Useful survival knowledge...got any?

Form ( or join) a large armed and dangerous gang. If you can do that, you and those in your gang will survive just fine. Don't try survival on your own unless you can go many many days without sleep (and no, you don't want a watch or guard dog, they'll give away your hiding place and my gang will find and invite you both for dinner, ha).

reply to post by DataWraith


It was told to me by an older gentleman who actually did it. funny comment though

For the coming changes: I can only offer two bits myself. Act upon intuition and DO NOT over think anything, just do it. And keep moving. Don't stay in one spot. When man's hungry, it'll isolate the technological/egotistical side and show skills you never knew you had regardless if you believe it or not. It's just hell getting there.

Once you have got your s**t together, and if you intend to stay put, learn how to make wine or ale with the fruits that you are growing. Humans have been doing it for thousands of years and the odd drink with your fellow villagers certainly helps to pass the time.

Survival. It always gets me thinking, when people say "how will you survive". It would seem that we have become totally dependant on modern society and technology. Simply try reading books on life in the days of the pioneer or Middle Age Europe. They had less tools than you would probably have at your disposal and they managed to scratch a living.

I am not saying that it would be easy, but hey, they did it.
Try visiting opne of those theme villages and learn how they managed and just................well emulate them.

Good luck.

reply to post by xxclaro


There is nothing anyone can do about the fire ants in South Carolina. I looked up ways to kill them off on the internet. In the end you have to buy poison and put it on the mound. These ants build large mounds over the queen who may be five feet under ground. If SHTF we would have ants invading everyybody's yards, no more poison to purchase. I would have to leave here if it got too bad, and it would. You can't garden in crocs here, because one ant bite is a killer. Reading up on how to survivce is one thing, actually doing it would be quite another. I have never fired a rifle, intellectually I understand how it works, but killing a deer and cleaning it up would be way out there. I am a city person with country relatives, otherwise I wouldn't even know things.

To survive you have to have a surviver's mentality, i.e. a positive attitude. You cannot succumb to victim mentality, a self-pity party. You also should if at all possible find someone else to survive with. Strength in numbers is something that keenly comes to the forefront when modern civilization and its conveniences are no longer there. There has always been strength in numbers, it's just that our society with its hyperindividualistic mentality allows us to hide away from each other, with fewer consequences, well... except for the fact that your psychological state will suffer, and thus also your immune system, and hence also your general health.... but most people don't think that far. It's easier to just think: Me, me, me. As long as I take from others I'm taken care of. This is a fallacy. It is when we give, give, give to each other, that we are most taken care of. When we all give give give instead of take take take, we not only accomplish the same goal, that of having things, but we accomplish a far more important goal, that of having *each other*. When you need to really physically survive above all other priorities, money truly becomes the worthless piece of paper that it is physical reality. Then is when we realize that our only true wealth has always been each other and nature, two things we love to abuse right now, for money.

Other tips: Baking soda is a wonderful gently abrasive non toxic all purpose cleanser for your body, your dishes and various other surfaces that need cleaning. It will even remove animal grease from a pan if you give the scrubbing a little extra oomph. I would ditch soap, detergents, shampoo, etc, and just stick with the baking soda. Rubbing alcohol, another possible cleanser, is something you'll want to have on hand too, but if at all possible, save that for when you have cuts that need immediate disinfection.

I'm vegan, but I would definitely feel justified eating meat if it came down to my survival. It is only when we already have too much to eat, that causing animals to suffer for our eating pleasure is a sin, in my opinion. However for survival, I would definitely practice hunting and butchering animals right now, so that when you NEED to do it right, you don't mess it up. Remember that especially in the warm months, the butchering and storing must be done very quickly before the meat has a chance to spoil. All in the same day, in only a few hours if at all possible. Just please be nice, and don't waste the animal's meat. A soul suffered and died so that you can eat. As for me, I lived on a farm when I was little, I'm already desensitized to the shock of seizing a freshly dead animals anatomy in plain bloody sight, but I'll never make peace in my heart with watching and hearing an animal cry out and suffer its dying moments, and would only ever meat again if my survival depended on it. If you've never slaughtered an animal before, be prepared to get queasy to your stomach at least the first time around. It would be best to get this experience out of the way BEFORE you life depends on it.

Eating unknown plants for survival: there's a standard method of testing for toxicity. You take gradually larger and larger bites of the plants waiting a few hours in between, until you can eat enough of the plant without noticeable effects.

I probably have many more tips up my sleeve but now have to go to bed, good night.

Originally posted by xxclaro

I did this just as an experiment this year by dumping some of last years potatoes in the bush, and then dropping and ols straw bale on top of them. I cut the strings ans spread the straw a bit, but that was all. I never once watered them or otherwise cared for them. We did have good rainfall this year though,so that helped.
Anyway, when it was time to harvest the taters in my garden, I remembered the ones under the straw and went to check them out. To my surprise, the yield was way better than the garden potatoes,and they were beautifully clean insteasd of covered in dirt. Also,harvesting was way easier,no digging in the dirt just lift up the straw and collect potatoes. I should have done it a month earlier,as some had grown too large and began to rot.

try turning car tires inside out and packing your straw in them.
i just set the inside out car tires and fill with a mix if dirt mulch and Pumice.
at the end of the season all you have to do is lift the tires off the ground and shake out the materiel and the potatoes.
plus mice have a hard time climbing the tires.

Onions are easy to grow and are great for adding flavor to things. They store extremely well in a cool dark environment, and are usually very easy to grow.

onions can be smoked in a smokehouse till dry and they will store even better. They also taste better. just add water.

A modern compound bow is much easier to learn to shoot well than a traditional recurve or longbow,and a crossbow is easier still.

a longbow has only two parts to break on you.
break any of the fancy parts on a compound boy and you have a club.
when you run out of fancy aluminium or glass arrows what are you going to do with the compound bow.
its very dangerus to use homemade arrows with a compound bow

Arrows used with compound bows differ very little from arrows shot by recurve archers. Shafts of arrows used with compound bows are usually made of an aluminium alloy, or carbon, or a combination of these. Due to the greater forces that a compound bow places on the arrow, wooden arrows may break when shot from a compound bow, possibly driving the broken shaft into the archer's arm, or the arrow may shatter because of the changes in force applied to it during release.

en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
I will stick with the longbow.

If you live in an area where fishing is possible,that can be a big bonus. I've always enjoyed fishing, but I think the most practical way to fish might be to run a trotline or small net.

A good way to fish in a survival situation is with DuPont spinners.
fishingjones.com...

I can make about 4 types of explosives from common materials

another uncommon bit of info and good article about different methods of water purification

WINE-TREATED WATER - from digesting many romance novels over the years, I remembered reading about watered wine. While thinking "watered" wine did not sound terribly appetizing to adults, it was also fed to children. This made me wonder if there had been water shortages or was the water too unpalatable to drink.

One night Stan and I were discussing the Bible's instruction to "hurt not the oil or the wine." This conversation evolved into a Net search on the history of wind and oil which uncovered some interesting information. Olive oil has many interesting uses and excellent reasons for storing it. Among its versatile applications are fuel and lamp oil, treatment for burns and ulcers, soothing wounds, cooking and salad dressings; and anointing in religious ceremonies (look up hemp oil). Today it is also connected to reduction of breast cancer and heart disease.

Since ancient times, in countries like Israel, Rome and (more recently) France, water was too polluted to drink untreated. By mixing 1 part red wine to 3 parts water, sufficient purification was achieved. For killing bacteria in laboratory conditions, red wine ranked 3 to 4 times more effective than pure alcohol or tequila. The effective ingredient is believed to be phenol compounds enhanced from charred wood of the wine-aging casks. This is important because phenol compounds appear to be related to sulfur drugs previously used in basic antibiotics. (Source: Dr. Trichopolou, British Medical Journal discussing the Greek Villager's Diet.) The full article is here. Do not assume this method kills Giardia and Cryptosporidia, etc. View this treatment as secondary measures only.
standeyo.com...

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.-1Tim5

The most basic advice to People always complain they can't afford to store food.

1.Go to Wal-mart

2. buy a 5 gallon bucket & lid from the paint section.

3. Buy a 10 lb. bag of rice

4. buy 20 - 1 lb. boxes of spaghetti

5. buy 15 lbs. of dry beans in 1 lb. bags

6. go home, put it all inside the bucket.

7. Label whats in the bucket on the lid with a sharpie & stick the bucket somewhere

For about $42 you have a good start on a food supply. when cooked that will make a TON of food.

Build another bucket once a month or 2 a month and before you know it you will be up to your neck in food.

reply to post by GenerationXisMarching


OK in a real pinch.. if money is tight and you want to stock up.. go to your animal feed store... IGNORE the photos of horses/cows/chickens... BUY... all the corn, oats, milo, wheat, sunflower seeds...or other... for about
$10 per 50 lb bag... plant some, eat some, and store the rest..... or barter with it!

s'more water purification alternatives

For small animals (dogs and cats) use 1 ounce 35% hydrogen peroxide to 1-gallon water for their bath water. For drinking water, the dilution should be no stronger than 4 drops G.O.E. 35% h2o2 per 1-gallon water.
www.dfwx.com...

Iodine Solution – One of the most common methods, but the most messy. Another downfall is that the different brands are different concentrations, but without warning. Because of this, and the makeup of the solution you usually end up consuming far more iodine than is really necessary. For a 2% solution use 5 drops per litre of water. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before drinking. If the water is very cold or cloudy then leave it for 30 minutes, or alternatively use double the amount of drops.

Hydrogen peroxide reacts very fast. It will than disintegrate into hydrogen and water, without the formation of byproducts. This increases the amount of oxygen in water.

You can choose Hydrogen peroxide water purification for improving you drinking water quality because contrary to other chemical substances, it does not produce harmful gasses.
ezinearticles.com...?&id=2237806

reply to post by bluestar.ranch


That is really a great idea. I never would have thought of it! I do know my son-in-law bought some bottles of 250 mg amoxillian capsules that was sold for fish. When you think about it it makes sense. I know when I took my dog to the vet one time they gave me 250 mg amoxillian capsules for her to take that look exactly like what I get from the pharmacy. When TSHTF and in an emergency situation I'd be willing to take them.

potassium permanganate. loads of uses but i would strees that one needs to clue up on amounts used in various applications. always in my backpack since 86
f

reply to post by xxclaro


You can post things, others can offer advice...thats all good.

Best thing I ever did was go...take a 2-3 day weekend either rent a canoe or get one to own.

I started slow, 2 day 1 overnight...and packed heavey!
Now I go for 30+ days and take less than I started out taking on the original two day trips.
Guess what I'm getting at is nothing beats experience, and you will soon and fastly learn what your packing tht is needed or not.

Myself, I know I'm headed for the river if it gets to that point, its not called the river of life for no reason.
I started a few years ago, actually 2008 from a few members on this very forum.

I have 8 and 12" PVC sealed tubes average 4' in length "caches" stored at various places along the river.
I have a few natural gardens going, sweat potatoes, ocra, learned when pickin mushrooms to use a net style bag..."to spread spores" reseeding by walking.

I get all steamed when I see some ppl with a huge pack "usually store bought" "oh this is my 3 day survival bag" it even has MRE's......I truely fear them folks, and fear for them.

Back on point nothing beats experience, and you can and will make adjustments to your gear, after every trip.

I'm presumming ppl will be smart enough to follow creeks and streams or stay within easy walking distance, everything alive needs water, you need water, and the food your gonna want to eat is going to need water, and besides other humans we are the top of the food chain.

reply to post by Doc Holiday


ha! you reminded me of an occasion in my youth. i was naked sitting in a fast flowing shallow river at daybreak. a few other 'campers' spotted me and began talking. it was summer and i suppose they thought it was cool that i was sat in the river. two of them then got their trolleys on and waded in. one stood downriver from me splashing his face while his girlfriend carefully clambered nearer. as he stood there splashing his smiling face, he enquired as to why i was sitting naked in such a cold river. my reply was that i'd had a large coffee 20mins back and someone had stolen my toilet paper. what a picture!
f
a good survival tip. do not hang around downstream of someone taking a dump.
i also washed in the same river one day and halfway through the op realised i was downstream from a sheep carcass.

Originally posted by ANNED

Originally posted by xxclaro

I did this just as an experiment this year by dumping some of last years potatoes in the bush, and then dropping and ols straw bale on top of them. I cut the strings ans spread the straw a bit, but that was all. I never once watered them or otherwise cared for them. We did have good rainfall this year though,so that helped.
Anyway, when it was time to harvest the taters in my garden, I remembered the ones under the straw and went to check them out. To my surprise, the yield was way better than the garden potatoes,and they were beautifully clean insteasd of covered in dirt. Also,harvesting was way easier,no digging in the dirt just lift up the straw and collect potatoes. I should have done it a month earlier,as some had grown too large and began to rot.

try turning car tires inside out and packing your straw in them.
i just set the inside out car tires and fill with a mix if dirt mulch and Pumice.
at the end of the season all you have to do is lift the tires off the ground and shake out the materiel and the potatoes.
plus mice have a hard time climbing the tires.

Onions are easy to grow and are great for adding flavor to things. They store extremely well in a cool dark environment, and are usually very easy to grow.

onions can be smoked in a smokehouse till dry and they will store even better. They also taste better. just add water.

A modern compound bow is much easier to learn to shoot well than a traditional recurve or longbow,and a crossbow is easier still.

a longbow has only two parts to break on you.
break any of the fancy parts on a compound boy and you have a club.
when you run out of fancy aluminium or glass arrows what are you going to do with the compound bow.
its very dangerus to use homemade arrows with a compound bow

Arrows used with compound bows differ very little from arrows shot by recurve archers. Shafts of arrows used with compound bows are usually made of an aluminium alloy, or carbon, or a combination of these. Due to the greater forces that a compound bow places on the arrow, wooden arrows may break when shot from a compound bow, possibly driving the broken shaft into the archer's arm, or the arrow may shatter because of the changes in force applied to it during release.

en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
I will stick with the longbow.

If you live in an area where fishing is possible,that can be a big bonus. I've always enjoyed fishing, but I think the most practical way to fish might be to run a trotline or small net.

A good way to fish in a survival situation is with DuPont spinners.
fishingjones.com...

I can make about 4 types of explosives from common materials

Good stuff here, I'm gonna try the tires this year,sounds like a winner! Also the smoked onions, sounds like it would be delicious as well as practical.

I shoot my recurve a fair bit and am getting pretty proficient with it. I would still like to have my compound around,as I can use it ata greater range,but the trad bows definitley have an advantage in simplicity. Strings are pretty easy to make for them too.
My carbon arrows have proven to be surprisingly durable,some have been going for 3 years now, but being able to make your own is an advantage for sure.
As for your explosives, I'd like to hear about them! Have you ever attempted to fish with them?

reply to post by Kayzar


WOW, Just ....WOW!

I can't even believe you post stuff like this. I guess I have to give you credit for honesty.?,?,

A guy that stole my ATV from me 3 years ago spent more time in the hospital than he did in jail.

Steal from me in a survival situation and there will be neither in your future.

I wish more people were like you though really because it will make survival a lot easier. Your type will be weeded out pretty fast.

reply to post by xxclaro


Probably the most useful survival tactic in and around urban areas in a "SHTF Scenario", is to try to blend in, if everyone you see has dirty torn up clothes then you best not be strolling around in clean clothes because you will stand out and draw attention to yourself. Also most people that live in cities will be looking to get away from the masses and find more rural areas but remember most people that live in those areas will be heavily armed and know how to use them, so think twice before entering on someones land uninvited.

I know this thread kind of died ..but i would like to add this link as it is excellent with real in depth survival information. serious survival information.

It is called the Doom survival guide and it covers pretty much anything you would need information wise in a real survival situation.

this is the link
doomguide.com...

Enjoy

Edit - apart from that BATS part, for some reason it describes leeches

reply to post by xxclaro


sounds good, think i'll hav to try growin my potatoes in straw (i grow in containers) will save abit of time hopefully lol