We get dumber and dumber with each generation!
-Abroad you will learn to survive first of all.
The culinary world of cooking is limitless, so is the amount of cookware you can have.
Bias
When the sun seasonally shines the most, you can have the most to eat, but no appetite. A dish like cold served Gazpacho tomato soup with diced cucumbers and celery can do the trick.
When the sun seasonally shines the least, you can get the least to eat, when you need it the most. A hot meal right before going into a cold sleeping bag is essential, since producing body heat requires the energy from preferably a hot meal.
Freshwater vs. Saltwater
You can't drink saltwater, but you need both freshwater and salt.
Drinking seawater can be deadly to humans. While humans can safely ingest small amounts of salt, the salt content in seawater is much higher than what can be processed by the human body.
Salt content in seawater
Baltic Sea (Østersøen): 8-16 g/L
Kattegat ("The Cat's Strait"): 20 g/L
The North Sea (Vesterhavet): 33 g/L
The Red Sea (Det Røde Hav): 40 g/L
The Dead Sea (Det Døde Hav): 200 g/L
Distill freshwater by boiling it for at least two minutes (biohazard)
Evaporate salt water to obtain concentrated salt, otherwise fatal organ failure will occur.
Animals lick rocks to get vital minerals.
Neither is it safe to eat snow if you're thirsty. You must melt it first and preferably boil the water first. You risk dehydrating even more, because your body heat must melt the snow, requiring even more water.
Three minutes without air (or in icy water)
Three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold)
Three days without fresh water (eating snow will only increase the level of dehydration)
Three weeks without food (max. 40 days and 40 nights)
It takes energy to digest a hot meal to get new energy.
A hot meal right before going into the sleeping bag is optimal for a good night's sleep.
TEX-MEX is not for me. A salsa roja for pizzas and popped jalapeños and red bell peppers might do, but nachos are not your cheese. Mexican food is about the temperature in their environment. The hot stuff in a hot environment has nothing to do with temperature. The hot stuff is full of C-vitamins good for hot environments.
They're all so busy bragging like being chefs, while no one, not even the father I never had, taught me how to carve a fish for my survival. Not even after seven years as a serviceman in the Army, they taught me how to do that.
How to start a fire
Bonfire vs. Campfire
Bonfires are built in open areas like fields or meadows and away from trees or brush. Bonfires are fueled by larger items like wooden pallets and large logs, while campfires are built with small tinder or coals.
A fire ring is a construction or device used to contain campfires and prevent them from spreading and turning into wildfires.
Exploding rocks could ruin your campfire if you don't choose wisely when getting set up. Placing firewood in a ring of rocks can be a good way to lessen the risk of starting a wildfire, as well as acting as a barrier for wind that might blow out the early embers, but you need to be very choosy with your selection.
If stones are not available to build a fire ring, then dig a hole into the ground. But, if the hole is too deep, then you won't be able to start a fire, because the fire needs air intake from below to be able to be lit up.
Tools/Weapons △|☐|⛦
1. Ax or Axe (long-handled for cleaving wood)
2. Hatchet (short-handled for outdoor survival)
3. Tomahawk (stridsøkse)
4. Pickaxe (used for rocks)
5. Crossed pickaxe
First of all, we need to have the bark cut off the tree you want to use as firewood. There are two reasons for this:
1. If the wood is wet, we need to go to the dry wood underneath.
2. If the wood is dry, we can use the bark to light a fire.
If you don't have a hatchet (short-handled axe) for this purpose, you probably have a dagger with you.
Stab the dagger into a tree stump with the blade facing away from you, so that it is firmly in place.
Plank the bark off the small branches you want to light by pulling the sticks/branches diagonally across the blade of the dagger, instead of cutting the bark off with the dagger in your hand, as you would normally do.
If the humidity is high, it is almost impossible to start a fire, especially if you try it in a dense spruce and pine forest, even if you have brought a ½L of gasoline for the purpose. The fire goes out again and again!
If it only takes 20 minutes indoors to boil a potato, then you can expect it to take 2 hours in a dense spruce and pine forest.
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) mixed with sugar can be ignited to start a bonfire by stomping a stone onto the mixture.
Shellfish
Shellfish (clams, mussels, and oysters) in the shell should be tightly closed before cooking and will open when properly cooked. The opening of the shell is a direct result of the heat causing the adductor muscle to relax, signaling that the shellfish is cooked through.
Bad shellfish symptoms (food poisoning) usually appear 30 minutes to a few hours after consumption, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Serious cases can cause neurological issues like tingling/numbness in the mouth or limbs, dizziness, or difficulty breathing. Severe reactions may be fatal.
Key Rules for Cooking Shellfish
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Before Cooking: Ensure all shells are closed. If any are open, tap them; if they do not close, they are dead and should be discarded.
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During Cooking: The shells will open. Generally, they should be cooked for 5-10 minutes (steaming).
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After Cooking: Discard any shellfish that remain tightly closed.
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Note: While some argue that unopened shells just have "stronger" muscles, official food safety guidelines (FDA) advise against eating them to avoid potential food poisoning.
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Exceptions and Tips
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Frozen Shellfish: The "open-after-cooking" rule does not apply, as they are not alive when cooking begins.
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Overcooking: If cooked too long, they can become rubbery.
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If some don't open: If only one or two remain closed, it is safer to discard them, but if many are closed, they may just need more cooking time or a higher temperature.
Stews
Stews are scientific workability in the field for outdoor cooking. Think of it as canned food.
Out in nature everything just tastes better.
Night Blindness
(Nyctalopia)
K in relation to brightness stands for Kelvin (often referred to as K value) and indicates the color temperature of the light.
The Kelvin scale tells you whether the light from a bulb or lamp is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish/white).
Here are the most important points about Kelvin
Low Kelvin (2200K - 3000K): Provides a warm, cozy and yellowish light, reminiscent of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. Suitable for living rooms, bedrooms and places where you want to feel cozy.
Medium Kelvin (3000K - 4000K): Provides a neutral white light. Good for offices, kitchens or work areas.
High Kelvin (5000K - 6500K+): Provides a cold, blue/white light, reminiscent of daylight. Often used for focused work, garages or in workspaces where you want clear, invigorating lighting.
In short: The higher the number before K, the colder/whiter the light. The lower the number, the warmer/yellower the light.
Note: Kelvin is not an expression of how strong the light is (it is measured in Lumens), but rather what color (hue) the light has.
Light Discipline
Red light reveals your position the least, remember that if you use a flashlight.
If the enemy fires a flare into the air to reveal your position, squint one eye if you're staring at it.
The same applies especially if you want to light a cigarette in the dark, squint one eye if you stare at it.