Survival Dictionary

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are currently 44 names in this directory beginning with the letter K.
K
Morse Code abbreviation meaning “Over”

Kali
Hindu Goddess associated with eternal energy. Sometimes represented as dark and violent, Kali also represents Death.

Karahi
Thick, circular and deep cooking pot similar in shape to a wok that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

Karst
An irregular area of limestone in which erosion has produced fissures, sinkholes, underground streams and caverns.

Katabatic Wind
Term for downslope winds flowing from high elevations of mountains, plateaus and hills down their slopes to the valleys or planes below.

Katana
Traditionally made Japanese swords used by the samurai of feudal Japan. It is characterised by a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

Kayak
A small and narrow boat, sitting just above the surface of the water and navigated using a double bladed paddle.

Kazan
Type of large cooking pot used throughout Central Asia, Russia and the Balkan Peninsula.

Keelboat
Working boat capable of carrying cargo. Or a small to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht.

Keelhauling
Maritime punishment: to punish by dragging under the keel of a ship.

Keffiyeh
The Keffiyeh or Shemagh is a head dress fashioned from a square cotton scarf, traditionally used in the Middle East, adopted by the armed forces of various countries and by survivalists from around the world.

Kelp
Large seaweeds or algae,growing in underwater forests, in shallow oceans, requiring nutrient-rich water with temperatures between 6° and 14°C. They can grow as fast as half a metre a day.

Kepi
A cap with a flat circular top and a peak. In Europe most commonly associated with French military and police uniforms. In North America, it is usually associated with the soldiers of the American Civil War.

Kerf
A cut made by an axe, saw, etc.

Kernmantle Rope
Rope made of twisted fibres in the inside core (the kern) and protected with an exterior sheath (mantle).

Kerosene Lamp
Also called a paraffin lamp (Hurricane Lamp in India), it is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as fuel. They have a wick protected by a glass chimney.

Ketogenic Diet
Also known as keto diet, low card high fat (LCHF) diet, keto diet, etc, it is a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy.

Ketosis
A normal metabolic process when the body burns stored fats instead of glucose for energy resulting in a build-up of ketones within the body. A ketogenic or low-carb diet encourages ketosis to try and burn unwanted fat by forcing the body to rely on fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates.

Kevlar
Trademark for a synthetic fibre developed at DuPont. First commercially used as a replacement for steel in racing tyres, it has many applications, from tyres and sails to body armour, because of its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio. It is five times stronger than steel. Typically it is spun into ropes or fabric sheets.

KFS
Knife, fork and spoon.

Khanjali
A double-edged dagger often with a single off-set groove on each face of the blade. The shape of the weapon is similar to the ancient Greek Xiphos, the Roman Gladius, or the Scottish dirk and has been used as a secondary weapon in since ancient times. Such daggers and their scabbards are usually highly engraved in gold or silver designs and sometimes include embedded gemstones. The scabbard will generally feature a ball point extension on the tip, and the handle is usually made of materials such as wood or ivory.

Khanjar
A traditional dagger originating from Oman. Worn by men for ceremonial occasions, it is a short curved sword shaped like the letter “J” and resembles a hook. It can be made from a variety of different materials, depending on the quality of its craftsmanship.

Kickbridge
A method of crossing a chasm by making a structure with poles.

Kilowatt Hours (KWh)
One KWh is 1,000 watts over a 1 hour period.

Kindling
Fuel that is added to a fire just after it has caught. It needs to burn long enough to be able to add and light the main firewood.

Kinetic Energy
The energy of an object due to its motion.

King Cobra
The world’s longest venomous snake is found in forests from India to Southeast Asia. Preys on snakes and other vertebrates. Generally avoids humans.

KISS
Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Kiss of Life
Administering mouth-to-mouth breathing to resuscitate a person who cannot breathe is the Kiss of Life since it enables a potentially dead person to be brought back to life.

Kitchen Foil
Also called Aluminium Foil or Tin Foil (incorrectly), it is aluminium sheets prepared in thin leaves, flexible, making it possible to wrap around objects, often to retain heat in food due to its insulating properties. In survival scenarios it can also be used for signalling and as a fire reflector.

KITDAFOS
Kept In The Dark And Fed On Shit.

Kiteboarding
An extreme sport that combines wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, skateboarding and gymnastics. A kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite and is propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard.

Klick
Slang for kilometre.

KMAGYOYO
Kiss My Ass, Guys You’re On Your Own.

Knee Flipping
Capsised rafts that are small enough with little or no gear attached can be knee flipped. This involves the rafter holding the webbing on the underside of the raft, and pushing their knees into the outer tube, and then lifting their body out of the water, leaning back to overturn the raft.

Knot (Rope)
Looping a piece of cordage around itself and tightening it results in a knot.

Knot (Speed)
A measure of speed corresponding to one nautical mile per hour.

Knot Capsizing
Pulling together a knot to give it shape, form and stability, capsizing to the desired structure.

Knot Dressing
The process of arranging a knot to improve its performance.

KSA
Knowledge Skills Ability. A combination prevents a bad situation from getting worse.

Kubotan
A self defense weapon about six inches long and half an inch in diameter, it is usually gripped tightly in the palm and used as an ice pick to inflict injury to the face, nose, knuckles, solar plexus, abdomen, spine, neck, etc. It is small and portable and can be easily deployed.

Kukri
A curving machete of Nepalese origin used for daily use, wood work, agriculture, etc. It has gained popularity due to its use by Gorkha regiments in the British and Indian Armies.

Kulcha
In contrast to a roti or chapati, kulcha is an Indian yeast-leavened bread made of processed flour.

Kwashiorkor
A starvation related disease that affects children who are protein-energy deficient and might result in edema and an enlarged and fatty liver, resulting in the distending of the children's bellies, providing the illusion that children who are starving are well-fed.


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    1. wilderness survival kit canada

      The term “survival kit” may also refer to the larger, transportable survival kits ready by survivalists , known as “bug-out bags” (BOBs), “Individual Emergency Relocation Kits” (PERKs) or “get out of Dodge” (Good) kits, which are packed into backpacks, or even duffel bags. These kits are developed especially to be more simply carried by the person in case alternate forms of transportation are unavailable or impossible to use.

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