survival 2

SURVIVAL 2:
Preparedness and Protection


Today is August 10, 2005. In previous web logs I covered anything from water purification to survival knives. I had been reluctant to post this web log due to its context and available access, however upon due consideration, I am posting this now.

The title of this weblog is Preparedness and Protection. The purpose of this web log is to instill in each reader a certain amount of knowledge, a defined confidence, and an understanding of personal responsibility.

As all of us now know the situation we are in concerning our personal freedoms, and lifestyles. Can dramatically change with little or no forewarning. This is where preparedness comes into play.
Preparedness is not just limited to stocking up on supplies and such. It also has a mental factor
encluded in the equation. One must be mentally prepared for the changes that will come very soon.
The mind is a fragile thing and is limited by its lack of imagination and thought.

In the survival environment mental and physical preparedness are essential to survival. You must not only condition your mind but you must condition your body as well.

The best rule of thumb for mental preparedness is:
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE JUST HOW FUCKED UP THINGS CAN GET IN A VERY SHORT TIME!!!

If a worst case scenario can be conceived in the imagination it can be perceived as reality. I remind the reader of “Murphy’s Law” which states that if anything bad can happen it usually does. To get some idea of
How best to mentally prepare for the worst case scenario use your imagination, use your mind, don’t use tunnel vision and always pay attention to detail.

Be able to size up or evaluate the overall situation (S)
Have a plan (H)
Initialise the plan and stick to it (I)
Take the initiative and control (T)
Mind the health and welfare of you and others (H)
Acquire knowledge and wisdom (A)
Physical training and conditioning (P)
Insure physical security of perimeter (P)
Insure environmental awareness (E)
Never underestimate how fucked up things can get (N)
Never succumb to stupidity (S)

The above list should be sufficient to give the reader a basic outline of mental preparedness, and the reader is invited to improve it to his or her needs and liking. However, we still need to address physical conditioning. Physical conditioning is the ability to adapt to differing environmental conditions.

It really doesn’t matter if you can dead lift 600 lbs or do 200 push ups, although it may be helpful to be physically fit but physically fit does not mean physically conditioned. Someone born and raised in the Sahara Desert would not likely survive in the Antartic. And it really wouldn’t matter if the person was able to do 200 push ups or dead lift 600 pounds, their body was conditioned to the enviroment they had lived in, not the antartic.

If you were a steel worker or foundry operator you would be physically conditioned for a high heat environment. If you were an office worker you would be used to cooler temperatures due to airconditioning.
As an office worker you could not be reasonably expected to work in a foundry because your body is acclimated to a cooler enviroment. Basically speaking, you as an office worker, would likely suffer a severe heat injury or possibly death as a result of being put in an enviroment your body was not acclimated to.

1.) proper clothing for weather conditions. This is very important to the survival environment.
2.) familiarization and working knowledge of heat and cold injuries as well as the first aid procedures for both heat and cold injuries.
3.)proper acclimation and physical conditioning.
4.)adequate shelter as it applies to environmental conditions. And availability.
5.)proper hydration in both cold and hot environments.
6.)personal hygiene.
7.)proper sanitation procedures.
8.)self control and discipline
9.)conservation of resources
10.)adequate physical recovery and rest.

All of the above are self explanatory. All one has to do is use their imagination to apply these principles to the survival situation. Once you have these things visually embedded in your mind as to how you should accomplish these things put it on paper and use the info to develop a contingency plan.

In future posts the “S.H.I.T.H.A.P.P.E.N.S.” diagram will be defined in detail starting with “S” and ending with “S”. Each letter of this phrase is vitally important to the survival environment and will be explained in detail.

Until we meet again…….
Archie
(archeangelsk2002@yahoo.com)