Panicking college-student seeking advice!

reply to post by SeenMyShare


Ahhh!!!! That was a "Eureka!" moment...
I understand what you're saying now.

And I agree 100%!
Alot of people don't realize what they should know to be self reliant!
Too many distractions...

I feel that's the problem today and the coming problems in the future.
Too many people don't take the time to learn skills that could one day save their lives.
There's 2 types of people in the world.
Those who prepare, and those that don't care.

Hmm...
Makes me think, there's a ton of clueless people out there.

Back to the original question:
What should I do?
READ. End of story.





One more thing:
The reason I am so blunt and harsh is because I hate to see time wasted on frivalous things.
I am a very sincere person but only to those that help themselves.
So please don't be offended by anything I say or turned off of the topic.
I just read my posts and realized they were kind of harsh.
My apologies.
Sometimes I let my emotions get in the way of my charities.

reply to post by havok

Its sad but its only been since "some" of the MSM have been reporting, albeit watered down, what I have been telling my husband for YEARS that he's finally on board with preps! The upside to this is with his help we can escalate all of my plans.

He was one who had good info coming his way and continued the Ostrich syndrome until something on the news "clicked" with what I've told him.

Example: about six months ago I told him we needed a well bucket. I printed out the plans, we already have all the supplies, and he said I was being paranoid. Last week he saw the "Solar Flare" episode of some show or other and finally agreed to let me build it.

They don't know that they don't know and most are too complacent to learn!

reply to post by SeenMyShare


The one thing that frightens me the most is this:
It's only after it rains, when the majority of people ask for umbrellas.
No one seems to care until it's too late.

I'd rather have my umbrella well greased and ready for anything.

But that's me.

And I'm still here to help pass the umbrellas out.

Stock a Pantry: Canned Food, Canned Vegetables, Canned Fruit
Have a way to purify water
Every time you go grocery shopping you buy a few extra items that can be stored long term without refrigeration. You take those extras and store them in a closet.

You talk to your loved ones...What happens if there is no electronic communication available? How are you going to find each other? Where are you going to meet? Who is responsible for collecting those family members to young to fend for themselves?

Always have a few water bottles, some warm clothes and a pair of walking shoes/boots in the trunk of your car.

That's just a few easy steps that you can take that will put you way ahead of almost everyone around you.

reply to post by Seekingmyself


First of all - totally relax - it is VERY unlikely that things will fall apart - because the "powers that be" will do all that they can to prop things up - this is because if things fall apart the people will regain much of the power we have foolishly granted to those elite currently in charge.

That being said - learning how to be self reliant is always good - certainly unexpected events can happen - like a modern carrington event or what not.

I think it is VERY important - however - for you to continue to plan as if NOTHING is going to happen - while slowly building the skills you need to be self reliant - certainly don't sacrifice your school and/or career gambling on some life changing event that may not ever come to fruition.

Also - as a family man myself - I know how it is to feel like you have the burden to carry/prepare everyone else - as well as yourself - but first work on your own skills - then you can more effectively help others. Your significant other/boyfriend should however be on the same page with you here - you should work together on many of the simple but effective preperations like a bug out bag - canned food/water - firearm practice and preperation etc.

As long as you are taking some steps towards increasing your self reliance - and understanding of survival tactics - then you are WAY ahead of the game then 90% plus of Americans - and you should congratulate yourself for even being so self aware and introspective to do this - when it's sooooo much easier to put your head in the sand and be willfully ignorant.

So again - as many other posters suggested - Don't Panic! - continue to live well and as if the future is going to be normal - but increase your basic survival skills in your spare time - maybe cutting out a little TV time when you can - or planning hiking and/or backpacking trips on the weekend with your boyfriend - just to get back to the Earth again and to be comfortable with being disconnected from modern society.

That's what my family is doing - and I feel quite confident we will be ready for an unexpected event - as mentally - and physcially - we have prepared for the worst - while expecting the best.

We also are very spirtiual and rely on God for protection and those things we cannot change - but we actively work on those things - progressively - little by little - that we can.

With a positive attitude and the insightful mind that you have - you will do well in all you pursue!

reply to post by Seekingmyself

US Army Survival Manual FM21-76
It isn't an easy read, it's a field manual after all, but buying it and putting it on a shelf does you no good.

reply to post by Seekingmyself


I remember before Y2K someone my mum knew was like you. This girl started storing up on bottled water and rooms full of food and survival equipment. Nothing happened. 2012 will be the same.

ATS is full of scare mongering don’t let it get to you, the best you can hope for in the event of an apocalyptic event is to die in the first wave. There is nothing you can do to prevent that so don’t worry about it just live for today.

#1... Do not trust anyone other than those you know-beyond-a-doubt can keep your personal confidence.
#2... Stock-up on necessities. Food, water, basic shelter materials (canvas, rope, etc.), fire building tools (matches, lighters, flints, etc.), personal protection devices (knife, hand-axe, firearms/ammo, protection from the weather (dependent upon your location/area), etc.
#3... Have a way to communicate. Get a shortwave radio and use it. It also may not be a bad idea to have a way to reciprocate, as in a transmitter. Use the 'transmission' capability sparingly, in order to avoid getting hooked up with the 'wrong crowd'.
#4... Have a plan. Know where you are going to go, how you are going to get there, and plan for a LONG-TERM stay. Have several locations fully scoped and investigated, just in case your primary location(s) become(s) somehow compromised.
#5... Stock up on supplies that will allow you to maintain your survival once your initial stocks run dry. Things such as water purifying tablets, seeds for planting, mini solar panel for battery charging, etc.
#6... Be prepared to scavange and be extremely stealthy in doing so.
#7... Be prepared to shoot and kill. It WILL have a psychological effect. Steel yourself.
#8... If all else fails, go back to #1...

Hold love in your heart and look locally for someone who teaches survival training

OP, I truly wish you the best of luck in a survival situation. Looks like you need it.

Realize makeup and nail polish isn't gonna save you out in the wilderness.

Well maybe nail polish could be used as a marker, but you get my point.

Anyway, I desperately think you need to start spending more time in the great outdoors.

Have you ever gone camping? I happen to love the way I feel after a couple days of camping, having all that dirt and earth on me.... It feels right.

Also, I am sorry to say, but your good looks in a SHTF situation will only draw attention to yourself, maybe from bad people who wish you ill intent.

You should definitely learn some self defense.

I am truly trying to help here. Putting in my two cents.

Good luck.

reply to post by Seekingmyself

Any help is greatly appreciated. Keep in mind I am a complete rookie and I know nothing about survival.

Practical advice: start with something you can do/learn now ... Examples: get involved with your Univ. outdoor program. Attend as many trips as possible to get comfortable being outside. Summers: look for work programs that will get you outside and in the Wilderness (i.e. summer work crews, forest service crews, national park student temp jobs, etc) all of these types of things will provide basic experience and you will learn more about what you need to do to prepare as you become more aware of what living outside entails.

Also, your Univ. probably has some type of phys. ed. electives in martial arts, take one of them. Not only is it a good workout, but it will give you a basic understanding of principles and might be something you really enjoy.

IMHO less is more here....

Def a firearm for your safety and possible hunting
A flash light for seeing/signaling
A Knife.etc etc. etc.

BUT!

You dont want so much that you have to ditch it and leave it behind. then it is pointless.

Build you a Bug out bag or a jump bag.
Not so heavy you cant carry it comfortably.
battery, flashlight, knife, reasonable ammount of ammo, fishing line, some water, Bleach (3-6 drops per gal will make it potable if standing) or a filter, have an outfit that is comfortable ready, inconspicuious, darker colored perferably, non cammo backpack you dont want to look like you know what your doing, youll just draw attention and people will either want you to save them or kill you. a few canned goods and an opener, flints, lighters, or fire packs, some clean dry new socks (my comfort item) if you get one of those new usmc sleeping bags it rolls down into basically nothing.

Learn to garden and have a few packages of seeds.
Learn to blend with your enviroment never look out of place.
Learn to be sneaky.

Do not power on cells or laptops. they are traceable.
have a small faraday cage built and store your unused electronics in it always have it at a moments notice under your bed and large enough that you can add to it at a moments notice if necessary.

be prepared to walk away. material things are just that....

I do not condone theft...however most theives will survive they know how to do things like break in and get supplies although at this point it isnt stealing its survival isnt it.

I got 2 questions here:

1) Does anyone know where I can obtain the most recent, up to date version of the US Army Survival Manual? Amazon.com has 2 versions; a softcover version from 1970 (that is obviously out of date as many reviewers commented) and a hardcover version from 2007. I would prefer an actual hard copy that I can buy from a website or at a store and not a 200+ page .pdf document

2) Several reviewers on the Amazon.com page for the above mentioned Survival Manual made mention of a separate manual titled "Survival, Escape, Evasion", does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of this? Again, as a hard copy and the most recent version that is publicly available. I did find a copy on Amazon but it was from 1969 and I have been informed that the manual was extensively revised as a result of the Vietnam experiences regarding POWs, torture, etc

reply to post by Seekingmyself


p.s. While the Army Survival Guide is good reading, for someone who has no clue it is overwhelming. Another suggestion (highly recommend) you take a WFR course. You can do this through WMI or WMA and your Univ. may even sponsor it, but the outdoor program should have information. This course is a fabulous basic wilderness first aid prep. course and my personal opinion is that anyone who spends any time outdoors should take it for practical purposes (but also) because it's really very interesting!

Put away the hair brush and heels. Get a hair cut buy some good solid boots, Jeans and heavy winter clothes.

Canned good and other staples beans, rice etc.

Cancel Cable TV. And invest in plenty of tinfoil

reply to post by Seekingmyself


Believe me miss, you don't need any survival stuff if you "have your head on straight". 2012 is going to be another Y2K fizzle out. The deal with the Mayan calendar ending on Dec 21, 2012 is just like our calendar ending on Dec 31st each year. What happens is that the Mayan calendar starts over again. Duh. There isn't going to be any big deal.

But just in case, run for the hills with your Swiss Army knife and Ipod full of tunes. Really the best thing you can do at any time, if you are concerned with survival, is to stay away from potential BF's who wear Mullets and carry guitars. This, at least, is good advice. Take it from an old guy, 75, who has been around the block a couple of times in his life. We know how to survive human stupidity.

Originally posted by ChrisF231
I got 2 questions here:

1) Does anyone know where I can obtain the most recent, up to date version of the US Army Survival Manual? Amazon.com has 2 versions; a softcover version from 1970 (that is obviously out of date as many reviewers commented) and a hardcover version from 2007. I would prefer an actual hard copy that I can buy from a website or at a store and not a 200+ page .pdf document

2) Several reviewers on the Amazon.com page for the above mentioned Survival Manual made mention of a separate manual titled "Survival, Escape, Evasion", does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of this? Again, as a hard copy and the most recent version that is publicly available. I did find a copy on Amazon but it was from 1969 and I have been informed that the manual was extensively revised as a result of the Vietnam experiences regarding POWs, torture, etc

You might try u.s cavalry for it . Not sure if theyre still in business.. But years ago they carried most field manuals along with a large selection of gear.

First off screw the bug out bag, it is a horrible overrated idea that keeps on being perpetuaded on this site. I dont know why people think that when "SHTF" that they will start wandering around in a wasteland like it is a fallout game or mad max.
The best thing you can do is have a small stock of food but the most importiant thing is seeds or a way to generate food. Even the largest ammount of food you could store will not last forever. The idea of playing lone wolf in the wilderness is absurd. Get what you can to produce a sustainable food source and find out where your closest fresh water supply is.

The best thing you can have to survive any disaster is skills & knowledge,
Having all the cool gadgets and items you think you need are worthless if you can't use them properly.

You can also store quite a bit of food but do you do when that runs out?

Don't get me wrong the gadgets are nice to have and make everything easier but you need to know how to get by without them.


It is far cheaper to gain skills than buy toys.

Learn how to build a fire many different ways (matches, bow drill, flint & steel ect...)

Learn how to properly purify water so you may drink most any water you find.

Learn how to grow food and actually do it ( even on a very small scale, in a few flower pots)

Learn how to trap & practice it till your good at it

Learn how to fish

Learn how to hunt

Learn how to escape & evade if needed

Learn to make shelters out of whatever is at hand.

Put together a months worth of food & water for emergencies (expand the quantity later)

Take some self defense classes or martial arts

Learn how to shoot safely

A good rifle that's powerful, cheap & accurate is a Russian surplus Mosin Nagant
(rifle + 440 round ammo is around $200)
(A good used 12 gauge shotgun is around $150-$200) If you have only 1 weapon I recommend this.

As someone who has been through too many shtf situations and trained soldiers to do the same i can honestly say that nothing can really prepare you for every eventuality.

The key is to plan ahead but be flexible as fastballs come at you thick and fast.

A lot of people plan with the big details in mind but neglect the small details which ARE the most important.

Such as water.

Yes carry water but also have a means of decontamination. Learn about water filters, how to make them, even for a nuclear attack.

As a female you must also take your periods into account. Bad feminine hygiene in a survival situation will kill you as quick as the disaster that put you there. There is a thread on this site somewhere about that.

Do not stay in a city in a shtf situation. Get out asap. Travel on foot, not in a vehicle. And make your way to high ground that has a water source.

Also, carry with you "The SAS handbook of survival" by a guy called Lofty Wiseman. Its from the best survival unit in the world, easy to read, with illustrations and fits into a backpack nicely.