Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Build a shed - three roads to success

What is the best way to build a shed? The answer to this question depends on several factors including the type of skills DIY you have, what type of shed you want, the availability of local building materials, the availability and the price paid for the payment of a constructor local work you do. There are three main ways to go to build your shed, starting from the time intensive and skill:

Building a shed from scratch.

If you like wood, DIYand works with his hands on that route will be more satisfied. If you have experience of planning is probably best to start with a series of economic plans shed. Construction of a shed so much time and probably will be paid in a capacity that you can be proud of. It may not necessarily less expensive than a prefabricated warehouse (depending on the source of your building materials), but the feeling of satisfaction is immense.

Shed Kitand prefabricated.

If this is your first project of its kind, this might be the best route. Shed kits are available in a variety of styles and complexity. These range from post and beam shed kits to more complex, where he and nail wood components pre-cut and fold on the opposite side. There are also different degrees of pre-assembly. Some shed as preassembled panels that are simply bolted together to come. The skill is necessary here, especiallyStrength and ability, a hammer, screwdriver and wrench.

Shed Builder uses.

For those who have little time, skill or interest could be used, a shed built to be the best way. This can make the simple payment of local artisans together to build a shelter kit with a construction company for the full project from start to finish, to manage the area. This scheme complete and detailed design for your specific equipment requirementslast coat of paint.

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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Succeed By Learning From Native Americans - Success Tips From Surviving The Sierra Nevada

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, saw the Santa Cruz Mountains while off the peninsula of San Francisco. He gave them the name 'Sierra Nevada' meaning "snowy range" in Spanish.

The name was later applied to the mountain range in the eastern part of California which is made up of 400 miles of tall peaks, deep forests and scorchingly hot lowlands.

Five million people visit every year to raft, hike or climb but, each year, over 200 become stranded, seriously injured or die.

Bear Grylls, the survival expert, has recently starred in a TV series which shows everyone the skills they need to survive in tough environments. These skills often suggest success skills as well as survival skills.

My cynical step brother suggested that these skills might help him last for twenty seconds rather than ten seconds in an extreme environment!

In one episode, Bear visited the Sierra Nevada. He took with him a water bottle, a cup, a flint for making fire and a brave film crew!

He landed by parachute high up in the Sierras. The air is so thin that he knew he would descend extra fast. To soften his landing, he guided the parachute to dump him into a shallow mountain lake.

He landed safely but the water was just above freezing. He got dry quickly and headed downwards:

"The Nevada desert lies to the east; so I want to go west."

He made a primitive sundial to guide him west away from the desert. To achieve any success, it helps if there is a target to aim for even if it is a very big one.

John Soule once said 'Go West, young man!' and helped America become a great nation.

Bear kept moving downwards as you are more vulnerable to storms and lightning when you are high up.

Successful people act on intelligent priorities and two of these are health and safety.

He soon had to descend a steep granite cliff face. He warned against descending when the rocks are wet or covered in sand. Common sense is a key part of survival and success!

He made it down to the tree line but needed to keep moving further down as it gets colder at night and, the lower down you are, the warmer it will be. He had probably descended 2000 feet by now and was thirsty.

If you can't boil your water, dig a little trench just above the level of the water. As your trench reaches below the level of the water, the water trickles in.

The gravel and sand filter out the giardia parasite which is widespread all over the world. It can cause chronic diarrhea and slow you down for days.

Bear's exit strategy was to follow a stream which soon led him to a river. This was good news:

"Rivers are often the key for getting out of trouble. They are always going to lead to a road or a town or something. I am going to use it to head downstream."

A key principle of success and survival is to learn from experts whether they are alive or dead or have moved elsewhere. Any one who is too arrogant to learn from others will probably fail.

Bear learned from the Mono Indians who had once lived here:

"This area was once home to many Native Americans. I'm using some of their survival techniques to turn this driftwood into a raft."

Another key success technique is to keep things as simple as possible. Over complication results in confusion and inaction:

"The key to building a raft is to keep it simple. When I try and make them complicated they fall apart."

Bear used grape vines to lash his logs together. As the knots get wet, they will tighten up. He used the hitch knots and weaving technique of the Mono Indians.

The rivers in the Sierras are used for white water rafting. 234 rafters have been lost on a single river in the last thirty years.

Bear launched his raft with his upper body on the logs and his legs dangling behind:

"The river is going at a fast pace and I'm moving faster than hiking on land. You should always proceed down river with an easy route to shore. This is easier said than done."

His knees took punishment in the shallower parts of the river but in only half an hour he had floated for nearly two miles. However, all successful people know that it is easy to start projects with enthusiasm and excitement until the problems emerge:

"What for the first twenty minutes was good fun and quite warm is now less fun and much colder."

I remember, as a teenager, walking from one end of the Isle of Man to the other climbing all the hills on the way. Two friends and I started off laughing hysterically and having fun. Within a few shorts hours, life had become grim and miserable. Eventually we made it but took a week to recover.

Bear floated down river on his raft but was taking risks:

"By the time I spot the rapids, I have no chance of escaping the currents. They are sucking me downstream. It is too late to reach shore. I am completely at the mercy of the river."

He eventually lost his raft which broke up in the rapids but he made it to the shore:

"I scared myself a bit. I'm just black and blue and really cold. I must have travelled about five miles and I'm exhausted."

He found shelter under an overhanging rock and got a fire going using his flint and a piece of hard rock. He spoke fondly of the fire:

"The warmth suddenly goes when the sun goes and this little baby here is my saviour. Apart from some grape vine leaves, I've had nothing to eat. Tomorrow, I want to find some food."

He woke at 5 a.m. It was dawn in the sierras. He had a hot cup of tea brewed with pine needles:

"I need to drink as much as possible At altitude, the body uses more liquid than at sea level. If you can't brew a cup of tea you can still get moisture from the pine needles. They are a great source of vitamin C up to eight times greater than orange juice."

For a while Bear gave up his priority - heading west - in favour of going down hill to get food and water.

He spotted some horses and could see himself riding out of the lowlands in style:

"This is a long shot but I am going to give it a go."

He weaved some willow branches together to make a rope following the example of the Native Americans. They use sensitivity, patience and a rope to tame their horses.

He tried to use their approach but, as he jumped on the horse, he fell off and the horse took off!

He walked on for an hour and then stopped early to build a proper camp and find some decent food.

He built a wickiup using Native American techniques and some wood from a dead, red fir tree. If you build a wickiup, don't build over any game trails or near red ants and have a bit of open sky above you so searchers can find you.

Bear used another local technique to catch a rabbit.

He ground a piece of cedar into a throwing stick which was nearly two feet long. Cedar is hard and, when it is smoothed down, it will be fast and deadly in the air.

He practised with little success at first but then became more accurate. Bear, like all successful people, seldom gives up.

The Native Americans used these sticks mainly to throw at rabbits. Bear hit one on the head at his first attempt. I was reminded of how my granddad used to kill rabbits with a walking stick and a Lakeland terrier to drive the rabbit towards him. We often had rabbit for lunch.

Bear used a piece of elderberry bush and a piece of base wood to generate an ember to spark the tinder. He rubbed the spindle of elderberry between his palms:

"This requires patience and it takes me loads of go's and is exhausting. If the spindle pops out you are back to square one. Friction must heat the elderberry stick to 400 degrees Celsius."

He struggled but again did not give up even though he is not naturally patient. Eventually the stick smoked and generated an ember from which he could start a fire.

He pulled the fur off the rabbit and put it on a spit to roast it. He buried the remains of the rabbit before he ate. Local black bears can smell food from twenty-five miles away.

The rabbit tasted delicious. With a full stomach Bear could look around and appreciate the majesty of the sierras and the night sky.

He used the stars to get his bearings especially the north star. It is not one of the brightest but it is one of the only constant stars in the sky you can navigate by.

He mapped out a compass on the ground with twigs so that he would know where to go in the morning. Planning your tasks for the following day is one of the great success techniques that Ivy Lee taught Charles Schwab.

Schwab paid $25,000 for this information - about half a million dollars at today's rate.

Next day, Bear got moving on his priority of survival:

"It is the morning of my third day. I've left my wickiup and gone west. I am out of the woodlands and in the chapparal - the most extreme region of the Sierras."

It was 43 degrees celsius. Bear ate the abdomens of some carpenter ants. The taste was tingy and sweet but surprisingly quite good. He moved on:

"I want to make quick progress before this heat really kicks in."

Snakes were a problem in this hot terrain. Always stand on top of logs before you step past them. Snakes find shade under logs in the heat of the day.

He saw some bright red berries. Nature warns us off with such colouring. But, in case you ignored Nature, she kindly provides an antidote nearby - coffee berries. My grandad would show me the dock leaves next to the nettles.

By now Bear was very thirsty. A Manzanita bush provided some relief. Manzanita means 'little apples'. The Mono Indians used it as dried fruit and as an ingredient for a drink. They used the leaves as a kind of tooth brush. Bear cleaned his teeth with some of the leaves.

By mid afternoon, the heat was relentless and was slowing his progress to a crawl but successful people and survivors know that often things turn around just when you think you are getting nowhere. Just keep going.

Bear suddenly came across a huge lake where he could drink and cool down. On the far side of the lake - about half a mile away - he spotted a road.

He tied up the ends of his trousers and then scooped air into them as he pulled the waist end of the trousers into the water. They helped him swim across the lake to safety. Bear makes full use of whatever he has.

His mission had been a tough one because of the great variety of environments - cold and hot - in the sierras. He respected the resourcefulness of the Mono Indians who had survived there:

"Before the Europeans came they ruled this land and I have learned that there is a lot they can still teach us."

They can teach us the patience and skill to make effective rafts, shelters and a powerful weapon like the throwing stick from whatever materials are available.

They can teach us how to keep things simple to avoid confusion and inaction, how to tame wild horses and even how to clean our teeth in the wilderness!

Bear, himself, has much to teach us like how to stay safe in tough situations and how to make health and safety our priorities. He follows Ivy Lee's advice, at least in part i.e.

List 6 things you plan to do tomorrow in order of importance. Next day, start on the first thing and keep going till you finish it even if this means not completing the entire list. Make a new list at the end of the day. This advice is completely free!

Above all, Bear taught us, in this episode, to have the humility to learn from the local experts - the Native Americans who were in the Sierras long before Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo appeared off the coast of California.

Ohhh???.Civil Engineer Soil Boring

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Success And Survival Tips From Alaska - Do Not Surprise The Teddy Bears

The survival expert Bear Grylls has recently starred in an amazing series of TV survival programs which are full of both survival and success tips. He introduced this episode as follows:

"I am Bear Grylls. I have survived some of the world's toughest environments. Now, I'm in Alaska, one of the world's last great wildernesses and one mistake here can be fatal. My mission - to show you the skills you need to survive here."

Alaska's landscape is made up of endless coastline, deep forest and huge glaciers. Seventeen of the highest mountains in the USA are in Alaska.

Mountaineers, skiers and hikers visit every year to enjoy the wilderness but with the thrills comes danger. Over 20 people die every year.

Bear was placed by helicopter on top of a mountain in the role of a lost skier. All he had was a knife, a water bottle, skis, a flint, an intrepid camera crew and a woolly hat! He would have to find his own way back to safety.

He described what happened next:

"I am 9000 feet up and there is nothing but snow and rock for miles and miles. My best chance of survival is to head downwards.

"The biggest threat to skiers is avalanche. They kill around forty people every year in North America. One wrong turn and the whole mountain side could come crashing down on you. You need to know how to avoid them.

"The key with avalanches is to read the snow and you can use the ski pole in front of you just to test the snow to see whether it is compacted or whether it is in layers.

"What you want is when you push it in, it is nice and consistent but if you push it down and it like suddenly drops a little bit, it's a sign it's in layers and that's the dangerous stuff.

"Avalanches are often triggered by inexperienced skiers and snow boarders who come to enjoy the forty feet of virgin snow which can often fall here."

In early 2006 a snow boarder from Anchorage triggered a 200ft wide avalanche on a slope just like the one Bear was on. His body was eventually recovered three months later. He had fallen 1600 feet.

"Where there is a risk of avalanche, always carry a beacon. They transmit a signal which a rescue service can follow.

"I've descended at least 5000 feet now and at last I'm leaving the high snow faces behind There is so much rock that it is becoming impossible to ski any further. All these skis are going to do is slow me down. I'm better off without them."

Bear dumped the skis but kept one of the poles.

"Below me is a glacier, literally a river of ice, and like a river this glacier flows downhill. If I can get to it, it should lead me out of the mountains.

"To get to the glacier I need to follow this ridge and it's not easy and the temperature is dropping fast. Temperatures here in Alaska can reach as low as minus 60 degrees and frostbite is always a danger in the mountains.

"The bits to watch out for are your extremities - your hands, your feet and your face. The signs you are getting frostbite is that your skin goes this waxy red colour and eventually black. Frostbite is a really horrible and painful thing.

"This ridge has led me to a north facing slope. This gets less sunlight so it is still covered in snow. The weather is not looking so good. Getting caught out in bad weather can be fatal.

"I need to get down fast but the slope below me is nearly 300 feet. I am going to use a technique called 'glissade'."

To perform the glissade, you dig in your ice axe to control the speed of your descent. If you don't dig in the axe enough you will go too fast. If you dig it in too deep, it can get ripped out of your hand.

Bear used half a ski stick as he had no axe and descended at about 50 miles per hour clinging desperately to the stick. He continued his account:

"I've reached a glacier. There are over 100 thousand of these in Alaska. They form the largest fresh water reservoir on earth but they are full of crevasses often covered by layers of snow. You need to be roped to a partner to cross them safely.

"My luck is in. There is solid ground running alongside the glacier. But at the bottom of the glacier there is a forty foot waterfall.

"There is an ice tunnel into the glacier which could lead me out. Check the ice is solid before you go in. There could be over 200 feet of ice above me and it could crash down at any moment. Only go through such a tunnel as a last resort. The further you go in the harder it is to go back."

I'm not sure what the camera crew had to say about this little adventure!

Then, Bear saw daylight ahead. It showed his way out:

"I have never been so relieved. Finally, I am off the glacier!"

He took his ski boots off but kept the inner shoes on. He drank some water which looked dirty but the brown colour was glacial silt or pulverised rock. Bear commented: "This water should be good to drink."

He continued to move downwards: "Now I am off the mountain, I need to keep heading down to find food and shelter."

He was dive bombed by seagulls who were protecting their eggs which are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals but he was out of luck and only found stones which looked like eggs. However, he was far from discouraged:

"The landscape is beginning to open up and I can see the tree line ahead and I am almost in the forest. I can see a thick forest and deep gorge and there might be a river at the bottom of that. Most Alaskan villages are along rivers."

He was now in bear country.

Brown bears can grow up to nine feet tall, weigh up to 1100 pounds and can tear a man apart. When rangers found the remains of a hiker's body, who was recently killed, there were two empty shells on the ground but the bullets had not been enough to stop the bear.

Big groups rarely get attacked because they make lots of noise. Hunters are more likely to be attacked because they are sneaking round quietly on their own.

Bears are at their most dangerous when they are surprised so make a lot of noise by shouting things. Bear started to shout: "YO BEAR! YO BEAR!"

But he felt uncomfortable however much noise he made!

He found some berry seeds in bear crap. The good news - there are edible berries around. The bad news - there are bears around!

I was once chased by a mountain bear cub in Tehran. I ran much faster than usual (I was eight at the time) and escaped. I would not have liked to race an adult bear.

Bear climbed down a huge 200 foot waterfall: "Let your legs take the pressure. They are much stronger than your arms."

It is crucial to take your time in such situations - you can only make one mistake.

He next found some Eskimo potato which is full of starch and carbohydrates and is said to be the most valuable food source in Alaska.

He built a bed with branches to keep his body above the cold ground and then found some alder saplings to build a half dome shelter. To waterproof, you add layers of spruce from the bottom upwards.

He lit a fire which would put off the bears. In this part of Alaska, the black bears are more dangerous than the grizzlies.

Grizzlies are territorial so if you meet them be submissive and back off. However, if you meet a black bear it will probably be after you. They kill less humans than Grizzlies but, in 90% of their attacks, they stalk humans.

If you are cornered by a black bear you will have to fight for your life. Most locals carry a gun but, if you are without a gun, grab a stick and jab it in the bear's eyes.

In the night, Bear heard something moving around. It might have been a moose or a bear:

"I hope, whatever it is, it will leave this 'bear' alone!"

He awoke at 5 a.m. exhausted on his second day in Alaska:

"I'm a bit cheesed off but that's OK. When you've been wet all night, it's OK to be a bit cheesed off."

He followed a stream to a river and then down to the sea coast where most people would be. But he could still go 500 miles in each direction and find no one:

"My best chance of rescue is to be spotted by one of the many small fishing boats that fish this area."

He saw some bald eagles who were after salmon. The river is packed with king and pink salmon. Bear did not have a fishing line but, undeterred he made a fishing spear. He always looks for an alternative instead of giving up.

Bear spooked the salmon into about six inches of water by shouting and hitting the water with his spear. He, eventually, speared a large salmon and tucked in immediately:

"They are packed full of protein and you can eat the scales as well as they are small. I've always liked sushi!

"I may be out of the forest but I am still surrounded by bears who come down here to fish."

He now looked for shelter. Caves are ready made shelters but they are often occupied by wild life including bears. He found a shallow cave with high walls where nothing could sneak up on him from behind.

He next found mussels. Shell fish should always be cooked properly first. He surrounded the mussels with two layers of seaweed which would steam cook them in ten minutes. I am suprised that Bear did
not suggest eating the seaweed as well:

"When you collect the mussels tap them. If they don't close, they are already dead so leave them."

He created a signal fire with white smoke to contrast with the dark trees behind him but he did not see any boats so he had to keep moving.

Suddenly Bear spotted some wooden buildings but they were deserted. Alaska has a history of boom and bust.

He saw some glaciers which are often tourist hotspots. He would have a better chance of contacting other humans there but it would be a long walk.

Bear decided to use an old boat which he found near the buildings. He used a spade as a paddle. One of the core lessons of survival is to be open to every opportunity. It is the same with success.

An old boat in a sea full of ice is a risk but it was his best option. He slowly worked his way round the coastline. As he continued, he came across a bay full of sea ice. As he went into the bay the ice thickened and ice blocks were all around him.

He moved in among little icebergs. These can suddenly overturn as the water melts the ice underneath. Freezing water was beginning to seep into the boat. He quickly packed his heavier clothes into his back pack to avoid being weighed down.

His boat sank and he was in the icy water. The danger was that he might suck up a huge gulp of water and air but he made it to dry land.

Once on shore, he removed the rest of his clothes quickly. You survive longer naked than you do in wet clothes. He did push ups to get the blood flowing.

His jacket had stayed dry in his back pack. This would help. He stayed put for a while and then moved on but:

"Just when I've given up hope, I hear the distant sound of an engine."

He waved his arms and back pack in the air:

"They've seen me! I'm on my way home! Alaska is a place where you can truly come close to nature and that for me is its real magic."

What success lessons can be learned?

You need to know how to avoid the disasters of life whether they are to do with avalanches, personal relationships, finance, health or life itself. Learn the skills and knowledge you need or employ an expert.

Don't hang about. Moving fast on any project will keep your enthusiasm alive. It will keep you warm enough to survive a mountain descent.

Get rid of whatever slows you down whether they are ski's or heavy boots or bad habits.

Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the ***** thing yourself! (Quote from Sara Henderson)

Go slow and take your time when facing dangerous obstacles where each step matters - sign any contracts with care!

It's OK to feel depressed at times. If you spend the night soaking wet it is OK to feel 'cheesed off' but at least appreciate being able to sleep most nights in a warm, dry bed!

Seize any opportunity that comes your way.

Learn which foods and drinks are most valuable.

If you go down into the woods today, don't surprise the teddy bears or you will become their picnic!

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