I have been reading the American thread on tools for survival, & it seems to me that lots of people are being very unrealistic in their prepping. Or maybe it is just that Australia is different & therefore we think differently because our geography is different.
I have been told time & time again that there is going to be too much competition in wild areas to allow anyone to survive. I disagree. I think many people underestimate how hard it is going to be without the required skills already in place. People are busy adding this & that to their "Bug-Out" bag & vehicle, & the adding never seems to stop. If any of these people ever have to ditch their vehicle, there is going to be a lot of gear left behind.
I am not going to tell you what you need to do, or what I think you should carry, each to their own. But primitive skills is something that is not learnt overnight, & when you need them, you need them right away. Now is the time to learn & practice, not when you are already in the middle of a survival situation.
Think about the tools you will need to help you settle in the wilderness. Not just weapons, but tools for starting gardens, for constructing shelters. Some of these tools are heavy, so you have to choose wisely. You only carry what you NEED. Do you take tool handles or do you make them on site & just carry the tool heads? What tools could double as weapons & therefore be carried with handles? Who in your group carries what?
If you are travelling as a small family the importance of your choices are far greater. Do your children have their own packs? Are they used to carrying these packs? Will they "spit the dummy" if the time ever comes to leave home fast? Do you take modern firearms or 18th century firearms? Do you carry a bow? Who picks the trail? Who is rear guard? There is a lot of thinking & deciding to do if you have not done it already, & you better be ready when the time comes to go.
So, are you ready yet?
I have been told time & time again that there is going to be too much competition in wild areas to allow anyone to survive. I disagree. I think many people underestimate how hard it is going to be without the required skills already in place. People are busy adding this & that to their "Bug-Out" bag & vehicle, & the adding never seems to stop. If any of these people ever have to ditch their vehicle, there is going to be a lot of gear left behind.
I am not going to tell you what you need to do, or what I think you should carry, each to their own. But primitive skills is something that is not learnt overnight, & when you need them, you need them right away. Now is the time to learn & practice, not when you are already in the middle of a survival situation.
Think about the tools you will need to help you settle in the wilderness. Not just weapons, but tools for starting gardens, for constructing shelters. Some of these tools are heavy, so you have to choose wisely. You only carry what you NEED. Do you take tool handles or do you make them on site & just carry the tool heads? What tools could double as weapons & therefore be carried with handles? Who in your group carries what?
If you are travelling as a small family the importance of your choices are far greater. Do your children have their own packs? Are they used to carrying these packs? Will they "spit the dummy" if the time ever comes to leave home fast? Do you take modern firearms or 18th century firearms? Do you carry a bow? Who picks the trail? Who is rear guard? There is a lot of thinking & deciding to do if you have not done it already, & you better be ready when the time comes to go.
So, are you ready yet?