Summary :
- What is survivalism?
- How was this movement created?
- The preparers
- Survivalism around the world
- The skills necessary for survival
- Preparations
- Important items to have in your survival bag
As we have released an article specific to bushcraft, it is only fitting that survivalism also gets the spotlight.
Indeed, bushcraft and survivalism are now linked, they diverge on certain points and this is why we are going to clarify these gray areas.
What is survivalism?
It is a practice with several similarities to bushcraft, but the purpose is not the same!
Whether alone or in a group, this activity brings together third parties with the same thoughts on the same subject, which is a catastrophe that could occur in the near future, although it is natural, economic, health or even cataclysmic. , that is, the ecological collapse of our habitat, nuclear war, or the collapse of industrial civilization.
In order to prepare for any event mentioned above, these practitioners modify their homes, offer different survival techniques, learn medical techniques, store food and weapons, but also build fallout shelters or even learning techniques related to bushcraft, such as shelter in the wilderness, having drinking water, feeding in a hostile environment and creating a fire.
Now that you see things more clearly, it is necessary to know…
How was this movement created?
It appeared in the United States in 1960, more precisely at the end of the Cold War. This event leads to inflation as well as a devaluation of the currency, which is what pushes certain personalities to give avant-garde speeches, advising families to prepare for a major event that could lead to a catastrophe. Furthermore, in 1967, an architect, Don Stephens began to popularize the idea of the need to learn survival.
As the years passed, many books were published, reinforcing the idea of survivalism while building new followers, such as the books "Famine and Survival in America", "Letter of Personal Survival" or even “Alpha Strategy: The ultimate financial self-defense plan for the small investor” which has become a bestseller as well as a reference among American survivalists.
From 1990 until now, all the catastrophic events that have taken place have only reinforced the survivalist thinking of all these followers, this includes the digital transformation of our society, the financial crisis incurred in 2008 or even natural disasters like the 9.2 magnitude earthquake which took place in the Indian Ocean, but also violent hurricanes which devastate parts of the Antilles and the southeast of the United States every year. Closer to our latitudes, we are more and more often confronted with powerful storms, floods and droughts which hit Europe for several consecutive days.
The preppers
It is a derivative of survivalist thinking, it simply consists of being prepared, for example if a prepper has to take the car, he will take with him a first aid kit if a mishap should happen to him. Prepping means "to prepare" in English, so these people can prepare and anticipate any situations they will face. In addition, these followers wishing to pursue their ideology on the end of the world, base themselves on popular culture, such as video games, cinema, literature and television.
Survivalism around the world
Although this movement originated in the United States, it now affects many countries across the globe.
The countries which are most full of apparent survivalists thanks to the various existing forums and blogs are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
In European countries, we are closer to the notion of self-sufficiency than of apocalypse or prepping. However, they perform the same activities as survivalists or preppers such as creating sustainable habitat, dependence on green energy, permaculture and many others.
The skills needed for survival
Like bushcraft, survivalism has some similarities in terms of acquiring practices:
- Survival skills
- Control of fire: used to obtain drinking water, cook food, light during the night, and keep warm.
- Creation of nodes: used to create tools, fix wooden boards, create traps.
- Learning to hunt: serves to feed yourself in the great outdoors, to better understand animals, to become a better version of yourself (discretion and organization).
- Developing a survival kit
- Evacuation bag: this is a survival bag, containing tools and supplies useful for a 72-hour survival, having been prepared beforehand and taken directly if a disaster were to occur.
- EDC bag: this is a bag containing certain elements that we are able to carry every day, that is to say, a knife, a whistle, a cell phone, a watch, etc.
- First aid kit: this is a container with first aid medical devices, to treat any injury, pain or even trauma.
- Developing an emergency financial strategy
- Storage of gold bars and raw materials such as zinc or aluminum.
- The establishment of a sustainable autonomous base, the ADB
- It will bring you drinking water, energy and will serve as a safe place.
Preparations
You will have to find or build a reliable and resistant place, most of the time this is characterized by a bunker. Subsequently, a stock of food and drinking water must be made, without forgetting to store clothes for better hygiene. If your shelter allows it, you can plant seeds there and have them grow later. You will also need a means of heating to keep warm in winter. Finally, sooner or later you will need medical equipment as well as weapons for hunting, if you have the opportunity to go outside and the air is not radioactive of course.
Important items to have in your survival bag
It is possible, even essential, to create an evacuation bag, containing useful devices and equipment necessary for your survival.
If you wish, you can create your own survival bag or buy it directly from specialized stores.
If you want a survival kit that's already ready to go, we've got you covered. The Extrema Ratio brand ERS Survival Kit will do the trick!
You can find this model right here .
It has several elements crucial for your survival, such as water purifying tabs, for safe drinking water. A flint to allow you to create a fire, and thus warm yourself or cook an egg! A compass to orient yourself and thus perfectly follow the desired route and many others.
While you can put together your own survival bag, because everyone has their own vision of things.
This is why we have put together a list of products that may be useful or even essential to you.
We are going to proceed step by step, which is why, to begin with, we need an object capable of transporting all of these elements. The NDP10 military bag from the Nitecore brand will be the first product on our list.
You can find this model right here .
Very light and durable, this bag has two compartments with storage, so that everything can be stored methodically and can take advantage of maximum space.
Now that we have found the container, we can fill it. What could be the priority object to place in this bag? Survival rations obviously.
You can find this model right here .
These homemade rations are 100% freeze-dried to preserve taste, texture and nutrients. They have been designed and developed with the sole aim of being usable directly in the field, while opting for a compact format but with a sufficient quantity to invigorate.
A flashlight seems to be one of the essential items in a survival kit. Here, the Barracuda Pro V2 tactical search light , from the Armytek brand, will meet your expectations.
You can find this model right here .
This tactical flashlight has 1850 lumens, a light beam capable of illuminating up to 800m, to see both day and night. It also has a solid structure while being lightweight and water resistant.
And if you prefer more compact models, you need the Predator Pro , 1500 Lumens, 501 meters of range, Ultra Resistant to shocks and the worst conditions.
To protect your hands,
It is better to take the precaution of having a pair of reinforced black TA Defense Armor gloves , from the TA Defense brand, they are known for their robustness and solidity.
This is an impact and abrasion resistant model, these gloves have been designed from a breathable and robust material, but also light, comfortable, flexible and able to absorb shocks and vibrations.
Here is another important element that must be part of your survival kit, the Ignitro multi-function knife, from the Extrema Ratio brand.
You can find this model, right here .
This folding knife is a 4 in 1, it can cut and slice thanks to its superb blade, but it hides its game well, because it has tinder and a forro in its handle, enough to light a fire in just a few seconds, in addition, the tip of its handle also serves as a whistle to signal its position.
Being on the right path is the most important thing, so it is only natural to be equipped with the 5-6400/360 illuminated compass , from the Silva brand.
You can find this model right here .
This compass has fluorescent elements in the dark, useful for continuing to follow your route in the dark. It has astonishing water resistance, a graduated ruler as well as a hollow in its structure to allow positions to be traced on the map.
You won't need to carry a toolbox, thanks to the EVO police multifunction knife from the Extrema Ratio brand.
You can find this model right here .
This versatile tool packs all the features into such a compact body. It has a small blade at the bottom of the handle that makes precision tasks like unlocking a lock easier. Its window breaker is also very important, if you want to get out of dangerous situations. From a more general point of view, it has a sharp blade, a saw-shaped blade, a file blade, a can opener / bottle opener as well as a magnetic screwdriver with interchangeable heads.
The multifunctional wave plus pliers (18 tools) , from the Leatherman brand, complete the model above.
You can find this model right here .
Once you try it, you won't be able to do without it. This model has 18 features, including a main tool pliers, a pair of scissors, a ruler, a sharpener, a slotted screwdriver and many more.
To finalize this survival bag, despite the fact that you are cloistered in your refuge in the event of a nuclear bombing, it remains important to keep track of time, which is why you absolutely must have the black GW-7900B watch G-Shock.
You can find this model right here .
This indestructible watch is comfortable to wear thanks to its resin strap and tells you your battery level. In addition, it has a luminous functionality to illuminate in the dark, also provides a digital calendar, a stopwatch, a countdown, an alarm clock as well as displaying the time in 29 time zones. To finalize it all, it has shock resistance and is waterproof.
More to carry on you than in your survival bag, this Paraspark multifunction bracelet from the Outdoor Edge brand could always be useful to you in the event of a problem.
You can find this model right here .
It's so comfortable that you won't even feel its presence. It is practical because it provides, within easy reach, a small blade hidden in the closure as well as a small compass for orientation.
Don't forget to include some medical supplies so you can access first aid care.
Theo D.
