Questions you had better know the answer to when TSHTF.

On a serious note though, just make sure that you have plenty of fire-making equipment. You can survive without a LOT of that extra crap which we stuff in our BOB's, but you DO NOT want to be without and easy source of fire.

Wrong.

Biker zombie gest killed try to hack and arm off to eat.

Rex Ninja chows happily on grasshoppers and wins.

9 volt batteries and steel wool make a fast, hot fire.

Last Edited by Apotheosis Rex Khristos on 09/03/2010 10:31 PM

plus Rex can climb tree s and fat biker can't

Here's a water filtration tip:

<<Using old (silk)saris to filter drinking water collected from rivers and ponds has halved the number of cholera cases in remote Bangladeshi villages.

"Many, many lives could be saved" by this cheap and simple way of reducing the cholera risk, says Rita Colwell, of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Virginia, USA. Colwell led a three-year study, the results of which were published on Monday.

Any finely woven fabric would be an effective filter, so the technique could be applied around the world. Globally, cholera infection kills tens of thousands of people each year. It causes acute diarrhoea, leading to severe dehydration. The illness is endemic in impoverished regions of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

In Bangladesh, people are forced to rely on cholera-contaminated surface water because many water wells dug in the 1970s and 1980s to provide clean water have since been found to contain high concentrations of arsenic.

Optimum effect
The researchers found the optimum filtering effect when the sari fabric was folded so that the water passed through four layers of cloth. In laboratory tests, this removed more than 99 per cent of the cholera-causing bacteria, Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria themselves are tiny, but they cling to plankton that are too big to squeeze through the pores of the fabric.>> (More at link)
[link to www.newscientist.com]

Four layers of finely woven sik filter out 99% of cholera bacteria....a great low-tech solution in a pinch....

Add to this storing water in a glass bottle, exposed to 18 hours in the sun, will purify it further, enough to be safe to drink.

Can also be done with plastic bottles, but there is some leeching of the plastic into the water...

Great thread! Aside from the few that can't be bothered to think positive there's a lot of good info here.

Speaking of being positive - that is one thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet however - though I may have missed it. Maintaining a positive outlook on your situation is very important in any survival situation. In life in general of course, but even more so in a stressful survival situation. Being spiritually prepared and being able to think positive could be the difference between life and death. Many have perished when all around them there are the means to survive because they simply give up and quit trying, quit thinking.

IMHO - being prepared mentally and spiritually is perhaps the most important thing that anyone can do. While we might not be able to predict what will happen, or what types of supplies we'll be able to have available, if one is able to figure out how to utilize the resources around them then their chances of being able to survive, and do so with some amount of comfort, can be greatly increased. Being able to make cordage from the local plants/trees can make a big difference in building shelters, making traps and snares, even fishing. Knowing how to collect water from the surroundings is also pretty damn important. Being able to make fire can save your life if the weather is extreme.

Having a lot of supplies stored up or cash on hand can be helpful in a lot of situations, but how much can you carry with you if you have to bail in a hurry? What if you end up in a situation by accident where you don't have anything with you? You'll always have the knowledge in between your ears - unless you lose your head! ;-) Being able to be comfortable in many diverse situations can make the difference between being able to cope with some style or getting depressed and letting yourself simply perish. They say the Gurkas are one of the best warriors because they can cope with having almost nothing and have still maintain a good attitude.

Another thing that we in the Pacific Northwest have readily available a good part of the year is Mushrooms. Many people have a fungi-phobia however and because of that could be walking by some great food without even realizing it. While there are definitely some mushrooms out there that can kill you, the same goes for green plants as well, yet most aren't afraid of eating greens. While there are some shrooms that are poisonous, there are many that aren't. Many of the ones that aren't poisonous are very easy to identify. Chanterelles are very easy to identify, and are actually harvested commercially. Just go by a grocery store in the fall and many will have them for sale in the produce section fresh. King boletes are another shroom that's not to tough to identify and one king bolete can make a good meal. Plus collecting them is great fun! It's a good excuse to take a walk in the woods and enjoy the day while supplementing your diet with some of natures good eats - and you don't have to worry about what kind of chemicals are sprayed on them to make them more profitable! There are many clubs one can join to learn more about harvesting fresh mushrooms as well.

1) Clothing is important. Travelling any distance on foot means you have to deal with the elements. Most people will have to worry about getting wet, wet clothes, wet feet, etc. Others will have to be concerned with protection from the Sun. If you have ever been backpacking then you know staying dry is next to near impossible in most locations.

2) If roads are passible and the police state is not in full gear, how is your mobility? Are you prepared for the very real possiblity that you might have to walk? Can you walk far? Can you carry your supplies? Can you provide for those in your family who might not be able to walk or who might lose the ability? Do you have a plan in case of your own injury that would hinder walking? What shape is your vehicle in? Do you have tools to fix it? Do you have spare parts? Do you have an auto repair manual? Do you have a good spare tire, tire plugs, fix-a-flat, a jack, tire iron, and one of those portable Jump Starters with a built-in air compressor? What about spare belts (or just some pantyhose), duct tape, and auto fluids?

3) How good are your maps? Do you have detailed topo maps that list even the most remote roads, trails, etc.? Are your maps able to be protected from water or other environmental factors if you must walk? In fact, is EVERYTHING waterproofed?

4) How's your data situation? Do you have oodles of SD cards (waterproof, stable, and practically indestructable) loaded with information such as books, maps, important personal info, charts (such as conversion charts, equations, etc.), emotionally important pictures, spiritual information, etc.

5) How are you on tools? Do you have the tools you need for just about any job you might need them for? Do your tools require a power supply? Have you thought of tools breaking, busted bolts, rusted objects, "speciality tools" for certain jobs, etc.?

6) Are you able to manage when the power goes out? Have you thought of everything? What will you use when your rechargable batteries run out of juice? Do you have disposables? Do you have those $4 solar lights you can buy at the local retail store that are able to recharge AA batteries through the use of solar power that you could just pop AA batteries into to recharge some things?

7) Do you have a spare USB cable on you at all times for data storage devices that use USB to charge?

8) How are your shoes? Are they old and worn down? Do your feet hurt when you walk a lot in them? Do they offer adequate protection for your feet and do your feet stay dry? What about your socks?

9) Do you have a listing of moon phases, sunrise and sunsets times, moonrise and moonset times, astronomical events, average temps and rainfalls during each month, etc. for your location? With this information you will have quite an advantage if you need it concerning many things including strategy and evasion, good fishing times, when to start gathering food for the winter, the harvesting of plants, etc.

10) How are your communication skills? Do you understand the basic signs and signals of distress, surrender, danger, etc.? Can you understand other languages that might be used which you do not speak? Could you communicate with someone speaking a foreign language? What about the deaf, blind, or mute? What if you suddenly lost your ability to hear, see, or speak?

11) Do you understand laws you might need to understand? Do you know your Constitution, your local laws, the UN laws, and the laws regarding warfare that if you broke them you could end up dead, executed, or imprisoned due only to your ignorance? Do you understand what happens when a civilian picks up firearms during a war, or what the law is if you get the bright idea to pose as a soldier or a civilian during an armed conflict?

This is good advice. The only thing I would add is that the individual do a bit of research on this. Matches suck in the wind for the unskilled, butane lighters don't work in cold weather, wick lighters are versatile, but if you have to haul the supplies for them they can be quite heavy and bulky, just about everything sucks in windy conditions, cold fingers have trouble using certain firestarters, magnesium fire starters are cool, but certainly not the best choice in many circumstances.

Like you said, PLENTY of fire-making equipment (plenty of choices is best), certainly fire is far too important for anyone to rely on just one particular method or equipment type for this precious resource.

I'd recommend having some tea candles or a tylenol bottle stuffed with vaseline soaked cotton balls in one's firekit. This way all you have to do is light the candle or cotton ball and then worry about getting other things lit with that flame rather than the flame of a match, a spark, or a lighter.

One vaseline soaked cotton ball will burn for like 15 minutes which is plenty of time for the less skilled firestarter to get a fire going, and of course, we know that in an enclosed area a single candle can actually keep you warm so long as you have some sort of ventilation to protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning (to the moron out there who would actually consider lighting a candle in a tent - please just do not do it... HAD TO SAY THAT)

Great points!

Man does not live by bread alone but by the Word of God...and mushrooms too if you're in a pinch.

Last Edited by Apotheosis Rex Khristos on 09/03/2010 11:48 PM

op thinks spiderman pajamas and haning from a tree like a monkey is going to save him from whats coming LoL

Whats wrong with spiderman PJs?

I guess you missed the part where I do this for a living, hauling myself and 30lbs of equipment up, down and all around a tree managing ropes and limbs and ground crew.

I correctly estimate break/swing tolerances in different density materials, I mitigate catastrophic collapse, I organize groups to functionality, and toss heavy debris all day long.

What part of your job will translate post common era?

no comment

I have a strict adherance(sic)...to formally admitting spelling mistakes and from time to time, the odd acerbic comment...

So, I can neither confirm nor deny, whether a significant risk is identified by a tree hanging ninja with a what, a butterfly net...edit to hastily add a "t", for "t" is for tree....and tedious...and toe.

Hmmmm....


I shall do some factorial analysis....no seriously, a timely thread....but yanno..it will be the technological marvels you are carrying around which are designed to bring comfort and safety, which will ultimately signal your very demise in the scrub.

but hell, it doesnt worry me...I would suggest considerations be given to water borne conveyances as well...

Look at how well Moses did get on in his coracle....I hear they are woven out of reeds....but hell that aint carbon fibre nanotech is it?

Happy Gortex!!!


May I?


Bwhahahhahhahahhhahahhahahhahhahhahahahahhahahaaaaaa

Last Edited by Flaming Sword on 09/04/2010 12:09 AM

one last comment, Thank you Rex!! great to meet you...
what was it.."mitigating catastrophic collapse"...yeah...in my game, we call em a "controlled drop" or a "complete fuck up"...depending on da outcome...
cue da banjo's cletus...:)
happy hanging bro!!!
:)
laughter is da best medicine..they say...

Last Edited by Flaming Sword on 09/04/2010 12:15 AM

I wear what I do because during the coarse of a normal job i will weather showers of oily wood chips, dust, dirt, ants, rats, centipedes, hours of sun exposure, 30-45mph winds, more dirt, more ants, wasps, toxic wood debris, more dirt, more ants, etc...all at 30-80 feet up in the air, swaying from side to side, correctly estimating the timing of the wind, the lean of the tree above, the angle of the hinge I'm cutting and the layout of damageable below.

My favorite was the giant Chinaberry tree this guy built half his house around and he calls me to take it down, now that's it's mostly dead and hanging out over all of his roof...

Never fails...perfectly safe tree...perfectly clear drop zone...no they need to build something ridiculous under it and call me at the last, most dangerous possible moment.

Gee thanks.

But it's always interesting challenging, and if i have to take my time and rig up a speed line...well...thank you very much $.

Yes, soon.. very soon, especially when they start to rise above major cities...

We can only defend against that which we can imagine.

...agree, everyone?

Maybe God created the Internet so there would be more survivors, this time.

Dear OP, your post is

First:
The world is far, far overpopulated in an unsustainable way, 80% of all people have to die.

Second:
They won´t without help.

Third:
Prepare for hungry zombies ... intelligent and armed.

Decades of negative darwinism have raised a mass of shambling braindead "consumers" that will knock on your door when they are hungry and Wall Mart is closed.

And they will find you, wherever you are.

So screw that community bullshit and prepare to consider everything outside of your security perimeter an attacker and target.

If you fail, at least have 2 canisters fuel at hand to leave nothing of value behind.

Depends on where you live...and who's your neighbor.

In my area i expect some brief situations but again the demographics (farmers, multi racial agrarian style family habits isolated by desert and mountain range) there will be a reasonably quick renormalization.

Hey look! The Discovery Channel Eco-Nut just reincarnated!

Boots...have at least two new pair on the shelf....

Absolutely.

Check!

if you make it you transcend if you don't make it you transcend

DO NOT stay in an urban environment. When things go south you will need to learn to fend for yourself or a small network of family or friends that you can trust with your LIFE. Your window of opportunity before ML and contingency plans are implemented is 3-6 hours. Even small towns will, at some stage, be unpredictable. This advice is from mil, and intel sources. DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY!!

[link to www.gunsgrubandgold.com]

Sure, but why not make the journey as interesting as possible?

True that.

If you do have to bug...do it in a team.

John titor's world