A "Survivalists" Forum or Research Project?

There was a time when people simply "knew" how to survive, to hunt, fish, to live off of the land. This information was passed down from Father to son, Mother to child. There was a time when every child was taught how to build a fire, a suitable shelter or to know what plants were safe to eat.

But "progress" has pulled a veil of ignorance down upon us all. Oh sure, we can program a computer or, for that matter, reset the clock on a VCR but what do these skills have to do with survival?

How many people can start a fire with nothing more than some wood and kindling? How many people can track a deer, hunt it, kill it and then prepare the carcass to be eaten? At one time, almost everyone knew how to do such "basic" skills. Everyone either knew how to feed themselves or they died.

Under the banner of Deny Ignorance, I certainly am voting for a forum to be started on the topic of survival. On so many forums here at ATS we discuss war, nuclear detonations, earthquakes and other natural disasters; i.e., plagues. We speak of such things with a casual ease. But do we know what such horrific calamities will really do? We talk about EMP s (Electo Magnetic Pulses) and how an entire technological infrastructure can be "brought down" but are we so reliant upon electric power that we can no longer do things for ourselves?

By all means, we need a survival forum. We need to post information, exchange tips, lessons and above all knowledge on how to do the most basic of things -- survive!

I would enjoy reading survivalist topics. Maybe there could be separate threads on Edible plants, herbal remedies, poisonous and dangerous plants, minimal tool food scavenging techniques, etc. I would love to see these things because you can never know too much

a great idea -- any initative which " firms up " the soft pink underbelly of ATS

a few helpfull ideas ---

could we get a section of the tinwikki site " cordoned off " for articles to go up , ideally they would be peeer reviewed first -- or at least vetted by a FSME

next , a god starting point is the obersvation of lazarus long : "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. "

if you can accomplish everything on that list -- you are well underway .

If we do get a survival forum (which I hope we do), will it go on ATS or BTS?

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
a great idea -- any initative which " firms up " the soft pink underbelly of ATS

Pinko isn't even the word, friend.

a few helpfull ideas ---

could we get a section of the tinwikki site " cordoned off " for articles to go up , ideally they would be peeer reviewed first -- or at least vetted by a FSME

Maybe start a seperate project for writers to put up articles with the basics. I mean, a greenhorn can't go from white-collar to Mad Max overnight.

next , a god starting point is the obersvation of lazarus long : "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. "

The quote is actually from Starship Troopers by Heinlein. He knew what he was doing, for sure.

I'm definately for this. I spend a lot of time thinking about stuff like this. So I would definately help out and contribute. Let's get this started!!

Got my vote. Save people looking at me wierd when i start going on about this sort of stuff

Talk about an interesting topic!

I do think that my number of posts would double in a very short time with the addition of a survival forum.

Not to "toot my own horn," but this is an area I know A LOT about.

[edit on 12-10-2006 by cavscout]

Originally posted by DeusEx

Maybe start a seperate project for writers to put up articles with the basics. I mean, a greenhorn can't go from white-collar to Mad Max overnight.

very good point -- also we need a bit of realism , it is too easy to focus on fantsy doomsday senarios which may never even occur

it is no good learing the theory of how to fillet a penguin if you cannot find your way out of milton keynes unaided

a good start would be addressing real problems that ATSers may face in an otherwise mundane day

such things as :

what you should have in your boot / trunk for a 350 km trip

and what your pre trip checklist should be .

simple things that will be of real and imediate benefit to some one somewhere .

I love the idea of a survivalist's forum. I have several things to contribute as well. My husband and I live way out in the country and are trying to become knowledgeable because, well, you never know what might happen, especially in these times...

As a regular of the How to defend your self, on a budget thread

I vote Yes to the forum

And i've got a few good nominees for the subject matter experts too: Orangetom1999 and DeusEx

I'd like to see a research project on this and would be happy to participate if possible.

With all the threats from the natural to the nuclear weapon flying around now, I think it would be most appropriate.

[edit on 10/12/2006 by djohnsto77]

Sounds like a fine idea. There's a lot of collective knowledge and experience here, a place to organize and refine it all would be really great.

100% yes on this.

I regularly bounce between ATS and survival forums, I would love to see this. There is a lot of information out there and I think it would be very valuable to ATS'ers.

I have already started out on my survival quest.

The forum could encompass everything from just being prepared for small "issues" to full blown survivalism.

I live out in the woods and would love to see/hear and share about survival topics.

I think it would only be natural for ATS.

--

I'm really glad to see so many from the How to Defend Yourself on a Budget thread here. Thanks for answering the call, friends. I would like to add Northwolf to the list of nominees for subject matter experts. I guess it'd be bad form to nominate myself as well, though I can still contribute regardless of any titles.

If we could expand upon our knowledge base, let's start listing what areas we can contribute in. It occurs to me that a knowledge of herbs and animals and survival in Texas is all fine and dandy if one is in Texas, but would do very little good in, say, Greenland. A survivalist isn't just limited to Space Monkeys with a shaved head and a basement of guns. Our survival is dependant on so many factors that I would wager almost everyone has at least one or two things they can contribute, knowledge and experience, to the survival of their fellow ATSers.

U.S.A. Southwest Climate - I'm quite familiar with the edible and poisonous flora and fauna, landscape features, weather patterns, and hazards, specializing in Texas and New Mexico.

Minimalist Survival Hiking/Camping - Barring any critical accidents, I can survive entirely off what I can carry in my backpack, in the woods, indefinitely, in less than 80 lbs.

Herbs and Herbal Medicines - Given the right area, and plants, I can create painkillers, astringents, purgatives, and tasty additions to food. Can also treat minor to intermediate illnesses.

First Aid/Lifesaving - As long as they don't need surgery, I can usually save a life and transport injured/unconscious people, wether it's the fireman's carry, towing a drowning victim, CPR, tournaquet, choking, treating wounds, shock, hypothermia, and when and when not to move someone.

Navigation and Terrain - From rock climbing to rappelling, to finding my way to Points A, B, and C, without a compass, to crossing rivers, to traversing mountains and valleys.

Firearms - Bolt action rifles, pump action shotguns, clip and revolver pistols.

Leadership and Communication - How to organize a group of people, keep them motivated, how to delegate, how to settle disputes, string-of-pearls communications, line of sight communications, psychology, listening, public speaking, technical writing,
record keeping, teaching.

Quartering and Perimeters - I know how to set up a safe, functional camp for up to several dozen people (within my SW region) that will handle the basics such as cooking, latrines, sleeping, woodcutting, firepit, washing, etc, as well as how to secure the area against critters and people.

Equipment and Gear - What one should have, ready and packed, depending on the situation, what can be easily obtained or substituted, which tools have the best multi-purpose elements to weight ratio and reliability, etc, and the wierd quirks on how to use them to your advantage.

How to procure potable water - Possibly the most essential skill of all.

Miscellaneous One-shot skills - Wierd things that could save your life but would probably only be used once, if ever, in your life, such as how to make a life preserver out of your pants.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a number of things, but off the top of my head, that's what I can offer the forum.

Definitely 100% behind a forum! It would be nice not to have to go elsewhere for survival discussion. As other's have stated, it is intimately associated with many of the topic's discussed on ATS.

I feel like I'm as prepared as I can afford to be, but other viewpoint's can be very enlightening. And obviously I like to share my thought's as well.

This is a great idea. I look forward to having this as an ATS forum.

What does a survivalist forum have to do with conspiracy? Could anyone explain this?

People could go to another forum on the Web to discuss these very same issues, though. Right?

Thanks!

Originally posted by ceci2006
What does a survivalist forum have to do with conspiracy? Could anyone explain this?

More than Travel or Food and Cooking, both on BTS.

A survivalist forum falls in-between, I think, since it seems that the resolution for a lot of people, upon accepting a lot of alternate views of the world, is to set up shelter and prepare for major disasters, or at least have some plans they can follow in an emergency event. At least that's the case with me, and apparently some others here.

[edit on 13-10-2006 by bsbray11]

We have a War On Terrorism forum and a forum about the Earth itself. If something happens that could be related to terrorism or a natural disaster, the information shared in a survival forum could help. Instead of sharing the info in those forums, we could have them all in one place.