NPR Obituary.
Paulsen wrote a fine series of outdoor survival books, beginning with Hatchet. My nephew brought that book home from school, and I read it, and found it a great book in the old-fashioned manner of Ernest Thompson Seton. I read a bunch of the sequels to Hatchet, although possibly not all of them. They impart essential survival skills in an easy-to-digest way, without being pedantic, boring or condescending. Fine books.
Showing posts with label survival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label survival. Show all posts
Friday, October 15, 2021
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Survival When the River Takes Your Backpack
Story.
To summarize for those who don't wish to click the link, he tried to cross a river, lost his backpack doing so, and had no backup survival plan and was forced to improvise, and would have died had he not come across some road maintenance workers in the nick of time.
He found out - - and, to his credit, acknowledged - - that he should have been carrying survival items on his body, outside of the items in his lost backpack. If he'd had a Mylar Space Blanket in his pocket most of his cold/hypothermia issues would have been minimized.
Here's my own current belt survival kit. It includes a Wenger Swiss Army Knife, a whistle, a button compass, a butane lighter, tweezers, and several firestarters made from Vaseline-impregnated cotton inserted into drinking straws and sealed at the ends with heat. They fit into a traveler's plastic soap box, which itself goes into a leather belt pouch. Stick a Space Blanket into a pocket and you'll be ready for much of what Nature can throw at you.
To summarize for those who don't wish to click the link, he tried to cross a river, lost his backpack doing so, and had no backup survival plan and was forced to improvise, and would have died had he not come across some road maintenance workers in the nick of time.
He found out - - and, to his credit, acknowledged - - that he should have been carrying survival items on his body, outside of the items in his lost backpack. If he'd had a Mylar Space Blanket in his pocket most of his cold/hypothermia issues would have been minimized.
Here's my own current belt survival kit. It includes a Wenger Swiss Army Knife, a whistle, a button compass, a butane lighter, tweezers, and several firestarters made from Vaseline-impregnated cotton inserted into drinking straws and sealed at the ends with heat. They fit into a traveler's plastic soap box, which itself goes into a leather belt pouch. Stick a Space Blanket into a pocket and you'll be ready for much of what Nature can throw at you.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Survival Pouch
This is something I carry on my belt when I'm not at work:
Shown in the picture are a compass, knife, whistle, butane lighter, and four home-made fire starters. The fire starters are made by impregnating cotton balls with Vaseline, then inserting them into plastic drinking straws and sealing the ends shut by melting and pinching with pliers. All of this fits into an Altoids tin, which slides into the leather pouch shown, the pouch positioned on my belt above my left hip/buttock. For those of you who carry a pistol and magazine pouch, this still leaves room for you to do so on your belt. The survival pouch weighs only a few ounces. I use a quality leather pouch from Atlanta Cutlery, but you can just as easily use nylon ALICE or MOLLE pouches. In fact, a slightly larger pouch would allow you to add a mylar Space Blanket, which should be in every survival kit.
Shown in the picture are a compass, knife, whistle, butane lighter, and four home-made fire starters. The fire starters are made by impregnating cotton balls with Vaseline, then inserting them into plastic drinking straws and sealing the ends shut by melting and pinching with pliers. All of this fits into an Altoids tin, which slides into the leather pouch shown, the pouch positioned on my belt above my left hip/buttock. For those of you who carry a pistol and magazine pouch, this still leaves room for you to do so on your belt. The survival pouch weighs only a few ounces. I use a quality leather pouch from Atlanta Cutlery, but you can just as easily use nylon ALICE or MOLLE pouches. In fact, a slightly larger pouch would allow you to add a mylar Space Blanket, which should be in every survival kit.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
For Campers & Hikers
Especially those travelling in south Texas: Woods Roamer.
It's a defunct blog, but only recently so. Jim Curtis, this should give you some south Texas reference material when you write your next Grey Man novel.
via Primitivepoint.
It's a defunct blog, but only recently so. Jim Curtis, this should give you some south Texas reference material when you write your next Grey Man novel.
via Primitivepoint.
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Arrival
Small French Douk-Douk folding knife:
The Douk-Douk is a folding knife made by the M. Cognet company in France, it's a working man's knife, similar to the Sodbuster made by Case in the US, the Merkator K55 soldier's knife (Germany) or France's other knife for the working man, the Opinel. The Douk-Douk is most similar to the Merkator, with construction consisting of a blade, a piece of folded sheet metal for the handle, a spring and a couple of pins. this is the smaller version, about the same length as a Barlow or Swiss Army; the larger version is the size of a Buck 110 (but much, much lighter in weight). Because of the construction method, the Douk-Douk is only a couple of millimeters thick:
It is small and light enough to use as a neck knife, if you so desire, but, since the blade is carbon steel rather than stainless steel, it will definitely rust when exposed to sweat. It could be sewn into your belt - - or, if you own a money belt, hidden along with any coins/currency you place there.
This small knife would shine in the pocket survival kit role; it will fit just fine in an Altoids tin, with plenty of room left over for a button compass, whistle, butane lighter and other small items:
If you don't wear such a kit in your everyday travels - - why not? It can fit into any pants pocket, or, if you don't want it in a pocket, you might consider one of the fine leather pouches sold by Atlanta Cutlery:
I wear one of these pouches on my belt, over my left hip, in the same position you would wear a handgun (which, being right-handed, I wear on my right hip). Incidentally, these pouches can fit small cell phones, cartridges for you handgun (that was the original purpose of this pouch design, as a matter of fact) or even a small handgun - - Ruger LCP, deringer, or a North American Arms mini-revolver.
This little knife was only $21.15, purchased from Knife Country USA via Amazon.
The Douk-Douk is a folding knife made by the M. Cognet company in France, it's a working man's knife, similar to the Sodbuster made by Case in the US, the Merkator K55 soldier's knife (Germany) or France's other knife for the working man, the Opinel. The Douk-Douk is most similar to the Merkator, with construction consisting of a blade, a piece of folded sheet metal for the handle, a spring and a couple of pins. this is the smaller version, about the same length as a Barlow or Swiss Army; the larger version is the size of a Buck 110 (but much, much lighter in weight). Because of the construction method, the Douk-Douk is only a couple of millimeters thick:
It is small and light enough to use as a neck knife, if you so desire, but, since the blade is carbon steel rather than stainless steel, it will definitely rust when exposed to sweat. It could be sewn into your belt - - or, if you own a money belt, hidden along with any coins/currency you place there.
This small knife would shine in the pocket survival kit role; it will fit just fine in an Altoids tin, with plenty of room left over for a button compass, whistle, butane lighter and other small items:
If you don't wear such a kit in your everyday travels - - why not? It can fit into any pants pocket, or, if you don't want it in a pocket, you might consider one of the fine leather pouches sold by Atlanta Cutlery:
I wear one of these pouches on my belt, over my left hip, in the same position you would wear a handgun (which, being right-handed, I wear on my right hip). Incidentally, these pouches can fit small cell phones, cartridges for you handgun (that was the original purpose of this pouch design, as a matter of fact) or even a small handgun - - Ruger LCP, deringer, or a North American Arms mini-revolver.
This little knife was only $21.15, purchased from Knife Country USA via Amazon.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Solo Survival Without Gear
Englishman Ed Stafford marooned himself on a tropical island near Fiji, surviving for two months only on foodstuffs he managed to gather from the island.
He waded ashore without any clothes, no knife, no food or water; only an emergency satellite phone, a single bandage and some antibiotics. He had to make fire using only what he found on the island, but managed to do so. He made a knife from a piece of metal he found, dug a trench to collect rainwater, and ate hundreds of snails, among other foods he foraged. A high point was the killing and roasting of a goat, the island being home to a small herd of feral goats.
Looks like a book resulted from the experiment. It is, of course, much easier to survive in a tropical environment than in colder areas, since food is more readily available and avoiding hypothermia is easier.
He waded ashore without any clothes, no knife, no food or water; only an emergency satellite phone, a single bandage and some antibiotics. He had to make fire using only what he found on the island, but managed to do so. He made a knife from a piece of metal he found, dug a trench to collect rainwater, and ate hundreds of snails, among other foods he foraged. A high point was the killing and roasting of a goat, the island being home to a small herd of feral goats.
Looks like a book resulted from the experiment. It is, of course, much easier to survive in a tropical environment than in colder areas, since food is more readily available and avoiding hypothermia is easier.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Arrival
Mora Bushcraft:
Made in Sweden, Mora knives represent one of the best knife values available anywhere. They are well made, they are sharp right out of the factory, and they are inexpensive compared to other knives. This one, purchased at Amazon, cost $27. It has a molded rubber handle and a hard plastic sheath, in this case a bright orange that is nearly impossible to lose, no matter where you might drop it. The synthetic rubber handle and stainless steel blade are impervious to being contaminated by animal blood and guts if the knife is used for cleaning game. They are easy to keep sharp, with a Scandi (Scandinavian) grind that incorporates the necessary sharpening angle into the blade itself: just lay the knife down on the stone so that the ground area is flat against the stone's surface, and your perfect sharpening angle is established.
This one comes with interchangeable belt carriers, one a loop style that is threaded through a belt, the other a clip style that can be clipped onto a belt or other object, e.g., strap of a backpack, gear harness, etc.
Mora. Try one.
Made in Sweden, Mora knives represent one of the best knife values available anywhere. They are well made, they are sharp right out of the factory, and they are inexpensive compared to other knives. This one, purchased at Amazon, cost $27. It has a molded rubber handle and a hard plastic sheath, in this case a bright orange that is nearly impossible to lose, no matter where you might drop it. The synthetic rubber handle and stainless steel blade are impervious to being contaminated by animal blood and guts if the knife is used for cleaning game. They are easy to keep sharp, with a Scandi (Scandinavian) grind that incorporates the necessary sharpening angle into the blade itself: just lay the knife down on the stone so that the ground area is flat against the stone's surface, and your perfect sharpening angle is established.
This one comes with interchangeable belt carriers, one a loop style that is threaded through a belt, the other a clip style that can be clipped onto a belt or other object, e.g., strap of a backpack, gear harness, etc.
Mora. Try one.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Questions Arising About the Castaway...
...who arrived at a Pacific Ocean atoll after what he described as a 6000+-mile, 13-month journey, looking rather chubby and well-fed, and aside from swollen ankles, in perfect health.
The questions arise because when he left western Mexico on a fishing trip, he had a companion, whom he described as dying after the first month or so. Did he just throw the man's body overboard, or did he first resort to cannibalism to survive, then throw what remained away? How is it that he had no vitamin-deficiency diseases such as scurvy after so long at sea? Could drinking turtle's blood, as he described doing, provide enough Vitamin C to prevent scurvy? Did he find any floating coconuts while on the journey? If he did, his problem with vitamins would of course be solved, because coconuts are full of healthful vitamins.
It's a strange and wonderful story, and I definitely want to know more about it.
Update: More information as to his medical condition at the UK Daily Mail, much of which is simply speculation at this point. Interestingly, although the castaway's remarkably healthy condition has been noted by all who have seen him, no one is using the C word - - cannibalism - - yet.
The questions arise because when he left western Mexico on a fishing trip, he had a companion, whom he described as dying after the first month or so. Did he just throw the man's body overboard, or did he first resort to cannibalism to survive, then throw what remained away? How is it that he had no vitamin-deficiency diseases such as scurvy after so long at sea? Could drinking turtle's blood, as he described doing, provide enough Vitamin C to prevent scurvy? Did he find any floating coconuts while on the journey? If he did, his problem with vitamins would of course be solved, because coconuts are full of healthful vitamins.
It's a strange and wonderful story, and I definitely want to know more about it.
Update: More information as to his medical condition at the UK Daily Mail, much of which is simply speculation at this point. Interestingly, although the castaway's remarkably healthy condition has been noted by all who have seen him, no one is using the C word - - cannibalism - - yet.
Saturday, February 01, 2014
Incredible 8000-Mile Voyage of Survival?
Looks like it. 16 months adrift in a fiberglass boat that drifted from Mexico to a coral atoll in the Marshall Islands, 8000 miles away, living on rainwater, handcaught fish and sea turtles...and possibly a dead companion?
Lots of questions about this story, which will take a while to be answered, because as of this writing the castaway hasn't even made it off of the coral atoll, rescue planes not being readily available.
If a book comes out of this, though, I definitely want to read it.
Lots of questions about this story, which will take a while to be answered, because as of this writing the castaway hasn't even made it off of the coral atoll, rescue planes not being readily available.
If a book comes out of this, though, I definitely want to read it.
Sunday, December 01, 2013
How To Make a Wikiup
The Daily Caller branches out into survival content.
They already have some good gun content; if you don't have The Daily Caller on your RSS feed, you might consider adding it. Politics, guns, and now survival: necessary information for living in the Suffering States of Obama.
They already have some good gun content; if you don't have The Daily Caller on your RSS feed, you might consider adding it. Politics, guns, and now survival: necessary information for living in the Suffering States of Obama.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Spock's Brain Was Not Available For Comment
"The Barren Wombs of Smart Women."
The writer's thesis is that the higher the IQ of a woman, the less likely she is to want children:
Western sophisticates claim that the world already has enough people, and many tend to see it as a matter of conscience to not breed. The problem is that hordes of Third Worlders suffer no such ethical qualms. Paradoxically, the pampered First World utopian ideal that the world should be intelligent, sustainable, and filled only with children who are wanted could backfire and create a planet crammed almost exclusively with emotionally, financially, and intellectually deprived Third World bastards.
This wasn’t the case before feminism came along to empower women and free them from childbearing’s oppressive shackles. It wasn’t the case until Big Brother morphed into Big Daddy and financially penalized the intelligent for reproducing as it gave handouts that encouraged cretins to spawn. It wasn’t the case during the Victorian Era, when it wasn’t considered so déclassé for wealthy and intelligent women to have children and when it’s estimated that the mean Western IQ was nearly 14 points higher than it is now.
That was, of course, the reasoning behind the Star Trek episode "Spock's Brain," in which a planet of cretins needed intelligent guidance, and Spock was chosen as the lucky donor of a sufficiently intelligent brain.
The writer's thesis is that the higher the IQ of a woman, the less likely she is to want children:
Western sophisticates claim that the world already has enough people, and many tend to see it as a matter of conscience to not breed. The problem is that hordes of Third Worlders suffer no such ethical qualms. Paradoxically, the pampered First World utopian ideal that the world should be intelligent, sustainable, and filled only with children who are wanted could backfire and create a planet crammed almost exclusively with emotionally, financially, and intellectually deprived Third World bastards.
This wasn’t the case before feminism came along to empower women and free them from childbearing’s oppressive shackles. It wasn’t the case until Big Brother morphed into Big Daddy and financially penalized the intelligent for reproducing as it gave handouts that encouraged cretins to spawn. It wasn’t the case during the Victorian Era, when it wasn’t considered so déclassé for wealthy and intelligent women to have children and when it’s estimated that the mean Western IQ was nearly 14 points higher than it is now.
That was, of course, the reasoning behind the Star Trek episode "Spock's Brain," in which a planet of cretins needed intelligent guidance, and Spock was chosen as the lucky donor of a sufficiently intelligent brain.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Sometimes the Guy With the Scythe...
...just won't take no for an answer:
Two women who were rescued Tuesday evening on the Maine coast after getting lost while hiking died a short time later when they accidentally drove into an ocean cove amid fog and rain.
Amy Stiner, 37, of Machias, Maine, who was five months pregnant, and her friend Melissa Moyer, 38, of Sunbury, Pa., were found inside Stiner's Dodge minivan about 10 p.m., Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith told the Associated Press. A dog inside died.
Smith said Stiner drove down a boat ramp at the end of a dead-end road about an hour earlier and into Pond Cove, which empties into Englishman Bay. It was foggy and raining heavily at the time.
"They called on the phone that they were in the water and the car was filling up. Then the phone went dead," Smith said.
Two women who were rescued Tuesday evening on the Maine coast after getting lost while hiking died a short time later when they accidentally drove into an ocean cove amid fog and rain.
Amy Stiner, 37, of Machias, Maine, who was five months pregnant, and her friend Melissa Moyer, 38, of Sunbury, Pa., were found inside Stiner's Dodge minivan about 10 p.m., Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith told the Associated Press. A dog inside died.
Smith said Stiner drove down a boat ramp at the end of a dead-end road about an hour earlier and into Pond Cove, which empties into Englishman Bay. It was foggy and raining heavily at the time.
"They called on the phone that they were in the water and the car was filling up. Then the phone went dead," Smith said.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Life-Saving Abdominal Tourniquet
Friday, February 22, 2013
Maybe They Should Rename It...
...the Lost Dumbass Mine.
David Bremson sees plenty of rescues in the Superstition Wilderness, like the 51-year-old woman who had to be pulled from the mountains for the second time in three months Wednesday after she got lost seeking the legendary Lost Dutchman's gold.
Typically, the weather is nice. People go hiking, hunting or seeking their fortune, and when someone gets lost or injured, search-and-rescue volunteers are called. Bremson, operations chief of the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association, doesn't mind doing rescues. But he has a message.
He doesn't believe the Lost Dutchman's gold exists, so his advice is don't endanger yourself looking for it. But if you do get in a jam, his team is not going to bill you for their work.
"Most of the body recoveries we've done out of the Supes have been Dutch hunters," Bremson said.
David Bremson sees plenty of rescues in the Superstition Wilderness, like the 51-year-old woman who had to be pulled from the mountains for the second time in three months Wednesday after she got lost seeking the legendary Lost Dutchman's gold.
Typically, the weather is nice. People go hiking, hunting or seeking their fortune, and when someone gets lost or injured, search-and-rescue volunteers are called. Bremson, operations chief of the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association, doesn't mind doing rescues. But he has a message.
He doesn't believe the Lost Dutchman's gold exists, so his advice is don't endanger yourself looking for it. But if you do get in a jam, his team is not going to bill you for their work.
"Most of the body recoveries we've done out of the Supes have been Dutch hunters," Bremson said.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Arrival
Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop by Euell Gibbons.
This is an old classic. If you're interested in foraging your own food and living off the land, Gibbons' books are a great resource (he also wrote Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Stalking the Healthful Herbs, and Beachcomber's Handbook). He gives tips on identification of edible wild foods, cleaning and preparing them, and recipes.
Gibbons was famous for a 1970's TV commercial he did for Grape-Nuts cereal in which he asked the question, "Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible!" Here's Gibbons in another Grape-Nuts commercial:
This is an old classic. If you're interested in foraging your own food and living off the land, Gibbons' books are a great resource (he also wrote Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Stalking the Healthful Herbs, and Beachcomber's Handbook). He gives tips on identification of edible wild foods, cleaning and preparing them, and recipes.
Gibbons was famous for a 1970's TV commercial he did for Grape-Nuts cereal in which he asked the question, "Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible!" Here's Gibbons in another Grape-Nuts commercial:
Monday, January 28, 2013
Probably Misguided, But...
...there's precedent for going into the desert looking for wisdom.
And who knows? Maybe he found wisdom. In any event he's probably not as pudgy now as in the photograph, which I hope he'll appreciate.
(I tried to find that dramatic clip from The Ten Commandments of Moses battling the desert, but could only find the part where Ramases sent him on his way. Oh, well.)
And who knows? Maybe he found wisdom. In any event he's probably not as pudgy now as in the photograph, which I hope he'll appreciate.
(I tried to find that dramatic clip from The Ten Commandments of Moses battling the desert, but could only find the part where Ramases sent him on his way. Oh, well.)
Monday, February 20, 2012
It's Like Telling Darwin "Kill Me!"
"3 rescued from capsized boat off Cedar Key shore."
Three people suspected of ignoring laws about boating safety equipment may owe their lives to following a basic rule of boating safety. Although the trio had none of the required emergency equipment on board, after their boat overturned, they stayed with it until they were found hours later.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the boaters, ages 53, 40, and 16, had gone out on the water Sunday afternoon from Cedar Key on a 16-foot-long fiberglass catamaran. Coast Guard officials said their policy prohibited them from releasing the names of those involved, but said at least two of the boaters were Michigan residents.
Cedar Key is one of my old stomping grounds, it's on the Gulf Coast north of Tampa. At one time most of the pencils in the US were made from Cedar Key red cedar wood. I once was stung by a "stingaree" (stingray) there while fishing.
In any event, these doofuses are lucky to be alive. If you go out on the Gulf, even in a fishing skiff (and when the Gulf is calm that's quite possible), you need to take flotation wear, an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon) and, if possible, an inflatable life raft. That's a bare minimum.
Three people suspected of ignoring laws about boating safety equipment may owe their lives to following a basic rule of boating safety. Although the trio had none of the required emergency equipment on board, after their boat overturned, they stayed with it until they were found hours later.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the boaters, ages 53, 40, and 16, had gone out on the water Sunday afternoon from Cedar Key on a 16-foot-long fiberglass catamaran. Coast Guard officials said their policy prohibited them from releasing the names of those involved, but said at least two of the boaters were Michigan residents.
Cedar Key is one of my old stomping grounds, it's on the Gulf Coast north of Tampa. At one time most of the pencils in the US were made from Cedar Key red cedar wood. I once was stung by a "stingaree" (stingray) there while fishing.
In any event, these doofuses are lucky to be alive. If you go out on the Gulf, even in a fishing skiff (and when the Gulf is calm that's quite possible), you need to take flotation wear, an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon) and, if possible, an inflatable life raft. That's a bare minimum.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Zombie Apocalypse Refuge - - Town Sized
Watching AMC's hit show The Walking Dead last night, I got to pondering, as I often do, about good refuges for survivors to head for that wish to be safe from the zombies. Now I've often thought that an island somewhere would be the perfect solution, with some qualifications: it must be accessible to those who survived the apocalypse; it must be large enough to support agriculture, because even canned, dried and freeze-dried foodstuffs in stores will quickly run out, yet small enough so that survivors can clear it of zombies in short order.
We have such a place in North Carolina: Roanoke Island, the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's "Lost Colony."
Look at this map:
As you can see, Roanoke Island is located between the NC mainland and the Outer Banks. The Banks themselves aren't really suitable for agriculture, although they could support a fishing economy. They are also subject to devastation by hurricanes. Roanoke, within the shallow sounds, is shielded from the worst damage that hurricanes can inflict, that of storm surge. Access to the island is via three bridges that are easily blocked off. Since you have bridges both to the mainland and to the Banks, you have land escape routes in two directions, and boats give you even more options.
Disadvantages to Roanoke Island as a refuge is its proximity to the Norfolk metropolitan area; if I can figure out that the island would make a good refuge, you can bet many others have, too. It's possible that other areas of coastal NC would make good refuges, also.
We have such a place in North Carolina: Roanoke Island, the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's "Lost Colony."
Look at this map:
As you can see, Roanoke Island is located between the NC mainland and the Outer Banks. The Banks themselves aren't really suitable for agriculture, although they could support a fishing economy. They are also subject to devastation by hurricanes. Roanoke, within the shallow sounds, is shielded from the worst damage that hurricanes can inflict, that of storm surge. Access to the island is via three bridges that are easily blocked off. Since you have bridges both to the mainland and to the Banks, you have land escape routes in two directions, and boats give you even more options.
Disadvantages to Roanoke Island as a refuge is its proximity to the Norfolk metropolitan area; if I can figure out that the island would make a good refuge, you can bet many others have, too. It's possible that other areas of coastal NC would make good refuges, also.
Monday, November 07, 2011
Walking Dead Notes, Episode: "Cherokee Rose"
Hope all of you saw it. If you didn't, spoiler notice hereby issued.
1. Swimmer zombie: Why didn't they simply have Daryl shoot it in the head with the crossbow? The crossbow bolt stays in the wound, so minimal leakage of zombie smegma would occur. Then just send Glenn down to lasso the zombie and pull it up. Yah, I hear you say, but Daryl was out hunting for Sophia. He wasn't there. So what? Zombie wasn't going anywhere and wasn't a danger to anyone.
2. Daryl, Carol and the Cherokee Rose. Simply the most touching scene in the show. Daryl reveals a poet's heart by bringing the gift of a flower to Carol. Despite their age difference, those two might hook up. It would be a good match.
3. Daryl and Merle. There's going to be an interesting conflict starting next week when Merle reappears. Daryl has been under Merle's influence most of his life, and defers to him, viewing Merle as the alpha. Now Daryl has started to become socialized to the group rather than being a loner, so the conflict will occur when Merle attempts to re-establish his dominance over Daryl. Daryl will submit, until Merle attempts to hurt one of the group. Prediction: Merle will attempt to rape Carol or Andrea and Daryl will have to stop him.
4. Merle Dixon's return. Does he have Sophia? Is he going to bargain with the group, using Sophia as a chip? There's little doubt he will come back to the group in the short term, but will probably get killed before season's end. Who will kill him, though? Nearly anyone in the group has the mindset to do so, although not all of them are physically a match for Merle. Still, God made men, Col. Colt made them equal, and there's enough guns in the group so that anyone can grab one and off Merle.
5. Talking Dead web page extra. In the interview for this episode, a quiz was posed to the two guests about tactics to use in a zombie apocalypse, and hoodies reinforced with duct tape came up as putative armor against zombie bites. I've wondered myself why armor isn't being used against the walkers. I've thought that leather armor, either in the form of jackets or suits specifically designed as armor, would be effective against zombie bites. Even heavy Cordura nylon might work if it was quilted in some fashion. Hot, yes, but better than suffering a bite from Zed.
6. Next episode is titled "Chupacabra," which is the name of the Latin American monster that sucks milk from goats. That should be interesting.
1. Swimmer zombie: Why didn't they simply have Daryl shoot it in the head with the crossbow? The crossbow bolt stays in the wound, so minimal leakage of zombie smegma would occur. Then just send Glenn down to lasso the zombie and pull it up. Yah, I hear you say, but Daryl was out hunting for Sophia. He wasn't there. So what? Zombie wasn't going anywhere and wasn't a danger to anyone.
2. Daryl, Carol and the Cherokee Rose. Simply the most touching scene in the show. Daryl reveals a poet's heart by bringing the gift of a flower to Carol. Despite their age difference, those two might hook up. It would be a good match.
3. Daryl and Merle. There's going to be an interesting conflict starting next week when Merle reappears. Daryl has been under Merle's influence most of his life, and defers to him, viewing Merle as the alpha. Now Daryl has started to become socialized to the group rather than being a loner, so the conflict will occur when Merle attempts to re-establish his dominance over Daryl. Daryl will submit, until Merle attempts to hurt one of the group. Prediction: Merle will attempt to rape Carol or Andrea and Daryl will have to stop him.
4. Merle Dixon's return. Does he have Sophia? Is he going to bargain with the group, using Sophia as a chip? There's little doubt he will come back to the group in the short term, but will probably get killed before season's end. Who will kill him, though? Nearly anyone in the group has the mindset to do so, although not all of them are physically a match for Merle. Still, God made men, Col. Colt made them equal, and there's enough guns in the group so that anyone can grab one and off Merle.
5. Talking Dead web page extra. In the interview for this episode, a quiz was posed to the two guests about tactics to use in a zombie apocalypse, and hoodies reinforced with duct tape came up as putative armor against zombie bites. I've wondered myself why armor isn't being used against the walkers. I've thought that leather armor, either in the form of jackets or suits specifically designed as armor, would be effective against zombie bites. Even heavy Cordura nylon might work if it was quilted in some fashion. Hot, yes, but better than suffering a bite from Zed.
6. Next episode is titled "Chupacabra," which is the name of the Latin American monster that sucks milk from goats. That should be interesting.
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