Posted on 06/12/2013 10:01:12 PM PDT by 101stAirborneVet
FReepers, want to know how you can prepare?
Start rucking.
But 101stAirborneVet, I was never in the military! What is "rucking"?
Explained here, it is essentially walking quickly, over rough terrain, with a load on your back.
But 101stAirborneVet, why in the world would I want to do that? How is that helping me to "prepare"?
One of the basic tasks (if not the basic task) of a person who finds themselves in a combat situation is to move. That means getting from point A to point B, usually with supplies/ammo/weapons/correspondence/food/water, as quickly as possible. If you can’t get yourself and some basic gear down the road, you could find yourself in big trouble if (when) this country reaches DEFCON 1.
But 101stAirborneVet, I'm out of shape! I might have a hard time carrying food, or water, or ammo a long distance - especially during stressful times when my body will already be weaker!
That's why you need to train up now. The First Implement is your body. If you're out of shape, start getting in shape now, and practicing realistic physical challenges like strapping a pack on your back and moving out. Your goal should be to travel at least 12 miles as quickly as possible with a pack of basic gear on your back. (Work up to this, of course. The above linked web site has some tips on this.)
But 101stAirborneVet, I'm 107 years old! There's no way I can do this!
No problem! Just do what you can do, but do something. Increase your abilities in some way, any way. Even if it means finally turning off Judge Judy reruns and walking around the back yard. Increase your physical activity within your capabilities.
But 101stAirborneVet, are you saying I’m going to be ferrying ammo between machine gun nests? Or delivering a message to some general like it’s the Civil War? Isn’t that a little crrrrrrazy?
I'm not saying that at all. Everyone will be doing something different. The point is that you’ve got to start giving yourself the tools to survive now, and that includes achieving a basic level of fitness and being able to move out if the need arises.
Wait, 101stAirborneVet! I’m already fit! I can ruck a 50-lb. pack 12 miles in less than three hours!
Well done! That means you can move. But that’s only one of the skills you’re going to need. Next, try rucking 12 miles to your local shooting range, and see how well you shoot when fatigued (remember to obey all local Nazi dictates about how to transport your firearm). If you want to have what it takes to defend yourself, your family, and what’s yours, your goal should be train until you can do this with little to no difficulty. Once you have accomplished this, you will be able to shoot and move.
You underestimate me, 101stAirborneVet! I can shoot and I can move! I rucked 12 miles to the range and shot 50 rounds of 9mm, center mass, at 15 yards! Am I ready for SHTF?
Not quite. Now do all of the above with close friends or family members. Discuss and practice what you would do if you encountered danger while rucking between points. Discuss and practice at the range how you would cooperatively engage multiple targets that are attacking you. Establish words or phrases that will prompt your buddies or family members to take certain actions, or to know what actions you are going to take. Achieve this level of training, and you can now shoot, move and communicate.
Uh, 101stAirborneVet, I’m not one of those “Preppies”. I don’t believe anything bad is going to happen, or I’m unwilling to prepare myself for it.
First off, it’s “prepper”. But that’s okay, you don’t have to be one. If nothing ever happens, and Obama rides across a rainbow in the sky on his fiery unicorn and everything is A-okay, you have benefited immensely from all of the above. You will have become more physically fit, gained a great deal of confidence, learned cooperation under extreme stress, become a proficient shooter under adverse circumstances, spent time in the great outdoors, and learned that the word is “prepper”, not “preppie”.
For those of you who are preparing yourselves in other ways, don't neglect the most important preparation of all: your own health, fitness and situational awareness and readiness.
So start rucking, remember to drink water, and I’ll see you out there.
I’d say $101 worth.
Go back and look at the Boston Bombing videos when the explosion went off. Most of the cops are in shock and just standing there looking, some are running away, and some walk over to where the injured are, but seem in a bit of a daze.
Then two guys in military fatigues are running in, and tearing apart the metal fencing and other debris to get to the injured. Their training shows.
Later on I read about those army guys. They had put on their rucks at some early hour (4 am??) and rucked the entire marathon route, and had just crossed the finish line when the bombs went off. THEN they ran over and kicked it into high gear.
They were “rucking” for fallen buddies. One of the guys from their group was still in Afghanistan. He rucked around his fire base the 27 miles or whatever it was while the marathon was going on.
Nope I’m dragging you with me. Somebody has to keep my spirits up.
It is always good to be in good shape.
It is always recomended to have some kind of emergency kit, supplies, foods and water in case of any kind of emergency.
I do both but...
Why do all these Preppers think that they're going to be in a very specific disaster type of scenario?
Who said that the planet will be in a “MADMAX” mode?
Who said that you're going to be home with all those stored supplies when “it” (choose your disaster) hits?
Who said, you're going to have to walk 12 miles a day, set up temporary shelter and use your prized Primus stove to cook all those MREs or Freeze-dried foods?
It is always assumed that our civilization will return to the forrests and mountains when, “it” hits but who said that that's the way things will play out?
It is great to be prepared but to what extent and what kind of investment are people willing to make and pay for?
Will canning and buying MREs save you? Maybe.
Will hoarding 50,000 rounds of armor-piercing bullets and buying machine guns save you or even be necessary?
Will building an underground NBC protected shelter be necessary and worth the money you pump into it?
Are we all going to be MadMax and Daniel Boon's?
All I am saying here is that you do not have to exaggerate spending each weekend running up and down mountains with full Army packs, sucking on hydro packs and eating beef jerky and pemmican.
Stay focused and reasonable folks. Yep, be prepared but to what extent and at what cost?
I assume I am going to take a lot of hits for what I have written here but keep things in proportion.
Reasonable and rational seems to be nearly impossible for some.
I can ride a bike to my sailboat. Modern man learned tools could make his life easier.
The you shouldn't misspell Boone, as in Daniel Boone.
Genuinely impressive. There are a lot of bad advice videos out there. Perchance did you keep links to the good ones?
First let me say I agree with your point. Most Americans over 25 are quite out of shape, or soft. Not all. Few have work hands or walking feet. Darn few have SHOES or BOOTS worthy of repeated 12 mile walks. Most can’t take care of their feet or understand why moleskin belongs in their kit.
My biggest challenge is that a 12 mile hike is 3-4 hours. I don’t have that readily available. Sucks to be me.
1.5 miles daily and 3 miles on Saturday. Church on Sunday ;-)
But you have inspired me. I will wear my get-home ruck on our fast-walk 1.5 this AM.
If a typo is my worst critique, I am a happy camper...thanks.
Despite that, your advice is very close to my actual preparedness plan. If for whatever reason, I do need to move with a load, I will be ready. If I need to defend myself, my family, and my neighbors, I will be ready. If the several family emergencies I have gone through over the decades, one has exactly matched our preparations and the rest have been surprises in terms of what we dealt with and not just timing. Despite being unexpected, my kids all chose the right actions because the situations were similar enough to what we had discussed that the best responses made sense to them. It's the same with rucking and shooting in combination - if your body can do that, then it can do whatever will be needed.
Didn’t know that!
5.56mm
Preppers’ PING!!
I assume I am going to take a lot of hits for what I have written here but keep things in proportion.
My post was not intended to prepare anyone for MADMAX conditions. Granted, if you can do all of that, you're a step ahead in the desert wasteland. The point is that for basic defense of yourself and your family even during normal operating conditions, it is important to be as physically fit as you can be, mentally tough and proficient with whatever tools you need.
I throw in a 'DEFCON 1" or a "SHTF" here and there in my article. But none of those conditions need exist for someone to benefit from having exercised their body and their mind.
ARR (after rucking report): so this AM my wife and took our 1.5 mile fast walk and I strapped on my get-home pack fully loaded with 3l of water and 40 extra rounds in mags. My .45 went behind my back and a ready-mag on my waist. 24 minutes in our hilly neighborhood. Really felt the difference. Even jogged a bit to see what that would be like.
22# all together it turns out for my standard 72 hour walk about kit.
Lesson worth learning.
There is definitely a big difference when you strap weight on. A lot of posters here think I'm living in MADMAX fantasy land. Being able to grab some basic gear and hoof it out (or strap it to your wheelchair in my own family's case) can be critical in a flood, tornado, MADMAX, or any other emergency situation.
Going to the range and shooting after, or doing any manual dexterity event builds confidence that you can still function when you get where you're going. After my first 12-mile ruck I pretty much fell over and couldn't get up. That was a big wakeup call for me.
Here’s the thread I posted on my work:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2913038/posts
Best,
L
It is a long way from being fit and prepared, (which most folks clearly are not) to eating MREs in the NBC shelter, I agree with you.
In the last few years there has been a proliferation of survival-oriented sites and businesses.
The more Hollywood shows American cities and their icons (like the Statue of Liberty) being obliterated by:
1) Freezing temperatures
2) Aliens from Mars
3) Earthquakes
4) Godzilla
5) Meteors
6) Contagious diseases.
7) A combination of any of the above
this suicidal obsession and fetish will only fuel more and more people to go out and BUY MORE SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT.
Add this to the terror threats, concept of failing economy, race riots and you get the perfect formula for businesses set up for this market.
In other words, the trend is increasingly great for survival businesses which in my book, is fine it's just that the consumer has to realize all this hype is business.
If the 1960’s and 70’s were a “back to nature” movement then the 2010’s are the era of “prepare for the Apocalypse” so buy, buy, buy!
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