Mental survial

I'm fairly new here so apologies if this has been raised before? All ( i'm going out on a limb here-come with me!) survival experts agree that a positive mental state is vital in a survival situation, a campfire helps to lift the spirits even if its not cold and survivorman himself(les stroud) plays the harmonica to cheer himself up when he's low. So.. my question is..
If you're in a sit x type situation and having to live a nomadic lifestyle without electricity-what would be the one bit of culture in your bugout bag that would keep you and your mates sane?
Can we assume that those who would survive sit x would be those familiar with survival manuals,items etc and therefore discount them?
I am talking about culture,which to some extent would be passed down orally, but if there was one item you could preserve for future generations what would it be?

Sorry, this is meant to go in survival. Can any MODS help please?

PLEASE ANY MODS MOVE THIS THREAD TO SURVIVAL? MANY THANKS.

I REALLY THINK THIS THREAD IS IN THE WRONG PLACE!!
PLEASE MOVE TO SURVIVAL?

Whether in Survival or no, if your point is very well taken. And yes, I’m quite sure it’s been raised at some point in the discussions around here. Attitude is always central to all human endeavors. Hence the well known fact that people excel at what they’re interested in. I doubt that Paganini was bored with the violin. So, if you wish to survive the coming meltdown, best get interested right away.

Originally posted by the way
If you're in a sit x type situation and having to live a nomadic lifestyle without electricity-what would be the one bit of culture in your bugout bag that would keep you and your mates sane?

Weed. And lots of it.

The Bible.

The Bible is the book that almost everyone turns to in times of trouble. Many who are in dire need find faith. The experiences in the Bible relate to almost every single trial and temptation that man has ever had to deal with. No other piece of writing would comfort and assist me more.

wow way to hard to narrow it down. anybody know if there is a condensed work of all of Robert A Heinlein books.

Seriously it really is impossible to narrow down. I would probably start out with nothing but living the life of a nomad I would pick up artifacts as I went along. as always happens with nomads the pieces of knowledge would be put back in place more then likely in the wrong order then the missing pieces would be filled in with pure fantasy.

I've not read it yet, but in a sit-x, I imagine I could find time; The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Or another Buddhist reading.

Or some Stephen King book. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon would be sort of ironic.... If you've read it, you know what I mean.

reply to post by the way


my ipod and its solar charger

A couple of decks of playing cards. A quick way to win all your mates food rations.

The book of 'Henley's Formulas' for home and workshop.
"Contains 10,000 scientific formulas, trade secrets, food and chemical recipes and money saving ideas."

Makes good reading too! Although written in 1907 and revised in 1927 a lot is still relevent today!

Originally posted by the way
If you're in a sit x type situation and having to live a nomadic lifestyle without electricity-what would be the one bit of culture in your bugout bag that would keep you and your mates sane?

My paintbrushes...I'd make up pigments from things that I found and start 'urban cave painting' and tribal warpaint decorating

As dorky as it might sound, and only if your with a group, a Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook (in paperback) and some dice. Thats about all you need to get a game going. It would keep minds sharp, team build, and provide good entertainment.

If I was by myself, I'd bring a couple of Star Wars books, most likely the Republic Commando series, and my harmonica. Though without social interaction of any form I'd be insane within a week.

reply to post by angryamerican


LOL Angry,
If I had had to make a wager, I would have bet you were a Heinlein fan.
I still have my first edition first printing of " Stranger in a strange land"

As to the topic at hand , I have encountered alot of aboriginal culters in my wanderings and from direct observation I can tell you that they all dedicated all of thier free time to survival and subsistance.
Even thier strories told around a camp fire related tricks of hunting, or details of topography. If they were setting around idle they kept thier hands busy making tools or weapons, or perfecting thier skills.
Culture and liesure are the province of the settled community, not of the nomad.
As for mental atitude to motivate for survival in extreme situations, I have always found, getting realy pissed and staying that way worked quite well.

Another angle of 'mental survival that should be practiced regularly is 'Hunger Training'

By this I mean regularly taking time out to go for a few days on one small meal a day. You'd be surprised if you have never tried this before just how hunger affects you psychologically. At first you feel very sluggish, bad tempered, can't think clearly or perform tasks adequately. The more times you allow your body to run on energy reserves, the more you begin to learn the limitations of a low-calorie diet, and make decisions according to your physical state.

reply to post by 1ShotDeal


Heinlein whos that never heard of him.

How did you guess? His books are full of facts and just enough fantasy to make them really interesting. they didn't call him the dean of sci-fi for no reason. Most of the other so called masters of the genre took lessons from his books.

oh and good call citizen smith you get a star

[edit on 4-4-2008 by angryamerican]

I'll bring my mind. If i get to grab a book or three, The Quaran, The Art of War, and The Diamond Sutra. I probably won't be in a group if it comes down to apocalypse time so as far as entertaining others, i'm really not worried about it. I can entertain with poetry and prose, but i'd rather spend my time passing on the knowledge contained in the three books listed above if anyone will listen.

"Subhūti, what do you think? If a person were to fill a chiliocosm with the seven kinds of jewels and give them away charitably, wouldn't the merit attained by this person be great?"

Subhūti said, "Extremely great, World Honored One. And why? This merit has no nature of merit; therefore the tathāgata says that this merit is great."

The Buddha said: "But if there were a person well-attentive to this sūtra such that he or she could teach a four line verse from it to others, this person's merit would exceed that of the former example. Why? Subhūti, all of the buddhas and all of their teachings of peerless perfect enlightenment spring forth from this sūtra. Subhūti, that which is called the buddhadharma is not the buddhadharma."

Originally posted by DezertSkies
I'll bring my mind. If i get to grab a book or three, The Quaran, The Art of War, and The Diamond Sutra. I probably won't be in a group if it comes down to apocalypse time so as far as entertaining others, i'm really not worried about it. I can entertain with poetry and prose, but i'd rather spend my time passing on the knowledge contained in the three books listed above if anyone will listen.

Ditto. Except I'm toting the "I Ching"

Sri Oracle

i would bring my harmonica although i just picked it up a while ago and i suck horribly. getting better would keep me preoccupied.

other than that i might bring pictures of people/places/things