Women and Survival.

reply to post by LargeFries



For what its worth, having been through a bit of a tough situation recently with food and water supply issues, I thought I would add my bit here.

Do not presume you will have a clean untainted water supply. It may seem ridiculous when everything is peachy, but when you know your tap water has caesium and iodine 131 as added extras, you will not want to be drinking it. Even without that added problem, quakes break pipes and can lead to water being tainted. You do not want to be doing what I was doing - walking for hours and hours, carrying heavy bottles of water, and having to be very determined, going to shop upon shop, only to be allowed 1 litre at each shop. If its your children you are worried for, you will do this. I know I cant carry 24 litres of water on my back, but I did. Because I had to.

Forget about buying a lot of dried food and pasta. Lack of water means that these are too `expensive` in terms of water usage.

The hardhats are good, the hoods are better. They protect the neck and face better from falling glass and are very lightweight.

Toilet paper. Ok. I woudl have laughed too before this. But really. If you can keep comfortable for a while, it makes the rest of the hardships a bit more bareable.

A wind up radio, and led wand lights. These wand lights do 40 hours on 2 AA batteries. And lots of batteries.

Something to distract children, if they are young. Sticker books, coloring and crayons. Anything to keep them busy and not panicking.

The best thing in my store cupboard - rice and tinned tomatos. Salt. Seasonings. Tins of tuna. Tinned meat. Tinned fruit in juice. Those little packets of powder to add to drinks. When I got flavorings for water it certainly made the kids happy.

Good boots. Sisters, running out in your open toes birkenstocks like I did is just plain stupid. Boots. Socks. Same for the kids.

Wipes, and lots of them. Who wants to wash in radioactive water more than they have to!

When TSHTF, I thought I would be calm. I was calm, until I realised that it was not going to just stop. Then this tough old girl was not so tough. Its ok to be scared. Scared is good. Dont freeze. Get under that table, turn off gas. Go get kids from whereever they are, if they are away from you. You might not think you will sit there and cry, but allow for the possibility you might not be quite as tough as you would like to be. Surviving the first bit of the disaster is very stressful.

A dog. Well mine at least calmed the kids down, though Ild hardly say he was of much use. Dog food was in short supply, good job my little sweetie will eat anything. He is not a rottie however, but not a toy either. His first concern was crying kids, and getting in on the group hugs.

Having a hundred cans or so, and a LOT of water takes up room. Ours is under beds, in cupboards. Everywhere. Its not pretty, but Im glad its there. Shelves emptied very quickly, and did not refill for a while.

Flour and yeast was also very handy and keep us fed. Learn to make bread. I can now produce a good loaf, because I had to learn very quickly.

We have meet up points. If separated we have 3 sites. If we are not at the first, then husband will come to the second and so on.

Also, I heard that a fully charged phone in devestated areas helped a lot. Cell phone networks took a while, but did come back.

Long term, I would hope that people would band together, that the generally good, would be together in defending themselves and their family.

Ive told my children if I was knocked out to stay by my side until they find either someone in a uniform or a woman, and then ask for help. Have a plan, talk it through.

First aid kit/grab bag, is also essential. If you have to run, be ready to run. Dont go back for photos, or teddys. Just go, and dont look back. So many tsunami victims were found clutching heavy cases or bears, or other personal items. Just RUN. Also, those in cars just got snarled up on roads and many died.

For us, when the SHTF I was alone with the kids. Separated from my man. It was down to me. It took him a long time to get back home. I can tell you that if he hadnt come back, I would have done anything, and I mean anything to ensure my children survived, and were safe. I am not feral. But i know I could tear someones eyes out, bite kick, claw, be too crazy to bother with. Hell, if i can carry that much water up those stairs, and then go out for more, I know adrenaline and a reason to survive counts for a lot.

Oh and dont trust the mainstream media and the powers that be. They care for nothing but money.

Take care everyone.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver
Great post. Thanks for sharing! Proves the point that nothing substitutes for experience. I've read experiences where folks went a week voluntarily at home with no running water and electric to see how well they were prepared. You found out how prepared you were for real. Everyone should do a trial run now and then to see where the holes in their plan are.

This is for the poster who wanted to know what gun to buy: Depends on where you live, but in the USA a 12 gauge pump shotgun is best. Walmart has them for a reasonable price. I say best because it is the most versatile and ammunition is common. If you are small and/or want your children to be able to easily shoot the gun - then go to a local gun shop and order a youth model .20 gauge pump shotgun, Walmart will likely have one in stock. (I own a Mossberg Superbantum 500 youth model .20 gauge pump shotgun. Bought both barrels.). Here is why any youth model .20 gauge might be for you: The 12 gauge can be a bit of a cannon for smaller people. Meaning the force of the explosion of the shell ("bullet") can cause bruising on your shoulder because it is powerful. The .20 gauge has all the versatility of the .12 gauge, but is less powerful and thus easier on your body. Buying a limbsaver slip on recoil pad will also help cushion your shoulder. Shotguns are good for killing all types of animals including birds and can also be used effectively for self defense. You just need to buy the right kind of ammunition (shells). Choosing ammo is easy because the box usually tells you what animals the shells are loaded for, or just ask someone who works there.

If you don't know how to use a gun, find an outdoor gun range in your area. Call and ask if they would teach you how to shoot your shotgun. Also most gun ranges have guns you can rent to shoot. This would be a great way to try before you buy. Every gun range I've ever seen also sold guns. Where I live I can rent a gun at an outdoor range and after purchasing the ammo needed spend less than $40. A trainer could cost extra. I've never priced lessons. Make sure they teach you how to clean it. Which brings me to my third thought:

I've never priced lessons, because my dad taught me to shoot. He taught me to fish. He would have taught me gardening, but I hated it. I should have paid more attention. I could have learned canning from my mom, but it was hot and boring. Mom is an indoor person and my dad an outdoor person. I've learned a lot from other people. I highly recommend finding someone willing to teach you hunting and fishing. How can you learn to fish and then process the fish if you have no one to teach you? How do you learn to hunt and then process an animal if you have no one to teach you? Youtube is great but no substitute for learning from an experienced person. I feel VERY fortunate to have had a father who taught me; and I'm VERY glad I was interested enough to learn. I have taught my daughter what I know. (She is a larger person than I am and prefers a .12 gauge shotgun.)

Read, learn, prepare, practice: start now. I try to purchase some item on my survival plan with every paycheck, even if it is just a few canned hams.

Ladies men can be useful. BUT keep in mind that over 90% of the prison population in the USA are men. Less than 10% women. Who can I really count on when the chips are down? I gotta go with a woman who is willing to carry 24 liters of water for miles!

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

I am a woman and probably better prepared than most men. I am an expert marksman, I have two "safe houses", stay in shape, grow a garden, can, hunt, hike, trained in hand on hand combat...etc. I recently had a natural disaster type problem in my town and was caught unready - it scared me that I was so foolish - so I started a practical guide on how to be completely ready in 180 days. It just began a few days ago, so I am still sorting it out.

come by & take a look.

[email protected]

I have to agree that the women I talk to about this sorta thing believe they need a man to survive. I try to point out that they don't (though it is helpful), but they just can't wrap their heads around "if you have to run with just you and your kids (or alone for that matter), it's up to you". My sis, mom, another female and myself already know where we're going to be heading in a SHTF moment. My brothers are in different states and would probably be easier and safer to get to the rockies than where we're going. At work I have been talking to several people and may have a few others who will be coming with us; however, we understand that it will probably be just us for a while.

That being said, we have a good size first aid kit that can be easily carried and we each have a bag that is packed and ready to go in the event of SHTF. Each bag has a small amount of food, change of attire, several pairs of socks, sowing kits, fire starting tools (a lighter, matches and a magnesium flint rock + pocket knife) , a small first aid kit for each (just in case we are separated) and water purification tablets. There are other things in the bags but those are the essentials.

Glad to see your so capable.

You set a good model to follow.

My sister in law is 400lbs and five feet. She bought a gun and took lessons at the shooting range. She is so mean anyways no one will ever mess with her. Scottish women are survivalists by nature whether native or americanized. All the women in my family are physically strong, mentally alert, and fiscally responsible. Men are for company and breeding.
Store water in bleach bottles after they are empty. Get books on survival, medical, what plants are edible, how to butcher, hunt, make candles and soap. Watch utube videos on how to clean fish and squirrels etc... Walmarts has survival equipment called camping equipment. I worry that if SHTF my husband is the person who will have the emotional meltdown. If we got robbed at night It would be the dogs and me who respond first. Women can do anything a man can do except p## standing up effectively. Brains always wins any conflict anyways. The older you get the more you'll realize it's brains and money that a woman needs only.

My wife is my partner in life and I would seriously rather have none other beside me in any SHTF situation.
She proves everyday how much more we can accomplish together than with anyone else.
Im not just talking BS here.. If I could choose anyone to have in a survival situation it would be my wife.
She can do anything ( and in alot of areas more) than I can.
Im physically stronger, but other than lift more dead weight with arms,.... she can do it.
I compliment her as she compliments me in every situation.
It's kept us going strong for over a decade, knowing we can accomplish anything together.

Two heads are definitely always better than one.