Table of Content
- Introduction to Long Term Survival
- The cost of survival Preparation
- The survival plan - (The Ultimate List for Brainstorming)
- Preparing for long term survival
- Survival skills and knowledge
T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. (The End Of The World As We Know It) pronounced toat-wa-key is an acronym first coined by Mike Medintz on misc.survivalism in the mid-1990s. The end of the world as we know it does not necessarily mean complete destruction, but rather refers to situations that would forever change our society, and threaten the survival of all mankind.
T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. scenarios includes but is not limited to:
- A major political shift that effects the stability of world super powers, and leads to wide spread panic and financial instability
- worldwide financial crisis
- worldwide famine
- worldwide pandemic
- Nuclear war
- A mega volcano eruption
- An asteroid impact
Personal T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. scenarios happen for people everyday, ask any victim of a natural disaster; their world changed. The greater the disaster, the greater the change and the less chance you have to survive.
The fact that your reading this probably means that you live in a country that has some stability. Not everyone in the world is that lucky. Imagine living in a country that undergoes a major political change with a tyrant leader, or experiences a widespread pandemic or famine.
For our readers that live in the USA, imagine a scenario that would change our way of life dramatically, effecting our freedom, financial stability, and living conditions. Even a thermonuclear weapon detonated above the US creating an EMP field that disables electronics across the country would throw us into the dark ages, and create our own personal T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I.
T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. Scenarios are real, and have happened to people throughout history. Being prepared for major events that change our way of life is absolutely logical.
Introduction to Long Term Survival
(Preparing for the Apocalypse)
Long term apocalyptic survival survival differs from other forms of survival because it requires more preparation and work. Having wilderness survival skills and knowledge to survive when your lost in the woods is far different from having the skills and supplies to survive long term.
With long term survival you need to thing about things like; where will you live, what will you eat, how will you get medical treatment, can you pull a tooth if needed? With any long term survival plan you will need to make a plan, finance your plan, prepare, and finally execute your plan. You will also need a plan of action for getting to safety when events require it.
With any long term survival plan you will need to prepare for life without convinces, a life in a new and unpredictable world. Your long term survival may range from a few months to many years; so plan ahead.
An example of a long term survival plan would be; a secluded cabin far from nuclear strike zones and natural disaster areas, a bomb shelter located under the cabin, food storage with a long shelve life, water storage and treatment, guns and a lot of ammo, communication devices (ham radio, CB, short wave radio, etc.), lots of clothing and shoes, medical supplies and medical books, propane storage tanks, propane vehicles and spare parts, water well, solar power with backup generators.
Not everyone can do the things listed above; so just do what you can! Many people incorporate their long term survival into their current lifestyle; a safe-room, or shelter under their home. You do not have to be a crazy hermit to be prepared for long term survival; just make sure you plan ahead and prepare.
The cost of survival Preparation
As stated above, not everyone can afford to do all that preparing; so do what you can. Incorporate a long term plan into your current lifestyle so that you can be prepared when disaster strikes.
A long term survival plan could cost billions, or a hundred dollars. You don't need to spend all your savings to prepare for something that may not happen in your lifetime. Enjoy the one life you have, but be prepared.
[Example: Lets say you live in an apartment building in Houston Texas; you live from paycheck to paycheck and do not have the budget or location for the ideal long term survival facility. So, what can you do?
Do you have a closet you can spare? Clean out that hall closet to make room for your survival gear. Decide what is the most likely survival scenario that you will encounter. There have been two hurricanes in resent years, and many people were without power for a solid week; start there!
First get a large duffel bag and pack it with clothing and toiletries for 3 days. Include water bottles, 3 or more MRE's, a Texas map, and some cash. Your closet now has a go bag for a quick evacuation.
Next purchase a small camping stove, a few days worth of long term food, several gallons of purified water, a first aid kit, a roll of screen wire (for doors and windows during those hot nights without A/C), and some puzzle books for entertainment. You now have the ability to shelter in place for a week.
Consider getting your TX CHL (Texas Concealed Handgun Licensee). Living in Houston, a mugging ranks fairly high on the list of survival scenarios.
Food for Thought: The survivability of a man who spent $100,000 on a nuclear shelter would be similar to the man who spent a $100; in a hurricane scenario.....but who survives in a nuclear blast?]
You decide what your budget is for your long term survival plan; then start preparing. As shown in the example above, you can simply start with preparing for the most likely survival scenario, then work your way through to the next survival scenario.
Long term survival for some may be simply throwing your survival bag over your shoulder, and getting the heck out of dodge (heading for a safer location). For others it may be building a safe room or shelter in their home, or purchasing land and building the ultimate survival cabin.
Whatever you decide to do will be a step in the right direction; whether you spend $20, $200, $2,000, or $200,000 you have increased your overall odds of surviving a major event.
The plan is the key! There are 2 types of plans; the plan to prepare for your long term survival, and a plan of action that gets you to safety when it hits the fan. The plan described here is your plan to prepare for long term survival.
It's impossible for me to make you a plan on this site without knowing you, your lifestyle, your location, and financial status. I will attempt to give you just a few pointers on creating your plan; in the end the plan will be up to you, your abilities, and your imagination.
- Set a goal
- Set a date for completion
- Set a schedule, or a monthly/weekly cost
- Brainstorm ideas, and survival scenarios (including possibilities after and years beyond the event)
- Do the plan
At bare minimum set yourself aside a fixed amount of money, and purchase items that you may need on a weekly, or monthly basis depending on your income and pay periods. Start with the basics, and the items you will most likely need and expand from there. In the end its up to you!
Location: Secluded, easy access, away from nuclear target zones, away from natural disaster areas, heavily wooded area with wild game, a pond stocked with fish, a hill or high point for better communications, high dry area for underground construction, rich fertile soil and open fields for farming
Fallout Shelter: Large commercial underground nuclear fallout shelter with wast management, two access locations - one inside of survival cabin, and one located outside within an above ground fallout shelter. Above ground shelter will house generators, water well, water tanks, and long term food storage.
Survival Cabin: Survival cabin will be well designed to make life without electricity easy – think energy efficient with a very high R-Value. Cabin can be an earth shelter, or any design that will utilize the sun, and natural air currents to provide a comfortable energy efficient lifestyle.
Water: Above ground concrete shelter will house the water well, water tanks, and water filtration system. Filtration will be a reverse osmosis system. There will be a backup filtration system that utilizes reusable filters and chemicals. There will be several large underground tanks that provide an alternate supply of emergency water to the underground shelter and cabin. Will also utilize a rain water system that catches rain water from roofs and uses it as waste water and fish farm water (could be used as drinking water if needed).
Food: Above ground concrete shelter will house the bulk of the long term food storage. Food will also be stored in the cabin, as well as a fairly large supply in the underground shelter. Multiple food storage will help safeguard the food supply in the event of theft or contamination. There will be above ground greenhouses and seed storage. There will also be farming equipment. Livestock, chickens, and fish farming will be a viable option however these require tending to before an event takes place. Have the ability to freeze dry, vacuum seal, and can food.
Power: Main power can come from solar, wind, or river. A viable long term power supply should be chosen based on location, and ability to maintain long term. As a temporary backup power source I have chosen propane. There will be several large propane tanks that can generate power to the electric generators, and supply direct power to refrigeration, heating, and stoves. All vehicles will have the necessary supplies to convert them to propane for fuel. There will also be a number of miscellaneous items that will be utilized for convenience; tritium (true glow), markers throughout the facility, self contained solar lights, miscellaneous alternate powered items. We will keep a supply of oil, and wax for heating, cooking, and lighting as an alternative.
Waste: Outhouse, self contained wast management system for underground shelter, will also look into maintenance free septic systems
Transportation: 3x identical high MPG vehicles, 3x identical high capacity vehicles, 6x identical all terrain vehicles (ATV, 4-wheelers), 4x identical dirt bikes ----- having duplicate survival vehicles provides spare parts for the future. The high MPG vehicles provide a way to travel with a group and scout out areas that are far away while conserving fuel. The high capacity vehicles provide a way to travel with a group and carry supplies in the event that you need to re-locate. The ATV's provide short range travel and hunting while carrying some gear and game. The dirt bikes are a bit dangerous during a time that a local doctor isn’t available, but they provide a great way to scout out areas while using a only a small amount of gas. A shop with a variety of automotive tools, and technical manuals on your vehicles, as well as spare parts (belts, hoses, fuel pumps, brakes, fluids, radiators, etc.)
Communications: Radio Tower (100+ feet), Ham Radio, short wave radio, CB
Medical: Medical room stocked with a vast supply of equipment, long & short term medicines, and consumables. An adjoining room filled with medical books, and equipment instruction manuals.
Education: A complete library stocked with educational books ranging from elementary through college. Not all educational books will be of use after a major event, so stick to books that will educate and prepare you for the new world. The most useful books after the event will be survival books, and anything that will teach you to live off the land. The next most useful books will be medical books, doctors will be a well needed service. Next will be farming, then practical engineering. Gunsmithing will also be a needed service during these times. After that I would stock up on science books, and electrical engineering. Others would include anything that has practical applications in this future world; how-to-books.
Entertainment: A large variety of fiction books. Even people who hate to read will love reading when it becomes the main form of entertainment, and escape. If you will have the ability play movies then I would suggest that you get a complete set of your favorite TV shows. TV shows can provide many more hours of entertainment then movies, its similar to reading a series of books (the story last longer). Here is my personal list of shows I would take if I was in isolation and needed an escape. Board games, card games, yard games, craft supplies (you may want to decorate your cabin).
Trade: In a post apocalyptic world you may have need to make money, or trade for supplies. Most people recommend putting money into the form of precious jewels and metals. That sounds good, but I think I would put money into items that people will be needing the most (use your imagination; medical, farming, cooking, water filtration, items that run on solar power, how-to-books, food). You will also be able to trade for services such as doctor, gunsmith, & practical engineering.
Clothing: Have a large collection of summer and winter clothing and shoes. Have bolts of materials, and sewing machines. Plenty of buttons, zippers, Velcro, thread, and shoe laces.
Guns & Weapons: Shot guns, long rifles, and handguns. Archery equipment, and hunting knifes. Reloading supplies, ammo, and gunsmithing supplies & equipment.
Tools: Machete, ax, automotive tools, construction & carpentry tools, farming tools, yard tools, electronics tools---basically an ultimate tools collection.
Other: Electronic devices should be stored in a place that prevents them from EMP damage. An underground shelter that is made of metal such as a large metal pipe or tank will prevent EMP damage. Any room lined with metal or copper mesh can provide EMP protection.
Prepare for death: Now that does not sound like a survivalist state of mind does it? The fact is that everyone dies. So go ahead and prepare a will, and get yourself right with your maker. Once we are prepared to accept death, then we can really live. Survival is not just about you, its also about your friends and family. Prepare for all possible outcomes.
Being prepared for the end does not mean you have to be paranoid or become a hermit. Death and change comes to all mankind; being prepared helps to give us some peace of mind.
Prepare yourself mentally, physically and spiritually; but always strive to enjoy the one life you have.
Apocalyptic Survival Skills
Survival skills and knowledge
You don't need to know how to do everything, but you do need the ability and materials to learn. For example; you don't have to know how to can your own food, but if your survival cabin has the supplies, and a book that teaches you how, then you can learn once that skill is needed.
The main survival skills you need ahead of time is the basics; wilderness survival, nuclear survival, ect. Learning basic survival skills such as CPR, First Aid, and Wilderness Survival will help you be prepared for any survival scenario. You should understand the kind of threats that your likely to face, and how to survive them.
Basic Skills that can save your life:
Every emergency situation requires different skills to cope with the crisis. Being prepared is essential to your survival. The following is the most basic Apocalyptic survival skills that everyone should know, and practice in order to be prepared for survival.
If you are facing a nuclear, biological or other major apocalyptic Scenario you should study the following pages. This section will also cover long term survival, Sustainable living, and self sufficiency. Building a green survival cabin that is self sustaining.