Nature Survival is not top priority

[Soul System]

I might offend some people who are serious about preparedness, I know I did in the past with following arguments.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to survive in the woods, or in nature in general. It's just that it's a low priority skill.

In Europe, our population is about 150% of what it was after WW2, and back then, still one quarter to one-third of europeans were still rural. Now 75% of us live in urban areas, and agriculture is highly mechanized, if not industrialized (dairy, growhouse etc.).

There is still wild nature in Europe (take central france for instance), but you are simply not going to get 2000 kCal/day/person from there. Nobody will.

Survival skills are vital for pilots or soldiers, and also in a specific context of reaching civilisation or friendly lines.

As for your standard survivalist, he has to to look after his own people. Going out in the bush is not a survival plan at all, it is what hobos and displaced people do. If you are a displaced person or a hobo, then your life expectancy is not good either way. And the skills you'll need, you'll learn then.

What is IMHO more important is to have a "plan B" job or set of skills, that you can put to use when your current "plan A" occupation is not paying enough anymore (or simply doesn't exist). Having a small garden and gardening skills may be that. Or sewing things, mending clothes.

Whatever you're gifted for is also to be considered, after all, violoncellists are also getting money in the subway.

As for myself, I'm a jack-of-all-trades that is not good anywhere, but knows enough to get by. That's simply who I am, and I'm not trying to build up survival strategies for a person than I'm not.

[Albion]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to survive in the woods, or in nature in general. It's just that it's a low priority skill.

I know, but it's just nice to imagine. ;)


In Europe, our population is about 150% of what it was after WW2, and back then, still one quarter to one-third of europeans were still rural. Now 75% of us live in urban areas, and agriculture is highly mechanized, if not industrialized (dairy, growhouse etc.).

It depends on where you are. Here you could walk into a field and take a few potatoes, some maize or a cow or sheep.
In east Anglia and Lincolnshire especially it's nearly all fields of wheat, no use unless you can bring it in.


As for your standard survivalist, he has to to look after his own people. Going out in the bush is not a survival plan at all, it is what hobos and displaced people do. If you are a displaced person or a hobo, then your life expectancy is not good either way. And the skills you'll need, you'll learn then.

I've actually wondered why the homeless don't go foraging in the woods.


What is IMHO more important is to have a "plan B" job or set of skills, that you can put to use when your current "plan A" occupation is not paying enough anymore (or simply doesn't exist). Having a small garden and gardening skills may be that. Or sewing things, mending clothes.

In other words - try to maintain civilisation. I've thought about world collapse before, I think we'd be looking at pre-industrial revolution conditions, that is farming influenced by the agricultural revolution but a reversion back to the land and towns.

The problem is of course that most people are too hopeless for that way of life, they don't know much about anything outside of a city. There's also the physical labour aspects which people would have to adapt to and the role of women would almost certainly have to revert to one focused on keeping the household.

Gardening is a good skill, people need to know what to grow and how to limit losses though. Small gardens need higher-yielding crops such as potatoes instead of low-yielding crops such as strawberries.
Some vertical farming and roof farming wouldn't be a bad idea neither and maybe fish farming of some sort.

My main concern is protection more than anything. In cities, towns and suburbs you'd be at risk from looters and mobs. Oh well, my house should withstand an attack with a few slight alterations.


Whatever you're gifted for is also to be considered, after all, violoncellists are also getting money in the subway.

What use is that? Someone playing sad music as society collapses? ;)


As for myself, I'm a jack-of-all-trades that is not good anywhere, but knows enough to get by. That's simply who I am, and I'm not trying to build up survival strategies for a person than I'm not.

Well I already know mine. Fortify the house and work towards self-sufficiency in staple crops. Failing that, get out and follow the hills to the north or the rivers to mid Wales.