123 Angel Way

Heaven, Earth 10101

21 July, 2016
Professor Matthew Hidinger
Allan Hancock College
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Dear Mr. H:
We hope the series of tragic events have not taken your life, and you are still out in the open
world trying to survive. Enclosed in this bag are our documents, post apocalypse, of our lives
one year after. To whomever finds these documents, we hope they benefit your civilization to
help it thrive.
If there are any people that survived we have included a map with the documents to where we
are located. We are very well established on the Central Coast of California, and ready to help
any survivors.
Sincerely Chumash 2.0,
Eric Naputi
Christina Hinson
Karla Elias
Victoria Steller
Luis Garcia
Ethan McCurley
Tomas Pirir

Survival or Bust

For
Professor Matthew Hidinger
Allan Hancock College
Technical Writing

By
Christina Hinson, Eric Naputi, Luis Garcia,
Victoria Steller, Tomas Pirir,
Karla Elias & Ethan McCurley
Allan Hancock College
Technical Writing

July 21, 2016

Table of Contents
Abstract....1
Introduction......2
Month 1-2.3-6
Month 3-4.7-9
Month 5-6.10-11
Month 7-8...12
Month 9-12...13-14
Conclusion.14
Works Cited..15
List of Figures
Figure 1.3
Figure 2.5
Figure 3.5
Figure 4.5
Figure 5.7
Figure 6.9
Figure 7.9
Figure 8.9
Figure 9...10
Figure 10.11
Figure 11.11

Abstract
The purpose of this report was to document the one year of survival after the apocalypse.
Throughout the year we experienced many challenges that we had to overcome. We took
advantage of Chumash survival techniques and were able to comfortably live off the land.
Each team member was given specific jobs to become specialized in: Hunting, sheltermaking, foraging, medicine, agriculture, etc. The distribution of jobs allowed for accelerated
development of our shoreline settlement. The ocean was plentiful in resources and provided
necessary hygienic relief/essentials. The discovery of a mysterious room had given us access to
new technology and reunited us with loved ones from the old world. Not everyone was
cooperative in our group and punishment was necessary to make sure our group could keep on
thriving. Health and sports were some of the main focus towards the end of our year.

Introduction
Approximately one year before the creation of this report, our group experienced the
apocalypse of human civilization. In the blink of an eye, all remnants of human life, except for
our group of 7, vanished from planet earth. What was left of Earth, was seemingly untouched
wilderness and wildlife.
The college campus we stood on just a moment before had transformed into an endless
forest. We scrambled around, calling for help and trying to understand what had happened. We
couldnt wait forever, so we began to head to our nearest water source: the Santa Maria River.
The following pages in this document are journals from individuals in our group
describing how they accomplished the jobs they were given.

Months 1-2
We initially headed east towards the Santa Maria River, our closest water source. We
followed the river flow and eventually arrived at the shoreline several days later. During that
time, we were able to establish a government, hunt, start a fire, gather plants, build a shelter,
make weapons, keep clean, make clothing, and start a calendar.
Government and Leadership - Tomas, Eric, Victoria
To keep chaos from forming in our group, we had to establish some form of government.
Without any form of government and leadership, it was very difficult to decide who would do
what jobs and what we would do next. To solve this problem, our group voted on a leader. The
person who was appointed leader then started to distribute the jobs amongst the group. The
leader did do a lot of the decision making for the group, but everyone had a chance to voice their
opinion. The way the group made decisions is that everyone had a vote, but since we had seven
people the leader of the group was the tiebreaker for whenever our group was split.
Hunting and Fire Making - Eric
With fall on its way we needed to find a way to keep warm and stock up on food. The
first thing our group discussed was how we were going to make a fire. There were three
techniques that we talked about. The techniques are called the Hand Drill, Bow Drill, and Fire
Plough. The Hand Drill requires a flat piece of wood called the fireboard and a stick to drill into
the fireboard. The Bow Drill also requires a fireboard, but you

Figure 1
need to make a smaller version of a bow to wrap around the stick. When you make the bow and
wrap it around the stick you move the bow back and forth which spins the stick. With the Fire
Plough technique you cut a groove in the fireboard and with a stick you rub the the groove which
shaves off pieces of dust particles which will ignite as you increase the temperature (Ruiz). Our

group decided to use the Fire Plough technique, because it was the easiest technique to use (See
Figure 1 above). This technique took us awhile to start a fire, but we did succeed and now we can
keep warm.
Now that we had a fire we could then start to cook food. To start hunting for food we
could either go for small or big game. For the smaller animals like rabbits we made many snares.
The snares were made out of fibers from plants that were twisted tightly together to make a type
of string. We set them out in many places small enough for a rabbit to travel through or any
animal the size of a rabbit. For bigger game we needed to create weapons since we did not have
the luxury of firearms. We all made spears out of wood and shaved the tip with rocks to make the
point. Another tactic for hunting bigger game was that we dug holes in the ground around the
area we were in and we stuck spikes at the bottom. Once we had the all the spikes in the ground
we covered the hole with leaves and branches, so if a deer fell in it would get stabbed by the
spikes at the bottom. Once we arrived at the river, we could then expand our food source to fish.
For fishing we made more spears, but this time we carved out barbs at the tip so when we
speared a fish it would not get away. Our group also made makeshift fishing poles out of long
sticks that were able to bend without breaking, and with the string we made for the fishing line.
For our hooks we used the bones from the animals we killed, and we dug up worms for our bait.
Gathering - Christina
As we made our way along the river, we gathered wild lettuce, mustard plants, cherries,
milk thistle, onions, mallow and blackberries. Most of these plants we were able to simply pick
and eat them without any cooking. Once we arrived at the coastline, we were able to gather
seaweed. We washed and dried the protein-rich seaweed thoroughly and were able to begin
stockpiling the plant. At the shoreline, we are also able to gather clams and mussels which we
can easily cook and eat. (Fisher)
Shelter and Weapons - Victoria
When we made it to the river, a few of us began gathering rocks to make knives. We each
gathered four things: a core rock (a large rock with a flat side), a hammer stone (a large, smooth
rock), a pressure flaker (a sharp-pointed rock), and a hilt (a small, thick branch). After wetting
the core rock, we chipped away the blade using the hammer stone (see Figure 2). Once we were
happy with the shape of the knife, we used the pressure flaker to refine the blade edges. For
binding material, we used strings of plant fiber from the inner bark of trees. We twisted two
groups of a few strings clockwise (separately) and twisted them together counterclockwise to
make a stronger, rope-like material. Using a process called hafting, we cut an indentation into
one end of the hilt where the blade would fit, held the hilt and blade together, and used the rope
to bind them together securely (see Figure 3). To make a spear for spearfishing, we simply used a
long branch as a hilt.

Figure 2
Figure 3
We constructed a Pole and Bough Lean-To shelter. We tied three wood poles together at
the top using rope. We wedged a ridgepole through the top of it and a nearby Y-shaped tree. We
leaned 5 or 6 poles against the ridgepole and laced boughs between them to make it sturdier. We
laced the framework with palm leaves and bark to make a roof for the shelter (see Figure 4). At
night, the warmth from the fire reflected back on us from the inner part of the roof.

Figure 4
Hygiene and Clothing - Luis
As of day one we found ourselves without any tools, no shelter, and no food. Our first
priority was to head down to the Santa Maria River in order to find supplies but more
importantly to find water. The first couple of days were very tough as we struggle to find food
while traveling to the river. We didnt have the right tools to cook anything because we were
looking for supplies to make them, and it was very exhausting and time consuming. By the time
we finally made it to the river, we were all dirty since we have not washed our clothes for a week
since we didnt have anything else to wear. We stayed near the river for almost three weeks, and
during that time, our group was able to make tools for hunting cattle and cutting supplies. Now
with the tools we had at the time, we were able to make soap from animal fat and wood ash. With

the soap in our hands we were able to have a proper shower, one that we didnt have for weeks
now. But even then, we were struggling for another week because we still were using our old
clothes, and we ended up enduring being naked when we washed our clothes and waited for
them to dry out. At that point, one of the biggest concerns was making new clothes. With several
trials and errors, we finally were able to make some decent clothing from animal hide, undead
plants, and even bones.
The group decided that it was time for us to move to the coastline in the hopes for more
and better supplies. Our old shoes had given up on us at that point, and making footwear was
required before heading to our next destination. We made some sandals from leather and cotton
that we found near the riverbed in order to make the sandals comfortable for our feet, and carved
out wooden bases that we attached at the bottom of the sandal for protection against small rocks
and any spiky things that would hurt our feet.
Calendar - Ethan
To keep track of time, and be prepared for the seasons, we created a calendar by creating marks
in a stone representing days and months. Small marks representing days will be grouped into
weeks and months, and a mark will be added every day. To ensure that the calendar is accurate,
noted the beginning of a new month after every full moon.

Months 3-4
Weve established our permanent shelter about a half a mile east of the shoreline,
adjacent to the river. We have many resources to gather from and are preparing ourselves for the
long haul. Stress has led to declining health and strained relationships. Our main focus for these
months are to stay healthy and happy.
Medicine - Christina
The mesquite tree provides many medicinal uses such as, open wounds, sunburn, sore
throat, headache, stomach issues and painful gums. We used either the sap of the mesquite tree
and/or the boiled down beans. We also used the Soap Plant or also called Amole, to help with
sores. We were also able to gather fiber, soap and glue from Amole plants by crushing or cooking
the bulb (Plants).
For broken bones or sprained ankles, we were able to make splints using straight
branches and rope. This was our only way to treat a broken bone or fracture, because we didnt
have the skills and proper tools to perform surgery.

Figure 5
Mental Health - Ethan
The events that have taken place have had a big impact on everybody, as many have been
lost, so we realized we needed to work to ensure that everybody is in good mental condition. We
needed to find ways to reduce stress and tension in the group. Everyone was encouraged to talk
to each other about how the events that have taken place have affected them. Now that we had a
stable source of food and a place to live, we had time to spend time doing enjoyable activities to
reduce stress, such as playing sports, making art and music, and occasionally taking a break from
working for a day.
Transportation - Luis
After reaching the coastline where we finally settle, we found ourselves very exhausted
from having to travel on foot for miles. We found ourselves having to repair our sandals many
times along the way and that used a lot of the resources we were carrying. Thats when the group
decided that it was time to start training some of the horses we found near the coastline. The
coastline was very generous to our group because we were able to find a lot of cattle and horses
that we could later use as means of transport for when we needed to look for more supplies once
we ran out. It took the group a couple of weeks before we were able to get on the horses, but at
that instant, our next issue was making saddles for our horses. At this point, we had many tools
that we used for creating the saddles. We used wood and leather along with feathers that we
gathered close to the beach. The saddles that we made at first werent very comfortable, but we

kept on improving them until we made saddles that fulfilled our needs. We all struggle for the
third month before we were all able to ride our horses.
Entering the fourth month, we all had our horses that we used for scouting new places in
hoping to find new sources to improve our settlement, and new plants for medicinal purposes.
Our hunting also improved as we were able to travel several miles up North where we were able
to find herds of deer, and other animals that we could eat and use their skin for making clothing.
Horses definitely made things easier, and for a moment we felt a relief.
Agriculture - Tomas
Finding a source of steady food has been a concern of ours ever since we started our
adventure. Finding certain plants and hunting is working for now but the need for some sort of
steady harvested food source is needed. Looking at our surroundings we found that there was a
plentiful amount of cows and chickens. With this idea we decided to gather up two cows to
experiment if we could domesticate them. A problem we ran into was to attempt to contain the
animals to stay within our establishments. We didn't have a way to build a large scale fence so
we had to do with making makeshift ropes out of tree bark. The cows would then chew through
those and it would be almost impossible to keep them in a contained area. Eventually we ended
up making restraints out of leather and that then made it possible to keep the cows with our
group. We have a small amount of them for now until we finally figure out and learn how to
harvest and properly take care of the animals. The chickens were maintained in a small shelter.
Making it very beneficial to have a source of protein readily available with eggs. Feeding proved
to be a challenge for the animals because we did not properly know how much to feed and what
to feed.
Thankfully because of the cows were able to use the excrements of them to make
fertilizer to help plant radishes and onions. Everyone has chosen to make their own little gardens
for now so that we all know how to create one and maintain it. The learning process has yielded
us a lot of fruitless harvests. Thankfully onions and radishes grow rapidly and we eventually
found the right conditions to grow them. Eating them raw has been advantageous because they
last for upwards of 4-6 weeks being stored in our food storage hut.

Advanced Shelter and Weapons - Victoria

After gathering enough materials, we began to construct bows and arrows. To make the
bow, we gently bent a 4-ft long, strong, pliable (type of tree) branch to find its natural curvature
and whittled it out, making the center the widest part. We carved notches on each tip, stretched
the rawhide bowstring taut, and tied it to the notches (see Figure 6). To keep the bow limber, we
rubbed the wood with animal fat. Using the straightest sticks we could find, we smoothed the
outer layer with our knives. We sharpened small stones for the arrowheads and attached them to
the sticks using rope. Using a fletching method, we split the wood at the opposite end of the
arrowhead and placed feathers in the splits (see Figure 7).

Figure 6
Figure 7
After many cold nights on the beach, we decided to make better, more stronger shelters.
We decided to build an ap, a type of shelter that was originally built by the Chumash Native
Americans. We gathered many willow branches and tules to make this (see Figure 8).We also
found a whale that washed up on the shore and used the whale bones for reinforcement. We left a
hole in the middle of the roof so we could have a fire in the middle of the ap.

Figure 8

Months 5-6

10

Weve been forced to deal with some delinquent behavior from a member of the community
whom shall remain nameless. As a community, weve had to enact certain punishments against
the criminal. Instead of focusing on the mishaps, weve decided to dive into some projects to
keep ourselves busy.
Crime/Punishment - Tomas, Karla, Eric, Victoria
One must always consider the circumstances of any situation. For example, if someone is
caught stealing food from the communal supply, as a group we will decide how severe the
punishment shall be. For extreme cases, the punishment will last for one entire day to teach the
rest of the group a lesson. If a group member causes any bodily harm to another group member
they will be starved and branded. The branding will be done with a hot stone that has been sitting
in a fire pit. This is done so that the mark will be a symbol reminding everyone of the offense
that was committed (See Figure 9). If a person accumulates five marks, they will be immediately
abandoned by the group no questions asked. Everyone in the group will be susceptible to these
punishments and are determined by group decision.

Figure 9
Construction Projects - Eric
Once we established our main shelter near the beach it was time for a different way of
fishing and how to travel. We needed to find a way to create some kind of canoe or boat. With a
canoe for water transportation it will be very beneficial to us. We can go out to explore, paddle
out to deeper waters to catch bigger fish, or even to travel to other places if needed. To start the
construction of our canoe we found a large enough log that we could use to carve it out of. To
start carving we had to design tools that would be able to strip wood off the log. With some sharp
rocks that we chipped away at to make the edges sharp we started our project. Once we carved
the canoe in the shape we wanted it, we had to discuss how to hollow the the canoe out so that
people could sit inside. One technique we tried was to burn our way through the wood to hollow
it out. We placed some coals from our fire on top of the canoe and it started to burn its way
through the wood (See Figure 10). We noticed that while the coals

11

Figure 10
Figure 11
were burning the wood we had to keep carving the burned wood away so that the canoe did not
catch on fire (Makin a Dugout Canoe). We kept carving away at the burned wood, because the
temperature alone was burning through the wood and so we did not need it to catch on fire (See
figure 11). Once our canoe was carved and hollowed out it was time to test it. We set it in the
water and it started to sink from the back. What we did was shave off layer after layer of wood at
the back of the canoe until it floated perfectly in the water.

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Months 7-8
We received an unexpected surprise at the beginning of month 7. As we walked the dunes
north of our encampment, we noticed the wind had blown away a large portion of sand to reveal
our classroom that we had abandoned 7 months ago. It was not the same classroom that we had
left, but an exact exterior replica. Inside the room was a treasure trove of many useful objects.
Once everyone walked inside the room the first thing everyone noticed was someone they
thought they would never see again. Once everyone was done embracing the person they knew, it
was time to sort through all the supplies that were there.
In one corner, there was a library full of books about survival. Next to that, there was a
wall holding enough guns and ammo for all of us. On another wall, there were enough first aid
kits and antibiotics to last us a few months. There were many different types of seeds (in
separate, labeled jars) and some vegetables sitting on the ground. And finally, there was loads of
paper and a typewriter which gave us the opportunity to type this document.
Contacting other humans - Christina
Once a week, a few of us travel to the highest point near our encampment and light a
signal fire. We hope our smoke signal will be noticed by other tribes. Even though we are not
sure if there are any other humans on the planet, it does not hurt to try and make contact.
Advances - Tomas, Eric, Victoria
Following the discovery of the mysterious room, our technological capability has
increased by a substantial amount. In the room we found a variety of seeds that were stored in
jars. We now have a starting point to diversify what we eat in terms of plant based food. Having
been accustomed to just radishes and onions it's a breath of fresh air to finally be able to have
something to eat that was not an onion or radish. Weve grown carrots, corn, tomatoes, potatoes,
and strawberries since we found the room. Some animals have wandered to our camp and have
been eating some of our food.
Since we had the luxury of firearms in our use now hunting became a job that wasnt very
hard anymore. We had a way to hunt animals from a farther distance now, instead of thinking of
ways to get up close to them with spears. The firearms that we found in the classroom also gave
us better security from wild animals.
The one thing that we found in the classroom that benefitted our group the most was the
library. Our group was able to gain more knowledge on how to survive, because there were many
books on medicine, survival, hunting, and agriculture.

13

Months 9-12
We are delighted to have some friends and family with us. We are trying to make them as
comfortable as possible with games, hobbies and food. We feel summer approaching and are
excited for the warm weather.
Punishment
One of our own has been a given the fifth brand of punishment. Karla has been caught
repeatedly trying to steal food and undermine the group. Because of this, we have decided to
banish her from the group. This is the first time that anyone has been banished. We all agree that
if Karla does not wish to participate and follow the group's rules, then she should not be allowed
to benefit from the group as it is not fair to the group. We sent her off with a horse and nothing
else and told her to leave and never return again.
Sports - Tomas
Having allot of time to ourselves, competition is a necessary tool to help people take their
minds off of the reality of the situation we are in. Using the makeshift ropes we made for our
failed cattle experiment we found that if we kept making several ropes and then tying them over
each other could form balls that we could start throwing around. Most of our loved ones have
joined us so we finally have enough people to start playing football with making it possible to
exercise in a fun manner. Setting up the goal posts was pretty easy, using rocks to make our play
area was pretty simple. Thankfully everyone knows the rules and just as a precaution we only
play touch because we don't exactly have good way of handling major injuries such as broken
arms and legs.
Having checkers/chess tournaments have been pretty fun given we have the time to enjoy
and put our intellectual prowess to use. The prizes for these events usually having first choice on
the meat that the hunters bring home. After a while it seemed apparent that Tomas was winning
all of the tournaments so no one wanted him to play anymore. Overall, having competition
amongst each other has forced us to work on our team building skills. Anything that reminds us
of how things used to be puts everyone in a better mood.
Fitness and Nutrition - Tomas
Looking at some of the books we found in the room we began to learn more and more of
the importance of taking care of our bodies in physical and nutritional ways. Instead of having to
reduce the amount our bodies were consuming in our previous lives we now have to properly
nourish our bodies in such a way that we can be ready to handle the hardships that come along
with living in the wilderness. Some symptoms that we have encountered have been irritability,
clammy skin, disorientation, breathing and vision problems. With the help of the nutrition book
we found we now know that carbohydrates will alleviate a lot of those problems with proper diet.
Most of us have drastically lost weight because our eating habits have drastically changed. The
importance of fat was one of the biggest shocks to us as a group. We were always taught that fat
was something to avoid when it came to choosing the food that we eat. That is simply not the
case anymore, the more fat we can find the better. The caloric value of fat is twice as much of
carbohydrates and proteins. This is important because of the amount of food we are eating
everyday is limited. Fat can help us fill in the gaps on days where we don't have much food so
our bodies can remain functioning very well. On top of eating better having a fitness regimen for
the group has been helpful in keeping all of us very limber given we have to do mostly

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everything by raw manpower. Building up stamina and strength is important for us to get projects
done on a day to day basis. Swimming is our go to exercise to do often because running can be
rough on our feet for some of us and swimming works out a vast amount of muscles that
otherwise we would have a hard time exercising.
Conclusion
On the sunrise of the 366th day of our survival, we awoke to find that Earth had been
restored to the way it had left us. We immediately felt a change in the environment. We heard the
low rumble of planes, the whistle of trains and the horns of cars. We dont know how or why the
planet had reverted back to its original state but, we were extremely grateful.

15

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Seven Primitive Survival Shelters That Could Save Your Life. Field and Stream.
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