Carl writes us with some Southern survival skills…

I had a lot to add to Carl's commentary, so I've merely credited him where due, and the rest is my addendum.

Carl reports that the dry, hair-like growths that accumulate between palm fronds (known locally as "monkey fur"), are excellent tinder for starting fires. Good advice, thanks!

 Down South, or in any other hot, damp area there is another survival concern beyond the standard shelter, water, food, etc. That concern is mosquitoes! There’ve been a few times where I have just about lost my mind with these little bloodsuckers. You do NOT want to be caught out without some form of repellent. I suggest a small amount of "Ben's 100", a 100% liquid DEET that has been shown to last for 12 hours or more. A VERY small amount goes a LONG way, so a tiny vial of it would be a good item to have in ones survival kit in some areas.

 I mention this because Carl writes that an old man once told him that mangrove leaves, when crushed up between your hands and applied to the skin, act as a natural mosquito repellant. I was skeptical to say the least. A LOT of stupid things have been reported to repel insects, but most are BOGUS!

A little research on my part showed that this story actually has some merit. It turns out that Mangrove trees exude an acrid latex that is injurious to a variety of marine and insect species. These polymer chains are similar in chemical makeup to the Pyrethrin and Permethrin family of insecticides and repellents. Mangrove extracts (from either leaves or roots) effectively repel adult mosquitoes, and will actually kill mosquito larvae. These extracts are some of the most powerful repellents available. Permethrin coatings have been shown to last for many months on clothing, and even have effectiveness after repeated laundering!

HOWEVER... the old man was wrong on one count. Permethrins/Pyrethrins are used primarily on fabrics, and may be harmful if applied directly on the skin. I suggest some protection when crushing it up. Maybe chopping it up and rolling in it would be better advice!

SOME NOTES - My skeptical side at work!

NOTE: Citronella, cajuput, cedar, cinnamon, verbena, pennyroyal, geranium, lavender, pine, rosemary, basil, thyme, allspice, peppermint, catnip, and eucalyptus have all been "reported" to have a repellent effect on insects. In study after study, every one of these has consistently FAILED to have any real repellent effects. Citronella candles were compared with just plain old wax candles, and had little or no advantage over the candles.

NOTE: There is ZERO evidence that wearing devices that emit sound will repel mosquitoes. Theories abound, but I have yet to see a single scientific study that shows effectiveness.

NOTE: There is ZERO evidence that eating garlic or onions will make one repellent to mosquitoes. However... there's PLENTY of evidence that it will make you repellent to other people! NOTE: There is ZERO evidence that gobbling vitamins will make a person repellent to mosquitoes. I have done some research on this one because I once heard there was a certain B vitamin that repelled mosquitoes. After a little searching, I found people claiming that vitamin B1 would repel them, others arguing that B2 was the one that did it, and yet others extolling the virtues of B12. In all of these, I found not a single explanation of how, why, or even a single shred of empirical data. It is worth mentioning that many of these same folks were making all sorts of ridiculous claims as to the benefits of mega-dosing on a wide variety vitamins and minerals. Maybe they're on to something... maybe by overdosing on various things, you can throw off your body's chemistry so much that even insects will find you repulsive!

NOTE: The Avon "Skin So Soft" product line has been bandied about by lots of people as being the be all and end all bug repellent product. If you've ever smelled this stuff, you'd avoid it too. BUT, in the studies I've seen, this stuff has limited effectiveness, and it lasts about an hour, as compared with up to 12 hours as realized with DEET. Buy some Ben's 100, you'll be bug free and you won't smell like a fruit.

Sander writes to us about "Divining for Water"  (paraphrased):

"During an archaeology class I took (just for fun) the teacher had us cut up a coat hanger into two pieces, each L-shaped, with about 4-6" and 8-10" arms each. He then took us outside to the football field, which had underground water lines run every ten yards for the sprinkler system.

Holding each one so they stuck out in front of you in parallel, you'd start walking down the field. Walking along, every time a water line hit, the hangers would, without any provocation from your hands, sway inwards and cross each other. As you left the water line, and got to about 2-3 yards away, they uncross and go back to pointing out. You could accurately determine the water sources to a yard easily doing this.

It only worked for 3 or 4 people in the class of about 30, one of which was me."


M40's response:

Dear Sander,

I've heard all the most strident arguments about divining rods, but I still think they are a parlor trick. This is because every attempt to properly test this technique has failed miserably. I saw a "psychic" try to prove it out on Discovery channel against nothing but pure chance. He "divined" a field, picking 10 spots to drill, while the Discovery folks simply tossed stones to pick spots to drill. The "psychic" lost, as none of his spots were anywhere near surface water, and the random method hit on a couple aquifers by pure chance.

These folks have "proved out" divining by finding water where they saw the rod dip, but the fact remains that pretty much anywhere you dig, you'll find water if you go deep enough. I've heard of divining for water, oil, minerals, buried treasure, etc etc etc. How come the folks that make these claims are never wealthy... ?

And how come I never see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"? It's because these are parlor tricks. Always have been, always will be. Some of these folks are pretty convincing, but so are most magicians. Many "psychics" actually believe they have paranormal abilities, so I'm not calling them liars, I'm just saying most of them are so into the "New Age" crap that they actually believe they can perform magic. None of these have EVER proven their abilities under observed conditions.

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) offers a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper (scientific) observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The prize is in the form of negotiable bonds held in a special investment account. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. So far, no one has ever passed even a preliminary test.

I believe that what you experienced in your archaeology class was a simple case of your own inherent intelligence fooling you. Most "Psychics" are what I choose to call "master observers of the present facts". They are folks who observe well, and use all available knowledge when they make a judgment. It is what most people call "insightful". Subconsciously, you knew there was a sprinkler system there, and you unwittingly dipped the rod. Please don't make the mistake of mixing simple insightfulness with copious amounts of EGO, which is what you'll find most "psychics" do in claiming special powers.

Feel free to disagree with me on this, but I have the entire scientific community on my side. Science can logically prove their findings, yet there has never been a single proven paranormal event.

I thank you for your correspondence, but would recommend AGAINST packing a divining rod in your survival kit. Stick to the proven ways to find water, and you'll do just fine!

    Regards,

             (M40)

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