NEW FEATURE BY AFTERMATH BOB AUTHOR-REAL SURVIVAL ADVICE BY PERSON WHO LIVES IT
When it comes to escaping There are some things to remember.
1. There will be people in whatever place your are that will betray you to gain favor with the guards. If possible, act alone and tell no one. The people around you should hear a slight noise, turn and look to find a man/woman sized hole in the air. If escaping alone isn't possible trust only the people that you would step in front of a bullet to protect, and keep an eye on them. After all spies work by gaining your trust and then turning you in.
2. Watch for patterns, and if possible create them. Most, if not all people are creatures of habit. If something works, they will do it over and over again until it doesn't work. Sooner or later you will spot a place and a time where security is either lax or fails entirely. I'm sure we have all heard of people escaping from jail by hiding in a laundry truck, jumping into the back of a garbage truck or some such. While I was stationed in West Germany (before reunification, it was way back in the seventies) I read about a man who would travel back and forth between East and West Belin on a weekly basis. He lived in the west, his girlfriend had been trapped in the east. He developed a relationship with the guards on duty at Check Point Charlie and never said a word about them searching his car as he traveled both ways. Eventually they got so used to him the searches became little more than a formality. Then one week during his time in the west, he gutted the passengers seat and created a space just large enough for his girl friend to fit into. So the next weekend he drove though the check point and went to her place. They removed the seat cover, she squeezed in and he replaced it. On the way back the next day the guards, bored with searching his car time and again virtually waved him though. With his girl friend now in the west, it was his last time to go to the east.
3. Be ready at all times. You never know when something will happen that will present you chance to be somewhere else. Your window of opportunity may only last for a few seconds. Be ready to move at all times. Also prepare yourself in unexpected ways to improve your chances. I am a locksmith. I know how to get out of handcuffs and zip ties. It isn't hard and the tools you need are small enough that they can be easily hidden on your body in a number of places. No I won't tell you where to hide them. But trust me, you will find a way to carry them with you. These days everything is on youtube. Go there and type in 'how to pick a lock' or 'how to pick handcuffs' and you will find more information than you know what to do with. Of course if you go on line looking for a lock pick set, they are going to try to sell you sets with 100 or more picks in it and a hefty price. The pick set in my pocket has less than a dozen picks in it and will get me though almost any door. There is a place you can go on line and buy individual picks at a reasonable price. Watch the videos and see which picks are the most common used. Then go to lockpickshop.com and order the ones you want. Don't bother ordering the practice locks. Use the ones on your home for practice. And practice you must. It isn't hard but it does take a week or two to get good at it.
Time to sleep
Sleeping bags are a must when you are out in the woods, right? Wrong. Most sleeping bags are bulky and can get quite heavy if you have to move a long distance. But there is another way that serves multiple purposes. I have picked up in garage sales two items made for each other that will keep you both warm and dry. And they are literally made for each other. A military issue poncho and a poncho liner. The poncho, of course will keep you dry in most situations. The poncho liner is thin, light and surprisingly warm. I was once wearing that combination while learning how to cross country ski. BIG mistake. I wasn't half an hour into training before I had to stop and put away the liner. I was sweating so bad that if I kept it up, when we stopped I would have been a prime candidate for frostbite. The point is that the liner tied inside the poncho makes a very nice makeshift sleeping bag the weighs almost nothing, rolls up into a much more compact bundle and can be strapped to the outside of a back pack or bug out bag. I have one for me and a couple more in case I have people with me when the time comes. Also remember sleeping on the ground with nothing between you and it is a very bad idea. The earth will suck the heat from your body and make you a candidate for hypothermia. And don't be afraid to think outside the box when you are in a survival situation. Due to it's insulating qualities, that light weight poncho liner will prevent that from happening. It is also large enough that you lay on one half and pull the other half over you. It also has ties on all four corners as well as in the middle. Fold the liner in half, tie the halves together and you have a sleeping bag. Throw the poncho over that and you will be warm and dry in very low temperatures. Another option which serves this purpose and another as well is to tie the liner inside a military issue mylar blanket. It works the same as the poncho, but it also hides your body heat. No it won't guarantee that a skilled operator with the right equipment won't spot you in the dark, but it will make it much harder for him to see you. If possible carry all three. In wet weather you make a lean-to with the poncho and wrap up in the liner and mylar. Warm AND dry, a good combination.
Jul 26, 2019

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