OTA Survival SchoolWildernessSurvivalHandbook

Chandan LahiriPowered by

Chandan Lahiri

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OTA Survival SchoolWilderness

HandbookSurvival

DisclaimerInformation in this book is included simply as a reference manual or food for thought and should not in any way be taken as expert opinion or advice. The responsibility for safety lies with the person concerned, and includes choosing the right equipment and its usage. The wilderness can be a dangerous place and the author should not be held liable for any incident, injury or loss of life resulting from following any suggestion laid out in this book. The first aid tips and treatment of medical conditions should not be assumed to replace professional medical opinion.

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Copyright © 2015 Chandan Lahiri All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Published by: Chandan Lahiri for OTA Survival School

Printed at:Kaveri Print Process Pvt Ltd114 Patparganj Industrial Area, Delhi 110092

Marketed and distributed by:SafetyKart Retail Pvt LtdPlot No 845, Ground Floor, Udyog Vihar Phase V, Gurgaon 122016

AcknowledgementsPlaban Bagchi, Prerna Siddharth, Sushil Kaushik, Manu Verma, Geetanjali Prasad, Sameer Bharati, Shams Tanweer, Nadeem Ahmed

Pictures from Courses courtesy:Delhi Public School Vadodara, Delhi Public School Surat, Delhi Public School Tapi, Delhi Public School Bangalore North and from OTA Survival School Courses and events

Introduction 24 Getting into a survival situation 26Knowledge of survival basics 28Survival versus self-reliance 29Three reasons why people get into survival situations 30Prepare yourself 31

The 7 Ps of wilderness survival 32Travel alone or in a group 38The Day Pack 42The Survival Kit 46First Aid Kit 54Wilderness Survival Essentials 58Six inches between the ears 62Tips for the weekend adventurer 66

The environment and terrain 67Situational awareness 68The ‘facilities’ 69Cleaning your rear end 69Hygiene at camp 70Clothing 70Eyewear 71Headwear 72Footwear 72Plants for food 73Some items to carry 73Multiple uses of a bandana 74Using a garbage bag 75Are you a vegetarian? 75Never give up hope 75Adapt, Innovate, Improvise, Overcome 76

Shelter 80The importance of sleep 82Clothes 82Six ways to lose body heat 83Wind flows 85Selecting the shelter location 86The Widow Makers 86The basics of a shelter 87Collecting logs and branches 87Cutting logs and branches 88Guarding against predators 89When will the Sun go down? 89Tent 90Bivy Tent 91Tarp sheet shelters 91Tepee 93Tarp sheet tepee 93Hammock 94

Rock overhangs and caves 94Rocks and boulders 95Heated rocks 95Coalbed shelter 96Lean-to and debris shelters 96Shepherd huts and abandoned shacks 98Emergency blanket 98Space blanket 99Space blanket shelter 99Tube Tent 99Bamboo hammock 100Gill net hammock 101Rope hammock 101Tarp sheet hammock 102Making a mattress 102Bamboo mattress 103Swamp bed 103Bamboo bed frame 104Sand dug-out 105Bamboo shelter 106Snow cave 106Tree pit shelter 107Open desert shelter 107Wilderness potty 108Washing and cleaning 108Camp Chair 109Hang your gear 109Check your shelter ... often 109

Firecraft 110The Fire Triangle 111The ‘fireplace’ 112Fire for warmth, boiling and cooking 112Where to light a fire 112Where not to light a fire 113Building a fire 113Temple fire 114Lighting a fire 114Smoking is injurious to forests 114Tinder bundle 115Feather Stick 116Tampons and sanitary napkins 116Cotton and petroleum jelly tinder 116Char cloth 118Char cord 119Camphor cube tinder 119Lint as tinder 119Ferro powder from a lighter 119KMnO4 and glycerine 120KMnO4 and sugar 120

KMnO4 and brake fluid 120Tinder accelerants 120Ear wax 121Jute twine 121Rubber solution 121Hexamine Fuel Tablets 122Paraffin Wax 122Nurturing the tinder bundle 122Lighters and matches 123Ferrocerium Rod 123Magnesium fire starter 125Magnifying Glass 125Fresnel lens 125Spectacle lenses 126Condom lens 126Cutlery tool 126Fire piston 127Jumper cables 127Spark plugs 127Hand drill 128Hand drill with thumb loop 128Bow drill 129Pump drill 129Bamboo Fire Saw 130Fire plough 130Aluminium can 131Use a lens 131Prison lighter 132Pencil lead 132Torch and broken bulb 132Torch reflector 133Steel wool 133Sparks from a lighter 134Hobo stove 134Soda can stove 134Rocket Stove 135Foliage torch 136Signal flare 136Waterproofing matchsticks 136Fire reflector 137Self-feeding candle 137Putting out a fire 138Portable fire 138Be careful of exploding rocks 139

Water 140Waterborne diseases 142Basic filtration 142Sedimentation 142Boiling 143Solar pasteurisation 143Pump Filter 144Steri Pen 144Natural Earth Filtration 144A lump of charcoal 145

Solar Distillation 145Distillation still 146Transpiration 147Snow and ice melt 148Potassium Permanganate 149Purification tablets 149Tincture of Iodine 149Seep Well 150Water from a coconut tree 151Water from a banana tree 152Water from urine 152Water from green bamboo 153Enema to prevent dehydration 153Boiling in a plastic bottle 154Boiling in a water bladder 155Stone boiling 155LifeStraw 156Mini Sawyer 156Pine needle tea 157Moisture from pine needles 157Retaining fluids in the body 158Water from a reservoir 158Water from animals 158Storage 159Ration sweat, not water 160

Wilderness Food 164Animal highways 165Simple bird snare 166Bird snare on a perch 166Food from a nest 167A rock to cook on 167Snares for small animals 167Squirrel pole 167Figure 4 Trap 168Figure 9 Trap 168A corded deadfall trap 168A Figure H trap 169Deadfall trap for larger game 169Peg deadfall trap 170Two-stick deadfall trap 170Spring trap 171Split log trap 171The Seesaw Snare 172Ramp trap 172Leg snare trap 172Foot trap 173Fishing 174Fishing with a face net 174Bottle trap 174Twig fish trap 175Setting the traps 175Baiting the traps 175Keeping birds alive 176Keeping snakes alive 176

Fish trap with a T-shirt 177Chop fishing 177Drying fish 177Smoking meat 177Fish bait for birds 178Collecting honey 178Frogs or toads 179Snakes 179Other creatures on the menu 180What creatures to avoid 182The Edibility Test 182Solar Oven 183

Signalling 188Get noticed 189Distress signals 189Morse Code 190Learning the Morse Code 191Whistle 191Signalling Mirror 192Torch 193Fire and smoke 193‘X’ on the ground 194Hot air balloon 194Glow sticks 195Flares 195Tree Torch 195Basic Hand Signal 196Distance to the horizon 196International Flag Semaphore 196

Navigation Tips and Tricks 198Latitude and Longitude 200Three kinds of North 201Grid North 201Magnetic declination 202Map Scale 203Lateral Drift 203Hiking an area without landmarks 203Compass 205Bearings 206Global Positioning System (GPS) 206Topographic Map 207Map reading 208Wrist watch 208The Shadow Stick 209The Sun Compass 209Sundial 210Telling time with a compass 211Polaris, the North Star 212The Sun 212The Moon 213Razor Blade 213Magnetised needle 213Portable needle compass 214

Gravestone 214When to go trekking at night 214Trail map 215Moon Phases 215GPS Trail Map 216Pace Count 216Pacing beads 217Cartography 218Recceing the area 219Finding Latitude using Polaris 219What is LAN? 220Using LAN to tell longitude 220Using LAN to tell latitude 220Find a water source 221Look at the mountains 221Listen to the jungle 222Leave a back trail 222Night vision 223

Transportation 226Estimating distances 227How wide is the river? 227How tall is the tree? 228How far is the hill? 229Crossing a chasm 229Getting the line across 230The Kickbridge 230The Bipod Vault 231The Grapple 232Pole and “Y” branch 232The Monkey Crawl 233Step Slide 233The Tyrolean Traverse 234Commando Bridge 234Kitten Crawl 235River crossing 235Simple floatation devices 236About buoyancy 237Plastic Bottle Raft 238Bull Boat 238Coracle 238Brush Raft 239Catamaran 239Log Raft 239Banana Plant Raft 240Ferry swing 240What is the speed of the current? 241

Survival First Aid 242The importance of hygiene 242Conducting morning chores 243Kinds of bleeding wounds 243Bleeding 244Pressure points to control bleeding 245Hello sanitary napkins 247

Urine as antiseptic 247Licking your wounds 247Fractures 248Buddy taping 250Dislocation 250Bandages 250Strains 251Sprains 251Ankle Sprain 251Sprain, strain or fracture 252Sunburn 252Coconut meat as a sunburn cream 253Heat exhaustion 253Heat Index 253Heat Stroke 253Dehydration 254Hyper hydration 255Cramps 256Insect bites and stings 256Snake bites 257Ticks 258Blisters 258Splinters 258Choking 258The Kiss of Life 259Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation 260Self CPR 261Neck or Spinal Injury 261Using urine to keep cool 262Let’s eat some charcoal 263Protecting your eyes from sun glare 263Cardboard sunglass 263Protection with a bandana or T-shirt 264Shemagh 264Trench foot 265Nose bleed 265Shock 266Recovery position 267Anaphylaxis 268Burns 268Hyperventilation 268Vasovagal Syncope 269Save yourself first 269Moving an injured victim 270Sling and Pole Carry 271Cradle carry 272Fireman’s Lift 272Seat carry 272Packstrap carry 273Improvising a crutch 274Bush stretcher 274Drowning 276Weeds can drown you 277

Quicksand, swamps and marshes 277Perils of altitude and cold 278

A bit about ‘cold’ 279Basic precautions 280Maintaining core body temperature 280Altitude illness 281Acclimatisation 282Wind Chill 283Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) 284High Altitude Cerebral Oedema 284High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema 285Hypothermia 285Chill blain 286Frostbite 286Snow Blindness 287Constipation 288Dehydration 289Tent Eye 289Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 289Cold Water Immersion 289Heat Escape Lessening Position 291Urine to stay warm 292Grass for warmth 292Hot water bottle 293Beware of metal 293

Weapons, implements, tools 294Knives 295Caring for your knife 296Sharpening your knife 297Sharpening with a stone 298Sharpening with cardboard 298Sharpening with glass 298Sharpening with webbing 298Sharpening with ceramic 298Sharpening with leather 298Sharpening with a steel rod 299Sharpening with another knife 299Axe or Hatchet 299Folding Saw 299Wire Saw 299Bow Saw 300Catapult 300Bow and arrows 301Catapult Bow 302Spear 302Throwing stick 303Spear gun 304Spear fishing 304Hawaiian Sling 305Bola 305Blow Gun 306Sock club 307Fish hooks 307

Condom bow 307Crossbow 307To catch a flying bird 308Snow Shoes 308Glue from pine resin 309Chapstick candle 309The humble chapstick 309Weaving vines for rope 310Digging Stick 310Mini Hammock 310Marble tie-out 311Termite mounds 311Whistle 311The importance of cordage 312Paracord 312Emergency cordage 314Survival bracelet with fire starter 314Survival bracelet with a fishing kit 314Survival bracelet with compass 315Mini Survival Kit Bracelet 315Paracord belt 315Portable potty 316Adhesive tape 316Zip ties 316Notepad and pen 317Carabiners 317Drip Cord 317Ziplock bags 318Pencil sharpener 318Soda can hanger 319Soda can lamp 319Liter of Light 319Solar charger 320Uses of animal fat 320

Let’s Get Knotty 324Rope care and maintenance 325A knot isn’t always a knot 326Figure Eight Knot 327Handcuff Knot 327Overhand Knot 327Overhand Slip Knot 328Stopper Knot 328Double Overhand Stopper Knot 328Alpine Butterfly Loop 329Bowline Knot 329Bowline on a Bight 329Figure Eight Loop 330Noose Knot 330Overhand Loop 330Anchor Hitch 331Blake’s Hitch 331Buntline Hitch 331Clove Hitch 332

Constrictor Knot 332Twisting Constrictor Knot 332Cow Hitch 333Evenk Hitch 333Groundline Hitch 333Half Hitch 334Highwayman’s Hitch 334Klemhiest Knot 334Marlinspike Hitch 335Prusik Knot 335Rolling Hitch 335Round Turn with Two Half Hitches 336Tautline Hitch 336Timber Hitch 336Blood Knot 337Carrick Bend 337Fisherman’s Knot 337Double Fisherman’s Knot 338Hunter’s Bend 338Sheet Bend 338Icicle Hitch 339Square or Reef Knot 339Zepellin Bend 339Diagonal Lashing 340Sheer Lashing 340Square Lashing 340Tripod Lashing 341Buntline or Gasket Coil 341Daisy Chain 341

Survival in extreme terrain 344Survival or self-reliance? 345Desert survival 346Survival in salt flats 347Cold weather survival 347High altitude survival 348Jungle survival 349Rain forest survival 350Mangrove forest survival 351Whitewater survival 352Blue water survival 352About Knots and Nautical Miles 356Improvise a sextant 358Importance of knowing latitude at sea 360

Car Camping 364Preparing vehicle for Car Camping 366Survival items built into the car 366Equipping the vehicle 367To do or not to do 368

A bit about urban survival 370OTA Survival School 384Conclusion 388About the Author 396

CHARTSRecognise and deal with Stress ......................................................................... 34Results of losing body fluids ............................................................................. 64Decomposition time for litter/garbage ................................................................ 7250 uses of a bandana ...................................................................................... 74The many uses of termites ................................................................................ 78The many uses of bamboo ................................................................................ 79Tinder, kindling and fuel ............................................................................... 118Wildlife indicators of water............................................................................ 162International Morse Code .............................................................................. 190Learn the Morse Code ................................................................................... 191International Flag Semaphore ........................................................................ 197Moon phases ................................................................................................. 215Pressure points to control arterial bleeding ....................................................... 246Splinting fractures ........................................................................................ 248Heat Index Chart ......................................................................................... 254Wind Chill Chart ........................................................................................ 283Physiology of tissue freezing ............................................................................ 287Expected survival time in cold water ............................................................... 290Symptoms with change in core temperature...................................................... 290Uses of paracord ........................................................................................... 313Uses of a soda can ......................................................................................... 322Rope terminology ........................................................................................... 326Twelve essentials of urban survival ................................................................. 378 Uses of a garbage bag .................................................................................... 379Some ‘other’ uses of a condom ........................................................................ 380Stocking up for SHTF situations .................................................................... 381

Never trust a survival skills instructor 1. with a smooth cheek, 2. sporting new boots, 3. carrying new tools, and 4. with a blunt knife

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After spending nearly two decades in advertising and communications, Chandan gave in to his passion

for adventure and exploration. Son of a Lieutenant General, a Green Beret and a national level footballer, he imbibed the passion for sports and adventure from a very young age.

In fact, his father Lt Gen MK ‘Mike’ Lahiri, PVSM was one of the first officers from the Indian Army to be trained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in jungle warfare to become a Green Beret. Thereafter he started the Commando Training Wing for the Indian Army. He was also the Commandant

of the famed Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School that trains soldiers from the Indian armed forces and from around the world, in jungle survival and warfare. Chandan has spent many nights with his father when the soldiers were undergoing training in the leech infested jungles in the north east of India. His interest in sports, adventure, survival and self-reliance were inherited from his father.

In 2002, Chandan hung up his tie and Oxford shoes to pursue his passion for adventure and exploration by starting OutThere Adventurers, India’s first event ideation firm focussed on developing and promoting adventure sports, events, tours, expeditions and other related activities.

In Dec/Jan 2002-03, he undertook his first major Expedition. A team of three motorbikers went around India over a period of 38 days and nearly 12,000 km. As Chandan loves to repeat, “Over the 38 days we did not see the inside of a hotel room!”

About the Author

397

In Jul 2003, he led a team of ten motorbikers on a 14-day expedition to Ladakh and travelled on roads seldom frequented. Some opine that this team was the first one to motorbike from Tso Moriri to Pang via Tso Kar.

On Oct 2, 2003 he undertook a solo motorcycle expedition to Ladakh and created a new, and achieved his first world record, by traversing three of the world’s highest passes in 14hrs44 riding at altitudes of over 15,000 feet. On Aug 31, 2004 he led a team of six motorbikers across four of the world’s highest roads in 23hrs25 to earn his second world record. In fact, it was during this expedition that civilians in general and adventure motorbikers in particular heard of the 18,638 feet high Marsimik La, the highest motorable road in the world ... higher than the more popular Khardung La.

Chandan has put extreme adventures on the backburner after his near fatal motorcycle accident in the winter of 2006. He lived with a shattered knee for eight years before getting a total knee replacement surgery performed in 2013. As he says, “I have grown almost three inches in stature” referring to the straightening of the knee after the replacement surgery!

He now runs the OTA Survival School to train people for a safe outing in

Only he who attempts the absurd can ever achieve the impossible.

the wilderness. His aim is to try and ensure that people living in eco sensitive regions of the country are trained in survival and self-reliance to be able to take care of themselves in case of natural disasters and calamities that hit the country so very frequently, often resulting in fatalities. If these people were trained and equipped, many could possibly have survived and the survivors might have had a safer and more hygienic time while waiting for rescue to be effected.

By the way, in April 2015 he visited the offices of Limca Book of Records and lit 35 cotton ball tinders in 60 seconds ... and earned yet another world record.

An offshoot of OTA Survival School is The Samaritans, a volunteer group trained to be first responders to assist road accident victims and ensure stabilisation and quick evacuation to a medical facility and as first responders to the victims of natural disasters and calamities, supporting them to live a healthy, hygienic and safe life till such time as rescue and evacuation is not effected.

OTA Survival School and The Samaritans are projects of Whispering Wishes Foundation, a voluntary organisation registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act.

An explorer and an adventurer, Chandan is an avid photographer, travel writer and documentary film maker. His passion statement is “Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far they can go!”

According to him, life begins at 50 and he is training to become a licensed microlight pilot. He would then have explored this planet on land and in the air. His first attempt at scuba diving did not go too well, when after a couple of days of training he met with an accident and broke his already shattered knee once more. But exploration of the blue waters is a passion is something he still holds dear to his heart. One expedition he is developing is spending 30 days floating in a life raft, out in the open sea, showcasing blue water survival skills. He will only have the standard equipment that is part of any standard life raft and nothing else.

He is based in New Delhi along with his wife Indrani and two daughters, Priyanka and Pallavi.

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Info@oTASurvivalSchool.com http://oTASurvivalSchool.com

when you head into the wilderness, you want to have some fun, to see, feel and experience the wonders. but a dream can turn into a nightmare, putting you in a survival situation, injured or lost.

Those are the situations this book prepares you for. Full of invaluable information, it tells you how to deal with a survival situation and turn it into a self-reliant one. with the tips provided in this book, you will be able to smooth it out and not have to rough it out in adverse circumstances. This exhaustive book provides you with a range of important and life-saving information. From constructing shelter to starting fires. From purifying water to setting traps and snares. About signalling and how to navigate. And, the basics of first aid. You learn about weapons and tools you can improvise from the hardware store that is Nature.

This book is a compilation of some useful tips and tricks that everyone venturing out into the wilderness should know about.

Literally, a book full of awesome.

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