It used to be said that if one prepared for nuclear war than any other lesser disaster would already be manageable. To a degree that is correct. Other than a economic depression where our budding subterranean inhabitant lost his home and fall out shelter after he lost his job due to mass unemployment ( you did read yesterdays post, right? ), I can’t think of much that would trip up the nuke war prepper. If he followed the standard Bruce Clayton bible he was well armed and had plenty of food along with his shelter. But I would think even professionals making ten times my income would still need to get into debt for that and so this route is far from fool-proof. No survival preparedness plan is. The sorry fact is that we are forced to pick the event most likely to occur and plan for it. Resources are finite and must be allocated.
What kind of survivalist you are depends on your income, your level of paranoia and your inclination to dedicate your time. These factors can be intermixed. You might have plenty of money but little paranoia and so choose to just prepare for a few weeks of natural disaster living. Or you could be broke as a lawyers heart but extremely paranoid, believing peak oil will purge us into a vast Dark Ages and so devote a lot of time to learning Stone Age skills. But I think it safe to assume that we must all pick one scenario and plan for that. A stone age skill will see you through Peak Oil but if we see a dictatorship and all wilderness areas are forbidden to control rebels you can’t go out and survive in the woods ( unless of course you went up to Canada ). A month food supply and a shotgun will see you through another Katrina but not suffice for a asteroid hitting Earth.
I try not to limit myself to one grim future. I am equally convinced that not only will we see a nuclear war but also that Peak oil will shortly be on us and our country might see a dictatorship after an economic collapse. But I can’t prepare for it all. I can’t afford a fallout shelter that is energy self-sufficient while at the same time arming myself with semi-auto weapons and hoarding gold and silver. I could build an underground shelter out of wood pallets, plywood and plastic sheeting. Salvage windows from the dump and dig a rock filled pit to park my trailer over for solar heat. I could practice with my bolt actions enough to be able to be dangerous without a spray of lead downrange. And I could hold 1981 and previous pennies for copper coins and buy a few silver dimes at a time on an allowance. But I would be half-assing everything. Nothing would be done properly. Best to zero in on one disaster and prepare for it.
Climate Change- your primary worry is food, water and lack of petroleum. Your best bet is to be a homesteader. Out on a good piece of land with good water. Preferably with a perpetual wood supply. Otherwise a solar gain house is needed. This will be expensive but you need fertile soil. You will be growing all your own food. Some wheat for crop failures, some arms for hungry beggars and animal predators.
Nuclear War- fallout is going to get you. Forget worrying about marauders and government troops, most will be dead by the time you emerge. You need arms and ammo but a moderate amount will do. Luckily there is a wealth of old Civil Defense data on building shelters on the cheap. All your food must be stockpiled as irradiated ground won’t grow crops. A minimum of five years per person.
Peak Oil- oil supply will dwindle and our economic system will crash due to the entire system needing cheap energy to function. No more energy supplies or food coming in. Almost like the climate change homesteader but you need more guns and ammo to protect yourself against the huge lawless population that wants to steal what you have because their ghetto dwelling Uncle Sam handout taking butts were too lazy to work a job and buy supplies.
Dictatorship- yes it is true, the government is out to get us. A bit of food is going to be needed to avoid Stalin type starvation of dissenters, but what you really need are guns and ammo and reloading supplies and military manuals and equipment and training. You should be learning from the Viet Cong and Afghanis and Iraqi insurgents and learn to fight against the conventional military, but most will try to mimic the military in tactics.
Depression/Hyperinflation- while it would be nice to be on a farm, the most important thing is to own gold and silver as the dollar will be worthless. Food and guns are needed, but nothing excessive as society will still function. The main enemy is the bankers and the Federal Reserve. Have nothing in the financial market, even retirement. The banks will fail, only have real money which is precious metals.
Mad Max- pretty much just like a dictatorship. The need for massive arms. The difference is that you must have stashed food and water, as everyone is an enemy. They are all out to get you, civilians and military alike. The best defense is retreating up into the mountains or in the middle of a big desert with no roads nearby. So, bolt actions will work, just have plenty of ammo. Less militia like, more like a recluse.
Natural Disasters- the mild form of a survivalist. You just need a few weeks worth of supplies. A gun or two, lots of canned goods, a portable toilet, alternate lighting. About like camping but more fun as you don’t have to carry your supplies to the woods.
Retreater- you must work in the city to afford to prepare so you must own a retreat away from the city crowds. Not a cheap way to do things, but at least you can enjoy the good things in life waiting for the end to come.
Stone Ager- you know eventually it will all fall apart and as metal eventually rusts away to nothing the only true long term survival tools will be Stone Age. This is the cheapest way to prepare, you just need a few books and a lot of practice.
I think that covers just about everyone. Good luck picking your path to life and security.
END
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Original Article: http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/survival-niches.html
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