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Thread: The most crucial item for survival.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Default The most crucial item for survival.

    Was reading a Time Magazine at the DR's office yesterday....

    So looked it up...to find this.

    The most crucial item that migrants and refugees carry is a smartphone for survival.
    http://qz.com/500062/the-most-crucia...-a-smartphone/

    quote>


    More than a billion people around the world rely on smartphones and their ubiquitous messaging and social media apps, but none more so than the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing war, hunger, and famine in the Middle East and Africa.


    The massive crowds of refugees and migrants from Syria and elsewhere who have flooded Europe this year, and continue to arrive en masse, are relying heavily on smartphone apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook Messenger, along with other tools like Google Maps, as they risk perilous sea crossings, skirt unfriendly border crossings, and try to keep in touch with their loved ones.


    “Our phones and power banks are more important for our journey than anything, even more important than food,” a Syrian named Wael told Agence France Presse on the Greek island of Kos.

    (Tyler Jump/International Rescue Committee)
    Clothes and food can be purchased relatively cheaply, and even cash can be electronically transferred, but a smartphone is crucial. Smugglers who take the refugees across the Mediterranean drastically limit what people can take on board, but the phones are too precious to give up, they say.


    A marine distress beacon

    One Syrian man described to the International Rescue Committee, an organization that provides refugee relief, how he used his phone to try to contact the Greek coast guard when his boat was sinking.





    The engine of the overcrowded dinghy he was on had died after half an hour of sailing. “We were exactly between Turkey and Greece. I know because I checked the GPS on my phone,” he said. Then the weather started getting worse:



    Quickly the boat became full of water and started to sink. I rang the Greek coastguard and started shouting ‘help us, help us’ but they couldn’t really hear me because my phone was wrapped in a plastic bag to protect it from the water. So I sent a Whatsapp message giving my GPS and asking them to help us. I also sent my family a message with my GPS and explained the situation but said ‘don’t worry, even though the weather is bad, we’ll make it across.’


    He ended up jumping into the sea, and survived.

    (Reuters/Osman Orsal)
    Facebook as a travel agency

    Before they head out on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, refugees and migrants find smugglers through WhatsApp and Facebook pages that function as illicit travel agencies. Travelers also use Facebook pages to share crucial information, such as which smugglers charge less.

    A migrant asks “if we drown, do we get our money back?” A smuggler replies ““hahaha don’t worry, you won’t drown.”


    Smugglers can take deceptively beautiful pictures, and promise a journey in great conditions. After the migrants pay the traffickers often exorbitant sums, they arrive to see a rickety dinghy, instead of a comfortable boat.


    “On the one hand they are very liberating technologies, but there’s a very dark side to them, because there are un-policed, unregulated, and have unscrupulous people taking advantage of them,” Leonard Doyle, a spokesman for the International Organization of Migration, tells Quartz.



    “Facebook, to their great credit, are paying attention and shutting the pages down immediately,” says Doyle.

    Screenshot of the “Mersin to Italy trips” page.
    However, new pages quickly replace the ones that are shut down. And, Doyle says, with the spread of mobile technology, the exploitation of migrants and refugees through social media will only get worse. Facebook Zero, for instance, he says, a basic mobile version of the platform that doesn’t require a data plan, will continue to bring smugglers access to a wider, less educated, poorer population.


    Facebook, in a statement to Quartz, said: “It is against Facebook’s community standards to post content that coordinates people smuggling and this type of content will be removed when reported to us. We encourage people to use the reporting links found across our site so that our team of experts can review the content swiftly.”


    A map, a guidebook, an instruction manual

    By texting and messaging with their friends and family who had taken the journey before them, refugees find out exactly what to do when they arrive at their destination, and precisely where to go.

    (Reuters/Pascal Rossignol)
    Paul Donohoe of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) told Quartz what refugees who arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos do when there is no bus available. “They literally just turn left, and start walking–they’ve had it all communicated to them.”



    Once on land in Europe, GPS can be better than an unscrupulous guide. One man trying to get from Greece to Macedonia used his phone to cross the border, using a digital map “to find the best road to reach the nearest train station on the other side of the border,” he told the IRC.


    Power is power

    While smartphones play a crucial role in the refugees’ journey, they are also prone to breakage, theft, and battery loss. What struck Donohoe most while he was at Lesbos, was that “everybody, in addition to sorting out their shelter, food, water is trying to get electricity for their phones.”

    Phone charging in Lesbos.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
    Humanitarian organizations have noticed how important phones are for the refugees. The IRC has handed out thousands of solar-powered chargers in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. The United Nations refugee agency gave out 33,000 SIM cards to refugees in Jordan. The Civil Society and Technology Project sent in human Wi-Fi beacons into crowds of refugees: volunteers equipped with hotspot-emitting backpacks.


    Selfies are universal

    Smartphones aren’t just about survival for people trying to reach a better life in Europe. They are also a means for celebration:

    (Reuters/Marko Djurica)
    The newly arrived take pictures to send to their relatives or they pose for jubilant selfies, the eponymous form of photography promoted by Instagram celebrities. Sometimes a selfie stick accessory provides a better angle.

    One for the books.(Reuters/Yannis Behrakis)


    Refugees: They’re just like us

    In addition to serving as a lifeline during their journey, a refugee’s smartphone can serve another, unexpected purpose. It can show their European hosts, many of whom are wary of the influx of newcomers, that the people who are camping out at ports, train stations, and cafes, trying to catch Wi-Fi signal are not that different from them.



    As the Independent’s James O’Malley wrote this week: “Surprised that Syrian refugees have smartphones? Sorry to break this to you, but you’re an idiot.”

    Syrian refugees looking at pictures of their missing–and presumed to be drowned–compatriots.(Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi)
    “I think there is an understanding that the cultural distance isn’t that great and things like technology show that proximity,” says Donohoe of the IRC. Just observing the refugees’ level of English and their ability to communicate fosters a sense that “they could be us,” he adds.


    Donohoe describes how he sat in cafes or restaurants in Lesbos, relying on their Wi-Fi for work. Next to him, refugees would be using the same Wi-Fi to speak to relatives back home.



    But there’s a flip side, Donohoe says: “You hear people saying: ‘Are they that desperate if they have a smartphone?’ There’s a sense that “if you have any extra kind of product you are not deserving in some way.” What they don’t realize is that many of these people are educated and were well off, back home, in Syria for instance, but were forced out by a brutal war. As The New York Times notes, the use of technology on the run is largely driven by tens of thousands of middle-class Syrians.


    What’s more, cheap smartphones are widely available, and internet capable phones are increasingly popular in developing countries: in Jordan, 41% of people surveyed by the Pew Research Center own a smartphone, in Lebanon, 48%.


    The odyssey of Ideas
    A WhatsApp message from “Ideas,” a Syrian refugee.(Ideas travels)
    Sam Nemeth, a Dutch journalist, has been following the journey of a Syrian man nicknamed “Ideas” by messaging with him on WhatsApp.


    Ideas has made his way through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, all the while documenting his trip on his phone, and sending updates to Nemeth who posts them on a blog and Facebook group called “Ideas travels: a Whatsapp odyssey in the Balkans.”


    According to Nemeth and Ideas, WhatsApp is so popular among the Syrian refugees, because it was widely adopted in the country after the Assad regime shut down Skype.


    Ideas tells Quartz, via email from Nemeth, that without WhatsApp it “would have taken him much longer and the risks of being arrested or robbed would have been much higher.” In many cases he was guided by messages from other Syrians.


    Ideas got his refugee status in the Netherlands at the end of August, he told Nemeth through WhatsApp. His arrival was cheered on Facebook by Westerners who have learned of his story.



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    There you have it folks.....no need for a knife, cordage or ammo...that will be taken away from you anyway.

    Smartphone and to be helpful....Credit/Debt/ATM card.




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    Last edited by hunter63; 11-07-2015 at 10:16 PM.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    So no more knife threads? Let me be the first.......

    What is the best survival phone??!!!!!!
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    Bhohahahaha...Atta boy Nate....be the first.....ya didn't let me down.
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    Quote Originally Posted by natertot View Post
    So no more knife threads? Let me be the first.......

    What is the best survival phone??!!!!!!
    A samsung galaxy s5 or newer of course! lol

    I once made a post way back when on the uses of a cell phone even with out cell signal/wifi. But nothing else taken into account if you invest a little you can carry an entire library of info in your pocket. When traveling vast distances fast nothing beats a cell phone in terms of knowledge at hand. One can only carry / memorize oh so many flora/fauna and maps.

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    Oh, I can see it now. A cell phone with fero rod in the side and collapsible water bag.

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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Hey David, I agree. My survival pone is a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. I went with a mini for because it packs lighter and is "tacticool" with its faux carbon fiber shell!

    No ferro rod, but there was one episode of Dual Survival where Dave and Cody used a cell phone battery and steel wool to start fire. Does that count?
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    The USN Academy has returned to instructing cadets celestial navigation this year .Think EMP prep 101.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    I guess what I find inereting is we all seem to have the idea......SHTF (?) garb your BOB and GOD (get outa Dodge)..
    All the stuff we all have collected, argued about, twisted our hanky on the BEST, whatever.....

    You head out to your BOL,...... in your, BOV, and hunker down till the fire, flood, earthquake, invasion by bad guys....social collapse, Government take over (?).....Like in the movies.

    Then look at millions of people doing all the same things because their government is in a major conflict, and the house get's blowed up.

    What do you take with you...a pack, under ware, socks, family stuff....and your Smart phone.

    But then again they couldn't pick their SHTF....just had to go with what actually happened.

    Just makes me wonder........
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mischief View Post
    The USN Academy has returned to instructing cadets celestial navigation this year .Think EMP prep 101.
    I didn't realize they stopped. Celestial navigation was still used when I was in (03-07) by the quartermasters and was required knowledge for the Navigation Officer. Most officers that stood watch on the bridge were also required to have working knowledge of it. Celestial Navigation wasn't heavily used (primarily a back up because anything is possible, including losing navigation instruments) but it was around.
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    They never stopped teaching celestial to navigators, but did drop if from the required courses at Annapolis for about 4 years for some reason.

    It was reinstated as required last year.

    It is still a backup to the GPS network.

    Both China and the EU are putting their own GPS systems into operation and the UK has begun installing long range land tower transmitters to aid the GPS. Seems they do not want to be dependent on our systems.
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    It depends on where you intend to travel. The vast majority of the surface of the earth receives no mobile phone signal at all and probably 99% does not receive my carrier's signal, Sprint which is just terrible for "everything" but my daughters (data hogs) and I have unlimited 4G LTE data while in some cities and by many major interstates. So we can "survive" there or at least they bug me less... My wife freaks out about how much data we all use, I'm like "that's why I got the unlimited data from anywhere years ago, grandfathered in now." She has AT&T phone which her firm pays 80% of bill for (new phone every year or less) it has much better coverage especially in West Texas.

    So if you are a Syrian refuge/migrant and can find a place/method to recharge your power hogging s-phone fine you can tell your relatives you are still alive and send money for human smuggler fees etc.

    In an actual wilderness survival situation (not Europe! or East Coast USA) far from interstate highways and towns I prefer a knife, ferro rod (fire starter of some sort), and a cook pot if I could have a 3rd but that is not super difficult to improvise (trash everywhere even far from roads). Hopefully I am not totally naked and have a thick water resistant insulating coat/jacket and or poncho preferably a military type/style.

    If a person only car camps and never strays more than 100 yards from their vehicle none of this is much of an issue, just keep a back up charger/battery for your phone, any mobile phone and you should be fine 99.9% of the time. Avoid remote country roads during floods and ice storms... obviously.

    Edit: Sometimes Sprint coverage can happen in surprising areas. Once while fishing the sand bass spawn and living out of canoes for a few days on the Sabine river east of Carthage East Texas my phone had 4G service one night while we were camped on the banks of the river, it ran my battery down fast as I surfed the web and texted with some other friends organizing another outing. Then two puma (mtn lions, mom and juvenile perhaps) screamed a few yards away and I wished I had been on phone with my wife so she could hear them, it was a fun sound not heard often in these parts. We put in at Highway 59 paddled past 79 (Billy Bob's RV park, nice guy I like to stop and say Hi to him and little Billy Bob Jr., might buy some ice or not.) and took out about a day's paddle down below that.

    I never use GPS on phone when hiking or canoeing it drains the battery much to fast. A "hiker's" GPS device is much better for that. Water resistant!
    Last edited by TXyakr; 10-19-2015 at 07:02 AM. Reason: Phone coverage in remote areas

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TXyakr View Post
    It depends on where you intend to travel. The vast majority of the surface of the earth receives no mobile phone signal at all and probably 99% does not receive my carrier's signal, Sprint which is just terrible for "everything" but my daughters (data hogs) and I have unlimited 4G LTE data while in some cities and by many major interstates. So we can "survive" there or at least they bug me less... My wife freaks out about how much data we all use, I'm like "that's why I got the unlimited data from anywhere years ago, grandfathered in now." She has AT&T phone which her firm pays 80% of bill for (new phone every year or less) it has much better coverage especially in West Texas.

    So if you are a Syrian refuge/migrant and can find a place/method to recharge your power hogging s-phone fine you can tell your relatives you are still alive and send money for human smuggler fees etc.

    In an actual wilderness survival situation (not Europe! or East Coast USA) far from interstate highways and towns I prefer a knife, ferro rod (fire starter of some sort), and a cook pot if I could have a 3rd but that is not super difficult to improvise (trash everywhere even far from roads). Hopefully I am not totally naked and have a thick water resistant insulating coat/jacket and or poncho preferably a military type/style.

    If a person only car camps and never strays more than 100 yards from their vehicle none of this is much of an issue, just keep a back up charger/battery for your phone, any mobile phone and you should be fine 99.9% of the time. Avoid remote country roads during floods and ice storms... obviously.

    Edit: Sometimes Sprint coverage can happen in surprising areas. Once while fishing the sand bass spawn and living out of canoes for a few days on the Sabine river east of Carthage East Texas my phone had 4G service one night while we were camped on the banks of the river, it ran my battery down fast as I surfed the web and texted with some other friends organizing another outing. Then two puma (mtn lions, mom and juvenile perhaps) screamed a few yards away and I wished I had been on phone with my wife so she could hear them, it was a fun sound not heard often in these parts. We put in at Highway 59 paddled past 79 (Billy Bob's RV park, nice guy I like to stop and say Hi to him and little Billy Bob Jr., might buy some ice or not.) and took out about a day's paddle down below that.

    I never use GPS on phone when hiking or canoeing it drains the battery much to fast. A "hiker's" GPS device is much better for that. Water resistant!
    Was there a point to all that?....
    Last edited by hunter63; 10-19-2015 at 10:09 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    Was there a point to all that?....
    Name of this particular forum is "Wilderness-Survival" not how to migrate across Europe without proper documentation. Which is more of a political issue, and copy right violations are another issue as well.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Section is General Survival Discussion.

    Other than the reason for this particular survival starts out being policial as a root cause.....discussing the results and methods.
    ...and just what is political about the masses using smart phones to navigate from a Bug out situation to safety, rather than loaded down with knives, the magic one gun, the best this this , the best that....?

    As far a copyright....... credit and source was given.....That a problem?
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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    Was there a point to all that?....
    I thought it was just me.....
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    Nope it's everyone.

    As for "actual wilderness survival situations", I would say that about half the SRE situations in the U.S., both east and west, are now reported on a cellular phone, tracked using tower triangulation, and reported cleared after rescue using a cellular phone. Then after being wrapped in a space blanket, sitting on the ambulance bumper, the victims call home on a cell phone.

    Through all that most of the searchers are coordinating their efforts on phones.

    It ain't 1950 any more.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    I guess were can leave all of out BOB, GOOD, INCH and all the other gear at home......

    Just discuss the best carrier, who has food water and sime cards to pass out as the major gear discussions.

    Which smart cell has the best BOP (Bug out plan), roll over minutes, friends, family and Red Cross/Crescent and best Swat-in areas and Gov. hand-outs......
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    Smart phones are great, but I wouldn't steak my life on one!

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    Well I'm just glad hunter63 is apparently considering giving up his old flip phone and getting a smart phone. Welcome to short battery life and a reliance on backup batteries/chargers when you venture beyond the range of your vehicle i.e. the true wilderness where there are no motorized vehicles. Personal Locator Beacons are somewhat more reliable if you are not near populated areas or on the congested eastern 1/2 of the USA where it is rare to hike a day without seeing another human. I never guide people in the west without a PLB because sending someone on a 4-10 hour hike to a distant ridge line for a possible phone signal when there is a medical emergency is not a great plan.

    Not a new story that undocumented migrants have been using GPS devices and Smart Phones to evade authorities in Europe and SW USA. Here is a story from Homeland Security from 2011: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire....-avoid-capture

    Even the coyotes typically chose locations where there are good phone signals not extremely remote areas.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Well, TX....I am considering giving up my old flip phone....mainly because the "0"'s don't seem to be working too well lately......
    Must have Cheetos's dust in key pad......

    As far a coverage goes......I do have a problem getting coverage in a saloon or two, (not a bad thing sometimes) in the small town where we hang out, as well as a few places in Louisiana.

    Couple of forums dealing with long outings have discussed looking for the flip phones, to buy.... as the battery life is much longer....Mine lasts a week or so, here in town...but only about 4 days if it "looking for a signal" out if area.

    My comparison was mostly about great numbers of people using the phones to move about "bugging out".....and taking advantage of governments that are reluctantly allowing them to pass thru, or stay..........
    VS
    The perception (?) that vast populations in our own country are going to have a mass exodus from our cities and live in the woods,......BECAUSE of failed government ....or any number of reasons....that may include EMP, rendering cell phones and most technology useless.

    So as a matter of grab what you can and go...as it seems for the those refugees,... vs our mind set of what we need to prepare for.
    Reality, as is in the news vs. forum speculation.
    Last edited by hunter63; 10-21-2015 at 07:19 PM.
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