Social Networking and Whatnot.

So I'm getting some social networking stuff up, namely a Facebook and Twitter account.
The Facebook is here:
http://www.facebook.com/SurvivalistUK

This will mainly be dealing with technical, non-practical issues such as safety and legality.

And the Twitter is here:
https://twitter.com/SurvivalistJoe

Which will deal more with practical things as I do them, sprinkled with any random survival thoughts I come up with, and teasers of site content.

Rules For Survival: Rule #1

ALWAYS BE ARMED.

Sleep with a weapon within arms reach. Keep a blade in your bag, in a pocket, and sheathed on your belt. Danger can come at any time from any quarter, and preparedness is key to life.

Knowledge vs. Gear

There is a constant discussion, verging on debate (often rising to an outright argument), amongst survival circles about whether it’s best to have a plethora of gear, or a brain bursting with knowledge when it comes to survival.
Objectively, of course, a perfect middle-ground would be desirable, but, as always there are various factors which will affect which side an individual chooses to fight for.
Firstly, I’m going to present the pros and cons of each camp (based on following one ideology only), and then I’ll prevent my own view-point and the arguments I feel best support that view. I’ll also touch on the idea of Big-Gear, akin to expensive comprehensive GPS systems, and Small-Gear, such as waterproof matches, or tinned kindling. Where Big-Gear is often professional grade, expensive and highly tested, Small-Gear is often improvised, or available either at local shops or commonly found in the average household.

Gear:

Pros-

·        Instant access to any tool required.

·        Many tools designed for ease of use.

·        Multi-function tools make access even easier.

·        Redundancies can be used for barter/trade.

·        Basic gear is always a minimal necessity.

Cons-

·        Gear can be heavy.

·        Susceptible to failure.

·        Requires space for transportation.

·        May cause owner to become a target if gear is valuable.

·        May be expensive.

·        Equipment without the knowledge to use it is dead-weight.

Knowledge:

Pros-

·        Can improvise many necessary implements.

·        Requires no space to carry, and weighs nothing.

·        Lack of gear/poor appearance will minimize the likelyhood of being targetted violently.

·        Requires little or no monetary outlay.

·        Your Brain’s unlikely to fail.

Cons-

·        Some kind of reference will probably be necessary to retain all information.

·        Basic equipment is necessary in most situations.

·        Provides little opportunity for trade..

·        Vital knowledge about supplies/weapons/fortified locations may be extracted under duress.

So there we have the pros and cons. Personally I’m a firm believer in the idea of having only basic gear. 

I can navigate by map, so I’m not going to be affected by the loss of a (potentially expensive) GPS system, and every bookshop train station and information centre in the country is going to stock maps. There’s no piece of equipment that I know of that will skin game for you, which is going to be a necessary skill to have in a prolonged bug-out situation. However there are a few situations in which equipment is a bonus, if not a requirement. Water purification can be done using only boiling, but it’s much safer to also filter it, either using a high-grade water filter (Big-Gear, using activated charcoal to filter the water) or coffee filters (Small-tech).
There are also situations in which knowledge comes into play prior to TEOTWAWKI, such as the preperation of portable kindlings stored in sweet tins or the creation of other pieces of gear which otherwise may be unobtainable.

Therefore, in conclusion, there is no better place to be than in possession of equipment the use of which you are well versed in, however there are many things which you can improvise yourself either prior to or during an event, and a binder of paper weighs much less than a GPS, and a tent, and a professional fishing rod, and a gas stove…

ZOMBIES!!! (Part the last)

Today is the last part of my three-part mini-series on the risk of zombification. Hopefully the preceding articles will have given you something to think about, put you mind at ease regarding one of the greatest fears of our time, and entertained you a little bit. On Wednesday I'll be getting down to the serious business of survival.

SCENARIO 3: Stem cell experimentation effects.

Stem cells are non-specialised, self-renewable cell types found either in bone marrow, lipid cells and blood, as well as in feotal material (including the umbilical cord). As well as being harvested (primarily from the bone marrow source) the cells can now also be synthetically produced in laboratory conditions, and then "trained" as specialist cells.
The advantage of stem cells, and the attribute which has led them to be so widely used in medicinal procedures is two-fold. Firstly, their ability to reproduce without specializing (giving a slew of "Blank slate" cells which can be used for which ever task is required) and their ability to specialise into almost any kind of cell as necessary.

The following is a list of experimental or developing treatments which, should they advance suficiently, could give rise to traits common in "zombies":

-Regrowth of dead brain cells caused by strokes and head trauma, as well as diseases such as Parkinson's/Altzheimer's.

-Treatment of paralytic spinal cord injury.

-Regrowth/Enhancement of ocular and aural tissues.
-Alteration of personality to correct birth defects and learning disabilities

-Increased wound healing capabilities.

The most worrying of these in the "Ahh Zombies" line of thought is the ability of scientists to grow or regenerate brain stem tissues. The brain stem is responsible not only for motor function, but also sleep patterns, hunger, the heart-rate and breathing. As can be seen from the case of Mike the Chicken^[1] in the late 40's, an animal can live for a substantial amount of time with only the brain stem intact, as long as food and water can be provided for nutrients, and the Carotid artery can be sealed off to prevent the subject bleeding to death.

Risk: As yet, it is unlikely that stem cell procedures are advanced enough to be able to cause a zombie style outbreak. Furthermore those procedures which are currently being developed would be prohibitively expensive to effect a sufficient percentage of the population to pose a threat. Also, as the treatments are highly regulated and focussed on specific conditions, there is little chance of run-away eperimentation.
Will it Zombies? No.
Total Risk: 1/5

ZOMBIES!!! (part 2)

I thought I'd start of with something a little bit not-too-serious. Most of the internet has, is, or will discuss the advent of a zombie apocalypse. Whether you want it to happen or not, it pays to know what the most likely scenario is. Therefore, I'm going to start with a three-part mini-series on the risk of zombification. You know, just for fun...

SCENARIO 2: Infection by degenerative brain diseases, such as CJD.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease is a degenerative brain disease in which proteins in the brian 'unfold' causing holes to form giving the brain a sponge-like appearance. Often claimed to be related to BSE (although in actuality it is vCJD which is) as they have similar effects, the disease can be transmitted in certain forms through consumption of contaminated meat. Other causes are hereditary, via implantation of contaminated tissues, or appear spontaneously.

Symptoms of CJD begin with agressive dementia, which can cause hallucinations, memory loss and personality disorders. It can also lead to physical disorders such as speech impediments, motor problems, and seizures.

The disease is fatal, but the length of time a victim survives can vary greatly. Typically victims will sucumb within six months, often due to additional medical complications, rather than the disease. Certain forms, such as sCJD, can cause death within a few weeks.^[1]

The disease is most prevalent in North America, Western Europe (including the UK), The Middle East and Japan, and typically it's areas of contamination overlap those of BSE.

RISK: At the moment, there is little chance of a typical zombie outbreak caused by CJD, it's variants, or BSE. There is little evidence to show that aggression is an effect of the disease (even though personality changes are observed), which would be a necessity for an apocalypse scenario. Whilst there is a link between cannibals and CJD (called Kuru) there is no proven link in the opposite direction. Furthermore, there is a small infection rate, and major areas of the planet (Russia, Africa, South America) are all almost exempt from infection. If the disease were to advance to a point where a large portion of the population were infected, a "slow zombie" scenario may evolve.

 

Will it Zombies? No.

Total risk: 2/5

[1]Gambetti, Pierluigi: Creutzfeldt Jakob disease.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Classic)". 26/2/2008

Zombies!!!

I thought I'd start of with something a little bit not-too-serious. Most of the internet has, is, or will discuss the advent of a zombie apocalypse. Whether you want it to happen or not, it pays to know what the most likely scenario is. Therefore, I'm going to start with a three-part mini-series on the risk of zombification. You know, just for fun...

SCENARIO 1: Parasitic infection via Toxoplasma Gondii

The primary host of Taxoplasma Gondii is felid, and it is within cats that the first stage of life (sexual) must take place.^[1] Beyond that, the virus can live within any warm blooded host, such as birds or mammals (including humans).

Once set up in a host, the virus invades cells, and creates it's own parasitic vacuole, wherein it slowly replicates itself, safe from a bodies autoimmune system.

Human infection typically occurs through consumption, either of unwashed vegetation contaminated with feacal matter, or cystic tissues from improperly prepared meat.

After the initial phase which presents with flu-like symptoms, normally healthy adults tyically display few visible effects. In subjects with compromised immune systems (such as HIV/AIDs patients and pregnant women), however, it can be fatal, and cause both physical and psycological disorders.^[2]

Most relevantly, the disease may lead to behaviour modifying disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.^[3] In studies, 11 out of 19 schizophrenic patients were identified to have higher than usual Taxoplasma anti-bodies.^[4] Beyond this, it has been postulated that humans may exhibit similar bahaviours as infected rats and mice, displaying a fearlessness and apathy towards self preservation. In rodents who actively seek out areas frequented by cats, it has also been suggested that the parasite may exert some form of base control over it's host in order to increase it's chances of procreating.

RISK: At the moment, there is little chance of a typical zombie outbreak caused by Toxoplasma Gondii. However, with a third of the population infected, and the parasite showing remarkable immunity to both medicine and autoimmune defences, should it evolve (either naturally or through human interference) its possible it could cause degeneration of a significant portion of the population, and cause a wave of psychosis major enough to overwhelm law-enforcement and military forces to cause a national breakdown.

 

Will it Zombies? No. Almost definitely not.

Total risk: 2/5

[1] Boothroyd JC (July 2009). "Toxoplasma gondii: 25 years and 25 major advances for the field". International Journal for Parasitology

[2] "Common Parasite Potentially Increases Risk of Brain Cancers". Common Parasite Potentially Increases Risk of Brain Cancers.

[3] Henriquez SA, Brett R, Alexander J, Pratt J, Roberts CW.Neuropsychiatric disease and Toxoplasma gondii infection. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2009

[4] http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/ 1657166/researchers_link_parasites_to_schizophrenia/

Glossary of terms.

There is, in the survival fraternity (as in any specialized group), a lot of jargon, ranging from simple acronyms to strange, specific, and sometimes funny, terms for various post-event phenomina.

The most common are:

Alpha Strategy - The storing of food and sundries for trade or barter, or for charitable purposes.
BOB, BOV, BOL - Bug out Bag, Vehicle, and location. Often incorporated into the same escape plan, "Bugging out" is the act of escaping from an event area to a safe area, or remaining on the move. They typically contain a selection of items useful for getting out of dodge including tools, food, water and first aid items. Also called 72-hour bags, as they are designed to allow you to survive for 3 days.
(Survival) Cache - A hidden cache of supplies, food, weaponry or other sundries either on a Bug-out route, or else secreted near a B.O.L.
The Crunch - Generic term for a long-term disaster.
Doomer - Follower of the "Peak Oil" scenario, in which oil reserves are depleted to a level where industry will be irrevocably impaired.
EDC - Every day carry. It relates to items carried on the body which will be immediately usable in case of an event.
EOTW - End of the world.
EMP - Electromagnetic pulse. Extreme levels of electromagnetic energy, expected to occur through either nuclear war, solar flare activity, or other unforeseen event. Expected to disable all electronic devices within it's range.
Event - Any scenario which requires survivalist action to be taken, either long or short term.
Goblin - Criminal(s) who seek to profit from the EOTW, either directly, through looting, mugging, theft etc, or indirectly through phony services or good offered after an event.
G.O.O.D - Get out of dodge - Escaping urban centres in the case of an event.
Intentional community - A collective group (often in the bounds of a "neighbourhood") which is pre-designed to have a higher level of community teamwork.
NBC - Nuclear, Biological, Chemical - Anything related to the threat or reality of these types of war-fare.
Polly (Pollyanna) - A doomsday denier, or one who is unprepared for an event.
PPE - In a survivalist sense, this may related to anything from simple dustmasks to full NBC suits.
Prepper (Survivalist) - Some one who is prepared (or actively preparing) for an event.
Retreat - A purpose built, often disguised and/or fortified, building designed to withstand an event.
SHTF - S**t hits the fan
TEOTWAWKI - The end of the world as we know it.
WROL - Without rule of law - The predicted lawlessness and lack of governance expected to be rampant post-event.

Filling a need.

Good afternoon.

If you are reading this, we can assume you are a 'survivalist', or are intersted in becoming one. Unfortunately, many of the blogs, articles or websites which exist focus on an American view of TEOTWAWKI, with much of the advice being of the "Grab yer' gun and git to the hills!" variety.Whilst this is a valid plan, it's not practical advice to anyone living in a country with any kind of gun control. Furthermore, the space available to escape under the radar is much smaller in the UK, and with only two minor land borders, it's going to be difficult getting out of dodge WTSHTF.

Therefore, I have resolved to create a UK based blog, revolving around basic survival techniques, self-defence, and contingencies for the end-times. Not only will I cover basic survival techniques (both those I have practiced, and interesting points raised elsewhere), but I'll also try to explore the most common "Doomsday" scenarios and their likely hood, as well as providing legal tips both for prep-ping and when you have to run.

Remember, it's not if. It's when.

J O'Neill

13/09/12