Viet Nam veteran, U.S. Navy (twice)
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
Former Boy Scout
…and several other things

I'm no longer in the shape I was in, in 1966 while I was in the Navy. Now that I'm a Grandfather, I tend to look at the issues surrounding Survival with a different set of eyes (through bi-focals). I appreciate the young guys, the SEALs, the Rangers and other "meat eaters" I've survived long enough to know that the Boy Scouts have it right. Their motto is "Be Prepared". They are still right, all these years later.

If you're going to call yourself a "Survivalist" it implies that you hope and plan to survive something. Note that I am not prepared to survive a nuclear war; nor do I intend to prepare. That's simply a bit beyond my thinking and reality. I am prepared for a lot of other forms of disaster and misadventure. I hope that I can help you become prepared. Survivalists do something about it…in advance in order to be ready and/or be prepared.

Note that the Boy Scouts didn't say, "be prepared" for anything in particular. They just said get ready for everything that life can throw at you. If you don't, you'll end up dead or on the short end of the stick…or worse. Maybe, if you're not prepared, your family will suffer because they can't swim or they don't know CPR or a myriad of other things. When was the last time you took a formal First Aid course?

At the moment, the war drums are beating about Iraq and Saddam Hussein. When it passes, war drums will beat again for some other cause. It is the sad lot of humankind that we are warlike critters. I don't wring my hands about the issue; I accept the fact. The American people are the most successful warriors the world has ever known. I suggest that you get good at war or accept the consequences.

These pages aren't just about war. In fact, they're mostly not about war. Disaster preparedness is a bigger issue and closer to us all. Just about every single place in the United States is faced with some sort of natural disaster. Where I live (California), we have nearly every sort of disaster imaginable because the state is so big. Thankfully we miss most tornados and hurricanes but we make up for it with earthquakes, forest fires and floods. The cheerful part about where I live (Sacramento) is that flood is our biggest peril. The history of Sacramento is the history of floods and Mother Nature guarantees us another flood someday.

I have been a Survivalist for many years…something more than 30 years. I don't remember exactly when I formally labeled myself a Survivalist but I remember having thoughts about the desirability of keeping "stores" as a pre-teen. For some few years, I kept pretty quiet about calling myself a Survivalist because it was out of fashion due to a few "wacko's" in Texas and Idaho that were highly vocal former as paramilitary types. Some of those groups drink a little too much "paranoia juice" for my liking. That said, I do own camouflage clothing and a few more guns than some folks. I am also pretty highly trained (and I practice), year-'round.

Perhaps the first thing you should learn about becoming a successful Survivalist is the mindset. In my view, a Survivalist is a pretty highly self-reliant person. Survivalists are oddballs in today's modern world. Nobody (it seems) is prepared for much beyond their next meal or their next paycheck.

Our "modern" society and especially our government(s) teach us that we are not responsible for ourselves. If we get sick, there's Medicare and Medicaid and welfare. If there's a natural disaster, there's the American Red Cross to augment the National Guard and by golly if the government doesn't do it right, our lawyers will sue them! In California, we must carry proof of auto insurance with us at all times. Generally, I like the idea. The trouble is that it's INSURANCE; another way of saying that we're not responsible for our actions, the insurance company is!…yeah, right. We are going to be cared for (by someone) cradle to grave…or so they say. Lately, some of the 401(k) folks are beginning to question things.

Here's a fun exercise: Ask yourself what would happen in your home town if the electricity quit for four days. No Internet, no heat (even gas furnaces use electric blowers), no gasoline at the (electric) pumps, food spoilage due to no refrigeration, stalled autos everywhere (out of gas) and few cell phone work (can't recharge). What are ya gonna do? I'll be OK, will you?

The poorest people will get hungry first and they're the least prepared…besides, they're already living on the edge. They are starving and have little or no choice but to come to your house for food. What's the status of your prescription medicine? Remember, your pharmacist can't get to work. He's outta gas and looking for food like everyone else. Either that or perhaps he's a Survivalist, protecting what little he has. We haven't even gotten to natural disasters yet… Are you ready?

About 14 months back, in California, we got a preview of just how fragile our electrical grid is. We didn't have a "brown out". We had a full rolling blackout. They (the utilities) literally flipped the switch and shut it off on purpose. I'm sure glad I was ready. I'm glad terrorists didn't attack the transmission lines and that I'm not on medical life support. I don't (yet) have a generator. It was about 105 degrees that day. The electricity was only off for an hour (this time) and our governor (small g) was all a twitter with apologies and hand wringing. No matter, I had no faith in him, regardless. In my book, Gray Davis was (is) just another lying politician who promises cradle to grave care…if only I'll just allow him to raise taxes to pay for it (for me).

Not only do I prepare to survive floods and terrorism, I hope to survive the lies of our politicians too.

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