Female Survivalists.

Originally posted by Merigold
reply to post by robertfenix

 

On topic: I am always trying to make sure that I will be a commodity to a group. Presently am learning about using native plants for healing and food. It is my hope that I would never need a group, though. I feel it is easier to survive in a very small group or even by yourself.

STAY AWAY from people!

My survival plan is to stick to my man and assist him as best I can to keep us alive. Our main tactic for that is to stay away from people. We both feel we can hide and or evade untill we can hoof it away from large population centres. This is our number one priority - get out of the Southeast of England. A large group would just slow us down, especially if we waited too long to leave.

That being said I will definitley look into going to the Gathering event - Thanks for the link Wotan!

Just because our plan calls for just us two doesn't mean we don't like to meet like minded people to share tips and friendship!

Operating as a team, small group is good but not necessarily preferred. An alliance of several small groups operating together is best. Open lines of commo between several small groups in wilderness or even urban environments can increase the odds of survival.

Operating as a single individual is not preferred.... unless you plan on making sure there is no one that will/can find you.

It is also GREAT to know what plants/roots/fungi/animals are edible in the environment you find your self.

Good job.

-Euclid

reply to post by euclid


....... and that is the difference between American Survivalists and the European ones.

I am sorry, but survival skills can be needed and used at ANYTIME and at ANYPLACE.

For your percieved scenario you may want cammo, guns and a bandana. For mine i certainly dont - Dont presume we all think alike - Dont presume we all think of the same Situation X, because we dont.

Originally posted by Wotan
reply to post by euclid

 

....... and that is the difference between American Survivalists and the European ones.

I am sorry, but survival skills can be needed and used at ANYTIME and at ANYPLACE.

For your percieved scenario you may want cammo, guns and a bandana. For mine i certainly dont - Dont presume we all think alike - Dont presume we all think of the same Situation X, because we dont.

Thinking alike has nothing to do with what you are referring to as Situation X. Use LOGIC NOT EMOTION! You're being emotional and that NEVER WORKS IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION (the caps are for emphasis; I'm not yelling).

I'm sure the Swiss would understand the tactical advantages of having the right tools, at hand, for any situation that would arise.

Understand that in a survival situation one does not have control of the situation. It will be a fluid and dynamic series of events that will unfold quickly and you will not have control of the situation. Therefore one must plan for ALL possible contingencies not just the most probable.

-Euclid

What the hell do the Swiss have to do with anything apart from make clocks and a pretty decent knife?

If you are talking about war and other such gung-ho bull, then dont bother replying to this as I am not interested.

Like I said .... percieved scenarios.

Originally posted by Wotan
What the hell do the Swiss have to do with anything apart from make clocks and a pretty decent knife?

If you are talking about war and other such gung-ho bull, then dont bother replying to this as I am not interested.

Like I said .... percieved scenarios.

There is nothing gung-ho about what I said. You are being emotional again and I'm not. Let me put it another way. The list of items I provided, sans the guns, is a list of generalized survival equipment that can be used in ANY SITUATION! WAKE UP!

-Euclid

reply to post by euclid


I am far removed from being emotional i can tell you that for a starter. So dont start going down that road of what I am.

I agree with most of the equipment you described in your original post except for the military style gear and MY preference over your camelback. I never said otherwise if you look back a few posts.

Then you started into combat, war, running around in combats etc etc .......... That was when I switched off.

Originally posted by Wotan
reply to post by euclid

 

I am far removed from being emotional i can tell you that for a starter. So dont start going down that road of what I am.

I agree with most of the equipment you described in your original post except for the military style gear and MY preference over your camelback. I never said otherwise if you look back a few posts.

Then you started into combat, war, running around in combats etc etc .......... That was when I switched off.

Don't "switch off", that will also lead to death; because as I said previously you may think that a certain situation is what you will endure but the fact is that is never the case when the die is finally cast. Be prepared for any situation.

reply to post by euclid


Euclid, you forgot to mention the packmule that will be required to carry all that good gear you mentioned. What's your pack weigh? 60-80 pounds? That's a bit much for most women, especially if they are also expected to carry small children/infants.

As a female survivalist who has actually lived for protracted amounts of time in the wilderness (not just camping) with small children, I can tell you that unless you have a stationary base to stash all those goodies that make life easier, an extensive bug out bag is highly impractical. I carry a camelback under my multipocket fishing vest, thigh holster, a small backpack and a "carry-all" military style belt. Total weight=25# plus gun. I also wear Danner boots which are comfortable the first time you wear them. They are not geared for extremes of weather and are very expensive but they are fairly lightweight and last a long time. (I've had mine 15 years).

Primitive survival skills are just not that difficult to learn. Survivalism is not just about gear, it's a mind-set, a way of life. A lot of guys (i say guys because that's mainly who i know that declare themselves survivalists) talk about wanting a more expensive gun or a bigger better tent, etc. What I see as the problem is that these guys are taking a "people" problem and making it an equipment problem. For example: they don't need a more expensive gun- they just need more practice with the one they've got. They don't need a bigger tent- they need to get OUT of the one they're in and experience real survival outdoors instead of just "roughing it" in the relative comfort of their tent.

How much ammo does one realistically expect to use? If you're hunting, it should ideally be "one shot, one kill". If you're in a fire fight, how many times do you think you can reload before the law of probabilities catches up to you? Even SF guys think they're doing good if they can take out 3, count them THREE, enemy combatants. You probably have at least 8 rounds in your clip. Do the math.

Chewlip, start with what you have on hand. If you have a backyard, go out there some night without a tent and start a fire using as many different ways as you can think of and time yourself. (Being able to start a fire quickly-under 2 minutes-may mean not dying of hypothermia some day.) Buy a chicken from the store and try cooking it on an open fire or using a dutch oven. Experiement. See what works for you and what doesn't. Don't be afraid to challenge the "experts" advice or rewrite the survivalists' books making them applicable to you or your situation. See if you can figure out a way to keep the mosquitos off you with what you have on hand or can manufacture.

I perceive the biggest threat to a woman's survival to be men. Sorry guys but, even in these relative times of peace, the statistics bear that out. For that reason alone I advocate that women learn self-defense and weapons training.

"Stuff" is not the answer to survival for male or female. What if someone beats the sass out of you and robs you of all your stuff? Will you still be able to treat your wounds and carry on? That's surviving. Knowledge, skills, experience and training will still be yours even if you have nothing but the clothes on your back. Best of luck to all.

Well, this has been a fascinating read....... I just sat down and took the time to wander through all pages, and first, kudos to Chewlip for starting this thread. Irritating little derailments aside, I think it's a very informative thread, and we're all engaged in the process of working out ideas and systems BEFORE we need them. Goodonya.

My Bride and I live on a small island in the hurricane belt, and it being the dinky place it is, we have occasional power outages. We almost always use these to our advantage.

I want to suggest a somewhat different way of looking at survival situations. Many folks equate survivalism with living off the land, and that's certainly a facet of it, but it doesn't mean necessarily leaving your familiar and safe zone. I think it's a good idea to have a bugout bag (actually, being a natural hoarder, I've never been able to contain it all in just ONE bag), as you might find yourself in a situation where you really do have to leave -- I would think that city dwellers might be more at risk.

Consider, though, that with a group of neighbors, family, people you can trust that are on the same page or close to it, your survival is enhanced, as opposed to being thrust into an unfamiliar surrounding.

Try this sometime: Decide when to do this, and cut your power for a day. Go through the day, and make note of where you found weaknesses in your ideas and systems. I'll give you an example: We have a concrete catchment for our rainwater -- a cistern -- and I'd always thought, "well, if the power is out, I can just haul water in a bucket to the house." Yep, that's true, but our water needs (and those of the garden) caused us both to be hauling water ALL day. Another: Hot water might not save your life, but it positively affects your mental outlook. We bought a solar shower -- two gallon bag that you fill with water and hang in the sun -- in a short time it gets the water inside hotter than most people can stand, and it costs about $15.00 U.S.D.

So, anyway, just a suggestion. Putting yourself in real-life situations, minus the danger and tension, and maybe if the real thing happens, you can deal with the weirdness, knowing that you have a working familiarity and trust in your ability to do the normal things. We found out after Hurricane Ivan passed by, that restoring a sense of normalcy, of familiarity is almost as important as being able to laugh and keep your spirits up. Here we were, in a cave, also occupied by bats and rats and crabs and bugs, and I was cooking dinner and thinking how grand it was that I'd remembered to put spices and herbs in the bugout kit. These seemingly little things matter.

Toilet paper. Why do many people thing a dozen rolls is enough? "Oh, I can use leaves". Yeah, right. Been there. Find a brand that you like, get a couple of cases (198 in most cases), put 'em in big plastic bags. Worst case? You never have to do the duckwalk looking for a roll.

Well, thanks for the time, and your patience..... sorry for the novella.... just really enjoyed reading this thread and wanted to share.

Cheers

The "gung-ho" perspective is a somewhat common approach to survivalism, or at least was when we lived in the States.... and I have to consider it a facet of the whole picture. For most people, though, that really live and understand being a survivalist, I think it's more closely linked toward being a minimalist. To find simpler solution to the problems that we've previously solved with money and technology. This is a win-win, because it fosters saving you money. Remember the water problem in my previous post? I went to northerntool.com and ordered a 12 volt water pump, a 5-watt solar cell, and both of those together, with shipping were about $160.00. I bought a deep cycle battery, and together the two of us plumbed this whole thing in our piping, such that our water which was previously pressured by an electric pump, now uses this battery/solar cell/ pump array, and has saved us about $75.00/month on our power.

Who was it said the difference between survivalists and commandos was the former grows tomatoes? I may have gotten the quote wrong, but I THINK it was Dan Tanna. It rang true for me. I hope you don't close this thread....... I think you're accomplishing real and positive benefit here, Chewlip.

It doesn't and shouldn't degrade into a thread about who is best suited for the very worst imaginable. Things like this happens in degrees. I think a good portion of a favorable survival outcome is mental/psychological.

hava good eve

Cheers

reply to post by whitewave


Well said whitewave, all of it. I agree about the biggest risks in a bad situation. It's people and in particular scared people. To paint with a broad brush, I'd guess scared men worst of all, and mobs of folks can loose their identity to the mob mind, which is no mind at all.

"Stuff" shifts one's odds favorably IF they already have acquired the skills that work best for THEM. Agree, given a whacky choice of supplies or knowledge/training/skills, I'd certainly choose the latter.

Good thread. Wish I'd have started reading sooner.

Sorry about he gung ho but i must throw this out . Too many posts ladies need a group to protect her . In sit x stealth and cunning can be the greatest asset.

Here is a woman who out did many men . Women can rise to the challenge at hand . Her sit x was invasion of a foreign army .

www.snipersparadise.com...

In June of 1941, the Germans launched Operation Barbarosa attacking the Soviet Union. Lyudmila was studying at the Kiev University. She was 24-years-old and majoring in history. Many of the Russian students rushed to join the military. Lyuda was an exceptionally beautiful young girl. When she went to the recruiter, she requested to join the infantry and carry a rifle. The recruiter laughed at her. She pulled out a marksmanship certificate to prove her worth. He wanted her to become nurse. Being strong willed, she refused. She signed up with the 25th Infantry Division. She became one of the two-thousand women Soviet snipers of which only about 500 survived the war. As a sniper, she made her first two kills near Belyayevka. Her rifle was a Mosin-Nagent Russian sniper rifle with a P.E. 4-power scope. The Mosin-Nagent was a 5-shot bolt action rifle. It fired a 148gr bullet at a velocity of 2800 fps. It was effective out to 600 yards.

Use your given ability to the best you can . She did she didn't need to much protection people needed to hide from her .

Sorry about the gung ho thing again but I thought this puts a little more perspective on the females need protection train of thought


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[edit on 12-7-2008 by Jbird]

reply to post by Chewlip
The biggest thing to remember is mindset! If you "know" you can survive, not "think" you can, then you'll have a much greater chance. When it comes down to it those who "think" they can kill to survive will die quickly. It goes along with anything, if you have the proper mindset then you can do anything. Thinking you can leads to doubt and then hesitation, then death. And those who think about "the moral" side of their actions won't last long either.



[edit on 12-7-2008 by Anuubis]

reply to post by Chewlip


Well. albeit true that MOST people, not JUST women, would NOT want to go out into the middle of the woods with a bunch or evn one strange man....with or without weapons of any sort...
HOWEVER, being a man, I have the same if not even deeper fear of the direct opposite of the women's!

It's just NOT that easy to meet someone anymore, especially under the set of circumstances such as you describe...Stranger, and in the middle of the woods with knives and guns...
Sounds more like an Alfred Hitchcock movie!
So, it is a 2 edged sword out there ladies!
It's just as bad for us as it is for you!
Now, what we need is, a place where we can all meet in the middle, as equals!
The internet is so impersonal, yet it's about all WE can do, to reach out to each other in this day and age....
Now, I'm 57 years of age, and I'm looking for a lady to go out with me for an extended period of time into the northern region of Arizona, near Flagstaff, in the winter months coming...So, I need to be leaving in the next few weeks time...
How does one get the opposite sex to trust them, in a situation such as that?
Nearly impossible!
There's No time to really SOCIALIZE over any given period of time....
It's supposed to be ALL about survival, and then there is the FEAR FACTOR that always seems to sneak into our lives, and screw it all up for everyone!
I'd really like an answer to that one!
So ladies, one and all, PLEASE try to come up with a good anmswer, because, I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW!
Thanks all!
Bill in Phoenix

Originally posted by Lostinthedarkness
Sorry about he gung ho but i must throw this out . Too many posts ladies need a group to protect her . In sit x stealth and cunning can be the greatest asset.

Here is a woman who out did many men . Women can rise to the challenge at hand . Her sit x was invasion of a foreign army .

www.snipersparadise.com...

In June of 1941, the Germans launched Operation Barbarosa attacking SNIP0 yards.

Use your given ability to the best you can . She did she didn't need to much protection people needed to hide from her .

Sorry about the gung ho thing again but I thought this puts a little more perspective on the females need protection train of thought


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[edit on 12-7-2008 by Jbird]

Look, you're all too far on the one side or the other, taking examples like a sniper who had the infra-structure of a military system supporting her and others as a crutch for feminist attitudes is silly.
A military woman and a survivalist woman are two separete entities.

Right now even some feminists think the the whole 'equality' thing is being taken too far by women who are into

On the other hand the over gung-ho stuff some have been spouting is a bit too hard-core. Yes a lot of it is wisdom in its own sense, however I think if enough decent groups are formed then the whole women as a commodity thing will be less than it would if decent groups weren't formed.

So it's kinda like a meeting of 2 minds, women need to get back to their roots a little and the hardcore need to be a little less heavy on the women who are interested in the outdoor thing.

I've not posted on this thread in some time so I will take time to do so today as I am off work this Friday.

I agree with some of the posters. There is a place for tostesterone and a place for estrogen. Most of the places people tend to assume for these hormones are overated and even false.

In a survival situation people will be watching other people for clues and cues that they know something not stamped out as with most peoples and also useful to the situation. This has little to do with estrogen or tostesterone.

Someone posted some basic skills and the attitude to match. I agree ...this has little to do with hormones..male or female..but determination..ability to stay focused.

Some of you guys need to realize that women tend to think things through in a daily practical level. Some of them are quite good at it. There are also a huge bulk of males out here who are primarily raised on video games and movies..not actual experience or knowledge.
There seems to be an assumption that so many will be going it alone. I dont think this will be the case..many of us will have familys dependent on us and our abilitys/knowleges. Some of the needs of women and children are quite different from a grown male. A woman will naturally tend to see through this prizm more clearly than many males. All the time ..no but on a basic practical level ..more clearly than most of the males I know. In most things a good practical woman is in fact an asset.

Most of us are wont to just survive..not to fight a war...or a whole government...even wildlife so to speak..but just to survive.

Ok..now that I have that off my chest and my early supper eaten..I must make some more hurricane preps. I have been out purchasing a new chain saw as my previous one is pretty generic. I bought a 18 inch Sthil chain saw. Been wanting something better than my olde Homelite for years. I figure that with some hurricanes bearing down on us here on the US Eastern Seaboard ..it was a good time to invest.
My routine is to begin charging my spare batters..marine and car batteries, Operational checks on my generators, Fill gas tanks etc.
Checking my emergency two way radio antennas and radios/walkie talkies. Tieing down my yard furniture and taking in my trash dumpsters..etc. It has begun to rain here so I'd better get with it.
I am not so worried about Hurriane Hannah..but the other one far out at sea..Josehpine...and what ever comes next. IT is a long way to November when the season is supposed to be over.

Lots to do in the next few hours.

Thanks to all for thier posts,
Orangetom

To put it lightly, the female of the species is known throughout history as being more cruel and bloodthirsty than the male.
I’d no more get stuck out in the woods with a bunch a female survivalist than be the only chicken in Ethiopia.
OMDog can you imagine the PMS and only one tamp...well never mind...

Ok, so end of sarcasm and pigeonholing etc.

Hint Hint ---> See, It‘s boorish.

I’m a survivalist (in training) and take it from me, you start your training at home, not in the woods.
Examples you ask?
To name a few.

Do not rely on any form of timer to wake yourself for any reason. Train your internal alarm clock.

Completely change your schedule, as much as possible, each and every day. Do nothing by rote or habit. (when you eat, sleep, where you sit and sleep, etc) Condition your body and self to NO Habits.

Change your diet completely (eating only what you can grow yourself, and if not, eat only vegetables/grains seasonally available).

Get in shape. Good Shape. If you can’t run for a good 20 minutes steady at an even pace, you’re not ready for the woods yet sunshine.

I could go on and on but there are hundreds and hundreds of things you can do before you even attempt the woods.
That’s just Hollywood hype.

Anyway, good luck.

EDIT:



...hup hup hup...





[edit on 5-9-2008 by silo13]

Well, I believe at the beginning of this thread was a mention of survivalists in the UK meeting up in August. OP, has that happened or been postponed? (If you've already answered, please direct me to the page number if I missed it). I'd be interested to find out how things went, what skills were learned, etc.