Did the notion of Survival change your life?

Not in a profound way. But did you start doing things differently?

I only bring this up because I've spent roughly six months getting in shape. And I look back at my main reason that I did this. Which was that I came to realize that at my weight then, I was fat, slow, couldn't run and if it ever came down to running from zombies I was genuinely screwed beyond belief.

So I got in shape. I also learned to cook, fish, use and sharpen knives. Ect..

this is kinda inspiring, im trying to gain muscle mass. i know that survival will depend on it, man i have been lazy, its pathetic. i deserve to be beat down

I, for one, got my supplies really stocked, for longterm use and sustainability, rather than just the usual get-through-a-day-or-two emergency supplies.

We put real thought into the idea of what we would want and need if there were no more stores.

We also changed some personal habits, and began to be a lot more serious in our thinking, decisions, and most especially, our priorities.

They are good, based on good things and deserve to be at the top of the list, rather than those of the systems we exist within.

So, it brought out our finer attributes and skills, and made us appreciate the old-school upbringing we have had, our love of tried-and-true technology and ways. We began to align with nature more and more, as we lived as kids.

We find that those things we have valued, that we did not see valued in the media and lifestyle of modern times in the US, at least, are what will truly last and make the difference. So we feel validated somewhat in keeping those things alive.
My two cents...

Originally posted by togetherwestand
this is kinda inspiring, im trying to gain muscle mass. i know that survival will depend on it, man i have been lazy, its pathetic. i deserve to be beat down

Yeah Ive been trying to put alot of it on too. Im still around 21% body fat myself. Planning to only drop down to 15% which seems ideal.. I started working out because I knew that I was doomed in survival but now it is more to perfect myself as an aikido practitioner.

If you intend to be fit for survival don't drop down to body builder status, if you threw many of those guys into the wild for all their bulging muscles they would only be good vulture food once they aren't getting adequate energy supplies.

Don't ever forget cardio either, that more than strong muscles is important for survival.

Originally posted by Copperflower
I, for one, got my supplies really stocked, for longterm use and sustainability, rather than just the usual get-through-a-day-or-two emergency supplies.

We put real thought into the idea of what we would want and need if there were no more stores.

We also changed some personal habits, and began to be a lot more serious in our thinking, decisions, and most especially, our priorities.

They are good, based on good things and deserve to be at the top of the list, rather than those of the systems we exist within.

So, it brought out our finer attributes and skills, and made us appreciate the old-school upbringing we have had, our love of tried-and-true technology and ways. We began to align with nature more and more, as we lived as kids.

We find that those things we have valued, that we did not see valued in the media and lifestyle of modern times in the US, at least, are what will truly last and make the difference. So we feel validated somewhat in keeping those things alive.
My two cents...

I'm thinking for long term survival, I'm half prepared. I would need a good way to purify water, however, I have a small collection of knives, and a small collection of firearms.

I probably wouldn't be as useful in a hunt, because, well I've never done that before. I can fish though, and I would probably survive better that..

I do enjoy nature quite a bit, and hiking here is fun, (I live in Oregon)

I've noticed that there is a certain group, which scares me of "sporty" outdoors people. The ones that shop primarily at REI and usually end up being found by search and rescue people.

Always wanted to try hunting, but I can't kill an animal unless I need to eat it. Even with fish I go "Ah look what I caught" and then I get it back in before it sufficates.

I have had to put up with being monitored with electronic mind control, for 18 years now. The people who did it to me seem to think it is great and they are somehow wonderful for bringing this evil into my life.

It is like being raped everyday, just imagine having no personal life and you cannot do anything. It is literally like being raped every second of every day.

then to hear others on net pretend these things do not exist, lol. People make me sick.

I have come to terms with people loving what they did to me, and i do not expect anything from people other than there vile love of seeing people being tortured for no reason, than others wanting me dead at school.

Just to think how many people had great fun seeing and hearing about how the police and uk government did this to me, for just on this scum making up rubbish. Just imagine how much they must of laughed knowing the police murder people for no reason other than they wanted me dead.

So i just exist and thats all i do, being like i said raped in my mind every sec of every day. You get used to it and after a while you just ignore most people.

I always say that the world deserves all the scum that did this to me, and that enjoyed what happened to my life.

Some how people think that the uk and usa government made up this tech just to wreck my life on earth.

I would tell you people that once the police set out to kill you in uk, they never stop. This has been going on in my life for 18 years now, and i never committed 1 single crime, but the person who started this and found it so hilarious she brought these people in my life must find it so funny.

Yes it has but not drastically. I started getting in shape again after multiple wrist surgeries, then it dawned on me how important it would be in a SHTF time.

shopping is different, we always have extras of things and rotate the food and water. If we find something that will be good to have then we buy it like water purifiers ( or bleach works) flashlights extra ammo.

It's also a topic of conversation for myself and my friends, if we are out hiking for example we would think of what we would do if x broke out. We have planned meeting points and plans.

Originally posted by togetherwestand
this is kinda inspiring, im trying to gain muscle mass. i know that survival will depend on it, man i have been lazy, its pathetic. i deserve to be beat down

Cardio is needed, not muscle mass. Stamina is also needed.

reply to post by Phlynx


You say that now but if you need to move or build things or possibly fight, muscle mass is very nice to have. You can have high stamina do cardio and still have decent muscle mass.

Originally posted by Miraj
Not in a profound way. But did you start doing things differently?

I only bring this up because I've spent roughly six months getting in shape. And I look back at my main reason that I did this. Which was that I came to realize that at my weight then, I was fat, slow, couldn't run and if it ever came down to running from zombies I was genuinely screwed beyond belief.

So I got in shape. I also learned to cook, fish, use and sharpen knives. Ect..

good for you.... now keep at it and learn all you can and think... that mind you have is the best and strongest weapon and tool you have.... There are tons of different survival forums on line and a great deal of reading sources on line... take advantage of all of it...

and keep prepping ... you took a step that many don't... you started

Last year when I really began working out, I was always trying to find some motivation. Something besides: "Oh the girls are gonna dig my muscles" or "I could probably run faster and longer than so and so". I was reading somewhere that when you need to do something, you are more likely to be able to do it. One example was how some athletes trained as teenagers by running through forests at night. It gave them fear, and made them want to make it through the forest quicker. I decided I'd put that theory into effect.

I started running at night, at about 10pm. I live in a nice area, not a very high crime rate, but it's pretty forest-y where I live. So I ran a mile the first night, faster than I'd ever ran. I started off easily through my subdivision, made my way down the main road, and hit a forest trail, which I hauled *ss in. The thing is, I wasn't extremely tired while running. But afterwards I was gassed. Today, over a year later, I can run 6 miles in an hour, something I've been really working at. I've also raised my bench press one reps from 95 lbs at the end of freshman year to 145 this year. My squats have gone from 125 to 230. My power cleans went from 85 to 160. Physically, I've completely transformed my body. It's almost like a fake body to me, compared to how I used to look: chubby, short, etc. Luckily, I didn't stunt my growth since I'm still in the midst of puberty. I've grown from 5"6 to 6"1 in a year and 3 months.

Becoming active and finding real motivation was the thing that helped me completely change my life. It's made me so much happier with myself and my life. Things clear up socially as well. I'm not saying I was an outcast, but I had my small group of friends, but becoming extremely fit raised my confidence and allowed me to feel comfortable meeting new people.

I have a different take on the subject.
You see I'm Apache and grew up on a 150,000 acre ranch.
to me Survival was an everyday thing, No not running from zombie cows I mean living hundreds of miles from the nearest big city and its stores and restaurants, yeah even hospitals.

I'm constantly amazed by how little people know how to do for
themselves. like can food, fix a car, hell people dont even know how to cook from scratch anymore! Little wonder the lady with the flat tire stayed locked in her car. to her it was the end of the world. Stuck way out in the middle of no where, no cell phone service to summon help, Luckly for the lady the wife and I happened along...

You know if were ever forced into a real Survival sit... a lot of people will die simply because they dont know how to ask for help

Originally posted by DaddyBare
I have a different take on the subject.
You see I'm Apache and grew up on a 150,000 acre ranch.
to me Survival was an everyday thing, No not running from zombie cows I mean living hundreds of miles from the nearest big city and its stores and restaurants, yeah even hospitals.

I'm constantly amazed by how little people know how to do for
themselves. like can food, fix a car, hell people dont even know how to cook from scratch anymore! Little wonder the lady with the flat tire stayed locked in her car. to her it was the end of the world. Stuck way out in the middle of no where, no cell phone service to summon help, Luckly for the lady the wife and I happened along...

You know if were ever forced into a real Survival sit... a lot of people will die simply because they dont know how to ask for help

I know what you mean. I'm definantly one of those people, I have lived in the city my whole life. I do enjoy doing things for myself though, even simple things. Like cooking, I enjoy that, and I feel more accomplished after doing things for myself.

I always wondered what it would be like to live out in the country. Need to camping and fishing more.

Originally posted by BtotheG

I started running at night, at about 10pm. I live in a nice area, not a very high crime rate, but it's pretty forest-y where I live. So I ran a mile the first night, faster than I'd ever ran. I started off easily through my subdivision, made my way down the main road, and hit a forest trail, which I hauled *ss in. The thing is, I wasn't extremely tired while running. But afterwards I was gassed. Today, over a year later, I can run 6 miles in an hour, something I've been really working at. I've also raised my bench press one reps from 95 lbs at the end of freshman year to 145 this year. My squats have gone from 125 to 230. My power cleans went from 85 to 160. Physically, I've completely transformed my body. It's almost like a fake body to me, compared to how I used to look: chubby, short, etc. Luckily, I didn't stunt my growth since I'm still in the midst of puberty. I've grown from 5"6 to 6"1 in a year and 3 months.

Yeah. I do something like this when I run. Although it's completely internal. As I become more active, so does my brain. My sensei described it to be sometime in these past few months, it's a running meditation.

But I use it as a tool to help me write. I can pretty much immerse myself into scenes while I'm running, and helps me define and see every detail so that I can put it down on paper later.

That's good work though man. You'll build muscle real fast if you give yourself the right diet.

I used to be able to run for miles on end, an hour and a half would pass and I would keep going. Then I decided to work on my speed, I did this about 6 mph, and now all I can do run fast. It's nice, and depressing. I can't go any slower, so I can't do the seven mile runs anymore. So I'm still building up at my new speed.

a reply to: Miraj

.................

a reply to: Miraj

you snap out of the brainwashing.

Like Copperflower we took a long term and sustainable attitude. Rather than prepping for some future 'maybe event' with stock piles of MRAs and weaponry, we chose to live as self sufficiently as is possible for us. Much less of a shock if the unimaginable happened and financially sound. We buy in bulk our every day needs. I have a fairly good dry store larder and can, dry or freeze the excess from my allotment. I also brew beer and make wine, bake bread and brew vinegar. My other half goes fishing. The only thing we can't do is hunt. Think the Forestry Commission would have objections if we were to stalk the local deer in the New Forest with our bows. 0.0

During our odyssey of sustainability, it has seen me learning new skills such as canning, dehydrating and leather working, specialising in leather carving - to the point of building a business around it.

Has prepping changed my life? Yes and no. It's what my parents did to survive the 60's and especially the 70's in Britain. I am just following in their footsteps and enlarging on it with new added skills. I think the real difference is head space. I choose to live this way, my parents didn't. That makes all the difference.

When I was a freshman in college (mid-1980s), I met a guy who had literally the whole space under his bed filled with canned goods and water (bottled drinking water didn't really exist yet). His roommate (my friend) was real freaked out about his "survivalist" roommate.

I asked "Ted" about it one time when my friend wasn't home. Ted said that he grew up on the outskirts of Houston. He had lived with his mom in an apartment when one of the worst Hurricanes in modern history hit the city. Ted said their electricity was out for weeks. But what got him was there was no water in the taps. Big puddles everywhere because of the torrential rains, but no water to drink. He said there was some robbery and some home invasions, that you could hear gunfire in the distance.

he said the National Guard showed up after almost a week. They had a big tanker truck filled with water. The waiting line was so long that it took hours of waiting to get your bucket filled. They would give each person about 2 gallons, no more. They wouldn't give him extra to carry home to his mother, who was disabled and couldn't leave the 3rd floor because the elevator was off.

He wasn't preparing for "Red Dawn" or anything. Just a disaster where you cannot rely on the institutions to rescue or defend you.

I didn't start prepping instantly, or even that year. But Every time I was in a storm or a blizzard or a stock market crash (87, 97, 2000, 2007....) I have thought of him. By new year's eve 1999, I was set and ready to party like it's.... you get the idea.

a reply to: redempsh

My closest similar experience was while living in Des Moines in 1993 we had a 100 year flood, which knocked out water and power for about a week. The power was restored, but we had no running water for 3 more weeks. It was then I learned how much water we truly use and need. At the time it was me, my husband 2 small children and a dog. The night we lost water, the air raid sirens were sounded about 3am and so I turned on the local news&info radio station . It was repeated announcements to fill every container you had with water because the water to the whole city would be shut off in 30 minutes.

Well, all I had was a couple pitcher and buckets...glasses, so I started filling the bathtub with water....til it was gone. Well, I found out very quickly I did not have near enough water for washing dishes, water for the dog, water to hand wash clothes, and for us....it was quickly gone. and no water at the grocery store. So we conserved...but this happened in July when it's really hot, so we really needed water!

Afew days later the National Guard set up multiple water stations around the city to collect water. But I still remember the tension at the water stations, bubbling under the surface. Panic wasn't far off.

Mine was more of the reverse....

Situations changing the way I thought about survival.

Renting a house in the city, come SHTF, I really didn't have much of a plan.

Once getting the ranch though, becoming more self-sufficient just made sense. If for no other reason than less driving.

The idea of survival though, did have us both join a gym to lose weight (that and biggest loser contests at our workplaces). We both won, by the way....

These days, even improvements we do for fun (like a pool), I try and find survival uses for (a huge water supply for cleaning)....