In the event of a serious SHTF event let’s just say grid down, no power, no law etc
There is some basic essentials that need covered.
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Security
And I know there is a lot of other things to consider.
So let’s just say my situation.
Water
I live in Scotland there is no shortage of water and I know how to make it safe.
Shelter
I have a house, tent, tarp I can make a debris shelter If required.
Security
You need to be in a safe location and in the UK we can’t rely on our assault rifles. So other methods must be considered. However for me people would be the real threat so bugging out away from the population would be vital.
Food
Now this is the big one. People can survive 3 weeks without food but the catch is the longer you go without food the less energy you have to find food.
A lot of preppers stockpile food and sure having food stores is great provided you can protect them. But the food stores will run out maybe you have 1 month, 3 months, a years worth but regardless it will run out.
If you have a homestead set up in a safe location you are in a good position.
If like me you don’t have a homestead in a good safe location. You can take food with you and have a few hidden cache of food but again you will run out.
For this reason I focus heavily on hunting, trapping, fishing, foraging wild edibles as well as methods of growing food, preserving food, making traps, making a bow for hunting etc
In my opinion these are the crucial prepping skills.
Is it possible to survive as a hunter gatherer?
In the past absolutely but nowadays maybe not but regardless this knowledge still drastically improves your odds over those that don’t know these skills.
And I say knowledge because you can buy a fishing kit but have you ever caught fish? You may think I can make snares but have you ever snared a rabbit? Trap placement is crucial.
People focus a lot on their kit and we all love tinkering with kit but you have to use the kit test it. Go on a solo camping trip. Go out on a rainy day with your fero rod and try to get a fire going.
Tracking is also vital if you can spot animal trails and signs and identify the species you will know where to put traps.
Explore different locations, note down the location of wild edibles etc
Something rarely mentioned is live traps yet live trapping is a good way of preserving food.
Hunting you can wear a tree but if the wind is blowing your scent towards deer you will likely not even see them let alone get close to them.
Rat traps are cheap but effective and depending on how you set them they will catch more than just rats.
Now something else to consider if you plan on trapping, foraging and hunting you must also plan on being mobile. A set location will not produce a never ending bounty of game and wild edibles you will eventually exhaust that area.
I know a lot of preppers may disagree with the bug out hunter gatherer idea and see it as pure fantasy but I am under no illusions about how tough it would be but you can only store so much food and it’s vital you have a safe location.
I’m no survival expert and I’m still constantly learning the above is just my opinion and I hope it got a few people thinking.
As always thanks for reading very appreciated.
Great information. I thought that I would take a minute to introduce you to @myhuntingfishing blog and #myhuntingfishing Community. It looks like some of your work may be appropriate for use of the tag. You can read more about it here, if so interested.
https://steemit.com/myhuntingfishing/@myhuntingfishing/attention-hunters-fishers-firearms-enthusiasts-oudoor-lovers-communities-are-already-here-steem-giveaways
Best!
Thanks I will definitely have a look
A few weeks back, I asked a question of my viewer wondering what one extra thing they would grab from home other than the family and bug out bags before heading out. One per commented that they had no plans to bug out because they had the skills they needed to stay in place no matter what happens. I plan on sheltering in place because of disabilities, however, I have plans in place that if I absolutely have to, I will bug out. Why? Because there are situations where choosing to not bug out, is guaranteed to kill you, no matter how prepared you are.
Even those who have homesteads where they can sustain themselves, doesn't mean their homestead is 100% safe. Just today, I read a post where someone who is very prepared filmed a wild fire approaching their house. No one is going to sit in their home if it is on fire.
There could be a chemical attack. Sure they are more apt to hit in bigger cities, but what happens when the car carrying to weapon to the city, crashes in your front yard.
My point is, there is no one that is 100% ready for every possibility that could arise. The minute you start think you know everything, the completely unexpected that you are not prepared from can pop up.
I know how to feed & take care of myself, but I still read posts like yours because you never know when someone is going to share info I didn't know about. Now I have to go research mouse traps because I never once thought about the possibility of using them to catch something other than rats. (is there another post from you waiting to be written, lol)
Thanks for your efforts!
Thank you for this comment and you are correct you cannot be 100% prepared. The unexpected can happen.
The main points of this post was to make people think about the important aspects of bugging out rather than how they will charge all their electronic gadgets during a bug out and learn to fish while they are in a high stress situation also to realise that food stores has a time limit it’s the knowledge and experience that will serve you better.
Drill a small hole in the rat trap so it can be tied down securely lol
And yes I will be doing a variety of outdoor related posts and will revisit different aspects of the bugging out/in subject.
Thanks again