Ten Ground Rules for Ground Zero

#1. You can't survive at all if you panic.

#2. You can't survive a night without shelter. Clothing, Fire, Structures are all forms of shelter.

#3. You can't survive a week without water. Search Amazon for "personal water filter," I recommend the Sawyer brand.

#4. You can't survive a month without food. US Coast Guard approved ration bars and water packets are good if you need to move. Soylent is shelf stable and calorie dense.

#5. If you are not safe, move. If you are safe, you're probably not safe.

#6. The best (knife/gun/tool/whatever) is the (knife/gun/tool/whatever) you have at hand.

#7. Only take what you need, but always look for things you might need.

#8. Unless you are an avid backpacker, eliminate half the weight of your pack.

#9. Items that provide multiple use cases are more important than specialized items.
-- a) Aluminum Foil is lightweight and can be used for signaling, cooking, and food storage.
-- b) Handkerchiefs are lightweight and can be used as water filters, bandages, slings, sun protection. Shemaghs are like larger handkerchiefs and have more uses. Your wife might have a Sarong.
-- c) Plastic garbage bags are lightweight and can be used as ponchos/shelter, water/food/item storage, dry bags

#10. Keep yourself busy. Idle hands are the devil's playground. You will have downtime, and it will be maddening.
-- a) I recommend at least one book from the following subjects (my recommendations in parenthesis): wilderness survival (SAS Survival Handbook), plant identification (Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods), and basic medical diagnoses (Take Care of Yourself, 10th Edition: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Self-Care).
-- b) If you have a vehicle, a repair manual should be kept in it. If you are not a handy-person, some sort of trade-skill --preferably woodworking-- book is useful.
-- c) E-Readers and Tablets WILL break or lose charge.

a reply to: rounda

Great list. Thanks for posting.

a reply to: rounda

OUTSTANDING!!!

a reply to: rounda

'n think twice, act once.

IF you have time.

I don't stop at ten, like my stereo, sorry.

I would also add spears with a knife on the end. There are many reasons why people hunted with spears. When I was young we actually hunted with 2 by 4's to kill wild rabbits in the snow.
An ax is a must be.
A natural way to start a fire and keep it going. (if you wear glasses, just use your glasses to start a fire when the sun is out.)

Thank you for this. I appreciate your taking the time to line out some useful and helpful information in these odd and unusual times. Take care and stay well.

Thank you again rounda

Rule #1: You're at ground zero. You're probably dead and do not need to worry about any further rules.

#fify

a reply to: rounda

1. If disaster strikes, don't look for shelter water and food, pack your car with guns and go on a road trip.

2. If there is safety in numbers, be heroic and split up to get help.

3. The bimbo always survives.

4. Double tap. You won't get food or water, but you can go down in a blaze of glory.

and so on, it's in all the movies....

a reply to: rounda

You can't survive a night without shelter. Clothing, Fire, Structures are all forms of shelter.

Yes you can.
I have survived many nights with no shelter. Slept naked in the rain on the ground.
I've even slept naked outside on the ground for fun while out camping in the deep woods.

You can't survive a week without water. Search Amazon for "personal water filter," I recommend the Sawyer brand.

Life saver bottles are my personal fav. But learning how to find fresh water and clean dirty water is good knowledge to have. Water filters don't last forever.

You can't survive a month without food.

Yes you can. depends on your starting bodyweight/fat ratio. Longest I have ever gone without any kind of food was 1 month one week. I was not to weak to move. I could have lasted longer if I had needed to.

E-Readers and Tablets WILL break or lose charge.

I've been using my kindle while camping for over 5 years. I charge it with a small solar charger. I regularly do survival camping for weeks at a time. For fun. I read books on that kindle during that time.

originally posted by: musicismagic
I would also add spears with a knife on the end.

If I have to get close enough to anyone or anything to use a spear I effed up somewhere by losing my firearms.

Don't forget to save the last bullet for yourself.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: rounda

You can't survive a night without shelter. Clothing, Fire, Structures are all forms of shelter.

Yes you can.
I have survived many nights with no shelter. Slept naked in the rain on the ground.
I've even slept naked outside on the ground for fun while out camping in the deep woods.

You can't survive a week without water. Search Amazon for "personal water filter," I recommend the Sawyer brand.

Life saver bottles are my personal fav. But learning how to find fresh water and clean dirty water is good knowledge to have. Water filters don't last forever.

You can't survive a month without food.

Yes you can. depends on your starting bodyweight/fat ratio. Longest I have ever gone without any kind of food was 1 month one week. I was not to weak to move. I could have lasted longer if I had needed to.

E-Readers and Tablets WILL break or lose charge.

I've been using my kindle while camping for over 5 years. I charge it with a small solar charger. I regularly do survival camping for weeks at a time. For fun. I read books on that kindle during that time.

sir .. you are a idiot 100% you can survive # , step back from keyboard and play monopoly with your mom , in the house where you live single for last 50 years , nice try asshole

a reply to: samuraj

I know how long a person can go without food water and shelter because I've done it.

How many times have you tested yourself?
What's the longest you ever went without?

No, you know how long YOU can survive in CONTROLLED conditions.

How about you try sleeping naked in the snow and tell us how it goes?

a reply to: rounda

#5. If you are not safe, move. If you are safe, you're probably not safe.

Contradictory. You'll always be moving, then. #5: Always keep moving.

) Handkerchiefs are lightweight and can be used as water filters,

They won't filter deadly or debilitating bacteria.

) Handkerchiefs are lightweight and can be used as water filters,

They won't filter deadly or debilitating bacteria.

Which is why i recommended a personal filtration device. But handkerchiefs are good to filter big stuff you don't want in water you'll be boiling or treating with bleach or iodine...