Introduction to Survival

Survival
(part 1 of a series)
INTRODUCTION TO SURVIVAL
(volume 1 issue 3)
15 November 2006


Todays blog entry begins a series of topical discussions on the subject of survival and the various techniques associated with it.In blog entries forthcoming I will be exploring the aspects of survival and certain techniques that may be employed by you the reader
The reader should take note that what is examined in the blogs are subject to the interpretation of the reader. These blogs are not intended to be the only available resource for information concerning survival. The reader is highly encouraged to do their own investigation and research on all of the items discussed herein, as well as, any future blogs posted on this topic.

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO SURVIVAL

What exactly is "survival"? Survival, by definition, is taking appropriate measures by any available means, to insure your personal health, safety, and well being. This definition not only applies to the individual, it can be applied to a group of people. The group of people may be small or large. In a survival situation, smaller groups of people are more easily managed than large groups of people. Many people have differing views on how to proceed in a survival situation. There must never be a case of too many chiefs and not enough indians in a survival situation. In order to prevent such problems we need to know that which is survival, and that which is not survival.

Survival is subsisting and existing in any enviroment not suitable for normal human habitation or an otherwise inhospitable environment This means that there may not be food, water, shelter, clothing, or medical care available to and your group (if applicable). In this event, you must be able at aquire these necessities by any means available. The method by which these necessities are acquired is subject to the situation you and your group may find yourselves in , as well as, the availability of such
necessities. Necessities are those things you need to live, nothing more and nothing less!!!

Survival is niether stealing a big screen television, nor killing or otherwise harming, any other human being to satisfy your
personal needs or wants. As we all saw on the television news, people were stealing liqour, beer, televisions, and tennis shoes, not to mention a great many other useless things during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. I can not empasise enough that the things people were doing down in Loisiana after that hurricane are not survival. What they were doing is theft and looting. Theft and looting are crimes that can be causes of your death when martial law is declared.

I do not know of anyone who was prosecuted for stealing food, water, baby diapers and wipes, clothing, and medicines for their or their families personal use. However, there are still outstanding criminal cases pending on those who stole televisions, alcohol, boom boxes, tennis shoes, cd's, and other useless items of that sort.

Survival is being able to do the best you can to take care of yourself and your family, and possibly others, if possible or able. If all you can do is take care of you and yours, remember this, in a struggle for survival you are not necessarily your brothers keeper. You can not help or save everybody, but you can do whats best for you and yours. The reader must note that if you cant take of yourself during a survival situation how can you be expected to take care of your family, or other people in a group The anwser is simple, you cant. In order to take care of yourself, and possibly others you must take care of yourself first.

Survival is not presuming that you can expect any reasonable or timely assistance or responce from state and local government entities. Take the crisis situation created by Hurricane Katrina for example. This occurence demonstrates the will of the local and state government to respond to that crisis, as well as, how quickly the local and state government agencies became completely overwhelmed by it. I agree that the local and state government agencies, as well as, the federal government itself did the best they could for the people of Louisiana during that crisis, however, what they did illustrates a noble effort, but a total failure as well.

Survival is being prepared for a potential crisis situation. Preparedness is defined as being able to adequately adapt and/or respond to any situation that places an individual in a hazardous environment or dangerous situation. a hazardous environment is any place or location where the reasonable fear of death or serious injury is present and apparent. A dangerous situation is defined as an individual or individuals finding themselves placed in a situation where death and serious physical will occur and an immediate response or action is absolutely necessary. For example a hazardous environment could be finding onesself waking up to a fire in your house or apartment, but having a prearranged exit plan in place, a dangerous situation would be waking up in a fire and having no plan or prearranged escape route. The basic differences between a hazardous enviroment or a dangerous situation is what may happen and what will happen and how you are able to respond to the situation as a whole.

Survival is not delusional paranoia to such an extent that you have a small armory in your home or basement or 5 years of dehydrated food and MRE's stashed away for armageddon. None of us are psychics and we can not predict the future, as such, I am not professing that we should all be prepared for every crisis that presents itself to us. There is absolutlely no away any of us can be prepared for every possible crisis or otherwise bad or degrading situation. We are all human, and none of us have a pentium 4 processor for a brain.

Survival is being able to rationally and adequtely respond to any given situation or conditions that are presented to us. In order for any of to use any form of rational thought to adapt and respond to a crisis situation we must use whatever skills, knowledge, and resources we have immediately available to us. In order to use the resources we have available we must have knowledge how to efficiently apply these resources to the situation we may find ourselves in. Therefore, one of the most important keys to survival is knowledge. Knowledge can come in any number of forms. Personal experience, books, the computer, friends,and neighbors to name a few. Information gained from what we are willing to learn is the most valuable resource we have available concerning survival as a whole.

In conclusion, this, and future blogs I intend to post, will be a good place to begin to gain knowledge and get informed on survival. These blogs are by no means your only available reource and shall not be intended as such to be your only resource. I invite the reader to go well beyond these blogsa and do their own research and gain their own knowledge. To get you on your way I would like to suggest that you check out these two books:
The S.A.S Survival Handbook, written by John "lofty" Wiseman, published by, Harper Collins
The SAS tracking&Navigation Handbook, written by, Neil Wilson, published by,The Lyons Press.

In future postings I will endeavor to include more references pertinent to the topic of survival and anything else associated with it. Until my next posting, have a great day and always remember there is power in knowledge and skill in learning.

Best Regards and Wishes
Christopher Griffin (archeangelsk2002)
archeangelsk2002@yahoo.com

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