<XMP><BODY></xmp> What is survivalism? (with a small "s")


What is survivalism?
(with a small “s”)

        Survivalism is about “Being Prepared”
        It is an awareness that things can go wrong and taking reasonable precautions. Most people already do this to a limited degree. They carry a spare tire, tools and a petrol can or take medicines with them on holiday. Nobody wants to get a “funny tummy” but most people see the wisdom of preparing “just in case”. This is what Survivalism is all about but extends this philosophy to all aspects of life.

Survival Preparations are in fact a sort of Insurance.

        Arguably, the first serious interest in “Survival” started around World War 2. Downed aircrews had little idea of how to provide themselves with food, water and shelter. Similar problems were faced by escaped POWs and Soldiers separated from their supply lines.

        Later came the Cold War. For those of you too young to remember most people at this time believed that nuclear war was inevitable. Some people pinned their hopes on not surviving but even in a major exchange large numbers of people would be left alive but face massive disruption of all they were familiar with. Some people planned and prepared for this eventuality.
        From this grew the concept of Long Term Survivalism. Long Term Survivalism is about knowing how to produce your own food and any other items that were no longer readily available. This aspect is closely linked with self-sufficiency and draws from older and often neglected technologies. This is possibly one of the most interesting fields involving such diverse skills as pottery, soap production, chemistry, agriculture, cloth production etc.

        During the 1980's “That Movie” came out :-“Rambo -First Blood II”.
        In fact, unlike the prequel, this movie contains very little if any survival but this is the one that attracted all the attention.
        On the plus side Rambo got a lot of manufacturers interested in producing gear. On the negative side it also inspired quite a few yobbos and wannabes. It also brought the unwelcome attention of the media and Survivalism was the focus of one of the most bigoted sensationalist campaigns in newspaper history. Every hooligan who had an army jacket or had played with toy soldiers was branded a “Survivalist”.

        There is a real problem when trying to discuss Survivalism. Part of the trouble is due to misrepresentation by the media but a lot lies also at the feet of survivalists themselves.
        By its nature it is a catholic discipline that draws from many diverse fields. A lot of people have concentrated on just a small part and this deceives the newcomer into thinking this is the whole topic. They may not encounter the facets relevant to them. The fable of “the blind men describing an elephant” springs to mind.
        An added problem is that many of the people interested in Survivalism are also interested in other things and often these get mixed up. American websites are particularly notorious for this.
        It is understandable that if people invest a lot of preparation and training towards an end at least some of them will, at least subconsciously, look forward to “testing their mettle” and proving their preparations prudent.
        With the end of the Cold War a lot of survivalists realized that nuclear war and/or invasion by a foreign power wasn't as likely. Some pinned their hopes on Y2K bringing “The End Of The World As We Know It” (TEOTWAWKI). Others have turned their hopes to other real or imagined potential threats. American websites have lots of useful information but also are filled with lots of conspiracy theories, politics, paranoia and other things that are just not survival. I once pointed out to someone that just because many survivalists are interested in such things doesn't make them survival or appropriate for a webpage about survival. Most of them will like sex too but that is not reason to link to porn sites!
        In many people's minds Conspiracy theories and Politics have become synonymous with the terms Survival and Survivalism. I'm more interested in real, practical survival so sometimes describe myself as a survivalist with a small “s”.
        In fairness it is not just the Americans that loose the plot. In the 1980s British magazines like SWAT (Survival, Weapons and Techniques) had many fine articles but sometimes strayed into interesting but irrelevant stuff such as militaria, deactivated weapons and airsoft toy guns.
        When viewing webpages it is wise to have your mental “filters” switched on and be aware that not everything on a survival page is about survival.

So what is survival about then?

Is it about camping/backpacking?
        A familiarity of the outdoors and the ability to be comfortable with just what you can carry are useful. Strictly speaking this only becomes survival when the pack gets lost/stolen, the tent is damaged, you sprain your ankle, get lost and the weather changes, run out of food etc. A knowledge of survival skills comes in useful then, but survivalism continues to be useful in the town or at home.

Is it all about Guns and Knives?
        Knives and other tools are a vital component of survival since they let you influence your environment. Most survivalists are never without some form of cutting edge, usually a pocket knife. It is part of the “insurance policy”.

Guns provide improved hunting potential and self defence. Not all guns are suitable as survival guns.

        On the topic of guns, a slight diversion. In recent years the UK has seen some particularly dirty examples of Chameleonic politics:- laws passed only to make it look like something has been done but not achieving its stated aim. Gun control was an example of this.
        Most people are sold the idea that Gun Control will reduce violent crime but laws are not wishes that will make a banned thing cease to exist. They just prevent law-abiding from owning them. Historically every incidence of restricting firearm ownership has been followed by increased levels of violent armed crime. In Australia armed robbery alone rose 44% in the first year following their gun ban. I have no exact figures for the UK, but incidences of criminals using guns also seems to have increased by similar levels.

        It has been estimated that in America 760,000 lives are saved annually by the use of legal firearms. You may recall a spate of tourist muggings and car-jackings in Florida a few years back.? This actually coincided with Concealed Weapon Carry becoming legal in that state. The chances of picking on someone who could defend themselves had increased a little so criminals began to specialize in preying on tourists. This was tough for the tourists but did mean that every resident of Florida became a lot safer because just a few of their number were armed. This trend is common over most of the US States. Those with the more liberal gun laws tend to have less violent crime.

        Gun control has not increased public safety, it has increased the danger to law-abiding people and makes them easier victims. In the UK it has also victimized one million gun owners who had committed no crime but were punished for something that they might potentially do :- a truly horrifying precedent.

        OK, I'm off the soapbox now.

        Self-defence is a facet of survival so you will encounter information on both armed and unarmed martial arts.

Is it about playing Soldier?
        No, though survival skills are an important aspect of military training. The military can be a very useful source of kit and information. Army issue stuff is often very sturdy and good value due to being mass produced and often surplus. Cammo pattern clothing is useful for hunting though in other contexts can make you look like a nutter or a jerk. Running around in combat gear when it is not warranted does little to improve the image of survival.

        A good ( and free!) source of information are websites of US Army Field Manuals such as Global Security. A lot of the stuff won't be relevant but worth reading is FM 21-10 and FM21-10-1. These are about preventative measures you can take to preserve your health, and include sections on water treatment, food hygiene, waste disposal, animal pests and parasites, personal hygiene and managing extremes of temperature. FM 21-76 is a classic survival manual, and the sister manual of FM 21-76-1 has some alternate wrinkles. The above manuals have apparently been superseeded by FM 3-05.70. You will also find texts on navigation, first aid and special environments such as jungle, desert and arctic. FM 21-305 is a comprehensive manual on wheeled vehicles and covers cross-country driving, safe driving and freeing trapped vehicles.

Is Survivalism about the end of the world and the collapse of society?
        Some survivalists like to talk of the “inevitable collapse of society” but historically on anything more than a local level such events are as common as finding hen's teeth. Most people that argue differently usually seem rather unsure on the difference between an empire and a society. Many of these spend more time trying to convince others that things are going to end than actually making any useful preparations.

        A friend of mine says “prepare for the worst case and anything else is plain sailing” This may be true but maintain a realistic set of priorities. A prudent survivalist talks about “If” rather than “When”.
        Get a spare set of house keys and a stock of food before you invest in a fortified farm and replace the Vauxhall with a horse and buggy.

Is it about primitive skills?
        Survival draws on these. Museums and re-enactors can be a good source of information. Re-enactors will often arguing about the authenticity of a technique but a survivalist uses whatever is to hand. He can use modern materials and tools but knows how to do without them if needs be. If it's raining and you find a plastic sheet, make use of it. Davy Crockett would have if he could.
        If spending a weekend learning natural shelter building take along a camping kit as well for “just in case”.

What are Bug out bags, Retreats and 72hour kits?
        Retreats are in some ways an aspect of the “Collapse of society” idea. The idea is you can run away to a safe haven and weather out the storm, create a new life, etc. How practical this is will depend on a lot of things including where the retreat is and what the post collapse population density is.

        Bug Out Bags are a set of kit ready packed so that you can leave home at short notice. For those planning to head for a retreat they contain all the items needed to make the journey to the retreat.
        The fact is there are a lot of situations that might cause you to leave your home. They include floods, forest and domestic fires, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, chemical spills and about another dozen possibilities.
        Usually the consequence is the same. You have no home and lack many of the things that a home provides. In other situations such as a blizzard the problem may be being unable to leave your home. In many parts of the USA families are encouraged to have a 72-hour kit. This has enough gear and supplies to last three days which is the time that it is expected will be needed for contingency plans to come into operation. I've encountered no published time scale for aid in the UK. Whether it would be shorter or longer is open for discussion.

Suggested topics for study.


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Attack, Avoid, Survive: Essential Principles of Self Defence

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Survival Weapons: Optimizing Your Arsenal

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