Posted on 07/16/2010 11:33:58 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
1. Following the wrong advice: Many new survivalist become fixated upon the advice given by others. They read the latest preparedness book or blog post and automatically assume the advice given is best them, without considering their individual needs, skill level or location. In order to be self-reliant you need to learn to think for yourself.
2. Not eating what they store: Many new survivalist fill their pantry with unfamiliar foods, thinking they will adapt their diet “when the time comes” this is nonsense. You need to learn how to prepare and use these foods now, so they become a familiar staple.
3. Relying only on their food storage: Many new survivalist think once they have their one year supply of survival foods, that’s the end. Don’t get me wrong, having a deep larder is important, just don’t overlook the possibility of needing to replenish your supplies, and obtaining the skills and resources needed to do that.
4. Not storing enough salt: Many new survivalist fail to store this staple in the quantities needed. Don’t discount the importance of salt. I suggest at least ten pounds of iodized salt per person as a minimum.
5. Building an arsenal: I see this all the time. Many new survivalist spend thousands on weapons and related gear, yet have only a two-week supply food and no water filter. This is stupid. I love guns and gear as much as the next person – but I know food and water are more important to my survival. Sure; we need weapons to protect what we’ve put away, just don’t neglect the other stuff.
6. Relying on bugging out: I’m not a fan of the “grab a bug out bag and head for the hills survival strategy”. In most cases you’re better off staying where you are. Having a bug out bag is a good idea, just don’t make bugging out your only plan or first priority.
7. To much stuff not enough skill: Many new survivalist believe they can be saved though buying. This fantasy has been promoted by self-serving survival gurus for years to fill their pockets with cash. Sure supplies are useful and some are needed – just don’t become dependent on stuff instead develop your skills.
8. Storing only one type of food: More than a few new survivalist have made this mistake. I can’t remember exactly where I read it, I think it was on another survival blog – but the author suggested his readers store hundreds of pounds of wheat and nothing else. While wheat is the backbone of my food storage, storing only one type of food, no matter how versatile is foolish.
9. Not taking care of pet needs: Many new survivalist fail to consider the needs of their pets. If you have pets you must plan for their needs by laying back the necessary supplies to keep them fed and healthy.
I would agree with that. The MRE’s are 3000 calories. The military determined that is the right amount for a day of fighting.
I am estimating that a holed up person in a SHTF situation can get by on 6000-9000 calories per week. Thats two to three MRE’s. But its 23-34 servings of that Mountain House stuff. That’s a lot of food especially if you have to lug it around.
I just don’t think diet type food at 260 calories per serving is suitable for survival food. But, I do like the shelf life.
Perhaps I need to add a few MRE’s to my store.
And I’m looking forward to trying some of that Mountain House!
I admit to having a Mercedes Unimog 406 set up for extreme off road use, equipped with a Hurst Jaws of Life system, and all the recovery and rock climbing equipment one could reasonably use.
Point them to the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Ask them which group of five they would belong to and why.
For extra-credit you can ask them to parse the meaning of this passage:
1 Tim 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
MREs are an average of 1250 calories, in the 1980s, I was under the impression that each pouch was about 3,000 calories too, but it seems we were wrong.
“Each MRE provides an average of 1,250 calories (13% protein, 36% fat, and 51% carbohydrates) and 1/3 of the Military Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals. A full day’s worth of meals would consist of three MREs.”
http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mres.html
Your so right, my apologies. I fished the MRE I had for lunch out of the trash and 1500 calories it is. I recall the National Guard MRE’s had a chocolate bar that had 1000 calories by itself and maybe that confused me.
The vegetarian MRE was good though. Manicotti in Marsala sauce, peanut butter and crackers, dry roasted salted peanuts and almond cake.
One thing I do like about the MRe’s is they are toally self contained. I used the heater today (and usually do because they are fun), and it was steaming hot. The drink (powdered orange) was pretty horrible. I skipped it today.
I love MREs, and like I said, somewhere in the 1980s I too thought that they were about 3,000 calories.
Something that I do know about them is that they last much longer than the recommended chart for “guaranteed freshness”.
After worst case storage conditions in desert heat in the trunk, and way (way) past three years etc, the candy may be mushy and the gum maybe be chalky, but the important foods and the coffee and such are still plenty edible.
I have never seen a “puffy” MRE, but my understanding is that if you find one, then destroy it like you would a puffy canned food.
That’s good to know. Thanks!
And when that's done, they will go further afield.
Bikes do NOT get better mileage PER PERSON than a car or van when the vehicle is full to capacity. A van carrying seven or eight people, plus rifles and a few thousand rounds of ammo, is a more efficient vehicle for transporting looters (and loot) than having a motorcycle per person. It also approaches more quietly, and causes less alarm than a group of bikes. And if the engine is diesel, then you can refuel from abandoned trucks and also use home heating oil as fuel.
He actually has a point. In a survival situation, guys who did not prepare should not assume that mooching off others is a viable option. And women whose only asset is between their legs should not be surprised at the logical consequence of that.
btt
Check the Dollar Store if there's one convenient. Sometimes they have emergency candles at rock bottom prices.
A lot depends upon the demand.
The ammo I have was bought with an eye toward making sure that I had enough for myself and my family. I haven't bought ANY with the expectation that it would be bartered.
Part of my approach was to obtain a firearm in most of the common calibers and to have on hand an "adequate" supply of ammo in each of those calibers.
I can imagine a whole lot of us being pretty tight-fisted with our ammo during an extended emergency.
The question then becomes, how many people have not prepared? Assuming that they can get a firearm, how determined will they be to get ammo for it? How much ammo would they need to be comfortable that the gun will remain useful?
I think in a pinch I could supply my household with sufficient water using a pint of gas per week. How many cartridges should I part with to get a pint of gas?
Ammo has the properties that it is relatively compact, it has standard specifications, and a long shelf-life. It would be hard to carry a gallon of gas without being noticed. How much ammo, measured in the gallons of gas that it would buy, can a person carry?
I honestly think the guy was joking, because I’ve seen the exact same comment made on dozens of dedicated “survival” or preparedness forums.
However, he does make the point that there are those out there who think this way and WILL prey upon their neighbors.
I’ve got six cans of MH stuff.
I’ve only had it out of the pouch, but it’s good stuff.
Yep.
And those little inflateable-ring kid pools work well as a blivet, too.
In a hurry, you can set them up and fill them.
About 600 gal in each of mine.
It depends on the situation. During the LA riots, some Korean store owners were on the roofs with their rifles. They would fire at the ground near the rioters when they came too near their stores. They were trying to avoid actually hitting rioters if it could be avoided, to avoid problems later. Eventually they ran out of ammo, had to pull back, and the looters got the stores.
In a situation where you need to fire two rounds per minute to keep rioters away, you might run through a thousand rounds in one night.
I agree with you now.
You know, after I posted that comment I realized that in an extended emergency I wasn’t likely to come upon a person who would have enough to barter for a pistol after a while. I mean if you start out with 5 or ten of them fine but they are gone in 5 or ten trades but if you start out with 10,000 rounds of 9mm or 50,000 rounds of .22 LR you have something to work with over a period of long time for a lot of small trades, more like currency.
I was also thinking that hunting is pretty much impossible with a handgun, at least for someone with a little natural palsy like me. But I can bring a squirrel out of the top of a tall tree with a $99 .22 rifle with a $30 scope on it. And most people would find the same thing. And, ammo for my .223 is expensive and you can hear it go off in the next county.
By the way, is there a ping list for Survival or SHTF topics?
Yea, those pools would be really useful for water collection. And deflated, you could fold a small one up to the size of a carton of cigarettes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.