war if the worlds

[hwyhobo]

The ones with the survival skills get the squirrels, roots, etc., stay warm at night, sheltered from marauders....the ones without starve and get victimized.

Curious, when was the last time that ability to catch squirrels was a survival factor in any natural disaster in the industrial world?

 

[kozak6]

what are your thoughts??? should their be a subject in highschool dubed "survival skills"?? (that would be kick ass if i was still in skool)

High schools in my state are not allowed to teach anything useful or interesting.

 

[bigbcustom]

Curious, when was the last time that ability to catch squirrels was a survival factor in any natural disaster in the industrial world?

I was just using his quote...sorry if I offended your literal sensibilities. Or, are you so unthinking to believe that I was espousing the ability to catch squirrels as the most important survival skill in modern society? If so, let me disabuse you of that misconception. have a nice day, and, if you don't have anything to contribute or discuss within the constraints of what has been put forward in this discussion, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't participate. If, however, you were stating that in fun as a jest, then I apologize for my chastizing you...but you should put smiley faces behind jokes otherwise it just looks like you are being ignorant.

 

[Django606]

Just wondering, but what is this doing in General Discussion?


Blade Discussion Forum Your area to discuss knives in general: Folders, Fixed blades, Swords & knife related equipment, etc. Take off topic posts to the Community Center & manufacturer specific questions to their respective forums.


Shouldn't it be in one of the Community forums?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Each disaster is different, some radically, some subtley. Across the disaster area, severity differs, as well.

Why specify the industrial world? All Earth is industrialized, even the hidden jungle villagers who know nothing of industry are affected by it.

Compare New Orleans, where the ability to hunt supermarket shelves was the key to providing food in the atermath of the hurricanes, to the earthquake-shattered hills of Pakistan, where there simply were no supermarkets or squirrels, and relief convoys had no idea where the villagers who needed help were.

It takes time for the resources of a wealthy area to run out, and the surrounding wealthy area can resupply it. But when the entire wider community is unable to help, it doesn't take long for the survivors to decide that other humans are fair prey. Unfortunately, barring cannibalism, they aren't very nourishing.

What changes the outcome, though, is the ability of a species to replenish population levels once former conditions are restored. A world-wide disaster could kill off a large percentage of humanity, shatter Western-style urban-technological civilization, and reduce the remnants to nomadic barbasrism.

But it doesn't take nomads long to learn how to build cities, once the former city-dwellers are gone. Even Genghis Khan's successors fell into that pattern.

 

[bigbcustom]

Just wondering, but what is this doing in General Discussion?


Blade Discussion Forum Your area to discuss knives in general: Folders, Fixed blades, Swords & knife related equipment, etc. Take off topic posts to the Community Center & manufacturer specific questions to their respective forums.


Shouldn't it be in one of the Community forums?

You are probably completely correct. This wouldn't be a "blade discussion" at all would it.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Just wondering, but what is this doing in General Discussion?

The original post wondered, if civilization fell, if knives and swords would regain their former prominence, with people forced to fall back on forgotten survival skills.

The topic has drifted even further into a political or sociological discussion.

But it's up to a moderator to move it. Once we get started, no one is going to retrict his own remaks to make it more Blade Discussion Forum-friendly.

 

[SilverFoxKnows]

Anything's possible. It would have to be one heck of an event to send us back to using spears. A natural disaster seems more likely than a World War. If Yellowstone were to erupt, for instance, it would cover North America with volcanic ash. Three explosions in two million years doesn't sound too bad. The last one was 640,000 years ago. But on the off chance it did go off it would make Mt. Saint Helen's look like a firecracker (geological evidence suggests a discharge 2500 times as big). That might send us back to using knives, spears, bows and slings. Krakatoa was a 200 megaton explosion that decimated the island and sent tsunamis as far as the English Channel. Not likely but possible. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Frank

 

[bigbcustom]

True enough Silver, but even if NA got covered in volcanic ash, we would still have guns, some modern medicines, and I would hope that some skilled people would survive. It would mess up the whole world for damn sure...survival skills would greatly increase your chances IMHO not only for the skills, but the mindset that training instills. I wonder just how bad something would have to be to send the whole world back into barbarism? Some of the corney B movies like mad max, and steel dawn might not be far off of how things could become in the really really really unlikely event that something on that scale does occur. Hopefully I am long dead when it happens because, even though I believe in preparedness, I don't want to do it unless absolutely neccessary...I like monday night football, flushing toilets, computers, cell phones, etc. as well as playing in the woods...I prefer to have my cake and eat it too

 

[hwyhobo]

literal sensibilities [...] espousing the ability [...] disabuse you of that misconception [...]

You were funny so far. But then you lost it:

I would appreciate it if you wouldn't participate

Who died and made you God? :jerkit: You give nonsensical examples to support unproven notions, and when someone calls you on it, you ask them to butt out of the discussion.

chastizing you...but you should put smiley faces behind jokes otherwise it just looks like you are being ignorant.

Right. Said you eating a squirrel that you personally strangled proving your superior fitness. Why don't you give us specific examples where such skills were the major survival factor in industrial nations during disasters? Or are you going to "chastize me" again?

 

[jca21]

True enough Silver, but even if NA got covered in volcanic ash, we would still have guns, some modern medicines, and I would hope that some skilled people would survive. It would mess up the whole world for damn sure...survival skills would greatly increase your chances IMHO not only for the skills, but the mindset that training instills. I wonder just how bad something would have to be to send the whole world back into barbarism? Some of the corney B movies like mad max, and steel dawn might not be far off of how things could become in the really really really unlikely event that something on that scale does occur. Hopefully I am long dead when it happens because, even though I believe in preparedness, I don't want to do it unless absolutely neccessary...I like monday night football, flushing toilets, computers, cell phones, etc. as well as playing in the woods...I prefer to have my cake and eat it too

well... im from canada so its hard to get a gun =)

but i own a crossbow with 100 rounds of bolts =)

i also make homemade bows, arrows, spears and spear throwers out of bamboo

also i work on cray fish traps and fish boxes also made of bamboo

bamboo just happens to grow in large quantities near by so i just take out my machete and chop down a few when im bored =) the owner doesnt seem to mind because he says im doing him a favour by cleaning out his garden LOL.

i once pulled up my fix box to find a 10 inch sucker fish sitting inside =) might fun that night haha.


on another note. the post seems to be getting a bit out of hand... i just tossed the idea up here purely to see the response of the community not for people to flame each other O_O (no offence intended).

i was wondering.... lets just say the world really did end... and we were back to "survival of the fittest" with no guns because they magically wouldnt work...

what 3 knives would u carry with you or take with you when this happened???

1 of the 3 can be a axe/hatchet if you wish. =)

 

[yinyang]

the mac-

I should have elaborated. My post, on second glance, WAS abit absolutist in its response. Nevertheless, I want to thank you sincerely for your suggestion that I off myself. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the genetically engineered flying monkeys come to do the job.:grumpy:

My point essentially was that technophilia creates as many problems for us as it solves. Without a balanced view, the scales can tip against us.

 

[bigbcustom]

You were funny so far. But then you lost it:]

Yes, maybe I did a little bit.

Who died and made you God? :jerkit: You give nonsensical examples to support unproven notions, and when someone calls you on it, you ask them to butt out of the discussion.]

Nobody died and made me god, and neither was I trying to take on that role. Nonsensical examples you say...if you had read the whole thread, and taken my post (my opinions) in context, you would have figured out that they were "my opinions" not examples at all. Call me on it?? What you did was take a part of my post out of context and make a smart alek remark about it rather than taking it as a whole and making an intelligent rebuttal (to which I would have thought, and replied in a cordial manner.) As for asking you to butt out of the discussion...again you took a part of my post out of context and made another smart ass remark instead of putting the whole thing in context. I said basically that if you couldn't contribute in a positive(materially, or non smart ass) way, then you shouldn't contribute. I have no problems whatsoever with somebody "calling" me on something, or disagreeing with me...that's what this forum is about. I just have problems with somebody being a smart ass about it. Put another way, I have no problem with what you said, just the way in which you chose to put it forth.

Right. Said you eating a squirrel that you personally strangled proving your superior fitness. Why don't you give us specific examples where such skills were the major survival factor in industrial nations during disasters? Or are you going to "chastize me" again?

Specific examples of how survival training could be a major survival factor in industrial nations during disasters...hmmm, a simple one would be the ex-marine who set up several solar stills to get fresh water for him and his family to drink while others without that knowledge went without. I saw it on one of the many CNN broadcasts detailing hurricane Katrina. Also saw lots of people standing knee deep in water saying they had nothing to drink. I have had the good fortune to never be personally involved in a natural disaster, and I hope not to. As for a hypothetical example...not real but just hypothetical mind you. Say a city got "wiped out" for want of a better term, and everybody headed into the hills. If there were squirrels around, and somebody know how to efficently catch them, he and his group would probably eat better than somebody who didn't. As far as chastisement, maybe I came off a little strong, but it really irks me when someone interjects a smart ass comment into what is otherwise a civil and interesting discussion.

All that being said, lets get back to discussion instead of flames. You can attack me again or not as you choose, I won't respond in kind. I will be happy to respond to any cordially put questions or differences of opinion.

 

[beefangusbeef]

Interestin what people think to say the least. If you want to prove your superior physical strength I suggest strangling a moose. Think big. A squirrel won't keep you alive that long, but a moose, now that will get you some real meat. I usually don't spend any time strangling woodland creatures unless I can get a steak outta em. It's just not worth the hassle.

 

[bigbcustom]

Interestin what people think to say the least. If you want to prove your superior physical strength I suggest strangling a moose. Think big. A squirrel won't keep you alive that long, but a moose, now that will get you some real meat. I usually don't spend any time strangling woodland creatures unless I can get a steak outta em. It's just not worth the hassle.

Beef, strangle squirrels...really now who would strangle a squirrel you have to burn down their tree so they are precooked when they hit the ground. I am guessing that you prefer strangling angus with maybe the occassional hereford or semintal thrown in for good measure . Maybe we should start a new thread to see who is interested in joining the "strangling the wildlife club" with a prize for the largest strangulation victim from the nearby forest with extra points to be awarded for a sasquatch.

 

[Gong]

As for a "survival skills" class in high school, I would love to see it as an elective especially in rural areas where everybody hunts. Beyond that, it would instill a sense of accompolishment and self reliance in the students taking it (assuming they paid any attention)...it could be a PE credit.

It would have been awesome if I could have learned something useful in place of gym class. :thumbup:

 

[hwyhobo]

a simple one would be the ex-marine who set up several solar stills to get fresh water for him and his family to drink

Wow, are you trying to prove my point? I was refuting your example of primitive food acquisition methods in favor of using and understanding technology. Now you are giving me highly technological example to prove your point?

Thanks.

 

[jca21]

haha big beef angus... i don tthink i'd ever be able to strangle a moose with my bare hands... although i've tried setting up a pig snare before... which utilizes a young sappling with sharpened stakes attatched which is set in a manner that once the trip wire is released it will go straight into the sucker... but never caught anything cause i was just bored and screwing around with the idea in my back yard... perhaps i woulda caught the blasted racoon who had been digging up my garden for weeks T_T....

alot of the stuff that i've learned is from the fm-21 army survival manual... i find it a good resource but prefer to try things out first and modify them in my own way =)

god bless america... except im canadian =)

haha

 

[bigbcustom]

Wow, are you trying to prove my point? I was refuting your example of primitive food acquisition methods in favor of using and understanding technology. Now you are giving me highly technological example to prove your point?

Thanks.

Nowhere, in any of my posts on this thread, did I say primitive food/water acquisition methods/survival skills. In all of my posts, I mentioned survival training/skills. I am sorry if I lead you to believe I was talking about skills used in the same manner and with the same materials as the cave man did 50,000 years ago.....though I feel there would be some value there as well. I believe in using any resources available. If you are calling a solar still a highly technological example because of the use of plastic sheeting, then I can see why we had differences of opinion...we were operating under two different sets of assumptions; you were thinking cave man style, and I was thinking any and all survival training. Sorry that we had the disconnect. All other things aside, I feel that the mindset that I feel is imparted by survival skills training would be invaluable in any disaster situation. I include amongst survival skills things like hunting (whether with a rifle, bow, spear, traps, etc.), fishing (even with modern equipment), orienteering (with a compass and map), ability to get water (even with a solar still, or a modern water filter), food gathering (whether from a grocery store or the woods...yes...a survival skill would be knowing which foods to take from a grocery store that would last the longest and provide the best diet as well as things to get from the pharmacy, etc.). In short, any skill that would help you survive in a disaster situation is a survival skill from situational awareness to squirrel traps .

 

[faceplant]

as usual Im on the middle ground.

Im learning to track currently and Id like to think I could survive in the wilderness.

The problem with technology is that I don't carry a lighter or matches on my person at all times so i. If I get stranded in the wilderness If I can't figure out how to make fire from friction as stated (which I can) Im screwed. We don't always have technology with us and it can fail, having a backup plan is smart just in case of these situations.