Its the end of the world as we know it!

[Stealth]

Aluminum Carbide, if you can find it. I haven't tried lately but there may be a website from which you can order it. Miners used this in their lights in the early part of the last century, up until around 1970, when they started using electric lights. Good luck. stealth

[citfta]

That is calcium carbide not aluminum carbide. When you put it in water it produces acetylene gas which is very explosive and can also be used for a nice clean flame if used in a miner's lamp.

Carroll

[dutchdivco]

Talk about 'brain fart'!

I not only KNOW that, I actually HAVE some! Funny how the mind works, (or in this case, DOESN'T work), sometimes. Theres also something, I think its sodium, that ignites when mixed with water. I'll explore using that (possibly) to ignite the gas produced by the calcium carbide.
Neither of these are things that will be available or easy to produce after the apocolypse, like making arrows and arrowheads, which WAS my 'ideal', but I'll still do some research and look at it. Thanks, Jim

[Stealth]

Yes, it is calcium carbide, what the mines used, but aluminum carbide will also work. Neither will be readily available and are not readily available now. I found one source one the internet and they want to ship large containers of crystals. Didn't see a price quote but took it that they catered more to industry than individual use. Good Luck. stealth

[Farmhand]

My concern with explosives and firearms is that using them tells everyone you
are there and have "stuff", they might want. That might or might not be a
problem, depends.

Around here in the small dams and billabongs (dry weather water holes) many
of them have a type of freshwater crayfish, we in Central Queensland call
them Crawchies for obvious reasons, but down south they call them "Lobbies"
or "Yabbies" for some crazy reason. Anyway to catch them one simply uses a
ring or some frame with a net under it and a small bait held in the center of
the frame (could be a frog or lizzard), the trap has a line tied to it and it sits
flat on the bottom so the Crawchies don't need to find a way in, thy can just
crawl over the frame (can be stiff wire) and feed in the center of the
frame/net, after some minutes the frame is pulled up quickly and the
Crawchies are pulled into the bottom of the net, this way gets best results fast.

Another way is to tie the bait to a string and slowly pull the crawchie up near
the surface until a small hand net can be got under it or grab it by hand ,
this way requires patience and skill but usually gets the bigger ones.

These creatures clean the dams, maybe a cracker could kill them and they
would not float, but after some time the dam might become foul with dead
creatures not eaten (cleaned up by the crawchies).

Number 6 is the most common here, they are delicious. If there is some salt
available you're eating top quality fare. But they are small. And more active at
certain periods in the year.

Crayfish List - Freshwater Crayfish of Australia | Australian Aquatic Biological

Article on the local freshwater crayfish here.
http://www.aabio.com.au/new/wp-conte...r-2-Nov-08.pdf

There is ways to stun fish with poisons.

Here is a page on equipment that can be utilized.
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/educa...technology.pdf

I'm most interested in the spear throwers (Australian version of the Atlatl),
and the heavy boomerangs (non returning type) for breaking legs and stuff on
larger game or just knocking them down to get on them. Or fighting.

Some Native Aussies using spear throwers, get good accuracy at looks like over 50 yards.
Note the spears have no fletchings (feathers), with fletching more accurate. Guy on the right is pulling his spear tail around too far, he's still dangerous.
Aboriginal Spear Throwing at Rainforestation Kuranda Queensland Australia - YouTube

This fella explains how to use them well.
Spear throwing, Kakadu Aboriginal Culture Camp - YouTube

And this fella shows us how to make a spear from a tree real quick. Use whats around never mind traditional what is best is best.
Making a spear - YouTube

The spear thrower can also be used as the "Saw" part of a "Fire Saw" to start a fire, can't find a video might have to make one.
It's brilliant way to do it.


Cheers

[dutchdivco]

Theres 'survival',

and then there is 'after the apocolypse survival', and while there is SOME 'cross-over', there is some things that don't.

My including the M-80's in my kit was mainly about 'survival', as in pre-apocolypse being stuck out in the boonies. Many pre-made kits for survival include fishing line and even hooks. My thinking is I may have hiked for miles, without food, and made it to some body of water on my 'last legs'. I might not have the time and energy to 'fish'. Light off a couple of m-80's in order to get some food to survive. If anyone hears them and comes looking, so much the better, even if its a 'game warden' looking to give me a citation for illegal fishing; so long as he/she gets me back to civilisation.

On the other hand, your right, AFTER the apocolypse setting off explosives may bring unwarranted attention.

I'll have to look at Calcium Carbide again; there USED to be a source in the U.S. for purchasing Calcium carbide in small amounts. I corresponded with them, and at one point the guy running the company sold it. Maybe the new owners decided to change the emphasis to only commercial.

I saw a tv show on PBS, about spear thower sticks, or whatever they are called. Not only does it increase the range, it also increases the force, making for greater penetration. They had a fossil, of a spear point embedded in a large bone, (hip or shoulder) and pretty much established that it HAD to have been thrown using such a throwing stick. Interesting stuff.
I have wondered whether the benefit of a throwing stick (mechanical advantage) could be incorporated into something LIKE a crossbow, in order to (similarly) increase range and force? Maybe it would 'allow' downsizing the device, so you could make a small, pistol typw 'crossbow' that would have the 'power' of a larger 2 handed model? Anyway, thanks for the input. Jim

[citfta]

Not hard to find

I just did a search for places to buy calcium carbide and came up with several hits. Here is just one of them:

Miners Grade Calcium Carbide

I also found a few places on ebay that sold it. The hazmat shipping charges seem to be the biggest cost of buying it in the US.

Carroll

PS: I remember you used to be able to buy it from the small mom and pop type of feed and seed and hardware stores but I doubt you can now. But if you have an old one in your area you may find they still have some on a back shelf. As long as it stays completely dry it will last for years.

[Stealth]

On the spear throwing sticks(atlatl), I have made one but not tried throwing it yet. The spears(actually long arrows) can be made easily from 3/8'' dow rods, 4 foot minimum. A notch on one end will help keep it in the atlatl prong. These can be very effective at short distances. After some practice you should be able to take down larger game, as well as smaller game, at up to fifty yards. One secret to more power is to add a small weight to the center of the arrow. This makes it flex and gives it a slingshot effect increasing velocity. The atlatl itself should be the same length as you forearm from elbow to hand. Mine is about 1-1/4'' diameter and fits my hand comfortable. These were claimed to be the first real weapon, besides the club for hunting, and were claimed responsible for making the Mammoth to become extinct. Parties of men throwing these would bring down any animal. Atlatl arrows can be made from 4' to 7' long. Water purification should be our top priority, then food next. Shelter and fire in that order. Good Luck. stealth
P.S. Ebay has several carbide lamps.

[Stealth]

I just tested the new limbs on my slingshot and they have a lot of power. It should be able to take down small game easily with any type of ammo. Also it should be able to take down larger game using an arrow. I will continue testing for durability. The only weakness is the string, which I will swap out for an aramid fiber one if tests prove positive. Right now it looks to be bulletproof. Good luck. stealth

[Sputins]

Caesium-137

It’s already happening. It has begun. As the water soluble Caesium-137 from the FUKUSHIMA plant slowly kills off every living thing in the sea, (over the next few years) any survivors will no doubt need to move inland to escape the stench, rot & disease coming out of the oceans, then washing up on the shores.

Caesium-137 reacts with water producing a water-soluble compound (caesium hydroxide), and the biological behaviour of caesium is similar to that of potassium and rubidium. After entering the body, caesium gets more or less uniformly distributed throughout the body, with the highest concentrations in soft tissue. The biological half-life of Caesium is rather short at about 70 days. A 1972 experiment showed that when dogs are subjected to a whole body burden of 140 MBq/kg, or approximately 44 μg/kg) of caesium-137 (and 950 to 1400 rads), they die within thirty-three days, while animals with half of that burden survived for a year.
Accidental ingestion of caesium-137 can be treated with Prussian blue, (DTPA (Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate)) which binds to it chemically and reduces the biological half-life to 30 days.


Someone needs to come up with a process to eliminate the Caesium 37 from our oceans, otherwise were all screwed. - Bye-Bye, fish, dolphins, whales, plankton, (an endless list). The after affects will directly impact the rest of the globe and any survivors.

If the radiation (Caesium 137) (Core etc.) seeps its way into the water-table or especially the underground oil, the oil will soak it up like a sponge but will become a radioactive concentrate. Likewise with the oil escaped from the BP disaster, it will concentrate within the oil. Radioactive oil.

I find myself deeply depressed over this situation.

Simply put, the Great Tribulation has begun no doubt about it.

[Farmhand]

Tell me about it. Fukushima is a nightmare that will go on for many sleeps.
I feel for the children in the future. I'm ready for Tsunami and floods from
whatever cause, I'm on a mountain, but what about the water to drink ?

Will this stuff precipitate into my rain water tanks ? How could it be dealt with
even for a few people and animals. Is there enough to cause dangerous levels in
all the water on Earth.

It sucks that all this and that is done in the name of the people but the people
get very little say and bad info when they do. When it all goes bad they just say
it was "you all that wanted the power, we were just responding to market demand" ect. ect.

I'm fairly sure the Japanese people want to shut down the reactors but the
reactors still run.

The problem is that if they were to shut down the reactors the economy
would have to go into a mode of shrinking because of a lack of exports and
such, government income would drop dramatically and so would the fiat
currency "turnover rate". Basically the nuclear power is one of the props
holding up the entire mess that will eventually fall on our heads or the heads
of our children.

Money cannot clean up Fukushima only people can.

..

Here's one to think about ! What would happen if a few large meteorites hit
like in Russia recently, but actually impacting the ground, and out of say 10 impacts
or near impacts with Earth one just happens to hit a nuclear power plant
within the continental U.S., or anywhere really ? How would we clean that up ? ? ? ?

...

[dR-Green]

In reality it's like a game, although that might be an unfortunate word to use. It takes both sides acting TOGETHER to bring about any situation. People don't want to be inconvenienced through doing what they know is right, they don't want the made up economy and their imaginary bank account to be affected, and so it leads to inevitable consequences.

The most unfortunate part of it is that the ignorant people of today are making decisions (or not) that will have to be experienced and resolved by someone else tomorrow. As long as something drastic enough doesn't happen then it will simply prolong the ignorance and the "suffering" if you will and the ignorant people will have no reason to do anything about it or even acknowledge it for that matter, so the sooner the better in my opinion. It's going to happen eventually anyway. Not to sound insensitive to the whole thing but I'm past viewing everyone as powerless innocent victims who supposedly have no say in anything that happens in the world. On the contrary, it is what it is because they are there.

[dutchdivco]

Overall,

I would say I agree with you; CIVILISATION, as we know it, is in a 'death spiral'; I THINK it/we have already passed the point of no return. I don't see how it can possibly go on much longer, and certainly don't think it can go on for say,...another 50 years. BUT, Mark Twain, in his latter years, said the same thing. And that was over 50 years ago! There is a LOT of 'inertia', and it will spin on for some time, even after its obvious to everyone that it IS untenable.
I equate to a company going 'out of business'; even after everyone, suppliers, customers and employees are convinced the business is going to 'go down', MOST people will continue going to work, using the business, etc. until the sheriff puts the lock on the door.

As for the Cesium, and Fuctupashima, thats just one of a long list of potential 'killers' of Civilisation. In the end, I suspect we will 'do it to ourselves' one way or another. Its our own 'human nature' which will get us in the end. Jim

[Stealth]

Go out and buy an old fashioned roll of film. Leave it sealed up and walk around with it a couple of days. Open it and see if there are light spots or lines on it. If they are, then worry, or do something about it. Radiation will penetrate the container and show up as light spots or lines. Or go out and buy a cheap Geiger counter. Avoid eating any pacific coast fish, drinking water or eating any vegetables grown on the west coast for sure. Good Luck. stealth

[Sputins]

1000 words