The Staying Alive Survival Guide

we reply:

ok. a few of us have been thru this before... but, it shouldn't hurt to review... thou i don't wanna have the back-up plan "in full"... in any one place.

that is one of the main points we came away with...
decentralize

Instead of putting out our own plan, here are some general answers to the questions.

part 1 -- love as the answer

that is what ya'll keep sayin'... in many ways. from the start, GOD... Jesus... thru Budha... Gandhi... the Dalai Lama... Johnny Lennon... and Bono... and on and on.

enlightenment for all... wow... what a thought. but,
1) none of the greats could do it
2) it's too late anyway

if you want to think about the best n' latest example... 9/11

thousands die
the country seems to come together in a fit of love
it quickly dies
we start killing people in return
they retaliate
we retaliate
so love turns to hate

part 2 - so what to do?

this is hard to talk about for security reasons... and b) this education can not be had overnight

some of us have been involved in long term scenario planning for a while... a long while. so i'll try n' summarize the thinking.

1) think long term
2) think long term
3) think long term

then think how you can decentralize to stay alive until the long-term is here

A. here is a short list of problems. at first we tried to overcome these problems. then, we realized that was the wrong path.

1) how much will you hoard?
2) how long will it last you?
3) where will you hoard it?
4) how will you keep it a secret?
5) when it is no longer a secret, how will you defend it?

if you are going to have anything in demand... electric... food... water... heat... etc, you will stick out like an oasis

you had better be prepared to have twice as much ammo as you do other supplies. you should not wait until then to know how to use it.

if you are not prepared to defend your assets, YOU will be responsible for the rapes and murders of your daughters, sons, wives, husbands, friends and those near-by.

the scenario led us down paths like... how will we stop a pickup truck that comes over the ridge? A: crossbows built out of standing pine trees... that shoot rebar.

this scenario gets uglier n' uglier. i chose not to concentrate on this plan.

B. Better Ideas

Instead, we said
locations, locations, locations

not one location... many... with a pre-existing "nomad-able" community... perhaps very similar to those on this email thread

hopefully, at least one of these locations will end up being an island... cuz that appears much easier to defend (thou perhaps just as hard in the winter if the ice freezes over)

very high and large areas will likely be swarmed by masses of panic'd and ravagin' humans (avoid these)

those who join the community in time of need will need to have planned for themselves.

C. How You Can Plan To Be... Part of the Community

here is a short list of advanced courses i've taught youth groups this summer:

a) agriculture -- growing food and the seed problem
        (how do you store your seeds?)
b) canoeing
c) fishing
d) archery
e) firearms
f) water management

and we are just starting one on hunting, trapping and animal domestication (including small game and fish farming)

D. Order of needs (assumin' no injuries, bleeding, etc.)

1. air / protection from elements
2. water
3. food

you replied:

Here is some good info on storing seed.

We're off to the farm for the weekend. While we're up, we will check on the blueberries and raspberries. The apples should be coming along, too.

Four years ago we built the pond and began the stocking process. the pond is 20'deep in the center, 45 degree walls on three sides fourth side has a slopping grade to allow for plant growth.

Stocked her with:

250 shiners {bait fish}
12 small mouth bass
eight large mouth bass
24 crappy
24 bluegill
12 yellow perch

i reply:

though the article is about flower seeds, it does make 2 important points about agricultural seeds:
1) you need seeds to start with
2) it is very, very hard to keep seeds for more than one season

so questions you should ask yourself are:
1) where will i get the starter seeds?
2) how will i keep them?

notes on other hoard items:

if you have not ever tried to see how long you can survive, i suggest you try it voluntarily.

the clothes on your back, a sheath knife and 3 matches.

how long can you go? (suggest using state/fed game lands or getting permission from a private land owner.)

other items i would love to have under such a situation include toiletry items (razors, soap, circle of a 1000's squares, etc.)

the two most important for food (besides the knife and fire) would be:
netting
chlorine

the chlorine would be for potable water storage (and medical needs)

the netting to keep animals in or out (out of the garden... in traps... and thou fishing with a net is illegal in most states, i would rather net fish than use a hook n' line under emergency situations.)

Survival Kit