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30K views 85 replies 40 participants last post by  QueechoFeecho  
#1 ·
I am trying to compile a list of symbols that would be useful for communicating information to other survivalists. I am basing them on the old "hobo signs" seen here:

Image


Obviously, survivors of a modern SHTF event would require many symbols that were not needed in the day of the hobo. I'm talking about symbols to warning people about radiation, disease, and other threats, as well as tips on where one might find help, fresh water and so on.

So, with the hobo signs in mind, what other information might we want to pass on to other survivors? If you were on the road after an event, what information would YOU want to know?
 
K
#2 ·
all the dead people on the ground is an excellent symbol for a majoity of issues...lol,

In all seriousness, I agree. Maybe not symbols but everyone should memorize international morse code. The world wide symbol of the red "X" is obviously a no go area but used by .gov's and what not means clear, either way, I wouldn't go where that symbol is. You could also use ... _ _ _ ... say for SOS or "help", not nessecarily transmit it. However being that I manage the HICS/ICS system for a local hospital, they tell us all the same thing. Don't complicate it, just plain english to get your message across.
 
#3 ·
kyle1337 said:
all the dead people on the ground is an excellent symbol for a majoity of issues...lol,

In all seriousness, I agree. Maybe not symbols but I think everyone should memorize international morse code. I think the world wide symbol of the red "X" is obviously a no go area but used by .gov's and what not means clear, either way, I wouldn't go where that symbol is. You could also use ... _ _ _ ... say for SOS or "help", not nessecarily transmit it.
Click to expand...
Actually the information I'm compiling would include existing symbols (such as the Katrina "x-code") and morse code.

I'm looking for something more specific.
 
M
#4 ·
I have thought of this, too. I was even thinking that it would be good to have a little sign out on the mailbox that indicates we are willing to barter...but something that only other barter-ers would understand. This could be helpful if the economy tanked worse, and we could put a sign out that has a symbol for what we have to barter, also, maybe....
 
#6 ·
Exactly. It's a way to communicate without risking exposure. So what barter goods would need symbols, and how specific should we get?

Maybe a symbol that lets people know that precious metals would be accepted as money would be a good one. That you're willing to barter food or water. There could even be warnings to say basically "don't even THINK about stopping here." :)
 
K
#5 ·
Interesting topic that bring back memories of my childhood.

We had railroad hobo's in our neighborhood that sure did use symbols at or near houses to let others know if it was a 'good' place to get help. Mostly the symbol I remember was a smiley face. My Mom almost always gave out left over food to them. That is until their began to be too many and she had to stop.

Hadn't thought about that in years.
 
#11 ·
Here is what I have so far. I'm still working on the symbols to represent each of these, but that's the easy part.

First, a couple disclaimers:

Keep in mind that the symbols are intended to be used either alone or together, so although a particular sign may seem unnecessary, it could be useful when combined with another. For example, using the sign for "go this way" followed by the "boat" sign.

Also, I may end up consolidating some that are needlessly complicated, like the ones for acceptable currency. Rather than have separate ones for each kind of currency accepted, you would simply use the sign for the thing itself (gold for example) and add a small sign next to it.

Finally, remember that this is a very rough list and is a work in progress.

Look these over and let me know if you think anything should be added, modified or omitted.
__________________

Hazard Warnings
- Danger, general
- Dangerous area
- Dangerous house or building (structurally)
- Radiation
- Poison
- Bio-hazard
- Disease / plague

General
- Alcohol
- All is well
- Anger
- Authority (Corrupt)
- Authority (Helpful)
- Authority figure or official lives here
- Avoid this place
- Avoid this place - risk of arrest or capture
- Bad people
- Bad tempered people
- Barking dogs
- Beware of dog
- Be prepared to defend yourself
- Beginning of summer
- Best
- Boat
- Boundary line
- Bridge
- Buried
- Burned
- Camp Site, Safe
- Canceled
- Cannibalism in the area
- Cave (Occupied)
- Cave (Unoccupied)
- Church
- City
- Community
- Communication Center or Hub
- Closed and Locked
- Copper
- Cult, Dangerous
- Currency accepted, copper
- Currency accepted, gold
- Currency accepted, silver
- Currency accepted, lead
- Currency accepted, iron
- Currency accepted, any precious metals
- Currency accepted, any trade goods
- Dead bodies here
- Diesel Fuel
- Defended
- Dishonest person
- Distance (number signifies miles)
- Don't take this road - dangerous
- Don't give up
- Don't go this way
- Don't talk to anyone
- Drink (other than water)
- Drugs (recreational/narcotic/illegal)
- Earth, Planet
- Earth, Ground or Dirt
- Eclipse, Lunar
- Eclipse, Solar
- Edibles, Wild plants
- Edibles, Mushrooms
- Edibles, Roots
- Electricity on
- Electricity off
- Electricity, Batteries
- Electrical Hazard
- Element of Air (gas)
- Element of Earth (solid)
- Element of Fire (energy)
- Element of Water (liquid)
- Emergency
- Emergency Exit or Route
- Empty
- End
- End (dead end, no escape)
- Evening
- Evil person that deserves no kindness or respect
- False
- Family
- Farm, Large
- Farm, Small
- Female
- Fire
- Forbidden
- Fortified house, stronghold or bunker
- Friendly people
- Frightened people
- Fruit trees in the area
- Gasoline / petrol
- Generous people, but very cautious. Show respect.
- Get off this road immediately
- Gift
- Glass
- Glue
- Go this way
- Goats
- Gold
- Good
- Good luck
- Great danger
- Greedy people
- Guerilla Fighters
- Half
- Healer (alternative)
- Help/distress
- Here is being watched
- Here lives only women, children and/or elderly
- Here nobody lives
- Here there is nothing of interest
- Here are recreational/illegal drugs
- Here you can work for food
- Here you will be allowed to sleep and nothing more
- High voltage
- Hit the road fast
- Homosexual (gay and/or lesbian)
- Honey
- Hope
- Horses
- Hourglass (left number is hours, right number is minutes)
- House
- House is well guarded
- Hunting is good
- Hunting is not good
- Ice
- Iron
- Information
- Justice
- Keep quiet
- Kerosene
- Kind people
- Law enforcement
- Lead
- Life / Alive
- Look out / authorities are searching the area
- Male
- Male who is easily manipulated by pretty women
- People here are heavily armed
- People here shoot first and ask questions later
- Marijuana grown in the area
- Married couple
- Married couple with child(ren)
- Meeting place
- Medicine
- Medical building (hospital, first aid station, clinic, etc.)
- Medical person (doctor, nurse, EMT, etc.)
- Medical treatment at no charge
- Mercury Poisoning
- Microwave radiation
- Military in the area
- Moon (first quarter, full, third quarter, new)
- Mortal danger
- Mother with child
- Mountains
- Music
- Mystery / Unknown
- Night
- North
- Not a safe place
- Nuclear facility
- Oil
- Organized
- Ounce
- Paranoid people - use caution
- Path (walking only)
- People around here don't like travelers or strangers
- People around here are racist
- People with guns
- Pregnant woman
- Private soldiers / mercenaries
- Pure water
- Question
- Radio communication
- Rapist lives here - very dangerous
- Rapist(s) in vicinity
- Religion, Asatru
- Religion, Bahai
- Religion, Buddhist
- Religion, Catholic
- Religion, Christian
- Religion, Hindu
- Religion, Islam
- Religion, Jewish
- Religion, Mormon
- Religion, Pagan
- Religion, Satanist
- Religion, Taoist
- Resistance fighters / organization
- Rising sun / dawn
- River
- Road obstructed
- Road clear
- Safe place
- Salt
- Sea / ocean
- Sea shore
- Season, Autumn
- Season, Spring
- Season, Summer
- Season, Winter
- See / watch / pat attention
- Seed bank (for sale or trade)
- Silver
- Slavery in the area
- Solar power
- South
- Stay put
- Stay off the roads
- Start
- Steel
- Stone
- Stop / Halt
- Stream
- Success
- Sun
- Sunrise
- Sunset
- Take this road, it's better
- Teacher
- Telephone is working
- Telephone is not working
- Tent camp
- Terrorist activity
- Thieves in the area
- Thieves live here
- Threat
- Town
- Trading center
- Traps set in the area
- True
- Twenty-four hours
- Uncertain
- Unknown
- Unknown number
- Unknown people
- Unpredictable
- Village / Settlement
- Wait here
- Wait, not ready
- Warning
- Water is good for drinking
- Water is poisonous
- Wax
- Weak
- Week
- Whistle
- Wise person here
- Wood
- Work
- Wrong / Incorrect
- Year
- Yule / Winter Solstice
- Zero
 
K
#12 · (Edited)
The horned one is making this way to complicated. You don't want to make people learn an entire language. remember K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid.

_^_ = barter
w^w = water
m^m = food
*^* = ammo
oOo = gold or silver
XXX = danger
-v- = safe
ALK = alcohol
GAS = gas
NWS = news

I wouldn't advertise gold and silver trading, nor ammo either. Let them ask. This is an easy three character device that could be put near the road for those who are looking.
As for why those symbols, the carat acts as a balance beam or scale. w for water, m is for meal (food), the two bangs for ammo, the three balls (pawn) for gold and silver.

Any other suggestions?
 
#16 ·
Great ideas. I like some of the ideas for the symbols.

As I said, it's not a final list, and one goal is simplify it, though perhaps not as much as yours, since everyone's needs will be different. I understand that not everyone will use ALL the symbols ALL the time, but I figure it's better to have them and not need them rather than the other way around.

Another thing that I'm trying to take into account is that these can be used in all manner of SHTF situations, and not just EOTWAWKI, so I want to allow for all sorts of communication needs. In fact, they could even be used in every day life to maintain OPSEC when communicating with family, friends or other survivalists. These could become part of your bug-out plan.
 
#18 ·
humanoddity said:
I came across a site that is an online encyclopedia of western signs and ideograms. There are symbols available for just about everything! This might be a good starting point.

I think you're right on with the hobo code, Horned One. That's widely accepted and easy to understand.

http://www.symbols.com/index/wordindex-a.html
Click to expand...
Thank you. Yes, I've been "mining" that site for symbols and ideas. :)
 
#20 ·
Ground to Air Signals

SOS Need help
K Tell me which direction to go
I Serious injuries, need a doctor
II Need medical supplies
X Unable to proceed
F Need food and water
→ Traveling in this direction
◊ Require map and compass
L Need fuel
LL All is well
N No
Y Yes
┘└ Not understood

If your message has been seen and understood a pilot will rock the plane's wings from side to side or flash a green light.
If a pilot makes a right-hand circle or flashes a red light your message has been seen but not understood.

http://www.cap-es.net/zips/gnd2airsignals.PDF
 
#22 ·
realmcgyver said:
Ground to Air Signals

SOS Need help
K Tell me which direction to go
I Serious injuries, need a doctor
II Need medical supplies
X Unable to proceed
F Need food and water
→ Traveling in this direction
◊ Require map and compass
L Need fuel
LL All is well
N No
Y Yes
┘└ Not understood

If your message has been seen and understood a pilot will rock the plane's wings from side to side or flash a green light.
If a pilot makes a right-hand circle or flashes a red light your message has been seen but not understood.
Click to expand...
Definitely useful. In fact, one section of the booklet will include common emergency signs used by government, rescue, military, and so on. Ground-to-air signals will definitely be in there.
 
O
#24 ·
Sounds like a good idea for a group that wants to share within the group, but keep it from outsiders. (make up own symbols)
Found a mention of like idea in eric sloane's "our vanishing landscape" for old traveling circuses back when circuses were illegal.
By the way, while more history oriented, I recommend any of eric sloanes books. Great stuff about how things were done in the old days.
 
#25 ·
otterboy said:
Sounds like a good idea for a group that wants to share within the group, but keep it from outsiders. (make up own symbols) Found a mention of like idea in eric sloane's "our vanishing landscape" for old traveling circuses back when circuses were illegal. By the way, while more history oriented, I recommend any of eric sloanes books. Great stuff about how things were done in the old days.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the recommendation. I know that many groups throughout history have used secret signs to pass on messages, including hobos, roma (gypsies), carnies, circus folk, and underground resistance fighters.
 
#28 ·
I think I will only need one....

Image


JK

Good ideas. if I wanted to barter, I could put up a sign that says "Barter your **** here"

Secret symbols would be awesome if everybody on the forums lived near each other.

I would really be for a universal, single symbol that identified all of us preppers here on the forum. i would be more agreeable to running into one of you out there than random people. Having a single symbol that identified one as a serious prepper that would only be obvious to other serious preppers would be cool.

Maybe something that would be easy to draw with a grease pen or sharpie but very obvious to each other.

maybe like...

Image


Definately weed the list down to 10 or so. It would be hard for people to learn a new language when all is sucking real bad.
 
#41 ·
ComancheSniper said:
I would really be for a universal, single symbol that identified all of us preppers here on the forum. i would be more agreeable to running into one of you out there than random people. Having a single symbol that identified one as a serious prepper that would only be obvious to other serious preppers would be cool.
Click to expand...
I like this idea. I think someone posted a link to another thread about using the number 3 or III. I also liked the suggestion of the "V" as an identifying sign.

I am open to suggestions for this one, whether it's a generic survivalist sign, or one specific to members of this forum. If it were a forum specific sign, then it could be accompanied by the persons user name underneath. :)
 
#35 ·
I am not trying to be mean here.

If you don't want to use words for security reasons, who are you not talking to regularly that would need symbols to find something. You would have to have a very large underground group to make this plausable. The idea is totally cool but the use of the symbols is so incredibly obscure to everybody except who is familiar with them. Right now that would be forum members who are a very, very small minority of people. The chances of running into one of these symbols near your BOL or BIL is tiny.

I am lost as to how these are used unless you have a large group to work with that is trying to hide something from some kind of authority or danger.
 
#42 ·
I wonder how long it would take for the new language to be understood by many/all "non-survivalists", making the whole thing moot?
The hobo symbols were deciphered right quick.

Also, I would be leery of fellow "survivalists" too...some may have negative intentions but be allowed to come close just because they are "survivalist literate"?

Communication in any form during shtf will compromise OPSEC.

Not knocking down the idea, just curious about potential results.
 
#43 ·
I agree that any communication can be a risk, but for some, the benefits outweigh any potential risks.

These signs are not meant to painted 6' high across the front of a building. Part of the system is knowing when and where to leave messages.

As far as non-survivors deciphering the signs, keep in mind that the people who deciphered the hobo signs probably lived fairly comfortable lives. I suspect that survivors of a catastrophic event will have more important things to do than to puzzle out some scratchings on a wall, particularly at a location that is not exactly a source of anything useful.

I think if the people using them are smart, there is very little risk. It doesn't have to be about telling people "Hey, get supplies here!" Using the signs doesn't tell people where I am, where I'm going, or what I have (other than a piece of chalk) unless I choose to tell them.

So here's a serious question. If I am traveling after some sort of SHTF event, and I leave a message for fellow travelers that going into a particular area is dangerous and should be avoided, what is the risk to my OPSEC?
 
#44 ·
Traveling anywhere after shtf would be dangerous...one can leave the warning symbol just about anywhere and be fairly accurate.
Also, the underhanded can create an ambush for survivalist by leaving warning signs to move the herd towards them.

"I suspect that survivors of a catastrophic event will have more important things to do than to puzzle out some scratchings on a wall, particularly at a location that is not exactly a source of anything useful."
This notion makes the entire symbol effort moot?

In a survival scenario, OPSEC is crucial. The variables are too great to risk IMHO.
Communication whether on the sly or in plain English will compromise security.
In a calamity, security is first before much anything else...
I think it comes down to one's needs and comfort level.
 
#47 ·
LeftCoast Grower said:
"I suspect that survivors of a catastrophic event will have more important things to do than to puzzle out some scratchings on a wall, particularly at a location that is not exactly a source of anything useful."

This notion makes the entire symbol effort moot?
Click to expand...
Not at all. The point isn't for people to puzzle the signs out. These are meant to be used by people who have the list or have shared it with others they trust. Sure it can "fall into the wrong hands" which is why I want to come up with a way for individuals to mark them with a kind of personal signature that others will recognize. People will quickly recognize which messages are trustworthy and which ones are not.

As I said before, no system is fool proof, so it's all about risk assessment.

LeftCoast Grower said:
In a calamity, security is first before much anything else...

I think it comes down to one's needs and comfort level.
Click to expand...
I completely agree that it will be based on individual needs, situation and comfort level. I think where we disagree is the level of risk being the same everywhere. For example, I believe that an urban survival situation is going to be a much higher risk than in a rural one.

I think we also disagree about priorities. That is not to say that security is not important. It's obviously very important, but security is nothing if you die of dehydration, starvation and/or exposure. I think they are all equally important, and the ones that have priority will again depend on your current circumstances. For example, if you're starving, then risking OPSEC may be necessary. So my thought is, wouldn't it be better to have a covert communication system ready in case it's needed?

Thank you for your input. :)
 
#49 ·
I agree. What I'm doing is putting them into categories to make them easier to find. Here is an example of my categories so far:

Character (these will let you know the character of the people in question)
Directions (these tell you which way to go)
General (these are... well, general)
Geography and Travel (self-explanatory)
Hazards (these are for obvious hazards like radiation, poison, bio-hazards, etc.)
Important Locations (hospitals, churches, FEMA camps, etc.)
Measurements (these include quantities like ounces, pounds, gallons, etc.)
Organization (these describe how a particular group is organized)
Other Locations (houses, farms, communities, etc.)
Resources and Trade Goods (again, self-explanatory)
Services (these might include medical care and other useful skills)
Shelter (these would be safe camp sites, caves, abandoned structures, etc.)
Time (these are signs that relate to time, such as minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc.)
Warnings (these would be less severe or specific warnings than the hazard signs, and would include things like: avoid this town, raiders in the vicinity, etc.)

They will also be indexed alphabetically at the back of the book.
 
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