Posts Tagged survivalist
Are you a prepper or a survivalist
My opinion – preppers and survivalist are not the same thing, there is a big difference.
Preppers – get into survivalism because its the “cool” thing to be doing. “Oh look at me, I have 2 – 3 months of stockpiled food.” They might have gone down to the local store and bought 50 pounds of rice and beans, a couple of flashlights and all of a sudden their a “prepper”.
They might be a prepper, but their a long way from being a survivalist.
Some preppers are attention whores – “Look at me, look at me,,, I live in my mansion and I have a bunch of rice and beans and a flashlight.” These are the ones that like to show off for the news media friends, family and neighbors.
A real survivalist does not show off. When SHTF we do not want hordes of people knocking on our door. They know you have preps. After all, you preppers showed off everything you have to impress your friends.
Well guess what, after a disaster those same “friends” you showed off to know everything that you have. And if they are hungry enough, they will come get your “preps”.
Ever hear of the term “loose lips sink ships”? That is the motto that a lot of survivalist live by.
Survivalist – I know where and what my preps are, and you do not need to know jack. We plan, we think, we survey the situation. To us, “prepping” as you call it, is a lifestyle.
To me – prepping is a waste of time, its a joke, its a fad, its the “hot topic of the day”. In another month or two, “preppers” will move onto the next fad or hot topic. To a real survivalist, prepping is a lifestyle.
The difference between a prepper and a survivalist, is like brushing your teeth in the morning.
Prepper – goes to work and shows his teeth to everyone. Then they brag how he/she brushed their teeth before they went to work.
Survivalist – I thought everyone brushed their teeth before they went to work in the morning, so what is the big deal?
Either your in, or your out, there is no middle ground. Either your a survivalist or your not.
Then there are the closest survivalist, the ones that do not want to come out of the closest and say “Yea, I’am a survivalist”. This is mainly because of the stigma that goes along with the word “survivalist”.
If your a survivalist – then stand up straight, hold your head up and proudly say “I’am a survivalist”. And stop using that sissy word “prepper”.
Post your comments in the preppers set for disaster thread of the forum.
Patio Gardening Project Finale and Review
This is the finale to our patio gardening project. So lets discuss how things went, the results and the types of seeds we should stockpile.
Overall, I was how the project went. Even though the box that the plants grew in was only about 6 inches tall, it seemed that the plants grew pretty good for the amount of sunlight, water and fertilizer they received.
Because the growth of the plants was stunted, lets not grow anything that takes a long time to mature – like watermelons, or squash.
Instead, lets focus on plants that can grow quick, do not require cooking and can be eaten at any time. A few examples of these include greens, radishes, and cabbage.
Generators and disaster preparedness
Picking the right generator to power your house during a power outage can be a tricky job. If your serious about getting the right generator for the job, then its time to call in a professional. For this video, Billy Williford of Doug Williford & Son AC and Heating was interviewed. Billy installs Generac generators in the Jasper, Texas area. So if you need a generator, and live in Southeast Texas, give Billy a call at 409-384-5458.
Instead of having to worry about storing gasoline, consider getting a generator that runs off of Propane or Natural Gas. During power outages, gas stations do not have a way to pump gas out of the underground storage tanks. After hurricanes, uprooted trees have the chance of pulling up buried natural gas lines. But with propane, it will stay stored for years.
Post your comments in this thread of the disaster preparedness forum.
Survivalist and Mental Conditioning
Survivalist should take time to condition themselves to better prepare for a disaster. Its easy to sit in a chair and watch videos, or read articles about survivalism. But that is not enough. To really prepare for a disaster, people need to actually do something and practice their skills.
Take the time to expose yourself to adverse conditions, but in a controlled situation. This will help with the mental and physical conditioning. So that when a disaster does happen, you may better prepared.
Post your comments in the Survivalist Mental Conditioning thread of the forums.
In case your wondering what pack that is in the video, its a Maxpedition Condor II.
Survivalism and the obsession there of
A recent video I posted on youtube received this comment.
Kev…with so many bags are you gonna be able to find your bug out bag in emergency??
I dont know if the guy was just picking, or trying to make a joke – but either way I was not offended. The comment touches on an important subject that should be discussed. And that is people who are obsessed with survivalism.
These are the types of people that can not lead a normal life because of some “reason.” Whether that reason is nuclear war, outbreak of a new disease, new world order and martial law, the united nations coming to get your guns,,,, whatever the reason may be, these people go around in a constant state of readiness. All they can think about is being ready for some kind of event.
Here is the video that received the comment.
The Survivalist Lifestyle
Recently I was asked “how long I have been prepping?” That set off a whirlwind of thoughts about my life. Everything from my grandparents farm, to my dad taking my brother and I hunting, to my 1st and 2nd grade teachers going over duck and cover drills and what a nuclear explosion looked like, to watching our jobs and factories move to China, to camping next to the marsh in Bridge City, Texas, to hurricane Andrew, to watching what happened with Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike,,, the list might be a mile long.
To answer the question, Survivalism is a lifestyle, not a fad. Go ask a marathon runner what kind of quick diet he/she in on, they might give you a snicker and an evil look in return. To get into shape one has to make lifestyle changes. Training for a marathon is not something your going to do in a week, or even a month.
The same goes with being a Survivalist and Survivalism. Prepping is not going to the local local big box mart and buying a few cases of bottled water or a few cases of dried foods or canned foods, its a lifestyle change.
Its impossible to stay in a constant state of readiness. So after awhile survivalist noobs get burned out. They keep asking “when is the shtf?” After a little while they lose interest and pick up another hobby or move to the next fad.
People think they can lose a few pounds and keep it off be eating certain foods for a few weeks. But they get burned out eating only those foods. Sooner or later they go back to their normal eating patterns and the extra weight comes back. To lose weight you have to make a lifestyle change and permanently change what you are eating.
Being a true survivalist requires a lifestyle change. We do not go around waiting for SHTF, but when it does happen we are ready. We do not go down to the local big box mart, buy 20 pounds of rice – and then brag to our friends that we are “prepping”. we’re prepping, we are having so much fun being a survivalist,,,. Yea, right, ok, go blow smoke somewhere else.
If you are serious about getting ready for a disaster and adopting the survivalist lifestyle – this decision should not be taken lightly. Its a long road full of twist, and wrong turns. Its easy to get side tracked, I know, I have been there and done that.
To get started, sign up at the survivalist forum and post your questions there.
Wilderness survival books
Wilderness Survival
A new wilderness survival books section has been added to online store lineup. These are the kinds of books that every hiker, camping or even day hikers should include in their pack. Whether your trip is 1 day or a week long excursion – its always good to have a book on wilderness survival in your pack. Some people may say “why do I need one of those books for?” Besides covering topics such as first aid, navigation, wild foods, and shelter building, these books also discuss a wide range of other topics.
I (Kevin) personally recommend the SAS Survival Guide and the US Army Survival Manual. Both of those survival books are an excellent source of information.
Visit the wilderness survival forum
The Survivalist Mentality
Video that I made in February of 2008. I’am just rambling about the mentality of survivalist.
Tents
Whether your just going camping, or bugging out to a friends house, its important to have some tents on hand. Keep in mind that if you and your family need to leave your home, tents offer portable shelter. During hurricane season, hundreds of thousands of people evacuate, and have nowhere to go. Having your own portable shelter provides more options on where to spend the night at.
Tent
Portable water storage example
Sometimes local feed and fertilizer stores will get 16 gallon drums in stock – these can make excellent water storage solutions. Most of the time they were used to ship some kind of syrup, and the inside smells like Dr. Pepper. These may not be good for storing drinkable water, but will probably make a good hand washing station.