Rocky Mount Prepper

Here are some of the topics I want to cover here.

Threats to Humanity

What are some of the threats to humanity and civilization?

Hurricanes

Living in eastern NC, we need to be prepared for the possibility of a hurricane.

Dakota Fire Hole

Learn how to make an efficient and stealthy fire.

Disaster Movies

My thoughts on various films about disasters and such. I generally don't watch new movies anymore, but I've seen a lot of old movies.

Geomagnetic Reversal

Some scientists since I was a kid have said we're at the start of a reversal of the Earth's magnetic field. Apparently some are now saying we're not. We don't know how weak the field will get or how long it will take, it could be centuries or millennia, but we'll almost certainly be exposed to more harmful radiation from space when the field is weak.

Patina

Protect your weapons and tools from rusting and make them more stealthy.

SODIS

SODIS is a term for the solar disinfecting of water, which means using the sun to kill any harmful pathogens in water so it's safe to drink.

Celestial Navigation Basics

Learn the most essential methods of using the heavens for navigation.

If you just need general directions, you know the sun is generally in the east in the morning and in the west in the evening. It's more south in the winter and a little north in the winter. So on a winter morning, the sun is really rising in the southeast and setting in the southwest. Ancient peoples used this seasonal motion of the sun to determine dates for planting crops.

Polaris, The North Star, with the Little Dipper below and Cassiopeia above.

Do you know how to find the North Star, also called Polaris? You can find it using the Little Dipper or Cassiopeia, which are both nearby constellations. Finding the North Star might seem easy when you're looking at the pictures, but finding it in reality is not always easy because all the stars in the Little Dipper typically aren't visible unless you're in the middle of nowhere because they're too dim.

The front two stars of the Little Dipper point to the North Star at about 5 times the distance between them. Cassiopeia is shaped like a letter 'M' or 'W', with one side a bit flattened. The North Star is below the flattened side, that is to say, perpendicular to the direction of text if it were an M or W, going from the side that is flatter. I think it's about five times the distance between two stars in the constellation. Always with the 5 times the distance.

When you find the North Star, you'll know true north within 2/3^rds of a degree. True north differs from magnetic north by a significant amount in many locations, including NC. In the Rocky Mount area, magnetic north is about 7 or 8 degrees to the left of true north. AI says it's -7.5 degrees for Rocky Mount. True north is the Earth's axis of rotation, and it doesn't change, while magnetic north is related to the magnetic field and is moving rapidly in recent decades, which may be related to an ongoing geomagnetic reversal.

Maybe there are clouds or trees in the way and you can't see north. Another way to find your bearings is to see where Orion rises or sets. Orion's belt is due east or west when it's at the horizon. But you typically can't see the horizon due to trees or buildings. So you estimate where Orion's belt would intersect with the horizon by holding a stick vertically and moving the bottom away from the equator to an angle that is equal to your latitude. So at the equator, you'd hold it straight vertically. In the Rocky Mount area in North Carolina, you'd hold the stick at 36 degrees from vertical.

Another way to use the heavens to get your bearings is to observe a shadow cast by sunlight or moonlight for a few minutes. If you mark where a shadow is now, wait a few minutes, then mark it again, the two marks will give you a perfect east-west line.