S.F. in Hawaii suggested another poll topic: “If someday you went to the gates of a survival community post TEOTWAWKI [1] and pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken objectively, would you vote yourself in?
I suggest the following poll. Put together your survival resume in 100 words or less. The resume is what you would present to a panel of tough as nails judges who would decide if what you offer is worth what you will consume in resources. You may use in your arguments (1) whatever real skills you possess as of today and (2) whatever you can reasonably carry in a backpack or on your body, as long as you actually own them in real life, not to exceed 100 pounds. If you have children, a significant other, or plan to have anyone else come with you, this must be mentioned. If they possess skills, then they may put in a resume as well and you will be judged singly and as a group. The resume should include your age, weight and general physical condition. Any weaknesses in your case that would be discovered over time that you do not expose (such as a recurring back injury) will be considered grounds for immediate expulsion from the group, so for the purposes of this exercise, you should be up front and honest. If you have children under 12, they can carry their own weight in supplies.
You must take into account that your 100 pound allowance should contain whatever food and camping supplies you would want as a refugee. Since you cannot assume that you will be granted sanctuary in the community, you must take what you will need to survive on the outside if you are refused entry. A backpack full of guns and ammo will do you little good if you have no food and water.
One caveat: While being part of a group increases survival odds, being on the road as a refugee does not. This is meant as a learning tool to help assess what our skills and assets are and which we might want to develop and accumulate.”
Please send me your “resumes” in 100 words of less, via e-mail [2] and I will post them anonymously. Thanks!