Category: Physical Fitness/Training

Letter Re: Home Security in Great Britain

Mr. Rawles: First of all, I would just like to say a huge thank you for all the advice, expertise, and survival techniques that you have bought to my attention through your books and your blog. I never realised just how much of a risk our current climate is, and how likely we are to get to a state of “every man for himself” survival. My name is Steve. I am a 21 year old living in the West Midlands county in the heart of Great Britain. I have always had survivalism in my blood, and have always liked to …


Five Simple Steps to Prepare for TEOTWAWKI, Today, by S.B.

I have recently been introduced to survivalism, preparedness, and TEOTWAWKI – The End Of The World As We Know It.  It was my father who first got me interested in the subject (although I had stumbled upon a survivalism web site years ago when web searching, of all things, how to cook and eat giant salamander – more on that later, possibly).  I have, over the past couple months, picked up lots of cool skills.  For example, I can now cook food that didn’t come in a box! That is a big deal. I have also learned to shoot the …


Exercise for the Disabled, by CentOre

First, my credentials, such as they are:  I have an AS in Farm Management which included Animal Anatomy & Physiology; a BS in Business Management; an MS in Human Resource Management which included considerable work with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In addition to these I spent nearly fifty years as an American Red Cross Instructor.  Some of you might remember back in the dark ages of First Aid, there was a job of ‘Red Cross – Highway First Aid Unit’.  For those areas of our Nation that did not yet have ambulance coverage.  Well, I constituted a Red …


Being Prepared is More Than Just Having a Bugout Bag, by Christine S.

When a SHTF moment happens, preparedness is everything. But it is more than just having a bugout bag and a meeting place for your family. It means being ready, economically, intellectually, and physically. I’m going to talk about three specific goals, why they are so important, and the techniques you can use to get yourself in the best position possible. Don’t wait to progress from one to the other – instead, look at each of the three goals and pick an idea from each to focus on, then continue to add and build as you go. Goal #1 – Economic …


Physical Fitness and Training, by Patrick N.

As an avid reader of SurvivalBlog, I have read a countless number of articles on communications, food storage, tactics, weaponry, and a long list of almost every topic involving survival during a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation.  One major area that directly effects all of the aforementioned topics is physical fitness.  As a certified Health and Physical educator that is working on receiving a Certified Personal Trainer certification I take physical activity very seriously. One term that is used frequently in my field is GPP or General Physical Preparedness. GPP is the base level of fitness that a person must have …


The Role of Physical Exercise and the Consequences of Addiction in a Disaster, by C.A.I.

We live in an obese society driven by processed fast food and have drinking liters of soda a day and barely any water if at all. I have seen hundreds of people “preparing” for some sort of catastrophic event that can barely walk and some cannot even see the bottom of their shoes they are so obese. I am not trying to be harsh because I am by no means perfect I am just trying to point out something I see wrong with the prepping community today. We also rely on certain stimulants to get us through the day whether …


Getting Home in a Crisis Will Require Gear and Fitness, by Vin F.

My family is the most important thing in my life. I sometimes ask myself, what will I do if there is some event that will leave me stranded away from home? Maybe the event is minimal and my vehicle works, I just drive home. What if it is something more serious like an EMP disables my vehicle and I have to walk home, would I be able to make it home to take care of my family. This is why I have a Get Home Bag (GHB) and I try to keep myself physically fit. My main concern is the …


Letter Re: Physical Fitness and Trigger Time

JWR, After reading the recent MBR article by Zorro, it seems that all the amateurs still fuss over the 5.56/7.62 or 9mm/.45 debate. At our police agency here in the Southwest, we focus on increasing our trigger time via the SIRT laser training pistol, practicing fundamentals through live and dry fire, working through scenarios (lessons learned) and practicing “range fitness”. A great resource for range fitness is www.militaryathlete.com. Rob Shaul speaks of high percentage shooting positions based upon the experiences of combat veterans, as well as developing the fitness needed to put the gun in the fight.  It seems that …


Letter Re: Physical Fitness for TEOTWAWKI Preparedness

James: After reading the BYU Kid’s excellent article on physical fitness for TEOTWAWKI, I had to respond.  I had to take exception to his statement that Crossfit wasn’t recommended because it’s “Metabolic conditioning is not conducive to the ultimate goal of being useful, functional and simple.” The heart of Crossfit is in fact functional fitness for Law Enforcement and our Military.  I’ve been involved in fitness all my life due to my chosen occupation as a police officer (now retired) and my current occupation as a protection specialist which is what most people refer to as a bodyguard.  I’ve been …


No Cost and Low Cost Simple Beneficial Habits, by L.L.V.

There are some no nonsense, low-cost hands on things that we can do right now and daily to become more prepared in a slow and steady, simple manner. I recommend using Regularly Unavoidable Training Triggers (RUTTs). Getting in a RUTT could save your life. We all know people that are in a rut.  Some people like to smoke their cigarettes and some spend hours a day in front of the television.  Some people without even thinking about it pick up a little bit of candy or junk food when standing in line at the grocery store.  The truth is that …


Letter Re: Planning for Training

Sir: I noticed the great recent piece by B.D. on the importance of training. Here is a follow-up to that: All too often as Americans we tend to focus first on the material side of things. That is, “I have to have the right gear to train with.” No, not necessarily. Proverbs 1: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Even for the non believers this is the best place to start when it comes to training and learning. A haughty spirit hinders proper learning. Unfortunately you see this all too …


The Importance of Personal Fitness as a Preparation, by Chris E.

We all have taken the time to discuss here the importance of making preparation for the the bad times to come, in the realm of food and water storage. We have picked our defenses carefully, planed routes of egress, but how many of us have prepared ourselves from a physical perspective? This in my opinion is really the cornerstone of any prepping, after all our mobility and endurance is seldom tested in the confines of modern society. Now I realize that not all people are at the same starting level of fitness, starting level of health, or other factors. That …


Planning for Training, by B.D.

When you’re training, your main goal should always be to improve tactical and technical proficiency.  Combat is a contest of skills and abilities, and without tactical & technical proficiency you’ll surely lose this contest, going from survivalist to speed bump before you know it.  Let’s start by defining these terms.  Technical proficiency is obtained from the experiences you gain from training whatever equipment you plan on using, whether it be an AR-15, a field dressing or a compass, to name a few.  Tactical proficiency is best gained through experience training with your team, such tactical movement exercises, drills for reacting …


Physical Fitness For Survival, by Rob B.

With all the many choices and ways of how to prepare for a natural or man induced and instigated crisis, one detail that is critical and mostly overlooked is being relatively physically fit.  Yes it is time to face your fear of physical activity, but that is why I am writing this article, so you can have a better understanding of the amazing creation know as the human body.  Having spent most of my life in some form of sport or physical job situation, I want to share what I have learned about ways to regain and maintain a healthy …


Letter Re: A Firewood Sawing Reality Check

Dear Mr. Rawles: As a devoted prepper, I have been trying to be diligent in practicing what I preach.  This past weekend was a bit of an eye-opener for me and should be for most of my fellow travelers.  In anticipation of future gas shortages and the impossibility of maintaining reasonable security while running a chain saw, I recently purchased a one-man, 36 inch, made in Germany, crosscut saw.   Saturday morning, I spent a couple of hours building a sawbuck.  Then the education began.   At this point, I need to interject that I’ve been burning wood for the past …