S.W.A.T. December 2007 - McKeesport Police Department

AGAINST ALL ODDS
as a protective wrapper to keep it from
rupturing easily.
For survival water purification, I carry
a chemical purifying agent. Several
variations of this are available, such as
Polar Pure and Potable Aqua, and while
it’s not the best for killing all waterborne
bugs, it stores easily and works well in
an emergency.
NAVIGATION / SIGNALING
For navigation and signaling, buy a
good baseplate compass with mirror
sighting capabilities. Not only are these
more accurate for navigation, but the
mirror also makes an excellent signaling
device using the finger “peace sign”
method described in most survival manuals.
I also include a good Write In The
Rain notepad and pen because any time
you attempt to self-rescue by navigating
in unfamiliar territory, you should
always record your bearings, distance
and travel times in case you have to return
to where you started. Ranger beads
are a great way to record distance. Buy
a set, practice with them and keep them
in your kit. They’re cheap, lightweight
and can be attached to your clothing
and provide you with a relatively
easy way to measure distance traveled.
A good flashlight with spare bulb
and batteries is a must in any survival
kit—just be sure to keep the batteries
rotated. Another thing I include in my
kit is several large pieces of reflective
tape such as those found in the automotive
section at Wal-Mart. I don’t know
of any commercial kits that include
this as a tool, but for marking camps
or key points that you may need to return
to, it’s an excellent tool. By taping
two small pieces back to back and then
hanging them by a string/cord/vine in
the open, you have a bright 360-degree
16 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER 2007 SWATMAG.COM