Reprinted from:

American Survival Guide 11/91



                      Planning For Survival



                          By C.E. Teal



In light of recent events, such as the Persian Gulf War,  terror

ism, and economic instability, many individuals and families  are 

taking a fresh look at the dreaded "S-word," survivalism.



  As with any beginners, these people need some sort of plan  for 

these  uncharted waters. I hope that this article can  give  some 

useful  guidance to those new to the field, and perhaps some  new 

insights  to  others who have been left to their own  devices  in 

coming to grips with this virtually all-inclusive field.



   This plan consists of nine major points: 1. Determination;  1. 

Becoming/staying  healthy;   3. Allocating your Budget;   4.  De

veloping plans of action;  5. Have a "bug-out" kit;  6. Plan  for 

duration;  7. Get training;  8. Practice;  9. Don't advertise.



    The first requirement to insuring  your  (and your  family's)  

longevity  is  DETERMINATION. You must want to  survive.  Contact 

others upon whom you might rely  (and whom may likewise rely upon 

you)  in a crisis. This is not a game,  although games can play a 

part in the training aspect. If we are to survive as individuals,  

as  families,  as a society,  we cannot approach this as  a  one-

person  show. It will take cooperation of the highest order.  The 

stakes are literally life and death.



  Many people take the attitude that "If it happens,  I  wouldn't 

want  to live anyway, " This is an attitude which almost  guaran

tees defeat or death. A husband,  father,  or single mother  with 

this  attitude  is virtually condemning his or her  family  to  a 

similar fate.



  BECOME/STAY  HEALTHY. Every-one in the family or  group  should 

get  a  complete medical,  dental and vision checkup.  Find  your 

weaknesses  and  limitations so you may cope with  them,   before 

they take you by surprise Get caught up on immunizations such  as 

tetanus,  hepatitis,  and measles. If eyeglasses or contacts  are 

needed,   get at least one spare pair,  or save old ones.   Stock 

up on cleaning solution if you wear contacts. Work to bring  your 

teeth  up to the healthiest level possible. A toothache can be  a 

major  problem even in normal times when a dentist is  available. 

Imagine trying to make critical decisions while suffering with  a 

toothache when there may be few,  if any,  dentists in operation.



  Make sure your feet are in good condition. They may someday  be 

your only mode of transportation. Begin and maintain an  exercise 

program  which balances strength with endurance and  flexibility. 

Running,  swimming,  and stair climbing are all excellent  condi

tioners.



 ALLOCATE  PART OF YOUR BUDGET. Acquire supplies as  your  budget 

allows. Be practical;  set priorities. For example: set aside $10 

per  month for weaponry  (including ammunition and cleaning  sup

plies,    ($10  per month for clothing  (if you  don't  have  the 

proper  clothing  already on hand. Three-piece  suits  or  tennis 

outfits have very limited survival applications) ,  another $10 a 

month for reserve food and medical supplies,  and so on. If money 

is tight, you can alternate purchases from month to month.



 The  important  thing  is to make some  sort  of  survival-based 

acquisition  regularly,  or at every opportunity. In making  sur

vival investments,  you should consider the following points:  a)  

Might you actually need it  (Does it serve a legitimate  survival 

need,  such as food) ? b)  Do you have the skill to use it  prop

erly,   and  would you be able to repair it  when  it  inevitably 

breaks down? c)  Will it need something else,  such as electrici

ty,  gas,  heat,  or water to operate? d)  How many/much will you 

need,   and  how  long do you expect it to last   (see  Plan  For 

Duration)  : e)  Is it practical for the conditions  you  antici

pate,  such as proper clothing for the climate?



  DEVELOP PLANS OF ACTION. You should discuss with your family or 

group  the  conditions under which you would  run   (Where?)   or 

stay;  whether to hide  (For how long?)  or fight  (Whom? How?) . 

Every  member  of the group must be in agreement with  the  final 

plan.  One  dissident  could destroy all  your  intentions;   for 

instance by "setting-out" the group to an adversary.



    You  should  also  develop "backup" plans  to  cover  various 

contingencies  such as those mentioned. Plan for  the  worst-case 

scenario and work down from there.



   HAVE  A  "BUG-OUT" KIT. Keep a short-term  (up  to  one  week)  

survival  kit  handy in case you must leave  NOW.   Remember  the 

priorities: shelter,  water,  food,  medical supplies,   weapons,  

communications. Ideally,  you should have several kits;  one  for 

each member of the family and group,  another one in each vehicle 

in case a crisis occurs at an unexpected moment  (as they usually 

do)  .  and a large cache of supplies away from the home,   in  a 

place  safe  from discovery or disaster;  in the event  you  must 

evacuate  your home quickly, as in the case of fire,   earthquake 

or war. Each of these kits or caches should be planned to supple

ment and extend the capabilities of the next smallest kit.



  Avoid  making your personal bug-out kit too heavy to run  with;  

you may have to carry it long distances,  quickly.



 PLAN FOR DURATION. Try to realistically anticipate how long  you 

expect  your  scenario may last,  and add a little  more  to  the 

estimate as a buffer against shortsightedness.



   Do  you expect your disaster scenario to last for days   (such 

as  waiting for disaster relief after a major storm,   fire,   or 

earth  quake) ,  months  (i.e.,  a major strike by  unions;   re

building after a disaster) ,  or years  (such as being caught  in 

the  clutches of a dictatorship,  foreign invasion,  or  persecu

tion) ?



   Try  to be realistic in your preparations. Plan for  the  con

sumption of food (calories per person per day,  plus other essen

tial  nutrients)  ,   water  (gallons per person  per  day,   for 

drinking,  cooking and sanitation) ,  ammunition  (as much as can 

be obtained,  with a suggested minimum of 500 rounds per  weapon) 

,  air  quality   (while in shelter,  or  masks  for  outside)  ,  

medical  supplies  (including prescription medicines) ,   and  so 

on.



 Some  of  your  scenarios may look unlikely in  the  context  of 

present  conditions,  but it only takes an open-eyed look at  the 

world,   the nation,  or the neighborhood,  to see the  potential 

for  frightening  situations to rapidly develop which  would  not 

allow  time for preparation after the fact. For  instance,   note 

that many people reacting to a disaster often converge on all the 

nearest  stores for provisions such as food,   candles,   bottled 

water,  batteries,  and so on. Frequently,  the crowd gets  impa

tient,  not wanting or waiting to be left without essentials  for 

themselves  or their families. Occasionally, rioting and  looting 

begin,  feeding upon itself as the unprepared start to panic.



  Your  aim must be to store adequate supplies for  all  intended 

members  of your group for the longest time that you will  likely 

be  on  your  own,  with self-sufficiency being  your  goal.  The 

federal government recommends having at least three to five  days 

supplies  on hand,  to sustain you until relief agencies can  get 

into  action.  The more serious the crisis,  the longer  you  may 

have to wait for outside help.



  If  you are able,  lay in extra supplies for a  few  additional 

persons who will, most likely,  show up either on their own,   or 

with members of the group ("My mother was visiting at the time; I 

couldn't  just  leave her") . As pragmatic as you must  be,   you 

must also not surrender your humanity completely. Otherwise,  you 

are no better than the predators you may be fleeing.  Of  course,  

there  is  a practical limit to how much you can be  expected  to 

cope with. Examine your own conscience on this issue.



 A  plan  must also be drawn up to deal  with  waste  management. 

Essential  "luxuries"  such as toilet paper,  soap,   and  proper 

means  of disposing of human waste and garbage with become  major 

issues  during a survival situation. Goods and services  we  have 

always taken for granted may no longer be available.



  You must also plan to cope with your people's emotional surviv

al. The abrupt change in lifestyle,  the day to day fight to stay 

alive,  will take its toll psychologically if not treated quickly 

and  continuously.  Find things to alleviate  boredom,   such  as 

games  or  projects.  Give every able person in the group  a  job 

they will be responsible for. Even children can be instructed  to 

secure trash,  act as lookouts,  or help with food preparation or 

gathering  supplies.  Also attempt to continue with their  educa

tion,   albeit with a different emphasis. Find duties  which  re

quire  a person to study the situation and come up with  a  solu

tion. Hold meetings to keep everyone current on what's happening,  

and conduct frequent and regular classes for everyone in survival 

arts. Keep your people,  and yourself,  busy. Despair may be your 

worst enemy.



 GET TRAINING. Your group should learn how to use weapons  effec

tively.   Safety,   maintenance,   handling  malfunctions,    and 

marksmanship  are all of equal importance in a survival  context.  

Because this is an area where mistakes can be fatal,  instruction 

should  be sought from qualified professionals, such as  the  Na

tional  Rifle Association.  Also,  everyone should study  unarmed 

self-defense  under  a  qualified instructor;   one  who  teaches 

combative,  not tournament techniques.



  Tactics are another important area of study. Learn how best  to 

utilize  your weapons under various conditions and  environments,  

such  as snow,  rain,  or at night. There are  several  reputedly 

good  schools for this type of study.  There are also many  books 

such as military manuals which can be of help, if accompanied  by 

lots of practice.



  Study first aid diligently,  as this is one of the most  essen

tial areas of self help study. The American Red Cross has  excel

lent,   inexpensive courses on CPR and basic and  advanced  first 

aid.   Everyone  should  be encouraged to take and  pass  such  a 

course.  A study of improvised medicines and first-aid  equipment 

would  also be useful. Some community colleges  offer  non-credit 

courses  in  herbology,  folk medicine, and edible  wild  plants. 

There are many very good reference books on the subject.  Another 

variation on this theme would be the study of medicinal minerals. 

You might seriously consider taking an Emergency Medical  Techni

cian  course   (or  a Paramedic course if already  an  EMT)   and 

joining  a volunteer ambulance corps. Not only would you be  con

tributing  to  a  vital community function,  you  would  also  be 

gaining  practical,   real-life,  hands-on  experience  which  no 

course  can  give by itself. Remember,  in a crisis,   your  body 

does  what is has been trained to do. The untrained  reaction  to 

crisis is usually panic Practical experience aids tremendously in 

overcoming the panic which accompanies disaster.



  Fieldcraft is another valuable area of study. Learn the differ

ence between, and uses of,  cover and concealment.  Learn how  to 

survive  in rural or urban wilderness,  how to find or  construct 

proper shelter,  how to gather food and collect and purify water,  

the use of correct sanitation procedures,  basic land navigation,  

and much more.



  PRACTICE. Conduct realistic simulations with your equipment and 

your  people to gain valuable experience and  confidence  working 

together.  Get  the bugs out while it's relatively  easy.   Learn 

what works and what doesn't.



  Go  to  the firing range often,  preferably when  you  or  your

group  can  use it without onlookers.  Practice  on  human-shaped 

targets,   using  tactics.  Train in firing techniques  for  real 

world  situations  (such as varying weather  conditions,   target 

distance  and  size. Learn different firing  positions,  practice 

in-house techniques,  etc.) .  Always rigidly enforce appropriate 

safety procedures while training with weapons.



  As  an EMT,  you can work on an ambulance or in  the  emergency 

room  to  practice and to accustom yourself to the  suffering  of 

others.  It's certainly not pleasant,  but it is crucial in  over 

coming the shock of seeing something happen suddenly,  perhaps to 

someone  you  love. This allows you to get on with  treating  the 

patient rather than wasting valuable seconds in panic. With prac

tice,   reaction  becomes almost automatic,   and  confidence  is 

gained. Without practice, hard-earned skills are gradually lost.



  You should try to incorporate your survival skills into  every

day life,  making it a normal part of your existence.



Don't,  however,  carry it to extremes, such as walking around in 

public wearing cammies with a 10-inch knife on your belt. Be dis

creet.  Shooting  and  hand-to-hand  practice,   ambulance  duty, 

making  your own clothes,  and canning your own food;  all  these 

skills  and more will not only add to your  survival  repertoire,  

they  will enhance the quality of your life,  as you become  less 

dependent  on "the system" and more confident in your own  abili

ties.



  Learn  the  strengths and weaknesses of your  equipment,   your 

people,   and yourself. Without practice and effort you are  just 

wasting time and money, and someone close to you could die  need

lessly.



  DON'T  ADVERTISE. Keep your actions and intentions as  low-pro

file as possible. You could risk discovery and the loss of every

thing you have been working for,  or wind up with a lot of people 

on  YOUR doorstep in a crisis;  people whom you  cannot  support,  

and  who  may have no positive survival value. If you  intend  to 

support dependents,  prepare for them with your supplies.



  One  last  thought.  Because predatory people  are  out  there,  

firearms are an essential element of survival planning.  Unfortu

nately,   they  have been abused frequently enough  to  give  the 

whole  survival  movement  a bad reputation in the  eyes  of  the 

general media,  who too often seem to be looking to discredit and 

ridicule  the movement. Survivalists should respect firearms  and 

view  them  as  tools to protect what  they  have:  their  lives,  

families,   homes,  and provisions;  not as weapons of  conquest. 

The  more  you  prepare,  the more ready you must  be  to  defend 

against those who don't.





AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE/NOVEMBER 1991