What got you into survival?

[doug1980]

Now I'm sure that some were born into this way of life, while others got into it gradually and others may have jumped right in. I'm sure many of us have varying degrees of survival/preparedness that we feel comfortable with as well. That would also depend on your location, I mean preparing for a hurricane if you live in Montana would be a little useless. I guess I am gradually getting into the whole thing. As a kid I grew up mostly in rural areas, so that helped make me comfortable in the woods. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking etc was a part of life. Then I moved to the city where survival is just as important. I was in Boy Scouts, joined the Army, then the Air Guard, traveled a lot, been through mutiple tornados, 2 huricannes, 1 blizzard, several ice storms and many other things that have helped me learn from the situation. Was I always prepared for these situations....NO, not even close. Seems to be a pattern for me to learn from each situation and add what I needed then for the next time. I have a lot to learn and will probably find myself unprepared again at some point....how about you? Have you always been prepared? What made you get the survival mindset?

[Rick]

I've responded to this before but here goes. I spent some of my corporate life managing Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity for domestic operations. As a result of my tenure there, I just sort of evolved into planning on a more personal level. I really see it as an extension of "normal" planning such as car insurance, house insurance, etc. I just kept planning after most folks had stopped.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

At the tender age of 5 I decided that (after watching some westerns) I wanted to be Kidnapped by Indians (Native Americans) and raised that way.... Never happened and I'm still disappointed to this day. Then books became a way to learn about stuff that had already happened... Mountain Men (the closest white men to being Native American) Cowboys, frontier life, etc. These were the stories that intrigued me as a young child.
Then I found the Scouting program, I could kinda' sorta' live that way camping( at least in my mind). Learned a lot about camping and bushcraft. Then I stumbled onto Wilderness Survival merit badge pamphlet! This is what I wanted to know all along!!!! In it was mentioned a further resource, a book by Larry Dean Olsen - Outdoor Survival Skills. Now this was the meat and potatoes that I had been looking for all along! I couldn't get it where I lived, My sister (who lived in Atlanta) said Maybe for Christmas - Too Long to wait! My Dad asked me what I wanted for my Birthday and I told him all I wanted was this one book.... He bought it for me and I've been hooked ever since. I think that was the cheapest present my Dad ever bought and the one I remember the most. Funny Huh?

[Sarge47]

I've always been prepared to a certain extent, but Stephen King's book: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." really got me hyped!

[Ole WV Coot]

Born into it. I liked to eat and have a strong aversion to dying.

[Rick]

That's pretty funny, Coot. When I was a kid/teenager hunting and putting stuff on the table I didn't know it was survival. I just thought that's how people lived. Who knew?

[trax]

What Dad said.

[Pal334]

Born into it. I liked to eat and have a strong aversion to dying.

Sort of the same as Coot. When I grew up, this stuff was normal. And after a few episode of people trying to deprive me of my life and a few near misses with natural disasters, having a family. I realized that there was a term for it. Surviving.

[Winnie]

Sort of the same as everyone else. I was raised in a rural community where preserving the harvest and hunting was a way of life. I then left home and forgot all about that as I tried various lifestyles on for size. Then February this year, I was snowed in for 2weeks and at the same time my neighbour was burglarised. I almost ran out of food and had the creeps for weeks after.
Thats when I started looking around for advice and lurked here for a while before joining.

[FVR]

Poco,

You wanted to be kidnapped by Indians too? Great minds think alike.

I have always been fascinated with Native American culture. My first book was by Ben something and showed how to make mocs, tipis, breast plates, etc. My mother drew the line when I wanted to be blood brothers with a friend. Did not like the cutting part.

I worked with my grandpop when I was 8 and earned enough money to buy a pair of knee mocs. Then we moved to the farm and I got a little red Fred Bear bow, then my uncle gave me a lemonwood longbow.

My grandfather told me about one of his USMC friends who threw his KABAR and pinned a snake to a tree.

I then started throwing knives and hawks.

I was already bowhunting and camping.

Then I joined the USMC and was sent to 1st Recon where I attended a few rock packages, and then was sent to Panama form jungle warfare training. In between I spent alot of time at 29 Stumps.

I kind of just evolved. I was doing prim. skills back in the early 90's for fun before it became cool.

[crashdive123]

I want to protect my family. I too like living. I do everything I can to not become a victim.

[NightShade]

I grew up on a small farm and learned hunting from my Dad/Uncles and foraging from my Mom.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

My USAF Father is why and how! He put us through the paces very young. I had a knife, slingshot, and pellet rifle at 5 and a Rem. 870 at 9. This meant you killed it you dress it and you damn well better eat it! Between Dad and Grandpa I hope I can attain half of their knowledge related to survival! These guys were born to survive! They were both also very frugal and made alot of what was used while hunting!

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Poco,

You wanted to be kidnapped by Indians too? Great minds think alike.

I have always been fascinated with Native American culture. My first book was by Ben something and showed how to make mocs, tipis, breast plates, etc. My mother drew the line when I wanted to be blood brothers with a friend. Did not like the cutting part.

I worked with my grandpop when I was 8 and earned enough money to buy a pair of knee mocs. Then we moved to the farm and I got a little red Fred Bear bow, then my uncle gave me a lemonwood longbow.

My grandfather told me about one of his USMC friends who threw his KABAR and pinned a snake to a tree.

I then started throwing knives and hawks.

I was already bowhunting and camping.

Then I joined the USMC and was sent to 1st Recon where I attended a few rock packages, and then was sent to Panama form jungle warfare training. In between I spent alot of time at 29 Stumps.

I kind of just evolved. I was doing prim. skills back in the early 90's for fun before it became cool.

I don't know Frank it Might just be a Georgia thing. I was born and raised in S.Ga. Had Bamboo in the back yard made all kind of stuff out of it spears, bows, arrows, Tipi's....even chinaberry guns. Plenty of woods all around, at least what wasn't swamp. You may have a great mind,Definitely a great talent, Me, I'm just a regular shmoe.

[oldsoldier]

At the tender age of 5 I decided that (after watching some westerns) I wanted to be Kidnapped by Indians (Native Americans) and raised that way.... Never happened and I'm still disappointed to this day.

Note to Self Wear buckskins and kidnap Poco at next jamboree(scalping optional)

[oldsoldier]

Growing up in the country I was raised in a semi self sufficent lifestyle. Gardening, Hunting,fishing, Raising livestock/poultry etc. Kind of started me on the path. Training while in the military added to it the inability of the "goobermint" to take care of it's citizens during tornados earthquakes etc.

[FVR]

Poco,

LOL......I grew up in NJ. Fooled ya.

When I was 4 or 5, I was given a kite. I took the paper off, took the string and bent the main stick down the middle into a bow. I then took the cross stick and made an arrow out of it.

It worked pretty good for my first bow.

We are all good at what we are good at. I suck at plant identification. I know a few of the basics. Always wanted to have an old Indian Med. man take me on a walk through the woods and show me what I can eat and what I can't.

Going from a book is just so impersonal.

[SARKY]

As to the actual survival aspect, it was going through SERE School in the early 80's. I decided then that I would rather be free surviving in the woods than a captive.

[Ole WV Coot]

I feel I was fortunate. Grandpa was born in 1895 in E. KY and lived until I was in my 20s. He and others his age and older taught me what they learned from their Grandfathers & Mothers. Grandpa taught me how to make what I needed & raise what I ate. Grandma knew all the "greens" & any plant you could use for medicine & food. I was a teen when my great grandma died, and before that she taught us youngsters that wanted to learn about making soap & things she had to learn. Her folks "loaned" her out when she was 6 because they couldn't afford to feed her and the rest of them. She never went to school and worked for room & board(food was family leftovers). Grandpa talked to me like an adult, he used what he knew to survive in France during WWI, still applies. Dad taught me a lot but learned more from some of his friends, WWII vets who fought all over the world, especially the Pacific and hand to hand with the Japanese island hopping. I learned more when the vets had a few drinks in them and I really enjoyed learning and everyone was glad to teach me, including some bad habits. Guess I would make it, still have about 80 or more acres up a holler in KY. I left at 18 so if that explains where I am coming from it may help why I post the things I do. I never stopped learning to stay well fed and in one piece everywhere I happened to be. Guess I come across wrong but I want to forget where I got some survival knowledge, just trying to help you younger guys get to my age.

[Rick]

And it's appreciated.