So who are your friends?

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02-18-2018, 01:14 PM

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senor honda

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So who are your friends?

Let's say you wake up one Thursday and start doing your morning routine just before going to work.
First, you go to the bathroom just to discover there is no tap water. Then you try to make your breakfast, but your electric stove is not working. When you try to call your manager to let him know you’ll be late for work, you discover that your phone is dead. Your spouse’s phone is also dead.
You look over at the window and see a bunch of people trying to start their cars. The horrifying thought then passes through your head it might have been an EMP. The more you discover, the surer you become it was an EMP. You know what’s going to come because you’ve read about it. But your neighbors have no clue.
You then gather your family and tell them what happened, and the worst is about to unfold in a few days.
The second night you hear a lot of gunshots, and the next day you discover your neighbor was killed and all his food and possessions have been stolen. The police are nowhere to be seen.
Although every member of the family is guarding the house (in shifts), after four days you wake up at 5:00 a.m. with a gun pointed at your head.
Your family is left alive, but your water and food reserves are all gone. All that you’ve managed to hide from looters were your bug-out bag, food and water for one week, a rifle with 120 rounds, and about $60.
Together with your family, you decide the only way to make it through the blackout is to head for the woods and try to live off the land. Because it’s spring, you know a warm period is ahead. The true wilderness starts at three days’ walking from home at the base of a mountain with lots of springs and creeks.
Before you go, you understand to to defend what you have left and to keep a full night watch, it would be wiser to get help from another family, people just like you.
You should help each other get there safely, build a shelter (or house), and survive there for two years.
You can’t choose one of your trusted friends, because they all live miles away.
The family you choose might be rich or poor. If they are rich, they will have a little bit more in the way of supplies than you at the beginning (and a lot of money), but they are used to things being ready-made for them. If you choose a poor family, they have fewer supplies at the beginning, but they are used to doing things on their own.
Another thing you will have to consider is what they do for a living. Think about it hard before you choose. Nobody is a survival expert, but we’re all experts in things we do for a living.
For example, if you choose an electrical engineer, he can try to fix some fried components or replace them. If you choose a farmer, he’ll know all about crops and homegrown plants.
Another factor you should take into consideration is what you know best or what you do for a living. Of course, it wouldn’t be smart to choose a mechanic if you are one as well.
The members of the family you choose may have different occupations. What occupations would you like your SHTF companion to have?
Psychologist – good at reading people, including looters
Farmer – skilled in planting, growing, and harvesting plants as well as raising animals and preserving foods
Educator or Primary School Teacher – can teach kids properly
Priest or Pastor – can provide motivation and optimism, even in hard times
Pharmacist – knows how to extract medical remedies from plants
Manager – a good decision maker; good at organizing things
Army Officer – a very good shooter, good with establishing defensive positions, physically strong, good at taking difficult decisions, never lets someone behind
Butcher – good with portioning and preserving meat
Electric Engineer – can repair some electronics, like radios, flashlights, mobile phones, laptops, etc.
Medic – good at preventing and healing diseases, cuts, and infections
Metallurgist – can melt metal and manufacture almost any iron tool
Financial analyst – good with numbers and is rational
Chemist – good at making explosives, gun powder, fertilizers and a wide range of substances
Sailor – good at orientation and finding paths
Miner – can find and mine different minerals, including iron ore
Carpenter – can make a super wooden house and almost anything from wood
Physicist – can build a lot of things including a water wheel electric generator on one of the creeks
Hunter – can find game easier and can set good traps, good shooter
Construction worker – good at building things, practical and physically strong
Fisherman – good at fishing and preserving fish
Tailor – good at making and repairing clothes
Gunsmith or Armorer – can make gunpowder, reload ammo, fix weapons, and is a decent shooter
There is no right or wrong answer! It’s just what’s good for you and what isn’t! And whatever his or her occupation is, it doesn’t mean he or she can’t do anything else. It just means this is their strongest skill.
For example, I wouldn’t choose a farmer even if it’s spring (a good time to plant), because I grow a lot of things on my own. I’m also familiar with wild plants, so it wouldn’t be wise to choose a florist or a pharmacist.
I would personally choose a gunsmith (or chemist) because my biggest fear is that my 120 rounds wouldn’t be enough and that I wouldn’t be able to make gunpowder in the wilderness by myself.
I would also choose a medic. I know there won’t be much they could do in the wilderness, but it’s still a lot more than I can. And the #1 killer in almost any crisis is a disease, so I personally rate this skill as being one of the most important.
For example, I chose a gunsmith and a medic because I lack some knowledge in those fields, fields I consider very important for surviving a two-year collapse. This probably means I have more to learn about medical stuff, gun repair, and reloading ammo. On the other hand, for a 10-year collapse, I’m pretty sure I would’ve chosen differently—maybe a metallurgist—and for a shorter period, I’m pretty sure I would’ve chosen a hunter (or army officer) – the safest solution for short term survival in my opinion.
So, who would you choose as your SHTF companion if your life depended on it?

Always Safe, Always Prepared

Frank Mitchell
Founder

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