Surviving The Apocalypse, Are you ready?

After watching the movie 2012, I realized that I am not as prepared for trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world. While I seriously doubt that Kansas will become the new south pole, I do believe that depending on the manner in which the end of days comes, most of the human race will die and those who are left will struggle to keep going.

I imagine 1 of the 3 different types of world annihilating events listed may happen in my lifetime.

1. Pandemic - Super Virus that moves so quick there will be no vaccine or cure found quickly enough to stop it.

2. War - There are many countries with doomsday weaponry on hand and it has been a good 60 years since the last world war.

3. Mother Nature - Whether it is a large meteor shower, several major earth quakes or Yellowstone's Super Volcano waking with a vengeance, the planet is fully capable of putting an end to us right quick.

I consider myself fairly prepared for some of these at least on the short term. I own a gun, I have a home stocked with food and water to last 6-12 months and I have a "just in case" 72 hour kit in the trunk of my car. What I don't have is a Ranch in South Dakota or a bomb shelter. I like to think myself strong willed enough that I could bare loosing a family member, friend or neighbor but truth is I doubt anyone (who is human to start with) is ever psychologically prepared to survive such a disaster.

What thoughts do you have on how you would survive, what preparations have you made? I am always intrigued to find out how others judge themselves when faced with this type of "what if" scenario.

Here is a link I found with some amusing and some helpful details on how one might prepare for the end.

Survive the Apocalypse

I found many have little interest in the subject and anticipate government will save the day. I personally do not have that level of confidence in government.

The ability to do genetic testing now indicates that the human race has experienced a number of bottle necks over it's history which nearly destroyed it. There is little doubt that it will happen again and in all likelihood the human race will survive. There will just be MANY less of us.

In a long term and severe crisis, survival is mostly the luck of where you reside.

In a short term crisis, planning might get you through but again where you live comes into play in a big way.

I too would be interested in observing what people feel is important for survival.

Slàinte,   

 Patch    

For some time now, I have tried to convince my family that a global disaster (and there are many possible disasters) is not only possible, but could happen at any time. The odds of it happening tomorrow are small. The odds of it happening within the next thousand years are good. Make that ten thousand years and it becomes a near certainity. So, we know it will happen. The point is, it's just as likely to be today as it is to be a thousand years from now. Every day has the same odds.

I think the best preperation is knowledge (this is in addition to the supplies you have on hand). Not academic knowledge, though some of that like chemistry and engineering is useful. I mean knowledge of how things work. How do you plow with a mule? How do you build a house? How do you hunt, fish, and do any number of survival skills? Can you slaughter a pig or a cow and know how to preserve the meat? Skills that were common a hundred years ago are dieing out. I tried to provide my sons not only a good academic education but also a good education in life. I believe both of them are capable of survivng in a post apocolyptic world.

The best that we can do is prepare ourselves and our off spring to be ready. And have them teach their children on down the line. If the lessons stick and if the knowldge is passed down, you will have at least given your genes a chance for survival.

I find it hilarious that modern society has latched on to some predictions made by a Renaisance Charlatan and the fact that the Mayan Calender ends in the year 2012 to proclaim the sky is falling. It is the Apocalypse, the End of Days. Come on people the worst that can happen is a series of natural disasters which civilization will survive. The Polar caps are not going to melt away in 2 year, the Earth isn't going to break orbit, nor the Sun nova and the Gods are definetly not coming back ( including the christian one). How many times has it been predicted in the 20th century that the world will end on such and such a day and time only to find that the old planet was still here the next day and life went on. The Earth is going through a natural cycle of weather and geological events as it has for the past 4 1/2 Billion years. I read an article to-day that says they have definite evidence that 700 million years ago the Earth was a snowball, yet the ice melted the land rose from the sea and life evolved. Thirty thousand years ago most of North America and Europe were under a couple of miles of ice yet life thrived. Science knows that the planet goes through a series of Ice ages followed by warming periods followed by a gradual cool down then another Ice Age. Methinks we have a few years left before we start worrying about it.


Camac

People will survive, but civilization is another thing. We're not talking of the Mayan calender rubbish as a genuine possibility, only a topic starter. 65 million years ago, nearly all life on the planet was knocked out by a meteor impact. A few hundred years ago, bubonic plague wiped out as much as 2/3 of European population. There are many kinds of disasters, both natural and man made (did I mention nuclear war?). The point is that over the long scale, something will happen that will knock out civilization. Not all people, but enough to cripple technology, and disable legally constituted authority. Probably not in our lifetimes, but I'd bet at sometime in the next ten thousand years. And on that scale, when will it happen? Any day is as good as any other day. I'm not saying when it will happen, just that it will happen sometime.

TheCarolinaScotsman;

I am not disputing the Historical facts such as the Meteor or the Plague or even the possibility of Nuclear War. There will always be survivors who will adapt. Civilization as we know it is not the crowning glory, we have a long way to go yet. In a thousand years or 5000, or 10,000 there might very well be an extingtion level event but it won't be the first time this old rock has gone through a cataclysm and who knows what will rise from the ashes. Hopefully something better. To me the year 2012 has no more significance that the year 1 the sun will rise and set 365 times life will go on hopefully without major disruption and if I'm around I'll still complain about my aches and pains and how growing old really sucks. I'll still be an ardent Canadian Patriot and my girls will still think their Dad's a fruit cake. If what I believe comes to pass who knows maybe I'll be floating around the area to witness what really happens. This 2012 thing is just an other subject for the media to latch onto and sensationalize in order to make money.


Camac

This is something I've been thinking about lately. I'm not a hunter, and I don't do much fishing. We do grow a few vegetables here on the lot, but not enough to keep a family going for a month. I had the luxury of growing up on a large farm, where our food was almost entirely provided by our own hands. I used to hunt and fish with my father a lot, but never actually shot anything myself. I shot at targets plenty of times, just nothing living. But after my brother let me try his new shotgun on New Years Day, I got all three skeets, and I'd never fired a shot before. It got me thinking that I do know how to survive, but my kids won't, if I don't start teaching them. The garden is planned to be about three times the size it was last year (we turned a flower garden into a veggie.). Coira is kind of obsessed with the idea of fishing now, so that won't be a hard sell. We definitely need a Cow out at the farm. Then I just have to teach them how to track down food that moves.

There have been some good points made so far. I like the idea of getting my family out of the urban enviroment if a major disaster strikes but I don't have any close friends or relatives with farm land or livestock so unless I plan to teach my family to plunder, hunting and fishing will have to be the back up plan. Sadly here in the West there are more people with the skill to hunt and fish than there are game and fish to get so it'll mean relocating DEEP into the Mountains if I want to stand a chance of getting much to sustain us.

The point made that our remaining population will have to "do more work" with their hands and perhaps take a step back from where we are now (in the modern age) to work the land makes me realize that it will be those who have the Farms and cattle who are wealthiest and not those with the gold and pieces of paper w/ pictures of dead presidents on them.

I guess a good way to prepare for disaster now would be to become friends with a farmer just far enough from the city but close enough to walk or ride a bike to within a day or two. Having a few fire arms doesn't seem like a bad idea either but I am probably 1 out of every 5 people that are armed so relying on weapons alone won't do more than land me in a shoot out.

As for the 2012 predictions, I don't actually put any stalk in the world to stop spinning but I do find it interesting that there have been so many apocalyptic movies made in the last two decades, is Hollywood trying to tell us something?

I used to subscribe to a "back to the land" magazine titled "Mother Earth News" a number of years ago. It had plans for various modes of home construction, early wind and small scale hydro electric generators, ram pumps, methane ingesters and other survival ideas.

In nearly every issue they promoted the idea that surviving urban anarchy necessitated living over a tank full of gasoline from any large city. It would have been a daunting task in the early 70's and almost impossible now.

Assuming that the calamity is survivable, a wilderness area would be the best bet and a warmer climate (Mexico?) would be best of the best.

One would have to be self suffiicient and that would require training and planning.

The series of "Foxfire Books" relate a lot of pioneer survival information and are interesting if only to see how our ancestors survived. The Mother Earth News magazines are offered from time to time on E-bay and the magazine is still available by subscription. ( http://www.motherearthnews.com/article-cat...ategories.aspx)

Our ancestors did quite well and as I look back, my grandparents were pretty much self sufficient. For the most part, they treated their own ailments. My grandmother chewed willow bark for her arthritis. She later used aspirin and that may have been detrimental for her health. Granddad's medication of choice was hidden from us kids. They raised and preserved their own food. My cousin and I got "store" candy when the "Huckster Truck" came by the farm in the summer but for the most part, she made candy and we kids helped with taffy. Though my grandparents lifestyle was 40 or 50 years earlier than the way my parents lived I never felt deprived and my cousins and I wanted to spend as much time as possible there over school vacations and week ends.

If children were forced to give up their video games, TV and computers there would be a "culture shock" but other things would soon fill their time.

If we take the time to learn these things we will have gained knowledge even if we never have to put it to use and we will be better for it.

I hope you find the books and magazine interesting and of use.

Slàinte,    

Patch     

I have a great sugestion for anyone looking to get the know-how for survival without modern conveniences. Reader's Digest prints a hardcover book every so often called Back to Basics. http://www.amazon.ca/Back-Basics-Tradition...s/dp/0895770865

This is pretty much what you would expect a Pioneer's Survival Handbook to look like. It's facinating just to leaf through. I remember reading my parent's copy as a kid, and my brother picked one up a few years back.

What ever You do to get ready. Be sure to practice living with the items you have. Start by turning off the power, and try it for a week. practice getting water, and drinking boiled water, tastes like crap, try filling the bath tub and use your water out of that to drink and cook with. Try eating pasta uncooked, but just soaked over night, just like you don't have fire. Kill something, gut and take of it, and then eat it. Dogs make wonderful stew.
Are you going to be serious about being ready, or just buy books and wait untill it all happends?
Just food for thought.
Thanks for your time, Lucky!

Being a smartass? A good many techniques in that book have been used by us at the farm. I've got lots of experience feeding myself, including butchering my food. I honestly think that if our governments really did collapse, then at least half of those living in cities (which is a lot of people) would be dead within a year or two. Those with land, and the knowledge to use it, will likely have to kill a good many of those people, just to defend what is theirs and survive.

Honestly, one of the biggest problems I see for survival is the lack of horses in the first world.

As for boiling your water, find a spring and dig. It's a much more efficient option (conserve firewood) and won't taste like arse.

Different countries have survived over time on things we do not call food. You are correct in that one must practice. I learned of many things one could survive on in the military and for the most part it was raw. As a kid I built a "Crystal" radio. it was cheap and It worked. Batteries could be made by inserting copper and carbon rods in acidic fruit. Each one generates about a volt and wired in sequence they could power a small radio. The military used barrel stoves (30 and 55 gal drums) to generate heat using what was available for fuel.

Humans are survivors who will, with some trial and error, find ways to get through most crisis. Unfortunately some will not survive.

Our best chance is to band together in like minded groups where each brings different skills.

Let us hope that this is discussion only.

Slàinte,   

 Patch    

Patch;

After watching the movie 2012 and thinking if this is the fate of this planet I will move to Alert at the tip of Ellesmere Island and wait for the Polar Cap to melt thus drowning me in frigid arctic water and preserving me to be discovered at some future date and thawed out as a specimen of 21st century man. Hopefully I will be displayed in a prominent stop in some renowned museum. You will if you survive recognize me as the Index finger on my right hand will be pointing up in that time honoured and unmistakeable salute.



Camac.

Camac

True to your beliefs to the very end!!!!

I like that!

Slàinte,    

Patch