And Let Me Just Rant About Survivalists

Bill Mattocks

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A recent thread pointed to some bizarre notions about punching with fists that was being perpetrated on a 'survivalist' forum. That got my gears grinding.

Survivalists. Great jumping road apples, folks.

If you're stockpiling canned food and water for the zombie apocalypse or for when TSHTF, you should just put a sign around your neck announcing you're a moron.

That is, unless you can also do a few other things that the average survivalist seems willfully ignorant of.

Do you have fire extinguishers around your dwelling? Do you know how to use them? Do you know what kind of extinguisher to use for what kind of fire? Have they been inspected recently, do you know they work?

Do you have a plan to escape your home in the case of fire or natural disaster? Have you practiced it? Do you have a family plan for meeting up outside when evacuating, so no one goes racing back into a burning building to save someone who is standing safely somewhere else and you just didn't know it?

Do you have a stockpile of the medications you need, or prescription eyeglasses you wear?

These people have little surgical kits that they proudly wave about and go on and on about which one is best, but have any of them EVER stitched up a wound?

They've got eleventy-dozen firearms and enough ammunition to start a small war, but they can't read a lensatic compass or plot a route on a topographic map, nor do they even have topographic maps of their own territory.

They stockpile gold and other valuables but don't have a plan to get fuel to keep their generators running or to fuel a vehicle to leave the area after a month or six.

They've got camouflage everything and all their gear is 'tactical', but they don't have a stockpile of socks or underwear, or feminine products, etc. They've got buried caches of weapons and money, but they don't know how to use a pick and a shovel properly.

And yeah, they can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

Frankly, if TSHTF for real, I'm just going to find a nearby survivalist and take their stuff.

If you want to 'survive', folks, learn to read a map. Learn to tell what kind of clouds make tornadoes and what kinds of floods are likely in your area. Join local groups that *actually* do survivalist-type stuff in your community, like the CAP, Sky Warn, REACT (if they're still around, dunno), and other groups that actually are made up of citizen volunteers who have the training, equipment, and desire to pitch in and help during an emergency. If you want to be a 'survivalist', practice surviving the threats that are MOST LIKELY to occur, like your house catching on fire, not a thermonuclear event.

Silly people. Take off the camo makeup and learn to dig holes, stitch wounds, and put out fires.
 

Flying Crane

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Survivalists are all making the assumption that when the SHTF they will be among the ones who make it back to their hideouts to suit up in their gear and welcome the new age. They assume they will NOT be among those swept away in the flood, or trapped in the traffic jam while everyone flees the city, or trampled to death by the frightened hoards. And then turned into a zombie.

That's a pretty big assumption to make. Gotta survive the first few days in order to even have a chance to become a survivor. If it really is as bad as their assumptions are, that's a tall order.
 

hoshin1600

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While I am not one of the people who have a stockpile of weapons, I am quite familiar with the prepper or survivalist.
I think the biggest assumption is on the part of the posters here. I agree with the logic as stated here and have never heard any different from a survivalist. There may be wacky jobs out there but they should not be lumped in with the rest any more than the MA wack jobs who believe in chi balls should represent you and your martial art.
 
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Bill Mattocks

Bill Mattocks

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While I am not one of the people who have a stockpile of weapons, I am quite familiar with the prepper or survivalist.
I think the biggest assumption is on the part of the posters here. I agree with the logic as stated here and have never heard any different from a survivalist. There may be wacky jobs out there but they should not be lumped in with the rest any more than the MA wack jobs who believe in chi balls should represent you and your martial art.

I can't claim to have meant that many survivalists, but the ones I have didn't impress me as the... practical sort.

As to Martial Larpists, yep.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Some people I have met through Boy Scouts are what I call "Accidental Survivalists". They know everything there is to know about camping/hunting/fishing/surviving in the woods just from sheer experience. They've also taken "Be prepared" very seriously, and have prepared for many of the things you've referred to, but they would never consider themselves survivalists. Despite not having a bunker, or a years worth of canned food stockpiled, if TSHTF, you can bet that my first goal, after initial survival, is trying to somehow meet up with one of them. That would significantly raise my chances, especially since they dont talk about it to every goddamn person they meet.
 
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Bill Mattocks

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Some people I have met through Boy Scouts are what I call "Accidental Survivalists". They know everything there is to know about camping/hunting/fishing/surviving in the woods just from sheer experience. They've also taken "Be prepared" very seriously, and have prepared for many of the things you've referred to, but they would never consider themselves survivalists. Despite not having a bunker, or a years worth of canned food stockpiled, if TSHTF, you can bet that my first goal, after initial survival, is trying to somehow meet up with one of them. That would significantly raise my chances, especially since they dont talk about it to every goddamn person they meet.

Pretty much describes all my cousins from central Illinois.
 

Buka

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I suppose it's like Martial Arts, everyone does it differently. Some of it is good, some not so much so.

If/when TSHTF - be the predator that you are.
 

hoshin1600

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Preppers, prepare for a situation that may never materialize.
Martial artists prepare for a situation that may never happen.

For one to put down the other,,,isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.
Same inherent fears...different hobby.
 

ballen0351

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I can't claim to have meant that many survivalists, but the ones I have didn't impress me as the... practical sort.

As to Martial Larpists, yep.
I'm sure you have met more than you think. Real survivalist don't go around talking about it. That way nobody thinks to go to his house to "take it" as you say.
 

Blindside

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I can't claim to have meant that many survivalists, but the ones I have didn't impress me as the... practical sort.

There is this whole "grey man" concept that a lot of the more practical preppers take to heart. And you might be surprised that they even know about generators and fire extinguishers and emergency calling trees and medicine. Incidentally, financial management and having a good retirement plan is a part of prepping, it isn't just end of the world stuff.
 
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Bill Mattocks

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Preppers, prepare for a situation that may never materialize.
Martial artists prepare for a situation that may never happen.

For one to put down the other,,,isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.
Same inherent fears...different hobby.

Preppers who can't even put out a kitchen grease fire, but have 10,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammo stored aren't preppers. They're LARPers. Martial Arts have some of those too.
 

Buka

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Preppers who can't even put out a kitchen grease fire, but have 10,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammo stored aren't preppers. They're LARPers. Martial Arts have some of those too.

You're talking about a good buddy of mine. H's got 50,000 rounds and twenty guns. And not one God damn clue. Not one. I love him anyway, though.
 

Rich Parsons

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I can't claim to have meant that many survivalists, but the ones I have didn't impress me as the... practical sort.

As to Martial Larpists, yep.

I have been invited to a couple of their private or semi private forums for discussion and input.
Once I explain that nothing within 100 miles of Michigan and the Great Lakes will survive or you do not want too, they get frustrated. The fact that the Great Lakes is the largest fresh water source in the world and is ground zero or ground one for Nuclear bomb exposure.

Ok, so none Nuke scenario , I mention field books and mountain climbing books for how to set broken bones and treat while in the field, and they seem surprised.
I mention that their Vegetable oil in the garage in jugs is loosing its viability as the UV light is affecting it. I then explain they need to put into tanks under the ground, of 3 to 6 feet depending upon if top soil or clay. If Clay one could get away with three, but is still above the frost line so go below the frost line for best long term storage.
Also be prepared to cycle it out as you test it.

The Meds and glasses are big ones most people forget.

I know some that talk about their storage of watches and gold will give them trade. I said for day one and a sandwich - maybe.

They are not system people and do not think it through. :(
 

Andrew Green

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Preppers, prepare for a situation that may never materialize.
Martial artists prepare for a situation that may never happen.

For one to put down the other,,,isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.
Same inherent fears...different hobby.

No, I don't think so. It's all about mindset.

There are "survivalists" that actually do stuff because they enjoy it. They go off into the wild and actually do stuff. Build shelters, snare things, hunt, etc. Maybe it's their job in some way. I'd take a forest ranger over a canned food guy as a buddy in a zombie apocalypse overtime. Or maybe it's just what they enjoy.

There are martial artists that are the same. Some are in it for competition, some good jobs that involve physical confrontations regularly, some just enjoy it and do it for fun.

No one looks at other sports and says "pfft... when are you ever going to need to hit a fast ball in real life, why are you preparing for that?"

That said what we focus on is what becomes a part of us. Personally I think that whether it is focusing on the highly unlikely event of a apocalypse or the highly unlikely event of someone randomly attacking me are both rather unhealthy and I prefer to focus on more positive aspects of training. Like having fun and staying in shape :)
 

mograph

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Some people I have met through Boy Scouts are what I call "Accidental Survivalists". They know everything there is to know about camping/hunting/fishing/surviving in the woods just from sheer experience.
I know a guy like that: in excellent shape, was in the military, wilderness guide, good with tools, can improvise, all that stuff. He's not a zombie-apocalypse type of survivalist, but he would know what to do "in case."

I told him that if TSHTF, we'd head over and hang out with him.
He deadpanned that if it came to that, he'd just kill us and feed us to his dog. :D
 

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