...under rated survival skills to have...

[7SFCW4]

Being polite. Being aware of other peoples motivations and attempting to keep things on point, while making them feel that they are making a contribution (they most likely are).

Being Flexible (Sempre Gumby). Understanding that just because are in charge, does not mean that folks around don't also have great ideas.

Will Power or Self Discipline if you like.

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[RBid]

Relating to the above:

- goal oriented communication skills. Includes: identifying current state/real issue, determining relevant information to communicate, determining which information is NOT relevant, and clearly and concisely communicating good information.

- humility. It can save lives.

- de-escalation skills for self and others.

 

[7SFCW4]

RELOADING: Mike Dillon over at Dillon Precision once stated (I think it was in the 90's) that by the time you purchase 1,000 rounds of loaded ammo, you've paid for a Dillon XL650, I would hazard a guess that that is more germane today than ever.

If you have hesitation about reloading, a little disciplined research should put your concerns to rest. Perhaps you can assist a buddy with his reloading tasks to get a feel for how you may or may not take to reloading. There is alot of job satisfaction to be had once the reloading bug bites you.

 

[AMProducts]

RELOADING: Mike Dillon over at Dillon Precision once stated (I think it was in the 90's) that by the time you purchase 1,000 rounds of loaded ammo, you've paid for a Dillon XL650, I would hazard a guess that that is more germane today than ever.

If you have hesitation about reloading, a little disciplined research should put your concerns to rest. Perhaps you can assist a buddy with his reloading tasks to get a feel for how you may or may not take to reloading. There is alot of job satisfaction to be had once the reloading bug bites you.

If your time is free, and you're already an expert at reloading, you don't blow up primer tubes, and if the 650 hadn't increased to be nearly 3x what 1000 rounds of ammo would cost then yes that would be correct.

I honestly think that's little more than sales bluster... IIRC, the ROI on the 650 for me was somewhere around 9000 rounds.

 

[7SFCW4]

Tire repair \ plugging -- power tank tire plugging kit, Amazon.com

 

[huthuthike]

If your time is free, and you're already an expert at reloading, you don't blow up primer tubes, and if the 650 hadn't increased to be nearly 3x what 1000 rounds of ammo would cost then yes that would be correct.

I honestly think that's little more than sales bluster... IIRC, the ROI on the 650 for me was somewhere around 9000 rounds.

not sure how this will look: Prices for the Dillons are per their website and does not include all the other things to actually be able to start reloading ( I would guess you could nearly double those prices with scale/dispenser/manuals and other things). The other prices are based on 9mm reloading and are what I have been able to get in the last 3-6 months.

Item    Price                                  
Dillon 550B    439.95                                  
Dillon XL650    566.95                                  
Primers/1000    40                                  
Bullets/1000    100                                  
Powder/1000    20                                  
Brass/1000    30                                  
                                      
Rounds    1000    2000    3000    4000    5000    6000    7000    8000    9000    10000
Dillon 550B    599.95    759.95    919.95    1079.95    1239.95    1429.95    1589.95    1749.95    1909.95    2069.95
Dillon XL650    756.95    916.95    1076.95    1236.95    1396.95    1586.95    1746.95    1906.95    2066.95    2226.95
                                      
Ammo at $20/50rds    400    800    1200    1600    2000    2400    2800    3200    3600    4000
Ammo at $15/50rds    300    600    900    1200    1500    1800    2100    2400    2700    3000

As you can see, there are many factors that determine whether reloading is cheaper than buying. I enjoy it and feel I shoot more for the same money so I will keep reloading. I can't figure out how to get that to be a table, hopefully it gives an idea though

 

[7SFCW4]

Agreed. When I am reloading (been doing it since I was 12), I am looking for accuracy, and reliability. For my money, I can get both, in spades, from reloading. I used to shoot competitively using my reloads (and my Howa) against Jerry who had a Remington SPS and store bought Federal match ammo. He was barely competitive and would just HOWL about the indignity of it all.

 

[gaijinsamurai]

x2 for the posts that mention social skills. I know a few guys with excellent weapons handling skills, but they are such deuchebag alpha-males that most people who know them won't associate with them.

I work in a hospital, often with psych patients. Being able to talk your way out of a scuffle and win allies is just as important as being able to draw and fire, or do a quick tactical reload.

 

[7SFCW4]

Yep, when you are up close and personal, your weak hand, keeping the person at arms length is your friend.

 

[erudne]

butchering,horse packing

 

[Spitpatch]

butchering,horse packing

Yup. right behind maintaining your rectum, teeth and feet.

All this "gun stuff", "social stuff" and the like is important, but pales in the face of what has killed humans from the start: rotten oral and rectal cavities, and decaying teeth. Getting yourself and your stuff from one place to another (especially high-protein food: via horses and your own feet; no vehicle knowledge or reliability will endure even briefly) is probably the next thing I would consider.

 

[DaveJ]

Being polite. ..... and other good ones.

Creativity. Being able to figure out another way to do/go/fix etc.
Logical thinking. Why does this work this way?
Organization. Knowing what has to be done next.

 

[Colt Carbine]

Mechanical (vehicle and mechanical trades) along with various construction trade skills and the tools to do said type work.

Having a bunch of gear will do you no good if you breakdown and don't know how to get your rig going again, if it's possible to do so considering the circumstances at hand.

 

[gaijinsamurai]

Yup. right behind maintaining your rectum, teeth and feet.

All this "gun stuff", "social stuff" and the like is important, but pales in the face of what has killed humans from the start: rotten oral and rectal cavities, and decaying teeth.......

So, that pretty much means we need to get rid of our MREs, right?

 

[AMProducts]

not sure how this will look: Prices for the Dillons are per their website and does not include all the other things to actually be able to start reloading ( I would guess you could nearly double those prices with scale/dispenser/manuals and other things). The other prices are based on 9mm reloading and are what I have been able to get in the last 3-6 months.

As you can see, there are many factors that determine whether reloading is cheaper than buying. I enjoy it and feel I shoot more for the same money so I will keep reloading. I can't figure out how to get that to be a table, hopefully it gives an idea though

You forgot to throw in:

Reloading dies (for dillon ones +$100)
Shell Plate conversions ($40-80)
Case feeder (650) ($300-400)
Case Lube ($10)
Brass Tumbler ($60-80)
Tumbling Media ($20)
Tumbling Polish ($10)
TIME (@$20/hr multiple trips to store, waiting for parts to show up from dillon or midwayusa)

I'm not knocking reloading as a skill, a hobby, or a business. But I am beyond skeptical about the assertion that your ROI is earned back in the first thousand because I know it's flat out wrong. That kinda thinking only works when your time is free, brass is free, and components are cheap and available everywhere.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

There are many different versions of what is a survival situation or appropriate skill for that particular occasion.

Maybe a local natural disaster has cut off the usual infrastructure and temporarily delayed support people such as ambulances and police, and people know that pretty soon "normal" will return.

Then there's the not-so-sure situation such as Katrina's devastation in New Orleans. And there's the year-or-more total collapse such as we saw in Bosnia.
Being able to size up a situation and adapt to changing conditions can be the difference between making it out of there -and being a casualty.

Knowing when to get the heck out of Dodge is a prime skill. The ability to see things as they are and not as you wish them to be. If you see police looting, and wounded people not being picked up by ambulances, well, there's your sign, as they say.

Many people have died when SHTF because they thought it was something happening still inside the system. A large riot or something that would end soon. They didn't realize that the system had ceased to be, and things had gone and would remain, out of control.

Others have needlessly stayed in-place when they were outnumbered or had an inflated ego-commitment to their own stash of material goods or location, or an unrealistic confidence in their abilities with weapons.

Don't be so attached to a pile of stuff that you die on top of it. Don't drag 6 guns with you when you're on-foot, so you're exhausted after one hour of humping that stuff through the woods. Know what's necessary.

 

[Hook686]

What are your chances if you are forced out of your location where your goods are ? If you have a family I think they might be greatly reduced. Even alone, what can you take with you and how long can you last ? Under those very bad conditions, how long do you want to last ? Would a month at home with warm food, booze, light, warmth be a better exit strategy than three months in the field scrounging for a warm, dry place to sleep, and anything to eat/drink that won't kill you, while you evade roving gangs looking for the same ? The way I see it, you can die with your boots on, or die a miserable death in some God awful place, unless of course you have a stronger gang, goods, weapons and location already occupied when the SHTF (worst case scenario).

 

[HansC]

Willingness to perform a massive amount of custodial work and the tools and supplies to do it. Disasters make messes. Cleanup is a significant factor in helping people. It is not glamorous, but it is absolutely necessary. People not willing to get right in there and get the dirty work done probably aren't the kind of folks you want to have around in an emergency.

 

[gunfreak]

NEVER TRUST ANYONE!!!!!

 

[YOURSUPREMECOMMANDER]

Relating to the above:

- goal oriented communication skills. Includes: identifying current state/real issue, determining relevant information to communicate, determining which information is NOT relevant, and clearly and concisely communicating good information.

- humility. It can save lives.

- de-escalation skills for self and others.

You bring up a VERY good point about de-escalation! I'm always amazed at how many people lack this critical skill?