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Copyrights and Disclaimer: I claim no copyright whatsoever to any of the materials on these pages. This site is intended to accompany presentations and I have taken the liberty to use resources from around the web. That being said, if you wish me to remove any content or links to any content that you feel is your property just contact me and it will be done, no questions asked. As to the inherent risks of survival living and eating wild things, all I can ask is that you please be careful. I am no expert and this guide is by no means a substitute for stuff written by real experts. The intent here is to give you a starting point and for you to verify any information on this site yourself. You are responsible for whatever you do with this information. I am not the originator of any of the information in these pages. I merely compiled it all into one place so I can easily share it with others. Thanks and be well on your journey. -DAB

Welcome to the Rhody Survivalist!: As I began to compile information for a Wilderness Survival presentation I realized that there isn't really a place on-line where I can share all these great pictures, videos and information easily with people. So, I started this site so I could share with you the stuff that I think is important in regards to survival. Here in Rhode Island we have regular hurricanes, blizzards, cold snaps and heat waves. If you are ready to survive a long term disaster, the hurricanes and blizzards will seem like minor nuisances. To really be prepared you need to be ready to walk into the wilderness and live comfortably for months or even years. This is not as easy as it once was. Many of our natural resources have been depleted or contaminated. Just to name a few examples, the water today is laced with Giardia, the mighty Chestnut tree, once making up 1/4 of the hardwood population of this region is gone, and there is now an tick borne infectious disease called "Lyme Disease" which can be debilitating and lurks in nearly every vegetative patch of land. To make it worse, we are unpracticed and untested in the ways of the natural world. We all have a duty to prepare for the worst. If you are not prepared, you are part of the problem. When a truly major disaster hits, you don't want to be relying on the government to save you.

The Sacred Order:

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce to you to the notion that it is possible to survive off of the earth like our ancestors once did. This series should give you a starting point from which you can begin your journey into your native mind. When presented with a survival situation you need to prioritize your needs. As they teach at Tom Brown Jr's Tracker School: Always follow the sacred order when prioritizing your survival needs:

 

 

Attitude:

Have a positive attitude. Attitude is the number one survival tool. You NEED to have a positive attitude regardless of what is going on around you. If you find yourself in a survival situation it is imperative that first you take a moment, check your attitude, and adjust it if necessary. Good practice now is to go camping, get used to the uncomforts of living outdoors, and accept them. You will find that things that you used to find uncomfortable such as sleeping on the ground or being wet all day in the rain suddenly become energizing and invigorating. It is amazing what happens when you wake up your native mind. Remember: Attitude is Everything: Skill is Secondary.

gordie
Gordie works on his "Attitude"

For the "Doomsday" Crowd:

For me a pursuit of survival skills is more about fun and feeling that connection with nature that has become so detached in our modern lives. Most people however don't really see anything "fun" about this. I wrote most of the below section prior to a survival trip that really opened my eyes. When I looked at the impacts of just a few people on the landscape in a survival situation I realized that hordes of people heading to the woods and attemting survival is just not possible. We humans use a lot of energy, even when sitting still we consume the power of a 40W lightbulb or more! To feed the human machine we require fats, sugars, starches, and protiens...... mostly fats. All of these things are quite rare in nature. What I am getting at is that the wilderness cannot support the number of people who whould be heading out to "survive" in a real SHTF scenario. Even people who are trained would have a real hard time finding the resources they need. I almost think that in a real Hollywood movie disaster most of us would be better off staying at home and doing the best we can. I would reccomend that everyone have about 6 months of provisions on hand. Just be aware that your neighbors don't plan like you do. Are you going to defend your supplies? Hopefully, if this scenario ever plays out we all tighten our belts, treat each other neighborly and try to get along the best we can. History is full of examples of humans doing just that. History also tells us that the alternative could be Humans acting like our DNA wants us too: "Survival of the Fittest"...to the detriment of all. During the Great Depression wildlife almost dissapeared from the American landscape. In some parts of the world it never came back. Furthermore, wild meats are very low in the one thing we really need.... fat! It would not take long for humans to decimate wildlife populations. So, please read the below section with a grain of salt and remember that it would be good for a localized or regional disaster but in a real SHTF zombie Hollywood scenario you may be better off in your house with some supplies and some shelter rather than stuck in traffic on a road to the mountains with a bunch of jittery nutjobs. Oh,....and while I'm on this topic, everyone wants to carry a big gun with them for protection. No matter what, you will run into people with bigger guns. Remember that ammo is made out of brass and lead, neither of which is light. The smartest thing you can carry is probably a .22 rifle. You can carry loads of ammo, it doesn't weight too much and if you are good with it, you can be rather lethal. You aren't going rabbit or dear hunting with your .45 or 9mm handgun so leave that heavy stuff at home. I would prefer to get into a gunfight with me and my rifle at a distance from the guys with the handguns. Trust me, getting shot with a .22 is still getting shot. If S ever does HTF you won't be able to carry enough firepower anyway. Let all the gun guys go at it with each other and head the other way. Finally all those crazy looking zombie knives you see out there for sale are just dumb. If you want a tactical knife stick with the stuff the military uses. They know a few things about tactical pointy things. If you want a bushcraft knife (you should) then see my tools page. There are lots of stupid knives out there and most of them are low quality and some of these are very expensive.

OK, so...... lets say a "reasonable" disaster strikes.......

The worst case you reasonably need to be prepared for is a "Progression to Primitive" over a course of ten years. In other words, as time goes on you will gradually shed the crutches of the modern world and become proficient with the ancient forgotten skills of our ancestors.

Initially, this involves having a "ditch bag". Your ditch bag contains everything you need to make the progression comfortably and safely so you can shed items as you no longer need them. Your ditch bag should go everywhere with you. It will keep you safe if you are stranded in your car in a blizzard and it will keep you safe if you decide to take it backpacking in the wilderness for an extended survival camp.

You need to get together with your family and friends, or your "tribe". You and your tribe should assume that in a major disaster all forms of communication will be lost and everyone should converge on your primary survival camp with their individual ditch bags. The primary survival camp can be your home or the home of a friend or loved one who has a little nature and diversity around their home. You should be prepared to spend two weeks locked inside your home. This incudes provisions for heat, water, food, basic medical supplies, and sanitation. You should also have a secondary survival camp in mind where you and your tribe can escape to if your primary survival camp is compromised or unsafe. The secondary survival camp should be much more remote, perhaps a family vacation home or camp deep in the mountains. Both survival camps should have a survival cache buried on site. Burying the cache keeps it safe from marauders so that your items are still there when you get there. Finally if your secondary survival camp is compromised you will have to move deeper into the wilderness with your ditch bag probably hiding and evading other people as much as possible. The chart below illustrates a basic disaster flow of events:

flowchart

Progression to Primitive:

Modern man cannot be expected to walk into the wilderness prepared to live the way our ancestors once did, at least not right away. A slower progression will increase your chances of survival and decrease the stresses of making the adaptation. A good example is this: If you don't know the basics of fire building how can you ever be successful with a bow drill? Also, the first two weeks after a disaster will most likely be critical. Having the supplies available to make it through the first two weeks will give you time to get your skills ready for the next year and so on.

  Shelter Water Fire Food Security
First 2 Weeks Tent/Bivy
Sleeping Bag
Emergency
Water Supply
Emergency
Lighter
Emergency Rations
Emergency Food
Personal
Firearm
2 Weeks-1year Tent/Bivy
Sleeping Bag
Filter
Tablets
Solar Still
Flint and Steel Emergency Food
Wild Edibles
Metal Snares
Fishing Kit
Personal
Firearm
1-2 years Sleeping Bag
Debris Hut
Filter
Boiled Water
Flint and Steel
Bowdrill
Wild Edibles
Metal Snares
Fishing Kit
Personal
Firearm
2-10 years Debris Hut
Scout Pit
Boiled Water Bowdrill and
Other Friction Fires
Wild Edibles
Primitive Traps / Snares
Stealth &
Camouflage

Table: Progression to Primitive in 2 Years.

Ditch Bag ~ What to Carry:

The Ditch bag is the most important component of this survival system. It will enable you to not just save yourself but help others less prepared than you. The ditch bag needs to be small and light or else it won't be convenient to carry around. You should use your ditch bag often to get familiar with its consists and make changes where needed. Backpacking and taking survival trips with just your ditch bag is an excellent way to test your equipment and hone your own skills. Remember, after 2 years the ditch bag is gone and you have made the progression to primitive. The ditch bag is just a temporary means to get you there. Below are some suggestions of things you may want to stow in your ditch bag. Two versions a "ditch bag" and a "ditch bag light".

Shelter Water Fire Food Security

Tent/Bivy
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Blanket

Small Pot
Water Bottles
Water Filter
Pure Tablets
Dew Rag

Emergency Lighter
Flint and Steel
Bowdrill String
Wood Burning Stove and
Solar Charger
Emergency Rations
Emergency Food
Wild Plant Guide
Snare Kits
Fishing Kit
Fig 4 Trap
Small Seed Supply
Personal Firearm
Ammo
Barter Items(seeds)
Scent Blocker
Clothing Tools Misc. Luggage First Aid Kit
3 Pair Socks
1 Set Long Underwear (Baselayer)
1 Set Plainsclothes (City Clothes)
1 Light Shorts or B-Suit
1 Light Synthetic Camo Tee
1 Waterproof Camo Jacket
1 Waterproof Camo Pants
1 Stuffable Wool Double Shirt
1 Set Warm Boots
1 Set Light Sandals
1 Neck Warmer
1 Winter Hat
1 Set Gloves
Leatherman
Survival Knife
Folding Saw
Sharpening Stone
Roll Cordage
Cordage Bracelets
Fishing Line
Maps in Ziploc
Pencil and Paper
Window Blind pc. Compass
Solar Flashlight
Survival Book
Gather Bag
Plastic Bags
Black Backpack
Camo Pack Cover
3-1 Antibiotic Ointment
Wound Dressing
Antidiareah Tabs
Asprin
Rubber Gloves
Respirators
Wilderness Med Book

Table 1: Ditch Bag Suggestions

 

Shelter Water Fire Food Security


Blanket
Survival Blanket

Small Pot
Water Bottle
Water Filter

Emergency Lighter
Bowdrill String
Emergency Ration
Wit and Intuition
Clothing Tools Misc. Luggage First Aid Kit
1 Pair Socks
1 Neck Warmer
1 Winter Hat

Knife
Cordage Bracelet
Pencil and Paper
Flashlight
Plastic Bags
Black Backpack
Camo Pack Cover
3-1 Antibiotic Ointment
Asprin
Rubber Gloves
Respirators
Table 2: Ditch Bag "Light" Suggestions

 

What is interesting is when I ask seasoned survivalists what items the would carry at an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM the resonse is always the same: 1. A Good Knife. 2. A Small Metal Pot. 3. A Lighter. 4. Some Cordage.

Primary and Secondary Caches ~ What to Stow: (Bury if Possible)

The Caches will replenish your ditch bags and provide you with the items you need for a whole group to survive. You want to have as much stuff as possible in you caches as you will be helping other people who weren't as prepared as you. If your Primary Survival Camp will be at your home remember that your house may be destroyed in a major disaster. If you bury your caches they will be less likely to be lost with your home and they will be out of sight from thieves. This is especially important at your secondary survival camp as you won't be there initially to protect your supplies and you know that if you need to head to your secondary camp things are going to be bad out there and you may really need your cache supplies. As people are making the progression to primitive they are really going to value some of the things in your caches. You may be able to barter items for some of the things you need and you may be able to help people out. Your caches can be buried in waterproof plastic tubs or even metal trash containers which act like faraday cages protecting electronics inside. You want to be prepared for several different scenario from Nuclear attack to major Solar Flare power grid failures. Go over several scenarios in your head and try to determine which items you may need in these situations. Always keep the progression to primitive in mind and determine what items you need to make the transition. The following table contains suggestions for survival caches:

Shelter Water Fire Food Security
Tent/Bivys for group
Sleeping Bags for group
Blankets and Towels for group
Water Bottles
Water Filters
Gravity Feed Filter
Pure Tablet
Gravity Storage Sistern
Solar Stills (several)
Emergency Lighters
Gas Stoves and Fuel
Pots and Pans
Emergency Food (60Days)
Wild Plant Guide
Large Snare Kits
Fishing Poles/Lures
Seed Supply
Firearms
Ammo
Clothing Tools Misc.   First Aid Kit
For Everyone:
3 Pair Socks
2 Sets Long Underwear
2 Set Outerwear
1 Light Shorts or B-Suit
1 Light Synthetic Tee
1Waterproof Jacket
1 Waterproof Pants
1 Stuffable Double Shirt
1 Set Hiking Boots
1 Set Light Sandals
Neck Warmer
1 Winter Hat
1 Set Gloves
Extra Shoes
Leatherman
Utility Knife
Skin Knife
Bow Saw
Axe
Shovel
Sharpening Stone
Fleshing Tool
Mechanics Tools
Cordage (Lots of it!)
Maps in Ziplocs
Compass
Solar Flashlight
Survival Book
Mortar and Pestal
Gather Bags
Writing Tools/Paper
  Commercial 1st Aid Kit
3-1 Antibiotics
Band-Aids
Tweezers
Antidiareah
Asprin
Box Rubber Gloves
Packages Respirators
Wilderness Med Book

Table: Survival Cache Suggestions