How to survive gas (chemical) and viral (biological and virus) attacks – all about decontamination, respirators, masks, and other protective equipment.

Policeman wearing air purifying particulate respirator

A respirator device is designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts, fumes, vapors, or gases. Recent studies (2012) indicate that respirators even provide the best protection against airborne viruses. It is imperative however, that you understand the various types (categories) and qualities (ratings) of respirators in order to select one that will provide…

The weapons of the body to use in self defense

In a close combat situation, many people consider the fists as the only weapon of the body. Fists are important in close combat, but in fact, there are many other body parts that can be used as an effective weapon in a combat situation. Many parts can also be used as effective target areas or…

The following are key tactical concepts that should be followed in a close combat situation. Each rule by itself is not a standalone idea but rather is intended to be combined with the other rules to achieve an effect that is greater than their separate sum.

Defending yourself against a knife attack

Knife fights are rare – knife attacks on the other hand, and much more common. Knife attacks typically occur when the attacker is within arm’s reach of you but experts will say, anyone with a knife that is intent on attacking you is a threat as far as 30-feet away. Here’s how to defend yourself…

Sniper in ghillie suit to remain hidden in grass

Professional snipers, particularly military-trained snipers, are well versed in marksmanship, field craft, reconnaissance, observation, surveillance, target acquisition and of course, camouflage. Avoiding a sniper attack can be nearly impossible but by understanding how they work, and following a few simple avoidance tactics, it’s possible you may be able to outwit them – and survive.

There are a couple of ways to make a PVC bow. In a pinch, you can simply take a 4-6 foot piece of PVC pipe, notch the ends, and string with paracord at a high enough tension to bend the bow limbs. The second method is a bit more involved but results in a more…

Wood for arrow shafts Making arrows while in the wild is not difficult (although getting the wood shafts straight and keeping them straight is an age-old problem). To begin, collect shoots to use for the shafts (slightly dried wood is better than green wood). Dogwood makes the best shafts, but any other straight hardwood shoots…

A Trebuchet (pronounced treb-oo-shay) is a medieval siege engine that transfers gravitational energy into kinetic energy – similar to a playground see-saw. In ancient times, it was used to launch (throw) projectiles including boulders, dead horses, and diseased bodies into or over castle walls to soften the defenses in preparation for invasion. On one end…

In a lot of ways, those ancient guys were pretty smart and the trebuchet is the perfect example their old time ingenuity. A Trebuchet (pronounced treb-oo-shay) is a medieval siege engine that transfers gravitational energy into kinetic energy – similar to a playground see-saw. In ancient times, it was used to launch (throw) projectiles including…