SURVIVAL
The question is not whether you shall survive, but in what way you shall survive. Many theories of the way and time in which the Earth shall die are before you.
Some are of tidal waves and pole shifts, fire and floods, of nuclear winter and global warning, of chemical warfare and biological warfare, of starvation, of asteroid impacts, some of super volcanos, caronal mass ejections. There are many ways in which all life on Earth could die, each of which would provide a different way in which the Earth would die, as well.
"And many dates at which the death of Earth and her inhabitants were expected to take place have come and gone. The method and the time of the destruction of life on Earth have been cause for much speculation, and for many changes in the ways of living for those who believed in them. There is a lesson in each of these events.
Those of you who are wise will learn from the lessons of others. What are the lessons?
"If you only say that all have been wrong, and the lesson they learned was of failure, you are also wrong. Each who believed in a time or method of destruction that has passed was given a valuable lesson in the nature of destruction and survival. If you can find someone who has believed in a time and a way of destruction that has failed to happen, talk to that one. You will often find that person more at peace and more willing to face the reality of life because of the experience. Does this mean that there was a misconception that was a failure for someone?
No, for the lesson in failure to predict events made the failure a success. The lesson was the reality, while the expected event was the illusion. And the survival, to the extent that the survival took place, was spiritual. "For good reason, many of you have been encouraged to provide storage of food and prepare shelter for some cataclysm or holocaust. The preparation is good, and the need for it could even be provided by your creative thought in a self-fulfilling prophecy. And those who more specifically prepared for an event that never happened were faced with a few moments of disappointment and of relief. The lesson and the joy of the experience was that, while preparing, spiritual strength was developed, and a realignment of personal values was found.
Having prepared to survive the taste of death, you can be prepared to live. "This is more true for those who have been satisfied without needing knowledge of a time and way of destruction than for those who have had the time and way revealed to them. If you wonder and wish hard enough, you will find a way to develope your theory of the time and way of destruction. "But if your need for security expands into a desire for natural survival, you are less likely to be able to live in peace from day to day. This is not to say that those who have prepared for survival from something that did not happen were wrong, nor that you are right if you believe in a different way and time of destruction that is expected to come. The reality and purpose of each lesson and experience is in your attitude toward them, not in the facts of your belief or of the ensuing developments in time and space. What lessons can you learn from what you believe?
If you learn from the lessons, or if you don’t, your beliefs will certainly change with your perspective, for you are in changing times.
"So when you learn of the beliefs of others, with respect to survival or with respect to life and its meaning, expect them to sometimes disagree with yours. To each his own, according to his perspective, is the nature of life and truth. Don’t be too sure and don’t feel the need to be too sure, of what is to come or when it shall come. Be sure that it’s coming. and that there will be survivors, and be sure that you will be one of the survivors. Beyond that, only strive to learn the lessons that cause you to live in joy and peace, sheltered by that faith and belief within you.
"The messages of truth taught to you by your Inner Self, are messages of survival. This day is the day of your survival, not some future day of the imaginary destruction. This is the day for you to learn the lessons of your survival. I do not say that it is wrong to prepare for what you believe shall come, nor do I tell you that it is right for you to prepare. Your lesson is to learn of the security of reality. By whatever method, your lesson is to teach you of the meaning of life.
"Know this by faith, have it proved to you by the events that follow your faith in that which you believe, and you shall become less and less concerned with the time and method by which you shall survive. Build survival centers if you are led to do so, and live in them as you learn the real lessons, around which the centers are built. Accept every belief of every time and way of the death of Earth and her inhabitants as a possibility. Be very humble and very loving as you consider those whose prophecies for destruction failed and are history. And if you have an idea how th cataclysm might happen in the future, don’t be too sure of it.
"But be sure of survival, both for the believers of your theory and for the believers of the theories of others. With a spirit of universal love, consider all things as possible for all others, and know that the reality of life is not overly concerned with destruction or with survival, for all theories are for a temporal purpose. There are many ways of surviving.
If you have believed something that seem to have failed, have courage to find a new belief from a new truth.
"You need to feel no embarrassment from having been mistaken about what you once believed. The past belief has led you to this present moment, in which you are closer than you have ever been before.
The framework of the lessons of life is an illusion, but the spirit of the lessons is reality. The law kills, but the spirit gives life. Every law is concerned with the physical facts, and every spirit of life is filled with the reality of an attitude based on truth. This is how the truth, which leads to a constantly changing attitude, will set you free from the need for intense concern with survival.
"But after you have found this peace, I do not counsel you to forget your wishes for survival, even in a physical way. When a certain expected time for a certain way of destruction for the life on Earth comes and goes, there are feelings of both disappointment and relief. The spirit wishes for a release from time and its troubles, while the mind and the body wish to continue their search for a better life and for greater joy. This is well, for you are created to love life, and to wish it to continue in its present form until you find a better way.
"Only by faith can you learn to find security and peace of mind that can be found with any sort of life in any environment.
At this moment the writer looks out the window at a sunny morning. The rain has washed the leaves of grass and trees alike, and wisps of clouds hang above the valley. Above them, across the mountain tops, nothing but blue sky appears.
Cattle graze on the yonder mountainside, appearing as mere specks a mile away. You have no more reason to be concerned with survival than they are, but you have every reason to be concerned with the lessons learned in the preparation for survival.
"I do not counsel you to prepare, nor do I counsel you not to prepare, for the destruction of Earth. The way will be revealed when it is time, and the time will be revealed when it is time. You can learn little by knowing when and how the destruction shall come. You can learn little by fear of death and the anxiety of an uncertain survival. But you can learn all you need by living for today, facing the Spiritual Reality of your life and your beloved heritage, and facing the needs required only by this moment and this step of your life.
"You can survive instantly when your spirits lives. You can certainly live at any moment, and you shall live when you face the meaning of your life, which is your life.
So if you think always of survival only as it regards the present moment, you shall have no fear of failing in future survival at some unknown time and in some unknown way. Even so, I encourage you to prepare for what you are led to believe is the way of destruction if you like, and even the time of it. Just remember that the preparation for any future events is of no value unless you are preparing first for this moment and the next.
You shall live most fully in the smallest increments of time, for your survival is not of time, but of the Spirit of Life and Truth, that Are within you."
EXCERPTED from
A NEW WAY OF LIVING, by Ventris Nukayis
Volume 10, Book 30, Section A, May 21, 1990
Monday, September 13, 2010
This is the SWISS ARMY TRANGIA stove and messkit .
it comes apart like this.
The BURNER and FLASK SHAPED FUEL BOTTLE pack inside with plenty room left for other things.
This is the BURNER it is fueled by ALCOHOL which does NOT give off NOXIOUS FUMES and is extinguished instantly by water.
It can be used in BOAT CABINS, VEHICLES, TENTS etc.as long as there is sufficient oxygen ( air ) intake. since the stove doesn't get excessively hot at the bottom it can be used on any heat resistant surface.
note the O ring SEAL in the screw on top. make sure it remains there when you remove the top.
FILL THE BURNER BEFORE USE with ALCOHOL FUEL from the fuel FLASK.
NOTE if you are filling a burner which is empty or dry you will have to fill it and wait a few seconds as the fuel is absorbed then finish filling to the proper amount. if this is the first time you've loaded it or you haven't used it in awhile and the burner is empty it will soak up the first fuel and require additional fuel to complete . notice how the initial fuel level goes down a few seconds after loading.
if you light a partially filled burner it won't work correctly.
do NOT FILL TO THE TOP. fill to BELOW THE burner HOLES.
NOTICE the wire frames folded inside the bottom of the stove. UNFOLD THEM BEFORE USE they act as STANDOFFS to support the messkit.
the STOVE can be used without the burner as a DEBRIS BURNER by building a small fire with sticks and debris and setting the stove over it. fresh DEBRIS fuel can be added through notch in the bottom front.
this is the MESSKIT it consists of the LARGE POT w/handle note the hook on the handle which allows use over a campfire. the pot fits down INSIDE the STOVE in use. the messkit also consists of the SMALL FRY PAN/DISH which also acts as the COVER for the large pot when stored.
note the FLIP UP eyelets on the handle. they are for the bayonet ( or STICK) to be inserted extending the handle for use over a campfire.
the FRYPAN will also fit ( right side up) in the top of the LARGE POT allowing use of both simultaneously with the pot serving as an OVEN.
OPERATION
Since there are NO MOVING PARTS the stove is very easy to use and durable.
Fill before EACH use
light the burner. CAREFULL! at first the flame is nearly invisible at first. ESPECIALLY in bright sunlight. you can tell it's lit by passing your hand over it.
first lit
warmed up
full burn
NOTE: it takes a few MINUTES for the BURNER to WARM UP to full heat. you will see BLUE FLAME coming forcefully out of ALL the burner holes when in full operation.
place STOVE over burner and messkit FIRMLY down inside stove in operation
it may be difficult to get up to temperature in extremely cold environment. this problem is overcome by CARRYING THE FUEL FLASK and/or BURNER IN YOUR POCKET. That is why the fuel bottle is FLASK shaped, to allow it to be carried close to the body comfortably. you can carry a fully fueled burner with the top sealed firmly.
to save fuel you can extinguish the stove by snapping on the lid AFTER you've removed the O-RING. only put top/O-ring on COOL burner or it will MELT.
let burner cool before re-fueling and storing!
ALCOHOL FUEL addendum
Denatured Alcohol
The BEST FUEL to use
(ethanol with methanol (added as a denaturing agent), methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, water, and possibly other chemicals - aka methylated spirits, shellac thinner, marine stove fuel, liquid fondue fuel, chafing dish fuel)-
Found in marine shops and in the paint department of most hardware stores. Many brands of this solvent are specifically marketed for use as marine stove fuel and/or chafing fuel.
SECOND BEST FUEL
Grain Alcohol (aka pure ethanol, pure grain alcohol, PGA, grain neutral spirits, GNS, rectified spirit, rectified alcohol, medical grade ethanol, ethyl anhydrous, moonshine) - FOUND in liquor stores is good fuel also because it has medicinal uses and can be consumed. The reason it is second best is because of the cost. That is offset somewhat by it's multi-use.
Everclear Grain Alcohol and Golden Grain alcohol from the David Sherman Corporation come in 95% (190 proof) bottles. This fuel works well but is an expensive option and may be illegal or difficult to purchase in many places. It is also non-toxic and can double for medicinal uses.
Other fuels
Grain alcohol can also be made at home in large quantities, though perhaps not legally in your area .
Lab grade ethanol may have benzene or other chemicals mixed in with it and is very expensive.
Pure ethanol (aka absolute alcohol or dehydrated alcohol) can also be purchased from chemical supply distributors and as medical grade ethyl alcohol for a very high price. Since production of alcohol greater than 95.4% requires a special dehydration process that includes benzene or glycerine, these fuels can be very toxic.
Methyl Alcohol (aka methanol, wood alcohol, methyl hydrate, liquid fondue fuel, camp stove fuel, gas line antifreeze) Found in some hardware store paint departments as paint thinner or at gas stations and general stores as gas-line antifreeze such as HEET brand ( Yellow is Methanol , Red is Isopropyl ). You may also be able to purchase this for around US$6 per gallon at race shops that sell it as race fuel. While this is the most economical way to purchase alcohol fuel The vaporization pressures of methanol are much higher than ethanol throughout the applicable temperature ranges and the jets in your stove might light up faster when using this fuel. This is also a very poisonous fuel and you should consider the health concerns of this fuel if you decide to use it long term (thru-hikers beware and others may want to avoid storing contaminated stoves in their cook pots or bowls)
Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol, 2-Propanol, rubbing alcohol) Not recommended - Rubbing alcohol is generally only 70% alcohol and won't work in many stoves. Alcohol with 91% or greater alcohol content will work, but will leave a sooty residue on your pot and brown water in your stove.
RED HEET The heat potential for this fuel is high, but it doesn't generally burn completely (yellow flame and unburned soot) and is generally mixed with water that isn't burned and hinders fuel efficiency
STERNO This fuel usually comes in a resealable can and may be the best choice for young and clumsy campers, since kicking it over is less likely to cause a significant fire hazard as would other liquid and gas stoves. Due to costs and limitations, it is not highly recommended for most long distance backpackers.
SAFE HEAT ( in blue can with wick) MIS-NAMED because it is the LEAST SAFE alcohol fuel. it is Diethylene Glycol (DEG, 3-oxa-1,5-pentanediol, diglycol, ethylene diglycol, or dihydroxy diethyl ether) Not recommended -
Diethylene glycol is used in many brands of chafing fuels and must use a wick to burn. It is considered nonflammable by the US Department of Transportation, can be air transported and is therefore much more economical to transport and store. These transportation and storage classifications make it ideal for the retail market and it's safe to assume that any chafing fuel can with a wick uses diethylene glycol until proven otherwise" This fuel is difficult to light and is extremely poisonous . It is in fact the deadly chemical implicated in the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide Incident that killed 107 and was the main motivation for hastening of the enactment of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act . This fuel can be used but is not recommended for backpacking stove use due to its toxicity and nonflammable nature.
it comes apart like this.
The BURNER and FLASK SHAPED FUEL BOTTLE pack inside with plenty room left for other things.
This is the BURNER it is fueled by ALCOHOL which does NOT give off NOXIOUS FUMES and is extinguished instantly by water.
It can be used in BOAT CABINS, VEHICLES, TENTS etc.as long as there is sufficient oxygen ( air ) intake. since the stove doesn't get excessively hot at the bottom it can be used on any heat resistant surface.
note the O ring SEAL in the screw on top. make sure it remains there when you remove the top.
FILL THE BURNER BEFORE USE with ALCOHOL FUEL from the fuel FLASK.
NOTE if you are filling a burner which is empty or dry you will have to fill it and wait a few seconds as the fuel is absorbed then finish filling to the proper amount. if this is the first time you've loaded it or you haven't used it in awhile and the burner is empty it will soak up the first fuel and require additional fuel to complete . notice how the initial fuel level goes down a few seconds after loading.
if you light a partially filled burner it won't work correctly.
do NOT FILL TO THE TOP. fill to BELOW THE burner HOLES.
This is the STOVE it acts as a windbreak as well as the stand to hold the messkit/pots.
NOTICE the wire frames folded inside the bottom of the stove. UNFOLD THEM BEFORE USE they act as STANDOFFS to support the messkit.
the STOVE can be used without the burner as a DEBRIS BURNER by building a small fire with sticks and debris and setting the stove over it. fresh DEBRIS fuel can be added through notch in the bottom front.
this is the MESSKIT it consists of the LARGE POT w/handle note the hook on the handle which allows use over a campfire. the pot fits down INSIDE the STOVE in use. the messkit also consists of the SMALL FRY PAN/DISH which also acts as the COVER for the large pot when stored.
note the FLIP UP eyelets on the handle. they are for the bayonet ( or STICK) to be inserted extending the handle for use over a campfire.
the FRYPAN will also fit ( right side up) in the top of the LARGE POT allowing use of both simultaneously with the pot serving as an OVEN.
OPERATION
Since there are NO MOVING PARTS the stove is very easy to use and durable.
Fill before EACH use
light the burner. CAREFULL! at first the flame is nearly invisible at first. ESPECIALLY in bright sunlight. you can tell it's lit by passing your hand over it.
first lit
warmed up
full burn
NOTE: it takes a few MINUTES for the BURNER to WARM UP to full heat. you will see BLUE FLAME coming forcefully out of ALL the burner holes when in full operation.
place STOVE over burner and messkit FIRMLY down inside stove in operation
it may be difficult to get up to temperature in extremely cold environment. this problem is overcome by CARRYING THE FUEL FLASK and/or BURNER IN YOUR POCKET. That is why the fuel bottle is FLASK shaped, to allow it to be carried close to the body comfortably. you can carry a fully fueled burner with the top sealed firmly.
to save fuel you can extinguish the stove by snapping on the lid AFTER you've removed the O-RING. only put top/O-ring on COOL burner or it will MELT.
let burner cool before re-fueling and storing!
ALCOHOL FUEL addendum
Denatured Alcohol
The BEST FUEL to use
(ethanol with methanol (added as a denaturing agent), methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, water, and possibly other chemicals - aka methylated spirits, shellac thinner, marine stove fuel, liquid fondue fuel, chafing dish fuel)-
Found in marine shops and in the paint department of most hardware stores. Many brands of this solvent are specifically marketed for use as marine stove fuel and/or chafing fuel.
SECOND BEST FUEL
Grain Alcohol (aka pure ethanol, pure grain alcohol, PGA, grain neutral spirits, GNS, rectified spirit, rectified alcohol, medical grade ethanol, ethyl anhydrous, moonshine) - FOUND in liquor stores is good fuel also because it has medicinal uses and can be consumed. The reason it is second best is because of the cost. That is offset somewhat by it's multi-use.
Everclear Grain Alcohol and Golden Grain alcohol from the David Sherman Corporation come in 95% (190 proof) bottles. This fuel works well but is an expensive option and may be illegal or difficult to purchase in many places. It is also non-toxic and can double for medicinal uses.
Other fuels
Grain alcohol can also be made at home in large quantities, though perhaps not legally in your area .
Lab grade ethanol may have benzene or other chemicals mixed in with it and is very expensive.
Pure ethanol (aka absolute alcohol or dehydrated alcohol) can also be purchased from chemical supply distributors and as medical grade ethyl alcohol for a very high price. Since production of alcohol greater than 95.4% requires a special dehydration process that includes benzene or glycerine, these fuels can be very toxic.
Methyl Alcohol (aka methanol, wood alcohol, methyl hydrate, liquid fondue fuel, camp stove fuel, gas line antifreeze) Found in some hardware store paint departments as paint thinner or at gas stations and general stores as gas-line antifreeze such as HEET brand ( Yellow is Methanol , Red is Isopropyl ). You may also be able to purchase this for around US$6 per gallon at race shops that sell it as race fuel. While this is the most economical way to purchase alcohol fuel The vaporization pressures of methanol are much higher than ethanol throughout the applicable temperature ranges and the jets in your stove might light up faster when using this fuel. This is also a very poisonous fuel and you should consider the health concerns of this fuel if you decide to use it long term (thru-hikers beware and others may want to avoid storing contaminated stoves in their cook pots or bowls)
Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol, 2-Propanol, rubbing alcohol) Not recommended - Rubbing alcohol is generally only 70% alcohol and won't work in many stoves. Alcohol with 91% or greater alcohol content will work, but will leave a sooty residue on your pot and brown water in your stove.
RED HEET The heat potential for this fuel is high, but it doesn't generally burn completely (yellow flame and unburned soot) and is generally mixed with water that isn't burned and hinders fuel efficiency
STERNO This fuel usually comes in a resealable can and may be the best choice for young and clumsy campers, since kicking it over is less likely to cause a significant fire hazard as would other liquid and gas stoves. Due to costs and limitations, it is not highly recommended for most long distance backpackers.
SAFE HEAT ( in blue can with wick) MIS-NAMED because it is the LEAST SAFE alcohol fuel. it is Diethylene Glycol (DEG, 3-oxa-1,5-pentanediol, diglycol, ethylene diglycol, or dihydroxy diethyl ether) Not recommended -
Diethylene glycol is used in many brands of chafing fuels and must use a wick to burn. It is considered nonflammable by the US Department of Transportation, can be air transported and is therefore much more economical to transport and store. These transportation and storage classifications make it ideal for the retail market and it's safe to assume that any chafing fuel can with a wick uses diethylene glycol until proven otherwise" This fuel is difficult to light and is extremely poisonous . It is in fact the deadly chemical implicated in the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide Incident that killed 107 and was the main motivation for hastening of the enactment of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act . This fuel can be used but is not recommended for backpacking stove use due to its toxicity and nonflammable nature.
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