For years I have listened to survivalists of two sorts muse about the days
after
TEOTWAWKI. One is the "grasshopper"
type, with a decked out M1A, full pack, and plans to live off of berries
and venison. The "ant" on the other hand has saved up
and
purchased a nice cabin maybe a stock of fuel a nice 4x4 vehicle and some
food storage, he likely even has a good solar or generator setup for power
and light. Let's fast forward five years... Now where are both of these people?
Grasshopper had a pack of food, a wad of cash and gold a mountain bike some
camping gear, weighed himself down with a heavy rifle and lost same crossing
a
river, but fortunately bugged far enough that he could find work as a migrant
farm worker working for food and a place in the barn at night, he will likely
not
find a better job and if wise will be happy he survived the worst. What he
did avoid:
*Becoming a starving food rioter in town
*Dying in the woods when he realizes that the game is hunted out mid winter
and the scurvy was kicking in
*Shot on sight for armed crossing of private or "Claimed" public
lands
*Stripped of gear and turned out
What were grasshoppers plusses?
*Mobility even on plugged roads
*Mobility of mind--he is not tied [psychologically] to a location
*Can hop boxcars, cargo ships or a first class seat on a 747 and ride out to
a better place
Ant lived happily off of stored food and solar electricity. Ant was a little
older and stiff but the money he and wife saved by having one son who moved
far away helped him afford a nice retreat. Sadly as the supplies dwindled they
realized that their location while scenic was not irrigable out of their
hand pump well and they had no knowledge or equipment
on how to rebuild the failed battery array to get the power back to a larger
pump. Fortunately a young grasshopper fleeing agents of a new power in the
adjoining country came seeking refuge after his first landlord was killed,
and was able
to pull a plough in exchange for a place
to rest at night and a share in the crop.
What the ant did avoid:
*Raider/looters/masses of beggars
*Having the initial emergency be of the type that destroys his retreat
*Starvation after initial supplies ran out
*Stripped of home and gear, turned out
Ant's Plusses
*Defined and recognized ownership of property
*Large stockpile of food and comforts
*No question where to go for refuge
*Coordination with neighbors and friends
Why such dark scenarios? I must point
out that we are living at the pinnacle of human civilization. if we fall it is
unlikely we will
ever see a revival
of the fine goods and
selection we have now. The tents will wear out, the gadgets will get old
and malfunction. You must be ready to run away possibly to the
ends of the world
to find a resting place.
You must find a community with long reach that can help you if the move to
safety is required. Realize the gear has a limited lifetime and value, be
ready to dump your precious stuff for a better shot at life.
(Yes this means dumping the battle rifle if it means a chance to
stow away on a cargo ship to a peaceful region) Your retreat may
not be the perfect
place to survive,
if you must ditch it, don't look back. Survival has much more to do with
your trust in G-d and knowledge of survival than your special gear.
Consider the following improvised survival/travel kit:
*Shower liner - tent/tarp/rain gatherer/sleep-bag wrap
*Crisco and dryer hose lint - fire starter, candle/stove fuel,
*Cardboard - fuel, ground pad, wick for can stove
*Steel/aluminum cans - cookware, parts for liquid or solid fuel stoves
and grilles
*New smoke detectors contain a 9VDC lithium cell which when paired with
the right power LED can give months or years of short burst lighting (try
using multiple LEDs in series to avoid burning them out)
*Any cheap bag or tote when put over the shoulder with a stick like a hobo
is better than no pack at all
*Kitchen knives are better than no knife at all
*Disposable butane lighters are like gold
*Polar Fleece, wool, or Poly blankets can substitute for sleeping bag in
a pinch.
*Water and pop bottles are valuable to keep you hydrated keep drinking water
The preceding list is to give you ideas and reassure you that while you may
lose the best gear money can buy, at some point stuff is replaceable
by other stuff.
One location is also replaceable by another. If Arizona gets too dry go
to Alaska,
is Alaska too cold, sail
for New Zealand, etc. Never relax and expect a retreat or pack of stuff
to protect you, only G-d can do that, and there is no promise of survival
to
a nice 70-80 years of age anywhere
in the Bible. Pack your mind with knowledge and don't let your stuff stand
in they way of your surviving.
