Post Apocalyptic Survival Stategies, or 'No, You Still Can't Eat Your Room-Mate. "

[wayzim]

This was the topic of a panel I was on at this year's Philcon (SF con, the weekend past ), and we had a good crew, some of whom might only be outgunned by the freaks(in a good way since I know better than to argue with some one packing serious heat ) here on HOTD.

While the bulk of the discussion was on the nature of your stockpile, and as a friend and old gamer buddy kept saying "Water, water, and more water. ", I was the monkeywrench to spoil the fun by harping on the psychology of survival, and a suggestion the "Unforeseen Circumstance. " might catch you outside of your little stockade.
(This was the point at which Tony (Finan ) then reached into his pocket and tossed a small but powerful flashlight and several tool/blade combos on the table. He gave me such a "Ok Smart Ass, any more questions? " - it was a good rebuttal, but some of my answers would take too long and we only had an hour panel.

My best example (and I need to look this up to find the documentary ) of even the best prepared being caught off guard (psychologically, that is ) was this experienced nature filmmaker who was shooting underwater in the Galapagos when she accidentally got swept up in a mid ocean current which pulled her several miles off course before she realized it.
The sudden ( and for a time - Overwhelming) Panic which threatened to overcome her, she filmed it. After the incident it took her time to recover, but she did, finally getting back on that horse.
So while even some of my fellow panelists were quick to discount the point, at least recognizing the possibility of it will make you a better survivor ( because it jacks up the need to be able to respond properly to each situation on it's own merits - and damn I wished I said it like that on Saturday )

On a Sunday panel, which I'd so wanted to be on, we talked about how real life disaster influenced fiction. One of the gals complaining about how there wasn't much on women in such situations (i.e. rape and other such fem specific problems )
To which some idiot followed up with "Well, guys can get raped too. " (Dude, stupid counter because it turns into a pointless argument of statistics - obviously )

I brought up the real life incident during 'Desert Storm' (The Gulf War )where a female officer and her men were caught by the Iraqis and she was raped (and this was where she becomes a true hero )but she never told her boys.
(in case someone doesn't get it, real men don't allow that to go unanswered, and they would have likely been killed for reacting. )
As much as one can during war, one looks to the disposition of your crew, and she was a leader first and foremost (and I need to look up her name - my bad )

Anyway, the fictional examples of 28 Days Later and Panic In The Year Zero were also brought up to show that people were thinking about this stuff, so we had some good debate all around.

Zombie and Survivak Fans united, we are Legion.

Wayne Z

[Zombie Snack]

Just hold up at a farm house, you need no protection or preventative measures taken, just stay out of the woods..walkers are out there waiting for you. I know this I been watching this happen on Sunday evening on AMC.

[babomb]

That's a great point on the psychology of survival. Doesn't surprise me that others tried to gloss it over. It seems that many people in the survival community focus heavily on "things" and neglect other less "cool" aspects. Most often men seem to really focus on firearms and gear, and women focus on more domestic aspects like food. Not that those aspects don't play extremely important roles in any survival situation. But relying on stuff is problematic because where are you if those things are lost/taken away/destroyed? Anything you can carry on your person is limited. Be that a BoB or just some assorted items in your pockets. Those things aren't gonna last long. So then you find yourself in a precarious situation. Many people who see themselves as hard core survivalists aren't prepared for a situation where you have absolutely nothing to sustain yourself with. This is what separates the prepared from the true survivalist.
IMO as well, the psychological aspect of survival is the most important aspect. This includes(but is not limited to) survival skills. You don't lose skills, they don't disappear if all your supplies run out or are destroyed. It's a major mistake to disregard or gloss over the psychological aspect. And IMO it speaks of a persons psychological disposition in the 1st place. Stockpiles of survival items become safety blankets. When that safety blanket is removed the 1st thing you need is the ability to survive the psychological trauma of that itself, then you need skills to sustain yourself and anyone else that depends on you.

[Mike70]

my survival strategy still and will always, revolve around using the ohio river and its tributaries. the river provides quick movement and protection. the river and its tributaries also would provide a limitless supply of food in the form of fish. you also cannot go more than 5 feet around here without seeing deer. in a post-apoc situation, regular deer hunting is out. yes i would spotlight them, i would use any and all methods to lure them in. and in reality, it wouldn't be that hard. the density of the deer population around here is utterly ridiculous. add to that squirrels, rabbits, and birds and i don't think this part of southern ohio/northern ky would be a difficult area to survive in. you certainly would not lack for one of life's basic resources: water. sure, you'd have to boil it or add a purifying agent but again, its supply is endless. and if i travel up river from where i live, i am in one of the least densely populated parts of the eastern US.

[babomb]

I'm by no means a hardcore survivalist. I have some emergency supplies and a BoB. Limited hunting experience, simple bushcraft skills, I'm familiar with a limited amount of firearms and I've cleaned and dressed my share of critters. I'm pretty good at land nav, I can walk forever and work on vehicles. I'm pretty confident I can figure almost anything out.
I can't say for sure how I'd fare in a survival situation. But I know I could give a shot...

[Mike70]

I'm by no means a hardcore survivalist.

most "hardcore" survivalists are already walking dead men and just don't know it. surivival, in the vast majority of cases, comes down to luck and where you are when disaster strikes.

just look at some airplane crashes: sit in one seat and you live. if you are in another, you die. sometimes it is just that random. same goes for floods, earthquakes, nuclear accidents, and zombie uprisings. where you are at when it starts has a HUGE impact on whether you live or die.

i'm a recluse and almost never leave my house anymore. so there is an over 95% chance that i'll be sitting right here with all my shit if something goes down. i'll take those odds and my chances.

[Legion2213]

Mentality is important, people have been found dead in pretty mild conditions with absolutely tons of survival gear and no real injuries and only a few miles from civilisation, these people simply "gave up", they just didn't have the instincts to carry them through.

Others (including children) have been cast into situations with hardly the clothes on their backs and zero survival training or awareness and walked out of quite horrific situations after weeks of grueling hardship in the wilderness, they simply refused to lie down and die.

There are some survival books that document cases like this. But even basic, simple rules will help you out in these situations...the old S.T.O.P accronym is always a good foundation (S.T.O.P. Sit -Think - Observe - Plan).


SIT: When you realize that you are lost take the time to sit down and collect your thoughts. You are not lost, you are right where you are, your camp, vehicle and everyone else is lost.

THINK: What do I have at my disposal both physical and mental that can help me in this situation. Take an inventory of your survival kit items and how you will use them. Take an inventory of your mind, remember what you always thought you would do if you got lost. Most of all remain positive, you will survive.

OBSERVE: Look around, is there shelter, water, high ground, an open area so the searchers can see you. It will be easier for those searching to find you if you can stay in one selected location that will allow you to build a fire, provide shelter, set out signals and be in an area that can be seen at a distance or from aircraft .

PLAN: Now create your plan of action. Be positive and take care of yourself. If it is late in the day, build a fire for heat and signaling, find or make a shelter against the weather, and most of all remain positive, you do have the ability to survive. You have conquered the major danger of not allowing panic to cast your fate, you can now conquer anything else that confronts you.

Althought the above applies to wilderness survival, it can be modified for most situations. Our needs our usually the same in any situation - Protection from the elements (or zombies), water, food, fire, tools etc

[Sammich]

The guy that said water is spot on.

The old survivalist saying of "3" always applies no matter what the situation.

You can live
3 minutes without oxygen
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

Water loss in perspiration due to stress and physical exertion is going to be significant. The minimum recommended by red cross/fema is 2 gallons per person per day for cooking, drinking, and very light washing.
Without a source of potable water the breakdown of mental and physical abilities becomes accelerated.

[Lehcar]

So true. What makes sense in real life is what makes fiction so interesting. Character.

I think mostly about the horror of an actual zombie apocalypse. The constant terror. The adreniline rush would be great, sure, but when that's gone there's only the fear left. Constant. Daily. Grinding. But it's when the fear goes away that you die. You get complacent, you forget precautions. The fear of losing your fear becomes a daily struggle. You're alone, surrounded by death. Not even the true death of a holocaust but the degrading, mindless death of a reanimated corpse. This isn't for the next month. This isn't for the next year. This is the rest of your life. No strolling around looking at Christmas lights. No more Thanksgiving turkey surrounded by family. All the daily, weekly, monthly, annual experiences that defined your life are gone.

Why keep on living? To experience the crippling fear every single day? Do you hope to rebuild? Rebuild what? Society as it was or just any gathering of people who feel they are safe enough to laugh? What if you ARE one of the few survivors of a total zombie apocalypse... what is the point? Should you breed? Should you start a family in this? What if there are no candidates? What if the candidates available are such outlandishly unrealistic parters that you wouldn't even spit in their direction before let alone breed with them now?

Humans overcome adversity at every turn. They find a reason. They find a hope. But very few I think have the feral instinct necessary to forget there is a future and keep living day-to-day. Have a child. Have children. Continue the species. Breathe one more day. Teach your children to breathe one more day. Eventually, maybe hundreds of years in the future, your children's children's children's children won't have to experience this fear. Maybe sooner. Maybe later. It's a delicate balance to refuse to see the future but plan for it all the same.

It's one thing to survive the outbreak. It's entirely another to survive the long haul.

Like Babomb said, skills are very important. You learn skills, you can teach skills, you lose *things*. I can tell you ten ways to open a can. I can teach someone else ten ways to open a can without damaging the contents. I can't always promise to have a "can opener".

I really liked Legion2213's "S.T.O.P." I've been using it in my daily life when I get frustrated or upset without even knowing it. It's vindicating to see it in print and be able to voice my thought process.

If I were entirely honest with myself I don't know if I could survive the long haul. I'd probably eat a bullet if my son died. But then again, women survive their children's deaths every single day. When it comes down to it, you cannot possibly know how shit's gonna go down until it does. You don't know how much weight a string can take until you break it.

[Mike70]

The guy that said water is spot on.



i believe that would be me. i've been preaching the dogma of surviving by taking to the water and pretty much staying near it. large rivers and their tributaries provide an endless supply of both water and food. sure the water has to be purified but it does not take a rocket scientist to boil water. the river wouldn't simply provide fish. water sources would be great spots to hunt larger game animals like deer.

then again, i have the luxury of living very close to one of the largest rivers in eastern north america, having a kayak, having weapons, having a bit of a plan in case shit hits the fan, and having a quick, straight shot to the water. i also know about 6 ways to get to the river without using the road.

[Wyldwraith]

Being real for a moment,
Emotion kills. The struggle to maintain the things that people as a knee-jerk response say "Without X,Y and Z whats the point of living?" KILLS.
Trust me, I have 0.00% prospects of ever gaining a mate. 0.00% prospects of ever propagating and thereby experiencing any of the life-changing/life-affirming/life-challenging experiences that are part of parenting. 0.00% chance really of ever seeing my life do anything but get worse each subsequent day that passes than it was before.

And I don't eat a bullet. Oh, purely for the "Not wanting to go to Hell" rationalization, but that's another matter entirely. My point is: It IS possible to grind out decades of existence in a morass of mindless degradation, suffering and omnipresent fear, horror and self-loathing. Any prisoner has done it...any victim of society-acceptable/institutionalized rape has done it. P.O.Ws, the elderly without surviving family (that gives a damn about them)...and homeless people by the millions. Junkies, drunks, miscellaneous malcontents and other misfits. Hell, some people continue living on pure spite, bitterness and venom alone, I've seen it first-hand.

That's without even getting into the life-saving power of Hatred. Find something to hate intensely enough, and there will never be a lack of will to live...because you won't want to die until you've left the object of your hate worse off than you are.

Is any of this what a sane person would call "worthwhile life"? Absolutely not. But all of it is done every day, and has been done in various forms for millennia. Human beings ORIGINATED as Suffering Machines. It's what we're best at as a species, so why overlook it in the context of survival?

Edit: Of course it's certainly NOT like I'm *advocating* this sort of quasi-life. Just pointing out that the human capacity to absorb soul-destroying torment for mind-boggling periods of time is one of the great mysteries (and ironies) of life. Thought it bore mention.