Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (50 page)
Read Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual Online
Authors: Survival/Camping
You’ve gotten the right gear and you’ve picked up some new skills. Now there’s only one thing left to do: survive. In the uncertain world of emergency preparedness, it’s nearly impossible to predict which chain of events will unfold in front of you. With this chaos in mind, it’s time to delve into the long-term survival strategies that will help you to achieve even greater levels of self-reliance and safety.
This third chapter will address some specific emergencies like natural disasters, EMPs, and economic collapse. We’ll discuss diversifying your food strategies with trapping, fishing, hunting, and preservation. It’s also time to tackle some scarier situations in which you may be on your own, like handling your own medical care, figuring out when and how to bug out, and honing techniques for surviving with just the clothes on your back. And in the case of a future where things never really come back (or take a very long time to do so), you’ll find guidance on bartering, blacksmithing, and even making your own gunpowder.
But first, a word of caution.
These scenarios are not to be viewed through the fantasy lens of survival movies. There’s nothing glorious about striding down a highway with a BOB on your back—it means your life is in shambles and your home is gone. And while I’m on the subject, walking down the highway is a good way to get robbed of your supplies. There is no chance that you’re going to be living some sort of idealized “little house on the prairie” lifestyle after a disaster, either. A lack of modern resources will not bring back historical morals and civility or make your kids and neighbors behave better.
This section is not for those who would roll over and die in a crisis. It is for the hard-wired survivor who won’t quit. There are many different traits that can make up this survivor’s mentality. It may be a positive attitude in the face of adversity, a mental toughness that allows him to tolerate the intolerable, the creativity to make something from nothing, or maybe the burning motivation to see friends and family again. And these are just a few of the positive traits that I hope this chapter will cultivate in you.
Chart Your Survival Priorities
Getting your priorities out of whack can have dire consequences. Deal with the most dangerous things first, then start working your way down the list until you are safe.
THE THREAT
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
FIRST PRIORITY
Find or make a safe shelter to stay in while awaiting rescue.
SECOND PRIORITY
Locate and disinfect your drinking water; store some if possible.
THIRD PRIORITY
Build a fire and begin signaling for help in numerous other ways.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Look for safe food sources; prepare and store some food if practical.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Leave the area to look for help only if rescue isn’t likely.
EARTHQUAKE
FIRST PRIORITY
Get to a safe spot when you feel the first signs of an earthquake.
SECOND PRIORITY
Stay in that spot until it’s safe to leave.
THIRD PRIORITY
Turn off your utilities (gas, water, and electricity) after the quake.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Seek refuge until your home is declared safe to return to.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Be mentally and physically prepared for an aftershock.
FLOODING
FIRST PRIORITY
Listen to live TV or radio for flood warnings if bad weather is predicted.
SECOND PRIORITY
Evacuate the area or seek higher ground, if instructed to do so.
THIRD PRIORITY
Take water and all vital supplies from your home.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Monitor the media for updates and additional warnings.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Return when the “all clear” is given, but don’t drive through water.
TORNADO
FIRST PRIORITY
Listen to live TV or radio. You may only have seconds to react.
SECOND PRIORITY
Get into a storm shelter or an interior windowless room.
THIRD PRIORITY
Ride out the bad weather by sheltering in place.
FOURTH PRIORITY
After the tornado, get out of the building if there’s structural damage.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Seek a safe place until the building is inspected for structural safety.
HURRICANE
FIRST PRIORITY
Listen to live weather reports if a hurricane is predicted.
SECOND PRIORITY
Batten down to ride out the storm, or evacuate the area, if instructed.
THIRD PRIORITY
Rely upon stored food, water, flashlights, etc. during the storm.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Don’t go outside during the storm unless it’s a medical emergency.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Get the building inspected for structural damage after the storm.
VOLCANO
FIRST PRIORITY
Listen to live TV or radio for instructions.
SECOND PRIORITY
Evacuate, or shelter in place after sealing off doors and windows.
THIRD PRIORITY
Wear tight-fitting safety goggles and respirators to protect from ash.
FOURTH PRIORITY
If sheltering, rely upon stored food, water, flashlights, etc.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Be prepared to abandon the area once travel is deemed safe.
PANDEMIC
FIRST PRIORITY
Avoid public places and those who have been in public places.
SECOND PRIORITY
Shelter in place, and quarantine any late arrivals. Listen to the news.
THIRD PRIORITY
Rely upon stored food and water; continue to avoid the public.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Wear gloves and surgical masks both in home and outside.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Take immune system supplements and stay isolated until it’s over.
DIRTY BOMB/CHEMICAL EMERGENCY
FIRST PRIORITY
Evacuate or shelter immediately. Toss clothes that may be contaminated.
SECOND PRIORITY
Seal off your windows and doors with tape and plastic sheeting.
THIRD PRIORITY
Listen to live TV or radio for evacuation or shelter instructions.
FOURTH PRIORITY
If sheltering, rely upon stored food, water, flashlights, etc. Don’t go out!
FIFTH PRIORITY
Be prepared to abandon the area for good once travel is deemed safe.
NUCLEAR WAR
FIRST PRIORITY
Get to a stocked bomb shelter as fast as possible and listen to news.
SECOND PRIORITY
If exposed to radiation, take potassium iodide for your thyroid.
THIRD PRIORITY
Dispose of clothing or supplies that may have been contaminated.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Shelter in place, relying on stored food, water, flashlights, etc.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Evacuate the area when radiation levels reach a safe level.
POWER GRID FAILURE
FIRST PRIORITY
Shelter at home, relying upon stored food, water, and supplies.
SECOND PRIORITY
Devise ways to safely resupply your food and water.
THIRD PRIORITY
Use cash and barter to obtain the things you need.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Use alternative energy and power systems.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Learn to make do without a lot of modern conveniences.
EMP (ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE)
FIRST PRIORITY
Shelter at home, relying upon stored food, water, and supplies.
SECOND PRIORITY
Try to locate functioning communications equipment.
THIRD PRIORITY
Learn what has happened and what the authorities are advising.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Use cash and barter to obtain the things you need.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Be prepared for tough times and tough choices.
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
FIRST PRIORITY
Shelter at home, relying upon stored food, water, and supplies.
SECOND PRIORITY
Come up with ways to provide your own food, water, and supplies.
THIRD PRIORITY
Take security measures to be prepared for desperate people.
FOURTH PRIORITY
In a neutral location, use barter to get things you need.
FIFTH PRIORITY
Be prepared for tough times and tough choices.
GOVERNMENT COLLAPSE
FIRST PRIORITY
Shelter in place, hopefully with a group of trusted friends and family.
SECOND PRIORITY
Set up security measures against looters and lawlessness.
THIRD PRIORITY
Rely upon stored food, ater, and fuel.
FOURTH PRIORITY
Figure out safe ways to replenish vital supplies.
FIFTH PRIORITY
If your area is hostile, head for a safe haven in an armed caravan.
Assess and Respond to an Emergency
Who is the true hero in an emergency? It’s not necessarily the action-star type who comes in swinging. In real life, someone who is calm, cool, and collected is much more likely to save the day. Silly as it may sound, practicing strategies to remain calm may very well set you up to succeed when the chips are down. For example, do you get infuriated when someone cuts you off in traffic? Freak out when the bathtub starts overflowing? Get squeamish at the sight of blood? In each of these cases, take a moment, assess the situation, ask yourself if your reaction is helping to make things better, and, if not, find something constructive and helpful that you can do. If you train yourself to handle life’s little emergencies, you’ll be much better at dealing with life-threatening events. Here are some basic concepts to keep in mind.
DON’T PANIC
Take an extra moment to breathe deeply and calm yourself before taking any action.
BE REALISTIC
Assess what you can realistically do to make a situation better. Prioritize your own health and safety and that of your family.
USE LOGIC
Don’t think about what you want in an ideal world, or what
should
happen, or what you hope you can talk others into doing. What’s the best, most logical course of action based on your skills, abilities, and resources? Do that. Worry about everything else later.
Survive Anything
People with no skills and no gear have survived seemingly insurmountable scenarios, simply because they had the right mindset not to become a casualty.
MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The strength of your will and the toughness of your mind can trump physical prowess in survival situations. You must learn to tolerate the intolerable, suffer through the insufferable, and overcome your weakness and your desire to give up.
BE AWARE: PANIC
Panic is one of your worst enemies. Panic costs people their lives because it blocks logical thinking and allows the disconnection of your imagination from reality—which can be dangerous during traumatic events. Stay positive and maintain a firm grip on the situation. Carefully monitor yourself and other survivors for depression, anger, frustration, hyperactivity, feelings of intense guilt, ideas of suicide, and irrational behavior. Lend others as much support as you can, and don’t let a negative mental state sneak up on you or worsen your situation.
MOTIVATION
What motivates a person to stay alive when everything has gone wrong? Many survival stories speak of the survivor’s devotion to a higher power or their intense desire to get back to family, friends, and loved ones. Motivation is the mental aspect that keeps people going beyond all hope or reason.
BE AWARE: IGNORANCE
Despite the wealth of information available to the world today, there are a lot of people who couldn’t survive even a minor emergency. Most people assume that survival skills are easy because they look easy on TV, and so they overestimate their own abilities. You need to know what to do, how to do it, and you need to have done it before in order to really possess the skills to survive.
ADAPTABILITY
Adaptability and survival have always been closely related. The ability to adapt to changing events, situations, and environments is one of the most impressive and necessary parts of a survivor’s mind-set. You must be able to recognize what’s worth continuing and what needs to be abandoned.
BE AWARE: STUBBORNNESS
Stubbornness can be a real stumbling block for some people, and it’s often confused with tenacity. Don’t be afraid to change your mind. If something isn’t working, change it up. Don’t let your stubborn side get you or someone else killed.
