A scary thought

[SeaCat]

An excellent novel that details how a small town in central Florida carries on after a nuclear war is "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. I have a paperback from 1976, but there may have been other editions since then.

It's a mini survival manual.

I would survive.

I'll have to look for that one. Thanks.

I grew up hunting and fishing, often going on little trips with my father for a month or more living off the land.

I have in my bookcase such things as the Army Special Forces Survival Manual, Army Special Forces Medics Manual, S.A.S. Survival Manual, Anarchists Cookbook, books on Electronics and cooking. (All of which I have read.)

I also have a history of doing things like fixing small engines and marine mechanics. I have gone out of my way to find out the edible plants as well as the plants that can be grown where I now live.

You have to remember, it's not just me but my wife as well that I have to think about.

Cat

 

[glynndah]

Wait a minute...

Don't I recall seeing that one picture of you in a fluffy white dress and all?

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Weird Harold]

Just a couple of days ago, during am impromptu locker-room discussion onthe economy going to hell, I said that if the worst happened, I could always wander off into the woods and survive.

The immediate response from one curmudgeonly participant was, "there ain't no food out in the woods."

I think it's as much a matter of attitude as it is ability or knowledge. I'm severely out of practice in finding edible mushrooms, berries, pine-nuts, acorns, grubs and in making snares and traps, but at least I know they're possible and the basic principles involved.

I might go hungry, but I wouldn't starve, and I might get cold, but I wouldn't freeze to death. Eventually, I'd be able to make better shelter and better tools -- even if I have to re-invent flint-knapping and the atlatl -- to replace the irreplaceible things like ammo for my guns.

The Curmudgeon wouldn't survive because he doesn't believe there is anything to survive ON without trucks and trains to import it to him.

 

[SweetWitch]

Just a couple of days ago, during am impromptu locker-room discussion onthe economy going to hell, I said that if the worst happened, I could always wander off into the woods and survive.

The immediate response from one curmudgeonly participant was, "there ain't no food out in the woods."

I think it's as much a matter of attitude as it is ability or knowledge. I'm severely out of practice in finding edible mushrooms, berries, pine-nuts, acorns, grubs and in making snares and traps, but at least I know they're possible and the basic principles involved.

I might go hungry, but I wouldn't starve, and I might get cold, but I wouldn't freeze to death. Eventually, I'd be able to make better shelter and better tools -- even if I have to re-invent flint-knapping and the atlatl -- to replace the irreplaceible things like ammo for my guns.

The Curmudgeon wouldn't survive because he doesn't believe there is anything to survive ON without trucks and trains to import it to him.

I don't hunt, but I know how and have done so in the past. I don't like to kill, but will do so if I need meat to feed myself and my family. Fishing is a pasttime from my childhood that I still enjoy. I still go out with my father in the various seasons to gather nature's bounty of berries, nuts, roots, shrooms, and other delicacies.

Your Curmudgeon is a fool. One could get fat living off the land. Add the food that one grows and preserves oneself, and one would have a feast.

Where I live, the deer are rampant. The meat can be dried, in various forms, for times of scarcety. Rabbit, squirrel, turtle, fowl of many different types all make for tasty meals and the pelts of mammals can keep one warm.

Then there are the domestic animals. This is a farming state. The beasts of the fields would be everywhere. No real sport in hunting them, but the food they'd offer would sustain a family for sometime, given proper preservation technique -- and it's nothing to build a confine to contain them for future use and breeding.

As for water, springs pop up all over the place here. Provided whatever disaster takes place doesn't pollute the ground water, hydration would be no problem. If it is contaminated, creating a filtration system just takes work. It's not rocket science.

Shelters can be built. Perimeters can be guarded. Survival would not be a problem; just a willingness to do what needs to be done is needed. So, yes, it's all in the attitude.

 

[epiphany65]

A while back I heard an interview on the radio with the author of these books. He lives the lifestyle 24/7 and really seems to know what he's talking about. I thought that his books (especially the second linked one) would be good resources for anyone who's interested in this topic:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1586852345/ctoc

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/142360105X/ctoc

 

[iamincognito45]

Quotes edited to keep the length down

Ooh - I;d come.
I want lessons on things like how to humanely kill chickens and rabbits and then how to prepare them.
Skins too - leather and suchlike. Useful.

Those willing to participate and help will always be welcome. As for 'humanely' killing chickens and rabbits and the like, a good ethical hunter always strives for a clean kill. There is nothing valuable in suffering and we take pride in efficiency.

I'm good at fishing, and I can prepare it and cook it without extra tools, make fire with sticks, and so on. That and pretty good knoledge of edible wild plants, mushrooms and so on. Give me some scrap wire, and some string, and I'll give you supper ten times over. Then you can help me out with other stuff. I'm helpless with wounds and fractures (I could probably cleam ny own cuts, but treat a fracture, nah). You have medical training. You take that role.

All good skills that can be shared to lessen to the burden on all.

In the case of my house, the water can be retrofitted with a hand-pump. Even though we are hooked up to the town water supply, we have a full well (almost an artesian) in our yard, and could easily get water if we had the equipment (we have a pump in our basement).

We could also fashion a fire pit if need be. That would be a little more work, but it could still be done.

Contrary to your previous post, it sounds like you might live after all! All most need is the will and to control the urge to panic.

On topic: I'm the same way, actually. Along with my boy scout husband, I'll be alright. I used to teach the first aid and emergency preparedness merit badges at camp, I retained quite a bit of information from that. The husband knows about most other important things.

Like I said. Skill. Lots of useful and important skills there.

I have in my bookcase such things as the Army Special Forces Survival Manual, Army Special Forces Medics Manual, S.A.S. Survival Manual, Anarchists Cookbook, books on Electronics and cooking. (All of which I have read.)

Resources like this could prove invaluable. Not only as reference materials, but also to help teach those with few skills, but willing to help and contribute.

I might go hungry, but I wouldn't starve, and I might get cold, but I wouldn't freeze to death. Eventually, I'd be able to make better shelter and better tools -- even if I have to re-invent flint-knapping and the atlatl -- to replace the irreplaceible things like ammo for my guns.

One of the most important things will be priorities. Water and shelter first. Discomfort is ok, we need to avoid serious threats to health. Dehydration and exposure are the biggest killers by far.

Shelters can be built. Perimeters can be guarded. Survival would not be a problem; just a willingness to do what needs to be done is needed. So, yes, it's all in the attitude.

Many have touched on a point you highlight. The need to set perimeters and guard what you do have. This will be a much bigger problem in a more dense urban setting. Once again, there is strength in numbers.





And yes, attitude will be one of the greatest skills of all. Earnest Shackleton and Aron Ralston (Between a Rock and Hard Place) had it. Christopher McCandless (Into the Wild) clearly did not.

 

[Techomancer]

Skills - not a problem.
Location - problem.

I'm in northern Canada. I can do -40c, but I don't know how long I could keep fire and food going in those conditions.

 

[carrie-on]

An excellent novel that details how a small town in central Florida carries on after a nuclear war is "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. I have a paperback from 1976, but there may have been other editions since then.

It's a mini survival manual.

I would survive.

I hate double posts! Damn "puters!

 

[carrie-on]

An excellent novel that details how a small town in central Florida carries on after a nuclear war is "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. I have a paperback from 1976, but there may have been other editions since then.

It's a mini survival manual.

I would survive.

Excellent book! I've read it so many times that I can probably recite it out loud.
My family and I could survive, also. Hubby and I both hunt and fish, I am a nurse, so the medical part is covered and we have a survival kit ready for when it's needed. Hubby is also a jack of all trades as far as repairs and such and can make about anything with an engine run again. Yeah, we can do it!

 

[iamincognito45]

Sounds like the Lit clan will be just fine!