Urbancraft Part II - Situational Awareness & Gathering Materials

Mistwalker. The bounty of salvageable items and materials is hardly limited to the urban areas. It is amazing the amount of useable materials I have found even far out in wild areas. The key is awareness, observatiuon and a bent toward improvisation.

Sgtcap. I'm always happy to share frommy exprience and help where I can. Since when I was homeless I wasn't having to struggle with addiction or alchoholism, it was more like a camping trip without an end date. Though when I wound up homeless all I had was the clothes on my back and a pocket knife. However I did have many years of survival training and experience to fall back on. The shock of being thrust into a survival experience is difficult for everyonr but for the untrained and inexperienced it can lead to disaster.
 
wildmike said:
Mistwalker. The bounty of salvageable items and materials is hardly limited to the urban areas. It is amazing the amount of useable materials I have found even far out in wild areas. The key is awareness, observatiuon and a bent toward improvisation.

Sgtcap. I'm always happy to share frommy exprience and help where I can. Since when I was homeless I wasn't having to struggle with addiction or alchoholism, it was more like a camping trip without an end date. Though when I wound up homeless all I had was the clothes on my back and a pocket knife. However I did have many years of survival training and experience to fall back on. The shock of being thrust into a survival experience is difficult for everyonr but for the untrained and inexperienced it can lead to disaster.
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You do have a point, there are several places here out dirt roads in the woods where people take a lot of stuff and dump it...but thanks to this recession almost all of the metal has been salvaged back out of it...still see some good stuff now and then though.
 
Mistwalker,

Another first rate article/thread. I really appreciate all the effort you put into these Urban Survival threads.
 
If that RAT magazine Jeff mentioned months ago (or would it be the ESEE magazine now?) ever happened, this Urban Survival series would be nice to have in it:thumbup:
 
lukeeson111 said:
awsome write up!
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Thanks Luke.


Stickfighter2 said:
Mistwalker,

Another first rate article/thread. I really appreciate all the effort you put into these Urban Survival threads.
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Thanks man,

having found myself as a teen suddenly going from living out in the county and spending most of my time in the woods to living on the streets and just trying to stay alive in a few different large cities over a four year span I have a lot of memories and insight that I thought some might be interested in. I gotta tell ya though, I definitely like being able to venture out into it and study it from an objective point of view and then when I've had my fill return to my home in the woods. Studying it is much less stressful than living it.


DH1 said:
If that RAT magazine Jeff mentioned months ago (or would it be the ESEE magazine now?) ever happened, this Urban Survival series would be nice to have in it:thumbup:
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I completely missed that, I'd like to see that happen! I bet there would be some awesome material from their south of the equator adventures!
 
mistwalker said:
I do have a question about these "stoves" though...I've made a few of them now and the same results each time...mostly just blue and yellow flames from the center. The few times the blue jets have appeared on the sides they have been sporadic and weak. I'm not sure if I'm making my jet holes too low, too big, too close together...the holes inside the wrong size, using bad fuel, or too much / too little fuel. The fuel I've used has been 91% isopropyl alcohol (so the label says, it comes from walmart), and I've tried it everywhere from not covering the bottom holes, just covering them, a little above, and about half full. Does anybody see anything wrong that just jumps out at you from these two pics?
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Try this stove! works awesome and is very lite! Made many in my day, you can make the a little taller to hold more fuel. You dont need to use "HEET" any alcohol that will burn will do. I prefer coleman white gas.

Hope it helps

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/839102/cool_little_miniature_stove/
 
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TGR.Shadow said:
Try this stove! works awesome and is very lite! Made many in my day, you can make the a little taller to hold more fuel. You dont need to use "HEET" any alcohol that will burn will do. I prefer coleman white gas.

Hope it helps

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/839102/cool_little_miniature_stove/
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Thanks! I like that little stove! and it just gave me a whole new inspiration for one I was working on. The thing I like about the other one is that it is...or at least is supposed to be...self heating requiring no flames and ignitable with a spark from a ferro rod.
 
mistwalker said:
Thanks! I like that little stove! and it just gave me a whole new inspiration for one I was working on. The thing I like about the other one is that it is...or at least is supposed to be...self heating requiring no flames and ignitable with a spark from a ferro rod.
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That was one of my main concerns but I have found that if I place it right on the edge of my fire it heats up an lights itself! And being aluminum it stays fairly cool while preheating so you can maneuver it however you please after it it is lit for a short time.

Again like I said I can vouch for this stove. Works well an boils even better. Funny thing is they are so light I have misplace a few and have to keep making them! But every one I re-make improves over the last.
 
If You made those little stoves from that metacafe link from a couple Fosters Lager cans instead of the smaller cans shown you'd have quite the capacity.
 
wow this has really helped me realize that there are so tools you can use to your advantage when trying to survive
 
I really enjoy these threads.

One comment I will make that doesn't necessarily apply only to urban environments is depending on the situation, a lot of people will stick to railroad tracks because they're a path of least resistance. They're also a great ambush point. Depending on what side of the ambush you are on, that might be a good or bad thing. :D
 
TGR.Shadow said:
That was one of my main concerns but I have found that if I place it right on the edge of my fire it heats up an lights itself! And being aluminum it stays fairly cool while preheating so you can maneuver it however you please after it it is lit for a short time.

Again like I said I can vouch for this stove. Works well an boils even better. Funny thing is they are so light I have misplace a few and have to keep making them! But every one I re-make improves over the last.
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I like that design, I have an idea for making something out of a more solid aluminum container with a screw on lid. It would be hard to make under survival conditions but not so hard while I have access to drills :)


texastonydobbs said:
Excellent Part 2
thanks
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Thanks Tony, as I said this one was going to go slow...Lisa had problems last week and just came in a few minutes ago from oral surgery, so I have had...and still have...my hands full of four year old :) ,but I'm still working on it.


wildmike said:
If You made those little stoves from that metacafe link from a couple Fosters Lager cans instead of the smaller cans shown you'd have quite the capacity.
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I was picturing it made of a couple of the Heineken keg cans :D


Aceman said:
wow this has really helped me realize that there are so tools you can use to your advantage when trying to survive
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Usable items are all around you, both in your home and then in stuff discarded by others everyday.
 
wildmike said:
Mist those keg cans would really be a burner. Thats me More is better.
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Yeah, I'm thinking so too! It would take a bit of alcohol and be more like something to use in a static position or a camp but I bet you could boil a large pot of water quickly if you could make it work... now I have to try to make one! Maybe I'll have a "private keg party" this next weekend ;)
 
jcl-MD said:
Very nice!
Thanks again!
RP#141
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Glad you enjoyed it!


Here is a little more situational awareness...This is the front page of yesterday's newspaper. Having worked at some of the facilities mentioned I was already acutely aware of this problem. It's one thing to read about it...it's a totally different feeling to see it. The three nuclear plants the mentioned form a triangle around the city I live in...my major inspiration for bug-out preparedness...and often considering selling off land that has been in my family for many years and moving far away!

IMG_2789.jpg
 
those little alcohol stoves from TGR's link are great. make sure you cover the fill holes in the center with a penny or it will not pressurize properly.

make a little dish of tinfoil and put a few drops of alcohol light and put the stove on to preheat, more tinfoil for windscreen.

the little 5hr energy bottles will hold 2 oz of fuel which burns for around a half hour. I use them for olive oil etc camping as well.

good thread Mist, I am currently scrounging for free building materials with some success for the 10 x 10 ft cabin/shack I am building this spring on our acreage. Boarded up houses for demo and ex grow houses have been fruitful.
I know someone who works at costco and got me 70 lids off the large styrofoam coolers fish come in. We will be insulating the floor and walls with them doubled up and sprayfoam to lock them in.
What do you think for free insulation? I think it will work well.

Found a good condition fisher woodstove at the local dump where our property is up north with enough vinyl siding and some plywood for the job.
Rich people buying waterfront cabins and just gut them taking all kinds of usable material to the dump. The locals call it the Interlakes shopping mall.

It is amazing when you swallow some perceived pride and start scrounging, lots of good stuff cheap to free.

GREAT thread man.
 
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