How To Survive any Post-Apocalyptic Situation

reply to post by Phlynx



very good list..... always remember that when a person is prepping they are prepping for anything... basically all things like earthquakes and whatever else all require the basic same items... so when you are preparing for one you are covering darn near everything...

Everything is survivable and a person can make it better when they start thinking about what and why....

in depth analysis of their area for a start... high crime area or not? routes out of the area? there are many things to consider and from all of that if you have a group of like minded people .... share knowledge or if there is just you and your spouse (or S/O) share ideas and do the work together... make it an exciting adventure and think of the worst and prepare for that... believe me the rest gets easy...

reply to post by awakening1
Comments and questions. I drink bourbon and but it by the the half gallon. When I empty a half gallon, I fill it with water. The residual alchohol acts as a bacteriostatic. Admitttedly, they are not good for transpotation, but I sit on the New Madrid fault. If that mother breaks, and we survive. I will have H2O.
Reference Magnesium. I have a couple of mag sticks, as well as a couple of fire steels. I have no problem getting a fire started with dryer lint and firesteel, but when I use the Mag, it seems to be a total bust. I shave it off, as instructed, but even when conditions are totally dry, I can't seem to get a fire started on my tender.
Any suggestions? (when I barbque, I never use matches or lighters. Always use fire steel, dryer lint and dry twigs. Then I add my Charcoal. Yeah, I know it takes longer, and it's a pain in the ass, but if I can't do it on my back porch, how can I expect to do it when our lives might depend on it?

reply to post by argentus
Good idea. Watch the sale papers from local supermarkets. In my area they have things on sale every week.. If they are offering soup on sale, buy what you have on your list, and if you can afford it, buy a couple of extra cans.
Stores in our area offer great sales on meats. (Stay away from walmart. they never have meats on sale.) Stock up when you can. If you have a food saver vacuam system, you can be away ahead of the game.
Make a trip to Sam's or Costco's and stock up on Pinto Beans and various types of rice. It is amazing what one can do with the appropriate seasonings, beans, rice, and if you have it on hand, a little polish sausge. (again, sale, freezer, use when needed.)
Dont't forget the canned meats, such as chicken, tuna, salmon, and corned beef hash. Add these to a little Pasta or Rice, add Tobasco sauce and you are in heaven.
staples for cooking.
1. Powdered milk
2. Powdered buttermilk
3. Qaulity beef jerky. It can salvage a stew.
4. Powdered eggs. (I know they suck, but add some bacon bits, onion, bell pepper from your own garden, a little tobasco, or salsa, and you've got a halfway decient meal)
5. Plan for your sweet tooth. Premixed muffins, brownies, etc. Trust me, it will keep you from going "nuts.' sorry I just couldn't help myself.\
6. We've discussed H20 in a previous post. Stock up on your favorite brand of alcohol. I don't mean a bottle or two. I mean stock up! Go to your local dealer. Sit down and explain what you are doing. If you are a regular customer, (I use one dealer and I give her enough business that we exchange Christmas gifts), he or she may be able to cut you a break.
After you have purchased your premium stuff, stock up on cheap vodka, burbon and scotch fro tradig purposes. The more you can store, the better you are.
(When I can get a deal from my supplier, I cross state lines where the taxes aren't so expensive.
PersonAL medications.
Talk to your doctor. Explain what you are trying to do. You might be surprised. He might write scripts for 90 pills when you only need sixty, thereby giving you a chance to stock up!
Keep tarps, para cord, 1/2 to 3/4 inch nylon rope, and tent pegs in your vehicle. they can make great emergency shelters if the weather catctches you unawars. And keep sleeping bags in your vehicle.
It is getting late and my brain is getting fuzzy so I'm going to guit after the next suggestion. Have a functional(I mean heavy duty, 9mm to 40 cal. hand gun. I would suggest a traditional shotgun, a tactical shotgun, and a small caliber rifle. If you can afford more, then by all means, purchase it. Let the wepon do the work.
Take into consideration the price ot the ammuniton when you purchase. If you can't afford to practice, don't buy it.

More to come tomorrow.

I have a question, sorry if it was already posted somewhere and i didn't see it, but what are some examples of what caused the apocalypse? What if it was nuclear and there was radiation and you had to worry about fallout?

[edit on 20-1-2010 by pumpkingrapefruit]

reply to post by pumpkingrapefruit

Iodine pills can be used to purify water and they also help protect against radiation, most notably in the thyroid gland. Thyroid cancer would not be a pretty way to gol.
Planning for the "apocolypse" sounds as thought we are all planning for the end of the world. But in reality, situation x (sitx) may be a winter storm where you lose all your power and in this day of increasingly all electric homes, the ability to cook or keep warm.
Or perhaps you live, as I do, right on top of the New Madrid Fault. The last time that sucker acted up, it rang the churchbells in Boston, caused the Mississippi river to run backwards for 24 hours, and generated aftershocks that were felt in kentucky and illinois for over 2 years.
If we have a quake similar to that now, we have already been warned that we may be on our own for six months or more, because of the damage to the infrastructure.
That's why we talk about stocking up on items that can help us survive, and why a lot of us practice survival skills. And even if you never have to start a fire in an emergency, with a fire bow or a flint and steel, it's fun to learn.
Same goes for building emergency shelters when your camping, or even in your back yard, using just what you've got on hand.
How are you going to stay warm? What kind of clothes do you have that will keep you from freezing to death, or will keep you warm and dry if you have to be outside.
My job is an insided job, and since I'm not out that much in the winter, I didn't have any thing to keep me warm, when I had to crawl under my house when the temp was 9 degrees, and all I had for warmth was a couple of pair sweat pants.
Believe me. I ordered some carharts that night.
The apocolypse can be any thing from the minor disturbance of being without power for a couple of days, to a major earthquake such as the one Haiti. We just want to be ready to survive, to live another day, and try to put it back together again.

doble post


[edit on 21-1-2010 by kettlebellysmith]

reply to post by Phlynx

I'd like to flesh out a couple of things on you list of things to carry. You mention pocket knives. By all means carry a couple of of pocket knives. Carry a Letherman as well. (Don't get some cheap knockoff. Get a leatherman. The quality makes all the difference.) Get a K-Bar. Depending on what you choose, you can get a good Marine Ka-bar for between $54-$64. These knives are meant to take punishment, and you can do anything from drive tent pegs, to dig a trench to cutting medium size limbs to build your shelter. Just make sure you have a good stone to re-sharpen it after you use. They seem to hold an edge for ever but only take a minute to touch up.

I didn't notice any fishing gear. Prescription bottles are great for various sized hooks. and you can put several yards of fishing line in one of the larger ones if you don't want to leave it on the spool. Lead sinkers can also be put in these bottles.

You mentioned mastering at least two weapons. I would assume one of those would be a fire arm. I would also consider the quarter staff, or bo.
Many of us carry canes or sticks when walking, even though we don't need them. They are just there in case some thug decides he wants my wallet. I can beat the hell out of him before I call the police.
Beauty of the bo is that it gives you more reach.
Of course, the choice of weapons is an individual one, and everyone should consider what is best for them.

Great post!

Not sure if it was mentioned but a small gas stove with canisters and some tinned food would be useful, but more so if it was a partial apocalypse i.e. civilisation's ability to function had been greatly curtailed but things would return to normal within a few months. I'm guessing that would be the case with a particularly nasty virus where not everyone is killed.

I'm tempted to discuss possible apocalyptic causes but that's a bit off topic. Suffice to say that I remember watching an interesting interview with a scientist where he gave odds of human civilisation making it through the 21st century of around 50/50. So, if that were true, planning for the worst might be a prudent measure.

I agree with the whole 'keep away from ALL others' argument. People can become very unpredictable in unprecendented and stressful situations. I don't believe good people would have time to organise communities if things got really bad. And what do you do when food becomes scarce and infighting begins?

I think you are pretty much on your own and even a cabin in the wilderness is a risk. I think you have to think outside the box to survive. Desperate time = desperate measures. And taking off in a boat comes with many risks alone - bad weather, pirates, etc. Ultimately, you would have to make landfall, and that could be on a distant shore where any surviving locals might not be all friendly and welcoming.

For storage of dry food items, I find that a heavy duty ziplock bag sewn at the top into a muslin bag is good thing. The ziplock bag protects against moisture, the muslin bag prevents holes getting poked in the ziplock from outside influences. At a later time, the muslin can be separated and used for other things, including patching garments or for straining liquids. I didn't see anything about salt yet. Salt is valuable for preserving fatty meats and a necessary part of the diet. Hickory root ashes can be substituted for salt.

[edit on 21-1-2010 by butcherguy]

All these are great information. I would like to include that fishing line and a tackle box would go a-long way if you are near a clean water source when x-day hits. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will be fead for life."

reply to post by Phlynx


Apocalyptic is too broad a range of un-knowns, IMO.

Ppl can list items till the next century, but it all comes down to being prepared for , many types of scenes.
From bugging out, to buggin in, and what senerios you make the decisions to do one or the other is, what will make the best survivors.

What caused said apocalyps?
Desiese, war/bio-war/, martial law, invading armies....etc...etc...

Its near impossible to prepare for every type of outcome, but the basics and knowledge and real time spent living in the fashion you think you can do/handle will make help many make better decisions and choices, for when/if they ever need too!

The mind is the most important thing to 'prep'. You are not going to able store a lifetime supply of all these items listed. You need to how to 'make do' or 'do without'. You won't be able to find water purification tablets by turning over rocks in the woods. A study of indigenous peoples who live 'on a shoestring' is the best way to prep. In a total apocalyptic situation, the things that we modern humans take for granted WILL RUN OUT, you need to know how to make or substitute for them.

Natural antibiotics (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral). These are much better than pharma antibiotics because they have more uses and they don't have negative side effects. In fact, and side effects are beneficial.

1. Grapefruit Seed Extract. I have a stock of this at all times. It can be used for all kinds of things. Unlike essential oils, this extract mixes very will with water. It's full of vitamin C & E and a full size bottle goes a long way, without taking up a lot of space.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar. Dozens of uses

3. Oregano essential oil. One of the most powerful substances known against viruses. Very effective against any kind of 'flu'.

Do some search on the net. All the info you need is available for your own multi-purpose natural antibiotics.

Hi! Empty bleach bottles are excellent water storage containers, canned corn is a good BOB food you can cook it in the can and drink the water.
extra socks, underwear, bras are important. $100,00 cash in small bills,
ax, small garden shovel hand held size, work gloves, ponchos, shower caps for radiation fallout, solar blankets 2x for each person. I like aluminum water bottles, the large ones with no plastic liners, you can boil water in these and be ready to go. Painkillers, antibiotics, vitamins, kaopectate, first aid kit. Hormone pills for the women over 40 who have adenomyosis or are metopausel. Sanitary needs for women, hiking boots, extra shoe laces, hats, gloves, scraves, rain coat, tolietries, a net for fishing for the fishing impaired, poison ivy lotion, tweezers for ticks and splinters, maps, towels & washclothes. Living outside would really be awful I absolutely hate camping. Alcohol for wounds.

Originally posted by shasta9600
Natural antibiotics (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral). These are much better than pharma antibiotics because they have more uses and they don't have negative side effects. In fact, and side effects are beneficial.

1. Grapefruit Seed Extract. I have a stock of this at all times. It can be used for all kinds of things. Unlike essential oils, this extract mixes very will with water. It's full of vitamin C & E and a full size bottle goes a long way, without taking up a lot of space.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar. Dozens of uses

3. Oregano essential oil. One of the most powerful substances known against viruses. Very effective against any kind of 'flu'.

Do some search on the net. All the info you need is available for your own multi-purpose natural antibiotics.

did not know about the oregano oil.... thanks for the tip on that one...

This another duplicated thread my friends. Please use the 'search' for past posts.

A good link is that below. It has links to hundreads of free ebooks to download covering every aspect of survival you will ever need put across in a clear and concise way.

ATS Survival Link

Very interesting read,thanks for the great post!

Originally posted by The_Archangel
This another duplicated thread my friends. Please use the 'search' for past posts.

A good link is that below. It has links to hundreads of free ebooks to download covering every aspect of survival you will ever need put across in a clear and concise way.

ATS Survival Link

How is this a duplicate, I have had this up for nearly 3/4s of a year, if a I remember correctly.

If it hasn't been deleted yet, it isn't a duplicate.

Originally posted by Phlynx

Originally posted by The_Archangel
This another duplicated thread my friends. Please use the 'search' for past posts.

A good link is that below. It has links to hundreads of free ebooks to download covering every aspect of survival you will ever need put across in a clear and concise way.

ATS Survival Link

How is this a duplicate, I have had this up for nearly 3/4s of a year, if a I remember correctly.
If it hasn't been deleted yet, it isn't a duplicate.

My apologies, I miss-read the post date. Sorry.

Some great advice on here. Especialy the propellar beani. Im gettin me one of those.

Personaly i would make preperations that would allow me to be as mobile as possible. Lightweight everything. I would use traps to hunt because they're more descreet than guns. That way you'd only need some copper wire. I'd take a hammock with a light weight tarp. This keeps me off the ground and keeps me dry.

You could distill or boil water at each place you stop. Would'nt need much equipment for that. Then just carry enough to get yourself to the next place.

I would have several locations that i would move between, making sure each offered the basics i would need. I think if you hole out anywhere you'd be a sitting duck.