Basic Survival.

Originally posted by dooper
Water, food, shelter, defense. That's all it takes to survive, and basically, in that order.

Unless you have these four elements covered, and covered well, anything else is a threat to your survival.

I personally would start with the basics (as dooper points out) because they're the skills dealing with immediate survival requirements. I'd list 'em like:

- basic first aid
- finding food/water in the wild
- defense
- building basic shelter

This seems like the kind of stuff you need as a foundation for any other survival skills...the kind of thing that would keep you alive for a short period of time. Most survival situations call for these skills (whether it's surviving a plane wreck, getting caught in a blizzard, getting lost hiking or any number of stupid situations we get ourselves in).

After learning those basic, necessary kinds of skills you can focus more on prep work and sustainable living skills and abilities you could barter with in a depression or Mad Max situation.

reply to post by colec156

Searching ebay for solar kit, watch for stuff like this:
similar to mine

probably what I should have gotten as it's beefier

Originally posted by Bigfoot209th
reply to post by colec156

 

Searching ebay for solar kit, watch for stuff like this:
similar to mine

probably what I should have gotten as it's beefier

Many thanks friend.
Not a one liner, honest guv.

The first thing you need to be able to do is learn to forage and forage well.

Most people seem to think you need the cowboy type survival skills but in this age if everything goes all crazy you need to be able to defend what you have and be able to move guick if a plague breaks out.

First thing on your list of things to procure should be an electric generator. Gasoline pumps wont work without electricity and power will go out and stay out, here in the good old usa our electricty runs both ways so plug your generator up to any wall outlet at a gas station and you can pump all the gas you need, while others can not get to it. So gas supplies should last a long time for those who know how to get to it.

You also need food and in this consumer age most things are caned and will stay good for years so take what you can get and horde enough to get you buy for a while plus a stash in a get away vehicle should you need to escape the area indefantly.

Make some friends, nothing ties people together like nessecity and if you find someone that needs you they will be more loyal than someone that can leave and fend for themselfs as easy as they can stay with you.

Get guns and ammo your biggest threat will be hungry people. We kill each other over much stupider things than food so if someone is starving to death don't assume they will play nice.

Get a schedual for your group and stick to it. Routine makes things much easier in such a hard life. That is why military has so many proticales watch scheduals and the like. It is not because they can not think for themselfs like people assume but because it makes stress fade when you know what to expect.

Always have someone stand watch. You always need a lookout. Learn how to make alchol. If you can make beer wine, liguor, ect it will be much easier to store water. Boiling is O.K but you can not always start a fire or run your generators. Fresh water only stays good so long in bottels without the sealing tech that machines use but beer though the tase goes down stays good for years.

Hide your numbers. It is much better to be underestimated than over estimated If they think they can take you down with 10 people and they bring 12 but they would have really needed 25 your in good shape, on the opposite if they thought they would need 25 and they only needed 10 your dead.

Do not flaunt prosperity. If everone around you is starving and you have meds and plenty of food, starve yourself a little and act sick. If people think you have the plauge they will keep away from you so you can keep your things for yourself and if you look well fed they will know you have food.

This is one of the most important, "dont think that taking birth control,"condoms, pill, ect" would be a waste of your space or time. You won't not have sex when your bored and stuff but you can run out of food once the extra mouths are there. That is why Africa is like it is right now. People keep having kids they can not take care of.

Watch who you take in and never take in groups of people larger than 3 and even then groups of 2 or a single person should be prefered, "not counting small children" You need to be able to watch them till your sure they have made the adjustment to your groups rules before taking in other groups. If you take in to many strays to quick they may over throw you and take everything you worked for because they don't realise what they are doing till their in charge, then it is too late for them to undo it.

Farming and stuff is fine after you have a big enough group to hold the land you want to farm. You need the people before you make the city.