Stay out of debt.

The most likely thing to happen to you as an individual is a financial event that will enslave you to creditors, take away your possessions, or cause you tremendous stress.  Debt is one thing you can control - nobody forces anyone to sign a paper getting into debt.

"Smoke is bad, colored smoke is really bad. Liquids with rainbows in it is really, really bad."

"Always stay uphill, upwind, upstream"

"Rule of Thumb...If you can't cover the whole scene with your thumb, you are too close"

My Haz-Mat instructor

Quoted: Don't piss off the giant fucking gorrilla.

Those F****** Gorillas are the worst kind!  Jumping on anything that moves!  Bad monkey!

Regular banana eating gorillas are dangerous too - just not as horny.

Outside of your known area where you may be able to read some weather patterns, you are somewhat at the mercy of what nature throws at you.  I have found a couple of items that are easy to use, cheap and available:

Large plastic garbage bags - the lawn and garden type - and ziploc plastic bags.  You can use your large bag as a shelter in rain like a poncho, as a cover over a stick frame, as a float if you are sinking (it is fragile but better than nothing) or as a sleeping bag cover.  Ziplocs are great for keeping tinder and matches dry, for collecting and carrying water - again they are fragile but in the absence of your nifty Nalgene bottle, they work.

Also, if you are in one location for a while you can use the trash bag for a solar still and collect the water in the ziploc bags.

Another thing to keep handy is a good first aid kit with a good signal whistle.  You can be immobilized by a turned ankle or bad fall close to home and have to tough it out.  Pain meds and some wound dressings are good to have on hand.  

And never go out on a venture without filing a "pre-flight" plan so folks know where to start looking if you don't return.      

Some easy basics: One loses about 30% of body heat through the top of their head; throw a cheapie watch cap in your BOB.
Also note the first thing they axe for in So. America following a earthquake or hurricane; visqueen sheeting. Can be used for shelters and protecting stuff you took out of your house.
Also, if you don't have access to ample water, watch what you eat. Digesting food requires water.

Lists prevent you from forgetting things.  My camping gear list has changes hundreds of times getting better each time.  

Have more than one plan.  Have more then two plans.

Stop, take a deep breathe, think (don't panic).  Getting frustrated?   Repeat the previous steps.  The more frustrated you get the more often Murphy presses your number on his speed dial.

Make a plan, try it, revise it.  Repeat, repeat, repeat..........................

Read all you can on survival skills---then practice what you just read.  Repeat until it is second nature.  Then do it some more

Listen to old people.  I have learned as much by LISTENING to my mother talk about growing up on a farm during the depression as I have from reading survival/outdoors books.  After listening see if they will show you how to do it.  Then practice or lose those skills.

If there are survival oriented classes in your area take them.  Once you finish the class keep practicing.


Notice my emphasis on repeating/continuing practice.  All skills are perishable.  You will still be further ahead than a sheeple but are on the wrong side of the learning curve without practice.  Time and energy are critical.  The more you have practiced the less time and energy it will take to complete a task.  Thus a)reducing stress and b)giving you the time and energy to put murphy in the hurt locker where he belongs.

I know of what I speak because I am in the process of rebuilding long disused skills.

So endeth my time on the soapbox.

Quoted: "Smoke is bad, colored smoke is really bad. Liquids with rainbows in it is really, really bad." "Always stay uphill, upwind, upstream" "Rule of Thumb...If you can't cover the whole scene with your thumb, you are too close" My Haz-Mat instructor

"If you loose your head the next thing to go is your ass"   Chief Alvin  ret (Phoenix Az)

remember what killed the cat...  in 99 the township next to us had a industrial building go "boom"  We had to drive for 2 MILES in the wrong lane to get there with all the lookie lou's driving around to see what broke their windows and knocked the pictures off the wall.  

Incoming rounds have the right-of-way

Just because your right doesn't mean you should tell people "I told you so." Such things only direct peoples agitation.  

Hearing "Hey watch this" is always the prelude to something bad.

This I learned from Front Sight: "If it isn't worth dying for, it isn't worth fighting for."

This I learned from life: "The best way to avoid trouble is to be somewhere else."

READ MY SIG LINE!!!!!. LoL...