Absolute Minimalist Survival

Hit reply too soon.

If you chose to make your home on a hill side - pick the southern side of the hill. Homes made to absorb the heat the day are facing towards the south. Just to remember that your western room will be the hottest - so if your living quarters need to be nice n cozy - put it towards the western part of your southern facing home. The cooler rooms, food storage/pantry, towards the east...or further in the hillside on the eastern side of your hillside home. If you can make your food storage/pantry separate - north side of the hill works best as it gets the least sun heat.

If you chose to build a fire in your hillside home - which you will - ensure the top of your structure will allow the smoke to escape. The hole should be as big (or slightly bigger) as your fire pit - unless you like carbon monoxide. You can build a covering over the hole to minimize rain fall inside it - but don't block the smoke. You'll know if the hole above is too small if you burn greener (not green foliage) materials to produce a moderate amount of smoke. If you get smoked out - your airflow isn't good enough - if so, have your door opening allow more air in by making it shorter or whatever you need.

Moisture will be a big problem in your hillside home - don't go for it being air tight.

You will also need to change your bedding material weekly (pick a Sat for each week). The moisture buildup will cause rotting in your bedding material. If you have linens - sun them on the weekend - just be sure to pick a sunny day as the sun heat will help dry them. The UV rays will kill microbes even on overcast days if that is all you have that week...but the rot will ruin cloth within a week easy.

If you have firearms - keep them stored outside if it is in a cold environment. Once you bring in cold metal to a warm environment, they 'sweat' and rust.

But again, I like this topic and enjoy the thread. This isn't an attempt to flame the OP - just to work off of his great work. This topic is one that I admire to do after my 'day job' ...at least for a month - just to test my wimpy skill set.

-CN

reply to post by Fevrier

If you have to go to this trouble to build a shelter it really does not make sense as anyone who is tasked with Long Term Survival must be mobile and capable of moving their shelter to better Hunting Ground as well as other areas that would have new resources once you have used all the dead would surrounding yours for Firewood.

I used to Teach a Variety of Survival Methods for Arctic, Jungle, Ocean and even Winter Survival in the North East. First we need to determine the REASONS for your relocation into the woods. If it is because of WAR...if that war is Nuclear, Chemical or Biological then you can KISS YOUR ASS GOODBYE! Even those who have the luxury of having a Deep Underground Bunker need air and Air Scrubbers do NOT LAST FOREVER!

If you are in the woods to avoid detection or hiding from a Military Force...a Fixed Position is STUPID! Mobility is a MUST! You would be better to purchase a Good Military Light Weight Camo Tent. Several Good Knifes are a MUST. I recommend a Machete, a Swiss Army Knife, a Survival Hunting/Fishing Knife that has a hollow handle that allows you to place inside it, waterproof matches, fishing line, lures, flint, a small sharpening stone as well as the knifes handle end being a compass. I place a tube of Super Glue in mine for instant repair of deep wounds that you can GLUE together quickly rather than have to stitch.

A Hatchet as well as a saw that breaks down to fit in a Back Pack will be needed. A Kinetic Motion Charged Radio/Receiver/Sender with Scan and auto channel lock as you will want to listen and communicate with others in your predicament. A Magnifying Glass as you may run out of matches. Very Good waterproof Boots.

Clothing for outdoors is a must so buy rain and snow gear. Dried Foods such as Nuts, Jerky, Dried Fruits and anything that packs a lot of calories that is compact. These are just the bare minimum.

Split Infinity

reply to post by SplitInfinity


I agree with the 'crazy' talk - movement, if required, will be the key to survival. There are many books and YT material out there for SERE stuff.

As for nuclear - you are most correct indeed. You need to outlast the fallout stuff - many books out there on what you need, whether it be an earthen shelter or an underground bunker, but you can minimize your death by sticking to the rules mentioned in such books and YT material. One being - don't eat meat near the bones of animals - they have more radiation than the flesh. Canned goods are OK - most radiation passes through them without causing you harm (most). Water, whether it be fresh or grey, will require a multilayer filtration system - earth, sand, gravel, charcoal, sand, cloth, etc... before processing for microbes.

Chemical/biological - just have to outlast it. Don't touch anything you may suspect of being contaminated. Bottles of bleach and a scrub brush to clean your boots and hands will work in almost all cases - as long as you are not dumb and the chemicals aren't still being dropped. Don't eat already dead things. Minimize touching flat surfaces - stay away from pools of water. If you smell almonds - kiss it goodbye.

Your idea of weapons are good, except for the hollow handled survival knife... Unless you like cheap crap, stay away from them. You need a full tang knife - they will last 5x longer than the cheap hollow handled survival knives. Try using a 'quality' hollow handled knife for an actual structure building session - after a few whacks you'll see your blade snap at the handle point - you need a full tang knife for any sustainability. A compass won't matter much if you are on your own - you can do well with the stars and sun.

Your superglue idea also rocks - just ensure that you clean out the wound or you'll end up with a puffy mess and a fever to match.

reply to post by ChuckNasty

I mentioned the Hollow Handle Knife as this is something that comes in both a cheap and expensive version. For someone who does not know much about survival it can be a Life Saver. Personally I use a Machete for just about EVERYTHING. A Machete can be used as a axe, knife, weapon, bush clearer, ice cutter, bone cutter, good for gutting an animal, good for getting sparks to start a fire...it is my all in one tool.

A RIFLE AND SHOTGUN are also a MUST! Also if you get a chance...go to a Army/Navy surplus store and purchase all the Field Manuals you can find. They are cheap. I am an expert on Edible Plants but even I am not totally sure about various Mushrooms. I am very good at it and I learned most of this from my Grandfather. If you ever are at a Fish and Game and see a man at the bar in his 70's...ask him if he knows about Wild Mushrooms.

Picking Mushrooms cannot be done by looking at a book as there are many Poisonous Mushrooms that can easily kill you that look similar to edible ones. Only after YEARS of practice of learning when and where they grow and what the difference between the edible ones and the poisonous ones would I suggest ANYONE does this. Even picking a poison Mushroom can leave Poison spores on your hand and if you eat without washing it and ingest these spores you will become deathly sick!

Still even in the North East there is a BOUNTY of Wild Edible Plant Life! I make salads with plants that grow in my yard. Red and White Clover Flowers and their leaves, Indian Cucumbers, Flowers of Wild Lilly's, Dandelion Leaves and Flowers, Raspberries, Currents, Black Berries, Black Raspberries, Wild Carrots...the list is endless.

Knowing how to build traps such as Wired Snares, Dead Falls, Fish Traps...etc...is a must. It is easier to use a MULTIPLE SNARES to catch...Deer, Rabbit, Squirrel, Possum, Turkey...then to HOPE that you are able to spot one and shoot it. Also knowing how to catch Snapping Turtles which are a VERY TASTY MEAL...Turtle Soup...or know how to create a Fish Trap at the inlet of a Stream that is flowing into a Lake will get you quite a bit of Fish. Also knowing the Medicinal Value of plants such as how to Grinding up White Pine Bark and putting the powder in water then drink as this is ASPIRIN. The Berries of Stag Horn Sumac can help with swelling and there are many other to be used for a variety of ailments.

But MOST IMPORTANT is a persons ability to be MOBILE as your LIFE WILL DEPEND UPON IT! To stay in one place can be fatal. You need to be able to pack up on a moments notice and MOVE! Thus everything you have should be light weight and always packed. Split Infinity

I agree but what about unwelcome thermal tech obsevers.

Traitorous advise or good will?

Should we trust others.

These cats say south facing yada yada guess what US gov and other gov know this common knowledge....evading this detection is a plus with workarounds that are undetectable...dont listen to these fools as they mention the most likely targets for high tech not how you can potentially evade.



too many people can post here who are not good intentions or well thought out.

Originally posted by survivalcat
I agree but what about unwelcome thermal tech obsevers.

Traitorous advise or good will?

Should we trust others.

These cats say south facing yada yada guess what US gov and other gov know this common knowledge....evading this detection is a plus with workarounds that are undetectable...dont listen to these fools as they mention the most likely targets for high tech not how you can potentially evade.

edit on 19-11-2012 by survivalcat because: (no reason given)

too many people can post here who are not good intentions or well thought out.

edit on 19-11-2012 by survivalcat because: (no reason given)

Wait - I'm lost as to what the OP's topic is?

Are we prepping for an evil govt that hunts down people or a SHTF situation where you have to live off the land and restart a society?

If we are being hunted by a high tech govt detection system....why would we bother with planting root tubers?

Keep on topic please cat - or am I off topic?

(if you are avoiding heat detection by an angry govt overseer - making a hillside home will just stand out like a Christmas tree light on the thermals no matter what side you put the domicle...dumb ass much?)

-CN

hey last time I check this US gov especially is benevolent these days but in the not soo distant past they eliminated rebel forces like it was #ing star wars.


What say you?

Oh now you think I am unable to come up with darpa class solutions with civilian solutions for thermal evasion...well no one talks about that sort of thing here I noticed so what are you getting at?


If I was to tell you how I can evade those sensors it would make me a qualifiable target to intel agencies.


I have ideas but testing them today with success means nothing when our technology is set to be so sensitive that there is absolutely no way to evade.

They will destroy this planet effectively and thus they must control it as a prime directive of having consumed all resources capable of being used against them.

So in that regard you are right but guess what I believe some of us who care to can find some loopholes with the right materials and locations to the drone coverage.

Star and flag for you bub. For putting an effort to get this thread in working order.

And for giving us a slightly bigger chance to survive in the wild.

reply to post by survivalcat

It is virtually impossible to hide from the U.S. Satellite Detection Grid. They can find a Heat Signature deep in rock and Ground Penetrating Radar can locate the deepest of underground bunkers.

If they want to find you...they will find you. Split Infinity

reply to post by Fevrier

while being able to set up a renewable energy system or an aqaponics or hydroponics facility seems like an attractive skill, these are enterprises that require vast amounts of delicate mechanical and electric structures, an energy storage medium - that is, deep cycle batteries, and they are easily broken, hard to repair without spare parts, and paint a big target on any community. 

the problem with complex electrical and mechanical skills is that they are evolved within a complex society that dedicates a large amount of time and resources to training these skills and manufacturing the very refined materials that they require. outside of this high-end scenario, you'd have to be able to recreate the entire production ecosystem of a 21st century state in order to be truly sustainable over the years. 

this is not going to happen. we're talking complex chemistry, the ability to melt and cast metals at precise temperatures, the work required to find and extract those metals, and an immense and ready-to go knowledge base. 

I'm gonna have to disagree with you here. First of all aquaponics is not complex and does not require highly refined skills it is easy to learn simple to set up uses only 10% of the water of conventional gardening and a 3rd of the space. Plants grow 3 times as fast. plus you have fish as a protein source. A single small pump could run the whole system with one battery and small solar panel or bicycle charger, or if you have a stream near or wind or even small generator etc. nickel iron batteries will last 30 years and batteries do not break easy since that don't get moved around much and are stationary unlike in a car.

You won't have to recreate the entire production ecosystem of the 21st century most of it will be lying around in a junk pile somewhere or where it was left when things changed for the taking as needed. It will probably be near a century before all the stuff created is used up and by then society will have been restarted...

I am also going to add for sustainable food; snaring and trapping. When mass hunting pressure makes game scarce you will be eating meat regularly and no one will know it since it is silent. You do not need ammo or arrows and you do not need to spend all day hunting just a litte time checking on them. You can even snare deer.

Also vegetarian fighters in MMA are a very small minority and have not really done all that well as far as competing. Probably the most well known is Mack Danzig who fought in the UFC but never was more then average.

I see most of what you talk about as a worse case scenario. I doubt it is going to get so bad you have to live like that long term in the wild but those are good skills to have in case you're retreat gets over run you can fall back and formulate plan to retake it even if just harrasing them by night till they leave or you eliminate them all. Most of us have families that would make living like that difficult for any length of time so we need to have a retreat and a fall back area already prepared.

Of course you never know all plans can fail for various unknown reason so those skills will be essential.

Having said all that it is still a great post with lots of good info thanks for posting!

Assuming that everything you advise here works, what is your plan for what happens after survival is not the primary concern? What will you do to make a new world?

Very good information - much appreciated!
Very good suggestion - much awareness!

Thrive together~

∞LOVE
mayallsoulsbefree∞

reply to post by hawkiye


I want to add to your your trapping/snaring idea, one that I've used and that works (though not very "nice".) If there are turkeys in your area you can use 20lb test fishing line and a hook. Thread the hook with canned corn or boxed cereal or sprouted/boiled acorns , hang the line from a tree, hang back being quiet and patient.......when the turkey goes for the bite they will usually get stuck. Best is to have a machete to cut the head off. You can also wring the neck but be quick about it because they fight and some have pretty sharp talons. This is for survival mode only and I do not condone this for everyday hunting.


On mushrooms: I hunt mushrooms very regularly and I normally would not recommend eating them if your aren't experienced, but Morels are one species that are delicious and once you've seen/picked a few it is in my opinion one of the very few mushrooms that can't be confused with anything else because there is nothing that "copies" it like so many others. Other good wild species for eating are : Hen of the woods and chantarelles. But the morel as I said is virtually foolproof. It grows on wooded hillsides,small wooded valleys, especially near dead elms. In my experience the most dangerous mushrooms are the cute little white and brown button types that all look alike. STAY AWAY from those. Also, kids are great for mushroom hunting since they are so much closer to the ground it will give them something to do and they will catch quite a few things you will miss. If you can afford it I highly recommend purchasing a field guide (the audobon society has a great one) for mushrooms.

reply to post by Fevrier


Live underground in dug outs
eat leaves
build spears to fend off bears
eat worms
use leave for toilet paper

wow that's bugging out in style! I think a 5th wheel would be much better and more cozy. You can even invite a girl back to your place. A dug out and worms? Women won't be too impressed by that. They won't want to date a guy like that. At least with a 5th wheel you'd have a chance ha ha.

What kind of natural remedy is there to replace Nexium?

Nice. Just moved to the mouaintans to escape "apocalypse" hehe

Excuse me, but doesn't every "civilization" start out like this, with the primary directive to survive? What happens after they are successful at surviving?

I would prefer a spade rather than a shovel, spades dig, shovels move materials, a real shovel is not made for digging, I cannot understand why people started to call spades, shovels, anyone know?

Originally posted by bangoli
reply to post by hawkiye

 

I want to add to your your trapping/snaring idea, one that I've used and that works (though not very "nice".) If there are turkeys in your area you can use 20lb test fishing line and a hook. Thread the hook with canned corn or boxed cereal or sprouted/boiled acorns , hang the line from a tree, hang back being quiet and patient.......when the turkey goes for the bite they will usually get stuck. Best is to have a machete to cut the head off. You can also wring the neck but be quick about it because they fight and some have pretty sharp talons. This is for survival mode only and I do not condone this for everyday hunting.


On mushrooms: I hunt mushrooms very regularly and I normally would not recommend eating them if your aren't experienced, but Morels are one species that are delicious and once you've seen/picked a few it is in my opinion one of the very few mushrooms that can't be confused with anything else because there is nothing that "copies" it like so many others. Other good wild species for eating are : Hen of the woods and chantarelles. But the morel as I said is virtually foolproof. It grows on wooded hillsides,small wooded valleys, especially near dead elms. In my experience the most dangerous mushrooms are the cute little white and brown button types that all look alike. STAY AWAY from those. Also, kids are great for mushroom hunting since they are so much closer to the ground it will give them something to do and they will catch quite a few things you will miss. If you can afford it I highly recommend purchasing a field guide (the audobon society has a great one) for mushrooms.

That's pretty clever for turkeys but yeah only in an emergency survival situation. A tip on morels yes they are excellent and abundant in wooded areas. But soak them in water for a couple hours this will cause any bugs that have taken up residency in them to climb out and float to the surface...

Three words, Bunker Buster Bombs(BBB).
Too frigging late.

Originally posted by hy9nos
Nice. Just moved to the mouaintans to escape "apocalypse" hehe

Dude, the air will be thin, radioactive snow(if that happens). Earthquakes in mountain = collapse. Who said they won't bomb mountains? Mountains are as dangerous as you think it is safe. Rock slides ,etc.