Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
SEAL Survival Guide (70 page)
5. Cash is king: This is true in any country. Make sure you have it on you in small bills and in three different locations on your person.
6. Cover story: Make sure you are able to come up with something innocuous should you encounter someone who may question you. I found that posing as a salesman or missionary from a neutral English-speaking country like Canada is advantageous.
7. Elicit help from others: Human nature leads us to naturally want to trust and help other individuals—you’ll always find some good people, no matter where you go. You may try to engage others to help you, though be cautious about to whom you describe your plight. You may need to make up a plausible, though fictitious, story that gets others to help you. No one likes to deceive decent people, but if your life depends on getting out of a foreign country, this is an option to consider.
I participated in an urban-evasion training exercise in Los Angeles, California, where I was on foot being “hunted” by several members of law enforcement as well as “private sector” folks. I was able to convince a total stranger, after faking a bicycle accident, to allow me to use their cell phone, give me a ride to the hospital, give me $50, and give me their phone number and home address in case I needed anything else. Thanks to that person, BTW, for proving there are still plenty of decent people in the world.
PART THREE
Gear and Improvised
Weapons
GEAR
First off, my intention is not to turn anyone into a gear fanatic. I don’t want you to carry around a sixty-pound backpack full of survival gear every time you leave the house. You might as well drag around a ball and chain—that’s not living. Without question, the right gear and equipment is important, but it is no substitute for knowledge, training, and using your SEAL mindset. Don’t depend entirely on gear.
Here are a few phrases we used in SEAL team when it came to gear:
• Two is one and one is none. (If it’s that important, pack two.)
• If it takes batteries, it will take a shit exactly when you need it.
• Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.
• Salt water destroys everything and rust never sleeps.
On the other hand, having the right equipment for a particular survival situation can mean the difference between living and dying. It could be just enough to keep your body that one degree warmer or cooler, provide that vital amount of water or food, or even reach out and get the attention of a search party on the horizon. Obviously, different environments will require different survival equipment. A desert setup will be vastly different from the one that you need on your boat. Nevertheless, there are some basic pieces of gear that you should have within reach at a moment’s notice. This collection of gear is called a
go bag.
Go Bag Checklist
When things start getting bad, you grab this and you go. Please remember it should be in something you can throw over your shoulder and run with. If you add too many items and it starts to weigh too much, it will only slow you down.
It’s called a
go bag
—not a drag bag.
Prepare at least one go bag for each person in your family and leave these backpacks or satchels at home. Keep one in your vehicle and one at work. Check the functionality and condition of the items in your go bags every six months. Contents can be modified based on your region or environment, but these are the essentials for every go bag:
• Copy of passport, driver’s license, emergency contact list, and any necessary prescriptions in small plastic bag
• Multitool (to include pliers, knife, saw blade, file, screwdrivers)
• Compass, folding mirror type (also used for signaling)
• Marker pen or indelible felt-tip pen and small waterproof notebook
• Flashlight, extra batteries, and a headlamp
• Cyalume chemlights (glow sticks), red and green
• Lighter, waterproof matches, and magnesium fire starter, and cotton balls for tinder
• Candles
• Plastic whistle
• Bottled water and protein or energy bars
• SteriPEN or water-purification tablets and filter (straw type)
• Lightweight water-resistant windbreaker and sun visor
• Emergency/space blanket
• First-aid kit: compressed gauze dressing, tourniquet material, cloth sling, surgical gloves, alcohol wipes, sunscreen
• Trash bag
• Hand sanitizer or bleach wipes
• Zip ties
• Twenty feet of Paracord
• Tape
• Spare socks
• Eye flush/eye drops
• Cash in small bills
• Any medication you are taking or inhaler (three days’ worth, which you can add to the bag when ready to go)
Again, the above items are minimal requirements for immediate survival and to serve you during several days on the run. If you want to take your kit to the next level, here are some additional items you could add:
• Increase your water supply to several gallons
• Add food like military MREs (meals ready to eat) or freeze-dried, add-water food
• Gore-Tex coat and pants
• Small sleeping bag and additional ponchos
• Sock hat and gloves; wool is warm even when wet
• Hand-powered radio