A Message From Semper, Your Survival FSME....Let's All Pitch In

www.dailymail.co.uk...

Just adding this, religion aside,

These people just might survive the apocalypse.

reply to post by semperfortis

I would think something on edible and medicinal plants and herbs would be very beneficial. I think a guide to what small animals are edible and how to prepare and preserve them. Also if there could be someway to organize and collate this information into a downloadable format so that people could put together a survival guide for themselves. I know that is asking a lot but I for one have limited finances and could not afford to buy a lot of books.

What we have so far

Shelter Building
Water Finding and Purification
Food Procurement
Knife Selection
Full Kit Contents
Bags and Carrying Equipment
Edible and Medicinal Plants
Taking and Preparing Small Game (Thank you grayeagle for the last 2)

Semper

Originally posted by TDawgRex

I have used this tactic with some of my anti-gun friends. while BBQ'ing, I would beak out the .22 and start target shooting, look at one of them and say, "Wanna try?"

All it takes is for one to start shooting and then the rest will end up tagging along. Then the next BBQ, I brought out the .22 along with some other weapons, nothing fancy, just larger caliber. Oh, and the shotgun.

Everytime when they leave, they thank me for a great time, bruised shoulders and a smile on their face. And wondering what would be the best gun for them.

That's how I got my wife to ease up on her misgivings about my gun addic - gun habi- shooting hobby and let me start teaching our kid about firearms and safety. I grew up around them, she did not.

When our kid gets to be 9, I'll do what my dad did to really drive home the fact that guns are not toys and are dangerous if not handled properly. He had me shoot the 12 ga. loaded with buckshot -- I'd never heard anything or felt anything like that before, and I never ever forgot that firearms need to be treated with care and respect. Definitely didn't think of them as toys ever again.

That 12 ga. was the first firearm I ever used, by the way, and I think my dad did me a big favor going about it all the way he did.

What we DO need to do now that Obama is in total power.
We need to Hide are IP at All times.
We need to use all the tricks the Chinese people need to use.
And those who run sites like ATS. Oh! ATS is Gov controlled.
So we need a new one. With No hiden bins!
They need to be hosted in Free courtiers.
And the word needs to get out to the public.
So they can comper free news with what they are fed.

reply to post by semperfortis

How to make weapons out of common things(bow and arrow, slingshot, spear, etc.)

reply to post by rickymouse


Ricky, I know it sounds silly, but if you're concerned with saving money while stock piling you really should look into couponning. You may have already. I don't go over board. 3 Sunday papers a week and I just match them to sales. I save a ton of money and always end up with way more food than I need. Not to mention, we won't be running out of bath products for a very long time.

Oh and to reply to the OP, I'm trying to get my husband on board. I sent my Mom over here today because she brought up something that had a thread running here.

Maybe there could be a thread with advice on how to deal with a survival situation while caring for small children. Different factors come into play there. Basic stuff like fevers, making sure they're eating and drinking enough, ways to keep them from going crazy if they're forced to be in a small space for long periods of time, and how to keep your own sanity with the stress of caring for them in a life or death situation. That might be a kind of scarey thread to get into, but I'm sure I'd benefit from it.

reply to post by semperfortis

I have found that by introducing it as a fun thing to be involved in, gets me a lot farther.

I've never felt that doom had to be gloom any way Semper. I think if one can stay up beat and positive to his dying breath ? He has at least given himself every chance he could to survive. Or if in a conflict ? Win. Keep a sense of humor and divert an emotional over load. I'll be watching for your threads and sound the drums as well.

reply to post by semperfortis

I used to teach several forms of Survival...Winter and Arctic...Ocean, Jungle and how to survive in Swampy Tropical Areas as well as how to survive in my own area of New England in the Winter as believe it or not...although New England is a fairly densely populated area and in most New England States...all one has to do is follow a streams down flow till it runs into a creek or river and anyone lost in the woods will eventually find civilization but...MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT LAST 24 HOURS IF LOST IN THE WOODS OF NEW ENGLAND IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY!

I was teaching New England Winter Survival in 77 and 78 and BOTH TIMES we had MONSTROUS BLIZZARDS! We started out in 77 with 50 students...35 dropped out after 48 hours...13 more dropped out within 72 hours and 1 was forced to go to the Hospital with bad Frostbite as he did not want to leave but had no feeling in his feet. Only one student made it and this was a 14 day course. The only reason he even stayed as even though we were going to cancel the course we were SNOWED IN upon day 3!

In 78 it was even worse and all students were sent home after 18 hours. I have extensive knowledge on Edible Plant Life and how it can be found in Winter and Summer as well as how to run Snares, Dead Falls, Tiger Traps...which can be used up here to kill Deer, Bear, occasional Moose although that would be a tough kill. A person can create a very good Snare with a roll of Metal Wire. Wire can be tied to the top of a supple and flexible live tree such as a Popular, Birch, Hemlock...Pine if necessary but they get brittle in the cold and can break... and an assortment of others. All you have to do is find such a tree of a height for deer of about 20 ft or more...pull it down by it's lower branches...if possible, pound a Green Live Branch cut into a stake and make a notch in the stake or make a stake out of a branch that has another branch growing at a 90 Degree angle out of it. Cut this stake with a good knife that one should ALWAYS CARRY WITH THEM so that the branch that was coming out at 90 Degrees can be used to hold down another small branch that you have attached the wire that leads from the top of the bent tree to this small cut branch which is placed under the 90 Degree Branch of the Stake that has been pounded into the ground in that it looks like an UPSIDE DOWN LETTER L. The Wire will continue from the small branch that has been placed under much tension under the L shaped stake and will be laid upon the ground tied into a 1 to 2 foot in diameter circle that is the end of a SLIP KNOT. The wire should be raised by leaves...snow...small branches...and if the ground is too frozen a large rock or boulder or even the side of a tree that all may have some form of outward jutting RIDGE or KNOT IN THE TREES WOOD to hold the tension of the wire. Smaller trees can be used for Raccoon, Rabbit, Opossum, Squirrel...etc. To snare a Deer a larger tree must be used and if possible bait this snare with any green vegetation, Berry's, Bark of Maple, Birch...etc as well as use Acorns. Wire is best but if you have neither wire or rope...use Grapevines or any Strong Vines that are Supple. You will find Vines very easily but watch out for Poison Ivy which tends to climb Oak Trees. To make the vines much more supple...soak in water and then slam the vines against a tree or rock to remove the excess water so they will not freeze. If you do snare an animal...I suggest you read up on the Anatomy of Animals as it is important both Morally and from a SAFETY STANDPOINT to be able to kill quickly and efficiently. All fresh kills must be gutted so cut the skin and tissue around the anus and then carefully without cutting into the intestines or stomach...cut upward from the anus through the belly and up to the center bottom of the Rib Cage. This will allow the guts and intestines to spill out. These can also be used as bait. The animals skin will come off easily also. USE EVERYTHING...WASTE NOTHING! A Deer's Bladder can be used to hold WATER. It's hide can be used as either cloths or blanket or a wrapping for your shoes to keep your feet dry. Beaver Pelts are BEST for this as their hide is WATER PROOF. There are many other things I could tell you but for basic survival that we all should know...#1 is to ALWAYS CARRY A KNIFE. It is best to always have in your vehicle a Survival Knife that is sharp, has a Compass built into it's Handles End, inside the knife as the compass screws off to expose a hollow handle full with Fishing Line, Lures, Water Proof Matches, Flint, Tweezers, Super Glue...for instant repair of deep wounds, dental floss and a hooked needle...for stitching and small sharpening stone. Even in New England...a person lost in the woods or snowed in for days on a road in Winter is in DEEP TROUBLE as Wind Chill can get well below 30 to 50 degrees below Zero. S.I.

star and flag. a mod with a heart.

Originally posted by semperfortis

Coming soon I will be starting a series of threads on realistic, common sense survival and hope you all jump in with your usual helpful advice and comments.

Looking forward to that...

Survival is something we need to be ready to do . Anything could cause the economy to fail . Internet traffic could be halted or compromised and the Wallmart trucks would stop in their tracks . Communication s could fail . An Emp or what ever . Food is a major concern and water . Protecting your resources very important .
Convincing your loved ones to stock up is big . You can't let your loved ones starve . What to do?
I'll be looking for your site . CCW a must for todays people .

After years I still wing my way around ATS I am truly a computer dummy. I am very interested in this because I know things are happening but my family just chuckles or shakes their heads....so I have about a dozen people and about a dozen neighbors I have to prepare to organize without them knowing. I am 64 I would like to know things like what kind of weapons for safety besides gun can I have...... materials to make weapons like McGyver did lol or what is legal like pepper spray, stun gun are they legal in PA. and where to get them.

At my age making stuff without help is a little much for this old Grandma but where can you get cheap portable reverse osmosis stuff and my daughter has a salt pool and hot tub can this water be converted to drinking water if needed and how.

I don't really look all over the site here to find stuff so I ask you lead me like a lost child and guide me to your direction.

In return when I see something that you all might benefit from I also share.

reply to post by Ireminisce


We use coupons a lot and also shop sales. Having the pantry has paid for itself a couple times over. There is less impulse buying and having backstocks means that you have time to wait for sales and coupons. We eat high on the hog for five bucks a day per person average, including going to a fishfry about twice a month. It costs us a little more to buy local but I would rather buy from a small store or local farmer than to buy from someone from a different area. Buying grassfed organic aged beef from a local farmer helps greatly, you seem to need less meat if the meat is high quality, the hunger turns off with the better quality beef. You think you would eat more because it tastes so good but the opposite is true.

We started this project by buying things that we don't ordinarily eat just because we got them cheap with coupons. That stuff wound up getting tossed out because it got old. We only buy stuff we use now and there is no waste. We have stocked food we normally eat, not stuff that we don't know how it is going to effect our thinking and health.

The importance of sanitation, hygiene, and some minimal first aid capabilities are easy to overlook when prepping, so I suggest this as a sticky topic. It's so easy to take for granted given our current state of luxury, and it is luxury compared to many other places in the world.

For example, how do you sanitize dishes without dish soap and hot water when you don't have the soap and you need all the water you have for drinking? You can scour them with sand or something else gritty, wipe that off, and then let them sit exposed to direct sunlight for at least 3 hours -- the sunlight will do a pretty good job of sanitizing.

Now remember, the saying is bullets, beans, *and bandaids*.Topical antibacterials are plentiful and not outrageously expensive right now. Finger splints, slings, wraps, hell even "butterfly sutures"/stitches substitutes are OTC, and you can buy fish antibiotics OTC, and cheaply, these are usable by humans -- shelf lives vary, and not because of improper storage but because of chemical "degredation", I have to find out more from my wife about this.

Peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, etc. are plentiful and cheap *right now*. Tooth brushes, tooth paste, "Plackers" dental floss (cheap), Listerine (dual purpose as the "unflavored" kind is also antiseptic. You get used to the taste, I've used it all my life, yes even as a kid. I sneak attack the wife after using it, giving her a faceful of Listerine breath. Good times) -- who wants painful dental problems that can be avoided with preventive care? Diahrrea can kill you - get Immodium or some other anti-diahrreal now. There are homeopathic alternatives, but having pills on hand that will do the job is much easier.

Just one other rather unrelated tip: to supplement or even provide dietary calcium, you can store plain old Tums-type antacids, I think one or two of those chewables provides around 70% of what you need per day.

Hopefully this wasn't an example of tl;dr

reply to post by kdog1982
I watched my first episode of Doomsday Preppers on Hulu and watched the guy shoot his thumb off! OMG! He can have all the survival gear in the world and still die. I am sure he and his friends think they are ahead of the game but honestly, if he makes those kinds of errors (putting his thumb over the barrel of a loaded weapon) I question his survival thinking. If this is a sample of the show I am not impressed.

It takes more than just gear and books. He could just as easily have shot a family member and wounded or killed them. Wounding someone without all the medical services available could put the whole family at risk. He won't have a paramedic standing by and the helicopter to fly him to a hospital as he did filming the episode.

Survival requires a mindset that is constantly assessing risk versus reward. We take so many things for granted in our lives that won't be available in a true survival situation. A mistake like shooting your thumb off could be a total deal breaker. He had his much shortened thumb reattached surgically and I am sure with a round of antibiotics that more than likely would not be available.

Problem solving is often learned in the atmosphere of necessity. Let's face it most people have not learned problem solving skills because it has not been a necessity.

I've actually already driven a few here. I'm on a prepper specific forum too. So I've mentioned it in IM's before. We're very focused on becoming more self-sufficient on that forum....having our own replenish-able sources of food, water, etc.

If this is a sample of the show I am not impressed.

That show is dedicated to showing preppers in the worst light, it seems, sometimes.
I really hate how they try and make it appear a prepper is prepping for one thing only.
Most of us are all about prepping for any contingency.

That's why I joke about Zombie prepping. Prepping for zombies makes you ready for ANYTHING. Pandemic, Economic Collapse, EMP, Nuclear, you name it, and zombie prepping covers it too. Zombies are probably the absolute LEAST likely scenario to ever happen, but it lightens the mood, folks are familiar with it, and it really does cover all the bases.

I'm 13, everyone will think I've gone insane. How would I introduce my friends to things like being prepared?

a reply to: Foxxer

By example I would think..

Invite them to go with you on hikes; invite them to your backyard and practice primitive skills, learn eatable plants etc