In the world that we live in today with the threat of terrorist strikes, storms, a nuclear Iran, etc. it is only smart to have a survival plan. Quite often when we think of survival images of a lone person living out of a backpack deep in the woods come to mind. For this article I want to look at another idea for survival.
There are definitely advantages to being able to survive on your own or with your family however the two individuals that I am going to introduce to you proved that we still need at least some of the benefits of society.
Lt. Hiroo Onoda was a Japanese officer on the Island of Lubang in the Philippines at the end of World War 2. When the war ended Onoda was never given orders to surrender and being a good soldier he didn’t. He and a few fellow soldiers took to the jungle to continue to do there duty. By 1974 Onoda was the only one of his party left. He was discovered and finally coaxed out of the jungle by his sister and former commander. He had survived for 30 years. Although he hunted and trapped rats for survival Onoda was still forced to steal certain items from local villages.
Wild Bill Moreland took off for the woods in the 1930’s no one knows why he initially went into the forest. It is speculated that he may have stolen from a sheep rancher that he was employed with. Wild Bill survived in the Sawtooth Bitterroot Mountains for 10 years. This is perhaps one of the harshest environments in the lower 48 states, where below zero temperatures and 10 foot snow drifts are common. He survived by hunting and fishing. He slept in hollow logs and built shelters. However he was still reliant on forest service cabins that he could break into to gather food and necessary supplies that he needed to live. He seemed impervious to the elements even to the point of pulling his own teeth when they became infected. Although many questioned his sanity few of us could survive under those conditions.
Although the two individuals survived for the most part away from humans it is obvious that they still relied on some of the things that society had.
It may be necessary for you to bug out on your own at first especially if you live near a larger town or a city since those are the areas where you’re going to have the most civil unrest. What about the police? They will be doing the same thing you are. The area where I would take my family is near a small community where I used to live and I still know people there. That is the area which I would pick to begin building my tribe or network of survivors.
The Tribe:
If you take a close look at the Native Americans and the way their society was composed it will give you a perfect picture of the tribal set up. Everybody in the tribe relied on each other for survival. One member may have been good at making Bows Arrows another would have been good at organization still others were better at warfare and so on. Every person in a tribe has a job there are no lazy people or shirkers. Traditionally those who would not work for the tribe were kicked out.
It is imperative to group up or find a tribe that you can trust. A large majority of people are going to be out for their selves and trying to take what you have. So with that knowledge your best bet is going to be to find your tribe before something happens. What are some good qualities to look for in a tribe?
They must be trust worthy or have good integrity.
They should have skills that can be applied to such a situation. For example Experimental Archeology skill or traditional ways of doing things without power.
You should already know them and know their skills. It is also good to practice with your tribe.
One of the most important things is to make sure you have a skill to help your group. This is important to have before something happens.
Once you identify who your tribe is, set up an emergency plan. Each person in the tribe should be responsible to stock up on something. Decide on an emergency meeting place and it is also that every one knows their job ahead of time.
Let’s talk about your skills. Earlier when I listed skills I said Experimental Archeology skills would be a benefit, let’s discuss what type of skills those would be. As I have said in other writings my favorite time period is 1755-1840 so when I practice survival those are the skills that I practice. Primitive skills will benefit your tribe in many ways especially since they are centered on not having any modern conveniences. Perhaps you are good at hunting with Black Powder weapons or a Bow and Arrow. Learning how to make soap will benefit your tribe, making candles, making clothing, making Moccasins or learning woods running skills so you could act as a runner between communities. These are examples of how primitive survival skills could benefit your tribe.
The tribe idea is good for long term survival and since none of us know what is around the corner it is a good idea to be prepared. The size of your tribe depends on you and your tribe. Once you find a small group meet with each other regularly and practice together that way if something happens you will win and not be a statistic.
