Getting Ready For the Long Walk-Part 1, by Lone Wolf and Cub

As a preface to this article, I will say that my family consists of my son and me. He is the light of my life. He is my inspiration for survival. I have few good friends that I consider loyal and trustworthy. They take preparation seriously, although I know many people who do not. The following is based on a hypothetical situation in which society breaks down very quickly and violently. To me, it is a real possibility, and I draw upon my experience of living among different societies, which galvanizes this belief. I am not a doom and gloomer; I’m simply a survivalist. I am also a realist. Call me Lone Wolf and Cub.

Retreat Location

My retreat property is in a remote location three hours driving time away. I am currently unable to live there year round because I work in an urban environment. If my vehicle breaks down for whatever reason and I cannot effectively repair it, then we will be forced to walk. There may be no one willing or able to drive us. Then, we will be forced to continue walking, until we arrive at our retreat. In the event of a total collapse, I hope our retreat does not have unwanted guests when we arrive and that its well-stocked stores aren’t raided. At this point, I can only pray that is not the case and does not occur until the time when conditions improve through my efforts.

My “Public Service Announcement” to Urban Dwellers

This article deals with a man and his three-year-old son on the way to their retreat. It’s just us– Lone Wolf and Cub. This article will also deal with why we have to leave the city in a total collapse situation. It will go into gear and supplies we will need and will even go so far as to when and why collapse will happen. If you do not agree with me on the very real possibility of total collapse, then when it does happen I hope you remember that I told you so. I will also go about the sheer drudgery of the new world somewhere in the remote rural regions of this country with my conscience clear, and I will be content. Consider the following a public service announcement.

The intention of this article is to get people who live in the city and who are not prepared motivated to get prepared for the worst case scenario— total societal collapse.

I would advise all readers to continue to read until the end of the article to reap the maximum benefit possible. I would urge you to provide this article to those living in an urban environment, especially those ill prepared. Those two factors make up the majority of our country’s population.

My Background

I am a currently serving army medic and was chosen the top candidate for my medical training by 19 other members in our 21 member graduating class. I have also received two letters of commendation by separate base surgeons for my actions performed above and beyond the call of duty. Additionally, I have conducted a presentation on winter survival preparedness for my unit as well as created a presentation on ballistic wound profiles that is available for military members. Facing life and death situations, I have been victorious and am a warrior. Elite professional soldiers have also called me such.

Civilization Collapse

If you are able to cope with a worst case scenario, than you will be capable of facing lesser situations as well. The reverse is not true. A complete grid down scenario will cause widespread disruption in food distribution. Grocery store shelves will be cleared out in a matter of hours. Most people will be hungry and angry. Within a matter of days, the world as we know it will collapse.

The author Dmitry Orlov describes this as, “Faith in the goodness of humanity is lost.” It is the final level of a book that describes the the five stages of collapse of human civilization.

You need to get rid of any self doubts about whether total collapse is possible or not. You must now realize that there exists a very real danger that total collapse is a clear and present danger; and it must be acted upon.

Stage 1: Facing Your Fears

Get right with God. Understand that If you have grown up in a western society, then you have been at least covertly raised a Christian.

Accept Christian Responsibility to Provide For Your Own Family First

Accept it. You have been raised by educators who have Christian value systems. You are a Christian. There is no denying this. By studying and learning from true Christians, you now will come to know what is regarded as the, “laws of  Tzedakah,” contained in the old testament. This means your primary responsibility is to provide for your immediate family. Once you become wealthier, you can provide for others. Only by accepting and living a truly Christian life, then you will become wealthier in all ways to your true potential. With this will come all the responsibilities that will entail. Understand this.

Get Prepared For Temporary Solitude

Get prepared for temporary solitude. Your family, and most that you consider friends, are in denial of possible total collapse. They should be avoided as much as possible. Maintain cordially with neighbors and coworkers that fit this profile. They suffer from a mental condition called “normalcy bias”. They believe tomorrow will continue just as today has. That is not the case. Be friendly but not overly so.

You need to isolate yourself from those afflicted. You should have no emotional attachment to these people. If you have stored food there, they will eventually know and may come begging or worse. Be hopeful that you will escape to a country environment. You will find others who believe in what you say. You will find a real sense of community and belonging. It will happen with your determination.

Pursue Farmable Land

Your primary concern in any future acquisitions from now on should be obtaining farmable land in your name. You may have limited experience or interest in becoming a farmer, but you will have to become one in order to survive and thrive. There is no way around this. Look towards getting at least four acres minimum of farmable land with a structure that has a drilled well and septic tank. Your town should also have a population of less than 2,000 people in order to be able to form a basis of civility once the world is in chaos.

Begin saving every amount of money towards the goal of farmable property in your name. Continue to stockpile food in moderate amounts as well as ammunition, as your budget may allow. Keep in mind that you must leave the urban environment as soon as possible.

Urban Environment Will Become Unlivable

When the end of the world as we know it occurs, the urban environment will quickly become unlivable. Sirens and gunshots will be a constant feature. Children living through this will be terrified, as the calm of the night will be replaced by screams and firearm discharge. Economic refugees will also begin to quickly attempt to leave this environment. Starting from the core of the city and spreading in concentric circles towards the suburbs and beyond, the hungry masses will be unleashed. The author James Wesley Rawles calls them “The Golden Horde.” Suburban areas will quickly see looters, motivated by the basic necessity of food for themselves and/or their family.

No amount of ammunition fired down range will prevent the onslaught of these hungry masses. In the city it will only be a matter of time before you are overrun. The huge number of firearms in circulation will mean many people will have guns but probably little food. This will create a very dangerous situation. Avoid the firefight, and escape to your country home as soon as possible, before grocery stores become empty.

Any fanciful ideas of setting up a type of neighborhood watch to defend your current urban area will quickly come unglued, once your neighbors realize they are ill prepared. They will eventually resort to a form of what I would call “hybrid cannibalism”, which is basically killing other people to satisfy their hunger. The downtown core of big cities will resemble a zombie apocalypse. People will be off their medication and walking aimlessly. They will be The Walking Dead.

Forced To Become One of the Golden Horde

If you are caught in the city when this goes down, you will be forced to follow The Road on foot with your family because roadways out of the city may become impassable for cars and trucks. Only armoured vehicles will be able to traverse these obstacles. The military will also be ill-equipped for food shortages, as there are no accounts to be given to family members. Resources will be depleted before a plan for martial law is to be put in place. Highways will be littered with crashed and broken down vehicles.

The masses will begin to march into the countryside. If you are one of them, you will be left to charity of strangers living in country dwellings. They also will not provide for you, as there will be thousands behind you hungry as well. If your child is dying from starvation, you may begin to consider behavior such as looting and stealing from others. You will have become part of “the Golden Horde”– the very people you are running from.

This is total collapse. You can avoid this disaster by preparing to prevent this very real possibility from becoming true.

See Also:

• Getting Ready For the Long Walk-Part 2, by Lone Wolf and Cub
• Getting Ready For the Long Walk-Part 3, by Lone Wolf and Cub

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been part one of a three part entry for Round 72 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
7. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value), and

Round 72 ends on September 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.