Survival vs Wilderness living vs Apocalypse fantasizers

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OK, I go for the "If something happens(injury to me or one of those I am with)- can I keep me/us warm and in good medical shape until we get out/help comes" frame of mind. Sure, if it is mild dry weather and no one is injured, 5-6 days is no big deal as long as you have a little water. Add injury or cool nights while injured/wet.... things become a little more of a problem. Hypothermia and shock play in. I hate carry tons of junk as much as anyone else, but letting those less prepared in my party down is somethign I hate more.
I carry a little extra but 2-3lbs of extra on a day hike is not going to kill me when I carry 20-30lbs extra around my body every day ;) LOL!
ON a hike more than 2 miles in, I carry 1 litre water for each and auqmira tabs, about 1000 calories in snacks for each person(protein and carbs), first aid kit, fire kit, 1 medium knife, 50' para cord, 1 GI poncho each, 1 signal can of smoke, 3 chemlights, 3 balaclavas,dry socks (:) ). Not meant to be a kit list but a demonstration of what I intend to "survive".

++to qualify the above- I am "Dad" and often the most experienced at staying outdoors in the group. Many I hike with have never been backpacking.
 
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When I was much younger I thought I should be prepared for the extreme SHTF situation and at the height of my delusion I purchased a select fire AR-15. I had fun with it but after a couple of years I realized when being attacked by god knows who, I would simply be taken out by an RPG. The weapon of choice has long since gone on to another owner.
 
folks tend to over analyze the needs and concerns of others. Belittling, making fun, and throwing around pejoratives is just not productive.

With that observation out of the way, I pretty much agree with most here, that there are clear differences between 'survival' situations due to accidents, and planned wilderness living.
I try to be prepared for any reasonable survival type situation, regardless of the severity. This of course varies with season, terrain, and your physical condition.

Other than some car camping, I don't have any intentions of going back to nature, for any length of time. :D


oh, and for those that don't hold SHTF in regard, bear in mind that we keep our home owner insurance in force, though very few of us ever use it. We have life insurance, health insurance, car insurance..........................
A little something set aside for a rainy day is not a wasted investment. ;)
 
Survival: Ron Hood.

Wilderness Living: John and Geri McPherson.

Apocalypsturbators: Pretty much anybody who starts the topic: "What _______________ for when TSHTF?"

A little something set aside for a rainy day is not a wasted investment.
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True. But, to live in fear of an event out of your control and to let that fear rule you...IS. Stocking up for hard times is one thing, but when you get guys that are putting back full environmental suits in fear of the next nuclear holocaust; or guys trying to figure out how to "EMP-proof" their house, then somebody might not have a bolt torqued to spec up top.
 
Being financially able to prepare for nukes/other crazy crap.... ummm guys... have you seen or even heard of what our politicians and military brass/civilian counterparts have?

IF a person can afford the insurance for survival, then post apocalypse preparation is nothing more than expensive insurance and is not an indicator that a person has lost the ability to define reality from fantasy.

That being covered, wilderness living comes at a cost, where a simple bug bite can spell disaster and death, social interaction is almost mandatory, the places where food is plentiful and weather is good... guess what, other want to be there too, so one is forced to go to places that are far from ideal... meaning social interaction to provide things that would not be required in a place more suited to individual survival. There is NO limit on gear, you must accept that you are born naked and if you accept anything even your knowledge then you are accepting society, so take the best you can, you'll probably need it.

Survival is what everyone does every day to make it to another day, to include going to your normal 9-5 or whatever it is you do to get food water and shelter for you and your family, given that most people like society survival includes all things political/economical/spiritual, believing that "survival" is separate from true survival is a farce, preparing to survive in an environment that you are not accustomed to is nothing more than en extension of that very same idea, that you need help to make it.
 
A lot of you people think the human race will carry on forever? That is a fantasy.
 
dipbait said:
A lot of you people think the human race will carry on forever? That is a fantasy.
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Actually that's something I find funny in preppers who are preparing for end times. End times is...end times. :D

In all seriousness there's a huge difference between someone stocking food and water for emergencies and people who stockpile guns and ammo so they can defend themselves from their neighbors during the "apocalypse." Also, most preppers tend to buy things instead of actually learning skills. There's a guy at work who is one of these guys and bought a kukri for his survival knife and had no idea what the chakma and karda were. He thought they were toy decorations. If you wanna be a prepper be a prepper just please crack a book while doing it. :rolleyes:
 
Shotgun said:
Actually that's something I find funny in preppers who are preparing for end times. End times is...end times. :D
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Theres a lot of things that can happen that is not the end of times but it changes the way of life as we know it. They are not fantasies are far fetched. An Ebola like virus that breaks out in Memphis and not a remote African village, where it spread so fast the victims died before it had a chance reach other places . Natural disasters. Asteroids. Solar flares...

If I had the funds , I would live in the country with a supply of water and be able to live off the grid if needed. My wife and son are not willing to make the sacrifice to do it. So I am not prepared. I dont want to make it my lifestyle but its not mad paranoia. Im not even prepared for a bad ice storm that knocks out power for a week.
 
I believe that as head of household its my resposability to ensure my famlies safety. On that note i believe that it is prudent to put back food and water for hard times ( job loss, sickness, natural or manmade disasters etc.) I believe that the world can be a nasty place and in light of that i own and am schooled in the operation of firearms. I think that to prepare for tough times is simply prudent planning; but to limit ones life to living in fear of the next calamity is foolish. After all, what kind of a life is one lived in fear? I also wanted to touch on something, I think that folks who mention the apocolypse or end times are referencing the biblical account of the judgment and other folks are refering to some cataclismic event like a storm or virus or civil unrest. So to some when we say the "teotwawki" it means literally the end of times and to others its refering to events that leave us in extreme hardship but not utterly finished.
 
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dipbait said:
Theres a lot of things that can happen that is not the end of times but it changes the way of life as we know it. They are not fantasies are far fetched. An Ebola like virus that breaks out in Memphis and not a remote African village, where it spread so fast the victims died before it had a chance reach other places . Natural disasters. Asteroids. Solar flares...
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I'm in agreement that these things CAN happen. My problem with preppers is three things really.
A) They buy their survival. I'd take a 30 pound bob and a healthy set of skills over anyone's vault o' prep.
B) The belief that they're going to go it alone. Social skills and working together is going to prove far more beneficial then holing yourself up in your home with your ma deuce loaded up.
C) And the thing that most people make fun of them for. Preparing for an outbreak of ebola without preparing for things that will actually happen like the loss of job. Having a house fully stockpiled isn't going to do you much good if you lose your house. I think a lot of preppers get lost down the rabbit hole. Some really need a reality check.
 
People who really want to prep should go live with a homeless person. The homeless are the best prepared.
 
Just because civilization is not prepared for catastrophe doesnt mean the individual cant be.
 
I am in Florida where "survival" is an annual event called hurricane season. Every five years or so we are wacked by a heavy storm that blocks roads, damages homes, causes extreme power outages, portable water shortages, and widespread store closings. We have learned to prepare for these storms. We stock a few days of water, food, and propane and we make sure that all of the vehicles are fully gased up and that essential perscriptions refills are on hand. Guns and knives are good tools to have too, there is always an increased possibility of looting or theft while power/alarms/communications are handicapped, and there is usually plenty of landscapping to clear away and dispose of. But, mostly the toys are a source of entertainment while most of your regular activities are inaccessible. That and a few good books will get you a long way. This is what survival is really all about. You need to have some essentials on hand to get you comfortably through the immediate problem. BTW, I am very proud of the way my neighbor's reacted to the last storm. By first light just about everyone was out in the streets (under tropical force winds) with machetes, axes, chain saws and shovels and trash bags. By mid-day the damaged had been policed up, the street cleared, and the refuse throughtout the community had been neatly collected and was ready for pickup along the curb. It wasn't exactly teamwork, but I saw a lot of neighbors helping neighbors, and events like these tend to bring out the best in people.

n2s
 
meismjg said:
People who really want to prep should go live with a homeless person. The homeless are the best prepared.
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Not really. It appears that way at first, but a closer examination would suggest otherwise.

They're only prepared to live off of what "society" casts away: dumpster diving, pan-handling, shelters, soup kitchens, etc... Many homeless people freeze to death during the winter.
The best prepared have always been the Amazonian tribes: they don't/ didn't at one time depend on society, electricity, redirected water, money, etc. There are still tribes that the outside world (us) haven't even seen and will probably never see simply because they live in places that are inaccessible; or are nomadic.

Other than that, research some early Appalachian history. Until LBJ, the people of Southeastern Kentucky couldn't have cared less about cars, money, and society's "high life". I know a person who still doesn't have an indoor toilet, that lives off of what they grow in their garden, and heats with wood and coal scavaged from coal seams. He has electricity and plumbing -- but if all of that stopped working it wouldn't phase him in the least. People like that are better prepared than any human on Earth. He doesn't consider himself poor (his house is paid off, comfortable in the winter and tolerable in the summer, he owns his land -- as he's over 65 and doesn't have to pay taxes on it anymore)...actually, I think he's the richest and most free guy I know. I'd give anything to live like he does.

Remove society and you'll watch most of the homeless people die.
 
Not2sharp,

Its nice to hear about a community comming together after something like that, we usually only hear about looting and such.
 
KEmSAT-Survival said:
Not really. It appears that way at first, but a closer examination would suggest otherwise.

They're only prepared to live off of what "society" casts away: dumpster diving, pan-handling, shelters, soup kitchens, etc... Many homeless people freeze to death during the winter.
The best prepared have always been the Amazonian tribes: they don't/ didn't at one time depend on society, electricity, redirected water, money, etc. There are still tribes that the outside world (us) haven't even seen and will probably never see simply because they live in places that are inaccessible; or are nomadic.

Other than that, research some early Appalachian history. Until LBJ, the people of Southeastern Kentucky couldn't have cared less about cars, money, and society's "high life". I know a person who still doesn't have an indoor toilet, that lives off of what they grow in their garden, and heats with wood and coal scavaged from coal seams. He has electricity and plumbing -- but if all of that stopped working it wouldn't phase him in the least. People like that are better prepared than any human on Earth. He doesn't consider himself poor (his house is paid off, comfortable in the winter and tolerable in the summer, he owns his land -- as he's over 65 and doesn't have to pay taxes on it anymore)...actually, I think he's the richest and most free guy I know. I'd give anything to live like he does.

Remove society and you'll watch most of the homeless people die.
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I was referencing apocalypse fantasy scenarios... half sarcastically. People in the Amazon live outside the world of apocalypse fantasies. Apocalypse fantasies (at least the ones on screen) are all about dumpster diving and scavenging in deteriorating urban settings. There is enough man made stuff to scavenge off of for years. I certainly see no reason why homeless people would be any worse off than anyone else.
 
Shotgun said:
My problem with preppers is three things really.
A) They buy their survival. I'd take a 30 pound bob and a healthy set of skills over anyone's vault o' prep.
B) The belief that they're going to go it alone. Social skills and working together is going to prove far more beneficial then holing yourself up in your home with your ma deuce loaded up.
C) And the thing that most people make fun of them for. Preparing for an outbreak of ebola without preparing for things that will actually happen like the loss of job. Having a house fully stockpiled isn't going to do you much good if you lose your house. I think a lot of preppers get lost down the rabbit hole. Some really need a reality check.
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Absolutely.

dipbait said:
Just because civilization is not prepared for catastrophe doesnt mean the individual cant be.
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Sure you can prepare for the end of the world as an individual...keep your gun loaded with one bullet.;)
 
meismjg said:
I was referencing apocalypse fantasy scenarios... half sarcastically. People in the Amazon live outside the world of apocalypse fantasies. Apocalypse fantasies (at least the ones on screen) are all about dumpster diving and scavenging in deteriorating urban settings. There is enough man made stuff to scavenge off of for years. I certainly see no reason why homeless people would be any worse off than anyone else.
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I see.
 
stabman said:
So, if the human race doesn't carry on, you will?:confused:
I'm confused as to what you're getting at.
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Yeah, that is not worded very well. Civilization as we know it.

We dodged a bullet with the Tunguska event. That was only about a hundred years ago and over a sparsely populated area.
 
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