I'd like to start a Lexicon, If you add to it, I'll put those things into the first post and Link to definitions in successive posts. I'll keep compiling them till we have something big enough to make up a document, then we have it to download. I can make it an ebook dictionary too. I've started with a few. If we all add things, I think it will grow fast. I can link to multiple posts also, so if you know of videos or better explanations, please add them.

Obviously the moderator can move it to where it belongs. We seem to be growing a whole vocabulary here, pulling in from all over the place.

Lexicon: A stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject, or style; a vocabulary: the lexicon of surrealist art. (From the American Heritage Dictionary)

I'm hoping this can grow into a real dictionary of Preparedness and Knowledge.

ALICE: All Purpose Lightweight Individually Carrying Equipment (Phased out of U.S. Army but bits and pieces are still used)

BlastMatch: Tool that creates a generous spark for firemaking, with one hand free (Ultimate Survival Technologies)

Bug Out Bag: Satchel, backpack, or container that contains emergency supplies and tools.

ELT: Emergency Locator Transmitter (Aviation) 121.5 MHz (prone to false alarms) and 405MHz, Required by the FAA.

EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (Maritime). Type 1 (auto on when bracket opens, brackets open automatically under 3-10 feet of water) Type 2 (manual on) 405 and 121.5 MHz. Cospas-Sarsat assisted, but can also be directly received.

FAK: First Aid Kit

IIFS: Individual Integrated Fighting System (U.S. Navy for ex.)

ILBE: Improved Load Bearing Equipment (U.S. Marine Corps)

Jerrycan or Jerry Can: Fuel or Water container, modelled after German WWII model.

MOLLE: MOdular Lightweight Load Equipment (U.S. Army)

MOLLY: Feminine of MOLLE

MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat. Food that can be stored long term and ready to eat without any preparation (though some may be desired for taste/texture/palatability).

Mustang Suit: Floatation suit that usually provides thermal protection also. Has become slang for any flotation suit. Mustang Survival still makes these safety suits.

PALS: Pouch Attachment Loops (Part of MOLLE)

PLB: Personal Locator Beacon (Land, Rivers, etc.) 121.5 MHz (Phasing out) and 406 MHz. Lowa powered homing beacon used for hikers, river rafters, skiers, etc. Newer 406 MHz GPS assisted units will provide position via Cospas-Sarsat to about 100 meters.

PLCE: Personal Load Carrying Equipment (used in Britain and Denmark for ex.)

SAK: Swiss Army Knife

SHTF: Shit Hits the Fan, Event or Events which force the use of Emergency Preparedness skills and supplies. Usually refers to a sudden violent event and subsequent breakdown of public services, may include breakdown of law and order.

WetFire: Tinder product, burns even when wet. (Ultimate Survival Technologies)

Blastmatch,

My favorite fire starter because I can use it one handed. This lets me have the other hand to manipulate the tinder, shield the air, or whatever is needed to help get the fire going. I find that it increases my success in building a fire.

I found a great demonstration on Youtube

Thanks for getting this post going. I'm going to move it to the "Our Favorite Articles, "How-To" Guides And Other Resources" section.

_________________
If it's in your pack, but you don't know how to use it...it's useless. So, always test your skills as a form of preparation...Don't wait until your life depends on it. That's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.

Mustang Suits are full body suits that provide flotation and insulation.

Mustang Suits are extensively used in industrial and rescue situations. They have become standard equipment for most seagoing vessels and oil platform work.

Mustang Survival makes the "definitive" suits, but today, cold water rescue suits, full body suits, and "abandonment" suits are also made by other manufacturers. To the best of my knowledge, though, only Mustang is providing suits within the U.S. and to the military. They have saved THOUSANDS of lives since they've come into use.

There are numerous comfigurations. Some will allow the wearer to live for a day in Arctic waters (as opposed to 15 minutes without one). The rescue versions are extremely tough and include a built in harness. Most have a concealed "buddy line" and are outfitted with an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), whistle, and strobe.

Some Examples:
Coast Guard Mustang Suit


"Weather Suit" also called a Mustang Suit, A "tough" flotation suit, commonly used in the merchant marine, on research vessels, seismic vessels, etc.


Mustang Suits usually stored for "abandon ship"


Arctic Mustang Suit (This one is a rescue suit)


Note: For years, I worked with experimental communications equipment in the deep sea environment. These suits are the ultimate in emergency preparedness when it comes to traveling or working on water. In the past 20 years, they have improved immensely and the work versions may look intense, but are quite comfortable for working above deck. I have done a lot of work in them. In deep sea survival class, I was dumped into the water from 40 feet above 10 ft. waves and floated quite comfortably for almost an hour in 60f water.

Note: Mustang said it was OK to show the pictures if I clearly stated that these suits are made by Mustang Survival. I also linked the photos to their descriptions.

Jerrycan, a strong (usually steel) container for fuel, water, or other liquid. Can refer to any container for transporting these items, but specifically for the generally rectangular ones modeled after the German WWII designed can.



U.S. Department of Transportation, NATO, and most European countries follow a color code
Red = Gasoline
Yellow = Diesel
Blue = Kerosene (or jet fuel)
Light Blue = water
Brown = Combination fuels
translucent or white = potable water
Tan = used to be for water, now only used for non fuel, non water liquids as of DOT 1995
Black = used motor oil or waste oil

Of course the U.S. military is exempt from DOT rules, but they have their own standards that include not violating the molded in labeling on the cans.

The stereotypical Jerrycan has 3 handles, this allows one hand to carry two empties, or to "bucket brigade" efficiently.


Jerrycan has come to mean ANY fuel can as a slang term.

Emergency Locator Beacons.

Of course, a beacon is NOT a replacement for being prepared. Just because they KNOW where you are, doesn't mean they will get to you quickly or be able to save you if you do something irretrievably stupid. Weather, Waves, the ability to land a helicopter, distance, . . . . think about it. It takes TIME to find and rescue a person, even if their beacon works properly. The first thing is ALWAYS to provide as much as you can for your own survival.

That said, beacons can be VERY useful and save lives. For instance, in MOST of the world's oceans (above 40 degrees, either north or south) without a beacon and a thermal flotation suit . . . you are most likely dead if you go into the water. Cold, waves, hypothermia, dehydration, etc. (not to mention sharks or killer whales) will get you really fast. Mustang suits (thermal floatation suits) and EPIRBS have saved SOOO many lives. Man-overboard in rough seas on working vessels used to be pretty much a death sentence, by the time the ship could turn around . . . the unfortunate guy would be dead. Now . . . a guy working above deck with his worksuit on can survive hours, even in arctic waters. If he has a beacon . . . he can get found and fished out quickly. It is AMAZINGLY easy to get swept off deck by a rogue cross wave in weather.

There are essentially three types of beacon. They are for Land, Sea, and Aircraft. All share two frequencies, 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz. All are serviced by Of course, a beacon is NOT a replacement for being prepared.

For sea (EPIRB) and land (PLB) 121.5 MHz is rapidly being phased out. There is so much interference and so many false alarms that the system is problematic. Cospas-Sarsat, GPS, Inmarsat, LEOSar, and direct tower, ship, aircraft reception are used. When I was actually working with this stuff (up till 2005), 97% of the earth was covered. Of course, the beacon must be outdoors and line of sight does help.

Emergency Beacons must be REGISTERED. Each has an individual code and there have been several sad instances of boaters dying because they didn't take the trouble to read the directions and register their beacons. It takes all of 5 minutes and you're done . . . so read the directions.

My father had his sailboat holed by a juvenile gray whale, it decided that pushing the boat was "fun" and cracked the side of the boat below the waterline. It took a couple of hours for the boat to actually sink, but Dad ended up with a big life raft and a dingy . . . hundreds of miles from any island--along with his ladyfriend of the time. Thanks to a Mayday, and his trusty EPIRBs (2 of them, one tethered to his lifejacket, one on the boat that he transferred to the raft) they were picked up after about 16 hours. He even took pictures of the sinking boat. They were picked up by a Dutch Container Ship and transferred to an American ship on its way to Hawaii after a few days. Frankly, their rescue was quite smoothly done. But they were prepared to spend days if they had to, they had supplies (And a Katydyn de-salinator for an extended wait). Truthfully, if you are in a good raft and your beacon is working . . . you WILL be found. It's just not always easy to get someone to you within a day or two. The trick is not to do something irretrievably stupid and to stay as safe and warm as you can.

PLB, Personal Locator Beacons are for land/rivers etc. and they really work, they are a bit expensive (about $1000 these days for the 407MHz with GPS units), they must be registered, and some outfitters do rent them. As always, leaving a "plan" behind is really important. They are immensely popular with back country skiers, kayakers, and rough country trekkers. They are REQUIRED for trekking in certain areas of the Alaskan wild. My own experience with them was just taking one with me because I was participating in a "test group" in Alaska while we installed comms at emergency shelters. I activated it once a day at a certain time. They do work, and have been credited with saving many lives.

ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters) are REQUIRED by the FAA. There are SO many of them in use at 121.5 MHZ that they are not "officially" being phased out at this time. They are VERY prone to false alarms, though and the 406 MHz units are much more reliable. (I remember reading somewhere that there were something like 100,000 of the 121.5 MHz units registered. Frankly . . . they are supposed to be "de registered" but many have been disposed of with old door rafts, etc, and weren't de-registered, so the actual number is probably much smaller.) More advanced units will automatically come on in certain circumstances.

Keep in mind, if you decide to take advantage of this technology . . . it often results in retrieval of a dead body when the user isn't prepared themselves. If you don't know how to keep yourself alive until help comes, then that could be YOUR fate. As a layer of protection . . . they are useful