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What is Survivalism? What is being a Survivalist?

I can give you several answers to both, but to be honest, I really do not know. There are the media interpretations of Survivalists, from Movies(think of almost all the post-apocolyptic movies) to the coverage of Waco and Ruby Ridge. One sect of the Survivalist push is based on the Posse Comitatus, part of the first amendment of the US Constitution. There are the websites, like this and others, from people who see ‘survival’ situations in every day occurrences. And there are those claiming to be survivalists who are really race supremacists and very paranoid about their lot in life.

These are all examples of what ‘survival’ entails. And yet, they do not. Even I am very biased on some accounts, and will not have all of the ‘right’ answers, but then again, I don’t think anyone has all of the answers. If they do, they usually get martyred in some gruesome way.

If you look at the world and see that it is going to collapse within the next 6 months, year, whatever, then I am not providing the type of material that you may want to bookmark. If, on the other hand, you see that coping with life takes ‘survival’ skills, regardless if it is in the city, the country, camping or just going to a meeting, then I may have a prospective you may want to keep around.

What is Survivalism? It is the ability to survive.

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How do I make a Fire?

How do I make a fire?

Firewood
A stack of dry, cut wood ready for a fire.

First, you need something that will burn. A cord of seasoned wood would be nice, but most of the time when you are making a fire while camping, you have to gather fuel from fallen limbs, underbrush and weeds. At least you should. Try to only use fallen wood to keep the impact down. If you are in a public area, check the regulations before heading in. Continue reading “How do I make a Fire?”

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A Camping Checklist

We go camping often (as possible) and I still need the checklist to get everything, and everybody, into the van. Without lists, sometimes things get left behind. On occasion, people, too. Here is part of the checklist I use for the camping trips. I suggest making a copy for each person going, including the dog. Continue reading “A Camping Checklist”

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Life is unwieldy, Pack it in.

Life is unwieldy, Pack it in.

Get it? It is a pun…

Oh, all right, I’ll explain it.

‘Life is unwieldy’ – meaning it can be overwhelming or hard to handle.

‘Pack it in’ – (here is the pun) can mean to give up, to let everything go, to not care any more… OR it can mean to travel into a wilderness with only what you have on your back.

The catch phrase started from watching someone coming out of a Youth Hostel with everything they had in the world on their back. I mean everything. Their pack was twice the size they were. It was the most ungainly and, well, unwieldy thing I had ever seen.

There is a saying, pack out what you pack in. Or leave only footprints, take only photographs. Meaning clean up after yourself, dammit!

So, why the name, “SurvivalGene?”

What I consider a Survival Gene is the ability to survive. Sounds moronically simple, doesn’t it? Let me rephrase it, then. The ability to survive in unusual circumstances. Is that better? But what is unusual? An unusual circumstance for you may be the norm for me, and vice versa. What about saying the Survival Gene is the ability to survive abnormal situations.

I’m starting to sound like a philosophy prof..

Many may equate the Survival Gene with Survivalism. I do not believe this is entirely accurate, partially because of the media connotations of the Survivalist movement. When I first started SurvivalGene as a website, I did not believe that we were on the brink of WWIII, had an economy that is to the point that lawlessness becomes the rule, or that we were threatened by our current government into rash acts. Even with the actions of some few against the USA, there are just too many people for the world to suddenly collapse into chaos. These are all conditions that people labeled as Survivalists seem to have in the forefront of their interactions with the rest of society. 

Because of extreme attitudes and actions of those who are currently in charge of the USA, I am not sure I am so optimistic as I once was.

I do believe that you need to be prepared for most anything you may come across, and know when you cannot deal with something by yourself. 

I believe that we all have the Survival Gene, or else we would not be around.