Thread: 101 Questions for Survival?

I am building a questionaire designed to choose participants in a survival community.

Now I know alot of you are comfortable in your current living situation,
the house you're in, your neighborhood, your city, etc...but put yourself in the position of having to find a place and people to survive with, in the event of SHTF, long term.

Here's the scenario, you need to find a place, say within 100 miles of Portland metro to become virtually self sufficient. You can't do it by yourself, so you need to welcome say two to three families or roughly 6 to 12 people to help you. What questions would you ask them to insure that you weren't getting lameos, wackos, lunies, crazies...well you get the point.

I'll start a spreadsheet and post the updated list.

Examples:

* Do you have any trade skills?
* What is your philosophy about firearms?
* Do you believe in a higher power?

Thanks,
Will

Do you come well equiped. Have the finances in place to secure the items required for you or your family. What are your political/religious outlooks. If you are accepted into the group, what others might show up unannounced seeking shelter.(Inlaws, friends etc)
Trustworthness. Too many variables here, I think its best to know the members of your group before starting said group. Or, if a probation period was in place so members could see if they are cohesive. If not, each members gear and contributions would be theirs to keep.
This is not going to be an easy questionare Will, Im sure theres lots to consider that will get missed at first. By posting this here lots of information will be contributed by all with some time to kick it around.
Good luck, Im interested to see how it all turns out.

Thanks Dave. The question about "others seeking shelter" has also bugged me. I mean how do you turn someone away?
Will

Originally Posted by willseeker

Thanks Dave. The question about "others seeking shelter" has also bugged me. I mean how do you turn someone away?
Will

It's easy...if they don't have anything to bring to the table then tell them to kick rocks.

Originally Posted by Riot

It's easy...if they don't have anything to bring to the table then tell them to kick rocks.

That's pretty cold Riot.





Suppose it's a cousin of one of the group...and she's Hot!? Hmmm?

Are you willing to eat your neighbors?

Originally Posted by Mutoman

Are you willing to eat your neighbors?

Boy! You get right down to survival Mutoman!






How about we start with a salad?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Originally Posted by Mutoman

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Too late!

I'm putting it in as one of the 101!




BTW: Thanks for the input.
Will

Hoo boy -

Couple three observations here, in no particular order.

Your strategic paradigm seems to be that of bugging out,

Rather than bugging in, which I think is a serious mistake.

Read up on the Shakers and Quakers, both extremely self-sufficient

Societies under immense physical and social pressure.

If you have ever spent a week, all day every day, reaching

A Quaker Consensus, you'll know what I mean.

And by the way I am neither Shaker nor Quaker.

"Figures lie and liars figure", as my late Mother was

Very fond of saying.

Jumping back, you have a choice between a hierarchical

Society and one of consensus.

Applications will do you no good in either case, in my opinion.

My best advice?

Bug in, wherever, and figure out how to

"Love the ones you're with" to somewhat

Misquote Stephen Stills.

All my few neighbors are imperfect,

And I too am imperfect.

Nonetheless, we get along and take care of stuff

Big and small, and God help anyone

Who thinks they will just walk in and take the neighborhood apart.

isher

Originally Posted by isher

Hoo boy -

Couple three observations here, in no particular order.

Your strategic paradigm seems to be that of bugging out,

Rather than bugging in, which I think is a serious mistake.

Read up on the Shakers and Quakers, both extremely self-sufficient

Societies under immense physical and social pressure.

If you have ever spent a week, all day every day, reaching

A Quaker Consensus, you'll know what I mean.

And by the way I am neither Shaker nor Quaker.

"Figures lie and liars figure", as my late Mother was

Very fond of saying.

Jumping back, you have a choice between a hierarchical

Society and one of consensus.

Applications will do you no good in either case, in my opinion.

My best advice?

Bug in, wherever, and figure out how to

"Love the ones you're with" to somewhat

Misquote Stephen Stills.

All my few neighbors are imperfect,

And I too am imperfect.

Nonetheless, we get along and take care of stuff

Big and small, and God help anyone

Who thinks they will just walk in and take the neighborhood apart.

isher

So you believe in a social order based on consensus? Getting along with your neighbors? Taking care of stuff?

You are then one of the fortunate to have community within reach. But let's just suppose you live in the Alameda area of Portland as I do, I wouldn't trust my neighbors in a stressfull situation with a week old doughnut!

Would you not ask your neighbors some basic questions regarding perhaps, ethics, politics, religion, child rearing?? Oh well.

Love the ones you're with? And I thought I was a hippie!

Originally Posted by willseeker

So you believe in a social order based on consensus? Getting along with your neighbors? Taking care of stuff?

You are then one of the fortunate to have community within reach. But let's just suppose you live in the Alameda area of Portland as I do, I wouldn't trust my neighbors in a stressfull situation with a week old doughnut!

Would you not ask your neighbors some basic questions regarding perhaps, ethics, politics, religion, child rearing?? Oh well.

Love the ones you're with? And I thought I was a hippie!

Well, I lived on Liberty Street in NE Portland for the better part of eight years,

Back when being a white guy living in the NE was considered insane.

To say the neighborhood was ethnically mixed was the understatement

Of the decade.

Yeah, most everyone loved and took care of their kids.

Religion ran the gamut from Hindu to Baptist

(Next door neighbor was a Baptist preacher who always carried

A 9mm semi and had a beautiful voice, sang hymns out his upper

Bedroom window every evening).

Politics? Well, that ran from the Longshoreman's Union to

Extreme free speech to middle road mindrot.

Ethics? There were a couple houses/families who were not.

I'll never forget the night I discovered the N- brothers attempting

To remove the transmission from my Ford 150 at about 1:00 am........

But we knew that, and adjusted accordingly, and not adversely.

So, to your point about being some lucky guy who is

"Fortunate to have community within reach."

Community is what you make of it, whether in NE Portland

In a quote unquote rough neighborhood, and I've lived in a few of them,

Or where I live now.


cheers,

isher

Originally Posted by willseeker

That's pretty cold Riot.





Suppose it's a cousin of one of the group...and she's Hot!? Hmmm?

Boss...if you are truely in "survival mode" then even family members become questionable. Yup, that's right- I would even turn away my own brother and his family...

Why? Because they bring nothing to the table...his wife is the biggest, selfish person I know. She's a photographer and he's a Realtor. They both would probably freeze to death if their power got cut off right now....that's how urbanized they are. Oh, and don't even get me started on their political views.

Now, do I love my brother? Of course! I would take a bullet for him! But, I have to think about my own family first...and I have a plan and gear...it kinda goes into the whole Cuban Missle crisis mindset. These people (those that expect you to help them when they are in need) would leach off of you in a heartbeat when the going gets tough. But that's the point now isn't it? If you needed something for you or your family (like water) wouldn't you steal to get it? Would you not be one of those looters to survive?

Kinda eye-opening isn't it?

So, why would I reward someone that doesn't prepare? Why would I lend a helping hand to someone that expects me to help them when the going gets tough? I'm nobody elese's insurance policy, that's for sure.

For you to accept someone in your group you must weigh the pros vs the cons.

*Can they work?
*Do they have a specialized skill set (i.e. doctor, scientist, chemist, electrician, armorer, contractor, mechanic, ect.)?
*Are they like-minded?
*Do they have extensive knowledge of the terreign?
*Do they possess essential/needed equipment (vehicle, firearms, ect.)?

Believe it or not, the like-minded one is probably the most important...if they have completely different morals, agendas, political views and conflicting opinions of how the group should be ran- I don't care if they're the smartest person on Earth, I don't want them in my group! Dissent within the group will tear down the group, making it useless. Everyone has a role and everyone should have a say...surely you will dissagree and bump heads, we're human and being in a survival siuation is probably the most stressed you will ever be in your life. But there must be rules...there must be order. Without it, your group will cease to function.

I don't expect you to get this methodology right away...and I wouldn't be surprised if you never do. I've thought about this for years and years...since I got out of the Army in 2006. I always thought I would convene at my father's place with all my brothers and we would defend his building with our combined families....now I see that is a pipe-dream. Meeting up would be nearly impossible and predicting the events that lead up to a survival situation are damn near impossible.

Your group has to fit to your plan...you must be prepared to do what is necessary to defend yourself and your loved ones at all cost. Once you are in this mode, all bets are final. There is no nice way to survive...you can't just pick up every person that needs assistance and you can't just give up supplies to everyone with their hand out.

Isher, you're post is refreshing. "Community is what you make it", huh?

OK, so let me see if I got some of your points:

What are your views on childrearing?
Have you ever lived in east L.A. or similar?
Are you tolerant of other religions?
Do you sing with your firearm?
Are you able to discuss extreme free speech to mind rot? (like that one)
Do you shop for transmissions at Midnight Auto?

Did I get it?

You are a free mind Isher, you are!

Will

Sticking together with other people will get you killed. You have a better chance of survival if you stick to a smaller group and keep moving.

Your first question should be "what is my reason or purpose for surviving?" Until you have a better answer than "because I don't want to die," you don't have a reason to survive. It things get bad enough you'll need a reason (or reasons) to survive. If things get bad enough you may not really want not to die. But if you have a reason, you'll stay alive anyway. I had cousin who didn't have a reason to stay alive. Three months ago she dumped a bottle of pills into her cup of coffee, drank it all down, and stopped living. You need a reason.

Short of a nuclear war it isn't all that difficult to survive. Go visit your local homeless shelter and look at all of the people who have lived on the street (in some cases) for years. They have survived, and they aren't survivalists. I have lived in a car for six months myself. It was a hassle. But, I survived. So, I think, most people aren't really talking about surviving. They're talking about how comfortable they can be when the SHTF.

I recommend reading the (now out of date) book called "Tappan on Survival." Mel Tappan was a very clear thinker. He wrote some of the best material ever written on the subject of survival. He also had more resources than most of us will ever have. He was married to an heiress of the Mack truck fortune. He also neglected a very important facet of survival: his health. He had a heart attack in 1980. He didn't survive.

I can also recommend the website run by James Wesley Rawles. He's a follower of Mel Tappan's survival philosophy. He's also a Christian. That's undoubtedly a big factor in his ability and will to survive.

Your currrent living situation dictates what sort of preparations you have to make in order to survive whatever comes along. It won't be the same for everybody. For example, if you happen to live next to a fresh water source you won't be worrying much about getting water.

IMHO the best survival strategy for most people - but not all - is to stay put. Think about how you can secure your home against home invasion, riots, and looters. It takes more than a gun or two. If your home can't be secured, then you might need to develop an escape plan. (Everybody should have an escape plan anyway just in case things get too far out of hand.)

I have not yet done this. But, I am planning to buy sheets of plywood and cut those so that the pieces exactly fit over all of the windows in my house. There's no other way I can think of to secure the windows if the need arises (i.e., riots.) These boards need to be already made and ready to use. They can be stored away in the garage. I will paint one side of the boards flat black. That side will face outward and I will drywall screw the boards over the insides of the windows. That way the windows will look normal from the outside. The boards will block any light, which might be important if the power goes off. Light is an invitation for trouble to come for a visit.

I am stockpiling food. My goal is a three-month supply. My guess is that a one-month supply would do. But, three months' worth leaves a margin for error. Extra food might enable me to save one or two other people. It can also be used for barter.

On the subject of whether or not I would allow somebody who hasn't prepared ahead of time to come and stay with me, that would depend on several factors. If I have warned that person and he or she has blown me off. Then the answer just might be "no." If the person wasn't warned, and if I feel confident that I have enough food on hand, then I might say "yes."

Yes, Riot, kind of eye opening! What you say about stealing water to survive is poignant. I guess we don't like to consider ourselves as one of the zombies!

BTW: Thanks for your service, my youngest is doing Airborne and some type of special forces right now. He doesn't tell me much.

And like minded, huh? I suppose philosophically yes, ethically yes. But I also want different types of complimentary thought. I enjoy the challenge of having to either defend my point of view or see the others.

Willseeker--I admire what you're trying to do. Finding the "right" people is always the tough part. I think it will be pretty tough to find a groups of families that could work/survive together under the incredible stress events that would come with any true SHTF situation; absent a pretty strong relationship in place. One way to go might to be to form a group of folks who get together once a month to learn some survival/practical skill and then figure out from amongst those who show up who would be a good fit for a longer-term plan. It will be tough on the questionairre front.

I think the key thing in these discussions is to figure out what we're talking about. Is it a total breakdown of society or just a temporary breakdown? Is it a complete breakdown (i.e. Mad Max) or a partial one (rising crime, interrupted supply deliveries, etc)? Figuring these out then helps you know what you are preparing for.

To add slightly to what Isher so thoughtfully posted; Just as you cannot pick the scenario in which you will need "the group", you will not be able to effectively pick "the group" when it happens...If it ever does....

Perhaps adding social skills now would be a good way to prepare for such an event.

Consider.....

The same way that you will not know when or which calamity may befall us; there is no way to know the duration of said occurrence.

Or of the outcome, whether return to "normal society", or return to the stone age..

It could be awkward explaining to your future in-laws why you ate their son during the power outage last week ....

Or, to whatever authority may exist after a prolonged societal collapse.....Why you thought that you had the right steal from others...

One small anecdote; Last year on his daughters last day in town before returning to school, there was a flood alert issued for the valley my friend lives in...Their home was safe from flooding so they drove around looking at the high water...They drove by a group of people filling sand bags and stopped to talk to them...He and his daughter filled sandbags all afternoon and well into the next morning... All manner of folks came by to help fill sand bags or to haul them away in hopes of protecting their homes and businesses..A group of young adults ( you know, the demographic often dismissed in shooting forums) even went around sand bagging the doorways of the aged and infirm...After they filled the sand bags themselves and hauled 'em around in their own rigs with their own gas no less.

What's my point???? How you react and respond in emergency is the only thing that you have control over..

Will ya run down and grab some sand bags that others have filled and then "hole up" all the while laughing at others ill preparedness...Or will ya make sure that your neighbor (even if ya don't know them, or do and don't like 'em) comes through okay as well...........

Me, I figure that it's best to help sand bag a fellas house..Rather than contribute (voluntarily or not) to rebuilding his home and wares..

W44

Originally Posted by gjohnson

Sticking together with other people will get you killed. You have a better chance of survival if you stick to a smaller group and keep moving.

I'am not sure about your point where are you moving to, or is it just keep moving like a nomadic reference, if so it sounds bleak.