#SURVIVAL TIPS

[reality-detective]

USEFUL TIPS / LIFEHACKS 🤔

[victusinveritas]

[ittybittykittyfingers]

Winter Clothing Tips

I wanted to make a friendly and detailed list of stuff I've learned from living in a cold climate.

(Note that I do not have vegan-friendly options- suggestions with links to a vegan product's efficacy are welcome)

This stuff is common knowledge where I live but it occurred to me that it might be useful to someone if I laid it all out. I'll be updating this list if I think of more.

I absolutely adore winter and want to help you love it too! Cheers! List below.

• “Cotton kills!" You see, when cotton gets wet, it will suck warmth from your body and freeze on your skin surprisingly easily. Use wool in place of cotton because when wool gets wet, it will still insulate you.

• Know how to layer! Counterintuitively, having layers of thinner, high-quality materials is less bulky than having a single jacket or pair of gloves/socks. Plus, it has the added bonus of being able to be taken off and switched around according to your needs.

1. Base layer - this is the layer that touches your skin. You want this layer to be light, flexible, and moderately form-fitting. This layer's job is to be moisture-wicking. Sweat evaporates, even under layers, so you want something that will move it away so you don't feel the cooling effect. You also just don't want moisture on your skin. Real silk is recommended.

2. Mid layer - this layer can actually be as many layers as you want. I rarely need anything more than a knit merino wool sweater, but accommodate yourself. This layer does the brunt of the work of keeping you warm. Real, non-blended wool is recommended, but really any wool will be miles better than most anything else.

• make it a priority to keep your center warm. Many people choose a vest as a mid-layer as it keeps bulk off of your arms and keeps your middle toasty.

3. Shell - this layer keeps the warmth in and the elements out. Many people go for waterproof shells so they can be worn all year (i.e. rain jacket). Shells have little to no insulation and usually have a hood. You want the shell big enough to always cover your underlayers, but not so big that it bunches up. I don't have a material to recommend here since anything truly waterproof and tough enough to resist puncture will do. It can actually get hot under there so consider whether you might want a ventilation hole for your arm pits. There are plenty of options. Know that any shell which says it's both breathable and waterproof is lying (unless it's a super fancy item, like $300 fancy). Sometimes, a water resistant material will be better for you than a waterproof one. It depends.

• socks, socks, socks! A pair of silk foot liners paired with a good pair of wool socks will keep you comfy all day. Make sure your winter shoes/boots are a bit too big to accommodate the extra space that multiple socks take up. Make sure your socks are taller than the top of your boots. You want the socks sticking out from the top. I like to layer my foot liners the highest, then the wool socks a bit lower, than the top of my boot lower than that. You can always fold the top of socks to make them a comfortable height. (Pro-tip: do not use ankle socks! They will bunch up)

• The above logic should be used for gloves too. You'll want to make sure your shell gloves are waterproof but thin enough that you are able to use your hands. Again, the name of the game is staying dry.

• Waterproof, non-slip boots are a must. You don't need to get fluffy or insulated boots if you use my sock tips. This saves money too because now you have boots to wear all year instead of just winter boots. I'm a fan of Gore-Tex with Vibram soles.

• If you do a lot of walking on pavement and such, get a pair of crampons! There are tons to choose from. They're awesome. They'll have you confidently walking around a frozen driveway with ease. Crampons are these rubber and metal things you strap to the bottom of your boot. They often use either spikes (only recommended for seriously rough terrain) or coils that lay horizontally under your foot to increase traction.

• Speaking of footwear accessories, consider getting waterproof gators. Common wisdom is to tuck pants into your waterproof boots to keep them dry. Sometimes, especially if the snow is deep enough, snow will get trapped at the top of your boots where your pants are tucked in anyway and it'll start dripping into your boots. Gators fix this issue. They're these... they're like shin guards that go all the way around your ankle and up to your knee. They cover the area where your pants meet the boots and will completely prevent snow from getting in. (Pro-tip: if you get ones that are also puncture resistant, they can be used in nice weather too to prevent ticks and protect against snake bites. They're perfect for tall grass. I use mine all year.)

• Scarves are often overlooked but they can make a huge difference. You'll want to find a way to tie them that is comfortable for you. There are plenty of guides on the internet for that. I've found that extra long scarves tend to be the most useful. I like to stuff the ends of them into my layers for extra coverage wherever I need it. Plus, it's easier to tie long scarves.

• Get a good hat that also has ear flaps. I like ones that have space above my head so that a warm air pocket forms, keeping my head comfy. Or you could get a pair of earmuffs that go around the back of your head to pair with your hat. You can use the hood of your shell to protect your hat if you need to, so focus on comfort and warmth for the hat rather than it being waterproof or especially durable. I tend to like alpaca wool for hats.

• Sunglasses can make a difference since blinding light glares off of the snow.

• Before you go out in the snow, put one of those foldable clothes drying racks in your bathtub. Leave a watertight bin by the door you'll be coming in from. Lay a towel at the door if you don't have a good/big enough doormat. You'll be dripping water and littering the floor with snow and ice when you come back inside. Wipe off/ shake off as much snow from your person and knock your boots on the lip of the doorframe before coming inside (this logic works for cars too). Put your wet clothes in the bin. Change into whatever you need to. Bring the bin with you to the bathroom and hang up your articles on the clothes rack to dry. You can keep your boots in there too, just make sure the clothes aren't going to drip into the boots. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a cheap boot dryer to keep in the bathroom.

• Once you get inside after being out in the cold, remove your jacket immediately. It'll take you longer to warm up inside if you keep wearing your outdoor clothes.

• Quick buying tip- if you end up visiting somewhere that's cold a lot, be sure to check out a wealthy location's Goodwill and thrift stores. I've found amazing brands like Patagonia, Kool, and Spider there for cheap!

• TL;DR If there's any one thing I would want to impress upon you, it's that materials matter. You could be wearing 4 cotton sweatshirts and still be cold or you could wear one marino wool sweater with a rain coat and be toasty and comfy.

[space-deer]

Space Deer - No. 13

Survival 101

[itisiives]

Apps You're Probably Going to Need

Too Good to Go: app that connects you to grocery stores and restaurants that will sell you surplus food at cheaper prices.

Signal: Messaging app that erases messages after an amount of time, and allows images to be viewable once.

Taimi: an ĻGBṬ dating app that doesn't allow screenshots of messages and profiles to be taken.

Bandcamp: a great website for music artists, podcasters, and audiobook creators. They pay artists more of the profits than Spotify, and have Fridays dedicated to giving artists all of the profits from sales.

Proton: app that offers privacy and encryption for emails, VPNs, and a lot more.

Community Garden: an app that helps make community garden development easier.

Vero: an Instagram alternative that doesn't use algorithms, data mining, or advertisements. An alternative to go to when Instagram worsens in the upcoming years.

Hygiene Locator: a database for low-income people to find distribution sites giving away hygiene products.

Triller: a TikTok alternative to go to if TT outright bans certain topics.

Little Free Library: an app that locates little free libraries for you.

Evidation: it's a "health app" in which you collect points for activities like walking, but you can just complete their weekly and daily surveys. Basically, it's a beer-monęy app because you can only get $10 for 10,000 points, but if you have time to kill and need to earn extra cash in the upcoming eçonomic crash, evidation is an option.

Farmish: an app to help you locate your local farmer's market.

Boycat: an app that helps customers determine which brand is participating in unethical human rights violations and which isn't . It has recently partnered with the BDS movement!

Bluesky: You've already heard of it, right? It's an alternative to Twịtter, except it gives you the option to mass block MÅGÅ, genocide supporters, and the like. (My profile is itisiives, if you want to hang.)

Food Co-op Finder: As the name says, you can use this app to find your nearby food/grocery co-ops. Since co-ops mostly sell locally grown and made foods, this would be helpful in the looming deregulation of food safety.

[vampypansy]

I'm putting together a list of things me and my family will need when shit hits the fan, if anyone has any ideas that would be very helpful. So far i have things like a grill (if i need to cook without power) solar powered generator, some maintenance and repairs that need to be done on our home, etc, if anyone has survival tips, please let me know.

[amylorndenit]

My Transition Survival Guide #1

Hello again world! Amy here with those promised tips and tricks to help with your first three months transitioning into the new (and beautiful) you. Remember that they will not work for everyone, but they did work for myself and some others I shared these with (yes I did ask other transwomen for their input on this, too). Also, yes, there will be more of these because if I made the whole list here it would be uber long, so let's start with just the first five!

Find your network! This is super important, and needs to be done right away. A good, solid, supportive network of friends and family you can talk to during this time is crucial to your mental health. Trust me, it will be easier if you are not alone.

Do not be afraid to be yourself! Coming out may be the hardest thing you will have to do, and to be honest you may lose some people along the way (I know I did). However, it just paves the way to meet more supportive people. The first day I went to work in a skirt I was so scared, but that same day I met so many people saying how proud they were and offered clothes to help me. You have support in the most unlikely places, so do not be afraid.

Practice your voice! Estrogen will not do everything for us. Our voice will not change with it, so we have to work on that ourselves. TransVoiceLessons on YouTube is a great place to start!

Find your "Flow Zone"! What I mean by Flow Zone is find things that puts you in a state of calm and clarity. Many times through this first three months I noticed that my emotions took over, I started to 'hear' hateful comments (like...inner voices), or started to lose my cool for no reason. I found that finding ways to put myself into a state of Flow helped me realign myself.

Do NOT shut off your urges! What I mean by this is to not stop yourself from wanting to look like your desired gender or from talking a certain way. From my own experience trying to stop yourself and/or hide who you are/want to be just leads to mental problems like chronic depression, panic attacks, etc. If you want to wear make up then go for it! If you want to wear a dress as you go get groceries then more power to you! Trust me, you will be happier for it.

Part two will be up within a day or two, so keep an eye out, and I hope these tips help you out in some way!

Love,

Amy

[violent138]

advice for anyone stuck in the middle of the desert and does not have access to water (clarifying note: I'm not stuck in the middle of the desert)

Oooh I like this one more.

Stay out of the sun, exposure is a fucking nuisance and will sap of you of the will to live and water. So steal shelter from rocks, trees, broken down car with skeleton baking inside

Conserve water. No guzzling down the bottle, small sips only, and don't drink any weird puddles regardless of how tempting (that way only gross sickness and unwanted poisoning lies)

Find elevation to scan the surroundings and use the view to make peace or get excited about the world's worst hike

Weather tends to be a pendulum in deserts in my experience, so it'll be freezing at night :( deal with that

Stay with massive landmarks as it's easier to get found if you're really screwed and there's nothing visible (like a giant billboard pointing to a way out)

Don't sit down (hot ground)

Don't make friends with the desert bugs

Don't eat if you can avoid it, you'll be thirsty

The bases of rock cliffs and vegetation signal water so go to that. Also cactus juice yes.

[alternian-survival-advice]

i dont know who needs to hear this but sometimes when someone stabs you its not cause theyre flirting with you they might actually just wanna kill you

[yearzerosurvival]

[reality-detective]

Survival tip👆

[victusinveritas]

[harloqui]

Shifting Safety Tips

I now have enough experience with shifting to make a list on the dangers of the outdoors! This isn't everything you could encounter, but this is a pretty good basics list for anybody wondering about the dangers of being out in nature as a shifter (or even as a human!)

This list isn't supposed to make you anxious or paranoid by any means, but is supposed to warn you about the potential dangers outside and how to handle them. The chances that you'll get lost or stuck out in the wild are small, but it's good to know what to do if something like that were to happen.

▪︎Tell people where you'll be.

Don't go out in secret. You don't have to tell people not in the know, but you shouldn't be sneaking out without telling anybody where you'll be. If something were to happen to you you'd want someone to alert the authorities early and fast, and sneaking out without telling anybody works against you. Tell a shifter friend, tell a human friend you'll be exploring X area, but regardless of who you tell let someone know where you'll be.

▪︎Take note of your surroundings.

When outdoors and in an isolated area, try to make a mental note of where you are and who's around you. Don't tune everything out, especially when you're exploring a new area for the first time. Pay special attention to odd parts of the landscape that stick out - if you get lost you can use these things to help you get back to where you started.

It can help to learn about the native plants and wildlife in your area. You don't need to become an expert (unless you want to) but knowing about what is growing all around you can help you navigate your surroundings with ease. This information can be useful even on quick journeys, and help you identify when you're near dangerous animals, plants or landscapes.

Avoid suspicious individuals. Some people have bad intentions in isolated areas. If someone appears to be acting a little too interested in you for no apparent reason, appears to be coyly following you or seems to be trying to herd or lure you someplace, head back to an area with people and get out of there.

▪︎Carry backup.

It can be dangerous in heavily forested, isolated or wooded areas, especially if you're a visible minority. When traversing these areas you should always have some sort of backup defense or weapon, just in case. This may seem silly, because if you're a shifter shifting should be enough to stop someone... but you don't want to only rely on shifting to protect you. After all, a human can still overtake most animals provided they have the right weapons.

This also goes for tools and necessities. Bring a backup charger for your phone if you're going to be out most of the day. Bring food and snacks if you're trekking somewhere new. Keep a swiss army knife on hand. You don't need to pack like you're going to climb mountains, but you should have the appropriate backup supplies should something go wrong that day.

▪︎When in the forests as a human, wear orange.

Animal hunters (such as trophy and food hunters) often camouflage themselves within the surroundings, which can put you at risk if you're also sneaking around the area. When shifting in a hunter-filled area, wear something orange (whether a collar, bandana, or a vest) so hunters can see you and avoid you. Even if you look like an animal, an orange piece of clothing surrounding you will let them know that you're associated with humans in some way and shouldn't be killed.

You can follow this rule as an animal, but note that it may look odd depending on what you are and where you live - a wolf with orange on won't attract much attention in Canada, but a cheetah might, and may get reported as a possibly escaped exotic pet. Be careful with how you go about this while physically shifted.

▪︎When stuck, call for help.

Got stuck in a trap? Lost and need assistance? If you can, call for help. If you have your phone on hand, use it. If not, call out for someone or wait for someone to come and find you.

When lost you should try to stick to a particular area until help arrives. Don't go wandering off when people could be searching for you- you could be delaying your chances of being found. Make a shelter out of whatever is available to you, and be particular about what you eat, if you eat anything wild. Meat should be properly cleaned and cooked well to reduce the chances of food poisoning or parasites, and you should only eat plants you know for sure won't poison you.

If shifting to catch food, be very careful about how you do it. Remember, animals often get hurt or injured when hunting, so if you must hunt choose weak prey. Try to avoid carrion unless necessary, as that also caries a risk of disease. If you must scavenge, look for something recently killed. If you're grazing, make sure to pick flora that seems healthy - many places that seem clean can be teeming with all sorts of pathogens or human chemicals, and some plants may be toxic to shifters.

If you're not too lost or must wander off, use your animal senses to help you find civilization. Odd, out of place smells or sounds may be indicative of industries or people being nearby. Don't disregard human pollution - if you see more bottles, trash, or discolored water near one place than another, that is a good sign that humans frequent that area, and by following the trash trail you can get back to society.

Lastly, if you are lost don't stress out. Stress can weaken your immune system and ruin your motivation to escape your situation. Don't focus on the negatives, keep a positive attitude and take things one step at a time.

I hope these tips can help any shifters nervous about exploring the outdoors, or wondering how to survive if they need to. Stay safe out there!

[genx3791]

[alpaca-clouds]

Life Hack: Ask People

Two days ago I had a talk with my neighbors. Two Gen Xers. And it went somewhat like this:

Neighbors: Our building management is completely useless. Our windows have not properly closed for two years by now!

Me: Oh, that sucks. Have you told them?

Neighbors: We wrote a letter just when it started two years ago.

Me: And have you maybe like phoned them? I mean, letters do get lost.

Neighbors: No. Why?

Now, me? I have had no issues with the building management here. Whenever I have an issue, I have a specialist working on it within three days. Because whenever an issue arises, I just call the building management and they send me over the craftsman for that issue.

About five years ago our apartment also had one window, that for some reason had stopped closing properly. It was repaired within two days.

Heck, by now the guy responsible for our building has given me the emergency numbers of their preferred companies for water sanitation, heating and electricity. Mostly because last winter I did a lot of communication with the heating company after there was a major issue. And the words, as he gave me those numbers were: "Yeah, no, we trust you to make the right call."

But... okay, that is kinda besides the point.

Let me tell you another story of mine.

When I started university back in... okay, let's not talk how long ago it was... I needed to take up student loans. (Mind you: In Germany you never will have to pay more then 10k of those. No matter how many you take up.) Because I had no other income. So... I went to the student loan office and just... asked them. And while my fellow students at times had put in their paperwork much earlier than me (because I made a last minute decision to start uni) I got my student loans approved off before anyone else. Because I just... went to the people personally and asked.

And, look, folks. I have AuDHD. I hate talking to people. And even more I hate phoning people. But all of that does not change the fact that if you just openly talk to people and are nice to them, people are way more likely to give you, what you asked for.

Especially when the alternative is "not asking at all". Because, duh, people are so far not able to telepathically read your mind.

Like, my neighbors? Chances are, that the letter has either not arrived or has gotten lost within the management company. Had they just phoned the people, the windows would have been repaired years ago. But they didn't. But without them just going in there and asking, how is the company supposed to know?

And bonus points: If you gotta phone some sort of service hotline... Just be nice to folks. Like be nice. If something does not work out, be understanding. Because those folks at the service hotlines are rarely doing it meanspirited. And believe me, they had more than enoug people be mean to them already. In fact, if you are nice to them on the hotline, chances are that they might try to accommodate you in some other way.

Again, I get that it is super hard especially for neurodiverse people. It is hard for me too. But... It is literally the way to go. Just ask.