by the author of The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival
The competition for the worst prepping advice out there is pretty sharp. It’s been going on for many years and has a tendency to get even more ridiculous as time goes on.
One reason is that a lot of the advice is pushing you in the direction of buying something, and when you need to buy something things can go weird and false.
Another reason is the fact that there are numerous “experts” out there, and it does not have to be about selling. Often it can be that people just want to be known as experts because they feel more important or whatever.
So, as I mentioned many times before there is a chain of people who share advice, and if you follow the trail where that advice is coming from you are usually gonna find a self-proclaimed “expert” at the end, or even worse some fictional character from movies or books.
So here are a few pieces of bad prepping advice I have seen.
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“Handle everything with violence.”
Yes, I do agree, nothing can put things in the right perspective like a few shots from an assault rifle in the correct place and time. Brute force can very efficiently solve some situations.
But…
I see a lot of advice that goes only as far as being well-armed and having that “out of my cold dead hand” attitude.
Most of the time when the SHTF, it will be about other things, like hygiene, resources, interactions with people, managing people in groups, maintaining mental and physical health in hard circumstances, and many other things that have nothing to do with violence.
So, violence and being ready for violence are critical, yes, of course, but it is not only about that.
“Oh no, we are different here, so it will not be like that.”
You can not know exactly how it will be once the SHTF because it depends on many factors.
But, do not count that levels of violence, the extent of the collapse, or anything similar will be different just because you think you there (wherever you are) is different from someone else who lives somewhere else.
It is only about how serious the event is and how long it is going to last. In other words, it is about how quick and how bad (deep) the layers of society will go down.
In the end, all that is gonna be left are just a bunch of folks looking for resources, in different ways and means.
“Do this (have this weapon, choose that solution, be at that place or other, or whatever) and you’ll survive.”
To oversimplify it, it is about principles.
So whoever is telling you to “do exactly that” unless he shares exactly the same circumstances as you, it might be wrong.
Prepping is a very personal thing. What works for me here might be completely wrong there for you because of many reasons, from the simplest one like a different climate to more detailed things like different weapons availability.
There is no universal way. There are principles and skills that can be shared of course. For example, you can learn a lot from my experiences, but you should take my experiences and choose what makes sense for you there.
If I say, “The AK is a great weapon,” that means it is a great weapon for me. But for you, maybe it is something different.
What you need to understand is why the AK is a great weapon for me and then use those principles to understand what weapon should be great for you, based on those principles.
Now, you need to add to this a whole world of false folks on YouTube and everywhere showing you “perfect way of doing… (whatever)” just because of views.
So it is not only about taking advice and putting it in your perspective, it is about understanding what advice is perfectly wrong or what advice (or techniques) are actually good, but only for certain places and time.
“If you’re a good person, people will be good to you.”
“Do good and expect good” or advice in that tone is out there, and I do understand the place for those philosophies. Actually, I share it too.
But not when the SHTF.
First, do not expect that in hard times, doing good deeds will be taken in the correct way, and that the person will do good back to you. Second, do not expect that you’ll be able to do only good things all the time.
It is a messed-up world when the SHTF, so things get blurred and weird.
Random nonsense advice
All of the above are bad advice mostly from the point of the “philosophy” of survival. If you are using the wrong foundation in your prepping you can end up there.
Aside from that, there is all sorts of weird and wrong advice that come from one simple thing: failing to adopt a survival mentality. It is about people thinking in old terms in a new world and they fail to adapt to the new reality.
A good old favorite piece of terrible advice that I read about 10 years ago was that a skateboard is the perfect means of transport in an urban SHTF.
I’ll use that here as an example:
SHTF, and you are in the middle of a city with a bunch of other people. The streets are gonna be most probably not be usable for any type of transportation because of trash and debris. As well, without electricity and any other services, it will be too dark to see obstacles at night. And it is gonna be probably too dangerous to move during daylight. In these situations, you will want to move in silent ways so you don’t run into trouble.
And somebody is suggesting a skateboard as a means of transportation?
In real SHTF in urban settings, it is hard enough to move on foot and stay silent and safe with all dangers that come from a “more people than resources” situation, let alone riding on your skateboard.
Streets in the city when SHTF are not for that.
As an example only, it is an activity taken from the normal world and times, and put in the SHTF world and times, without thinking how that world is gonna look and what dangers there are gonna be.
So that advice comes only from the point of “no fuel” so to that person, a skateboard will make sense.
Think about what the world would be like.
The SHTF is much different than the world we live in today, so whichever advice you are considering whether or not you should take it, think about how the world might look around you and ask yourself, “Is that gonna be usable at all?”
What is the worst advice you have heard?
About Selco:
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution.
In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today. He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.
- Read more of Selco’s articles here.
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Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.
15 Responses
No plan survives first contact with the enemy. (Derived from the writings of Field Marshall von Moltke)
Remain flexible.
Love and agree with your take on this!!!!
I would add “survival seed kits” to this … a few things to consider:
– Do you already know how to grow your own food and the necessary tools?
– Do you have an area with GOOD soil to grow in?
– Do you know how to save seeds for the next grow season? Add to this are these seeds non-hybrid? As only a non-hybrid, open pollinated seed will reproduce the parent plant, otherwise you get a distant relative of the parent plant.
– Are the seeds for something you will eat?
– Do you know how to save your crops, yet alone the supplies to do so?
– Last but way far from least – Remember: When you grow your own food you have a vary particular “grow season” and you have to wait for it to grow and then harvest it. So this not “instant” food !
I would also add to your list to beware of all these “survival retreats” from underground to tree houses, boats, rafts and cabins. A “perfect” retreat will depend on the SHTF scenario and WHERE it is located. It has been my experience that there isn’t a “one retreat that fits ALL” SHTF situations anywhere out there.
THANK YOU for the common sense advice and keep up the great work ;-}
and how do you know the seeds are what they say they are and that they have a good germination rate? how will you store them to keep them all they should be? take half of them and grow them out this year. save seed from those you do well with. share/trade some of the extras. put seeds back/ keep the remaining original seeds and the new ones labelled and stored dry and cool. i like mason jars in the frig. if you have a crop failure this season, you still have half your seeds. if you do well, you can plant the second half next season and store the ones you saved. trade similar seeds with others so you do not develop inbred depression. if you don’t like something, don’t grow it next season–or learn to like it. learn to double crop for twice the yield with less work. make your mistakes now. practice. practice. practice.
I don’t think anyone gives that kind of advice of what you mentioned. Most know when the SHTF what will happen. We will basically become animals if we cannot feed ourselves or children and if they even THINK you have more, you will be a TARGET.
It will be true spread the misery around. No one will dare flaunt he has more. Then and only then will sides be formed and the WORST of humans will come out.
I worked in emergency services on the streets of Miami during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. I was LEO. People always think they know how they will react and behave in emergency situations. Except for military, police, and fire – and only those who have actually been in the trenches…I can’t remember anyone acting in a sane, rational way during a true emergency. Even medical personnel when away from their controlled circumstances go a little nuts.
One of the sayings I use about people is “when in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.”
You never know how you will react to being shot at until the first time it happens.
Good article.
LMFAO. “Preppers” are like Cub Scouts on steroids 🤡 what in the hell is wrong with you dipstick people? You have to make up a stupid name for your little club, you pretend to tell everyone how wise you are, acting like no one knows anything about survival already… you are ACTING like you are altruistic, and like you really care about people, when all you care about is selling your CRAP and convincing everyone they can’t make it without your “advice”.
TAKE A FREAKING HIKE, YA BUNCH OF A-HOLE GRIFTERS 🤡
Keep It simple stupid
Read ONE SECOND AFTER , Then read it again and TAKE NOTES
To all who prepare !
What you have will be all you will have for a very long time !
Water Filter is your BEST FRIEND
BICYCLE is your mode of TRAVEL , Single speed FAT TIRES , EASY TO FIX
Tubes can be repaired many times
Small back packs mount easy to a bicycles
Bicycles make a good tent post
Can mount a small engine to a Bicycle
22 RIFLE and why is simple
500 rounds weights 4 lb
BOOTS , Shoes will be hard to come by
If possible broke in and a spare pare
If you weight the above mounted to a bike you are pushing roughly
250 carrying 3gallons of water
Personally i use a old Schwinn weighs in at 50 lb
Proved its ability in yellow stone
Pacific crest trail !
Too the few who plan ahead the National park systems study all in your area
They are built for the END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT
Yep.
It’s always great to read articles from Selco. Especially this article on “Bad Advice”
I have read most of his articles that Daisy has posted in the past.
OK so, be prepared but not paranoid, buy some survival food but rotate your stock, and remember that in an emergency such as fire flood or earthquake, keeping a cool head is your number one weapon, and a firearm can do as much harm as it can good
Seems to me, those who like to “Handle everything with violence,” tend to end up on the receiving end of that very violence. Put yourself in harms way, don’t be surprised if your life is short lived. Take a look at the average life expectancy of a Chicago gangbanger
Might be different where you are, but no one knows how people will react under a stressful situation for a prolonged period of time.
Prep for common sense. People who live in hurricane ally prep for hurricanes and we still see injuries or even deaths. Same goes for those who live in tornado prone areas or wildfire areas. Someone living in Florida is not going to need the kind of heavy cold weather gear or snowshoes like I do. And there is no one item, gizmo that replaces common sense and keeping calm.
People in stressed out situations might be good people in normal times but be an entirely different animal if SHTF. Most think they know how they will react but unless they were in the military, LEO, or EMS, most are just guessing.
skateboard….but a big one….it could be handy for moving quietly in buildings and urban surroundings….if you lay down on it ….low to the ground and in the dark everything else is sticking out from down under….move with minimal exposion…silently through corridors….maybe drill a hole in it with a piece of rope attached and use it for moving heavy things you find…..the item is not my first choice but i would not let it lay if i passed it…always useful for something….
i think the most usefull skil is lockpicking…..there are many doors and a lot of places will be locked for a ling time…electrical transformer houses, shops and sheds….
most important item besides knife , gun and bino is a good pair of shoes….walking in comfort and without pain ….maybe you have to experience it to understand.
I very much apriciate the articles at organic prepper, a lot is common sense and some is just gold that you cannot think of yourself, it has to be told by someone who has been there and found out in real time.
As the man said; the more i know the more i realize i know little to nothing….still, learnin is pure richness.
Duchesne! Lock pick skills! Yes, thanks for reminding me. I actually have a set of picks, but haven’t practiced in awhile. I agree about the skateboard, it will be useful in certain situations, but is certainly NOT silent! I have a guy at work who uses one as a dolly all the time. You better oil the crap out of one to make is quiet!
I think the BEST prep you can have is your health! Get your teeth taken care of regularly, because oral infections can kill you. Manage your “conditions” and get your heart checked. I currently take a supplement called nattokinase with MK3, which is supposed to clear arterial blockages and prevent cardiac plaques. Mom had a heart attack at 91, and I hope to prevent one by maintaining decent cardiac health. I also buy the vitamins and herbal supplements when they are Buy 1 Get 1 free at Kroger and Meijers. Stock up on Goldenseal, because it is a great antibiotic! I have cured strep throat in my kids numerous times when we didn’t have insurance. I am actually off of most my perscription meds, but I still stockpile my Hydroxychloroquine and my Celebrex.
I am going to invest in proper arch support because I have an ankle that just won’t heal from the plantar fasciatis, so if you can invest, it is totally worth not having pain. Looking for a fat wheel bike at yard sales this summer. I think you are right about that.
Selco, you’re absolutely right,using a skateboard for transport during a SHTF event is ridiculous…My goodness. Using a weapon I favor is good for me not the other person perhaps.
Thx,
‘SA
Duchesne! Lock pick skills! Yes, thanks for reminding me. I actually have a set of picks, but haven’t practiced in awhile. I agree about the skateboard, it will be useful in certain situations, but is certainly NOT silent! I have a guy at work who uses one as a dolly all the time. You better oil the crap out of one to make is quiet!
I think the BEST prep you can have is your health! Get your teeth taken care of regularly, because oral infections can kill you. Manage your “conditions” and get your heart checked. I currently take a supplement called nattokinase with MK3, which is supposed to clear arterial blockages and prevent cardiac plaques. Mom had a heart attack at 91, and I hope to prevent one by maintaining decent cardiac health. I also buy the vitamins and herbal supplements when they are Buy 1 Get 1 free at Kroger and Meijers. Stock up on Goldenseal, because it is a great antibiotic! I have cured strep throat in my kids numerous times when we didn’t have insurance. I am actually off of most my perscription meds, but I still stockpile my Hydroxychloroquine and my Celebrex.
I am going to invest in proper arch support because I have an ankle that just won’t heal from the plantar fasciatis, so if you can invest, it is totally worth not having pain. Looking for a fat wheel bike at yard sales this summer. I think you are right about that.