddebonethemeat intothecutsyouseeat themeatcounter.Remember:Ifyouscrewup,youcanalwaysmakesausage.

GETTINGSTARTEDIN:

CuringMeat

THEMOSTCOUNTERINTUITIVEWAYOFPREPARINGMEATCANALSOBETHEMOSTDELICIOUS.

CURINGYOUROWNMEATinvolvesseasoning,tablesalt,curingsalt,andawholelotofpatience.Thetimebetweenbuyingacutofmeatfromthebutchertoactually serving it at the table canbemonths.Or evenyears.That’swhen themeat breaks down, unlocking flavor you could never cook into it. If you’reconcerned about the wisdom of holding on to a slab of pork for twomonthsbeforeeatingit,that’sgood.Youshouldbe.Butsciencewillkeepyousafe.Thesaltandcuremixdrawmoistureoutofthemeat,andwithoutmoisture,bacteriaandpathogenscannotgerminateandthemeatdoesn’tspoil.Youjusthavetodoitright.

GATHERYOURSUPPLIES

MEATIfyouhavearecipe,itwilltellyouwhatcutofmeattouse.Mostofthetimethatcutwillbeporkshoulder,alsocalledporkbuttorBostonbutt.Relativelyinexpensiveandwitharounda30percentfatcomposition,porkbuttisperfectforsausage.Formeatsthatrequireadifferentproportionoffat,youcanalsobuyaleanercutandaseparateslaboffatback,thengrindthemtogether.

CURINGSALTAmixtureoftablesaltandsodiumnitrite.Itaddsflavorandcolorandpreventsmeatfromgoingbad.Therearetwooptions:InstaCureNo.1orInstaCureNo.2.(Seebelow.)

SAUSAGEGRINDERAnymeatthat’sgoingtobecomesausagehastobegroundbeforeit’llgoincasing.Formosthobbyists,ahand-crankedgrinderwillworkjustfine.TheLEMProductsNo.10clampstoyourcounterandcostsunder$100.Orifyoualreadyhaveastandmixeryoucanbuyagrinderattachmentforevenless.

CASINGSSectionsoftheinnerliningofanimalintestinesholdsausagestogether.(Syntheticoptionsaremoredurable,buttheyhaveasubstantialeffectontaste.Skipthem.)Pickbasedonthesizeofyourfinalproduct.Thestandardis32-to35-mmhogcasings.You’llalsofind19-to21-mmsheepcasingsand40-to43-mmcowcasings,whichtendtobetoobigandcomplicatedforbeginners.

SAUSAGESTUFFERAlargecontainerwithaplungeroperatedbyhandcrank.Turnthecranktoextrudethemeatintothecasing.Somegrinderscomewithasausage-stuffingattachmentbutastand-alonestufferwillbemoreefficientandhygienic.

SAUSAGEPRICKERUsethesesharptinestopunctureanyairbubblesyouseeinyourlinks.

HOWITWORKS:InstaCure

Nitrite(NO2)drawsthewateroutofmeat,preventingbacteriasuchasClostridiumbotulinum(whichcausesbotulism)andotherpathogensfromgerminating.InstaCureNo.1isamixtureofsaltandsodiumnitrite(NaNO2)andshouldbeusedforshort-durationcuresthatsitforacoupleofdaystoacoupleofweeks,likecapicolaormortadella.Afterthatthenitritebecomesinertandthecuringprocesshalts.Forlonger-curingmeatssuchaschorizoorprosciutto,InstaCureNo.2addssodiumnitrate(NaNO3).Aftertheinitialnitritestopsworking,thenitratemolecules(NO3)giveupoxygenatomsandturnintoadditionalnitritetofinishthejob.

MAKESOMESAUSAGE

1.Cutmeatandfatinto1½-inchchunksandfeedintothegrinderwithahandfulofcrushedice.Addthespicemixfromyourrecipeandmixthoroughly.You’rereadytostuff.

2.Rinsethebrineoffthecasingsandsoaktheminwarmwaterforatleastanhour.Wetthetableandthehornofthestuffertodetertearing.

3.Tieoffthecasingandthreaditontothehornuntilonlyafewinchesarefree.Ifthereareairpockets,lightlyprickthetubewithyoursausagepricker.

4.Putyourmixtureinthestuffer’shopper.Workthehopperwithonehandwhileusingtheothertocontroltherateatwhichmeatfillsthecasing.

5.Whenallyourmeatispacked,cutandtieoffthecasing.

6.Onehand’slengthfromtheend,pinchandtwistafewtimestoformalink.Repeat,twistingintheoppositedirection.Continueuntiltheentiresausageisinlinks.

TIP!Don’tfreezenaturalcasings—itruinstheirintegrity.Keepthemintheirbrine,or,ifyou’verinsedsomeandthenrealizedyoudon’tneedthemall,covertheminsaltandrefrigerateinasealedcontainer,wheretheywilllastforafullyear.

CURETHEMEATTherearethreecommonmethodsforcuringanymeat:drying,fermenting,andsmoking.

SMOKINGThe easiest of the curingmethods, smoking can be done on a standard kettlegrill.Here’show:

Presoakyourwoodchipsinwaterforanhour.Setcharcoalononesideofthegrill.Whentheflamehasburnedoff,addthewoodchips.Putthemeatonthesidewithoutcoals,closethelid,andopentheventsabovethemeatsideofthegrill.Smokethemeattoaninternaltemperatureof110°F,thenputitinanovensetto300°F,slowlybringingtheinternaltemperatureofthemeatto155°F.

DRYINGDryboxesprovideatemperature-andhumidity-controlledenvironmentforyourmeat.Youcanbuyoneforaround$1,500oryoumakeyourownoutofanemptyrefrigerator, an automatic thermostat, a fan, a humidifier, and a dehumidifier.Thedryboxkeeps themeatat58°Fand83percenthumidity.Yourrecipewill

tell you how long to dry themeat, but as a general rule,meat is ready to eatwhenitweighslessthanhalfofitsinitialrawweight.

FERMENTINGTangy sausages like salami are made by adding acid-producing bacteria(available at meat hobbyist sites such as butcher-packer.com). The meatferments inaclimate-controlledchamber—like thatdryboxyou justbuilt,butsetto73°Fandahumiditylevelof95percent.You’llneedMicroFinepHpaper(alsoavailableatbutcher-packer.com)toperiodicallytestthepHofthemeatanddetermineifenoughlacticacidispresenttomakeitsafe.

SAFETYWithoutpropersanitization,preparation,andstorage,illnesseslikebotulismcanflourish—at which point the number of people interested in your home-curedsalamidiminishesgreatly.Afewtips:

Keeprawmeatbelow44°Funlessyou’reabouttocookitorstartfermenting.Putallequipmentinthefreezerhalfanhourbeforeyoustart.Whengrinding,processasmallamountofmeatatatimeandgrindintoabowlnestledinalargerbowlfilledwithice.Sterilizeyourworkstation,equipment,hands,andanythingelsethatmaycomeincontactwithmeat.Usetherightamountofcuremix—tablesaltandcuringsalt.Theamountisbasedonapercentageoftheweightofthemeatyou’reusing:Steamedsausage(e.g.,bratwurst):1.5percenttablesalt,nocuringsaltCookedmeatthatisconsumedcold(e.g.,ham):2.7percenttablesalt,0.2percentcuringsaltDrycuredmeat:2.5to4percenttablesalt(dependingonsize),0.5percentcuringsaltSalami:2.6percenttablesalt,0.2percentcuringsaltDuringthefirststage,keepyourmeatrefrigeratedat33to35degrees.

Techniques requiring more time and precision to get right are riskier to getwrong.

THESTARTERRECIPE:

FlatPancettaThisrecipe,fromtheOlympiaProvisionscookbook,givesyoutheoptionofcookingthemeatlikebaconaftercuringor,ifyouhaveadrybox,lettingitdry,slicingitthin,andreallyimpressingyourfriends.

INGREDIENTS

1tbsp crushedblackpepper1½tbsp crushedjuniperberries¼tsp freshlygratednutmeg2tsp choppedgarlic

2 bayleaves5sprigs thyme3tbsp fineseasalt1¾tbsp brownsugar1¾tsp InstaCureNo.24lb porkbelly,skin-on

1.Combinespices,salt,sugar,andInstaCureNo.2(page132).Sprinkleagenerouscoatingofthismixonthebottomofanairtightcontainer.Laytheporkbellyontop,thencoverwiththerestofthemix.Sealthecontainerandrefrigerateforoneweek.

2.Takethecontaineroutofthefridge,flipovertheporkbelly,thenresealandrefrigerateforanadditionalweek.

3.Openthecontainer,removethemeat,andswisharoundtheliquidsandsalt.Putthemeatbackin,theneverythinggoesinthefridge,uncovered,forfourmoredays.

4.You’redone—ifyouwanttobe.Youcancookitnow:Rinsethemeatoff,sliceitthin,andfryitup.Perfectasapizzatopping.Orcontinuetostep5.

5.Thoroughlyrinsethepancetta,thenhangitinadryboxfor35days.Thensliceitupandserve.

TIP!Ifyouseeunwantedmoldonyoursalami,wipeitawaywithvinegar.ItshighaciditylowersthepHlevel,killingthemold.Vinegarisalsoagreatnaturalwaytokeepyourdryboxsanitizedduringthecuringprocess.Wipedownthewallsofyourdryboxwithavinegar-soakedclothtwiceperweek.

HowtoMakeaRocketStoveAUSEFULCAMPFIREALTERNATIVE

ROCKET STOVES ARE HIGHLY EFFICIENT, thanks to a strong draft.Instead of needing full-size logs, which may not be readily available in anemergency, rocket stoves can use sticks and leaves to produce a flame hotenough toboilwaterorcookbreakfast. Justadda trivetoraburnergrateasacookingsurface,andyou’llbeeatinginnotime.

1.Onflatground,layoneblockwiththeholesfacingout.Thiswillsupporttheburnchamberaboveit.

2.Standanotherblockverticallyagainsttheendofthatfirstblock.Youwillfeedyourleavesandsticksinthetopholeofthisblock.

3.FormanH-shapewiththebrickandpaversontopofthefirstblock.Makesureyourbrick,whenstandingontheend,isthesameheightasthepaversstandingontheirsides.(Standardbricksareapproximatelyeightincheshigh.)Thebricksandwichedbetweenthepaversshouldprovidethesamewidthastheconcreteblockbelowit.

4.StackthefinalblockontopoftheHshape,makingsurethatthechambersalign.

5.Buildyourfireinthetopholenearesttheverticalblock.Onceyourfireisburningsteadily,you’rereadytocook.

SaviorsoftheSnowed-InEVERYTHINGYOUNEEDTOGETTHATBLIZZARDOFFYOURDRIVEWAY.

1.

ALUMINUMCOMBOSHOVELThistypeofshovelhasahybridheadthatcanpushsnoworliftitandahandlethatallowsyoutostand,notstoop.Nostooping.

2.

ICEMELTERAgooddeicernotonlymeltstheiceyou’vegotnow,italsopreventsthenextstormfromformingmoreofit.Bestifyoucanaccomplishbothtaskswithoutpoisoningyourconcrete,yourpets,ortheenvironment.

3.

GLOVESWaterproof.Kevlar-reinforced.Insulated.Allgoodthingstolookfor.Andunliketheskiglovesyoumighthaveplannedtouse,therightglovesallowyoutomoveyourfingers.

4.

SNOWBRUSHThedesignofagoodsnowbrushallowsyoutoreachintoawkwardnooksonyourcarwheresnowcanhide,likebeneaththewipersorbehindthesparetire.Andifithasafoamhead,youcanbeaggressivewithoutaccidentallyscratchingthepaint.

5.

NONSTICKSPRAYCoatingyourshovelwithaslipperypolymerbeforeshovelingpreventssnowfromstickingtoitandslowingyoudown.It’slikesprayingafryingpanwithPAMbut,youknow,fortools.

6.

THERMOSWhenyou’rereadytotakeabreak—andyouwillbe—youwantaninsulatedbottle,ideallyonethatcanbeopenedwithonehand,eveningloves.Protip:AsplashofIrishwhiskeyvastlyimprovesbothcoffeeandcocoa.

ADVICEFROMALIFELONGSHOVELER:AsmuchasIlovemachines,Idon’tneedanotheronetolookafter.SoIdon’tuseasnowblower.Ishovel,andIhaveformorethan40years,sinceIwasakidinConnecticut.ThedifferencebetweennowandthenisthatthesedaysI’msmarter.I’velearnedthatit’sbettertopushthesnowthanliftit.IfIdohavetopickupsnow,Iholdtheshovelclosetomybody.It’ssimplephysics:Thefartheroutyouextendafullshovel,theharderyouhavetowork.Mymethod:Iclearastripalongtheedgeofthedrivewayandthenpushallthesnowintoit.ThenIgoworkonsomethingelse.Nosensespendingalldaypushingaroundoldweather.

—RoyBerendsohn

TheUltimateAll-WeatherRoadKitWHENDRIVINGINSNOW,ICE,HEAVYRAIN,OREXTREMECOLD,YOURODDSOFMAKINGITHOMECOULDDEPENDONWHATYOU’VEGOTINTHETRUNK.

1.

FOLDINGSPADEAregularshovelistoolargetocarryaroundallthetime,sogetafoldableonethatcanchopthroughthenastiestoffrozensnowandmuck.Thegoodonesalsohavesharppicksintheeventthattreeroots,rocks,orzombiesnowwolvesarewhatstandbetweenyouandtheopenroad.

2.

MULTITOOLTimO’Neil,ownerandpresidentofTeamO’NeilRallySchool,putsitthisway:“EveryonehasaLeatherman,sosometimesI’lltrytouseamultitoolfromanothercompanyjusttoseewhatIthink.Thenthescrewdriverbitwillbreakoff.That’swhyeveryonehasaLeatherman.”

3.

SAFETYLIGHTSIfyougotyourselfintothismess,otherdriverswillgetthemselvesintothismessaswell.Keepyourselfwell-litandoutoftheirway.

4.

FIRST-AIDKITYouprobablykeepafirst-aidkitinyourcaralready,butconsiderchangingitoutforamoreversatileoption.Thebesthavetheusualbandages,antiseptics,andtweezers,alongwithrubbergloves,abackupflashlight,andarollofmedicaltapeyoucoulduseforrepairsinapinch.

5.

TIRECHAINSTheworsttimetoapplychainsisrightwhenyourealizeyouneedthem.Geteasy-onversionsandsaveyourfrozenhands.Mostsnapovertiresin15secondsapiece.

6.

SPACEBLANKETIt’susefulintheeventofheatlossandyoucanalsostickitunderyourtirestogaintractionwhenyou’respinningyourwheelsinasnowbank.

7.

SPOTLIGHTConsidertheconditionsinwhichyou’llbeusingyourflashlight:Youwantonethat’swaterproof,long-lasting,andbrightasheck.SomeoptionsevenhaveanSOSmode.

HowtoHandleDrivingTrouble

IFYOU’REHYDROPLANINGEaseoff thethrottleandkeepthetirespointedwhereyouwant togo.Itseemssimple, butwhen thewheel stops responding, our natural reaction is to turn itfurther. Then, when the tires get traction again, the car gets jerked in thatdirection,whichyoudon’twant.

IFYOU’RESTUCKINMUDLetthewheelsspinwiththeengineat3,000to4,000rpmtogiveyourtiresthebestchanceofdiggingin.Then“saw”thesteeringwheel:Quicklyturnitbackandforthabout90degreestotheleftand90degreestotheright.Thisallowsthefronttirestofindpurchase.

IFYOUCAN’TSEETHROUGHYOURWINDSHIELDTheonlygoodwiperbladesarenewwiperblades.Evenexpensiveonesgobad.So justputnew,cheaponesonmoreoften.Twiceayear isgood. Ifyoudon’thavenewbladesonyou,youcanusereallyfine,wetsandpaper,like400-grit,toremovethenicksinyouroldones.

IFYOUREALLY,REALLYNEEDTOSTOPTrustyourantilockbrakingsystem.Holdthebrakepedaldownasfarasitwillgo.Remember, though, ifyouhave tosteer toavoidsomething,you’llhave tocomeoffthebrakesabit.If100percentofatire’sgripisbeingusedforbraking,

itcannotalsosteer.

Ifyourskinfeelsnumbandturnswhiteorgray-yellow,youmayalreadyhavefrostbite.

FiveMedicalMyths

BURN

MYTH:PutbutteronitSKILL:Sorry,grandma.Coldrunningwateristheimmediateemollientofchoiceforminorfirst-degreeburns.Oncetheburnhascooled,tryibuprofenandtopicalcreamsorsprays.Forsmallsecond-degreeburns(blisters;white,deadskin)getsoapandwater,antisepticcream,andabandage.Forlargerormoresevereburns,gettoadoctorortheER.

FROSTBITE

MYTH:RubsnowontheaffectedareaSKILL:No.Atthefirstsignoftingling,pain,ornumbnessinthefingers,toes,ears,ornose,getinsideandgetwarm.Dunkthefrostbittenpartsinwarmwater—thetemperatureofahottub—for10minutes.(Theprocesscan

bepainful;takesomeibuprofen.)Asthewatercools,keepwarmingitbackupto100to105F.Ifhotwaterisunavailable,lightlycompressthefrostedpartsagainstyour—orsomebodyelse’s—armpitorgroin.Donotrubtheaffectedarea.

SNAKEBITE

MYTH:Cutopenthewoundandsuckoutthevenom.SKILL:Saveyourlips.Thefastest,simplesttreatmentisantivenin.Unlessyouaresurethesnakewasnotvenomous,call911orgetyourselftotheERimmediately.Minimizephysicalactivityandlightlywrapthearmorlegjustabovethebitetolimitswellingandslowthespreadofvenom.Antiveniniswidelyavailableandeasytoadminister.AccordingtoDr.MarkRyanoftheLouisianaPoisonCenter,“thechancesofdyingfromasnakebiteintheU.S.arequitesmall.”

TICKS

MYTH:BurnitoffwithacigaretteSKILL:Thegoalisnottoinflictpainonthelittlesucker(andprobablyyourself),buttoremovetheentiretick,includingitsembeddedmouthparts.Usingdulltweezers(sharponesmaycutoffthebody,leavingthehead),pull

thetickgentlyandsteadilyawayfromtheskin.Itmaytakeaminuteortwotograduallyextractit,sobepatient.

SEIZURES

MYTH:Shoveaspooninthevictim’smouthsohewon’tswallowhistongue.SKILL:It’sphysicallyimpossibletoswallowyourtongue.Infact,there’slittleyoucandotohelpaseizurevictimexcepttorollhimonhissideintothe“recoveryposition,”removehardorsharpitemsfromthearea,andseekmedicalattention.Don’ttrytorestrainhim;itcanonlycauseinjury.

CHECKLIST:

TheOtherSurvivalChecklist

GALLONJUGSOFWATER,FIREEXTINGUISHERS,ANDFIRST-AIDSUPPLIESARETHEESSENTIALSOFANYGOODSURVIVALKIT(LIKETHEIDEALSURVIVALKIT,PAGE54),BUTOURSURVEYOFTHOSEWHOOUTLASTEDDISASTERSSUGGESTSAFEWMOREUNEXPECTEDITEMS.

BEER“Buyalotofit,”saysTreyClick,amagazinepublisherwhorodeout2008’sHurricaneIkeinGalveston,Texas.“It’soneoftheonlythingsyou

canuseformoneyintheaftermath.”Needyourneighbortohelpyoucleartreesoutofyouryard?AcaseofBudisabettermotivatorthana$20billwhenallthestoresareboardedup.

HANDHELDCBRADIOThinknooneusesCBradiosanymore?Thinkagain.Thesethingscanbeadirectlinetoemergencycrewsandtowtrucks—exactlythefolksyoumightwanttogetintouchwithafteradisaster.Plustheyworkwhencelltowersdon’t.LookforonethatalsotunesintoNOAAweatherchannels.

CONTRACTORBAGSThick,sturdythree-milcontractorbagsarethemultitoolofthedisasterworld.They’retoughenoughtostuffwithsharpdebris,theyworkasanimpromptuponchoorwaterbarrierforleakystructures,andyoucanusethemtodragheavyobjects.

GLOWBRACELETSWhentheelectricityisout,youmaynotfeellikecelebrating,butthesepartyfavorscancomeinhandy.“Housesgetdarkreallyquicklywithnopower,”saysMarkVorderbruggen,whowentfivedayswithoutelectricityafterIkehitTexas.“Iusedthemtomarkthelocationofradios,flashlights,batteries,anddoorhandles.”

AGOODBOOKWhenstuckinhisJeepfortwoweeks,DarylJanéwouldhavekilledforagoodbook.“Ihadwaterandasleepingbag,andthat’sallyoureallyneedtosurvive,”hesays.“Butitgetssoboringafterawhile.IfI’dhadabookIwouldhavebeenset.”

ConsidertheHamRadioFOREMERGENCIESORJUSTIDLECHATTER.

BYJASONFEIFER

“THIS ISKD4DYV,” I said, announcingmyham-radio call sign for the firsttimein20years.“Cananyonehearme?”I fiddled with my old handheld radio, an Icom IC-W2A, and tried again.

Nothing.Theradiowasallthatremainedofachildhoodhobby,backwhenIalsohada32-footantennainmyparents’backyardandaMorse-codekeyfortappingout messages. The technical name for all this is amateur radio, an old-timeypursuitinwhichoperatorspassatest,getalicenseandcallsignfromtheFederalCommunications Commission, then spend their days chitchatting across theglobe. The term hamwas once an insult, a name pros gave to amateurswithclumsyMorseskillsandmediocreequipment.When I joined as a squeaky-voiced 12-year-old in the 1990s, it was like

discovering the internetbefore the internet.Ham isbuilt upon the thrill of the

contact:Operatorsroutinelyholdconteststoreach,say,someoneineverystate,or theyclamor to talkwitha fuzzyvoice floating in fromsome far-off island.But thenIgrewup.Last fallmydadfoundmyexpiredhamlicense.At first Ifileditawayasamemento.ButthenIremembered:Whenadisasterstrikes,hamradiosarepivotaltosurvival.Operatorsbecomecommunitylifelines,talkingtoeachotherandworkingwithfirstresponders.Istillownedmyoldhandheldandit seemed foolishnot tohave it at the ready.So I renewedmy license and setaboutseeinghowhamhasfaredinthedigitalage.Theanswer:quitewell.Therearenowalmost725,000 licensedhams in the

U.S.,anincreaseofalmost200,000sinceIbailedtwodecadesago.Inpartthisisbecause of new technology that enables talk on previously inaccessiblefrequencies. And to encourage newcomers, the FCC no longer requires thathams knowMorse code. There’s also a new smartphone app calledEchoLinkthatpatcheshamsintotransmissionrepeaters,devicesthatreceiveweaksignalsandretransmitthemwithmorejuice.Withmyradiobusted,IdownloadedEchoLinkandfoundarepeaternearmy

neighborhood. “This isKD4DYV,” I said again. “Can anyone hearme?”Thistimeavoicerosefromthestatic:ItwasZane,adadwholivesdownthestreetandwhoearnedhis license twomonthsago.Zanerecommendedbuyinga$30Baofeng UV-5R. “I’m on this repeater pretty often,” he said, inviting me toreturn.Iwill,withmynewradio.It’sgoodtoknowIcanreachafriendlyvoice.Hopefullyjusttochatbutalsojustincase.

Lodgepole,Nebraska,June2012

Tornadoes:TheScientificCompanionACOMPREHENSIVEGUIDETOUNDERSTANDINGANDSURVIVINGONEOFNATURE’SLEASTPREDICTABLE—ANDMOSTDANGEROUS—PHENOMENA.

Gurley,Nebraska,June22,2012

HOWTHEYSTART

THEFORMATION

1.Warm,moistair,usuallyfromthesouth,isliftedbyawarmorcoldfront,causinganupdraft.Themoisturecondensesintocloudsandprecipitationandformsathunderstorm.

2.Precipitationshouldcountertheupdraft,butwhenwindsblowprecipitationoutoftherisingair,theupdraftstrengthens.Beneaththestorm,windsofdifferentspeeds(shear)formhorizontaltubesofrotatingair.

3.Whenthosetubesareingestedintotheupdraft,theybecomeverticalandthestormacquiresrotation,formingasupercell.

4.Therotatingtubeisstretchedandthesupercellbecomeslikeagiantvacuum,suckingairupandaway.Asairrushesintoequalizethepressure,atornadoisformed.

TORNADOCOUNTRYTornadoescanformanywhere,atanytimeofyear,butmostoccurbetweenAprilandJuly,eitherintheSoutheastoraswathoftheMidwestthatrisesfromTexastoSouthDakota.

DISASTERPHYSICSHowaTornadoThrowsaCarIt’sthesameprinciplethatgetsa747offtheground:Intensewindsflowingoverthetopofacarcreateaerodynamiclift,inwhichthereislessairpressureabovethaninandunderthecar.Oncethecarlifts,thewindsgetunderneathitandraiseit higher or just slam it around. The strength of the forces applied to the cargrowswiththecubeofthewindspeed.Soifthewinddoublesinspeed,itexertseighttimesasmuchforceonthecar.

THERATINGSTornadoes are categorized by wind speed, typically determined after the factthroughdamageassessments.TheEnhancedFujitaScale,orEF,isnamedforDr.TheodoreFujita,astormresearcherattheUniversityofChicago.

EF0..........3-secgustsof65to85mph.63percentoftornadoesareEF0orEF1.

EF1..........3-secgustsof86to110mph.Canpushashedoffits

foundation.EF0andEF1stormscauselessthan5percentofalltornadodeaths.

EF2..........3-secgustsof111to135mph.Candestroybuildingwallsandroofs.

EF3..........3-secgustsof136to165mph.Markedbythickerfunnels.AlongwithEF2,accountsfor35percentoftornadoesand30percentofdeaths.

EF4..........3-secgustsof166to200mph.Only2percentoftornadoesreachEF4orEF5.

EF5..........3-secgustsofover200mph.WithEF4,accountsfor65percentofdeaths.Windscantwist20-storybuildings.

THECHASERSEmilySutton,OklahomaCityWhat’ssoincredibleabouttornadoesisthatthey’rebeautifulanddestructiveandmysterious.It’ssurreal.Youfeelpanicked,excited,scared,andheartbroken,allatthesametime.IwasinthepathoftheMoore,Oklahoma,tornadoonMay20,2013.Wewere

slammingsouthonthehighwayandwhenwepulloffatanexit,we’restaringatanEF5bearingdownonthe town.It looksfake,almost likeabackdrop.Then

youseedebrisfloatingarounditinawaythatfeelspeaceful,likeasnowglobe.Thenallofasuddenyourheartsinksbecauseyourealizethatpeoplearedying.Youfeelguiltybecause it’s inevitable thatpeoplearegoing todieand there isnothingyoucando.Therearehomes,cars,andpeoplebeingthrowninfrontofyouatthatmoment.WerushedstraightsouthandgotoutofitspathandthenIfeltdebrisfalling

fromtheskylikerain.Itwasblackinfrontofme.I’dneverseenthatbefore.Wewatchedthestormeventuallyropeoutbutatthatpointwedidn’tknowwhathadhappenedbecausethephoneswereout.When another storm chaser, Tim Samaras, died 10 days later, Iwas only a

miledowntheroadfromhim.Itreallyremindsyouofthepowerofnatureandhow tornadoes need to be respected. Just because we have all of these fancygadgets,that’snotgoingtoprotectyou.

HOWTOFIGHTTHEM

THREECRAZYWAYSTOPREVENTTORNADOES

Tornadoes release built-up pressure in the atmosphere. If we could eliminatethem, the atmosphere would have to find another, possibly even moredestructive,formofrelease.Butthathasn’tstoppedpeoplefromtrying.

TornadoWallsTHEORY: Walls1,000feethighand150feetwidewoulddisrupttheairmovementthatallowstornadoestoform.

PROBLEM: Asimulationfoundthatthewallsneededtobemorethan8,000feethightobeeffective.

MicrowavesTHEORY: Removingthecoldairofatornadobyheatingupthestormswithmicrowave-shootingsatellites.

PROBLEM: Supercellsgenerateenergyonthescaleofnuclearwarheads,whichwouldgetalittleexpensive.

CloudSeeding

THEORY: Seedingadevelopingstormwouldcausedissipatingprecipitation.

PROBLEM: Youcan’tprovethatastormactedthewayitdidbecauseofseeding,sothereisnowaytoproveitsefficacy.

THENEWTECHNOLOGYAMoreTargetedWarningSystemTraditionally,whethera tornadoshowsuponemileawayor30, if it’s inyourcounty,asirengoesoff.Butrarelyisanentirecountyatrisk,whichmeansthatpeoplebecomeaccustomedtohearingthesirenwithoutseeingatornado.Afterafewfalsealarms,it’seasytostoptakingthesirensseriously.Tocombatthis,in2007 theNationalWeatherServicebegan targetingpolygons, geographic areasasmuch as 80 percent smaller than entire counties. Butmany counties didn’thavethenecessarytechnology,andcounty-widesirenscontinued.WeatherWarnis a simple solution: a software-based siren controller that automaticallyactivatesthecorrectsirens.Italsoworkswithsmartphonesandsocialmediaforareasthatarenotcoveredbysirens.

ANewDopplerTheDoppler radar system used by theweather service since the 1990s had alimitation:Itwasone-dimensional.Themicrowavesitsentoutwereallorientedhorizontally,whichmeantthesystemcoulddetermineifprecipitationwaslightorheavybutitcouldnottellyouifthatprecipitationwasrainorsnow.In2013the weather service upgraded all its equipment to dual-polarization Dopplerradar, which uses microwaves oriented in both directions. Coupled withenhancedcomputerprocessingtohandletheadditionaldata,theweatherserviceradarsystemcannowdeterminethesizeandshapeofexactlywhatisintheair.

ThePowerofSoundBecauseradarworksbybouncingoffthings,it’shinderedwhenhills,trees,andother nonweather objects get in the way. As an alternative, infrasonic arraysmeasure super-low-frequency sounds, such as the signature wind action oftornadoes.Thosesoundwavescantravelveryfar,allowingseverestormactivitytobeobservedfrommorethan600milesaway.

AndLightningResearch suggests lightning occurs frequently in developing tornadoes, so

scientists are using networks of electrical sensors called Lightning MappingArrays to measure the radio-frequency impulses generated by lightning. Bypinpointinglightning’slocation,datacanbereturnedinaslittleasoneminute,asopposedtofiveto10forradar.

TheSimulatorIn 2014 Leigh Orf, a professor of atmospheric science at Central MichiganUniversity, and his team presented the first-ever 3-D simulation of an EF5tornado.Thesimulationprovidesawaytostudyastormingreatdetailandfromany perspective, which cannot be done with live storms. The better you canunderstandafakestorm,theeasieritistopredictarealone.

AFEWFACTS

Tornadoescanoccuratanytimeofdayornight,butmostdevelopbetween2:00and8:00p.m.becausethunderstormsgenerallyneedtheheatofthesuntoformandtornadoesneedthunderstorms.Sincerecordsstartedbeingkeptin1980,2011wasthemostexpensiveyearintermsofdamagecausedbytornadoesat$28billion.April27,2011,holdstherecordforthemosttornadoesonanysingleday.Therewere199.Onaverage,Texashasthemosttornadoeseachyear,at155.Floridahasthemosttornadoesper10,000squaremiles,followedbyKansas,Maryland,andIllinois.(Texasranksseventeenth.)

THECHASERSSeanCasey,LosAngelesEverytornadohasadifferentsound.Anormal-sizetornadogoingoverfarmlandwillsoundlikeyou’renexttoNiagaraFalls,withaconstantroaring.Butwhenatornado goes over a town and starts picking things up, it becomesmore of arumble. You’re hearing noise from all the debris that’s aloft. Then you havethese little sub-vortices, these powerful little spin-ups that happen quickly, all

aroundyou.Whenoneofthoselittlevorticesforms,itmakesthishissingsound.It’ssodangspooky.ThefirsttornadoweranintowiththeTIV(TornadoInterceptVehicle,which

Caseycreatedtoplantdirectlyinthepathoftornadoes)wecouldseethefunnelformingatthebaseofthestorm.Twoorthreemilestothesouth,wesawswirls.Thatcirculationwasstartingtomanifest itselfonthegroundwithdustkickingup, but there was no actual condensation tube. We decided to drive for it,thinkingitwasgoingtostrengthenbeforewegotthere,butwhenwegotthere,ithadactuallyweakened.Thoselittledustswirlsweregone,anditwaslikewhenyou’reonaboat,andyouseetheshark’sfin,andthenitsubmerges.Suddenlyallthat reddish-brownKansas dust just exploded. It went all around us until wewerecompletelyblind.Youcouldn’tevenseethegroundandyoucouldbarelysee out thewindow. Itwas likewewere getting sandblasted. The only thingsvisiblewerethetelephonepolesnext totheroad,soweusedthosetonavigateoutofthere,allwhilegoinginreverse.Thiswasalittledirtroadsoyou’renotdoinga10-pointturn.

Lubbock,Texas.Tornadoeshavecreatedhailaslargeas8inchesindiameter,withaweightofnearlytwopounds.

There’s just nothing like being underneath these supercells. The sky comesalive with violence and beauty and you’re immersed in it. You have a visualmountainoveryou.Afteralltheseyears,theystillseemliketheyjustshouldn’texist.You’rewitnessingamonster.

HOWTOSPOTATORNADO

ONRADAR

Dopplersendsoutmicrowavesthatbounceoffobjects,reportingreflectivity(thepresenceofweather)andvelocity.Thefirstindicatorisahookecho(pictured).On a reflectivitymap, it shows up as a hook-shaped formation at the storm’ssoutheastcorner,openingtowardtheeast.Thatsignifiesprecipitationwrappedaroundacolumnofwarmair.Thesecond

sign is a velocity couplet. On a velocitymap, you’ll seewindsmoving awayfrom the radar adjacent to winds moving toward it. Because radar typicallydisplaysawaymovementwithredandtowardmovementwithgreen,thislookslikeadjacentredandgreencoloration—likeChristmaslights.Whenbothahookechoandavelocitycoupletappearonradarreadouts,itdoesn’tnecessarilymeantherewillbea tornado,but itdoesmean it’s time toputoutawarning. (WiththankstoStevenDiMartinoatnynjpaweather.com.)

ONLANDThefirstsignisthunderheads:puffycumulusorcumulonimbusclouds.Thewallclouds and funnels will form right beneath them, so check there for anyorganizedrotation.Watchthestormbasecloselyandlookforpersistentloweredareas—thelowertheyare,thebetterthechanceofatornado.Anothergoodsignisifthewindsarewarmandblowingtowardthatbase.Lookforanymotionorquickchangesaroundaflat,loweredareaprotrudingfromthestormbase,calledabeavertail.Watchtheterrainbeneaththefunnelcloudforanydustordebristhat gets kicked up or for rapidlymoving cloud laments along the ground. Insomestormsthelightningandthunderwillgetclose,frequent,andloudforfiveminutesandthenjustshutoff.That’swhenthestormgetsseriousaboutmakingatornado.(WiththankstoWilliamReid,stormchaser.)

HOWTOSURVIVE

THESAFEPLACE

KimCross

Coldfearspidersdownthelengthofmyspineeverytimethesirenscreams.ThewailsoundslikeaWorldWarIIair-raidsirenanditmeansatornadohastouchedthe ground somewhere inside my county. The weather radio crackles to life,dispatchingwarningsinadroid-likemonotone.OnTVtheweathermanwavesinfrontofaradarscreenbloomingwithangryspirals.Sometimes we can see it live, on a SkyCam, a writhing funnel shredding

houses and lives as the rest of us look on.When the power dies, that imagelingers.Thelightswinkoutandthecomfortinghumofhouseholdthingsgiveswaytoaterriblesilence—astillnessthat’sabsolute.Wegrabheadlampsandsturdyshoes,incasewehavetowalkonrubblelater.

Bybatterylightwepluckour7-year-oldsonfromthewarmthofhisbed,gatherblankets and soft pillows, and call our dog into the tiny laundry room at thebottomof the stairs.We pull a bike helmet over our sleeping boy’s head andbuckleourown.Wegetthemattressfromhisbed,huddleunderit inthedark,andwait.

Washington,Illinois,November18,2013

TYPESOFSHELTERINDECREASINGORDEROFEFFECTIVENESS

ItisashelplessafeelingasI’veeverknown.Aprimalfear,knowingdangeriscloseand there’snothingyoucandoabout it.Tornadoesareacuteanderratic,leaving one house inexplicably standing between two bare foundations. Itdoesn’tmatterwhoyouareorwhatyou’vedone.Thecenterofyourworld isasleepinyourarmsandhisfatewillbedeterminedbyhowthewinddecidestoblow.Wecouldbesuckedintotheskyandpummeledtodeathwiththebricksofour well-built home. We could be thrown hundreds of feet, impaled by amailbox, or crushed by falling walls. We could suffocate slowly under amountainofdebris.Wecoulddie.Or,worse,someofuscouldlive inaworldwithouttheothers.

KimCross is awriter living in Alabama.Her book,What Stands in a Storm,

chroniclesatragicthree-daytornadooutbreakin2011.

TheDemolitionToolbox

BUILDINGASHELTERORFORTIFYINGTHEONEYOU’REINTAKESMATERIALS.WHEREDOYOUGETTHOSEMATERIALS?FROMEXISTINGSTRUCTURES.HEREARETHETOOLSTHATWILLHELPYOUINAREMODELINGJOBORANEMERGENCY.

RIPPINGBARToremodel,youneedarippingbar.It’sgotacat’spawatoneendfordiggingoutnailsandaV-notchchiselandnailslotattheother.Youcandoeverythingwithitfromliftingshinglestodismantlingwallframing.

SAWZALLTherewillbealottocut:nail-studdedframinglumberandcast-ironpipe,shingles,treebranches,evenroots.Onlyonetoolhandlesallthat,the

mightyreciprocatingsaw.OurvoteisforthefamousMilwaukeeSuperSawzall.

FRAMINGHAMMERThesolid-steelframinghammerisnearlyunbreakable.Whenyou’remadlytearingoutlumberinaconfinedspaceordrivinganailsomewhereyou’resuretohitthehandle,you’llbegladyouhavethispuppy.

OSCILLATINGMULTITOOLAlthoughdemolitionandremodelingcanbeasavagebusiness,therearetimeswhenprecisioniscalledfor.Entertheoscillatingmultitool.Itcutsinimpossibleplaces,makingcleanslicesthroughwood,metal,andplaster.

SLEDGEHAMMERNoremodelinganddemolitionkitiscompletewithoutahigh-qualitysledge.Don’twastemoneyonacheaponethatwillchipwhenitstrikesconcrete.Buyonethat’sdrop-forgedandheat-treated.Swingwithimpunity.

HowISurvivedaBearAttackWHENA400-POUNDBROWNBEARCHARGEDMYFAMILY,IKNEWEXACTLYWHATTODO:FIGHTBACK.

BYTOBYBURKE

EVENSUNNYAPRILdayscanbecoldinsouth-centralAlaska,somyfamilyandIbundledupbeforewewentbird-watching.Mywife,Laura,andI loadedour threekids—Grace, 11;Damien, eight; and seven-month-oldCamille—intothecarandwedroveabout20minutesfromourhomeinKenaitothemouthoftheKasilofRivertolookforshorebirds.Afewminutesin,wespottedanadultbrown bear 300 yards down the beach. It had probably just emerged from itswinterden.Itmusthavebeenveryhungry.Thebeardisappearedbehindadunebutforsafety’ssakewestartedmovingin

theotherdirection.That’swhenGracesaid,“It’s rightbehindus!”Suddenly itwas20yardsawayandcomingstraightatus.“Gettogetherandwaveyourarmsslowlyoveryourhead,” I said.Wewanted to look likeabiganimal toappearmore intimidating.Thebearwasn’tconvinced. Itpaused thenranrightatus. Itoldeveryonetogetbehindmeandnotrunaway,whichcouldhavetriggeredthebear’spredationinstincts.Sometimesabearwillbluff-chargebut thisonekept coming. Iheldout the

tripodofmyspottingscopewithbothhands,likeabarrier,andthebearcrashedintoit.Asitpresseditsfullweightagainstme,Ijammedthescopesidewaysintoitsmouth.Itswattedthetripodandshattereditintopieces,leavingmeholdingajaggedstick.Desperate,Ijabbedatthebear’sfaceandmouthwiththestickbutitknockedthataway,too.Nowweaponless,Iraisedmyleftarminself-defense.The bear bit into it.His crushing forcewas so intense that I thought itwouldbreakmyarm.StrangelyIdidn’tfeelanypain.Iusedmyfreehandtopunchathisfaceagainandagain.Theblowsweresoftenedbyhisthick,coarsefur.AllIcouldthinkwasthatifIwentdown,thebearwouldbeonmywifeand

kids—andthey’dbeeasyprey.SoIwrestledthebearforwhatseemedlikeagesbutitwasprobablylessthanaminute.

Finally, the bear had enough and ambled off.When itwas about 100 yardsaway,itturnedtofaceus.Ithoughtitwasgoingtochargeatusagain.Thatwasthemost terrifyingpartof theexperiencebecauseIdidn’thaveanymorefightleftinme.Thankfully,itreconsideredandlopedaway.Wecalled911andmadeourwaybacktoourvanwhilewewaitedfortroopers.Today,whenIthinkabouttheexperience,Irealizewedidalotofthingsright.

Butwewerealsoverylucky.I’maprettybigguy;ifIhadn’tbeenasphysicallystrong,Iwouldn’thavebeenabletoholdoffthebear.BecauseitwascoldandIwaswearingathickcoat,thebear’sbitedidn’tevenbreakmyskin.AllIgotwasanastybruise—andabadscare.Afewdayslater,weallreturnedtothesamebeachandfinallygotsomebird-

watching done. This time, though, wewere sure to take along a shotgun andsomepepperspray.

WHATHEDIDRIGHT

Didn’tpanic.Everyonewasclearheadedthroughoutandobeyedhiscommands.Toldeveryonetogrouptogetherandwavetheirarmsslowly,sotheywouldappeartobeonebiganimalStoodhisground.Mostbearchargesareusuallybluffsandrunningcantriggeranattack.Foughtback.Blackandbrownbearsusuallyretreatwhenvictims

reciprocateanattack.Grizzlybears,however,dotheopposite,soplaydeadandavoidconfrontation.

WHATHEDIDWRONG

Wentintobearcountrywithoutafirearmorpepperspray

EXPERTADVICE:

NickMeyers

DIRECTOR,MOUNTSHASTAAVALANCHECENTER,MOUNTSHASTA,CALIFORNIA

A16-YEARVETERANOFTHEU.S.FORESTSERVICE,MEYERSHASBEENTHELEADCLIMBINGRANGEROFTHEMOUNTSHASTARANGERDISTRICTSINCE2010.

AVALANCHESAnavalancheneedsafewthingstohappen:aslab—acohesivemassofsnow—and a surface for it to slide down, like a frozen crust, hard old snow, or theground.Itneedsaslopeofbetween30and45degrees.Lessisn’tsteepenoughandmorewillcausethesnowtosloughoffnaturally.Anditneedsatrigger,likea skier or a snowmobile—which is howyouget into trouble. If someonegetsburied, findinghim isno longer thehardestpart, thanks toavalanchebeacons.Digginghimoutis.Whenyou’velocatedhim,useyouravalancheprobe:Stickitintothesnowasamarkerofhispositionanddepth.Takeonelargestepdownhilland dig from there. You’ll be digging in toward the person—not down ontothem.

KEEPINGWARMIfyou’restuckoutinthewild,thefirstthingyouneedtodoisavoidexposure.Windsapsyourbody temperatureand increases the riskofhypothermia.Keepmovingtomaintainbloodflowandretainbodyheat.Nomatterwhat,nevergo100 percent. Always leave a little gas in your tank, because you never knowwhenyou’llneedit.

GEARWeusealistcalledthe10essentials(below).It’snotdefinitive—Ibringafewextrapairsofsocks,andinthewinter,ahat,asmallbivysack,andagroundpadarealsocrucial—butthesethingswillbuyyoutimeinasurvivalsituation.

THE10ESSENTIALSMapandcompass.Makesureyouknowhowtousethem.AlotofpeoplesubstituteGPS.GPScanworkverywellbutithasitslimits.Incoldweatherbatteriesdon’tlastverylong—andiftheyrunout,you’rebummin’.

First-aidkit.Youwanttoatleastbeabletostopbleedingandsplintanarm.Itdoesn’thavetobegiantsincethere’snotalotyoucandointhefieldanyway.

Sunglassesandsunscreen.Ifyouaresomeplacewithalotofsnow,likeweare,snowblindnessisarealconcern.Andthesnowreflectsthesun’srays.

Extrafood.Theymaybesmushed,old,andbeatup,butacoupleofClifbarscankeepyougoingforanother12to24hours.

Headlamp/flashlight.Ineverypack.Youneverknow.Firestarter.Therearealotofoptions.Trystockingyourkitwiththis:Takelintfromthedryer,putitintoapapercup,andpourwaxonit.Putitbeneathsomekindlingandlightthewholething.

Multitool.Ittendstohaveaknifeonit,soIsteertowardthat.Anditalsohasothertools.

Extraclothing.Avoidcotton.Onceitgetswet,itlosesitsinsulationcapabilitiesanddoesn’tdryveryfast.Syntheticclothingisbetter.Alwayshavesomesortofwindlayer.Peopleunderestimatethechillingeffectofwind.Itcanbeextremelyhazardous.OnShastathewindisjustbrutalandcanloweryourcoretemperatureprettyeasily.

EXPERTADVICE:

NateBecker

DOGMUSHER,EAGLE,ALASKA

AFTERSPENDINGHISTWENTIESANDEARLYTHIRTIESASAFIREFIGHTERANDPARAMEDICINWYOMINGAND,LATER,FORTHENATIONALPARKSERVICEINTHEGRANDCANYON,BECKERMOVEDTOEAGLE—ATOWNWITHAPOPULATIONOF86—IN2008TOLEADDOG-SLEDDINGTRIPSINTHEBACKCOUNTRYWITHBUSHALASKAEXPEDITIONS.HERE,HESHARESHISSURVIVALRULES.

GEARAlwaystakeasleepingbag.Youneverknowwhenyou’llgetstuckoutandhaveto spend the night or just need a quickwarm-up.And I bring a preassembledemergencypack.Rightontopisapairofwarmmittsinaziplockbag.Historyisriddledwithstoriesofpeoplewhodidn’tsurvivebecausetheirhandsfroze.Youcanwalkathousandmilesonfrozenfeet,butyoucan’tsurvivesixhourswithfrozenhands.Alsoinmypackareblankets,handwarmers,abigsurvivalknife,signaling devices, and fire-starting equipment—you can’t have enough firestarter.One thing I absolutelywon’t bewithout is a Leatherman. I carry two.Andthenthere’safurruff,whichlinesthehoodofyourparka.Eventhestiffestwindhasahardtimepenetratingaruff.Justmakesureit’srealfur.

TRAVELThe easiest travel is on frozen rivers and creeks because the land is usuallychokedwithbrushandtrees.Butrememberthattheiceisdangerous.Youhavetoknowthedifferencebetweengoodiceandbad.Clearisbad.Youwantcloudy.Andyouwantcracks.Onceicegetsthick,thewaterexpandsasitfreezes.Ithas

to give somewhere, so the ice cracks.Whenyou see cracks in cloudy ice, it’salmostalwayssafe.

SETTINGUPCAMPFor me the number-one priority is easy water. You can almost always findenoughfirewood.Butittakesalotoftimeandenergytomeltenoughsnowintowaterfor20dogs.Tofindthewater,justlistenforit.WhenIgettoaspotthatlookslikeitmighthavewater,I’llputmyeardownandlisten.IfIcanhearthewater,Icangettoit.IfIcan’thearit—becauseit’sunderafewfeetofsnowandanotherfootofice—Imoveon.Ifit’satrueemergency,don’tworryabouttryingtobuild the sheltersyou see in survivalbooks.Youwouldneverhave time tobuild most of them. As long as you’ve got a sleeping bag, the best and thequickest shelter you could make would be to sandwich yourself with yoursleepingbaginsideatarp,kindalikeaburrito,andthenfigureoutsomewaytocover yourself with snow for insulation. When it’s 60 below and the snowtemperatureisonlyminus20,that40degreesmakesadifference.

TRAPPINGIfyoucan,settrapseveryquarter-miletohalf-mile.UphereinAlaska,alotofuscatchmartenusingsmallleg-holdtraps,whicharethosespring-loadedmetaljaws. To set the trap up, first find a 10-foot, small-diameter spruce tree,preferably a dead one. Then tie it to a big tree at a 45-degree angle from theground.Ontheendofthatpoleyouhangbaitora lureorboth.Alotof timeswe’ll use avisual attractor like a featheror something shiny.Bait canbegutsfrom other animals or even a piece of hide. Once you secure the trap to thesprucetreejustinfrontofthebait,openit.Theideaistogetthemartentoclimbthepoleandstepinthetrap.

STAYINGDRYDon’tworkupasweat.IfIfindmyselfexertingalotofenergy,thefirstthingsoffaremyhatandneckgaitertopromotecooling.Itisfarbettertostayalittlechilly (knowing I can put clothes back on to warm up) than to let yourselfperspire.Moisture lessens the insulatingvalueof your gear, and even thebestmoisture-wickingfabricintheworldwon’teliminatesweat.Onceyougetwet,youstaywetuntilyougettothecabinortentatnighttodryout.

RESCUEIalwayscarryhigh-visibilitymaterialinneonorangeorgreen.Thiscomesfrom

mydaysworkingonahelicoptercrewasaparamedic.It’seasytomisssomeonefrom the air, so youwant tomakeyourself as visible as possible.Thatmeansmovement and contrast. A signal flare works, obviously. But neon materialcalledflaggingcanbetiedtoatree.Then,ifapilotfliesover,hecanseeyouandwhichwaythewindisblowing.Thathelpshimifhe’sgoingtocomeinandlandtogetyouout.

HOWTOSWIMALONGDISTANCEINFREEZINGWATER

KIMBERLEYCHAMBERS,OPEN-WATERSWIMMERANDTHESIXTHPERSONTOEVERCOMPLETETHEOCEAN’SSEVENMARATHONCHALLENGE

BREATHEYoumustcontrolyourbreathingandrelax—evenwhenthefreezingwatermakesitfeellikethere’safootonyourchest.Panickingwastesenergy.

KEEPMOVINGEvenifyouthinkyouarenotmakinganyprogress.Assoonasyoustop,youlosepreciousbodyheat.

FLEXYOURHANDSAnearlysignofhypothermia:clawhands.Youcanlastalongtimeafterthis,soflexyourfingersclosedaftereachstroketogetbloodflowingagain.

OnthetrailBeckerpreferstowearglovesunderhismittensbecause“youcantakeaglovedhandoutofamittanddosomethinglikechopwoodorsetatrap.”

ShelterfromtheStormQUESTION:Weregularlyexperienceseverestormswherewelive,andIwanttostockuponemergencysupplies.Wedon’thaveabasement.Canyougiveussometipsonstoringtheseitemsinthegarage?ANSWER:Itmakesperfectsensetolookatyourgarageasacommandcenterifanaturalorman-madedisasterstrikes.Cleanuptheclutterandyou’llfindano-nonsensespacewithaconcretefloorandgreataccessforequipment.It’sperfectforstoringtoolsandsupplies.Yourfirst jobwillbetobuildadditionalshelvingandrackstoorganizeyour

disaster-relatedmaterials—construction lumberandplywoodwork just fineforthis purpose.Disasters are difficult to dealwith, so youwant ready access to

your gear rather than having to disentangle what you need from lawn chairs,toys,andsportsequipment.Shelvingalsoprotectstoolsandmaterialsfromthecondensationthatformsonmanygaragefloors;thisdampnesscanwreckstoreditems.Ifyoulivesomewherewithhighsummerhumidity,considerincreasingaircirculationbyinstallingalow-speedfanorapowerventintheroof.Storing fuel forchainsaws,generators,andgasgrillsbringsupan important

safetyissue.Neverstorepropaneinyourhouse,noteveninthegarage.Findashelteredplaceforitoutside,suchasbehindashedorawoodpile.

Similarly,keepaslittlegasolineaspossibleinthegarage.Ifyouhaveashed,use that instead.Regardlessofwhereyoustoreyour fuel,your safestbet is touseaself-ventingmetalsafetycanwitha flashbackarrestor.Afive-galloncancosts$40to$90dependingonfeatures.Aplasticgascanthatsizetypicallycostsabout$20,butspendingtheextramoneyforametalcanisworthit.ThemetalType1canisfartougher,andthat’sagoodthingduringanemergency.Thelastthingyouneedistocreateadisasterofyourownwithafuelspillorfire.Finally,never runagenerator inagarage.Evenwith thedoorwideopen, a

generatorproducesenoughcarbonmonoxidetokillyouormakeyouverysick.Setupthemachinewellawayfromthehouseandconnectittoelectricalloadswith heavy-duty extension cords or a transfer switch wired into the home’sservicepanel.Whateveryoudo,don’tmakeadouble-endextensioncordwithone end connected to the generator and the other plugged into a wall outlet.Knownasbackfeeding, this sendselectricity to everyotheroutleton the samebranchcircuit.It’sdangerous.Ifsomeoneforgetstoswitchoffthehouse’smainbreaker, the setupcan sendgeneratedelectricityoutof thehouseandonto thegrid, endangering utility workers, firefighters, and your neighbors working toclearstormdamage.

THEGARAGEFORTRESS

FramingTherearemanywaystofortifyagarage,frombracingitsrooftrussestoaddingmetalbrackets andstrapsthattieitspartstogether.Youcaneveninstallbracketsthatbettersecurethegaragetoitsfoundation .“Themostimportantthingistocreateacontinuousloadpathbyconnectingallpartsofthestructurefromtherooftothefoundation,”EmoryMontague,astructuralengineerwithSimpsonStrong-Tie,says.Thisreducesthechancesofapartblowingoff,openingthebuildingtowindforces.

WindowsandDoorsThebestwaytoprotecttheseopeningsiswithplywoodstormshutterscuttosizeaheadoftimeandstoredonshelvesinthegarage.Avaluableguide,“AgainsttheWind:ProtectingYourHomeFromHurricaneDamage,”isavailableatFEMA’swebsite(fema.gov).

GarageDoorUnlessyouhaveagaragedoorratedforhigh-windresistance,youneedtobraceitwithaverticalsupportandhorizontallumber.Youcanbuyakitconsistingofhardwareandmountingbracketsandahigh-strengthaluminumpoletoinstallverticallybehindthedoor.

CHECKLIST:

TheDefinitiveGoBag

LABELEDINORDEROFPRIORITY,FORYOURCONVENIENCE.

FirstPriority

EtónFR150MicroLinkAM/FMemergencyradiowithbuilt-incellphonecharger,handcrank,andsolarpanelKnifeMagliteLEDflashlight;doublesasaweaponExtrabatteriesWhistleMirrorFlintandtinderMultitoolMylarblanket;lightweightandwarmExtrapairofweather-appropriateclothesTarp,tubetent,ordropclothParacord(100feet);durableandversatileAnynecessarymedicationFirst-aidkitNonperishablefood,suchasMREsorcannedgoodsWaterbottlewithfilter,LifeStraw,orcanteenCanteencupGlovesthickenoughbutnottoothickRainponchoLocalmaps,preferablytopographical

Waterproofmatches/butanelighterPotassiumiodide/chlorinetablets;afewdropsdecontaminatesyourwater

SecondPriority

CollapsibleshovelforfirepitsandlatrinesMetalsporkInsectrepellentToiletpaperSoapSunscreenGarbagebags;goodforfoodstorageoramakeshiftponchoSunglassesWatch;glow-in-the-darkifpossible

ThirdPriority

Waterproofdocumentpacket:ID,passport,birth/marriagecertificates,deed/lease,cartitle,insuranceinformationCash;smalldenominations12-hourcandleWetwipes(forhotwings)Hand-crankedcanopenerHandsanitizer;bonus:highlyflammable

YOUNEEDTOFLEEBUTWANTTOTAKEEVERYTHINGWITHYOU.EddieBauer’sFirstAscentMaximusDuffelBaguses rip-proofandbombproofthermoplasticpolyurethane.Closedit’sthesizeofabookbag.Openithas150litersofstorage.

HowtoBuildanIglooNORTHERNINDIGENOUSPEOPLESBUILDIGLOOSWITHFEWTOOLSANDTHEMATERIALATHAND.NORBERTE.YANKIELUN,AUTHOROFHOWTOBUILDANIGLOOANDOTHERSNOWSHELTERS,WALKSUSTHROUGHTHE

PROCESS.

MaterialInwind-packedsnow,shovelatrenchtofacilitatecuttingthefirstblock.Usingasnowknifeorsnowsaw,cutablock12incheswide,24incheslong,and18inchesdeep.Removetheblockfromthetrenchandrepeat.

FoundationMarkthecenteroftheigloowithastickorskipole,thentraceacirclesixto10feetindiameter.Positionblocksalongit,usingasnowknifetomitertheendsforatightfit.

ConstructionCutarampthatstartsbetweentwoblocksandextendshalfwayaroundthebottomrow.Bevelthetopsoftheblocksalonganimaginarylinefromtheouteredgeoftheblockstotheigloo’scenter .Trimsnowfromthebottomoftheblocksinhigherrowssotheytouchonlyatthecornersandbevelthetopsalongtheangleofsighttotheigloo’scenter.Stagger

theblocks.

ExitStrategyDiganexittunnel,ideallybeneathadownhill-facingwall.

LastStepsSlidethetopblock sidewaysthroughtheopening,turnhorizontally,anddropintoplace.Chinkgapsbetweenblockswithloosesnow.Pokeholesforventilation.

GETTINGSTARTEDIN:

IceFishing

JUSTBECAUSEITGOTCOLDDOESN’TMEANTHEFISHHAVELEFT.

BYC.J.CHIVERS

MYDAUGHTERELIZABETHstoodonthefrozensurfaceofalakenearourhome,peeringintentlyattheholeatherfeet.ItwasaSaturdayduringthebitterwinterof2015,andshewasholdingaremarkablyshortfishingrod,danglingametal jigdowninto thegin-clearwater.The jig,spicedwithamealworm,wasperhaps16feetbeneathher,justabovethelake’sbottom.Underaroofofice,thislittlelure-and-baitcombinationwasdartingupward,

thenutteringandfalling,againandagain.Elizabethwastryingtoenticeafishtostrike.Ihadturnedawaytoscanrowsoffishtrapswhenshecalledout.Ilookedbacktoseethelittlerodbent,Elizabethcrankingonitsreel.Soonshehoistedafineyellowperch into theair. Itwasperhaps11 inches long, itsbright-orangepectoral fins set against abarredyellow-and-green flank.The fishwasplump,bulging with eggs. An eater, all around. Elizabeth set it on the snow besideothers.Thecoldwaterwasyieldingitsmidwintergemsandwewouldbehavingafishfryinourhousetonight.Therewasnotanothersoulinsight.Oursolitudewasnosurprise.Oneoldjokeabouticefishingisthatitisasport

manypeopletryonce.It’spartlyrootedintruth,andforgoodreason:Tothosewho have not been introduced to the particulars of harvesting a frozen lake’sbounty, the ice can be a foreboding and impenetrable place. Divining how tobring home fish from water that you can barely see can seem confounding.Where to fish?Andhow?Forwhat?Withwhat equipment?Howdoyou staycomfortableandsafe?Thequestionsmightsounddaunting,butmostoftheanswersaresimple.

SAFETYPlunging throughweak ice into frigidwater (often deep frigidwater) ismorethanmiserable.Itisaquickwaytodie.

TESTINGTHEICELocal bait shops will know the conditions but you can double-check icethicknessbypiercing itwithachiseloracordlessdrill.Thereareseveralold-timers’rulesoutthereabouticethicknessandsafety—twoincheswillsupportaman,sixinchesasnowmobile,10inchesapickuptruck.Iaddatleast50percenttotheseestimatestoaccountforvariationsinicestrengthandthickness.Istartedicefishingaroundagethreeorfour.Almostahalf-centuryon,you’llnotfindmeonicethinnerthanthreeinches.Ifeelmuchmorecomfortableatfour,andlateintheyear,as icerotswithspring-likeweather,Iamevenmorecautiousaseventhickicecangetsoft.Notalliceisthesame.Movingwatergenerallydoesnotformstrongice,ifit

forms ice at all. For this reason, rivers are generally to be avoided except inprotectedcoves.

SAFETYEQUIPMENTSomeanglersaddahostofsafetyequipmenttotheirkit,includingmetalcleatsfortheirboots,alifepreserver,awhistle,handspikes,andaropewithknotsoraloopattheendattachedtoabuoyorthrowcushionthatcanbetossedtoanyonewho falls through. I carryan icespud—aheavy steel bar about four feet longwithataperedbladeatitsend.Whenventuringontonewwater,Itapthisaheadofme on the ice. Firm ice respondswith a sharp, solid, and reassuring noise.Yourearbecomesattunedtothesound.The easiest problem to handle is the problem you foresaw and avoided. If

there are anydoubts about ice thickness or safety—as there inevitablywill beearlyandlateinwinterandduringlongthaws—stayonshore.

COMFORTYou’llneedwarmclothesinlayers,insulatedandwaterproofbootsandgloves,agoodhat,andmaybeahood,too.Gogglesareasmartinvestmenttoprotecteyesfromglareandstingingsnow.Ice-fishingtripscanbeasSpartanorasfancyasyouwish.MychildrenandI

tend towardSpartanandwalkouton the icedraggingsledswith thekit andabucket or cooler of live bait, sometimes adding a backpack or two with athermosofcoffeeandfood.Othersbuildshantiestoliveinorrollacrosstheiceonsnowmobilesorpickuptrucksloadedwithequipment,food,andgasgrills.You’ll be on your feet all day so be sure your boots are comfortable. And

warm.SOREL’sCaribouXTbootsarewind-andwaterproof(picturedbelow).Yourfeetwon’tknowthey’veleftthelivingroom.

WHERETOFISHYellowperch,walleye,trout,pike,crappie,sunfish,largemouthbass—thesearestaplesofmanyice-fishingtrips.Ifapondorlakehasahealthynumberoffishwhenit’snotfrozen,it’llhaveahealthynumberwhenitis.Somelakesarebetterthanothers.(GoodoptionsincludeLakeMichigan,Vermont’sLakeChamplain,and nearly anything in northern Minnesota.) Local bait-and-tackle shops cansteeryou,ascanothericefishermen(whoarehelpfulonlineaticeshanty.com).The best-known destinations can become crowded and carnival-like,

especially at tournaments. (See above.Avoid.) Butmany other lakes, like theonewhereElizabethhaulsperch,arequietandstill,andweusuallyencounternoone at all aswe fish inwhat amounts to a standard fashion,with some of ussettingtrapswhileothersmovefromholetoholewithajiggingrod,lookingforfish.

HOWTOFISH

CuttingHoles

Forgetaboutcasting.Ice-fishingstartswithcuttingholes.Manyholes.Todosorequireseitheraspudoranauger,a largedrillpoweredbyhandorbyasmallmotor.Weuseaspudin theearlyseason(forchippingoutholes)andapowerauger once the ice becomes thick. There are several prominent auger brands,withdisputesbetweenadherentsthatrivalFord–Chevydebates.Justlikeadrillbit,theauger’sdiameterdeterminesthewidthofthehole.Sixinchesisfineformost fishing, eight-inch augers arepopular, and if you’reon a lakewithhugefish, a 10-inch augermightmake sense.But beware:Awider diametermeansmorework.

ElectricAuger

PropaneAuger

RODSVS.TRAPSAfter the hole is cut, you can fishwith a rod or via traps. Rods are used forvertical jigging, or lightly bouncing the bait in the water, and dangling liveminnowsorsmallgrubs.Theytendtobeshortandsimple.Morethanafewoldshovelhandlesorhockeystickshavebeenrepurposedthisway.Myfavoriterodis thehandleandpieceofaspinningrodwebrokebyaccidentabout35years

ago.Itworksfine.

HOWTRAPSWORKTraps, also known as tilts or tip-ups, are renowned for hookingmonster fish.Whenarrayedalongdrop-offsorlargeweedbedswheregamefishoftenprowl,traps let ice fishermencover farmorewater than theycouldwith a single rodanderasethehandicapofnotbeingabletocast.Differentwatershavedifferentrulesforhowmanytrapsananglercanputout.Fiveperpersoniscommon.Whenafishtakesthebait,itsmovementspinsaspoolofline,triggeringthe

releaseofasmallflag,indicatingastrike.Theanglerthenrunstothetrap,takesupthelinewithfingers,setsthehook,andplaysthefishhandoverhand.Everywinter there aredayswhenyouareunable tokeepall the tip-ups set

becauseyoucan’tfindthetime,runningfromflagtoflag,torebaitthem.Theseare the tripsyou remember and the reasonyou’reout there.Onceyouhit thatzoneallyouneedaretwomorethings:asharpfilletknifeandrecipes.

TIP!Saturationcomeswithcosts.Themoretip-upsyouputout,themoreworkyouface,andnotjustcuttingtheholes.Trapsmustbetended.Holesintheicefreezeoncolddaysorbecomeburiedindriftingsnow.Youmustcontinuallycheckyourlineoftrapsandoftenchangethebait.

STRATEGY:BAITGUIDE

Successfulicefishingliesinsmartbaitselection.

TheGourmetSurvivalKitchenTHERE’SNOPOINTINSTOCKINGDELICIOUSFOODIFYOUCAN’TCOOKIT.

BYWYLIEDUFRESNE

I’VESPENTAlotoftimethinkingaboutandpreparingfordisasters.Totellthetruth,Istartedoutonthefringe,buyingenoughmilitarysurplusMealsReady-to-Eat,orMREs,toputmeonagovernmentwatchlist.ButthenaboutayearagoIrealizedmyplanwas absurd:Mykidswon’twant dehydratedveggie burgers.Duringtheapocalypse,yourdutyistokeepupmorale—andnothingisbetterforthat thanagreatmeal.Tomakeone,youstillneedtobeable tocook.Here,afewessentials.

FIREMatchesdon’ttakeupmuchspace.Keepthemaround.Andmakesuretheonesyoubuyarestormproof.(Youcanmakeyourownbydippingstandardmatchesinmeltedwax.) I also recentlydiscovered theSotoPocketTorch,which turnscertaindisposablelightersintoaminitorch.It’sgreatformendingafrayedpieceofparacordor,betteryet,makings’moresinyourlivingroom.

ACAMPSTOVEOneofmy favoriteportable stoves is the Jetboil JouleCookingSystem. I likeJetboilsingeneral,butthisoneisserious:Itputsout10,000BTUs,andthepotontopholdsmorethantwoliters,whichisgoodforwhenyouneedtocookforafew people. You should also have a Power-Pot: The five watts of energy itcreateswhileheatingwater(upto1.4liters)willchargeanydevicethatplugsintoaUSBport.

AWORST-CASESCENARIOSTOVEIfyouarewithoutmatchesoranyotherway toproducea flame,youcanstillmakeahotmeal ifyouhavetheBAROCOOKsystem.Itworks thesamewayMREsdo,bygeneratingheatwithachemicalreaction.Yousimplypourwater

over theheatingpack, thenput a trayof foodon top.So in themiddleof theworst,youcanjustpretendyou’reatareallyweirdbuffet.

Whentimesaretough,nothingliftsspiritslikegooeys’mores.Andbooze.

ShopNotes:SurvivalEdition

StartaFirewithYourSmartphone

Tostartafirewithyoursmartphone,takeoutthebattery.(Ifit’saniPhone,breakitopen.Theonlyotheroptionistouseapentalobescrewdriver,whichyouprobablydon’thave.)Withgloveson,cutofftheendsofthebatterywithaknifetoexposetheterminals.Placetheknifeorsteelwoolalongbothterminalstoshort-circuitthebattery,whichwillcreatesparks.Youcanalsojuststabthebatterytoexposethelithiumtooxygen,creatingheatandsparks.Ineithercase,holdoverkindlingtostartafire.

CrayonsCanReplaceCandlesIfyourunoutofcandles,acrayonwillburnforuptohalfanhour,andapieceofcottonstringinacanofshorteningsuchasCriscowillburnformuchlonger—upto45days.

SaveYourLifewithElectronics

ThethinwiresinsideTapticEngines(themotorsthatmakeelectronicsvibrate)inanyphonecanbeusedassutures.

Laptopchassisaremadepartiallyofmagnesium.Flakesomeoffwithaknife,pulverizeit,andaddthreepartsrusttoonepartlaptop.Thisisthermite,which,oncelitwithabutanelighter,willburnhotenoughtocutthroughmetalandconcrete.

Crackopenyourtabletandpropthemetalbackcasingoverafire.Now

youhaveagriddle.

PurifyWaterwithRegular,UnscentedBleach

Add¼teaspoonpergallonofwaterandletstandfor30minutes.Thensniffit.Ifitsmellsalittlelikechlorine,it’sdrinkable.Ifnot,addmorebleachandwait15moreminutes.

HomemadeLanternMadeofStoredSuppliesTurnaheadlampintoaproperlanternbywrappingitaroundacleartwo-gallonmilkjugfullofwater,whichbouncesthelightinalldirections.

FakeAABatteries

If your flashlight or radio needsAAbatteries and youonly haveAAAs,ballupsomealuminumfoilanduseittoclosethegapbetweentheendofthesmallerAAAbatteryandtheterminal.AAAsusedinplaceofAAswilldiefaster,butthey’llwork.

UseHiddenWaterIfyourfaucetsaren’tworking,what’sinthetankofyourhotwaterheaterisusable(butyoushouldstillboilorbleachitbeforedrinking).

Toretrieveit,turnoffthepowertothehotwaterheater,whetherelectricorgas.

Closethetank’ssupplyvalve.

Putabucketunderitslowerdrainagevalve.

Openahotwatertapsomewhereinthehousetoletairintothesystemandwaterwillbegintodrain.

WhenahikingbuddysliddownarockycliffinAlaska’sDenaliNationalPark,ChrisScruggsspentthenext11hourssearchingforhelp.

TALESOFSURVIVAL:

TheDecision

TOHAVEANYCHANCEOFSAVINGHISFRIEND,AHIKERHASTOLEAVEHIMBEHIND.

JUSTHOURSEARLIERtheyhadthoughtthenightintheboulderfieldworthit.ChrisScruggsandZachMcCutchenhadfinallycrestedaridgeintheAlaskaRangethatthey’dnearlykilledthemselvestryingtoreach.Mt.McKinley,NorthAmerica’smightiestpeak,wasonly30milesaway.Thecloudsthathaddumpedrainon themallnightcleared.Looking into thevalleyon theothersideof theridge,theycouldseeglacialmeltgatheringintostreams,streamsgatheringintorivers, rivers draining the imposing landscape of Denali National Park. Thescenewasmajestic,worthyof theirhardwork.But then they’dstartedpickingtheirwaydowntheothersideoftheridge.Itwasasteepslopecoveredintalus,brokenshardsofrocksolooseanystepcouldstartaslide.Therangershadsaidtobecareful,chooseagoodroute,andfollowitdown.ScruggsandMcCutchenboth had backpacking experience, but not like this, in a place with no trails.They realized they’d have to work together, testing different routes to findterrain they could negotiate. That’s what they were doing when McCutchenstartedtoslide.Whenhecametoastop,hewasstraddlingatriangularledgeofrock just a few feet wide. Below himwas a thousand-foot drop. Every otherdirectionwasnearlyvertical and too loose to climb.He found stability onhisperchbyturningtofacethemountain,buttherewasnowheretogo.HeyelledtoScruggs, who was some hundred feet away, to go get help. If Scruggs weregoingtohikeout, thiswasn’t thewayhewantedtodoit.Theyhadnowaytoexchangegear—McCutchenwastoodelicatelybalancedtothrowanything,eveniftheyhadn’tbeensofarapart.Thatleftthemwithonlywhatthey’deachhadintheir packs since the morning: Scruggs had food and the water purifier.McCutchenhadeverythingelse:Rope.Shelter.GPS.Maps.Scruggsaskedhisfriendagainandagainifhewassure:DidhereallywantScruggstoleavehimthere?McCutcheninsisted.Loomingin themindsofbothhikerswasthenight

before,intheboulderfield.They’dspentthewholepreviousday—theirsecondinDenali—trying to reach the ridge.Afterbreakfast anda small lunch, they’dbecomesofocusedthattheyhadforgottentoeatagain.Itgrewcoldandrainy.Theycouldn’tseethroughthecloudshoveringonthemountainside.Theywereforced to beddown amongboulders the size of small cars,wedging their feetagainstthemtostayinplace.Raingotinthetent.Looserockscrasheddowntheslopeallaroundthem.They’dsleptanhourortwo,ifthat.Thatleftthemhere:hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. After the previous night, Scruggs had no ideawhether either of themwould be able tomake it through another.McCutchenhad no water, and if he fell asleep, he’d almost certainly fall to his death.Scruggs told his friend that he’d find help that day, thatMcCutchenwouldn’thavetospendthenightaloneonacliff.Itwaseightthirtyinthemorning.Hesetoffdownthemountainside,movingasfastashecould.Scruggsknewthatalltherivers flowed north from where he was. The park road ran east to west. Hefiguredwhenhereachedthebottomofthetalusslope,he’dfollowariveruntilhehitabridge.Adrenalinekepthimmoving.Theriverwassinuouswithheavybrush. He stopped only to take pictures—without a map, he’d need them todirect rangersback toMcCutchen.After awhile, he fantasized about seeing abridgearoundeverybend in the river.Finally,he saw it: aman-madeoasis. Itwas7:30p.m.He’dhikedfor11hoursstraight,coveringnearly20miles.They’donlymanaged10thedaybefore.ScruggsflaggeddownaparkbusandrangersgotwordtotheAlaskaAirNationalGuardinAnchorage,whodispatchedBlackHawkhelicopters.BythetimethehelicoptersspottedMcCutchen,weatherwasrolling in and visibility was too low to extract him. They dropped off amountaineer tohelphimstayawakeuntilmorning,whenhecouldbepluckedoff theprecipice.OnceScruggs learned thathis friendhadbeenfound, thathehadfulfilledhispromise,hecrashed.Inthemorning,rangerstookhimtomeetMcCutchen as he got off the helicopter. The last time Scruggs had seenMcCutchen, he could barelymake out his orange backpack cover against thebrownmountainside.Thatwasearlyinthetrek,asScruggswasleavingthefirstvalley.Hecouldn’tkeeplookingback.

Scruggshadnoideawhethereitherofthem

wouldmakeitthroughanothernight.

STRATEGY:HOWTOREMOVEOBJECTSFROMYOURSKIN

IFTHESITUATIONISSERIOUS,KEEPYOURCOMPOSURE.CALMPEOPLEMAKEBETTERDECISIONS.WHENYOU’RETRULYOUTOFYOURELEMENT,APPLYPRESSUREANDHOPETHEEMTSDON’THITTRAFFIC.

YOUGOTASPLINTERTweezersusuallyworkforbigones.Butforthemicroscopicsliversyoufeelbutdon’tsee,makeapasteoutof¼teaspoonofbakingsodaandafewdropsofwater.Applyandcoverwithabandage.Thebakingsodaswellsyourskinandbringsthesplintertothesurface.After24hours,itshouldbestickingoutenoughthatyoucanremoveit.

YOUWEREBITTENBYATICKPetroleumjellyandnailpolishcausetickstoburrowdeeper.Burningjustmakesthemreleasemorediseasedsaliva.Instead,grabyourtweezers—thesameonesyouusedtopulloutthatsplinter.Getasclosetothetick’smouthaspossible,thenpullsteadilyoutwardsoasnottoleaveanypartsinyourskin.

YOUWEREIMPALEDBYASTICKDr.EvanSmall,anemergency-medicinespecialist,suggestsremovingthestickunlessithitanarteryorpiercedyourchestorabdomen.(Ifitdid,removetheprotrudingpartsandgettoahospital.)Removethestickandwashthewoundwithcleanwater.Therewillbealittleswelling—that’sokay.Applypressureandgetmedicalattention.Whateveryoudo,don’tuseatourniquet.Thatstartsaclockonyourbody.Youhaveaboutanhourbeforeyoustartcausingdamage.

TheBestEscapeVehiclesUNLESSYOUNEEDTOGETALARGEGROUPOFPEOPLESOMEWHERESLOWLY,ANSUVISPROBABLYWORTHLESSINANEMERGENCY.THESEVEHICLESWILLSAVEYOUTHEN.

BESTFORATSUNAMIQuadskiInfrontofyou:atrafficjam.Behindyou:arapidlyapproachingwallofdeathbyseawater.You’regladyou’vegotaQuadski,anATVthatcanhit45mphoneitherlandorwater.Retractthewheels,fireupthejetdrive,andkeepheadinginland.Orouttosea.

BESTFORANARMEDINSURRECTIONArmoredvehicleWhenthepeasantsgettheirpitchforks,fleetoyourprivatebunkerincomfortandsafety.Thearmorstopscommonsmall-armsfireandtheunderbodyisdesignedtothwartgrenadesandmines.Tothehelipad!

BESTFORABLIZZARDDiesel4x4truckYouwantthedieselforrange—youcan’tcountongasstationsbeingopen.SometruckshaveaTrackNGosystem,whichareliketrucksnowshoes.Nowlet’squitthistalkoftheDonnerParty.Itjuststartedsnowing.

BESTFORANEARTHQUAKEAdventuremotorcycleWhenlandslidesblocktheroad,youneedabike.Getsomethingwithknobbytiresandlong-travelsuspension.Ifitalsohastorque

managementanddual-clutchautomatictransmission,yourchancesofescapingtheepicentergetevenbetter.

TALESOFSURVIVAL:

MaroonedintheArctic(withPolarBears)

INJULYOF2015,ARUSSIANHELICOPTERPILOTHADNEARLYCOMPLETEDARECORD-BREAKINGTRIPAROUNDTHEGLOBEWHENHECRASHEDINTOTHEICYWATERSOFTHEARCTICCIRCLE.STUCKONASLABOFICESURROUNDEDBYPOLARBEARS,WITHONLYAHANDFULOFPROTEINTABLETS,AHALF-LITEROFWATER,ANDHISGPSTRACKERSLOSTATTHEBOTTOMOFTHESEA,HENEVERSHOULDHAVESURVIVED.

BYJUSTINNOBEL

MANIFOLD PRESSURE INCREASES. Speed decreases. The helicopter isgoing down.The pilot switches to autorotation, a safetymode that allows thecrafttoglidedownward.Fromaheightof3,000feet,itfallsthroughthefogatarate of roughly 17 feet per second. But falling where? It isn’t until 200 feetabove the partially frozen sea, barely enough time to maneuver, that thehelicopterpiercesthefog.Thepilot aims for an ice floe about the sizeof abasketball court. In a few

secondsherealizeshewon’tmakeit,soheexpertlytiltsthehelicopterforsafestimpact and lands the skids smoothlyon thewater.Thepilotknows thebladescouldaccidentallychopoffhisheadwhenheclimbsoutofthecraft.Byleaninghisweighttotheleft,hetipsthehelicopterinordertosmashthebladestopiecesagainst the sea. This kills the engine, but now, tail-first, themachine starts tosink.Fast.Freezingwaterfloods thecockpit,wrappingaroundhisnakedchest, rushing

downthelegsoftheunzippedsurvivalsuit.Hisgearbeginstofloat—plasticfueltanks,asmallbagofclothes—butthemostcrucialitemsaresuction-cuppedtothe windshield: two GPS trackers, one distress beacon, and a satellite phone.

Somewherebeneaththeseatthereisalsoadeflatedliferaftcontainingasurvivalkitwiththreeflares,ahalf-literofwater,andatinyboxofproteintablets.Almostinstantly,thepilotissubmergedtotheneck.Thereisonlytimetosave

one thing:satellitephone,distressbeacon,GPStracker,or life raft.Thephonecan call for help. The beacon andGPS tracker can give rescuers a chance toactuallyfindhim.Butnoneofthosedomuchgoodifhecan’tstayafloat.Hereachesundertheseattograbtheraft,butitisstuck,andthecockpitisso

cramped that he can’t get enough leverage to yank it free. He swims out thedoor, takes a deep breath, then dives back under and into the submergedhelicopter.Thewater isblackandsaltyandcold—35degreesFahrenheit. It isdifficulttokeephiseyesopen.Buthemustfindtheraft.Ithasfloatedoutfromundertheseatandbecometangledintheseatbelt.Heunsnaresit,swimstothesurface,andgreedilygulpsair.Oncehe catches his breath, he begins swimming to the closest ice floe, the

one he tried to land on—160 feet away. The life raft weighs about twentypounds.Thepilotclutchesitabovehisheadwithonehandandpawsatthewaterwiththeother.Hepropelshisfive-foot-eleven,176-poundframe,nowweighteddownbythewaterloggedsuit, throughthewaves.Eachstrokegetshimcloser,yetsucksevenmorewaterintothesuit,furtheryankinghimdown.Killerwhalesand the elusiveGreenland shark hunt thesewaters, but none of this is on hismind.Heissingle-minded:Makeittotheicefloe.After threegruelingminutes, hedoes.But this ice is two feet thick, radiant

blue,pittedandroughenedbyatleasttwoyearsofmeltingandrefreezing.Theweightofthesuitmakesitimpossibletohurlhislegsoverthejaggedlip.Yethekeeps trying, searching for the right spot at which to hoist himself up, like atoddler trying to climbout of the deep endof the pool.The sharp ice scrapesawayskin.Blood runsdownhis forearmsand into the sea.He findsa smoothsection, presseshis bare chest flat against the ice, useshisnails as claws, andshimmiesatop.Everyinchofhimissoakedandhischestisnowexposedtothebitingwind.

He shivers violently, an automatic response intended to generate heat. Hisshaking hands struggle to peel off the suit, its neoprene material clingingstubbornly to his skin.Once it is off, he flaps the suit up anddown, trying towringoutthewater.Anditisthen,fifteenminutessincethebeltsnapped,ashestandson the icefloe innothingbuthisrunningshoesandunderwear, that thesituationbecomesclear.SergeyAnanov is trapped on a slab of ice in the Arctic Circle. He has no

locatorbeacon,nophone,andbarelyanywater.Thefogwillhidehimfromanyrescuers. Night will come. Hypothermia will come. And whatever large,powerful creatures that scratch out their existence in this primordial world—maybetheywillcome,too.HiseyeswanderpasttheiceandovertheroilingopenwatersofDavisStrait.

Heisalone,andwitheachminutethatpasseshewilldriftfartherfromthespotwherethehelicopterwentdown,lesseningthechancehewilleverbefound.

THEWORLDHASBEEN trampledoverandclamberedupand submarineddown,butifmansearcheshardenoughhecanstillfindaremoteanddangerousfrontonwhichtobattlenature.Therearestillrecordstobehad.Youcanstillbefirstatsomething,thewayHillaryandShackletonandYeagerwereandthewayMuskandBransonandBezoswanttobe.Theallureforthesemenisthatsimple:thedesiretoberecordedasthefirsthumantotrysomethingandtosucceedatit.Immortality.Whodoesn’twanthisnametoliveforever?

BackonJune13,2015,thedayhisRobinsonR22liftedofffromtheairfieldatShevlino,Russia, about twentymiles fromMoscow, the fifty-year-oldAnanovwastheheadofaMoscowtrash-and-recyclingcompany.HehadalreadysetfiveworldaviationrecordsintheR22butnothingasambitiousasthis:becomingthefirstpersontoflyalonearoundtheworldinahelicopterweighinglessthanonemetric ton—approximately 2,205 pounds, more than twice the weight of theR22.According to the Switzerland-based FédérationAéronautique Internationale,

the group that keeps track ofworld aviation records, there has been only onesuccessful around-the-world solo helicopter flight. But that flight was in aheavier craft and thepilot had support aircraft trailinghim,packedwith spareparts and extra fuel. The R22 is intended for activities like flight training,mustering livestock, and patrolling pipelines—not circumnavigating the globe.Andexceptforacoupleoffriendstrackinghisprogressonlineintheeventofanemergency, Ananovwas doing it alone. This would be the record to put himamongthelegends.

He began by crossing Siberia into Alaska, flew south through the westernUnitedStates,thenzigzaggedacrosstheAmericanheartland.Sincenoonehadeverachievedsuchamadrecord,therewasnotimetobeat.ButAnanovdidn’twanthistriptolookliketheleisurelyjauntofadilettante.Hebeganhisdaysatdawn and often landed in the dark, averaging about 435 miles a flight andsometimestopping600miles.Herefueledatlocalandregionalairfields.Heatemainlyfastfood—hamburgers,pizza,KFC—andsleptincheaphotels.Ananov got to know America, staying the night in outposts like Sidney,

Montana,andGuntersville,Alabama.Thepeoplewerefriendly—someofthemgavehimfuel.TheR22holdsabout29gallonsandintwolargeplasticjerricanskept beside him in the passenger seat—along with his small bag of clothes,chocolate bars, and the occasional leftover hamburger—Ananov could carryanother29gallons.Anelectricpumpallowedhim to transfer this fuel intohismaintankasheflew.HeenteredCanadanearMontreal, traversedremoteQuebec,andcrossedthe

HudsonStrait to Iqaluit, capital of the Inuit territory ofNunavut. Itwas fromherethathetookoffthatmorningofday42—lessthan3,000milesfromhomeandcertainglory.Now,strandedandshivering,heallowsafewminutestobeathimselfupfor

hismistakes.IfonlyhehaddiveddownintothefreezingwateroncemoreandretrievedoneoftheGPStrackersorthedistressbeacon!Ifonlyhehadmanagedto land on the ice floe in the first place! He could somehow have hailed amechanictofixtheR22andstillcapturedtherecord!Butnoneof thismattersnow.Itiswastedenergytoeventhinkthesethoughts.Andsohegetstowork.Firsthemustget thesurvivalsuitbackon.Hecan’twringoutall thewater,

andhestrugglesintothedankneoprene,pullingitupallthewaysothebuilt-incapcovershishead.Henowhasa thick layerbetweenhimand thewind,butthat layer is soaked, and his body continues to shiver.The suit’smittens havereducedhishandstoclumsypaws,andhefumbleswiththecordtoblowuptheliferaft.Afterseveralyanks,theraftinflates.Hetakesthecordandtiesittohislegsotheraftwon’tblowaway.Usingitasawindshield,Ananovliesbeneath,flatonhisstomach.Thisisnottheteeth-chatteringcoldofspendingtoolongonaskislope.This

is the cold of gangrene and cardiac arrest and brain death.This is the cold ofhypothermia.Ananovgetsupand tries towalkaroundhis ice island,draggingthe raft behind him, but he is quickly panting.Nerve andmuscle fibers don’tworksowellinthecold,asthechemicalreactionsthatenabletheirfunctioning

slow down drastically.Because of the shivering, hismuscles are continuouslycontracting.There is also thewind—coldandunbearable.He figures themosthelpfulthinghecandorightnowisnothing:simplykeepasstillaspossibleandtrytoretainheatandenergy.Heliesbackdownundertheraft.

Athirdpolarbearwalkstowardhim,sniffingtheair,smellingthehuman

bodybeneaththeneoprenesuit.

ABOUT3,000MILESAWAY,inSanFrancisco,aRussian-AmericanfriendofAnanov’s named Andrey Kaplin is one of those tracking the journey online.They connected on a Russian web forum for private pilots and first met justweeksagowhenAnanovpassedthroughonhisjourney.KaplinseesthatoneoftheGPStrackersindicatesthehelicopter’sspeedhasflatlined.HemakesacalltoanotheroftheirpilotfriendsinMoscow,MichaelFarickh.Itisthemiddleofthenightthere,butFarickhjumpsoutofbedandmakesthecallthatcounts:totheJointRescueCoordinationCentreinHalifax,NovaScotia.Halifax dispatches two C-130 Hercules aircraft to the pilot’s last known

position.But it is toolate inthedayfora thoroughsearch.HalifaxalsoradiosthePierreRadisson, a 323-footCanadianCoastGuard icebreaker commandedbyCaptainStéphaneJulien.Thoughhere,too,asnag.Thevesselisatleastadayaway, in Frobisher Bay, escorting a freighter into Iqaluit. With no othericebreakersinthearea,CaptainJuliencannotabandonhischarge.

Theship’screwmembersposewithAranov(seatedatcenter).

ButJulienknowshowdirethesituationisforAnanov.Hebecamefascinated

with theArcticat sixyearsold,watchingSuper8 filmsofpolarbearsand icefloeswithhisunclewhosailedwiththeCanadianCoastGuardinthe1960s.Atseventeen, Juliensignedup,andby2003hewascommandingamedium-classicebreakerused for research.Frompolar scientistsand Inuitguides, Julienhaslearned the Arctic’s secrets. He has done twenty-nine Arctic tours, sailed theNorthwest Passage seven times, rescued several human beings from an icydeath.Hedecideshewillnotletthestrandedpilotperish.Safelydepositingthefreighter in Iqaluit,hebattlesback through the treacherouspassagehehas justtraveledandheadsfortheDavisStrait.Ananov knows none of this—and hopes only that the GPS trackers,

waterprooftoonemeter,somehowcommunicatedhisdesperatesituationbeforesinking600feettotheseabottom.Orthatthebuoyantdistressbeaconbecameunsuctionedfromthehelicopter’swindshieldandbobbedtothesurface.Healsoknowsnothingof thepredatornow trackinghim.For somewhere in the strait,oneofearth’sgreathuntershasstooduprightand iswaving itsheadbackandforth.Itcansmellaringedsealunderseveralfeetofsnowandarottingwhalecarcass from 90 miles away. But this scent? It draws a blank, having never

encounteredamiddle-agedRussian—a176-poundsalamionanicefloe.Movinginitspigeon-toedwalk,swingingitsfrontpawsoutwitheachstepthenturningtheminwardandlandingheelsfirst,thepolarbearheadsofftoinspect.

THESUMMERBEFORE, in nearby Arctic Bay, thirty-one-year-old AdrianArnauyumayuq and his twenty-six-year-old brother-in-law loaded up asnowmobileandventuredouton theirannualhunting trip.The firstnight theysetupcamponan ice floe,a fewhundredfeet fromtheedge. In themorning,they were wakened by a 1,000-pound polar bear ripping apart their tent.Arnauyumayuq quickly reached for his three-inch hunting knife, stabbed thebear in the face, and then tried to flee the tent.But thebear pouncedonhim,clawingopenhisbackandgobblinghishead.“Icouldseeinsideitsmouth,”Arnauyumayuqlatertoldthelocalnewspaper

NunatsiaqNews.“Itwasallblackandsmelly.”Thebear flungArnauyumayuqaside and went after his brother-in-law, fracturing his collarbone beforeArnauyumayuqcouldgrabhisrifleandshootthebeardead.TheArcticisfullofthesekindsofstories.Theyblowaroundinthewind,drift

with the tide. Ithasalwaysbeen thisway,eversince theTuniitpeoplearrivedfivethousandyearsagowithbowsandarrows.Mostly thesestoriesendnot insurvivalbutdisaster.SergeyAnanovhasno rifle.Hehasnoknife.About fourhoursafter falling

outofthesky,heisstillonhisstomachinsidehismakeshifttentwhenhehearsthesoundofheavybreathingandcrunchingsnow.Hepeeksoutfromundertheraftandseesthebear,itsfurwetandglisteningafterswimmingfromfloetofloe—ataskitcandofordayswithoutstopping.Ananovhidesbeneathhis raftandhopes themonster leaves. Itdoesn’t.The

creaturebobsitssnoutupanddown,sniffingtheair,andlopesstraightforhim.Thebear isaboutfivefeetaway,soclose thatAnanovcansee theblackof itsfootpadsandtoenails.Biologistswilltellyouthatatthispointthebearhasoneoftwomotives:hungerorcuriosity.Botharebadforthepilotsincepolarbearsoftensatisfytheircuriositywiththeirteeth.IfImeetthebearface-to-faceIwilldie,Ananovthinks.Andthatdeathseems

imminent,guaranteed.Then,fromsomewheredeepinhiscore,aprimevalandspontaneousurge isunleashed.Ananovboltsup, flingsoff theraft,andrushesthebeast—hisarmsflailing,roaringasloudashecan.Anditworks!Thebearactuallygallopsaway.ButAnanovdoesnotstop.Hechasesthebeartotheveryedgeofthefloewiththeraftstillattachedtohislegandbouncingbehindhim.

The bear nimbly launches across to a neighboring slab, then looks back atAnanov,whocontinuestoscreamfuriously.Hiseyesareblackcoalsofrage.Heisroaring.Thebearjogsabit,sitsdownonhisbackside,andlooksrightatthepilot,examininghimmutely.Ananovstillroars.Butnowitisnotonlydirectedatthebear.It isdirectedatthecruelfatethatputhimhere.It isdirectedathisutterhelplessness.For a full minute, the strange encounter continues. Man roaring, beast

watching.ThenthebemusedbeargetsupandtrotsoffintotheArcticfog.

Hedoesnothavetheenergytofightoff

anotherbear.Hehasneverthoughtofsuicide

before.

THEEUPHORIAANDADRENALINEfromtheencounterwiththebeardonotlast.Thehourslumberon,minutesthatfeellikeyears.Thenthesoundofaplane.Ananovcannotseeitbecauseofthefog,butwithhisclumsymittsheseizes

oneofthethreeflares,aimsitatthenoise,andpullsthecord.Adazzlingorange-red flame leaps into the air.Ananovhears theplane arcdirectlyoverheadandcontinueon.Theflareburnsfor30secondsthenfizzles.Evening approaches. The cold is deep, raw, gnawing. The temperature is

hovering right at the freezing point. Ananov rations his protein tablets, about2,000calories’worth, into three-dayportions.After that,hefigures,hewillbedead.Humanscangowithoutfoodformorethanthreeweeks—solongastheyhave

water.Ananovhasonlythehalf-literthatcamewiththeraft.Hisshiveringissofierce and constant that it causes him to sweat. He has also been urinatingfrequentlyinthesurvivalsuit—aliberatingreleasethatprovidesbriefmomentsofwarmthandhappiness.He is losingwater simply frombreathing. Ifall this

bodilyfluidisnotreplenished,thecorrespondingdropinbloodpressurewillbefatal. It seems a bit of cosmic ridicule: quite literally dying of thirst whilesurroundedbywaterandevensittingatopthestuff,yetunabletodrinkadropofit.Ingestingsaltwaterwouldonlyspeedupthedehydration.Ananovdoesnotsleep.He listens forbears.He thinksabouthiswife, Jane,

and his children. His twenty-two-year-old daughter, Daria, has just graduatedwithadegreeinjournalismfromMoscowStateUniversity.Histwenty-year-oldson,Andrey, is studying economics atMoscowState Institute of InternationalRelations. At least they are grown, Ananov thinks. And thanks to the trashbusiness,atleasttheywillbetakencareof.Aboutahundredmilesaway,thePierreRadissonfinallyreachesasectionof

openwaterandCaptainJulienfiresallsixengines,40,000horsepowerintotal,plowingforwardattheship’stopspeed:19milesperhour.

INTHEMORNING, another plane. It is still too foggy to see the craft butAnanov, hopeful, lights his second flare.No luck.However, the still-hot flarecasingdoeshimsomegood:Heusesittoburnholesinhissurvivalsuitatthetipofeachfoot.Nowtheurinethathasbeenpoolinginthefeetandlegsofthesuitcandraindirectlyontotheice.Thesmallthingsthatenablemantosurvive.Laterthatsamemorning,Ananovhearsahelicopter.Itisatleastafewmiles

away.Ananovknowsthereisnowaythepilotwillbeabletoseetheminuscule12-inchflame.Sohedecidestosavehislastflare.Thehelicopterdisappears.Then another bear. Again Ananov flails, roars, chases the beast, scampers

acrosstheicescreaminglikeafool.Itworksagain,butwithoutfoodandsappedby the constant shivering—the only thing keeping his body warm enough tofunction—heisevenmoreworn-outthanthefirsttime.Morningpassesintoafternoon.Thereisadepressionintheicenearthefloe’s

edge filled with dazzling aquamarine water. Ananov sets his life raft down,creating a sort of water bed. He lies down and dozes, memories spinningbackward,untilhehearsthefamiliarcrunchofsnow.A third bear walks toward him, sniffing the air with its massive snout,

smellingthehumanbodybeneaththeneoprenefabric,abodythatisweakening,ripening.Ananovscaresitoffinthesamemanner,staggersbacktotheraft.Heflipsitoverandcrawlsbeneath.Hedoesnothave theenergy to fightoff anotherbearorhe tellshimselfhe

doesn’t. He has never thought of suicide before. But when we humans findourselves in desperate situations, perspective—our unique ability to view our

own situation within the full context of human suffering—has a way ofdisappearing.Timecollapsesinonitself.Thepowertothinkclearly,thewaywewouldbackhome,whereeverythingisokay,becomesavitalpieceofequipmenttobepreservedatallcosts.BeingmaroonedintheicybrutalityoftheArctichasrenderedAnanov’smindagelidmassoffearanduncertainty.Hedoesnotwantto be devoured and digested by a polar bear.Hewould rather die on his ownterms.Asheshiversviolentlyontheice,hecontemplateshowhemightexecutethetask.

TWENTY-FIVEHOURS AFTER leaving the freighter, fighting a one-knotcurrentandnarrowlyavoiding20-storyicebergsandsubmergedicehunkscalledgrowlers,thePierreRadissonchugsintotheice-floe-fleckedregionoftheDavisStrait where Ananov went down. Halifax has drawn up a plan based onAnanov’slastbeaconpoint,thewind,andtheweather.Butthewindislight,andJulien suspects their calculations areoff. Insteadofbeginning the searcheightmilesfromthebeacon,asHalifaxproposes,hefocusesonatwo-mileradius.

ALLAVAILABLEHANDSareondeck.Themoodistense.Inafewhoursitwillbedark,makingarescueimpossible,leavingAnanovtospendanothernightontheice.Hemightnotmakeit.Healreadymaynothavemadeit—notallofhim,anyway.Theovernightlowcoulddropbelowfreezing.Andthatiswithoutthewindchill. Insuchconditions, frostbitecanoccur inas littleas30minutes.Andevenifhedoesmakeit,bytomorrowhisbodywillhavedivertedmostofits blood from the brain and other organs to the heart, leading to confusion,lethargy, slurred speech—a revived infancy thatwill slowly, inevitably fade toblack.Lossofconsciousness,coma,death.Then, miraculously, the fog lifts. And in that moment, as the sun

magnificently sets across the Davis Strait, the brutality of the Arctic alsoevaporates. In thatmoment, there is nomore beautiful and peaceful place onearth.CaptainJuliencallsHalifaxtoconveythesuddenlyfavorableconditions,but

theirplanesaremorethan200milesawayinIqaluitandwon’tbeheadingoutagain untilmorning.There is one hour of light left.Again acting on a hunch,JulienordersaGC-366helicopterwith twoobservers into theair.Backon thebridge,athirdlieutenantspotsaredlightontheicesurface.Julien takes a compass bearing and steers toward the point. The rescue

helicopter is notified. They spot the final splinter of light fromAnanov’s last

flare. They spotAnanov. There are no bears on the floe but he is oncemorerunningandwavingandscreaming.

Thisisnothowhewantshisnametoliveon.This

isaninsufficientimmortality.

THATNIGHTABOARDTHEPIERRERADISSON,36hoursaftertheR22hit theocean, thepilot is fed saladwitholiveoil and freshly smoked salmon.Everyonewantstoshakehishandandtakeaphoto.Heobliges,eventhoughthisisnotanythingliketheadulationhewaslookingfor.Thisisnothowhewantshisnametoliveon.Thisisaninsufficientimmortality.Ashesmilesforthecameraphones,heisalreadythinkingaboutthenewR22

hewill buy.He is already thinking about howhewill pack it differently—theemergency equipment, everythingwithin reach.Andhe is thinking about nextsummer,whenhewillonceagainliftthehelicopterintotheskyandpointitinthedirectionoftheothersideoftheworld.

SOLUTIONFROMTHEARCHIVES!ShirtWashingMachine

“Facinganaccumulationofsoiledclothingthatwouldhavecostatleast$10ifdone at the laundry,” a reader reasoned that his outboardmotor could agitatesuds.Mountedonabarreldividedbyascreen,therigworked,heclaimed—for

10cents.Theclothing’sconditionafterwardwasnotmentioned.—September1926

TheUltimateSurvivalPantryYOUCOULDLIVEONMILITARYMEALSREADYTOEAT(MRES)ANDCHOCOLATEBARS.ORYOUCOULDEATLIKEAKING.

LASTRESORTFOODINORDEROFDESPERATION

SNACKYOrangeandwatermelonrindsFiber-rich,pairswellwithchocolate

FAMISHEDLeatherAvoiddyes,ifpossible,andboilinwatertosoften.Canalsoberoastedintochips.

HUNGRYTreebarkRemovethetenderinnerlayerandboilstripsofitasyouwouldpasta.

DYINGDirt/clayDirtisnutrientrich,andclayisfilling.Ifable,baketokillbacteria,boilfor30minutes,andstrain.

CHECKLIST:

SHOPPINGLIST

PROTEINSCannedham

Cannedsalmon

Driedbottarga

GratedParmesan

Barbecuejerky

BROTHS/LIQUIDS/VEGGIESReallygoodoliveoil

Cannedtomatoes

Low-saltvegetable,chicken,andbeefbroths

Pumpkinpurée(forthickeningsoups)

Evaporatedmilk

Carrotandtomatojuice(toaddacidity)

Cannedcorn

Cannedpeas

CARBSJasminerice

Cannedbeans(black,kidney,garbanzo,refried)

Driedbeans(mungbeans,RanchoGordomixedvarieties)

Pasta

Breadcrumbs

SPICES/FLAVORS(Inadditiontopantrystaples)Curry

Chiliseasoning

Cannedgreenchiles

Harissa

Tomatosauce

Salsa

Ketchup

Pastes(tomato,garlic,onion,pesto,chipotle)

PantryMealsMadeWithSixIngredientsorLess

THREE-BEANCHILI

CannedBeans+

VegetableBroth+

PumpkinPurée+

ChiliSeasoning

WHITE-BEANSOUP

CannedBeans+

VegetableBroth+

CannedHam+

Rosemary

BARBECUECORN

CannedCorn+

EvaporatedMilk+

GreenChiles+

BarbecueJerky

PASTAANDPEAS

Pasta

+

CannedPeas+

CannedHam+

EvaporatedMilk+

Parmesan+

BreadCrumbs

SpecialForcesSurvivalTipsByronKerns,formerU.S.AirForce;Survival,Evasion,Resistance,andEscape(SERE)instructor;andwildernessdirectorandchiefinstructoratByronKernsSurvival

Bugs,NotBerriesEatbugsinsteadofberriesorplants.Thewrongplantcoulddebilitateorkillyou.Bugsjusttastebadandthey’reanabundantsourceofprotein.Butremember:sixlegsorlesstoavoidpotentialpoisoningandroastthemifpossibletocookawayparasites.

HowtoCatchMinnowsWhenYou’reStarving1.Takeatwo-literbottle,removethecap,andcutoffthetopquarter.2.Turnthetopupsidedownandplaceitinthebottomthree-quartersofthebottle.

3.Ifyouhavestring,makeasmallholeatthetopofbothsidesandtieanendofthestringtoeach.Thisisyourhandle.Ifyoudon’thavestring,

userocksasananchor.

4.Placebugsorotherbaitinthebottlebottomtoattractfish.

HowtoMakeFirewithGumWrappersandAABatteries1.Foldanopenwrapperinhalfwidth-wise.2.Fullycutdiagonallyfromtheopensidetoalmosttheedgeonthefoldedside.Unfolded,thetwoendsshouldbewidetrianglesandtheconnectingportionasnarrowaspossible.

3.Holdthefoilsideofeachendonoppositeterminalsofthebattery.Themiddlesectionwillburstintoflames.Havetinderready.

YourEmergencyShelter,TwoWays

TREEWELL1.Crawlunderthebiggestevergreenyoucanfind.Getrightuptothetrunk.

2.Breakorcutoffenoughboughsthatyouhaveroomtomovearoundoratleastsitupwithoutbeingpoked.

3.Usethebranchesyoucutoffandanyotherfallenbranchesorclustersofpineneedlesnearbytolinethegroundforbeddingandinsulation.

4.Ifthereissnow,useashoveloryourhandstodigitout.Packdownthesidesoftheholeforwalls.

HowtoTurnYourCarintoaGeneratorCarelectricityrunsondirectcurrent,butalmosteverythingelseisalternatingcurrent.Youneedaninverter.Somecarshavethembuiltin,butyoucangetoneatastoreforlessthan$40.Useclampstoattachtheinverterdirectlytoyourcarbattery’sterminals.Witha300-wattinverter,you’llhaveenoughampstorunalaptoporevenatelevision.

TARPHOME1.Thematerials:atarpordropclothatleast8x10feetandaminimumtwenty-fivefeetofcord(preferablyparachutecord).

2.Locatetwotreesroughly8feetapart.Tieyourlinearoundoneofthem.Ifit’swarm,thecordshouldbehigheroffthegroundtoletinmoreairandviceversa.

3.Securethetarptothecord.Ifyourtarphasgrommets(holeswithmetalrings),pullthelinethroughthemonbothsides.Ifitdoesnot,useabuttoningtechnique(bottomright,above)beforetyingthecordtotheothertree.

4.Stakeyourtarpintotheground.Ifyoudon’thavestakes,useheavylogstoweightthecorners.

TheImprovisedSafeRoomWE’RENOTSAYINGYOUNEEDAFULL-ONPANICROOM,BUTHAVINGAFORTIFIEDSPACEINYOURHOUSETOHIDEOUTINDURINGANEMERGENCYISNEVERABADIDEA.HERE’SHOWTOSECUREANEXISTINGROOMWITHMINIMALEFFORT.

CHOOSEYOURLOCATIONAroomthateveryonecangettoquicklyandfitincomfortablyisideal.Trytopickaspacethathasasfewexposedinteriorwallsaspossible.Ifyoulivealone,awalk-inclosetorbathroomisgood.Forfamilies,amasterbedroomworks.

CONSIDERTHEWINDOW

Ifyourdesignatedsaferoomisonanupperfloor,havingatleastonewindowthatfullyopensisbeneficial.Astashed-awayescapeladderwillallowyoutoexitifneedbe.

REINFORCEYOURDOORInteriordoorstendtohaveahollowcoreandareeasytokickin.Replaceyourswithasolidwooddoorthatusespinnedhingesandswingsout.Theextraresistancefromthedoorjambwillmakeithardertokickin.Whenorderingthedoor,requestitasa“slab,”ornonprehung,andattachthehingesyourself.

GETABETTERLOCKThelockonatypicalbedroomdoorcanbeopenedbyasneeze.Upgradetoathree-pointdeadboltwithatwo-inchthrow—that’sthemetalbarthatfitsintothejamb.

REINFORCETHEDOORJAMBItdoesn’tmatterhowthickyourdoorisifitcanbeforcedopen.Installastrikereinforcementalongthejamb.TheStrikeMasterIIProcomeswith2½-inchwoodscrewsandabuilt-instrikeplatethatpreventstheframefromshatteringwhenkicked.

HowtoBarricadeYourHousefromtheInside

Whenbandsofmaraudersstart roaming thestreets,howare you going to keep them out? Tear down a fewwallsandusethelumberanddrywalltoreinforceyourhome.

1.Cutyourwindowcovers.Pickabedroom,closet,orhallwaypartitionwall.Useautilityknifeorhandsawtocutoutwindow-sizeslabsofdrywall.It’sstrongerthan

youthink,especiallyifyoudoubleortripleitup.

2.Yankthestuds.Insideeverywallisastockpileoflumberyoucanusetofortifyyourentrypoints.Usingahammer,bat,orshovel,knockthestudsloosefromthebottomplateonthebase2x4andthenyankthemfreefromthetop.

3.Lockdowntheentrypoints.Nailyourstudstogetherinlengthwisepairsata90-degreeangletoformbraces.Thismakesthemstronger.Thenrunthreeorfourbraceshorizontallyacrosseverydoor,hammeringthenailsfromaboveandbelowdirectlyintotheframeata45-degreeangle.Ifyoudrivethemstraightin,they’reeasiertopopoutwhensomebodykicksthedoor.Usemorebracestosecurethedrywalloverthewindows.Trytouselongernailsandleaveacoupleinchesofeachnailheadstickingoutforeasyremoval.

WeusedaBalteauBALTOSPOTportableX-raygeneratortocapturethisimageofaKwiksetdoorknob.

SecretsofaWeekendLockPickerWe’renotadvocatingstealing,butwhenyou’redesperate—andwhenthepersonwhohasthekeyandtheabilitytograntpermissiontoenteralockedareacouldbehundredsofmilesawayorworse—you’regoingtowanttoknowhowtopickalock

LOCKSAREDESIGNED to keep honest people out. (Dishonest people canalwaysbreakawindow.)But thatdoesn’tmean thathonestpeoplecan’tenjoypicking them. I’ve been an amateur lock picker for four decades. I’ve used asmall sheetofplasticor a credit card toopen thedoors inoffices, hotels, andschools.Itaughtmykidstopicklocks,andmyyoungdaughteronceastoundedalocksmithwhen she opened a tumbler in less than 30 seconds. And I’ve alsohelpedmorethanafewdesperateneighborsgetbackintotheirhomes.Themoreyouunderstandlocks,theeasieritistochoosetherightoneforyoursituation.

FIVEWAYSTOIMMEDIATELYIMPROVETHESAFETYOFYOURHOME1.Buytherightlocks.MedecoandMul-T-Locktumblersarehighlypick-andbump-resistant,thankstokeywaysthatareengineeredwithspecialpinssetondifferentangles.Theselocksaretwiceasexpensiveasotherlocks,butthat’sstillmuchcheaperthanhavingabreak-in.

2.Useadeadboltonexteriordoors.Otherwiseyourlockcanoftenbebrokenbyagoodkick.

3.Replacehollowcoreorflimsyglassdoorswithsolidwoodandmetaldoors.Ifyoucanbreakthedoor,youdon’tneedtoworryaboutpickingthelock.

4.Getridofthat“hidden”doorkey.Burglarsknowthatyouhave

them.

5.Alwayslockdoorsandwindows,evenifyouthinkthey’retoohighforsomeonetogetto.Simple,yes,butoftenignored.

PINTUMBLERUsedIn:MostdoorlockswithalatchordeadboltHowItWorks:Whenyouinsertyourkeyinapintumblerlock,pinsofvaryinglengthsarepushedbyspringsintothegroovesonthekey.Onlywhenallthepinsarealignedalongaparticularaxis,calledtheshearline,willthekeyturn.Vulnerability:Anywell-trainedlockpickercanreleasepinsattheshearlinebytappingeachpinupwithadiamond-pointedpickasheturnsthekeywaywithatensionwrench.Youcanalsouseabumpkeygrounddowntothelowestsetting,carefullywhackedintothekeyway.Bumpingflingsthepinsupintheairlongenoughforthekeytotwistandcatchthepinswhentheycomedown,allowingthecylinder’splugtoturn.

TUBULARLOCKUsedIn:Vendingmachines,alarms,bikelocks,elevatorsHowItWorks:Tubularlocksaresimilartopintumblers.Theyusecylindricalkeystomanipulateacircleofsixtoeightpinstoreleasetheclosure.Theselockscanbemoredifficulttopenetratebecauseit’sdifficulttouseacommonstraight-lockpickonaseriesofpinsthatareinacircle.Vulnerability:Cylindricalpicksetsexisttobypasstheselocks.Luckilythesetoolsarenotcarriedbymostburglars.However,mostpeopledohaveaBicpen,thehollowbackofwhichwasunfortunatelyshownseveralyearsagotoserveasaneffectivepickonanow-discontinuedseriesofKryptonitebikelocks.

WARDEDLOCKUsedIn:Filingcabinets,somepadlocksHowItWorks:Thisancientlockdesignisrelativelybasic.Obstructions,orwards,preventthewrongkeyfromfullyturningandopeningthelock.Keysforwardedlockshaveslotstobypassthewardsthatallowthekeytofreelyrotateinsidethelock.Generally,wardedlockshavealatchorspringclosurethatthecorrectkeyengagesandopens.Vulnerability:Therightskeletonkey,whichhasmostofitsteethgrounddowntoavoidwards,easilyfitsintothekeywayandreleasesthemechanism.

COMBINATIONLOCKUsedIn:PadlocksHowItWorks:Asyouspinthedial,threeormoreparalleldiscsinsidethelockalignandaspringlatchisreleased.Intheory,attemptingtoderivethecorrectthree-digitcombinationona40-numberpadlockcantakeasmanyas64,000tries.Vulnerability:Bypullingtheshackleandtwistingthroughthecombinations,expertscanfeelwhenoneormoreofthediscsisintheopenposition,significantlyloweringthenumberofpossiblecombinations.Also,manycombinationlockshaveasmallflawinthedesignoftheshackle:Simplytwistingametalshimaroundanddownintotheclaspwilloftencausethelocktoreleaseandopen.

PHOTOCREDITS

CoverimagesShutterstock.com:Arcady(hurricane);StephenFinn(tornado);ZoartStudio(flame)Alamy:

Xinhua:92©123RF:70©Ackerman+Gruber:178,181©IanAllen:129,166,168,177©DavidArky:214AssociatedPress:©MaxOden:18–19©Barqvideo:172,173©BrownBirdDesign:80,81bottom©LeviBrown:127,139©C.J.Burton:6CanadianCoastGuard:FisheriesandOceansCanada:199,203©CJChivers:74–75©BartholomewCooke:108–109,114,117©GrantCornett:11©DylanCoulter:90–91,120–121©T.M.Detwiler:216,217©JonGrant:94©GreggDelman:81topDepositphotos.com:©DmitryKalinovsky:21(boots)©Dogo/MartinLaksman:75right,147,

177inset©WarrenFaidley:159FEMA:32–33FrannyandAlbert:175PhilipFreidman:180bottom,150©TimGabor:66GettyImages:©GaryAlvas100(pot);©JoseAzel:146;©MichaelBocchieri:17,©Tim

Clary/AFP:48–49;©KristinDuball:102(glassjar);©WallyEberhart:67(poisonivy);©JohnEastcott&YvaMomatiuk:86;©WarrenFadley:44–45;©RobertHolmes:104–105;©KenJones/EyeEm:194;©TasosKatopodis:160bottom;©Malerapaso:102(salt);©SeanMalyon:132–133;©KirkMastin/AuroraCreative:102(cheesecloth);©maxblack:78;©SteveMorris/StockFood:103(pickle);©VasilisNikolos:134topleft;©ThomasNorthcut:102(container);©IanO’Leary/DorlingKindersley:102(bowl);©parfyonov:100

(mitt);©LewRobertson:102(salt);©RocCanalsPhotography:102(stone);©RustyRussell:46–47;©ChipSomodevilla:56;©stuartbur:102(spoon);©JustinSullivan:31

©AlexanderGronsky:196,200©ZachGross:185©HaisamHussein:104left,105right©Hellobard+Intoaroute:119iStock:©alexxl66:13top;©alptraum:21(dustmask);©Bet_Noire:55centerright;©

CaoChunhai:54bottom;©JasonDoiy:96–97;©franckreporter:53bottomleft;©IuriiGarmash:21(goggles);©InessaI:68;©Jaap2:38–39;©JodiJacobson:35;©Krasyuk:54topright;©kreinick:13bottomleft;©Lebazele:55topleft;©loveischiangrai:144–145;©Perytskyy:21(chain);©phanasitti:21(earplugs);©piola666:62;©Joe_Potato:54topleft;©Rhoberazzi:42–43;©scisettialfio:21(garbagebags);©SteveStone:55bottomleft;©DianaTaliun:21(rope);©tein79:21(gloves);©AndrzejTokarski:21(loppers);©CarolynWendelland:55centerleft©DevonJarvis:209

©SamKaplan:158left©JoelKimmel:73,79ThomasKuhlenbeck:176,177top©DavidLawrence:142©MichaelLewis:76–77CourtesyManufacturer:12,15,21(chainsaw),100(jar,lids,rack,lifters);125,126bottom,

134,137,180center,182bottom,195,209©MercêIglesiasMajô:37bottom,42bottomleft,44leftinset,47rightinset,48leftinset,51

rightinset,110,111,113,118©AdamMurphy:156NASA:NormanKuring,OceanColorWeb:50–51NOAA:ABIImage:4–5©PeterOumanski:69,131,151,208,210bottom,213toprightOffset:©JoeKlementovich:

122©HenrikOlund:188–189©Pac23:14,20bottom,22right,23right&bottom©LeifParsons:93©JoePugliese:148(withAnthonyVerducci—digital),193©RAID71:130Redux:©VincentLafore/TheNewYorkTimes:40–41Reuters:©GaryCameron:24–25©JasonSchneider:87,191©CamilleSeaman:452–453,454–155Shutterstock.com:AfricaStudio:53bottomright;ARENACreative:53topright;JonBilous:

65;DavidBrimm:13bottomright;WilleeColePhotography:85;digitalreflections:21(lubricant);MegaPixel:21(crowbar);Ekaterina_Minaeva:53topleft;fotomak:55center;

kosmos111:55topright;RevelPixLLC:162;Tcziebell:53centerright©Smitheone:61©SteveSanford:88,89,124,126top,135,163,182top,183,212,213top&bottomleft©

TedSlampyak:186,187StocksyUnited:©JillChen:8;©KristenCuretteHines:2;©TerrySchmidbauer:83©WillStyer:141TrunkArchive:©SamKaplan:98USFWS:JoshO’Connor:36–37CourtesyWikimediaCommons:Famartin:53centerleft©ChrisYoon:20top,37top,38left,

41right,42topleft,45right,46left,49right,50left©RyanYoung:158left

HEARSTBOOKSandPOPULARMECHANICSareregisteredtrademarksandthedistinctiveHearstBookslogoisatrademarkofHearstCommunications,Inc.

©2018HearstCommunications,Inc.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans(includingelectronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or

otherwise)withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.

ISBN978-1-61837273-4

HearstCommunications,Inc.hasmadeeveryefforttoensurethatallinformationinthispublicationisaccurate.However,duetodifferingconditions,tools,andindividualskills,HearstCommunications,Inc.

cannotberesponsibleforanyinjuries,losses,and/ordamagesthatmayresultfromtheuseofanyinformationinthispublication.

Forinformationaboutcustomeditions,specialsales,andpremiumandcorporatepurchases,pleasecontactSterlingSpecialSalesat800-805-5489orspecialsales@sterlingpublishing.com.

sterlingpublishing.compopularmechanics.com

CoverdesignbyDavidTer-AvanesyanInteriordesignbyZacharyGilyardPhotographycredits