A Modern Survivalist

Reading an article that asked Are you a Modern Survivalist, made me ponder what is a modern survivalist? Definitions and the way movies and (some) society does not fit with what I know. The people I have met through here and in other areas of life do not really fit the Merriam Webster’s definition of survivalist. The author of the article makes a good point

The modern survivalist prepares first for the most likely threats that happen every day somewhere such as violent crime and not just for the total breakdown of society without the rule of law. The modern survivalist sees the big picture and knows that preparing for specific threats like violent crime, sickness, job loss and localized civil unrest are just as important, if not more so than preparing to survive a nuclear world war three in an underground bunker surrounded by cases of MRE’s and weapons.

That above sounds likes most Survival Monkeys I know. It almost sounds like survivalists are now just plain responsible adults that choose to take care of themselves and theirs in case something happens.

Here is the article:

please follow the link for the rest of the article- Are You A Modern Survivalist

 

Agree. To apply the term "survivalist" to the average monkey is almost completely wrong. That's the reason behind using the possibly fuzzy term "prepper" as a substitute term for what the article calls "modern survivalist." Besides being a whole lot less in the way of typing skills, the connotation is more about getting ready for events that can be anticipated; for examples power outages, flooding and the like.

 

I choose backwoodsman as my term and people ask me well what if your in the city and I tell them if you can survive in the back woods you will thrive in a city part of survival is knowing how to blend in and not stand out I can do this well until I have to talk lol then they know

 

Consider this....what good is it, to be prepared to survive a nuclear holocaust (or zombie apocalypse), if you're done in by something much less serious? That would only make you a modern day Achilles, imho. Impervious to the majority of things, but done in by an arrow to the heel.

Personally, if I'm to be done in by anything, I'd rather it be something major, than something simple, but overlooked!

 

I think @RightHand nailed it with this: "Old Pioneer in a New World"
While I no longer care what handle is used, and have always preferred "Survivalist" because that is what I intend to do Survive, pioneering perhaps fits my current live style better. At 54 and with a lot of mileage I am well past the runnin n gunnin stage. Just ain't gonna happen even if I was in the best shape of my life. 14 knee operations and other surgeries later I am firmly in a support role and think of myself now as more of a gentleman farmer with a bad gun habit.

 

Yes, I can see this applying to you. I know many who grow a big garden, raise some animals and they call that normal living. No labels applied.

 

I definitely don't run around in the woods, in fact I don't run anywhere. I'm nowhere's near a farmer, gentleman or otherwise.
But I do know that life happens while you're planning something else. So I just do what I do and I'm okay with that, call it what you want.
BTW, I was born in 1950. That makes me Mid-Century Modern.

 

I think that if some disaster happened whilst you were in the city, Bishop, the city would merely become your backwoods. Different factors may come into play, but it's just a matter of adaptation to the situation and the environment...that's what backwoodsmen do as they transit the backwoods. A slingshot's adherence to the laws of physics don't change when a fella goes to town.

 

I like to think of it like it's 200 years in the past, Certain things just make sence this way. you put up what you can when you can, you stock extra of things when ever you can, and you plan your daily life around simple goals of earning an honest living by the sweat of your brow, you buy only what you need, or cannot produce on your own, and save for things when times are hard so you can make do. You set up your home to support all these things, you run your household like a warehouse, and you plan for the worst, so that when it happens, Your Ready and prepared appropriately! I try and follow these simple ideals as much as I can, and yes, I also have modern conveniences that are a integral part of life, but they can and do some times fail, so I can also do with out, I know how, and I have back ups, or work around's if things cannot be fixed.

 

Lately I have been pretending there is not a store open down the road. I am like most people and have become accustomed to having everything that I want and need just down the road. Instead of going to the store to pick up what I need at that moment, I have just stayed up and asked myself what else I could use. I have stuff and I am starting to learn to stop and improvise. My Grandparents went shopping and running errands one day a week, the rest of the time they made do with what they had. If Grandpa was building something and needed a part, he would go into his garage and see what he could use.

Modern Survivalists are definitely more self-reliant. The materialistic world that we live in now has almost trained people not to think and care for themselves.

 

New Age Boy Scout - ready for (most) anything....

Labels are what is used to divide people.... I'll just go with Popeye the Sailor man

 

BINGO!!! Motomom34 Self Reliant is the true heart of the matter here! Being able to do with what you have, or improvising to find a working solution IS what's all about! My lovely Bride has taught me this lesson time and time again. Imagine having to stand in a line for hours just to get a few days worth of food, an not having any choice of brand, quality, or price, you take what they offer at the price offerd, or you go hungry. Imagine having the same thing with medical care, or any number of other things Americans take for granted. Something we do is to pick up things in bulk and to make any trip to town as full as we can. it not only saves fuel, but wear and tear on our rigs! It's almost an hour and a half to the Springs for bulk stuff, so we make the most of that trip! It's also date night during the conclusion of that trip, we usually find a good place to eat and maybe some entertainment after, depending on the hour! This way, we take care of all our weekly/ monthly needs in one shot!

 

Part of prepping/survival is being sensible about what might happen.

Yes nuclear war is possible, but it's not likely. And if it does happen, it's even less likely that any of us could survive long term even if we did prepare.

Much more possible and likely is smaller scenarios: Severe weather, power outages, etc.

I also think the benefit of living in the country/less populated areas is is real but waaayyyy overstated. I say this as someone who is not a big city dweller himself. There is no joy in driving an hour to see a dentist when things are calm; imagine what it will be like when the S hits the F.

It's true that less people=less trouble, but it also means less resources for everyday needs. I do get a kick out of these TV shows where mountain men brag about how self reliant & independent they are...and then their whole world stops because they ran out of some simple item, such as propane. The next scene is them trekking towards the nearest population center. Yes, they can hunt and fish and get by for quite a while on stored provisions, but sooner or later they'll need to go shopping (or have stuff delivered) just like all the city folk they so smugly make fun of.

I consider myself well prepared for what is most likely to happen, yet I have no delusions that I can go on indefinitely and be the last man standing if things go horrifically wrong. I also don't like to call myself a "prepper" or "survivalist". I just do what I need to do to give myself the best chance and let others parse words.

 

I prefer the term "That nut down the road that is always building something crazy". Everyone thinks I'm eccentric and leaves me alone, and I'm pretty sure they have no idea how elaborate my plans are for the survival of me and mine. Just learn to answer folks with grunts and blank stares, and never let on what you know, can do, or have around. The media has made anyone who identifies as a "prepper" or "survivalist" a target of laughter and scorn.

 

I'ma live in a tree. Try to find me. Lol.

 

I have no intention of "surviving" the coming troubles. With my group, I prep so I can thrive. Anything less makes one a refugee.

 

I'm ready...

 

What? No tactical illumination?