Basic survival info

I have been a lurker here and have posted a few things from time, to time.
Alittle background info for you...and thoughts to help if something happens...aka. SHTF.

The general feel that I get from many of the survival forums that I read and post on...here and other sites, is that people are worried, they are getting things together, they are facing an unknown future with some very bad possible outcomes.

I have been a preping for a few years and grew up out in the rural, midwest area. My parents always had a garden and my dad and I would hunt and fish...a lot...not that we needed to, we just have a love of the outdoors.

I am thankful for all the things that I was taught over the years...from my youth and from my time serving our country in the military.

I have seen third world countries, people starving, war, combat, and these are things that I would wish on no one.
The scary part about all of this, is the fact that what happened to other countries, with bad or failing economies, is infact happening here, to us as we read these posts and try to figure out what we need to get next, for our survival.

I know that there are many, many posts here about survival, zombies, martial law, riots, ect...
All they are, is man's worst fears coming true. I do feel that we are changing in this country, and it seems to not be for the better.
So, I wanted to remind people that the basic's of survival are what you need first...anything else..like the cool light, or extra gun are all secondary to the main effort of survival. Get your basic's first.
Your basic's are plain and simple...
1) Water
2) Food
3) Shelter/Protection
4) Vital meds for your survival

All else are luxeries...water can be stored, or you can catch it from mother nature, and you need to filter it.
Food is important to be healthy but yet be able to provide the calories needed for your daily energy output, which varies from person to person. Shelter/Protection is anything fromthe shoes on your feet,a knife, to the cloths you wear, to the tent,cabin or house/trailer you will be in, along with that is a weapon if possible for hunting. A bow and arrow is ok but a real gun in the appropriate caliber for your area is prefered...also enough ammo to last you a long long time....for without ammo your gun is just an expensive club. The meds that you might need are for you and whatever you take, if you take any...for me I would atleast have some asprin or some basic over the counter meds for headache's or cold and flu.

I want to put this out there for you all, so that once you get your basic supplies, for survival. The rest are great, but you honestly would be able to do without them, if you really had to.

I know that you want a fire starter,candles,flash lights, water bags, back packs, 5 years worth of food, seeds, lots of cloths and to be able to live like your just out for the weekend camping...and have life to be as you know it now. We all do, just please don't get all wrapped up in the gear or cool dohichy and not have your basic needs met first.

I could type a book on all the things that we want for survival and a SHTF. There are thousands of things not mentioned in this post, that some of you will say you need...however you see it, is fine, just see it, so that you do what you can now, while you still can.

Being Prepared is prudent for anyone.

Water is the most important item to stockpiled.

But, I must disagree with the level of importance you place on firearms.

In a true SHTF scenario a firearm is going to become as important as food. Or shelter.

Two schools of thought come in to play here. Either you will need a firearm for protection or you will use it to acquire the items another has stockpiled.

A friend once asked me “How much ammo do I need to stockpile? The true and Real answer is this… You only need ammo enough to acquire more.

It is sad but true in a real shtf scenario we will resort to a more brutal self and when it truly means that one must make the choice of their own survival or the survival of another… well you know the answer.

So, Firearms and ammo enough to acquire more is just below Water in the survival guide.

reply to post by brokedown


i totally agree firearm is an necesity in survival situation that and bullets! man way i would look at it is best too have one and not need it than need 1 an not have it lol :-)

Having knowledge to me is the most important. Having weapons and ammo is good.. for a while, you will eventually run out of bullets and have to depend on something else, we do NOT live in a "mad" world as many may think (or hope). We all want survival in the end and crave those that can get that together.

Peace, NRE.

I doubt things will fall apart rapidly, rather step by step further in chaos. Initially, I think most people will work together as Americans always have in bad times. Even during the Depression crime was no more rampant than before the economy went bust.
Your recommendations are good only food is not so high on the list. Shelter is right after water in importance since you can die of exposure in just a few hours depending on the weather.
Medications are often forgotten on lists so for you.

Shelter/Protection is anything fromthe shoes on your feet,a knife, to the cloths you wear, to the tent,cabin or house/trailer you will be in, along with that is a weapon if possible for hunting. A bow and arrow is ok but a real gun in the appropriate caliber for your area is prefered...also enough ammo to last you a long long time....for without ammo your gun is just an expensive club.

I do have guns and ammo listed in it, with the shelter/protection....and say a lot of ammo...I wasn't saying anything in this, is more important than another, to each his own...but just know you might need those things come a SHTF.
I know people that would trap and fish more for food, than say hunt with a rifle...even some would use snares or pitt falls to gather food/animals.
I hope that we all get everything we need to survive.

Very good thread. I will say that there are problems with being prepared:
1: Overt signs of preparedness will draw unwanted attention in a situation where that preparedness is needed, so while preparing do so covertly.
2: Preparing is expensive and people like me with basically no income (i'm in college) have a hard time preparing.

That said preperation is important and everyone should prepare to some extent, though this preparation could take the form of aquiring the knowledge that will enable survival in a situation as you have described it.

Idealy I would own at least one rifle and I am working on that, but owning weapons is difficult in Ct (Thus my plans to leave here)

There are dozens of rifles and pistols that are out there for a couple hundred bucks....you get what you can while you can....the entire world has problems and no one country can fix them all. It seems that like mentioned above, they are easing us into whatever they have planned...I don't like it. Get your supplies and stack them high and stack it deep.
I think we are going to be spending a great deal more in the very near future for the basics at the store...
get what you can while you can.