Group Survival - Diversity in Numbers

It’s difficult to be all things at one time. Although many of us have probably done a wide variety of tasks in our lifetimes, we may still lack necessary skills in many areas. A lack of skills in different areas can affect our survival. This is where diversity in numbers comes into play.

When you have numerous people in your group, the chances of someone having the required skills for your survival will be much greater. While being a “jack of all trades” is a plus, sometimes a little more expertise is required to get the job done. The odds are greatly in your favor of having a wide variety of skill sets in a group. This effect is magnified if you have a large group.

It is up to the leader of your group to be aware of the skills each member has in your group. This will enable you to play to the strengths of your group. You may have someone with medical knowledge and skills. It may be mechanic or carpentry skills that stand out among certain members of your group. The chances for your survival will be increased by the types of skill sets that are in your group. The chances for everyone’s survival will be enhanced when you have numerous skill sets in your group. 

There will be those times when an experienced person will be needed to accomplish a task. Knowing the abilities of the members in your group is just as important as having an inventory of food and supplies. These members can then be assigned to the more difficult tasks that may require a higher level of expertise and experience. These persons can also be used to teach others and further increase the skills and knowledge of your group. Don’t discount the ability of the members of your group to learn new skills.

Don’t fail to recognize that the “jack of all trades” makes an excellent helper for those with more advanced skills. They usually grasp new concepts easily and will work diligently to achieve their assigned tasks. They will also usually require less basic instruction to accomplish the goals of your group.

Always include the younger members of your group as well. Young people can absorb knowledge like a sponge collects water. There level of enthusiasm is usually way beyond normal and they will take pride in being included in the efforts of your group. While they may not be capable of certain physical tasks, older members can also provide a wealth of information from their past experience to assist in the efforts of your group.

Utilizing the diversity of skills in your group will ultimately make the efforts of your group more successful. The success of your group will ultimately require you to take advantage of this fact and this will increase the overall chances for your survival.

Got group diversity?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Strengthening Family Ties - Reunion on the River

Building a strong support network begins with family members. One of the easiest ways to get others involved and to stay informed about what’s happening is the family reunion. It’s a time when everything is up for discussion. It also gives you a great opportunity to strengthen family ties.

In our modern day society, we often don’t keep in touch of what’s happening in the lives of other family members and the family reunion is the ideal time to get an update. Staying informed about how things are going with other family members gives you an ideal way to build trust within your group.

A family reunion gives you a chance to build a closer relationship with family members you don’t have regular contact with on a day to day basis. The ladies get to showcase some of their favorite recipes at the reunion meal and the guys also get a chance to do a little “plinkin’ and drinkin’”...one of our more favored activities. This is usually followed by a friendly game of baseball that includes all the family members.

The best part of a reunion is that you can use this opportunity to strengthen your family ties to build to a stronger support group and have a great time doing it.

Got reunion?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker’s Rule of Three for Group Survival

We all like to think of ourselves as being self-reliant enough to handle a crisis. This “macho” attitude can get you into serious trouble. There are many situations during a crisis where you are going to need assistance and going it alone can be a dangerous practice. There’s an old saying that two heads are better than one. If you have three, you will be in an even better position to survive.

At a minimum, you should have three persons in your group to give you the best possible circumstances in which to handle a crisis or a survival situation.

Riverwalker’s Rule of Three for Group Survival - The Major Factors

1. The first major factor that can affect your survival is an injury or an illness.

If you are alone and injured, you may have created one of the worst possible scenarios for a survival situation. Using the Rule of Three for Group Survival can help you effectively solve this problem. If one person becomes sick or injured, the second one can see to their needs while the third one seeks help. Two people can also make a litter to carry the injured person if necessary to vacate the area for safety reasons.

2. The second major factor that can affect your survival is security.

If you find yourself alone and you have a need to create a secured area or perimeter, you are going to experience a lot of difficulties and problems. Using the Rule of Three for Group Survival will make it a lot easier to maintain your security. You also won’t have to worry about how you are going to stay awake for the duration. Having three in your group will give others a chance to rest for short periods and this will help to maintain levels of alertness of everyone in the group.

3. The third major factor is creating or finding adequate shelter.

You may not always have the luxury of time in a crisis. In fact, the opposite is more likely to occur. Three persons can find the resources quicker and assemble adequate shelter in a faster and more effective manner. Sometimes it simply needs an extra pair of hands to help hold something in place while it’s secured.

4. The fourth major factor is the need for fire, water and food.

Since time will always be a critical factor in a crisis, you can use the division of labor to your advantage. Using the Rule of Three for Group Survival, one person can seek a water source, the second person can look for food and the third person can work at building a fire.  This will save time and increase your chances of fulfilling your immediate needs.

5. The fifth major factor will be the lack of individual skills.

Although there are exceptions, there are very few individuals that have the complete set of skills that may be required in a survival situation. Your skill levels will probably excel in certain areas but not all. If you have any areas of weakness in your skills, you are going to find out quickly how much that can affect your survival. Using the Rule of Three for Group Survival will give you a larger pool of resources when the need for essential survival skills may be critical.

When possible, it is always best to use strength in numbers as an effective strategy for survival.

Got three for survival?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Tips - Landmarks

Traveling in strange surroundings can be a real challenge to your survival skills. All too often the prospect of becoming lost looms like a dark cloud over your head. Most people who spend a lot of time outdoors are familiar with the use of landmarks to navigate their way through the wilderness. What many people may fail to realize is that landmarks can be equally important in an urban environment as well.

Landmarks can be vital in determining where you are if you become lost or wind up stranded in unfamiliar surroundings. There are any number of reasons this can happen. Your vehicle might break down or you could’ve lost your map or that GPS unit you were relying on might fail. You may even have had bad or incorrect directions that are the cause of your problem. In any case, utilizing landmarks will help guide you to your destination or help others to find you.

The main quality of landmarks is that they are usually very distinctive and are often visible from a distance. This quality sets them apart from other structures in the area and makes determining your location a lot easier.  They can also be used to establish a meeting point should you become separated from other family members during a crisis.

Got landmarks for survival?

Riverwalker

Group Survival - The Logistics Nightmare

As with any endeavor, the larger it is; the more problems you will experience. The logistics of providing the proper level of support for any size survival group can literally become a nightmare without the necessary planning and preparation. Providing for the essentials needed by a large group will be a full time job without a lot of time to do anything else unless your efforts are focused and well organized.

It is going to take a well-structured environment to be successful. This involves structural integrity. If all the necessary parts aren’t in place, your survival group will quickly disintegrate into a mass of confusion and disorder. The manner in which your survival group is structured will be of vital importance for its success.

Examining the different areas that will require your attention on a daily basis will give you a better understanding of just how much work will be involved when trying to form a survival group. Remember, the bigger your group is; the bigger the problems will be and the more work that is going to be required.

Consider your food and shelter needs for a survival group. At a minimum, a single person will require at least a 100 square foot of space. This is not a lot of room when you consider sleeping requirements and storage space for personal items (which will probably need to be limited out of necessity) for a single individual. The space requirements for the preparation of meals and food storage will also increase dramatically. Preparing meals for a large group on a daily basis will take a large amount of food, a great deal of planning, man-power and space. The average size kitchen may not be able to accomplish this unless you have things very well planned in advance. It’s going to take a lot of calories to keep everyone well-fed.

Sanitation needs must also be considered as well and the necessary facilities to maintain a proper level of hygiene for members in your group are probably going to be one of your bigger problems. Maintenance and cleaning will also be a very real problem. Things break, wear out or simply refuse to work when needed and will create problems on a daily basis that will require immediate attention. Even doing the laundry will become a daunting task. Considering how big a job laundry is for the average family and you will begin to realize the problems and difficulties that will occur. It will require everyone to do their part and then some.

Another important factor is the decision-makers. In any group there will be those who can lead and are able to make sound decisions that may be critical to your survival. There will also be those who will need leadership and instruction to accomplish things in a timely and efficient manner. Each will serve an important role in the survival of the group depending upon their skill sets. Just as there are those who will recognize what items are needed, there are also those who will be able to create or build the necessary item or items to fulfill that need.

Meeting the health requirements of a large group will also be a very real challenge. Illness and injury can deal a crippling blow to your survival efforts without the proper planning and preparation. This is an area that cannot be comprised when it comes to proper planning for your survival group. People get sick and accidents happen on a regular basis. This is one thing you can rely on to occur on a regular basis.

Of utmost importance is the trust factor. You will need to be able to trust everyone in your group to do their part to maintain the structural integrity of your survival group. It will need to function without the interruptions that conflict or confrontations may cause from differences in personal opinions, viewpoints or beliefs.

Forming a survival group is a lot like building a bridge. It will require a great deal of structural integrity for it to bear the burden of its intended purpose.

Got structural integrity?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Family Survival Needs - Providing for Infants

When considering the survival needs of your family, it is important to remember that those who are most vulnerable are also the least able to care for themselves. Infant family members rely completely on others to provide for their necessary needs and care. While you may no longer have infants living in your household, you probably have other family members who do have young infants. These family members should also be included in your preparedness plans.

Young infants require a great deal of care and have somewhat specialized needs. They often require special formula as part of their diet, diapers as part of their clothing needs and even specially formulated medications different from adult-strength medications. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a few extras like teething rings or a few small toys as well.

In an emergency or crisis situation, even a small, additional supply of the special items infants may require will be essential. Should those family members that do have young infants happen to be visiting and a crisis occurs you will be ready to help meet these special needs. If it becomes necessary for them to “bug out” to your location due to a storm or other emergency, you will be ready to assist them with the special care infant family members will need.

A little preparedness for the “little ones” goes a very long way!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Texas Area Prepping

A reader has requested assistance on determining a viable place to re-locate. Perhaps someone out there can give them some help in deciding their best place to re-locate from the big city to an area that may be more advantageous.

Here is their request:

To: Riverwalker
From: Cindy in Austin
Date: August 05,2008
Hello,

First off I’d like to thank you for your articles, I read them daily. Second, we moved to Austin a year and a half ago from California. Actually, we turned an old bus into a motor home and toured the US for two years looking for a new place to live.

Although we love everything Austin has to offer, I cringe daily at the thought of being there in bad times. We are renting downtown and had planned to buy when the chips were down, but now we understand how silly it would be to buy in the city during such times. After our trip we kept the bus, and we know that if it were necessary, we could live pretty comfortably on some land until we could build more housing.

We are busily prepping with some hope to buy a few acres soon in outlying rural areas. Any suggestions from readers regarding locations in Central Texas would be appreciated. So far we are considering the Tyler area as well as Bastrop/Smithville. We would love to meet others interested in forming a group that can come together when things get ugly. We have two children 16 and 13 who would welcome a self sufficient way of life. They are home-schooled and don’t understand the culture most of their peers embrace.

The kids and I have been visiting friends and family in CA during the past month with the hopes of getting my parents out of the stock market and setting up some modest preps. No one (including friends) wants to hear anything about the economy, “everything will work itself out…let’s watch ‘Dancing with the Stars”! You would think that living in earthquake country (SF Bay Area) they would at least see the value of preparing for a natural disaster, but apparently I’m just Chicken Little. The malls are full and people have no clue. We can’t wait to return to Texas on the 11 th and as my 16 year old daughter keeps telling me, at least we tried. Anyway, thanks again and keep up the good work!

Cindy in Austin

Let's see if we can help out Cindy in Austin. Thanks.

Additional info here:

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/making-the-move-from-city-to-country-living

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Group Survival (Part 2)

Once you realize the problems involved with forming a survival group, you should then make plans for the problems associated with the location of that group. You are going to need a safe place to go, one that is easily accessible from as many routes as possible, and has adequate room for everyone. You’re also going to need one that is capable of serving the immediate needs of the group so that everyone’s survival is assured. It must offer security and protection, food and water, shelter, and a certain level of sustainability (space for a garden, good soil to grow crops, adequate source of water, etc.).

The first item you will need to determine is who is going to be in your survival group. The main component of your survival group should be FAMILY groups. This will create a strong foundation for you to build on as you start your group. The critically important values of trust, reliability, compatibility and dependability should already be well established in the family group from years of contact with each person in the family group. You will also most likely know their strengths and their weaknesses and the value of any skill sets (marksman, mechanic, carpenter, etc.) they may have. The second component will be those close friends and neighbors that share the same values and beliefs. They can also add to the skill sets of your group and increase its sustainability. You will ultimately have to make a tough decision as to who will be in your group and who will be left out. You will probably not be able to include everyone in your group as its size will be limited by the available resources of your group location.

The second item to consider after you have figured out how large will your group will be, who will be in it and how much space is going to be needed is its LOCATION. You will need room for gardens, housing, etc. and for everyone (including children, seniors, pets, and those with special needs) in your group. Putting people already stressed by a survival situation into a limited area will only create further problems and additional stress if everyone doesn’t have “their space”. You will also need to make sure that the size of your group does not endanger the sustainability of your group and create a burden on whatever resources you may have available. The location you choose should ideally be located close to a small town or farming community that could offer further support to your survival group’s needs. Small towns and communities will offer further resources to your survival group such as farmers markets, support for the protection of your group, barter opportunities, etc. Many of these small towns or communities will be able to go through their daily routines with little or no help from outside sources.

The third item is to make sure you have well established lines of COMMUNICATION for everyone in your survival group. Knowing their e-mail address when the internet is down will not help. You will need some way to contact them or locate them (physical location?) in an emergency. Most family groups, close friends, and neighbors already have these lines of communication in place. Still, as many family members and friends move about and progress through their daily routines the ability to maintain contact with each other can suffer. A change in phone carriers, the failure to update your written list of contact information, etc. may endanger your efforts to keep in touch with each other at a critical time.

Create a “comfort zone” for your survival group that will be able to meet their needs and it will have a better chance of being successful. Family and friends have been always been the main component of groups in our lives and a group comprised mainly of family and close friends will offer you the best chance for survival in any situation.

Part 3 will detail some specific options for your survival group.

Stay above the water line!

Riverwalker

Group Survival (Part 1)

History has shown that many groups fail within a few years and some even sooner than that. And that’s taking into account that TSHTF hasn’t happened yet (although it may have already started) and our society and infrastructure remains virtually intact and can still provide for the people that may leave the group when it fails to properly provide the necessary elements for their needs in a survival situation. There are usually several main reasons why this occurs.

First is a failure to understand the amount of resources and funding required for the proper start-up of a serious group effort. Inefficient planning, lack of reasonable goals, limited foresight concerning possible problems and limited monetary resources as far as the initial costs of starting or forming a group, etc. will cause a great many problems with individual members if everyone doesn’t make equal contributions in some form or manner in either resources (food, equipment, or skills, etc.), land, money, or time.

Second is a failure to blend in and become a part of their surroundings. A group of outsiders moving into an area is going to attract a lot of attention at the local level. Being unfamiliar with local laws, customs and practices will just make you stand out even more. In fact, it may even generate a certain amount of fear and distrust by locals in the area who have no idea of who or what you are and what your motives or intentions might be. This will create even further problems for the group.

Third is the conflict that arises from differing sets of moral values and beliefs (political, religious, etc.). Although most groups can and will find common ground in these issues, it is exceedingly difficult to find and maintain a group where everyone’s values and beliefs are in complete harmony with each other. There will need to be an extremely high level of tolerance in this area in order for the group to be successful. You will need to agree to disagree.

Fourth is the problems caused by the relocation of group members. The stress of finding new jobs and leaving familiar surroundings will almost certainly push some people to their utmost limit. This will create a big change in their lives that may be difficult, if not almost impossible, for many people in your group to accept. Some people accept change more readily than others.

Fifth is the time necessary to create a familiarity among members of the group that will create the necessary trust so that the group will bond together for a common purpose and come to depend upon each other for their abilities in order to survive.

While these are not all the problems that can occur, they are some of the more important ones to take into consideration.

Groups will always be stronger than individuals. There is strength in numbers that can’t be denied. But remember, what people say and what they do are two completely different things. The stress of a survival situation can sometimes bring out the worst in people. It can also bring out their best qualities. You may see a side of someone that you didn't know was there until it's too late. You will need to know that the members of your group won’t fall apart or not be able to function under the stress of a survival situation.

There is a possible solution to these and many other problems of group survival. That will be the subject of Part 2.

Stay above the water line!

Riverwalker

Group Survival - Another View

There was a good deal of interest lately on the group survival concept and how best to achieve some manner of coming together. Unfortunately, many felt left out because of varying differences in their lifestyles,belief systems, or their gender. I think the main thing to work on is the problem and not try to play the blame game. We all have the same problem. We only need work on the solution.



I think small family groups(as many families are smaller now with the demise of family farms) of 20 or less would seem to be doable and in line with current family sizes. Ideally, a group as large as possible would probably work out better but may not be practical in the short term. Your beliefs(religious,political,etc.), your lifestyles(lots of crumb eaters or a collection of fully stocked gun safes) and your tastes(maybe you do like Spam) would be more in tune with each other and allow you to concentrate on accomplishing other important goals.



As travel may become difficult and quite possibly dangerous, a network of interconnected groups
may allow us to become more sufficient. Perhaps your group doesn't have that mechanical genius that can fix anything with baling wire and twine...no problem. Just contact the group near you that has one! Then trade,sell, or barter a service you have for what you need. Got a nurse or doctor in your group. Fantastic! Got a "whacko" gun nut(my apologies to everyone-it's just a figure of speech) in the group that really knows his stuff. Maybe a group close by needs firearms training really bad (I know I could use more!). Need a priest, Rabbi, or minister to counsel,marry, or to do a little preaching to someone in your group? You could check the local group network. Perhaps there is something your group needs that is further off than you are willing or able to travel. There may be a group that has an excess of something that you sorely lack. You may not be familiar with the terrain or dangers to avoid. I say no problem. Send or leave a message with one group and let them pass it on to next group and so and so forth until your need becomes known and let it come back to you in stages from one group to another. Maybe even some of the rugged individual types out there would be interested in a sort of freight service operation. They would get to travel(probably on foot mostly), meet new people(roving lowlifes and scumbags most probably), and maybe even shoot that fancy rifle(hopefully at game animals). Got a teacher in your group? That's great. Somebody has to be able to teach the little crumb eaters how to read and write.

The main point here people is that no matter what the size of your group is, be it large or small or an individual, there will be goods and services you will need to not only survive, but to grow and prosper. Working with each other to not only survive but thrive as well is going to be necessary. Cooperation and NOT confrontation is going to be the answer. You don't have to abandon your beliefs and lifestyles in order to survive. Work to build a network of inter-connected small groups. I see a definite possibility of groups located in another region or state even being able to communicate with or fill the needs of small groups. Could this be accomplished overnight, maybe and maybe not. I think the only limiting factor to this concept is that we need to recognize our differences, our strenghts, and our shortcomings and be willing to work together to be the solution and not the problem.

Stay above the water line!

Cultivating the Group

After reading an excellent post on group survival, I decided that I would like to make a few extended comments on the subject. I,among others in my little group, have been slowly working towards building a small, self-reliant group that will be able to rely on each other in a crisis. No matter what that crisis may be.

We started out just meeting on a holiday once a year. Which holiday? It doesn't matter. Just pick one that suits you and go from there. What did we do? We had a great meal(s) and did everything from playing games (chldren included), meeting new family members due to marriage,divorce,etc., solving the world's problems with our sometimes lively debates and discussions, prayed for those we lost, and generally tried to have a good time with the occasional plinking with our new "toys" or a ride on the tractor or ATV.

This process we have been using for many years (well over a decade now) and it has served us well. We learn from each other. We disagree with each other. We rely on each other. We trust each other. We have come to know each other as few people do. We cried over the loss of loved ones and celebrated the births of new ones. We've eaten good food together, as well as some slightly questionable new recipes, and enjoyed a cold brew on a hot day and complained about our new job(or the old one).

Like any seed that is planted and given a little TLC, it has grown to the point where we meet at other times now. Sometimes there is a call to come together to help someone in a crisis. And coming together to help each other out is what makes life worth living, this is what truly surviving is about. Would I trust them to take care of my family if I wasn't there? In a heartbeat and without question.

Be like any good gardener that toils to make the soil productive and his seeds sprout, work to cultivate your friends and family into a stronger unit. Is it done overnight? I don't think the level of trust and the caring nature of such a group should be done too quickly. The more effort and time put into something will generate a greater value and a lasting and more durable result.

There is a certain holiday each year, that those who I have come to rely on and they on me, that
no one asks where I'll be. There is a certain place in a time of crisis that I will go and no one needs ask where I am. They will know as do I.

Stay above the water line!