So I've just been starting to look into all this survival and preparedness information and I'm clearly at the wrong end of the spectrum and who knows how much time do we really have.
So my question is, where do you start and are there certain milestones or levels to target?
I just finished reading The Patriot and they took nine years and still had things they wished they did. It seems like you would want to achieve some balance across everything. For example there's some point while accumulating water that you would want to shift your priorities to say medical supplies and then maybe to food and then maybe back to water and repeat. Hopefully that makes sense.
Where do you start and what's next?
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st33ve0
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Well, for firearms I recommend at least 1000 rounds per long gun and at least 200 rounds per handgun [much more for .22] and spares of all the high wear parts in each weapon.
Get as much food as you can store safely that won't go bad, I'd recommend looking at mountain house as I've heard of people buying cases of freeze dried food from them that tasted the same the day they stored them as they did 30+ years later.
Get as much water as possible, but also look into methods of purification, iodine tablets, filters, etc. There are some ceramic filters that you can buy to put into 5 gal buckets and they do an excellent job as long as you pre-filter the water with a Tshirt or cheesecloth at least.
Don't ever focus too much on one thing unless that thing is training.
Get as much food as you can store safely that won't go bad, I'd recommend looking at mountain house as I've heard of people buying cases of freeze dried food from them that tasted the same the day they stored them as they did 30+ years later.
Get as much water as possible, but also look into methods of purification, iodine tablets, filters, etc. There are some ceramic filters that you can buy to put into 5 gal buckets and they do an excellent job as long as you pre-filter the water with a Tshirt or cheesecloth at least.
Don't ever focus too much on one thing unless that thing is training.
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MicroGuy
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I would look into the brains behind it all.
HOW to get clean water.
HOW to get food.
HOW to make your own medical diagnosis and what to do about it.
There's a number of survival books out there. From the army, from the SAS etc....
One you have that, you need very little to make do.
From there, then you can start making your life "easy", by getting things like water purifier (First Need) and dried foods etc...
Concentrate on the basics so to speak, then you're ready for anything. After that, anything you get will only make your life easier.
HOW to get clean water.
HOW to get food.
HOW to make your own medical diagnosis and what to do about it.
There's a number of survival books out there. From the army, from the SAS etc....
One you have that, you need very little to make do.
From there, then you can start making your life "easy", by getting things like water purifier (First Need) and dried foods etc...
Concentrate on the basics so to speak, then you're ready for anything. After that, anything you get will only make your life easier.
"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." Alexis de Tocqueville
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thunderhole
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- Location: Chambersburg, PA
Focus on the basic stuff that will keep you alive first.
Knowledge.
A good knife or two. Realistic ones, not Rambo specials. And a way to sharpen them.
Water purifier.
A couple of good buckets. The 5 gallon plastic bucket is one of the most useful implements ever invented by man.
A machete, an axe, a pick, and a shovel or two.
Food that will keep you alive: wheat, beans, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, powdered milk. This stuff is cheap when compared to freeze dried stuff. Your first goal should be a year's worth.
A general purpose firearm that will feed you and keep alive and as much ammo as you can get for it.
After you get the basics, start getting stuff that will make you more comfortable like soap, toilet paper, more food, more guns, etc.
Knowledge.
A good knife or two. Realistic ones, not Rambo specials. And a way to sharpen them.
Water purifier.
A couple of good buckets. The 5 gallon plastic bucket is one of the most useful implements ever invented by man.
A machete, an axe, a pick, and a shovel or two.
Food that will keep you alive: wheat, beans, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, powdered milk. This stuff is cheap when compared to freeze dried stuff. Your first goal should be a year's worth.
A general purpose firearm that will feed you and keep alive and as much ammo as you can get for it.
After you get the basics, start getting stuff that will make you more comfortable like soap, toilet paper, more food, more guns, etc.
"A long time ago being crazy meant something. Now everybody's crazy."-Charles Manson
Accept that you can't do it all yourself and you can't do it all right now. Unless you're fabulously wealthy, in which case you'd just hire people to do it for you.
Have a week of food and water on hand. Once you do that, build up to a month. Then three months. And so on. Even with a week's worth of supplies you're still better off than most.
MicroGuy's approach is really good. Knowledge, skills and abilities will almost always trump plain hardware for this stuff. That takes time and effort. Do the best you can, and don't beat yourself up because you think you're behind in the race. You're still way ahead of most.
Have a week of food and water on hand. Once you do that, build up to a month. Then three months. And so on. Even with a week's worth of supplies you're still better off than most.
MicroGuy's approach is really good. Knowledge, skills and abilities will almost always trump plain hardware for this stuff. That takes time and effort. Do the best you can, and don't beat yourself up because you think you're behind in the race. You're still way ahead of most.
Everyone needs to evaluate how they live and prep accordingly. I have a wife and two 15 month old kids. I can make due for a bit on my own, but the kids need to be #1 on my list. Water and food above everythig else. Also a way to cook it. I have a grill and a few bottles of propane. A good wind up radio (with the NOAA station) is a good idea so you know what is going on. Medical supplies to suit your life. LOTS of toilet paper. Something fun to do to pass the time (board games). Standing guard at your front door with AR in hand will get old quick. I keep a few large boxes broken down incase I have to bug out so I can take my food with me. Extra gas is a good idea. If the SHTF stores will be empty and gas stations will be packed. Just put yourself in a Katrina situation. What would you do? A big part of survival is mindset. Prep mentaly too.
Jeremy
Jeremy
Some of my work. www.jkknives.com
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MicroGuy
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Once you start collecting food, don't forget to rotate your stock.
I have several months worth of food down in my basement. But it's time to start using it, and replacing it with new stuff.
Look into a food dehydrator also. Great for camping, because you can dehydrate all your food. No more freeze dries stuff unless you're going super light, or long time (month or so).
And it will come in VERY handy if the s--t hits the fan. Because you'll be able to dry your own food. If you're growing, or even hunting, you'll be hard pressed to use all your food at once.
That means food stock will go bad. Why waste it? Just dehydrate it and store it.
It doesn't keep quite as long, but long enough.
Depending on what you're expecting, you may want to lay in a store of seeds also. Plant them and learn how to become a farmer. Corn, peas etc....
You can't live by meat alone or food stores.
Collect a lot of survival guides/books/websites. Then after you know the basics, look for more specifics. Like what food is local to your area. What animals and what plants you can eat.
The plants are a hard part. That why I suggest the seeds and the dehydrator. Once you learn how to dehydrate your own food, you'll learn WHAT you can dehydrate. I mean, what to grow, so you can dehydrate it later.
It won't make sense to grow lettuce, because it has little food value, and you can't dehydrate. Lots of effort for little return. Grains and stuff like that. (Wheat is a BIG number one item)
And learn how to do without certain stuffs too. Eat lots of salt?? Sugar? Coffee?? Start learning how to use less of it. Those are pretty much "extra" items that you can do without, but you have learned to love and use them.
Learn to do without them.
(yes, salt is a big necessity, but you can get it from other sources, we as a people, use WAY too much salt)
You don't HAVE to go without them. Just learn to do so, if you need to.
I use a LOT less salt than I used to. I just don't salt foods like I used to.
And pay attention to the stuff you use/need. Like duct tape, tarps etc..... and collect that stuff.
You'd be surprised at how many people use stuff like that, tools, but they don't really keep a stock of it. If something happened, they'd be without the items the use a lot.
Think of "Not going to the store". What do you need from there, that you should have at home?? What do you use the most of?
Keep a list if you need to, and compare them.
I have several months worth of food down in my basement. But it's time to start using it, and replacing it with new stuff.
Look into a food dehydrator also. Great for camping, because you can dehydrate all your food. No more freeze dries stuff unless you're going super light, or long time (month or so).
And it will come in VERY handy if the s--t hits the fan. Because you'll be able to dry your own food. If you're growing, or even hunting, you'll be hard pressed to use all your food at once.
That means food stock will go bad. Why waste it? Just dehydrate it and store it.
It doesn't keep quite as long, but long enough.
Depending on what you're expecting, you may want to lay in a store of seeds also. Plant them and learn how to become a farmer. Corn, peas etc....
You can't live by meat alone or food stores.
Collect a lot of survival guides/books/websites. Then after you know the basics, look for more specifics. Like what food is local to your area. What animals and what plants you can eat.
The plants are a hard part. That why I suggest the seeds and the dehydrator. Once you learn how to dehydrate your own food, you'll learn WHAT you can dehydrate. I mean, what to grow, so you can dehydrate it later.
It won't make sense to grow lettuce, because it has little food value, and you can't dehydrate. Lots of effort for little return. Grains and stuff like that. (Wheat is a BIG number one item)
And learn how to do without certain stuffs too. Eat lots of salt?? Sugar? Coffee?? Start learning how to use less of it. Those are pretty much "extra" items that you can do without, but you have learned to love and use them.
Learn to do without them.
(yes, salt is a big necessity, but you can get it from other sources, we as a people, use WAY too much salt)
You don't HAVE to go without them. Just learn to do so, if you need to.
I use a LOT less salt than I used to. I just don't salt foods like I used to.
And pay attention to the stuff you use/need. Like duct tape, tarps etc..... and collect that stuff.
You'd be surprised at how many people use stuff like that, tools, but they don't really keep a stock of it. If something happened, they'd be without the items the use a lot.
Think of "Not going to the store". What do you need from there, that you should have at home?? What do you use the most of?
Keep a list if you need to, and compare them.
"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." Alexis de Tocqueville
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smcharchan
- Silent But Deadly
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- Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:06 am
- Location: VA
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/
Start from the beginning. He is really good for folks just getting started.
Preparedness is my number one hobby/interest. I'm busy now, but will post more later. I really like helping people become more prepared when they realize that we should do so.
Start from the beginning. He is really good for folks just getting started.
Preparedness is my number one hobby/interest. I'm busy now, but will post more later. I really like helping people become more prepared when they realize that we should do so.
Getting started
Knowledge, and the tools to implement it.
Water, and a way to procure, store it.
Food.
Shelter
Fire starter
Protective equipment
Extra (seasonal) clothing
Personal items (toiletries, etc)
There's and endless list of got to haves.
You'll be glad that you're starting. Hopefully it'll become a life long endeavor?
M
Water, and a way to procure, store it.
Food.
Shelter
Fire starter
Protective equipment
Extra (seasonal) clothing
Personal items (toiletries, etc)
There's and endless list of got to haves.
You'll be glad that you're starting. Hopefully it'll become a life long endeavor?
M
USE OF DEADLY FORCE AUTHORIZED
www.trackerschool.com. His classes are expensive, and most of the stuff you can learn from his field guides anyway.
Get the book "A Survival Acre"
I feel I can survive in the wild with a knife and not much else, dont forget the sacred order!
Shelter
Water
Fire
Food
I think stocking up is a great idea, but what if you dont have time for all that stuff, the only thing you are going to have not matter what is between your ears. Practice the skills and be confident you can survive without anything else. If you can grab that stuff, Great! life will be easier, if not, then oh well. I have not read the Patriot, but it sounds like they spent a lot of time and money preparing for something. I would say focus on training, get the essentials, keep it simple, and unless collecting freeze dried food is exciting for you, enjoy your life. When its over, its over, dont waste it worrying. I have the essentials, but most of it is stuff I use on a regular basis, I keep my MSR filter and steripen in my day pack, even though I try to practice rock boiling. Light and fast... and AR15.
Get the book "A Survival Acre"
I feel I can survive in the wild with a knife and not much else, dont forget the sacred order!
Shelter
Water
Fire
Food
I think stocking up is a great idea, but what if you dont have time for all that stuff, the only thing you are going to have not matter what is between your ears. Practice the skills and be confident you can survive without anything else. If you can grab that stuff, Great! life will be easier, if not, then oh well. I have not read the Patriot, but it sounds like they spent a lot of time and money preparing for something. I would say focus on training, get the essentials, keep it simple, and unless collecting freeze dried food is exciting for you, enjoy your life. When its over, its over, dont waste it worrying. I have the essentials, but most of it is stuff I use on a regular basis, I keep my MSR filter and steripen in my day pack, even though I try to practice rock boiling. Light and fast... and AR15.
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urban assault
- Silent But Deadly
- Posts: 601
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:00 am
Learn some basic survival and medical skills, and work on putting together a decent BOB(bugout bag).
There is a multitude of resources on the web to help you with this so take advantage of the info while you can.
Buy good quality equiptment(multitool, flashlight, machete, water filter, etc) and that doesn't always mean the most expensive either.
What you carry matters, because ounces feel like pounds when your tired, hungry or hurt.
Once you think you have a good bag set-up, go for a short test run. Grab your bag and walk right out the front door.
Go someplace nearby and spend a day and a night out 'roughing it' to see what works, and what doesn't.
When you get back home adjust you plans, supplies, and bag accordingly.
Equipment matters, but knowledge is actually more important.
With knowledge you can do more with less and can survive in a situation where others will give up.
Start with building a simple BOB for yourself and go from there.
After that there are topics to explore like home water storage, food rotation, energy generation, advanced first aid, self-defense, construction techniques, camouflage, small animal raising, sanitary considerations... the list is almost endless.
Good luck to you.
-urban
There is a multitude of resources on the web to help you with this so take advantage of the info while you can.
Buy good quality equiptment(multitool, flashlight, machete, water filter, etc) and that doesn't always mean the most expensive either.
What you carry matters, because ounces feel like pounds when your tired, hungry or hurt.
Once you think you have a good bag set-up, go for a short test run. Grab your bag and walk right out the front door.
Go someplace nearby and spend a day and a night out 'roughing it' to see what works, and what doesn't.
When you get back home adjust you plans, supplies, and bag accordingly.
Equipment matters, but knowledge is actually more important.
With knowledge you can do more with less and can survive in a situation where others will give up.
Start with building a simple BOB for yourself and go from there.
After that there are topics to explore like home water storage, food rotation, energy generation, advanced first aid, self-defense, construction techniques, camouflage, small animal raising, sanitary considerations... the list is almost endless.
Good luck to you.
-urban
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jeremiahak
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- Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:52 pm
- Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
If you are stock piling food do not blow off salt as if it is unimportant. You can purchase a 25 lb bag of salt at Sams, Costco, etc. for $4. I don't think I would skip over such a small cost item that has many uses. You can preserve food, season food, and attract game with salt. It also makes your old nasty stored food taste better. All of this from something that has an indefinite shelf life. If the SHTF I'm not going to go chasing moose around the woods. I'll just put some salt out, and wait for a couple hundred pounds of food to walk up to me.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Truth is Treason in the Empire of Lies