What made you a Survivalist?

[sjj]

What got you into prepardness?

[Camp10]

Like you, I have always liked the outdoors and being curious helped too. I had a teacher back in about 5th grade that loved survival stories and would read from journals and explain different techniques for fire starting and things like that. This was about the time I saw the movie "Red Dawn" for the first time and I kind of thought it might be a good idea to know the basics for survival. When I was 16 a friend of mine and I spent the entire summer school break living off the land out in the woods outside of town. We did make a couple of trips back to get a few things we decided we needed and to swipe a pack of venison from my parents freezer. After that, I was hooked. I knew what I still needed to learn (and I still need to learn much of that)and what wasnt as important as I thought it might be. An example.. we carried more bedding and comfort items than we needed to but had very little rope with us.

[Rick]

I did disaster recovery and business continuity planning for the company I worked for. It was just a natural extension into my personal life.

[crashdive123]

I have been involved in recovery efforts for several typhoons and hurricanes. Additionally I have concerns about accidental or purposeful FUBAR situations. I refuse to be a victim and do my best to bring others to that same conclusion.

[Pal334]

Frankly, I like to be prepared. also am a bit of a "tinkerer", so like to find and learn alternate ways of doing things.

[Sarge47]

I've said it before, so I'll repeat it again... It was the Stephen King book: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon," that caused me to think deeper into "survival prepardness." That said, for the record, I am a "survivor," not a "survivalist," I am, however, a magician. :cool2:

[your_comforting_company]

can you pull a rabbit out of your hat? just kidding.

Listening to my grandparents talk about how it was when they grew up. When I was little my baby sitter was older than my grandparents. they grew up in the depression era and somehow those magical stories of getting a toothbrush for christmas, that filled her heart with joy.. the stories of the simple things..
It took a while for it to set in, during my teenage years I put it aside for week long fishing trips down the creek. I think that's what really set it in.
I kinda just grew into it, learning how it was in those terrible years and going out on my own.
I'm not a gadget guy. Tanning buckskin showed me that I can do a lot more with a lot less, so that started me on my primitive quest.
I'm not a survivalist, I'm a primitive entheusiast, but they kinda go hand in hand.

[gryffynklm]

Surviver?? Survivalist?? perhaps a frustrated hybrid. I would guess Hurricane Katrina made me aware that relying on the government for help would be only a partial solution and certainly not the answer to my families safety. I prefer to be part of a solution and not part of the problem. Finding time to take what I have read and learned to application is the frustrating part. Moving to WV is a plus but survival is not the reason we moved. I've always enjoied working with my hands so like YCC the past ways of doing things appeals to me.

[cowgirlup]

For me it's been a way of life although I've stepped it up a bit in the last few years. I remember reading a story in school about a girl who survived an airplane crash in the Amazon and managed to hike down river until she found a native group to help her. I always thought that was interesting. We always camped when I was little. I love beoing out doors and have done a good bit of hiking.
My dad was a boy during the depression and it made a huge impact on him. So, we always had extra food and supplies. And he kept every useful thing just in case.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

First I think a good definition is required. Too many people are "Turned off" by the term.

Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists) who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order. Survivalists often prepare for this anticipated disruption by having emergency medical training, stockpiling food and water, preparing for self-defense and self-sufficiency, and/or building structures that will help them to survive or "disappear" (e.g., a survival retreat or underground shelter). Anticipated disruptions include

1. Natural disaster clusters, and patterns of apocalyptic planetary crises or Earth changes, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, and severe thunderstorms, etc.
2. A disaster brought about by the activities of mankind: chemical spills, release of radioactive materials, nuclear or conventional war, or an oppressive government.
3. General collapse of society, resulting from the unavailability of electricity, fuel, food, and water.
4. Monetary disruption or economic collapse, stemming from monetary manipulation, hyperinflation, deflation, and/or worldwide economic depression.
5. A sudden Pandemic spreading through the global population.
6. Widespread chaos, or some other unexplained apocalyptic event.


The last is usually the ones that makes people think we are "Kooks", since they tend to think of "Alien invasions," "Zombie Apocalypse" Stuff like this. They think we have watched "War of the Worlds" one too many times. Or some other Science fiction type movie.

To me the simplest definition is -"One who studies how to Survive,should the need arise"

Back to the original question: It all started with westerns,and reading Mountain Man books(both Biographies and fiction) as well as other "Adventurers".Tie this in with a love of the outdoors/woods and you will almost certainly end up with a "Survivalist", although today come prefer the term "Bushcrafter".
I tend to be more on the end of knowledge than stockpiling/Preps,although I do some of those as well. See my signature as to "Why". I have been "Stripped" of almost all I owned, and know how fragile this can be,to depend solely on stockpiles/stores. Better to have a "Plan B" if you ask me. Besides you will want to augment your supplies any way to Stretch them further.

[Rick]

also am a bit of a "tinkerer"

Hey, don't feel bad about it. It's just part of guys getting older. Getting up in the middle of the night two or three times, slow getting started. Talk to your doctor. There are some meds on the market that can help with that.

[Old GI]

Thank you, DR Rick; I'll look into that.

[Ole WV Coot]

I grew up running the hills and when I got my "Greetings from the President" letter in '64 just plain ole survival took over, but it was too far to walk to Canada so I got on the bus, WRONG bus.

[oldsoldier]

Sorta like coot. I grew up in the country learning and living a somewhat self sufficent lifestyle. gardening, raising everything from chickens, a ouple of pigs,sheep, and an occasional calf. Living on 125 acres mostly wooded with a couple of small lakes. It was just natural to be exploring the land and later the surrounding acerage of people we knew. By the time I was 11-12 I was roaming,hunting,fishing in about 6,000 acres. Learned where all the wild berries ang grapes grew. Knew about a couple of bee tree's that I visited a couple of winters. Learned to trap from an old timer that lived "down the road a peice". Then when I joined the military in 77 It was just natural to somewhat excel over my city boy fellow trainee's as to get the attention of superiors and get "invited" to go to the special training. Jungle,desert,mountian survival school. Jump and air assault school, and so forth. Each of them reinforced my up bringing. I remember a bird col. telling me once during some rather intense training. That There are two kinds of people in the world those that WILL and CAN survive and do whatever it takes to do so, and then there are the one's that won't. He said "Boy you will be one at the top of the food chain in the first bunch" I guess it was then that I went from your typical country boy self sufficent mind set to being a prepper/survivalist/survivor.

[Pal334]

Hey, don't feel bad about it. It's just part of guys getting older. Getting up in the middle of the night two or three times, slow getting started. Talk to your doctor. There are some meds on the market that can help with that.

Mmmm,, a funny guy eh? May your camel become constipated :)

[hunter63]

I guess I never thought of my self as a "Survivalist", this just kinda how I always lived my life.
Actually find it amusing that for a lot of people, seems to be a epiphany?
(like, where have y'all been under a rock? Don't watch the news? Read the paper?)

O.K.
Father, forest ranger, outdoors-man, gardener, handyman, WWII bomber crew member, with 2 bailouts over enemy territory, made it back both times. (some of my first remembered stories and I still have his compass).

Mother, school teacher, big reader, home maker, depression survivor, (really wish I would have listened closer to her stories, as well)

Early T.V. WWII's movies, Westerns and Davey Crockett, and of course "Annette "(but thats another story)

Put this all together with Boy Scouts and the fact that I grew up in a small town, 1/2 block from "The woods", a small lake (mill pond), climbable/camp-able "Mound" (sorta like a butte).

Mixed with "boy" imagination/curiosity, understanding parents, paper route/lawns/snow shoveling(cash), I couldn't help how I turned out.

Big influence, the book "Lucifer's Hammer" (I think around the 70's) apocalyptic senerio.......
Was a movie also, but I still perfer books over movies. (Couldn't remember this name until I was going thru the "what are you reading thread")

The "back to the land movement", 60's/70's

Oh yeah, then there is still the "When are you gonna grow up, thing"

[Old GI]

Not a survivalist; just a wannabe that will never reach the objective, but keeps trying.:blush:

[owl_girl]

many things in my life have been of influence. i dont know what things or experiences would have had to not been present in my life for me to have not become one or if it would have made a difference at all. i may have become one without all those influences just out of love for it.

[trax]

I happened to wander in here, posted a couple of opinions and Sarge told me to "man up" so I ran off into the bush and learned all this hunting and tracking and trapping stuff. That guy's a magician I tells ya.

[Sam]

and they would like you to help load your supplies in their truck.

I like counting on me for as much as I can, I grew up with my Gandparents (him WWII island hopping Marine, her farm girl that survived putting up with him for years.) :)
I like making things with my hands, quiet places, and wonderful views.
I also have a wife in the works that I am DETERMINED to take care of best I can (even tho she takes care of herself just fine.)
I don't want to depend on the government to remember to feed me I a disaster happens, the thought of doing that makes me nervous.

-Sam
The government is there to either ignore or interfere with a person, depending on it's mood.:innocent:

[Winnie]

2 weeks of being snowed in last february. I realised I should be more prepared.

[Rick]

I happened to wander in here and saw some of the stuff Trax had posted and I said, "Hey, I want to be just like him when I grow up." except old, of course.

[TucsonMax]

9/11 .

[Batch]

We was talking about the government and secret prisons. While I don't by into that to much, the thought of bugging out for real stuck with me. I was in the woods quit a bit more than most folks I know. Me and my brother were doing about 26 weekends a year. Some times just day trips and some times extended stays like 10 days.

I wondered could I make my own ammo from whats available down here? My own fuel?

So my journey begins...

Its funny though. I always find myself either hiking with a gun or doing something else than practicing my hobby. I have said I am not getting bothered with game while hunting anymore. I am just going to explore the outdoors and if anything is stupid enough to walk in front of me...whack....:smash:

[klkak]

I just don't like surprises. Grandpa always told me it was "better to have and not need then to need and not have".

[Batch]

I just don't like surprises. Grandpa always told me it was "better to have and not need then to need and not have".

I say that atleast once a day. LOL

[Sarge47]

can you pull a rabbit out of your hat?
Yes, I can. :cool2:

[Sarge47]

I happened to wander in here, posted a couple of opinions and Sarge told me to "man up" so I ran off into the bush and learned all this hunting and tracking and trapping stuff. That guy's a magician I tells ya.That's right folks; this big 'ole scary guy used to be a real wimp! A real "girlie-man" if ya know what I mean. But a steady regiman of push-ups, an occaisional arse-beatin'.......from Nell,(he actually seemed to enjoy that for some odd reason.) and presto! From Pee-Wee Herman to Arnold Swartzenager! So step right up ya wimps! Old Sarge can do the same for you! :sneaky2:

[oly]

Frankly, I like to be prepared. also am a bit of a "tinkerer", so like to find and learn alternate ways of doing things.

I totally agree with that and I love the outdoors. Tinkeritous is addictive.

[NightShade]

I've always been a major outdoorsman and outdoors enthusiast... Grew up on a small supplemental farm , learned plants, gardening, livestock raising, hunting, tracking growing up. I was just kinda raised this way.
There were 2 stone age civilizations that lived in the area I grew up in and still live very close to. ( artifacts have been on display in the library of the high school I went to for a long time). As well as a rich native american tradition in the area.
As kids , me and my brother used to follow my Dad in the tractor, tossing rocks outta the field. Multiple times we found quartz arrowheads.. There were also colonial era gold adcopper mines we hiked to and explored. The town I grew up in is one of the oldest in the nation.
All of that gave me an interest, that I've studied and practiced since I was a kid, in more primitive and "simple" ways.

[rwc1969]

I'm not a survivalist or prepper, but I've aways had an interest in homesteading, gardening, raising animals, hunting, fishing, primitive skills and such. My family and myself have always tried to live as independant as possible. I won't turn down help like I used to, but try my best to get by on my own.

I think it was my Dad, mom and grandparents that, by practice, instilled that in me at an age before 5.

Up here in Michigan I recall my dad working hard as a welder, woopin' me, picking morels, huntin coon and ringin chickens necks. My mom making elderberry wine and such, sewing, crocheting, gathering fresh eggs, cooking fresh unadulterated chickens, wild game and saying "I'm telling your dad when he gets home", and she would too. Seems like my gramma, my mom's mom, was always rocking in the rocking chair sewing a quilt. My Grammpa passed away before I can remember. He was the one with all the true skills and I wish I'd a had a chance to get to know him and possibly learn from him. A true do it yourselfer.

We had a small "homestead" with a few farm animals, garden and lotsa chickens. Our place backed right up to a huge cornfield and large woodlots. We also had a fox and a coon as pets. The fox was wild, but the coon was tame and would tease Dad's dogs. It knew just how long their chain was and would sit just outta reach antagonizing them until they'd burst off after it and get their neck rung by the collar within inches of reaching the coon. LOL!

Much later, after we'd moved, my uncle took the place over and did homesteading too. He raised everything from pigs to rare pheasants. His wife would churn butter and stuff. I hung out with my cousin there alot and we did lotsa hunting and I helped with the chores and such. After all those years the place was still heated with one small woodburner stove. Sometimes you'd wake up in the mornin' and see your breath.

I also recall my grandparents and parents telling stories of times before, during and after the depression using things found in nature for medicinal purposes, food, tools and such. Times before refrigeration, pumped gas and electricity.

When I lived down south, KY, we backed right up to the hills, back tracks, and you could walk forever and see nothing but woods, hollers, criks and more hills. It was alot of fun as a kid. I grew watermelons, Coleus and sunflowers. My ma had a huge rock garden full of moss roses which drew lots of bees. My Dad planted a bunch of fruit trees, mined coal, built stills and raised coon dogs. We drew our drinking water from a mountain spring on the other side of the crik that ran thru our property. The groundwater below was toxic from all the strip mining and such. We had indoor plumbing but you couldn't drink that water. The neighbor had a huge melon patch and would sit all day on the front porch whittlin' stuff outta wood with his pocketknife. My papaw, my dad's dad, and his brother had mules and at one point in time actually used em. I think my Papaw farmed with his right up until the time he passed away. I don't think he was one to sit around much, even in old age. Many folks grew squash, beans, corn, taters, carrots, and 'maters, had pigs, cows, goats and chickens, and quite a few had fruit trees and beehives.

My mamaw was always tellin us stories and showing us how it used to be before all these modern conveniences. I know it was tough, but I think she overexaggerated at times. It all sounded real interesting to me and I'd just sit and listen to her show and tell. She was crazy though, man you did not want to piss her off. Crazy granny we called her when we got older. She wasn't really crazy, but...don't let her hear you call her that or you'd be goin' out and cuttin a switch.

We'd catch creek chubs, crawdads and stuff with our hands and cut cane poles for fishin'. It might sound stereotypical, but I don't think any of them folks, including us, had much, but we never went without and never cared or even knew that we were considered "poor ignorant flatfooted hillbillies" by many. There was a strong sense of community down south, something I truly miss up here. Although they'd never admit it there was sure some smart folks down there. The only thing lacking was professional, modern medical care.

The thing I liked most was the freedom of being able to hit the woods just by walking out my front door. The freedom of living in a place that didn't have cops, lawyers, busy highways, medicare, welfare, and such breathin' down your neck and bringing you down. There was a few who got foodstamps, but that's about it and they were folks that were retarded or crippled. Not like nowadays where people walk into the welfare office wearing a fur coat, gold rings and driving a Cadillac or Lexus. And then walk out to their side job with a fat gov't check in hand. LOL! Times were certainly different back then. You could get in a fistfight and not go to jail. If ya ever did it was just overnight and there was no long drawn out probation, counseling and such. Pay your fine and go! Too many rules these days! And too many loopholes too. People got along just fine without all that. People weren't running round killin' and backstabbin' each other the way most do these days. I guess that's why the laws are the way they are now. Or, maybe that's why the people are the way they are now.

But, I digress. Many movies have since kept the fire going. Although, I now realize most were just ficticious and romanticized the notion. Red Dawn, Alone in the Wilderness, Deliverance, Sourdough, Fishhawk, First Blood, Grizzly Adams, Jeremiah Johnson, Windwalker, Marty Stouffer, and a few others.

For me it's not so much a worry of times to come and being prepared for them, but an eagerness for when those times arrive and I can get back to living the way I'd like to be living. Free! But, we all know freedom ain't free and there's a price for everything. I'd like to be prepared to pay the price that nature charges to live, but am not prepared or inclined to pay the price that modern society charges.

The main thing I'm interested in now is true primitive "stone age" skills for basic living in the wilderness. I think those folks had/ have the right mindset and were/ are closer to nature than any others. I'd like to learn more about homesteading, because I consider that, if done right, a strong and sustainable part of true living, but ya gotta have a place to do that and I currently don't.

[Mtnman Mike]

I have been interested in the outdoors, camping and hiking since college in the late '70's. Also watched much tv from Grizzly Adams to Jeremiah Johnson to Red Dawn.

Also getting laid off from my first "real" job in 1982 woke me up and I learned about survivalism. I read everything I could find, which in 1982 when I first became a survivalist, there was Survive magazine and a few others.

I dreamed about getting some land, with many trees, water and wildlife and in the early 80's I traveled all over the West. Then in 1987 I found my mtn place in southern Wyoming and began to build a survival retreat,which pics can be seen on my homepage.

Survivalism is more than a hobby but is my lifestyle and way of Life.

[Jay]

I dont consider myself a survivalist. just a regular guy with some unusual hobies.

[Nativedude]

As I've said before, everyone, no matter whether you live in the city or woods, is a survivor/survivalist. As it says in my one footnote tagline,


"The animals in the city are far more dangerous than those in the woods"!

That being said, I've wanted to be in the outdoors ever since I can remember, but especially since I was 8 years old. I saw the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on TV. I pointed to the TV and said, "that's where I want to live".

Every day, since that time, I prepared myself for that inevitability. And now, here I am, living where I've always wanted to be!