Survival Tins

A survival Tin is a very important piece of equipment that any budding adventurer will need as it could mean the difference between life and death. The idea of the survival tin is for it to be small and portable and to be able to fit in to a shirt or trouser pocket with ease. So, due to this the equipment may not be the most amazing, brand new outdoors equipment that every one is running to the shops to buy, but it'll certainly come in handy if you're lost in the wilderness for a day or longer.
So, how do we make a survival tin. well it's pretty simple to do. There are however several retail stores that do sell them but by making your own you can specify the equipment to your needs. one survival tin you can buy, is one which is produced for the Bear grylls range (although this one doesn't come in a tin, but rather a fabric bag so, any sharp objects could easily make there way through and accidentally stab you).
There are several different things you can place in a survival tin but below I'm going to list a few which will come in handy.

So, lets begin. firstly you will need some kind of water tight tin or plastic container (tobacco tins and plastic food containers are normally best). your kit would need, but not limited too:

• A book of matches - preferably either store bought or home made wax matches. basically matches which have had their tips dipped in wax to waterproof them. when the time comes to using them, scrape the wax away.
• A flint and striker (not a footballer) for starting fires. these can be bought in any camping store.
• A small sewing kit, just in case you need to repair any clothing.
• Fishing hooks, line, and weights. these can come in useful for fishing for lunch.
• A coil of thin brass wire for making snares.
• A weeks supply of purification tablets. these would only be used if you were unable to boil your water to kill the bacteria. 
• safety pins
• A coiled up wire saw
• A small (but hopefully powerful) flash-light. this can be used for signalling, as mentioned in my last post, or for seeing in the dark.
• An emergency whistle.
• A penknife (if you're not already carrying one).

One last thing you will need, which will be extremely helpful and have several uses, is a para-cord bracelet analogue watch. A para-cord bracelet watch allows you do a few tasks, which will come in handy. for starters it will allow you to tell the time, but also (as long as it is an analogue watch) you will be able to use it as a compass (This technique has been around for years, long before bear grylls ever explained it in one of his shows. I, myself, have used this on several occasions ever since the age of six) but I will explain how this works in my next post. The para-cord strap can also be unravelled to be used as a 10 foot length of para-cord which can be used for several different uses, which include lashing, knots and traps. I will explain how to make one of these in one of my later posts.
Remember that with this survival tin, you will 'BE PREPARED' for an emergency.

I'll message you later M8, I'm busy ATM LOL (Signalling and Messaging)

In the past week, I'm pretty sure you've messaged some one you know in some way or another. Either using text message, email, Facebook or some other form of messaging or telecommunication, but there are several other forms that people often forget about or don't even realise they exist.
In emergency situations these methods I am about to share with you could mean life or death, especially if you're mobile phone has either run out of battery power or has no signal. maybe even, if you're well prepared, you're walkie talkie isn't in range of any others.
So what do you do if these options aren't available to you. well you have several options. they are:

• mirror
• flash light
• whistle
• Ground to air
• Semaphore
• Morse code

mirror and flash light cover the same method but these would be used at different parts of the day and night. these can be used in different ways such as either flashing light at the person or object, or even creature, your trying to attract the attention of in a non specified order or on/off method. you can also use Morse code to attract the attention of someone. Below, I have placed a picture of Morse code signals.

Another form of attracting attention is via signalling is the use of a whistle. you can either use a random series of whistle blows, Morse code or the international distress signal. the international distress signal consists of 6 sharp blows of the whistle which are distributed through out a minute, wait a another minute, and then repeat the exercise. the return response of the rescuer is three sharp blows of a whistle. This method can be used with a whistles, torches or anything else that makes noise or attracts attention. The next form of signalling is semaphore which can be done using flags as pictured below or using lights of glow sticks.

Lastly, the final signalling method is ground to air which is often seen in movies which involve a person washed up on a desert island who tries to message passing aircraft. below is the different symbols which, as the same as the last types of signalling, is internationally recognised.

There are other forms of signally, for example smoke signals, but the ones I have mentioned above tend to be the most effective and safe methods to use.

What is Scouting? Part 2

So, just to remind ourselves of where I left off, Robert Baden-Powell was close to ending his career in the army but wasn't quite there yet and we were just at the very beginning of where scouting all started. The camp on Brownsea Island.
Wednesday 15th January 1908 is a very important date in history for scouting as it was on this date that a new series of books began to be published. it was Robert Baden Powell's books, 'Scouting for Boys' which was sold every fort night for a further five parts after the first. At first, there wasn't much demand but sales began to gather speed and by edition four, demand was exceeding the copies being printed.
Thanks to this book, young boys began to take interest in the new skills that had learnt and the movement began to gather speed and take root, starting with boys starting patrols themselves and then banding together and seeking adult leadership. Troops began to form, regular meetings became a weekly occurrence and scout districts began to form.
By 1st September 1909, The movement had already proved so popular that a cartoon was published in a very popular magazine called Punch. It became very quickly apparent, that a headquarters was necessary and a boy scout office was made available by Pearsons, The publishers, in Henrietta street, London, and permanent offices in Victoria street. Almost ten years later, even larger premises were needed so the Headquarters were moved to 25 Buckingham Palace road, which in 1918 became known as the Imperial Headquarters or more commonly known as 'The Ivory Towers'.
The growth wasn't only in Great Britain but had also spread to the rest of the world with Chile being the first overseas nation to take up scouting. they were very closely followed by Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Gibraltar. The growth continued onwards around the globe and by 1922 there were over one million scouts worldwide. Not only was this down to the book series but also Baden-Powell's speaking tours (one of which, in the west Indies in 1912, resulted in Baden-Powell meeting his wife, Miss Olave St. Clair Soames).
1910 also saw the beginnings of the Girl Guide movement. This was a result of a party of young ladies, who were smartly dressed in scout hats, scarves and bearing their 'poles', who appeared at the scout movement's first big public demonstration, at crystal palace, and saying to B-P, 'Please Sir, We are the Wolf patrol of the Girls Scouts, and we want to do scouting like the boys'.
Pressure came from scouts younger brothers, and this resulted in the wolf cubs or cub scouts in 1916.
A Permanent camp site was next on the list of wants and extensive enquires were made. this resulted in a prime site of 55 acres on the edge of Epping forest which was almost ideal. The whole Gilwell estate was purchased swiftly by William de Bois McLaren who promptly gave the land over to the movement as a kind gesture. over the Easter weekend of 1919, a party of scouts camped over at the estate (in the pigsty to be precise which is still standing today) and began work on redeveloping the site into what has become known as the spiritual home of world-wide scouting.
Since these very first days of scouting, the movement has been growing and growing in to what it has become today, with thanks to the many, many volunteers and scouts from every section. As of 2013 in the UK alone, there were 433,850 scouts (6 to 25) and 83,511 adult volunteers (18+) with a further 38,000 young people waiting to enrol in the programs. The UK is also the first nation to allow any person to join the movement with out taking in to account of their gender, race or sexuality.

Scouting has also been true to its roots ever since day one with the laws and promise, barely changing apart from slight variations over the years.
Below is the Law and promise:

A Scout is to be trusted.

A Scout is loyal.

A Scout is friendly and considerate.

A Scout belongs to the world-wide family of Scouts.

A Scout has courage in all difficulties.A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.

A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.

On my honour, I promise that I will do my best,
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people,
And to keep the Scout Law.

There are slight variations on the promise which allows for different faiths and religions to still make their promise.

Lastly, I'd like to finish this post off with saying please try to make your day more enjoyable than the last and to 'BE PREPARED' in what ever you do and to ensure your ready for what ever life throws your way.

10 Ways To Bring Out Your Inner Bear

This may interest a few of you, and I know it certainly got me interested

Ever wished you could be more like our Chief Scout, Bear Grylls?

Here are ten essential outdoor skills to bring out your inner Bear. Learn how to do these safely and responsibly and you'll be well prepared for whatever the great outdoors might throw at you. Don't forget, as a Scout volunteer you can learn vital skills with great training courses from Scout Activity Centres – details after the jump. And if you're not part of Scouts, then maybe it's time to get involved. There's a whole world of adventure out there, just waiting for you!

What is Scouting? Part 1

So, what is scouting exactly. well it was all started by a man who goes by the name of Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB or otherwise known as Robert Baden-Powell who was Born 22 February 1857 and passed away on the 8 January 1941. 

Before starting the Scouting Movement and becoming the 1st chief scout of the scout association, He was part of the British army between the years of 1876 to 1910. during his time in the army, he became very famous especially for his role in the defence of Mafeking against the Boers In 1899, after which he became a Major-General at the age of only 43. 

Just before leaving the army, he began work on creating the scouting movement in 1907 by holding a camp at Brownsea Island which sat in Poole Harbour, England. The camp comprised of Baden-powell and 21 boys, which included his young nephew Donald. The idea to do this camp came about in 1906 when B-P made a comment at a country house weekend party where he expressed his concern about there being 1.5 million boys in the United Kingdom who were outside the range of 'Good Influences'. Much discussion was made and it was decided that B-P's army training manual 'Aids to Scouting' might be able to be adapted for boys. when B-P considered this, he realised that rather than just thinking the idea may work, why not put the idea into practice by trying it out while in camp conditions.

Below is a programme of what the 8 day camp would have comprised of.

In Part 2, I shall continue to talk about the scouting movement's beginnings and how it spread across the world.
Link to 'What is Scouting? Part 2'

The above information and images were retrieved from the Back to Basics booklet published by Peter Brooks and Illustrated by Doug Mountford.