Survival, what if you're a man?

One other thing I should point out. Government misinformation isn't always about keeping us from knowing how we are getting screwed. Let's look at the food issue for instance. Say you want to trap some rabbits.(dont forget to look up rabbit starvation, yes it's real) You would want to know their habits.
www.hww.ca...
Most of the information there is pretty good. But not all of it....When I was just a young lad, I would go rabbit hunting with my dad. We would bring guns with us, but we only ever saw one or two and we never even managed to get one in our sights before it was gone. We did get alot of them in our snares. Well, let me tell you, getting up at 6 in the morning to trudge through knee-deep snow to check the snares sucked, but it had to be done. I can just imagine the look that must have been on my face when the temperature dropped an extra 15 or 20 degrees below normal and I was informed that would mean checking the snares TWICE A DAY! My old man explained to me that with the weather so cold, the rabbits would be more active so as to keep their body temperature up. This would, of course, mean that there would be more rabbits in more snares more often. He was definitely right. If you read that hinterland article it says that "Rain, snow, or wind often markedly reduce the hares’ activity." I have seen the same stated elsewhere too. Now, my dad said cold not rain or snow, but the point is the same. By and large, inclement weather makes them MORE active rather than less. I can only assume that the article has been fudged because the researchers liked the cute little bunnies. Why else? I know it is false. I have seen the way weather affects them with my own 2 eyes. What really bothers me about this is wondering about all the people who have ever set snares and believed that bit about the bad weather. Getting caught in a snare obviously isn't the most humane way for a rabbit or any other animal to go. How much extra suffering has befallen those cute little tasty critters purely because the wildlife authority gave false information. It is a little rough on the soul when you have to dispatch your first bunny with your own hands, but from his point of view that is probably better than having to slowly die of cold or strangulation. Yeah, that happens in snares, but like my dad said. "We are killing them and they did nothing to us. The least we can do is make sure to minimize that suffering in what ways we can. The first live rabbit I ever found in a snare was during the second trip on one of those cold days. It actually made me cry but I'm glad I was there to end the little things suffering a little quicker. just food for thought.

Originally posted by isitjustme
I'm sure it would be easier to be a cute chick in these circumstances. All you have to do is cry a little and some knucklehead will come to "save" you. When you eat all his stores or he is killed you can just find another. Wait....that's what some women do already.

Or you cry, your "help" comes, steals your stores, rapes you, and if the need rises eats you. Times are going to be hard for everyone. Not man, not woman. Everyone.

But on topic, personally I intend to leave populated area headed for a friends place out in the country. I feel with some good security measures and stores there's well enough land to farm and keep us reasonably comfortable. Sadly, but true, I didn't start thinking about all this until recently so my knowledge on survival skills are slim. Hopefully ill have some by the time SHTF though.

i'd rather be a woman in that scenario.

i'd deff have an advantage of surprise.

rarely would i have to go toe to toe with gonad the barb or scorpion king but i'd make sure i had the same skills.


unless i was xena, warrior princess, then all bets are off.

Originally posted by 43mike
A lot of people have this idea of living as a mountain man, just with a family or solo. I take a different tack.

I'm a former Ranger medic. I get with people in my community and I have people that I can count on if it all hits the fan.

My responsibilities include, knowing how to make penicillin, training in basic marksmanship, doing house calls, etc.

I know guys who are metallurgists. I know guys who know how to grow crops. We also continue our education. I'm in college right now, but over the next few months, I'll be learning British Literature, and how to brew beer and wine to further our abilities. That way, I'll be the combat medic and the brew master for our community in the worst case scenario.

Don't think individual, think community in all things.

I may know how to treat a bullet wound, and the guy next to me can forge steel. Neither one of us can do the others' job with any sort of competence. If you can forge steel, treat wounds, brew beer, make rope, plant crops, know the times and conditions to do all of the above, then you are a super genius. For the rest of us, teams are a better idea.

edit on 4-6-2011 by 43mike because: (no reason given)

Dude. you are 100 % right. I love the whole bushwhacker/survivorman thing, but it can only carry you so far. For a major global SHTF type of scenario, your idea is the way to go although depending on the scenario, you may still have to do the mountain man thing for a while. For me, I say the most ideal way would actually be a cross between the mountain man type of isolation and the community type plan that you have. Maybe like the way they did it in "The Village" by M Night Shyamalan...only without the whole monsters in the woods crap. Basically your idea, only don't just set up where you are right now. Find a spot to rebuild off the grid. Away from the roads and buildings that all the "zombies" will be scavenging through. Obviously there won't be any real zombies, but what about all of the sheeple? The VAST majority of folk will be looting, pillaging, raping and any other -ings that they can think of. . They will not know how to take care of themselves and they will be desperate. Watch the very first Mad Max movie to see what I mean. Max and his family and friends did like you are thinking. And look at what happened to them. Now watch Beyond Thunderdome.... All those kids living in that ravine had the only peacefull society in the whole of the mad max movies.They only managed that because of one fact. They were in the middle of nowhere. Nobody else knew they were there. Otherwise they would have been raped or pillaged or brought into the fold of one of the less savory settelments that were in existence. I can't believe that I am actually rationalizing this whole idea with Mad Max. Mom would be proud. lol

Well, I'm in the outskirts of a medium sized town. It works for me, you have to take a tactical view to what works for you. Survivalism is highly individualized. I'm disabled. I simply can't plow a field. I have to review what I can do and can't do.

If you gave me machining parts and metal, and told me to make a rifle out of that, I'd be lost.

In the same vein, if you asked a dairy farmer to deliver a human baby(something I've done a number of times in the field), he'd have no clue.


Just have realistic assessments of your abilities. You can't learn all of it. Also, you can't disregard safety by staying in a major city. Finding the middle ground is the best thing to do IMO.

Your not gonna be worrying about farming or anything like that probably. I think the Kevin Costner movie Postman depicts fairly well what those times will be like. Military type like groups each dominating an area with maybe some safe places hidden in out of the way places.

To think that your gonna just plop down and happily start farming is a fallicy and so is living in a cave hunting. You will be discovered and killed more than likely while they take your significant other and all your supplies. Sure that fancy weapon you got might hold em off for a bit but you will lose in the end.

This is why I always laugh at these survivalist people. Unless you have a group of about 100 ready to go with you there is little chance you will survive the hardcore groups that do form up.

I think people underestimate the savagery that might ensue immediately following a full-scale collapse. I can't remember EVER seeing the issue of prescriptions for pharmaceuticals and medications running out. Obviously that WILL happen. Do you know how many Americans are basically drug-addicted? Imagine tens of millions of people, suddenly cut off from their fix - the results of that alone could be devastating. But combined with the insanity of having your comfort zone demolished, possibly needing to scavenge for food, compete with others, etc... it could be BAD. At first, anyways. Most people would rebound after a while but the damage would already be done I fear.

I think what got me started on this line of thinking was the fact that the city I live in has one of the biggest problems with heroin addiction in the country... and I know first-hand what they are like when deprived of their stuff. Scary.

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT


Cold?

It reduces swelling?

It lets you know you are still alive and hypothermia free?

Snow can actually be used as insulation.

Look at the mob mentality people develop when there is some sort of emergency in their town and they are at the grocery store trying to get supplies. They fight like crazy people with no regard for anyone else.

If society does collapse and there is no law enforcement you can times this by 10. Sure your bob might let you make it out of town into the woods but then what?

If you have stocked up your house with supplies for this disaster and anyone knows about it guess where they are gonna be..with friends.

Your house will be ransacked and even if your armed don't expect to outlast that mob trying to get to your stuff..in this case i'd say it's detrimental to have supplies on hand. The most important thing to do in this situation is have a place to go where there will be like minded people that you know and can trust such as family but it's still gonna be hell on earth.

If governments collapsed and it was a free for all I would expect to see anywhere from about a 80% mortality rate if not higher so the key isn't stocking up on survival gear but trying to find a place where you can avoid some of the worst that's gonna happen. Some people might be able to live off the land and that's great but the trick is going to be trying to find a place where there is no one around to bother you.

If I was in this situation I would grab my wife and we would be on a sailboat in less than an hour heading out into the pacific where supplies aren't as much of a problem as people stuck on land. I imagine that once we were out of range of normal motorized craft we would be pretty much alone so that's my bug out plan.

Everyone should have something along those lines in their thoughts as to what they are going to do instead of worrying about what type of survival axe to buy.

The scary part is food loss. If factions aren't formed up with the intention of organizing the production of food rather than the finding of food already produced things are going to get crazy fast. Imagine a city the size of NY or LA suddenly unable to produce it's own food. Trucks stop running, food stops coming, people start starving. People do some pretty twisted things when pushed to choose between their survival and the survival of the nice hunk of meat sitting in the house next door.

Military factions will only last if they settle down and start farming. I hope that factions will be formed with the intention of protection of the people with in, as well as the reproduction of a fully functional society.

After all the shooting is done whoever ends up with the most weapons will be the ones calling the shots. I'd imagine they have a few years of doing the hunter gatherer thing before the food runs out but instead of farming I can see them taking over other people and having them keep their outfit supplied to not be killed.

Anyone either not in this outfit or working for them is probably going to be killed outright so that's the flaw I see with survivalists. You will adapt or you will die and I doubt if there will be alot of places one might try to hide without eventually running into one of these gangs.

If you have a pet...yes they can be a few meals for you...in Korea...dog is often served, In China ...cats....in america we eat pigs, goats, cows chicken just to name a few....In India...cows are holy...so they don't eat them...it all depends on the culture your in as to the animal you might or might not be eatin.

So, yeah fluffy and patches would be used for the greater good of the group...just cook it up in a stew and not say what meat it is...if its a EOTWAWKI than I doubt anyone would even care or think to ask...since food would be very valuable.

Everyone talking here about prepping, but what if you are the zombie?

didn't thought 'bout that didn't ya.

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT

This is something I have struggled with myself. Although I have taken what I consider to be appropriate measures to protect and provide for my family and myself, I haven't completely decided on how far to go with things. I'm big, strong, and well-trained, as well as well-armed. But, I'm also religious, and believe in mercy. So at what point do I save all that have for my family and myself? Or what point do I share with those who did not have the foresight to prepare? A thought provoking thread. Thanks!

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT

 

the horse we will see is the horse of katrina

japan is a different people and culture than ours the promotion of family and "team"

too many americans are I I I I me me me its my way or 2 in the chest and one in the head.

That's a very socialist / communal viewpoint who fails to see that America's ruggedly individualist values are what got her to where she is in the world...

In a SITX people will be mostly capable of fending for themselves and less relying on outside help that will be mostly none-existent.
If I join a group at least everyone will have a get-go plan so that if one dies or is killed the rest can carry on...

Everyone is talking about going to the woods and the country away from populated areas, but what if you're already on a deserted island in the Gulf of Texas with a population of around 3k?

I was actually contemplating this earlier this morning. We were hanging out with some buds on the beach last nite (got the fire started in a matter of minutes despite a 20+mph wind) and we're all originally from the woods of central and east Texas ranging in age from 23 to 35 (me). I told my girlfriend this morning that if the SHTF those dudes would be the first ones I would get in our group. We're all guys/gals that can cook, hunt, fish, build, fix stuff, fight and are real good judges of character in case we meet new people. Those are the types of people you need to surround yourself with.

Originally posted by saltdog
If you have a pet...yes they can be a few meals for you...in Korea...dog is often served, In China ...cats....in america we eat pigs, goats, cows chicken just to name a few....In India...cows are holy...so they don't eat them...it all depends on the culture your in as to the animal you might or might not be eatin.

So, yeah fluffy and patches would be used for the greater good of the group...just cook it up in a stew and not say what meat it is...if its a EOTWAWKI than I doubt anyone would even care or think to ask...since food would be very valuable.

My rules for this are fairly simple. Some types of animal I would eat as long as I wasn't personnaly friends with the animal. (like rabbits) Other types, I would eat even If I considered the individual to be a friend. (Like pigs) Then there are animals like dogs. I would have no part in killing or eating any dog. No matter what. And if the dog is a personal friend of mine, I would fight to the death to protect it. If I so much as catch you looking the wrong way at fluffy, I won't hesitate to stab you in the face!

reply to post by LarrofDanu


Exactly my thoughts. But if I shot a coyote trying to raid my camp I would sure as hell cook it up!!!! That's at least 10-20lbs of meat, and there are quite a few coyotes here.

reply to post by I.C. Weiner


Ti be honest, I would shoot a coyote just for fun. I hate those little...*&%#@% (almost cussed by accident) In a SHTF situation, I would eat it of course, but they are one of the few animals that I would kill if I didnt have to and not feel bad. If I was in the woods with a gun a gun right now and saw one, I would take the shot. The only use I would make of the kill is practice at hide curing. It's not the nicest attitude, I know, but it's where I stand. A wolf on the other hand, only if I had to, and the animal gets used. Basically,I have all the love for apex predators but scavengers and carrion eaters get my contempt.

reply to post by LarrofDanu


If you ever come to my island you're on my team. The local Animal Control has told me off-the-record that there is a shoot-to-kill on coyotes here. They are getting braver and braver, coming out in broad daylight now.

Let's not derail the thread with coyote killing, but people need to know that meat is meat. Hell, if I'm hungry and out fishing I will eat a hardhead (gulf catfish). And if I'm in a raft floating at sea and my buddy croaks, well....u know....

;-)