Are you really prepared for long term survival?

I have seen quite a few posts on survival techniques and preparedness, and most have helped me to think of things I should do to protect my family. But thinking about this stuff I have also thought of things people don't put on their lists. So this thread is to help us think of those things that would be necessities but aren't always on the list, especially if it were a long term survival situation.

First let me list some supplies that would be useful/needed in case of a long term need for survival (note this is a list of things people might not think about when preparing).

Medical/hygiene:
* extra eye glasses/contacts
* Aloe Vera Plant
* Feminine Hygiene Products
* medical books
* soap
* Alcohol
* Latex Gloves
* Toiletries
* bug repellent

Food/water:
* fishing equipment (store up on fishing line and hooks)
* seeds (including cotton seeds)
* (if possible) livestock/chickens
* Traps
* Salt and other spices
* Livestock and feed (if possible)

Weather/clothing:
* plastic sheeting (useful for making a greenhouse)
* extra shoes/socks
* Tarps
* hats/gloves (multiple pair)
* sun glasses
* Fire Wood
* sewing kit (also good for medical)
* patches

Other/Multipurpose Items:
* Shovels
* lighters
* Dogs
* books
* Maps/compasses
* Markers/chalk/pencils/pens
* metal sheeting
* lumber
* trade supplies
* back packs
* duct tape
* paper
* rope
* hand tools
* knee pads
* bold cutters
* A full tank of gas
* buckets

(note, some of these things will not be able to be taken with you if you have to bugout)

Feel free to add to this list, this stuff was off of the top of my head, so I am sure there are a lot more I didn't think of.

Another thing I want to point out is that often I see people preparing for their families survival, but it will take a lot more than that to survive a long term situation. Let's say you have all the supplies you could possibly need for years of being self sustained, you even have a stash of weapons to protect you and your family. But I do not see that as enough to survive.

Once food supplies run out, they will eventually be coming for your supplies. They will come in numbers too, and any amount of weapons you may have will not keep a mob of starving people from taking everything you have. Sure you may kill a few, but will you be able to shoot them fast enough before they over power you and your family? Remember many of them have guns too, and if they must choose between killing you and your family or letting their children starve to death, they will almost always choose to kill.

It is my opinion and observation that the only true way to survive a long term situation where their is civil unrest (such as a food shortage or long term power outage) is to first gather a group of initial people with various skills (such as medical training, hunting, farming, military, etc...), get out of the cities and find some land or a farm you can go to, the farther from the city, the better (Have an escape route planned away from main roads). The best Idea would be to know where you are going ahead of time.

Depending on your resources this group can grow if need be, but remember the group must be able to be sustained (food, medical supplies etc....) for a period of time until things are settled and you are able to help others too. (you will not be able to help everyone, especially not at first.)

Next you must plan for long term living and possible growth and alliances with other groups, but that is a thread in itself.

So what are your thoughts? anything I should add to the list? (remember things people may not think

reply to post by tw0330


You are forgetting 3 major things. Training, Practice, and renewable supplies.

Duct Tape, ok then what do you do when you run out? Medical books, ok have you ever stitched someone up, given an IV? What do you do when you run out of packaged med supplies?

* Toiletries
* bug repellent ok, what are natural replacements when you run out of store bought items?

How many times have you made a fire without store bought combustion and in a wet environment? Built a shelter in the snow? fished with a spear?

What are your plans to get home from work after an EMP or natural disaster? Renewable weapons after you run out of bullets? Clean continuous water source?

Prepping is more than filling a pantry and watching shows on NGC.

You forgot castle with moat. That ups yer chances a few clicks.

reply to post by Carreau


I agree with you, you are right, training is very important. Not everyone will know everything however, that is the point of having people with various skills within your group.

I also agree with the drinking water situation. It is a good idea to know how to build a filtration system for clean water.

Another thing you are correct on is that supplies such as toiletries, bug spray and what not will run out, this is why I said we need seeds of all kinds including cotton for various purposes. (actually hemp seeds would be great too)

Thank you for your input, you are correct, those things are important.

Have you seen The Kutcher family on Discovery Channel?
They have shown their smokehouse for game and fish from Kenai Penesula...try a test for a year to perfect your design.

reply to post by dashen


that's what the lumber and shovels are for.

reply to post by Granite


I'll have to look into it, I think it would be interesting.

Interesting post, and thought provoking.

I think the best way (at least for me and my darlin') to be prepared for long-term survival is to live that way now as much as we can. Yes, I use a computer and we have a TV and cable programming and cellphones, but those things are not germane to our survival in a situation where we are cut off from supplies. I will say, however that not knowing what is going on outside of your situation can have profound psychological impact.

So, for several years, we have endeavored to grow as much produce as we can, fish and freedive for some of our food, and remove ourselves at least halfway from the grid. I live on an island in the Caribbean, and have the luxury of knowing that if TSHTF, I will not be bugging out, but bugging in. There is no "out" for us; we make our stand here.

Hurricanes of the past have given us insight; we were once just shy of four months without conventional power. My advice to anyone interested in advancing their survival skills is to conduct trials on your own, perhaps beginning with a scheduled weekend without power and working up from there.

To me, skills are worth more than stuff. Skills can allow you to fabricate nearly all of the 'stuff', much as our ancient ancestors did. You want to have an interesting insight, ask one of your friends if they could build a fire without an ignition source in an hour or less. It's been my experience that most say "yes", and say so in a way as to infer that it's a foregone conclusion. My friends have read a lot of things, and believed that the reading of them was almost synonymous with knowing how to do things. I know how to build fire without a flint and steel, without ignition and I know that I'd be hard pressed this particular instant to do so in under and hour; I have to find both hard and softwoods, and build a platform and notch it properly, find the proper dry tinder, and construct a bow (just one method). I might cheat and use a magnifying glass, if it were a sunny day. I could not use a battery and steel wool, because that would run afoul of the 'ignition' clause.

The point is, that stuff is great, if one has the wherewithal to use it. Knowledge and practice -- skills -- are better.

A person has to be able to feed themselves in a SHTF situation, until they are able to grow things. That means being able to hunt and forage and to keep oneself safe and protected from all the other desperate people. People become the most dangerous animals in a crisis. We may guess, but we really don't know completely what we're made of until the point at which we are tested.

I stock up toilet paper, but TP isn't going to make or break me. My relatives -- and presumably yours -- used cloths for their ablutions and cleaned them frequently (we hope). Water filtration matters. A knowledge of emergency medicine and practices, as well as medical reference materials could make all the difference in a survival situation. I know from past experience that I have to take care of my feet, because a fungal infection that is no biggie now, could be a life-changer in a survival situation. A means and knowledge of mitigating infection means the difference between life and death.

Weapons matter, insofar as conflicts with the most dangerous animals are concerned, and tribal (groups) support often is advantageous.

Good thread.

tw0330
reply to post by Granite

 

I'll have to look into it, I think it would be interesting.

link

reply to post by argentus


Great points. Sounds like you live the life many of us just dream about. If SHTF, you are probably in the best situation i could think of.

reply to post by tw0330


Not to criticize, but I always seem the same things when I read a preppers stockpile: things. Guns, ammo, food, medical supplies. While these things are certainly important, they aren’t the most important. In order to survive and even thrive in any long term disruptive event you need all of the above things in sufficient quantities but what you really need is a community of people to share it with. I’m not talking the small handpicked group of a dozen perfectly skilled members, but I am talking about a real community of hundreds or even several thousand people.
There’s safety in numbers but too many people means strangers and in times of hardship no one trusts strangers.
A small town away from urban areas is the perfect place for this kind of community: large enough to provide a diverse skilled population and small enough so there’s no anonymity.
If you are serious about this, pick a small town and move there. Become part of the community, involve yourself, volunteer and get to know your neighbors.
Also, spend money and time on skill development. Carpentry, metalworking, electronics, automobile repair ... these are the sorts of skills that make one truly self sufficient and valuable. Could you, for example, take a car from the junkyard and get it running again? Could you fix a old radio id it broke? Could you take a hand saw and had drill and craft a jig to make rope?

If you don't have protection from air borne viruses and biological pathogens; all the food, guns and boy scout skills, won't make any difference. Diseases will quickly be the big killer; not the zombie hordes.
Dysentery will be the big killer not gunshot wounds.

When containment goes down in the research facilities, and it will, it becomes a dooms day scenario.

The biotech that at one time was our salvation we thought, thru bio weapons research; it will eventually kill us.


www.fas.org...

Another thing to consider is that when the grid goes down, cooling in the nuclear power plants stop and the rods melt down and radiation is leaking everywhere....

There should be much more to consider if you are really serious about surviving.

McCormics "The Road" will look like a walk in the park.

Stocking up on oxy, Valium and Jack should be in everyone's survival kit!

reply to post by SirMike


I agree with you here, much of what is on the list is short term (but would be needed until things are established), and a small community would be a great idea. I had originally thought about writing something about that, but chose not to as I believe that could be a thread in it's self.

There would be several things to take into account for any community to survive.

Security (from outside and inside attacks)
Government
how many people the resources can sustain and for how long
Who to let in, who not to let in
etc...

It would not be an easy world if something were to happen, many would be cold and hungry, but would have to be turned away to protect those in the community (especially in the beginning), this includes children. It pains me to say this too.


Also many existing small communities would not accept new comers into the community, especially when resources would be already limited.

tw0330
reply to post by Carreau

 

I agree with you, you are right, training is very important. Not everyone will know everything however, that is the point of having people with various skills within your group.

I have been learning survival skills for 40 years and there are things that I am still not proficient at and would possibly fail in doing during a real survival situation. I'm very good with edible and medicinal plants, awareness, tracking, hunting, trapping, fire and shelter but not very good at bow making, flint knapping, working skins and furs, making clothing and some other skills I never put much time in to perfecting. I'm not great at gardening, raising livestock and preserving foods either.

Point is nobody will survive alone, or practically no one. Small groups made of people with diverse skills will have the best odds if things break down completely (which is likely should the electrical grid be taken down). What you need is people who are very skilled at their particular crafts. Having that in addition to a good stock of food, water, tools, medicines, etc. will be a deciding factor.

There you are, a free man.... Tending to your crops and bartering goods at day and Valiantly protecting your home from the barbarians at night. How romantic. No, we're going to have military vehicles coursing our streets, military encampments and operations bases. Air surveillance, and surveillance of any imaginable form of communication. There will be strict curfews nationwide and a restricted power grid. There will be no roaming the streets looking for food and supplies. Chances are, vital resources and supplies like sources of water, food and medicines, will be under military guard and in restricted zones.

You fire one bullet out of your gun, for any reason, and you're going to have the full might of the Police state at your doorstep. Think you're going to be walking the streets with rifle slung and bags full of needed supplies? Think again. The local police and local military goons, will take your guns, your supplies and maybe your freedom or your life.

This survival scenario we all like to fantasize about is only possible for the few who live in remote areas, who already live a self sustaining lifestyle. However, the majority of us don't live that way and the moment our temporary supplies run out, we're going to be in the bread lines. We'll be handing over our guns and bullets for food stamp vouchers.

Something that is sometimes forgotten........ we need vitamin C to thwart Scurvy. Three months without an adequate vitamin C source could be enough for symptoms. People all around the world, in this day and age, die of scurvy. Perhaps millions, or at least that being a contributory cause of death.

So, how in a SHTF does a person acquire adequate vitamin C? Well, I know what I'd use, but I doubt what is here would be applicable to most of those who read this. The point is to think ahead, and consider if your regular supply was suddenly -- without any warning to prepare -- shut down. What would you could you use to supply your very necessary Vitamin C, and how to preserve it for later use.

reply to post by tw0330


At this point why bother? I'd rather go and go fast and leave this rotting corpse of a world to it's hell and torture.

reply to post by argentus


I grow my own citrus trees.

gear and stuff is all very well but what will sustain you when all your food stocks are eaten and all your gear is either used or broken or both, is SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE, in the old days this was passed down through the generations by word of mouth, and these will enable you to not only survive but to thrive as well.