Travel | Vacation Guides

Archive for August, 2009

The Multiple Uses Of The Lowly Garbage Bag

Many people who are new to survival preparedness find themselves wondering how they can possibly prepare with the economy like it is. There are ways to use common household items for other than designated purposes. One of these items is the lowly garbage bag. You might be surprised as to the versatility of these plastic wonders.

NBC Suit Five large trash bags will produce a protective suit for most adults a bandana/scarf/ cloth and a pair of gloves will complete the protection needed during a Nuclear/Biological/Chemical assault where the goal is to keep particulates off your skin.

Dust and floating debris such as ash will be radiated if a nuclear attack occurs. Biological weapons also contaminate dust and some are heavy particles like talcum powder and hang in the air instead of falling or lifting with air currents. Chemical weapons are usually moist and work most effectively if they make contact with skin.

By placing one trash bag over chest one on each arm and leg and one over head covering face and head with scarf and wearing gloves a person stands a fighting chance in any of these situations. If you have duct tape you can improve your protection by taping the ends of the bags. When you are ready to enter your home/tent these items are removed carefully and discarded. Placing them all into a smaller kitchen trash bag will reduce the potential for cross contamination.

Water Stills Large black trash bags are great to use for solar collection of water. 2 large trash bags are needed. Dig a hole deep enough to hold some type of container then place a bucket bowl or other container in the center of the depression.

Loosely stretch one large garbage bag across the depression so that the center drops slightly towards the container in the bottom. Once the center has been determined cut a small hole that will be centered over the depression. Replace the bag over the container making sure the corners are fixed with posts sticks or stakes whatever you can to keep the bag in place.

Next the second bag is placed over the top and stretched taut. This provides the heating required to suck the moisture out of the air and into the bag which drips into your container.

Water Storage While there is some concern about leaching of harmful chemicals if water is stored in garbage bags the question remains: Would you choose to die of thirst or use a garbage bag to hold potable water?

Double line black trash bags place into pillow case fill until water is about 10 inches from the top of the pillow case take the top and fold side to side keeping the folds upright tie with a string fold over and tie again then tape. Place a larger
string/rope around the fold and hang. By hanging you take the pressure off the bags which keeps the water from leaking.

Rain Gear To make a poncho use 2 large trash bags and cut out a hole for your head in the center of the bottom of the one bag. Then cut out arm holes on each side of the bag; slip the bag over your head donning it like you would a shirt. Take the second bag and slit one side up to the corner then place over head and wear like a scarf.

Mattress Protection Underpads for ill elderly injured or small children will be important during survival situations where water will be a limited commodity. Placing a small piece of cloth on top of a trash bag under a person will provide a waterproof fluid containing area to change dressing and clean wounds saving on bedding.

Storage Black trash bags and unscented kitchen ones can be used to hold other items such as dry foods animal feed etc. Using grocery sacks to hold an assortment of dry foods or enough feed for your pets for a day are placed into trash bags. These are tied and suspended above the floor. This keeps them off the floor allowing for more space and out of reach of mice and other vermin.

By purchasing an extra box of large and small trash bags each month a large supply of multi use items can be put into preps. You will find in all my BOBs boxes containers trash bags of assorted sizes and scents. The multiple uses of the lowly garbage bag make them too valuable to not include in your preps. While “Approved” containers are good if all you have is 5 a month to spend on preps what good are they?

About the writer:  C.L. Hendricks is a “jillofalltrades” and an expert in some. She writes on a variety of subjects for several websites including InvitingSmiles and Survival Homestead to name a few.

The Mayan Civilization: The Collapse

The Mayan civilization has been credited with having the first written language in the preColumbian American continent. Aside from that Maya civilization developed sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems at par with European civilization. Remnants of its art and architecture remain until today so people of today can view the magnificent Mayan buildings and paintings.

The Maya civilization was one of the greatest Mesoamerican civilizations but at some point in time they simply disappeared. What happened to them?

Theories of the Classic Maya Collapse

The Classic Maya Collapse as the collapse of the Maya civilization is dubbed among experts has not been fully explained; and so several theories are being put forth by experts to try and explain the reason why the great Maya civilization shattered from prominence.

Social Theories

Social theories being put forth by experts include foreign invasion but this is widely disputed as the process was so complex that it is impossible for a single military defeat to cause the collapse of a civilization. This theory is fueled by the amount of Teotihuacan influences in the Maya region but opponents of this theory argue that the two civilizations had been in contact since at the Early Classic Period.

Another social theory being put forth is a revolution among the lower classes. Proponents of this theory hypothesized that at the peak of the civilization the lower class may have been overloaded with work and revolted. Evidences of temple burning and throne destruction are used as support for this theory. However people not subscribing to this line of thought point to several flaws like no revolts were ever documented by the Maya. They also argue that throughout its existence the Mayas had a stable government and so one political problem could not have brought the downfall of the civilization.

Environmental Theories

There are several environmental theories that relate to the collapse of the Maya civilization. These include catastrophic events such as natural disasters. Mayanists dispute this theory as there have been no evidence of a past volcanic eruption being discovered in the archaeological records left behind by the Mayas. According to Dr. Richardson Gill volcanic eruptions may have been a way of cooling the climate in the Mayan region after a drought since droughts have been accurately documented by the Spanish in the Mayan region. However no archaeological evidence existed to support the volcanic eruption theory.

Some experts also point to epidemic diseases as a possible cause of the decline in the Maya civilization. According to proponents of this theory the Maya civilization may have decreased during the collapse because of some epidemic that spread across the land. Although this theory is not well accepted it is also plausible because disease may have arisen from drought and famine. It is generally thought that disease merely contributed to the decline but it is not a major factor in the collapse.

The Remnants of the Maya Civilization

The Maya people never truly disappeared. Most of them have survived until today and are designated postcolonial Mayas to differentiate them from the preHispanic Maya civilization.

Maya influence remains to this day. Mayan cuisine is still available in an island called Isla Mujeres in Mexico. Some companies have even taken to naming themselves after the Mayas most notably the Grupo Mayan firm.

About the writer:  Theres no other way to experience and perhaps relieve the history of the Mayas than to be there. Nevertheless it would be great if you can mix your experience with a great getaway at any Grupo Mayan hotels. To know more about it visit http://www.mayanluxuryvacations.ws

The James Bond Of Derringers Aka Bond Arms Cowboy Defender

Bond Arms firearms are some of the most trusted weapons for concealed carry holders across the country. These firearms are wellknown for their historically inspired designs which feel like pieces of history revamped to meet the needs of modern shooters. Bond Arms secret to their success is the ability to quickly and seamlessly change barrels and calibers in a matter of seconds. These pocket dualshot handguns also can be comfortably carried or concealed without a hitch.

After shooting the Bond Arms Cowboy Defender I was very impressed with the performance and quality of these derringerstyle firearms. Unlike a wide range of other double barrel firearms this Bond Arms model fits your hand comfortably and is just as nice to look at as it is to shoot. The Cowboy Defender can be changed to a wide range of calibers by removing the pivoting pin which opens to load and unload your pistol and can be obtained for about the cost of other handgun barrels. The only tool required to change barrels is an Allen wrench and can be done in seconds. These barrels come in a wide range of calibers from 45 Long Colt to 22 Long Rifle; there is something for any and every type of shooter.

When testing the Bond Cowboy Defender 357 Magnum I used 38 Special snake shot to get an idea of the practical use that many in the southwest might use these firearms for. After seeing the groups shot at a distance of around 10 yards I was impressed with the ability to stop a snake or other animal you may not want to find with your foot in the desert. Since I was so impressed with the snake shot I tried a few rounds of 357 Magnum to see if the Cowboy Defender was comfortable to shoot unlike all the derringers I had experience with in magnum calibers. To my surprise it was extremely comfortable to shoot.

Bond Arms performance and comfort are credited to the weight which offsets the recoil and allows for better followup shots. One of the only problems I had with the Bond Arms gun was the ability to find a holster from a thirdparty manufacturer. Bond Arms makes their own line of holsters but these holsters are on the less frugal side of the market. Otherwise I see no draw back in the Bond Arms double barrel handgun. Bond Arms products are all simple designs that work in any conditions and hold about the same price range as any entrylevel pistol.

Bond Arms handguns are great for concealed carry permit holders as well as those hiking into potentially dangerous areas. I would feel confident that any of these firearms would serve well for those individuals who have to constantly patrol or walk through the desert on a regular basis. Bond Arms handguns might not be good for taking to the range and shooting a few hundred rounds; however they are great as a personal protection weapon offering a small amount of moving parts and cutting down the chance of potential failure.

About the writer:  Chad Reimer is a firearms specialist for the largest firearms dealer in the USA. http://www.bondarms.com