If society collapsed, could you survive?

[Anthropophagus]

I lose track of what I post so I could have already posed this question.

Do you have what it takes to survive in a world where there is no electricity/utilities, no store bought food, no government or formal law, etc? If you think so, describe the training, experience, and/or equipment that you have for this purpose.

Personally, I would struggle. I have some outdoor experience. I can build a fire, grow food, tolerate bad weather, and I have a home, some basic survival equipment, and guns. I'm a far cry from a bushcraft guy though. Either way, I would be miserable living like this for the long term and could see myself committing suicide. I live in an agricultural area so food and water are plentiful, but I wonder what some of the European or even American members who live in denser population centers would do.

[Dave Miles]

Good thing your non faggot ancestors didn’t commit suicide when times got tough

[Dave Miles]

I think I’d do reasonably well. Been living in an isolated frozen wasteland for 4 years. However I think blind luck will play a big part in survival in that scenario

You might get dismembered by a group of feral humans. You might not

[Anthropophagus]

Originally Posted by Dave Miles

Good thing your non faggot ancestors didn’t commit suicide when times got tough

My ancestors were a bunch of lazy Italians. They probably didn't have it too bad, unlike Irish retards who literally died or had to leave their ancestral homeland because they couldn't grow potatoes.

[Dungeon Snake]

idk, i think im probably one of the best equipped to survive a situation like this of anyone here but I think it would definitely be a major struggle and probably largely dependent on luck like Dave Miles said. If you break a bone, eat the wrong plant, anything like that, you're done for. I do know people who more or less live this way full-time, existing deep in the woods, hunting and fishing, and only returning to civilization for things like gasoline and ammunition. However, those people have a lifetime's worth of skill and training, and grew up in generational communities where that was a normal way of life. Like most people, I'm accustomed to the ease of modern life.
I've attended survival schools, and in my career as a wildland firefighter i've gotten a ton of training and spent a shit ton of time living in the woods. I also have firearms and plenty of survival equipment which ive tested and used (i used to be sponsored by 200+ camping brands). But I'm still not sure if I could survive. I think I'd be fine for at least a few weeks, but permanently? Idk. For one thing I'm not really a great hunter or fisherman, and I'm not that good at identifying edible plants. I could probably fish well enough to keep myself barely alive but that's about it.

The truth is, it's really mostly dependent on finding a community. In ancient times, almost everyone lived in communities. The idea of a rugged self-reliant survivalist is mostly a myth. Most people who live that way do so with the benefit of modern technology and supply chains. If you were a part of a decent community you would probably be alright in the long run. Maybe you aren't a great hunter but you are a good carpenter. Another person might be able to make clothes, another person can fix mechanical stuff, etc. Your best bet, if you're seriously worried about this scenario, would be to learn some trade skills and start making connections with other trustworthy people who have a similar mindset. You'll get way farther with that than hoarding buckets of freeze-dried food or whatever.

[Anthropophagus]

Of all the various perils possible in this scenario, one of the most likely which is absolutely miserable to think about is being sick with a fever and chills or, worse, those things plus a stomach bug, in the dead of winter. Having a fire place or stove would be a game changer. For anyone roughing it outdoors without a cozy shelter, however, I can't even imagine, especially if one were to be alone. Just lying there in the dark, without anyone to bring you comfort, shivering, burning up, suffering, as the cold pierces you to your bones. The sort of cold you can't shake. I'm guessing it's very easy to succumb to death under those circumstances. What a miserable and probably common way to go for homeless people, those in the third world, etc.

[Bown]

No.

[PizzaLuigi]

Originally Posted by Bown

No.

[Plopilpy]

Originally Posted by Bown

No.

[Shaun]

to survive societal collapse you'll need a stockpile of guns+ammo as well as the capacity to kill people for the sole purpose of stealing their stuff; many of these people will themselves be armed... good luck everyone

[PaytonJerryM]

Depends. If you live in a poor country then you will most likely survive. My ancestors were once peasants in Europe until they left their home country to come to America so that they can enjoy freedom of speech and laziness.

[PaytonJerryM]

Originally Posted by Anthropophagus

My ancestors were a bunch of lazy Italians. They probably didn't have it too bad, unlike Irish retards who literally died or had to leave their ancestral homeland because they couldn't grow potatoes.

Have you been to Italy and Ireland? I have been to Mexico but I haven't been to Ireland.

[Anthropophagus]

Originally Posted by Shaun

to survive societal collapse you'll need a stockpile of guns+ammo as well as the capacity to kill people for the sole purpose of stealing their stuff; many of these people will themselves be armed... good luck everyone

This isn't true. Stop basing your understanding of the topic on some post-apocalyptic B movies. Guns are important but considering them the most important tool is folly. If you even know how to operate a firearm, my guess is you'd be killed within a week of the fall with this mentality.

[Shaun]

I haven't seen any post-apocalyptic B movies. I didn't mean to imply you'll be using guns all the time or even regularly, just that if you're not armed you're probably screwed

[Winavilenium]

nope

[Anthropophagus]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I haven't seen any post-apocalyptic B movies. I didn't mean to imply you'll be using guns all the time or even regularly, just that if you're not armed you're probably screwed

Only the man armed with a cannon and enough grapeshot to fill a dump truck will make it through unscathed.

[Jokyfoot]

I'd just need to aquire a gun, a shack hidden in the forest, and a taste for human flesh.

[Lord Blazer]

I've got enough camping gear to outfit three people, a pretty good knowledge of knots, I know how to swing a hammer, and my bow aim is pretty decent

I'd say I'd be okay for a bit

[Mr Mong]

I don't think you can live off just wild game tho.

[Dungeon Snake]

my understanding is that you can, as long as its the right kind of meat. People in the arctic and sub-arctic (inuits, saami, etc) traditionally eat a diet composed almost entirely of meat and fish, but most of it comes from animals with very high fat content and contains lots of vitamins and nutrients within the meat. Other peoples like for example Mongolians traditionally eat a diet composed almost entirely of meat and dairy. However if you try to eat lean meat exclusively then you will slowly starve. Native Americans knew about this and called it "rabbit starvation".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_poisoning

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_cuisine

[Mabdog]

no, I depend heavily on society and have developed little survival skills outside of it

[Lord Blazer]

Originally Posted by Mr Mong

I don't think you can live off just wild game tho.

oh right I'm also pretty good at agriculture. Have 160sqft of garden space, so I'd like to think I'd be able to manage growing... some shit

Learning mushrooms has been on my list for a while, should probably get into foraging this summer

[Jokyfoot]

mushrooms literally have 0 calories

[Anthropophagus]

Eating only high fat meat is basically just a keto diet. It's possible to survive on that, as people are doing it now. Some would argue that a well balanced (this is the keyword) keto diet is in fact very healthy. I imagine a meat-only diet is not healthful in terms of living a long life, as the Arctic people Dungeon Snake mentioned have fairly short life expectancies compared to first world societies, but we're discussing survival in the end days so that's moot.

Having a garden and learning to can/preserve foods isn't the hardest thing in the world, depending of course on where you live during this scenario. We periodically grow an assortment of veggies on our property - sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc. I think the earth here is very fertile (we do live in a farming community) as this stuff grows even when we don't maintain it or even intend to grow it. I threw a bunch of rotten tomatoes in a flower garden this past summer to get rid of them and not long after we had a big fresh tomato crop forming.

I imagine one could be healthy with only wild game and some veggies or fruits. Mushrooms aren't great for keeping weight up but that's not the point - they're very healthful and therefore good to include in a diet, should you be able to forage or grow them. Health would be everything in a post-society where modern medicine no longer exists and a simple cold can kill.

People in first world nations choose primitive, off grid lifestyles right now so it's wholly possible, just a big shock to those who are utterly dependent on modern living. It may sound dumb but one of the things I'd hate the most is the inability to get clean as readily. Anyone who hasn't showered for days knows how gross it starts to feel after like the 3rd day. It's a quality of life thing that would be miserable.

[Nixon]

tbf it only feels gross because of the societal view on not showering, if society has collapsed and theres no nose left alive to smell my dirty ass and cheese foot you best believe i’m skipping showers