CHAPTER VIII
In this chapter, I will discuss an ideal scenario that would allow you to survive away from civilization for a prolonged period in a relatively comfortable manner. I will cover the essential building blocks that will enable you to do so.
In this chapter, I will discuss an ideal scenario that would allow you to survive away from civilization for a prolonged period in a relatively comfortable manner. I will cover the essential building blocks that will enable you to do so.
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
The survival seen in movies and TV shows can look exciting, easy and pristine because you will experience it scene by scene. On the other hand, real-life survival will be tedious, dirty and challenging because you will live it and experience it second by second. There will be no camera crew in the background to assist you when the going gets tough. Being alone in the middle of nowhere with a bug-out bag is an unrealistic scenario, even if your bug-out bag is designed for a "long-term" survival situation. The amount of food you carry in your pack will determine how long you can survive outdoors, and you cannot carry an indefinite supply. As a result, key preparations would need to be made to survive long-term. It all starts with two sets of three building blocks, which I will explain below.
The first set of building blocks -
The survival seen in movies and TV shows can look exciting, easy and pristine because you will experience it scene by scene. On the other hand, real-life survival will be tedious, dirty and challenging because you will live it and experience it second by second. There will be no camera crew in the background to assist you when the going gets tough. Being alone in the middle of nowhere with a bug-out bag is an unrealistic scenario, even if your bug-out bag is designed for a "long-term" survival situation. The amount of food you carry in your pack will determine how long you can survive outdoors, and you cannot carry an indefinite supply. As a result, key preparations would need to be made to survive long-term. It all starts with two sets of three building blocks, which I will explain below.
The first set of building blocks -
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
The first three building blocks to creating a structure that will allow you to survive outdoors long-term are a bug-out bag, a community and a bug-out location.
[1] Bug-out bag - A bug-out bag, in our case, an INCH bag, is a pack containing essential tools and equipment that will allow you to survive away from home. These items will allow you to accomplish many tasks, though a pack full of tools and equipment alone will not be enough for long-term survival.
[2] Community - Having a network of like-minded humans will be crucial to surviving long-term. Humans are social creatures and may go insane if left alone for too long. You also cannot do everything by yourself. Every human is different and should bring their unique talents to the group, allowing you to share the workload and get more done faster and with higher quality. If something happened to you, an injury, an illness, etc., having a community means you would be looked after and would not have to worry about the necessary day-to-day camp chores.
[3] Location - A place to bug out to is an essential part of this plan. Your bug-out location must have a water source and other resources on it. Storing supplies at your location will allow you to accomplish tasks on a much larger scale and make life much easier.
The second set of building blocks -
The first three building blocks to creating a structure that will allow you to survive outdoors long-term are a bug-out bag, a community and a bug-out location.
[1] Bug-out bag - A bug-out bag, in our case, an INCH bag, is a pack containing essential tools and equipment that will allow you to survive away from home. These items will allow you to accomplish many tasks, though a pack full of tools and equipment alone will not be enough for long-term survival.
[2] Community - Having a network of like-minded humans will be crucial to surviving long-term. Humans are social creatures and may go insane if left alone for too long. You also cannot do everything by yourself. Every human is different and should bring their unique talents to the group, allowing you to share the workload and get more done faster and with higher quality. If something happened to you, an injury, an illness, etc., having a community means you would be looked after and would not have to worry about the necessary day-to-day camp chores.
[3] Location - A place to bug out to is an essential part of this plan. Your bug-out location must have a water source and other resources on it. Storing supplies at your location will allow you to accomplish tasks on a much larger scale and make life much easier.
The second set of building blocks -
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
After the first three building blocks are dealt with, the next three crucial blocks are calories, hygiene and medical assistance. With the infrastructure we currently have up and running, calories can be easily bought from a grocery store or delivered to your home; hygiene products can be purchased from a store or an online retailer, and we have clinics and hospitals for medical assistance. These three vital building blocks that society uses on a daily basis to live a comfortable life will be difficult to replicate outdoors.
Calories -
After the first three building blocks are dealt with, the next three crucial blocks are calories, hygiene and medical assistance. With the infrastructure we currently have up and running, calories can be easily bought from a grocery store or delivered to your home; hygiene products can be purchased from a store or an online retailer, and we have clinics and hospitals for medical assistance. These three vital building blocks that society uses on a daily basis to live a comfortable life will be difficult to replicate outdoors.
Calories -
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
Food can be stored at your bug-out location, though it will eventually run out no matter how much is stored. As a result, supplementing your stored food with hunting and trapping and growing your own food will make your stored food last longer. Combining animal husbandry (raising livestock) with hunting and growing your own food will allow you to create a stable structure for when the stored food runs out. Food to feed the livestock can be grown, and animals like chickens will eat pretty much anything, including fruits, vegetables, seeds, plants, insects, earthworms, and even scraps you have no use for, like carrot and potato peels. Chickens are ideal, as they are less maintenance, can be used for their meat, and will also lay eggs during their lives. The excess food you cannot use should be fed to such animals, and nothing should go to waste.
Hygiene -
Food can be stored at your bug-out location, though it will eventually run out no matter how much is stored. As a result, supplementing your stored food with hunting and trapping and growing your own food will make your stored food last longer. Combining animal husbandry (raising livestock) with hunting and growing your own food will allow you to create a stable structure for when the stored food runs out. Food to feed the livestock can be grown, and animals like chickens will eat pretty much anything, including fruits, vegetables, seeds, plants, insects, earthworms, and even scraps you have no use for, like carrot and potato peels. Chickens are ideal, as they are less maintenance, can be used for their meat, and will also lay eggs during their lives. The excess food you cannot use should be fed to such animals, and nothing should go to waste.
Hygiene -
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
As you already know, charcoal from your campfire can be used as a toothpaste and soap substitute. The ash produced from burning wood can also be used to clean your body when bathing. Metal containers can be sterilized with the heat of a fire and reused safely. In addition, having a filtration system that purifies a ton of water quickly would be a great asset. Such a system will give you clean water to bathe, clean your hands, and even drink. Manually disinfecting a huge amount of water every time you want to bathe will make you not want to bathe. Other than bathing, keeping your fingernails and toenails short, washing your hands before eating, not touching your eyes or mouth with unclean hands, and regularly inspecting your body for cuts, sores, and other issues will allow you to deal with them sooner before they become a bigger problem.
Medical assistance -
As you already know, charcoal from your campfire can be used as a toothpaste and soap substitute. The ash produced from burning wood can also be used to clean your body when bathing. Metal containers can be sterilized with the heat of a fire and reused safely. In addition, having a filtration system that purifies a ton of water quickly would be a great asset. Such a system will give you clean water to bathe, clean your hands, and even drink. Manually disinfecting a huge amount of water every time you want to bathe will make you not want to bathe. Other than bathing, keeping your fingernails and toenails short, washing your hands before eating, not touching your eyes or mouth with unclean hands, and regularly inspecting your body for cuts, sores, and other issues will allow you to deal with them sooner before they become a bigger problem.
Medical assistance -
The images above were taken from Pixabay and are free for commercial use. Clicking on each image will take you to the original image and uploader.
Your INCH bag will only have a basic first-aid kit (FAK). As a result, having a comprehensive FAK at your campsite will allow you to deal with issues you otherwise could not. Antiseptic liquids and creams in your FAK will lose their effectiveness over time. Alternatively, hard liquors like vodka can be used to disinfect a wound, soothe the pain of bug bites and poison ivy, clean and sterilize equipment, and even start a fire. Click here for more vodka uses. An unsealed bottle of vodka should store indefinitely and will even last for many years after it has been opened. Besides storing vodka, increasing your knowledge of natural remedies and medicinal plants available in your particular area will be of further assistance. As it is difficult to replicate medical assistance in the field, storing safety gear at your campsite should decrease the chance of any injuries. This would include items like safety helmets, safety glasses, gloves, safety boots, etc.
Camp supplies -
When you "bug out," you are downgrading your standard of living. How much of a downgrade it is will depend on how well you have prepared. You want the transition to be as smooth as possible. This means you must think about comfort and not just survival. Survival will allow you to get by, whereas comfort will allow you to thrive. Having supplies stored at your campsite will make life much more comfortable. Supplies like:
Camp furniture (chairs & benches), toilet paper tablets, wood stoves, bigger metal containers, blankets, towels, cloths, spare footwear (wellington boots, outdoor slippers, etc.), spare clothes, a comprehensive sewing kit, nails, a chopping block, a saw horse, waterproof/resistant materials (Tyvek, oilskin, etc.), lubricants (boiled linseed oil, beeswax, etc.), non power tools (bigger axes and saws, bigger shovels, draw knives, chisels, hand drill, drill bits, replacement saw blades, spare knives, and other non power tools), sharpening equipment for these additional tools, large supply of duct tape, various cordages, etc.
Summary -
Building an INCH bag will get your foot in the door. It will allow you to experience outdoor life and learn and practice outdoor skills. However, a pack full of tools and equipment is insufficient for long-term survival. For true long-term survival, crucial building blocks like a community, location, calories, hygiene and medical assistance must be established. As you work on these building blocks, your pack should be getting lighter.
Your INCH bag will only have a basic first-aid kit (FAK). As a result, having a comprehensive FAK at your campsite will allow you to deal with issues you otherwise could not. Antiseptic liquids and creams in your FAK will lose their effectiveness over time. Alternatively, hard liquors like vodka can be used to disinfect a wound, soothe the pain of bug bites and poison ivy, clean and sterilize equipment, and even start a fire. Click here for more vodka uses. An unsealed bottle of vodka should store indefinitely and will even last for many years after it has been opened. Besides storing vodka, increasing your knowledge of natural remedies and medicinal plants available in your particular area will be of further assistance. As it is difficult to replicate medical assistance in the field, storing safety gear at your campsite should decrease the chance of any injuries. This would include items like safety helmets, safety glasses, gloves, safety boots, etc.
Camp supplies -
When you "bug out," you are downgrading your standard of living. How much of a downgrade it is will depend on how well you have prepared. You want the transition to be as smooth as possible. This means you must think about comfort and not just survival. Survival will allow you to get by, whereas comfort will allow you to thrive. Having supplies stored at your campsite will make life much more comfortable. Supplies like:
Camp furniture (chairs & benches), toilet paper tablets, wood stoves, bigger metal containers, blankets, towels, cloths, spare footwear (wellington boots, outdoor slippers, etc.), spare clothes, a comprehensive sewing kit, nails, a chopping block, a saw horse, waterproof/resistant materials (Tyvek, oilskin, etc.), lubricants (boiled linseed oil, beeswax, etc.), non power tools (bigger axes and saws, bigger shovels, draw knives, chisels, hand drill, drill bits, replacement saw blades, spare knives, and other non power tools), sharpening equipment for these additional tools, large supply of duct tape, various cordages, etc.
Summary -
Building an INCH bag will get your foot in the door. It will allow you to experience outdoor life and learn and practice outdoor skills. However, a pack full of tools and equipment is insufficient for long-term survival. For true long-term survival, crucial building blocks like a community, location, calories, hygiene and medical assistance must be established. As you work on these building blocks, your pack should be getting lighter.
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