The problems with some preppers today.

The problems with some preppers today.

One problem some preppers seem to have is the inability to prepare for a variety of disasters. This is really not that hard, yet many just don’t get it. They also have what is known as 24 hour & 72 hour bug out bags. Why not just have a bag that will carry you through long term? How do you know it is only going to last 24 hours?!!!

Modern gadgets are a big problem because they are promoted to look so exciting & necessary. When in fact many if not all modern gadgets are likely to fail or run out in the first 6 months. Then this so called prepper will find themselves living a Paleolithic lifestyle trying to learn primitive skills, or they will simply die.

Why don’t many preppers see the common sense in adopting sustainable equipment & skills from the 18^th or 19^th centuries? Well many treat prepping as simply a hobby, they like the idea of being self-reliant, but in fact they don’t really expect to ever have to face a major shtf situation. For these people it is all about going camping & using the gadgets. If a ferocerium rod breaks or deteriorates, they simply purchase another; in fact many carry a variety of fire lighting tools, none of which are sustainable over a long period of time.

Modern gadgets take up room in the pack & they add weight. Once they have become useless they are discarded, BUT, these gadgets were taking up room in the bug-out bag where real priority items should have been stored! Now there is neither!

Do yourself a favour, keep the life straw if you want, definitely keep the modern medical kit. Get rid of everything else & start again. Look to the 18^th & 19^th centuries for practical sustainable equipment that will keep you alive in relative comfort in a long term wilderness living situation, & don't forget to learn those primitive skills!

Keith.

My Views On Carrying Modern Gadgets.

Something I posted on a UK survival forum recently after receiving so much negative feed back & comments. 

Keith.

My Views On Carrying Modern Gadgets.

Okay, this is my take on the carry situation, or your Bug Out bag contents for long term wilderness/country living.

People are for ever saying that they will rely of modern gear because it is easier to use & when it is used up or broken they will simply discard it. Many state that they carry multiple items for making fire. Maybe they do the same with other gear as well, I don't know.

Personally I have gone to a lot of research & experimentation to arrive at the best kit I can possibly carry that will last me a lifetime in the wilderness. This equipment is backed up with the skills needed to use this gear.

Now if I were to take advice from many people who advocate the carrying of modern gear & extras for insurance, then some of the items I already have in my pack would have to be taken out to (a) make room, & (b) lighten the load.

Putting it another way, when one has to discard a modern gadget, there is nothing to replace it unless you can make a primitive item to replace it. You were carrying this gadget at the expense of carrying something more suitable. You have compromised your safety & security by leaving important items out of your pack to make room for your gadgets. Does this make any sense to you?

Okay so you do know how to use a flint, steel & tinderbox & you carry one with you. You know all about plant & fungi tinders & where to find dry kindling in the pouring rain & snow. But you still want to carry a cigarette lighter, a ferocerium rod & magnesium block because? I can probably make fire faster with a tinderbox than many people can with a lighter, so why would I want to carry a lighter? I would sooner carry that extra weight & bulk in gunpowder, water, food, modern medical supplies. These items are far more important than carrying battery operated torches, magnesium blocks, ferocerium rods, cigarette lighters, plastic or tin plates, fold away solar panels, eating utensils, fuel stove, multi-tool, or the myriad of other modern gadgets that are on the market today.

A ferocerium rod is NOT a good substitute for a tinderbox. So why have one? Why are you not practicing with a real flint steel & tinderbox? If this is just a hobby for you, just a game or something you like to do when camping out, fine, I am not saying that is NOT a legitimate thing to do, but do NOT try to convince me or anyone else that this is what you should do if you seriously want to survive should it all hit the fan.

I have been doing this stuff since before it became known as prepping, I have been doing this for most of my life in all weathers. I have survived attacks from people & wild animals, I survived cyclone Tracey in 74. I have lived off grid in the bush for most of my life. I try to pass on my findings, my knowledge & my experience because I am an old man & the things that I know are rarely practiced these days. And yet I am for ever finding people getting upset by what I say & am immediately put on someone's hit list. Is it jealousy? Is it because these people were used to being top dog on the forum until I came along & upset their ratings? Or is it because I no longer live in the UK & therefore can't be considered a reliable source of information?

Yes I am out of touch with matters in the UK, I would imagine things are far worse there now than they were when I was living there. I saw my old forest & field haunts being cut down, leveled & built on. I was running out of room to "play". So I got out, came here & bought myself a forest that no one can destroy. But that does not mean that you can't take what is of use to you & discard the rest. Basic survival needs are still the same no matter where you are in the world. Even some of the plants here are the same as in the UK & other countries. Before climate change took a hold it was the same weather conditions here in New England NSW as it was in parts of the UK.

There is different equipment to suit the individual, & there is the WRONG equipment to carry. No matter how big & strong you are, no matter that you can carry a child plus your backpack, it still comes down to carrying the right gear & NOT compromising your safety. There will already be a need for some compromise when packing for a trip between two principles : minimum weight & maximum self-reliance.
Keith.

Survival & Long Term Wilderness Living Chores. What will you be doing?

My wife says that if there are any modern gadgets that will make wilderness living more comfortable or survival more likely, then she would like to have them. My problem with most modern gadgets is that they don't in my opinion add to ones comfort, & they are not sustainable for the most part. Two types of people disagree with my way of thinking; those that have already invested in a multitude of modern gadgets & are not about to do it any other way, & those that are really not interested in long term wilderness survival, they are more into camping & pretending they are surviving.
I will agree that some modern gadgets could be useful in a "lost" situation, but long term, no, I don't think so. Fuel stoves for instance, even home made so called "hobo stoves" that burn wood. How much do these weigh? How much room to they take up in your pack? Do you seriously think that these are a priority? Is there nothing else that you would rather be carrying in there place?
If they are only carrying modern firearms, how long do you think the ammunition will last if it is used for defence & hunting? How much ammo can they carry to make it worthwhile? What if the firearm malfunctions? How many spare parts are they going to carry for their compound bows? What if they drop & break their ferocerium rods? By using & carrying all these gadgets, what primitive skills have they learnt ready for the time when this modern gear starts to break down?

http://www.gizfever.com/multifunctional-survival-tools-p-798.html;

http://survivalfrog.com/products/biolite-campstove-with-free-survival-grab-bag;

http://hiconsumption.com/2013/05/17-essential-camping-gadgets-for-the-great-outdoors/;

http://zombie.wikia.com/wiki/Non-Firearm_Projectiles

Battery powered torches for letting raiders know where you are! Solar panels for recharging heavy batteries, radios, hiking boots, compound bows. I wish I could remember now all the gadgets that have been recommended on various forums, but I dare say you can think of more yourself.

So when they get to where you are going in the wilderness with these various gadgets, what do you think they will be doing? What daily chores will they have? Water collection, collecting firewood, checking the trap line, hunting, ranging for security, on watch duty for security, cooking meals, boiling water for purification, dehairing animal hides, brain tanning animal skins, making clothing, making moccasins, fishing, foraging for food & tinder plants, smoking animal skins, digging toilet holes, preparing & tending gardens, perhaps constructing shelters or defenses, collecting Goonagurra for making matting & arrow shafts, making reed mats, bow making, arrow making, attending militia drill, can you think of more?
So tell me, where do these gadgets come into helping with these chores? How do they make life more comfortable? How do they help you survive? And whilst we are at it, are they sustainable? How long will they last?
Anyway, just something for people to think about.

Advantages of A Flintlock Muzzle-loader.

1)   Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent caliber firearm.

2)  The smoothbore is very versatile, being able to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of these (can also use minies).

3)  The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern equivalent sized gun.

4)  You can vary the load if needs be.

5)  The smoothbore will digest other projectiles besides lead.

6)  Lead can be retrieved from downed game & remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.

7)  You can make your own gunpowder.

8)  You can use the lock to make fire without the need for gunpowder.

9)  You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder fire lighting if needs be.

10)        IF the lock should malfunction (these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.

11) If you do not have any spare parts & the lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock & continue using it.

12)        You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too long.

13)         Wadding for ball or shot is available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.

14)       Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.

15)        Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader registered in your name regardless of caliber (only NSW is looking at this legislation at present).

16)       A .32 caliber flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small & medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks.

17)        Damage from a .62 caliber-.75 caliber pistol or long arm is in the extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.

18)         By using buck & ball you are unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one target.

19)        There is less kick-back to a muzzle-loading gun.

20)       Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW Australia.

Woodsrunner’s Skills.

New England Colonial Living History Group 1680-1760.

This is a list of basic skills in which we expect an 18^th century woodsman or woods-woman to have some experience with in our group. There is no time limit set, learn in your own time & if we can help just ask.
Keith.

·      Flint & steel fire lighting

·      Wet weather fire lighting

·      Fire-bow fire lighting

·      Flintlock fire lighting

·      Flintlock use, service & repair

·      Marksmanship with either gun or bow.

·      Field dressing & butchering game

·      Blade sharpening

·      Tomahawk throwing

·      Making rawhide

·      Brain tanning

·      Primitive shelter construction

·      How to stay warm in winter with only one blanket

·      Cordage manufacture

·      Moccasin construction and repair

·      Sewing

·      Axe and tomahawk helve making

·      Fishing

·      Hunting

·      Evasion

·      Tracking

·      Reading sign

·      Woods lore

·      Navigation

·      Primitive trap construction & trapping

·      Open fire cooking

·      Fireplace construction

·      Clothing manufacture

·      Drying meat & other foods

·      Knowledge of plant tinders & preparation

·      Knowledge of native foods & preparation

·      Knowledge of native plants in the area and their uses for other than tinder and food.

·      Scouting/Ranging.

·      Basic first aid.

·      Finding and treating water.

·      General leather work.