From movies TV, and popular media, the hardcore survivor. mentality is something people fantasize over. From Urban to wilderness survival, a fun fantasy is portrayed to us, along with the skills we see being used..

Fire? Easy.
Finding shelter? Pfft, nothing.
Surviving an onslaught of crazy people or zombies? Everyday.

There's nothing easy about wilderness, and urban Survival. It's an absolutely brutal experience, and the limits of your humanity will be pushed, tested, and twisted. What you thought you knew, didn't mean anything, what you thought you had? Was an illusion. Your fancy car, trophy wife or husband are gone, the fabric of your very existence is tainted, taunted, and the new reality is absolutely traumatising.

The new world once SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan) is gonna be of life, death, and everything in between. People will die, people will survive and it's your job to learn a few things ahead of time to help you out.

What steps can you take to aid you in this world prior to a possible collapse? Quite a few actually. In this article I'm gonna throw in a few tips in order to get you started... To help get a head start in modern society, before a possible collapse.

Make yourself suffer ahead of time

Although this sounds rather strange, cutting creature comforts from your life can make a big difference, and stop your dependence on certain things during times of need. Take for example sugar, I used to have 4 table spoons of sugar in my tea. (I still have a good set of teeth, believe it or not)

Around about 5 years ago, I completely cut sugar from my diet. I don't have sugar at all, I can't even stomach it hardly anymore, I find foods far too rich with sugar in it.

Another example is physical demands, do you really need to keep warm 24/7? Try purposely making yourself cold (within reason) to teach your body to adapt to uncomfortable situations. These tiny things can make a big difference to your mindset and your bodies demands.

Make a bug out bag.

Bob is an acronym for 'Bug out bag' this term may of possibly of being coined from the American military when they had to seek out temporary defensive positions in the Korean war. The Bob is a portable carry emergency kit, or an evacuation bag. The bag can contain a number of items such as fire kits, sleeping gear, water, even weapons. It's about aiding your survival, and is often very personal to the owner. Some people may have a small bag to help them for a few hours, this is known as a scout bag. Some people may have bags which last literally for years, It's all dependent on what personal taste and needs of an individual.

A bob should be as light as you can get it, but have everything inside it to last you for days and days in the wilderness.

In later articles, I'll go into much more detail on how to build your own bug out bag, the types of bug out bags, and how to tailor it to your needs.

Changing your mindset to accept loss...

This is a difficult one to really sum up, and it's not something I wish on anyone, but you're gonna see loss, and a lot of it. Death comes to us all, we all try to escape it through beauty products extended health care, and other methods in the modern world, through our extensive medical networks and societal constructs. Death is gonna face us all at some point, Life always keeps going have you ever seen plants reaching for sunlight through the cracks and crevices of concrete? Despite so much set backs, the plant keeps pushing through to keep living.

We may face a mass extinction, the end times, but something new will replace us... Perhaps see the beauty in that fact, and acknowledge that we aren't as important as we like to think.

You may be forced to take a life or have your own taken, I can't speak from experience on this subject but what I can tell you, is that in defence of your own life you have to make that choice, do you accept your fate or do you fight it? It's fight or flight, We are hardwired to survive and do whatever it takes whatever the cost, it's to keep living.. so what will you do in that situation?

Survive.

HESTA - mindset evolution

This is something I take seriously, and urge everyone to try when they're next out. HESTA is the art of hyper sensitivity. Being visually aware spatially aware, and sensory aware, will save you in potentially dangerous situations by pre determining an event prior to it happening.

Next time you walk into a cafe for example, sit down, observe, and start to drink your mocha frocha tocha smocka, (whatever the current coffee trend is) and adopt the term H.E.S.T.A. (This is new worlds term btw)

H - HEIGHTENED
E - ENVIRONMENTAL
S - SENSORY
T - TACTICAL
A - AWARENESS

Start to scan for any emergency exits any means of escape, plan your route efficiently, effectively, and to the structural compounds of the building. Is there anything blocking your exits? Are there people who may slow you down?

What can you smell? See? Feel? Is there anything slightly odd? Does anything feel off? Who's sitting around you, what can they offer? How will they impeade you in an emergency situation?

If your gut instinct is telling you something is majorly off.. Get out! Don't risk yourself or your loved ones there could be an active shooter, or danger may be about to present itself.

If it's too late too exit the situation go tactical. Get ready, have something near by you could use as a weapon if needed, have mundane things like your laces tied, or your belt tightened up ready to go, every little boost, will help you long term, and quite possibly having some knowledge of what to do ahead of time, may stop an impending attack if the situation arises.

Even make shift weapons for defense, that salt shaker, the fork, anything, even a mobile phone, the aim is for yourself to become a tactical unit, to defend, escape, and lockdown a location if needed

Remember
H.E.S.T.A.

As always, stay alert..
- Luke