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In Chemical Warfare, nerve agents are the most prevalent weapon. They affect the transmission of nerve impulses in the nervous system.

The UK Intelligence community has confirmed that a former Russian military intelligence officer and his daughter were recently killed in an English town by a nerve agent called Novichok. The bodies of the Russian’s son and wife are now being exhumed to determine their cause of death.

Whether the assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, was ordered by the Kremlin, FSB or the Russian mafia will be the subject of conjecture for months to come. But, the concern for corporate travellers is more immediate and they need to understand the nature of the threat.

All modern nerve agents belong to the chemical group of organic phosphorous compounds. They are easy to make with readily available materials. Not only are they highly toxic but they are stable and several have been aerosolized. The effects are rapid when absorbed by the skin or from breathing.

The most common nerve agents are Tabun, VX, Sarin, GF and Soman. Novichok includes a range of nerve agents that are similar to Satin and VX.

Unfortunately, Novichok agents are not listed on the banned product lists of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention because their existence was only made public after the treaty was signed.

6 ways to protect yourself against nerve agents

1. Recognise the symptoms such as increased saliva, chest constriction, loss of bladder control, vomiting and skin sweats. These lead to muscular paralysis and death by suffocation.
2. Invest in a mask to protect your face, eyes and respiratory tract. The use of a mask is improved with a charcoal filter.
3. If you hear a warning about the release of a nerve agent, swallow a diazepam tablet. This will enhance the effects of other antidotes you might be given and protect against permanent brain damage.
4. Swab furniture, equipment and tools with a 5% chlorine bleach solution. Use a 0.5% chlorine bleach solution to wash your body and extremities.
5. Make a decontamination powder by mixing equal parts of chloride of lime with magnesium oxide. This powder will absorb and neutralise most nerve agents.
6. Carry a Swedish auto-injector containing 2 mg of atropine and a reactivator.

Attend one of our courses and learn how to survive any nuclear, biological or chemical attack.

H.E.A.T. tip: Before you offer help to others, make sure that you are safe. Decontaminate the victims and then cordon off the affected areas.

 

 

 

For many individuals preparing for a hostile environment, food is critical. But, you do not need to pack a lot of rations to survive.

Many bug out bags are heavy because of ration packs and food supplies. Yet, you can survive many days without food, albeit uncomfortably.

However, to carry extra food is not necessary, especially in an urban environment where the local population will continue to have access to food and some supplies.

Rather than carrying specific rations, such as freeze- dried or retort pack meals, consider taking the means of cooking tasty food based on ingredients you will find.

Your bug out bag should contain a selection of items including hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, stock cubes, sugar, tea, coffee, curry powder and cooking oil. These items will enable you to prepare quick, easy and tasty meals to enhance your morale.

6 Easy Bug Out Bag Meals

1. Caramelised donuts

    Combine some powdered milkshake to a pancake mix and add water. Form into balls and boil in oil until golden brown. Heat a tablespoon of sugar over a flame and drip over the donut.

2. Mixed fruit salad

Open two tons of mixed fruit and drain off the juice for future use. Chop an orange, apple and another fruit to mix with the drained fruit. Squeeze a lemon onto the fruit and mix.

3. Fruit crumble

Crush four biscuits in a plastic bag. Add  milkshake powder and bind with the crushed pulp of some fresh fruit. Press flat on the base of a metal pot and gently roast over a low flame for 15 minutes. Serve with a brew.

4. Fish curry

Clean, scale and cube the fish. Heat oil in a pot and gently fry chopped onions before adding the curry powder and making a paste. Add the fish, small cubes of parboiled potatoes, a tomato, stock cube and a full cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes, add salt and eat with a spoon. 

5. Afroturk

Boil 4 litres of oil in a large pot or bucket. Rub a mixture of  lemon pepper, Cajun spices and garlic flakes onto a 6 kg turkey. Place turkey in boiling oil and cook for 40 minutes. Remove charred turkey, carve and add  salt. The blackened skin insulates the flesh whilst it is cooking and produces a moist and flavoursome meat.

6. Pot bread

Add a 330 ml can of beer to a 500 g packet of self- raising flour. Mix together and leave in a container for an hour in a warm place. Knead the dough for five minutes and let it rise again. Take the risen dough and press it  down into an oiled pot, put on the lid and place coals on the top and the sides. Bake for 40 minutes.

Learn more about survival cooking and how to make deliciously simple meals in any hostile environment by attending one of our courses.

H.E.A.T. tip: If you want a party, make some raisin beer. Add half a cup of raisins and half a cup of sugar to a 2-litre plastic bottle and fill with water. Close the lid but periodically open it  to let any fermenting gases  to escape. Leave for 7 days before drinking.

There are approximately half a billion dogs in the world. How do you evade them after escaping from unlawful custody?All dogs bite and any dog can alert others to your presence. The military, law enforcement and private security companies in Africa often  use them as both watchdogs and bloodhounds.Irrespective of breed, such dogs share common characteristics.  They are about 60 cms tall;weigh about 40kg; can run about 40 kph over a short distance;  and tend to have a faithful and courageous temperament.

Typically, the preferred breeds for guarding and tracking are Dobermans, Alsatians, Mastiffs and Labradors. Although, the dog that accompanied S.E.A.L. Team 6 which killed Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois named Cairo.

By understanding how dogs function you can practice successful evasion.  Dogs have good vision and are attracted to movement. Yet, their primary senses are hearing and smell. 

Dogs hear better than humans but their hearing is impaired by industrial noise, traffic and bad weather. But,  their sense of smell is 700 X that of humans, and dogs ” see” smell- both air scent and ground scent. Disrupt their primary senses and you can evade dogs.

6 steps for evading dogs

1. If a dog sees you, freeze in place. As you are not moving, the dog might lose interest.
2. If you are in a group, split up. Agree a time and place to rendez- vous and go your separate ways.
3. Run at a steady pace. You will not be able to outrun the dog but you could tire it’s handler.
4. Climb up, over and along physical features before dropping to the ground.
5. Cross a body of water or an area that experiences heavy pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
6. Confuse the handler by repeatedly crossing over an obstacle for no apparent reason. Your erratic actions might persuade the handler that the dog has lost your scent.

During our Urban Escape and Evasion courses, you will learn how to: escape from a variety of restraints, get out of any building, scale perimeter fences and defend yourself. 

H.E.A.T. tip: The most effective weapon for disrupting a dog attack is a fire extinguisher. 

If you ever see a helicopter hovering near a road sign, the pilot is probably ” temporarily embarrassed as to my location”.

If you have ever felt that growing dread when you realise that you are lost, here are some proven techniques to help you get back on track.

Learn these 6 techniques and never get lost in a city again.

1. Stop moving the moment that you realise you are lost.
2. Look around you and orient yourself to your surroundings. Try to identify a cardinal point ( North, East, West or South) using the sun, moon or the stars.
3. Look at the nearby buildings for direction clues. Depending on the hemisphere or country, domestic satellite dishes point to a specific  cardinal point.
4. Boost your phone’s navigation speed, accuracy and reliability by adding GLONASS ( the Russian navigation system) to your GPS function.
5. If in a Christian city, find a church. Not to pray for help but because it is built along an east- west line. The altar is at the eastern end facing the sun. In a Muslim city, worshippers always pray facing Mecca ( but not necessarily east).
6. Buildings are often stained and marked by pollution and acid rain. These are carried by the prevailing winds. The side of a building facing the prevailing winds will show more pollution marks. By knowing the direction from which these winds blow, you can determine direction.

Whether you are walking in a dodgy neighbourhood or your satnav is not working, attend one of our H.E.A.T. courses and never feel that you are utterly and hopelessly lost again.

 

 

H.E A.T. tip:

In an urban environment, depending on the time of day, look for groups of commuters heading in one direction. In the morning follow them; in the afternoon backtrack. You will end up at a commuter transport hub.

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Fish is a valuable source of protein. Learn how to cook your catch here.

Fish is a vital component of any well-being balanced diet and is a useful source of protein, especially in a survival situation. Research has shown that the Omega-3 (a   polyunsaturated fatty acid) found in fish is beneficial to one’s health. In a survival situation, you need to know where to fish and how to eat your catch.

In Africa, there are abundant resources of fish in rivers and lakes, as well as along the coastal areas. In these areas, attach a weight to your line ( improvise with paracord) along with a hook made from a bent pin. Bait the hook with some local foodstuff ( bread, grubs or insects) and lower the line into the water. When the weight hits the bottom, raise your line jiggle it a few times to attract fish. 

6 ways to eat your catch

1. Clean your fish by cutting along its belly from the jaw to its tail. 
2. Remove the innards and wash the gutted fish in water.
3. You can preserve your fish by using a variety of methods. In a survival situation, you might salt,brine, smoke or dry your fish. Just ensure that you are careful and ensure that the fish does not rot or is eaten by scavengers.
4. Whilst you can eat fish raw, it is better to cook it once caught. For this, you need a fire.
5. Cut off the head unless you want to cook the whole fish on a spit or wrapped in leaves.
6. Spear the fish with a sharp stick. Support the stick and rotate it over the fire, turning slowly so that the fish does not burn. You will smell when it is ready to eat.

Learn more about catching and cooking fish in an urban survival situation by enrolling on one of our 2 day courses.

H.E.A.T. tip: Sprinkle Rotenone ( a fish poison derived from tropical plants) on the water. Any fish exposed to the toxicant cannot breathe and will swim to the surface.