Survival Blog
More on the barter lifestyle
Contrary to popular perception, there is no evidence that any society throughout history ever relied exclusively on barter as a means of exchange. Let’s back up for just a second and define what we’re talking about.
According to Wikipedia (an unassailable source of truth and veracity) barter is...
Thou shalt have a support network
The last commandment Jason mentions is “Thou shalt have a support network”. Rugged individualism aside, your chances of surviving a crisis go up exponentially if you have taken the time to develop a network of trusted friends and allies.
Do you live in the suburbs? Do you know your neighbors?...
Thou shalt protect your own F.I.R. (Finances, Identity, and Resources)
During uncertain times, the possibility of identity theft rears its ugly head in different ways. During the best of times, we still have to worry about nefarious characters obtaining our Social Security or credit card numbers, and perhaps withdrawing money or opening accounts in our name.
What if,...
Thou shalt possess and control universally needed goods and resources
In 1971 Nixon took the United States off the gold standard and effectively killed the concept of currency as money. It only continues to function as money because we trust the government will back it, but what if that changes? What if we were to have a Zimbabwe style currency flameout and suddenly no...
Thou shalt defend yourself
Holistic Survival commandment #7 is “Thou shalt defend thyself.” What this means is don’t be a sitting duck for the first apocalyptic bully that waltzes past. If you’re a home or business owner, there are three lines of defense you should consider implementing.
The first line of defense is...
Thou shalt control what is put into your body
Bet you never thought you’d be harangued about your eating habits here on Holistic Survival. Sorry, but…wrong! Health and physical fitness are at the very foundation of surviving in a crisis situation. That’s why we say commandment #3 is “Thou shalt control what is put into your body.”
Do...
Thou shalt practice the primitive annually
We’ve been talking about self sufficiency. Another word for that is ‘primitive’. Do you know what it means to live primitively? The time to experience primitivism for the first time is not when the you-know-what is rolling down the hill towards you.
That’s why we at Holistic Survival suggest...
Thou shalt be self sufficient
In this modern culture of interdependency, some of us may find it almost impossible to even imagine what it means to be entirely self sufficient. The idea may seem laughable but it won't be very funny if a crisis comes to pass.
A good approach might be to break it down into one day and come up with...
Thou shalt maintain control
The third commandment of Holistic Survival is “Thou shalt maintain control.” Who would you rather hang out with during a crisis situation – Chicken Little running around screaming about the sky falling down or Captain Picard making calm, rational decisions? There is absolutely nothing to be gained...
Thou shalt be prepared to do without
When it all comes down to survival at the basic level, you need to be prepared to do without a few things. Life becomes simple during an emergency situation. What do you really have to have to make it to the next day or through the next weeks or months until society finds its footing again? Food, water,...