Are survivalists as rife in the UK?

Don't knock yourself..
If you're enjoying it..You're doing something right.

Even bad-weather days can be fun..
If it's chucking it down with rain it's a good day for a wash..

Speaking as a Brit i can only add the following to this (good) thread.

I have a big stick for protection and plenty of matches so i can start a fire and brew up, maybe make some toast. There is NO event i want to survive that cant be made tolerable with a cup of tea.

I think that survivalism in the UK is a different kettle of fish to what it is in the USA, for two major reasons: access to firearms, and amount of land.

In America, you have access to firearms, and millions of square miles of unpopulated land to retreat to. We don't have these luxuries in the UK, so survivalism has to take a different form. Our take on survivalism is more along the lines of self-sufficiency.

The next 'Situation X' we are likeley to face is the consequence of economic depression (food shortages, mass unemployment etc), as opposed to any nuclear war/nwo/comet situation. So I think the self-sufficient ideal is quite apt and suitable for such an event.

The question then could be answered that in our own way, Survival - that is the ability to survive, eat, shelter etc without the umbilical chord of society - in the form of self sufficiency, although not quite rife, is definitely on the increase. More and more people are turning over their gardens and planting vegetables, putting up wind turbines or solar panels, learning survival skills (that don't involve guns).

There is definitely something stirring. You only need to look as far as your television. Celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fernley Whitingstall are ecouraging us all to grow our own and live the good life. Survival experts like Ray Mears and Bear Grillis have become household names with their survival shows. Every major channel seems to be running more and more features on growing your own produce.

Are they trying to tell us something?

I would say more and more people in the UK are coming to the conclusion that we cant sustain this kind of lifestyle indefinetly, there seems to be alot of people who are gradually moving away from the luxuries we take for granted now and there starting to re-learn the "old ways"

This is good in my opinion, people should be able to take care of themselves without having to rely on society or the govenment, some people do it out of necessity but others do it out of sheer laziness.

I think it's a cultural thing more than anything.
It might also a matter of priorities.

We all know certain common words have different meaning in the UK.
ex:
torch-flashlight,
pissed-drunk,
lift-elevator,
fag-cigarette.

Same can probably be said about the word "firearms".
I recently did a quick search on the word "flatulence" and discovered there were actually a few books written on this gaseous subject, almost all of which were written by Brits.

One actually had a segment on "fart etiquete" and another contained many fart limericks.

This leads me to believe Brits tend to be more vocal on the subject of firearms.

reply to post by Paul

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I also agree, and have been watching Ray Mears, Bear Grillis and also survivor man.
I plan to have a small garden soon to start with and the ability to plant more.
But with this also comes the need to store.
So alot of good skills need to be re-learned like canning etc.

I wish you all the best.