Apocalypse Survival 101: Questions That Need to be Asked
©2016 C. Henry Martens
Apocalypse Survival 101Mental attitudeAssess the situationDefine the level of riskQuestions that need to be askedLocation, location, locationSkill setTimingThe realities in your support systemInventory of resourcesOdds versus priority
Apocalypse Survival 101: Questions That Need to be Asked
1. Is this REALLY an apocalypse?
Well, that depends. Look, I think we are in an apocalypse right now. I call it the Long, Slow Burn Apocalypse. Global warming is real, the planet is over populated, the animals are beginning to die off, and how is your garden doing? I’ve seen some strange things happening with plants recently, perhaps the last three years or so. But just because we are in the beginning of a long term apocalypse does not mean that something even more sudden and catastrophic can’t occur. The Long, Slow Burn is difficult to see because we humans tend to pooh-pooh anything that happens over decades. We have a problem with long term thinking. But you will immediately recognize a problem if an asteroid the size of Texas hits the earth, or if a sudden illness leaves the streets empty and the houses reeking.
2. Do I really want to survive this apocalypse?
I believe that most people in an apocalypse will be living in the moment. That means they will be running away from danger, clawing their way to the last breath of air, or generally doing anything they can to survive. If they have any time to make choices, some may opt out from the rigors of finding water and food, or chopping up furniture to keep the cold away, or caring for pets or children that are suddenly looking like something to eat. In my opinion, either way, opt out and take the “long walk” or opt in to the struggle, I hold no opinion about which is right for you. This is your decision to make.
3. What are my resources?
This is something you should have a good idea about… RIGHT NOW. I’m talking about any kinds of food, water, firewood, weapons, and trade goods that you might have on hand in your own home. You should know what you have, and you should have a good idea about how long you can make it last. There is no reason anyone should not have a weeks worth of food and water stored, or clothing and walking shoes appropriate to living in the outdoors. Those are the minimum. There are many people, and even cultures in the U.S. that pride themselves on preparedness. Most of them make a real effort to keep a years supply of food on hand. I applaud that effort. One of the resources you have… or don’t… is people you can count on. Your best friend may be the one who is most likely to steal what you need to survive, and the cranky old man across the street may be the one who shares his last biscuit with you. Tough times bring out the best, and the worst, in people. Which brings me to your best resource, YOU. If you don’t know how to kill for food, make a fire and cook over it, tie a few simple knots, use a sheet of plastic for a shelter, or a myriad of other skills, make some time to learn a little at a time… and practice them. In an emergency it is too late to figure it all out.
4. Do I stay put, or do I move on?
In most cases, I say stay put. There are going to be situations where danger could force you out: Fire, flood, landslides, a lack of food and water, or people with bad intent and the fire power and numbers to take what you have. In that case, stuff your pockets or load up the bug-out vehicle, and make like a baby and head out. Know where you are going. I suggest somewhere you know people you can expect to see you as an asset, but also people that won’t drag you down because they can’t take care of themselves. This is no time to add to your burdens, but we all know there are choices you just can’t live with… at least until reality hits. Staying put with a well stocked larder, plenty of water stored, and a woodpile, is a great idea in a small town where others practice the same things. Knowing the people around you and establishing early in your relationships that they can count on YOU, goes a long way toward counting on them when the SHTF. If you are the only person in the area with a larder, this all goes out the window. Best to have a support system.
5. How long can I last?
If the wolves are circling and the only way you can keep breathing is to give up what you have, you’ll have to make a choice. You can take as many of them with you as you can, or you can duck and run to fight another day, or you can try to negotiate. If you are in a fortress, which no home is, you can bar the door and eat your Twinkies until everyone outside starves. But if they find a way to smoke you out, or a way in, you better have a plan. If you have managed to remain hidden and no one knows you and your stash is under their noses, or only a few miles out in the woods, then it is a case of how long the Twinkies last before they mold.
6. What kinds of skills make me valuable?
I like to think that medical skills will be in demand. My wife and I have trained and become certified as childbirth instructors, which includes emergency and home birth training. Providing there is some kind of structure in a community and people aren’t eating each other yet, that kind of training may be enough to keep us fed. Inventory what you do, and expand on it if you can. If you garden, then learn about bee keeping. If you hunt, then invest in some reloading equipment and learn to use it. If you play the guitar and can’t sing to save your soul, then marry someone who can. I have a box full of turn-of-last-century hand tools, and I know how to use them. Spoke shaves and hand drills, gouges and augers and squares. If someone needs a wagon wheel or a sluice, and there is no electricity, I’m your guy.
7. Can I do what is necessary?
This may vary depending on who you are. For some, it means can I sacrifice myself so that someone else can live? For others, it means can I pull the trigger? But if you think about it, there are so many more possibilities. How do you feel about drinking urine, eating grubs or worse, or trading sexual favors for a really bad meal? Can you work twenty hours a day on short rations, and do it every day regardless of how hot or cold it is? Can you negotiate with a starving gun hand, keeping your cool so you don’t get shot? Can you think on your feet, under duress, and be satisfied with living to fight another day? Sometimes what is necessary is to survive, not to win. In the worst case scenario, you will have to be both ruthless and know when to be generous.
We aren’t talking about a localized scenario here. We aren’t talking about, “The dingo ate your baby.” No flood along the Mississippi, or forest fire in the Sierra, or plane crash in the Everglades. Not even a tsunami that wipes out Bangladesh. We are talking about a collapse of the world economy, a plague that devastates the bee population, or any of several events that threaten the survival of the human race. People have been talking about these kinds of things for centuries. So far, so good… but what I know is this. It is coming. Just as a volcano or an earthquake lays dormant and unrealized for years and years and years, building pressure and only occasionally rumbling beneath your feet in warning, the apocalypse is coming. There could be a natural disaster of epic proportions, but most likely we humans will create our own test. We will kill the bees or the krill, or we will invent a plague to do good and it will backfire, or we will sit on our asses and ignore the reality of what is going to threaten our survival as a species because we are over confident and expect others to care for us.
Good luck…
Click here to receive the Apocalypse Observer Newsletter in your inbox
www.readmota.com
To comment, scroll down and type in your comment. Under Comment As, you can select Anonymous or Name/URL (you don't need to enter a URL). Then hit Publish.
Apocalypse Survival 101Mental attitudeAssess the situationDefine the level of riskQuestions that need to be askedLocation, location, locationSkill setTimingThe realities in your support systemInventory of resourcesOdds versus priority
Apocalypse Survival 101: Questions That Need to be Asked
1. Is this REALLY an apocalypse?
Well, that depends. Look, I think we are in an apocalypse right now. I call it the Long, Slow Burn Apocalypse. Global warming is real, the planet is over populated, the animals are beginning to die off, and how is your garden doing? I’ve seen some strange things happening with plants recently, perhaps the last three years or so. But just because we are in the beginning of a long term apocalypse does not mean that something even more sudden and catastrophic can’t occur. The Long, Slow Burn is difficult to see because we humans tend to pooh-pooh anything that happens over decades. We have a problem with long term thinking. But you will immediately recognize a problem if an asteroid the size of Texas hits the earth, or if a sudden illness leaves the streets empty and the houses reeking.
2. Do I really want to survive this apocalypse?
I believe that most people in an apocalypse will be living in the moment. That means they will be running away from danger, clawing their way to the last breath of air, or generally doing anything they can to survive. If they have any time to make choices, some may opt out from the rigors of finding water and food, or chopping up furniture to keep the cold away, or caring for pets or children that are suddenly looking like something to eat. In my opinion, either way, opt out and take the “long walk” or opt in to the struggle, I hold no opinion about which is right for you. This is your decision to make.
3. What are my resources?
This is something you should have a good idea about… RIGHT NOW. I’m talking about any kinds of food, water, firewood, weapons, and trade goods that you might have on hand in your own home. You should know what you have, and you should have a good idea about how long you can make it last. There is no reason anyone should not have a weeks worth of food and water stored, or clothing and walking shoes appropriate to living in the outdoors. Those are the minimum. There are many people, and even cultures in the U.S. that pride themselves on preparedness. Most of them make a real effort to keep a years supply of food on hand. I applaud that effort. One of the resources you have… or don’t… is people you can count on. Your best friend may be the one who is most likely to steal what you need to survive, and the cranky old man across the street may be the one who shares his last biscuit with you. Tough times bring out the best, and the worst, in people. Which brings me to your best resource, YOU. If you don’t know how to kill for food, make a fire and cook over it, tie a few simple knots, use a sheet of plastic for a shelter, or a myriad of other skills, make some time to learn a little at a time… and practice them. In an emergency it is too late to figure it all out.
4. Do I stay put, or do I move on?
In most cases, I say stay put. There are going to be situations where danger could force you out: Fire, flood, landslides, a lack of food and water, or people with bad intent and the fire power and numbers to take what you have. In that case, stuff your pockets or load up the bug-out vehicle, and make like a baby and head out. Know where you are going. I suggest somewhere you know people you can expect to see you as an asset, but also people that won’t drag you down because they can’t take care of themselves. This is no time to add to your burdens, but we all know there are choices you just can’t live with… at least until reality hits. Staying put with a well stocked larder, plenty of water stored, and a woodpile, is a great idea in a small town where others practice the same things. Knowing the people around you and establishing early in your relationships that they can count on YOU, goes a long way toward counting on them when the SHTF. If you are the only person in the area with a larder, this all goes out the window. Best to have a support system.
5. How long can I last?
If the wolves are circling and the only way you can keep breathing is to give up what you have, you’ll have to make a choice. You can take as many of them with you as you can, or you can duck and run to fight another day, or you can try to negotiate. If you are in a fortress, which no home is, you can bar the door and eat your Twinkies until everyone outside starves. But if they find a way to smoke you out, or a way in, you better have a plan. If you have managed to remain hidden and no one knows you and your stash is under their noses, or only a few miles out in the woods, then it is a case of how long the Twinkies last before they mold.
6. What kinds of skills make me valuable?
I like to think that medical skills will be in demand. My wife and I have trained and become certified as childbirth instructors, which includes emergency and home birth training. Providing there is some kind of structure in a community and people aren’t eating each other yet, that kind of training may be enough to keep us fed. Inventory what you do, and expand on it if you can. If you garden, then learn about bee keeping. If you hunt, then invest in some reloading equipment and learn to use it. If you play the guitar and can’t sing to save your soul, then marry someone who can. I have a box full of turn-of-last-century hand tools, and I know how to use them. Spoke shaves and hand drills, gouges and augers and squares. If someone needs a wagon wheel or a sluice, and there is no electricity, I’m your guy.
7. Can I do what is necessary?
This may vary depending on who you are. For some, it means can I sacrifice myself so that someone else can live? For others, it means can I pull the trigger? But if you think about it, there are so many more possibilities. How do you feel about drinking urine, eating grubs or worse, or trading sexual favors for a really bad meal? Can you work twenty hours a day on short rations, and do it every day regardless of how hot or cold it is? Can you negotiate with a starving gun hand, keeping your cool so you don’t get shot? Can you think on your feet, under duress, and be satisfied with living to fight another day? Sometimes what is necessary is to survive, not to win. In the worst case scenario, you will have to be both ruthless and know when to be generous.
We aren’t talking about a localized scenario here. We aren’t talking about, “The dingo ate your baby.” No flood along the Mississippi, or forest fire in the Sierra, or plane crash in the Everglades. Not even a tsunami that wipes out Bangladesh. We are talking about a collapse of the world economy, a plague that devastates the bee population, or any of several events that threaten the survival of the human race. People have been talking about these kinds of things for centuries. So far, so good… but what I know is this. It is coming. Just as a volcano or an earthquake lays dormant and unrealized for years and years and years, building pressure and only occasionally rumbling beneath your feet in warning, the apocalypse is coming. There could be a natural disaster of epic proportions, but most likely we humans will create our own test. We will kill the bees or the krill, or we will invent a plague to do good and it will backfire, or we will sit on our asses and ignore the reality of what is going to threaten our survival as a species because we are over confident and expect others to care for us.
Good luck…
Click here to receive the Apocalypse Observer Newsletter in your inbox
www.readmota.com
To comment, scroll down and type in your comment. Under Comment As, you can select Anonymous or Name/URL (you don't need to enter a URL). Then hit Publish.
No comments have been added yet.
