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Just about once a week, sometimes daily, I drop into Ivarr Bergmann’s “Evasion Survival, Alaska” website (http://www.the-edelweiss-never-quits.net/) just to remind myself of reality. Ivarr doesn’t have every new “Gucci” piece of kit, but what he does have is the intestinal fortitude to go outside, try things and develop, learn, improve his kit and abilities. Take a look at his site. Looks pretty harsh and lonely to me. I respect him and his efforts. I know what I have works, yet I am still every week R&D’ing a new idea to make what I have better. You don’t need the latest and greatest, you need what works, and to know what works – YOU HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AND DO IT!   Individually, Family and Group.

Did you buy your LBE, pack, web gear and did you make it better, tailor it, alter it…or just assumed what the manufacturer put out is right? Take a look at the mods Ivarr has done. Take what you will, discard what you will, your kit is just that – your kit, make it right.

There is a difference in basic Bush craft, and E&E Survival. Between a group or family situation and being on your own. Selecting and setting up your equipment or physical preps is sort of fun. We get a little rush out of how prepared we are, and the self-satisfaction of, in our minds, being able to help our families. Heck, it’s even a family bonding time. But going outside and practicing the preps, and skills? We don’t have enough time, or we don’t have enough money, etc…

Yes we do have the time and the ability. Most of the schools I am familiar with will work with you if you are serious and get you in on a package deal. And what’s wrong with going out on your own. And don’t just use the public areas such as national forests and parks. You neighborhood is where all this is going to start, be it work place or home. Better know how to escape thru private property. Leave no trace isn’t just a saying by the way.

It jars our western Judea/Christian precepts to think of the harsh realities of absolute survival – much less thinking, planning and actually doing the preps, pre scouting, PT, and gear selection. What! Go and scout escape routes, lay-up sites – but that’s someone else’s property and we would be trespassing, or I can’t do that, that’s not right….. and what about taking a life?

We had a night navigation field exercise last night, and then we hung around and chatted with some friends taking the class. The moon was full, there was a thick layer of wood smoke in the air from the forest fires in the area, moon was more red than yellow. Temps were still about 70 at 11pm and things were eerily similar to a possible post collapse event. We got to talking about escape and evasion, bug out kits, and all manner of things. There was quite an awakening with them. They are all young men, college age, who are basically starting life and preps.

When various scenario’s were laid out about what might cause a collapse, and then with the aftermath situations that are potentially present; there was a noticeable tightening of faces and postures, even in the dark of the outdoor site we were in, about the stark realities of what a post collapse might look like and the hard choices we will have to make.

We are hesitant about gearing up, applying the camo cream and walking into the woods to see what we can see, plan what we will do, and practice not being noticed by everyone else. Ivarr has embraced this and I learn every time I drop in. I’ve been doing this for 40 years and am quite good at it myself. New perspective’s never hurt, take what you can, discard the rest. The very vast majority of our students are reluctant to put on the camo cream, get down and dirty, or actually do a low crawl. “I feel silly”, “I got to drive home and don’t want to get too dirty”, etc… Yet when it happens –someday – you are not going to rise to the occasion and survive – you are going to sink to your lowest level of competency…and if that is staying clean….well, good luck.

Sheesh! Back in 2011 I wrote a blog piece about the increase in crime, gang violence and such. I look around today and I see all of that and more increased, (Really? A “knock out” game); but I also see the random lone gunman, fanatic, mental case, etc who we all potentially could encounter in an average day. Theater shootings, Military Bases and Recruitment centers, Houses of Worship, Malls and Shopping Centers are all targets of these individuals. When there is an active shooter, the Government recommends running if possible, hiding if not, and fighting back as a last resort. Again – Really? How many others may die or be injured because an armed, trained, and capable person choose to hide until confronted? Run away, Hide or,…now here’s an idea… Put Down the Threat? I am not advocating lone wolf heroics, but come on, when did we turn into sheep. This “don’t hit” BS and “don’t touch” has gone off the edge. We need to get back our Man and Women Cards! When we were in school, playground scuffles happened, and more often than not, we were friends afterwards. Today, the attitude is “don’t hit”, “don’t touch”, don’t get involved, let the authorities handle it, the Government will take care of it…and us.

I say, “Nope – if you bring it, I will deal with it”.

Homeland Security/FEMA has a course available to everyone here. It’s about the most useless drivel there is, maybe not quite that bad, there is some good in it. – Especially if you are NOT routinely armed and aware. Then it makes perfect sense. However, Why are you not armed and aware, responsible for you and your families, your fellow citizens? Seriously, going to fists is a poor alternative to going to gun with appropriate cover!

Let’s get trained, keep our selves armed and ready, and stay aware! Staying aware is the biggee here. Lot of terms for this, “Stay frosty”, “Stay hard”, “Keep the head up”, whatever, they all translate into …. Just how do you ambush and knock someone out on the street if you are maintaining the “Aware state of mind”?

Prepping or Survival Training, Bugging Out or Sheltering In Place and Your Defensive Training Skill Sets

Do these go together and just how much, or perhaps even how do they go together? On the surface they seem to be “Hand in Hand”. After all, if you prep, you have to have the capability to shelter in place or bug out, maybe even both (more likely); – sheltering in place if caught unable to immediately (or before) leave when it happens, while waiting for the opportunity and timing to bug out. Whether or not what you do in the above situation, you have to have the means and capabilities to protect you and yours, and the materials you think you are going to need in a post-event scenario.

There is a thin veneer of civilization amongst us. The rule of law is the only thing, besides might, keeping us safe in our homes and persons. Looking at how easy this breaks down in the most civilized cities among us, even without the basic human needs stressors of no power, food or water, leaves little doubt that when faced with no rule of law (however long) and the need to feed ourselves and our children, we will do what we have to survive – to include taking what YOU have. In the above sentence, I put “to feed ourselves….” before feeding our children. Around the world, even here in the US, we are selling our children, destroying our children and non-producing individual’s to take care of our perceived needs, whether that’s a drug or alcohol habit, or simply the means to survive.

In the Tactical world the need is for strength, speed, violence of action, and the ability to travel light while carrying everything you need to survive. In the Tactical world you need to be able to carry ammunition, (500 rounds is quite heavy and will probably be the majority of your pack weight), as well as personal items, gear, and mission equipment. In the Survival world, the adage is “2 is 1, and 1 is none”. This is purely a survival scenario where we can use the space and weight allowance to do this. When you mix in the defensive needs however of survival post collapse, then we cannot afford this luxury of having 2 of everything. We only advocate having a backup in the most basic of equipment or “Kit”, ie; backup fire starter, knife and cordage.

In a true survival scenario such as a plane crash where rescue is hopefully days away and injuries are not too mobility impairing, then having a backup fire starter may just save your life. In a “Zombie Apocalypse” though, we need more ammunition.

You need to put thought into your individual needs and situation. Get some training to see if what you think you need and if the skills you have – works! Does all of your tribe, kith or kin have these skills and the equipment or is it just you and you’re ‘gonna carry the load”. Obviously what I’m going to say next is “What happens when you’re the one down or impaired”.

So yes, these topics do go together, and yes they are stand alone depending on your needs. They do even blend over into each other, but remember the adage “Jack of all Trades, Master of None”. You have to tailor your needs for a changing world. Taking off into the wilds, or in a post grid collapse, there is no resupply and no rescue.

What you have, Cache or Carry, is what you have. Skills, Equipment, Food – consider carefully and get the training!

Spring is here!

Let’s start considering our gun handling and personal protection situations now that winter is over. Skills are rusty and a little class time will go a long ways towards getting us ready to overcome whatever life throws at us! This is also a great time to consider rotating your defensive ammunition out for fresh rounds, as well as checking smoke alarms, extinguishers and spare tire conditions (not that one around your middle although now is a good time to get back into shape).

Have you thought about some wilderness training? How about a training class with your family in how to survive when thrust onto your own due to a snowstorm, natural disaster, power outage, or even just simply lost! Navigation, fire building, shelter making, food and water procurement are just the tip of the training iceberg that you and the whole family can enjoy together.

Spring is a great time to be thinking about and more importantly – Doing Something about getting prepared!

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