assistant: # Surviving Modern Brooklyn with Your Trusty Bicycle

##### &emsp;It's a dangerous world out there, after everything that's happened.  It's not hopeless, however.  If you have a bicycle in good condition, your wits about you, and this trusty booklet, then you'll have all the tools necessary to survive the craziness out there.
&emsp;The contents of this book may very well save your life.  Before we engage survival strategies, however, there are two important things I must say:

### Don't panic.

### Don't give up hope.

&emsp;These are the two most import things to remember.  Sometimes, hope seems like a distant dream, as unreachable as the stars in the sky.  When these thoughts arise, I like to remind myself that we _have_ reached the stars.  As distant as hope feels, it's out there.  We just have to find it.  And we _will_ reach it.
&emsp;"Don't panic" is just as important.  With what New York City has become, you'll need your wits about you.  Surprises will come more often than you'd like.  If you panic, you won't be able to deal with these surprises.  If you remain calm, you'll be able to work your way out of almost any situation.

&emsp;Let's now address your basic needs:
1. ##### Water
    Your body can only go a few days without water.  The exact time depends on things like your activity level, body time, and environment.  Access to consistent clean water is a must.

    There are a few ways you can get water.  Make sure you have a barrel and some kind of funnel for when rainfall comes.  Barrels can often be found in the industrial district.  If you can find a food or drug manufacturing plant, then it's much more likely the barrel will be food-safe.  Even so, make sure you inspect it thoroughly.  You have no guarantee of what condition it might be in.  As for a funnel, a large, water-resistant cloth like a tarp works well as a retractable funnel.  _Make sure you cleanse that water before you drink it.  The pollution particles it picked up on the way down **will be toxic.**_  We'll cover purification later.

    A more desirable source of water is the city's water pipelines.  If you can find a white water (clean) pipeline, it will be safe to drink and full of beneficial minerals.  You should be able to tell from smell which ones are for black water (sewage), but it may be difficult to tell white and grey waterlines apart.  There are no major gray water (used for dish washing, etc.) lines, but be careful around malls and areas with large, grassy yards.  It was once common for these areas to spray used water on their land.  It might sound strange, but the records support it.  Water was once thought as abundant as dirt, and it was fashionable to find ways to waste it.  For this reason, water lines near grassy lands, stone "fountains", and "swimming reservoirs" are often not safe to drink until purified.

    The rivers are not an advisable source of water.  The purification methods available to you and I won't be enough to make it safe.  You might get lucky, or you might not.  The odds are not in your favor.  This is one gamble you do _not_ want to take, unless **every other option** has been ruled out.

    On to purification.  There are three purification methods generally available to use: boiling, distillation, and filtration.  The general recommendation is to use either distillation, or filtration plus boiling.

    If you boil water for long enough, you'll kill all the germs in it.  You won't get rid of other pollutants, though.

    If you run water through a sand, gravel, or ceramic filter, you can remove many pollutants that are too small to be seen.  You might not get rid of the germs though, and you might not get every pollutant out.

    If you boil water to evaporation, then collect and condensate that vapor, you will rid yourself of all the germs and all but the toughest pollutants.  Distilled water is safe to drink, but it will be void of beneficial minerals found in water pipes.

    To heat your water, it is recommended to salvage a large solar panel and connect the wires to opposite sides of a semi-conductive vessel.  The electricity passing through the resistant vessel will generate heat.  If you aren't getting enough heat, you may not have a compatible vessel, or you may not have enough electrical power.  More power can be achieved with more or larger solar panels.  Connecting these in series will increase the voltage (pressure), connecting them in parallel will increase the amperage (count of flowing electrons).  Both will increase the heat, but choose the one that will cause the most friction for your setup.  If your vessel is too conductive or not conductive enough, then a long wire or a steel chain can address this problem.  Any wire becomes a resistor if it's long enough.  The longer you can stretch out so that no part of the wire or chain is overlapping, the more resistance you'll create.  Too much resistance will mean less heat, but you're unlikely to have that problem with the tools available.  Placing the vessel in the center of the heated conductor should get you enough heat transfer to boil the water.
2. ##### Food
    Your body can survive somewhere between one and three weeks without food.  Once again, the exact limit will depend on your activity level, your environment, and your individual body.  The edible plants in this region might not be delicious, but they will be nutritious.

    The Purple Coneflower has magenta colored petals and a spiky-looking center.  Bee Balm is a pinkish-purplish flower with a spiky appearance.  Queen Anne's Lace is a white flower in a circular shape, seeming made of many smaller branching flowers.  All of these flowers have edible petals and leaves, and may be dried and made into a tea.

    The Jerusalem Artichoke has yellow petals not unlike a sunflower's.  Its roots can be dug up and eaten raw or cooked.  If kept raw in a cool, dark, dry, and well-ventilated place, it may be stored for up to three weeks.

    Mugwort is a green plant with tri-forked leaves.  Each individual leaf fork may also be tri-forked.  Mugwort leaves are an herb that can be used in soups, stews, teas, and meat dishes.  The stems can be cooked as a vegetable.  The leaves can be dried for later use in soups, stews, and tea.

    Fungi can be something of a risk, but the ones we know to be safe ought to be put to good use.  Chicken of the Woods is a multi-layered mushroom that looks like a stack of pancakes.  It should be cooked before being eaten, and it is best eaten young while it is still juicy.  Hen of the Woods looks similar, but comes in a darker grey or brown color.

    Puffball mushrooms are small and bulbous.  They can be white or brown on the cap.  They can be eaten raw or cooked.  Uncut puffballs can be stored for a while if they are kept away from other foods.  Cut puffballs should be eaten within the day, unless you have a way to dehydrate them.

    
3. ##### Shelter
    When it comes to shelter, the most important thing is to separate yourself from the ground come nightfall.  The ground will absorb your body heat much faster than the air will.  Get yourself either a hammock or a makeshift mattress, and you will immediately be much safer.

    The abandoned buildings of Brooklyn often make for great retreat when the weather becomes dangerous.  However, please check the stability of each building before you trust it.  Many of them haven't been maintained in decades, and it would be deadly if one were to collapse on you.
4. ##### Hope, and companionship
    You are not alone.  Our great city may be dead and gone, but you and me are not the only survivors out that.  Not everyone is friendly, but more are than aren't.

    This is not hopeless.  We will all get through this.  And maybe, we can rebuild our great city one day.  We will all get through this!

&emsp;A few parting remarks:
 - Most of what remains in this city no longer has an owner.  Most of it is not useful to us, but a few things are.  If you find heaters, batteries, or cookware, be sure to salvage it.  It's difficult to get ahold of decent cookware these days.
 - If you do not have a bicycle, obtain one as soon as you are able to.  Many of the resources you will need to survive are spread out across the city.  If you're able to get one with a basket, all the better.  Your odds of surviving increase drastically when you have mobility.
 - If you find bottled water, save it for emergencies.  You don't know when the next rain-drought will occur, or when the water pipelines will finally break down.  Even after drinking the water, be sure to save the bottles for future use.
 - Plastic is a wonderful material.  It lasts and lasts and almost never breaks down.  This same thing that makes it so useful also can make it quite terrible.  If it enters your body, it won't break down.  Be careful.
 - If we want to rebuild, we'll need the knowledge of our ancestors.  Collect any books or records that you are able to.  Who knows, it may prove vital to our future.