Survival misinformation: Is NES just better informed?

[01bmf]

So I was trolling around over on survivalistboards. I rarely post anything on there, just read for entertainment value. When a gent asked a question about reloading 5.56/.223, I answered and was promptly corrected by a forum know it all who was grossly misinformed. This seems to be a common thread over there and can be quite laughable to read sometimes. In this case, I just worry that some poor schmuck is going to destroy is AR after taking some bad advice. AKA, any powder charge from a 5.56 will work just fine in .223; as if it that simple.

What are some of the survival "bad advice" bits you have heard?

 

[Neuro]

link ?

 

[01bmf]

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=331953

Forum field trip?

Edit: is linking to another board allowed?

 

[bfm]

Edit: is linking to another board allowed?

Only when it's funny.

 

[01bmf]

Seriously? What are some of the oldest, most reliable, and useful cutting tools known to man good for? 2012? I think we can cross that one off the list.

 

[Twigg]

They haven't banned everybody over there yet ?

 

[garandman]

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=331953

BOBs are another. People seem to spend quite a bit of $$ on a bag like it is some sort of magical panacea. They lose sight of the fact that a bag is simply something to carry their stuff in.

Read more at http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=331953#ljwHA7mMovgXHch4.99

.

 

[01bmf]

They haven't banned everybody over there yet ?

I'm working on it personally. Normally I would be ashamed of myself for engaging in the internet special olympics. However, I am under the influence of some pretty heavy duty pain killers right now and have little to do.

 

[Cowgirlup]

No surprise there. That forum is full of keyboard commandos and wanna be's. Mostly a bunch of people that just want to argue.

 

[todd c]

when i saw a genius on preppers make his own armor out of kitchen tile and let his buddy shoot him is when i realized these are the people who are on these survival forums. he did live, but i was kinda hoping he learned a lesson out of it. but apparently not.

 

[shipwreck]

All sorts of misinformation out here too.

 

[Another_David]

the whole "survival" bit is fixated on buying crap that you'll never want to carry around let alone have with you when you need it

take fire starters for instance. there are many types and if you're lost in the woods you do want a couple reliable ways to start a fire but a $1 bic lighter disposable is in my opinion one of the best--most reliable and multiple reuses, and even when it runs out of gas will spark.

but no one's selling bic lighters on the internet for $1 so go get yourself some overpriced do hicky on amazon

 

[01bmf]

the whole "survival" bit is fixated on buying crap that you'll never want to carry around let alone have with you when you need it

take fire starters for instance. there are many types and if you're lost in the woods you do want a couple reliable ways to start a fire but a $1 bic lighter disposable is in my opinion one of the best--most reliable and multiple reuses, and even when it runs out of gas will spark.

but no one's selling bic lighters on the internet for $1 so go get yourself some overpriced do hicky on amazon

This is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. "Prepping" has become a hobby and for many an obsession. Therefore, there is a market developing all around it. The fire starters are a great example. A block of magnesium with a striker is an acceptable fire starting tool, but there are much better options out there that are even cheaper and lighter. Ha! Get it; "lighter".

Personally, something that drives me nuts is when someone stuffs a bag with everything possible, but never makes the effort to improve their fitness level to a point where they could actually carry it or have any idea how far they can even hike.

 

[garandman]

the whole "survival" bit is fixated on buying crap that you'll never want to carry around let alone have with you when you need it

take fire starters for instance. there are many types and if you're lost in the woods you do want a couple reliable ways to start a fire but a $1 bic lighter disposable is in my opinion one of the best--most reliable and multiple reuses, and even when it runs out of gas will spark.//

Just found a "Floating waterproof survival lighter" online. $20.

One of the guys on that forum said "The best survival tool is PT." He has a point.

 

[ToddDubya]

Just found a "Floating waterproof survival lighter" online. $20.

One of the guys on that forum said "The best survival tool is PT." He has a point.

Link? If I haven't tried to see if my Bics float but $20 is cheap insurance in case I drop my lighter in the ocean while trying to start a boat fire. Does it come with a lanyard?

Does the PT go on your battle belt or in the 72 hour pack?

/sarcasm, all of it

 

[derektrance]

I agree, most of the boards are like buy, this, no buy that, you need this special water filter or you should only be carrying powdered milk or whatever. No one ever says go learn something. Ever USE a fire starter? Go learn how. maybe throw your 72 hour bag on and go camping with just it for 72 hours. (Remove what you didn't use and were you missing anything? hike into the woods and build a shelter or some snares, learn to plant food and fix an engine, learn basic plumbing, electrical, woodwork, learn how to solder and weld. No one ever talks about using your brain on those which is what's going to save your butt. I've posted on some of those boards, but it gets old real fast when you learn that you need to have a 300 dollar jacket because wool will not keep you as warm.

 

[garandman]

Link? If I haven't tried to see if my Bics float but $20 is cheap insurance in case I drop my lighter in the ocean while trying to start a boat fire. Does it come with a lanyard?//

I have a special one for you with a tactical lanyard. It's only $40.

My 10yo son has noticed that "tactical" = "inflated price."

 

[Bonesinium]

So of you are exactly right. Prepping/survivalism has become a hobby for many. Nothing wrong with that unless people actually think some of the stuff equates to being better off in a real life scenario in a real practical scenario. The verdict still isn't out on that one.

Like most hobbies, there are plenty of things out there that cost a good bit of money that are no better than other things. People will buy them. It is no different from firearms in that capacity. How many people here have bought something firearm related they have no practical purpose for, didn't really need to spend money on, but did anyways just to try out? Probably most. That is generally how hobbies/collections work. Whatever floats your boat.

As for the misinformation and forum know-it-alls, every forum has that.

 

[Archilochus]

What are some of the survival "bad advice" bits you have heard?

More or less what the others already said....

It's not advice that you'll ever see given, but most 'preppers' / 'survivalists' seem to operate under the assumption that spending $$ = preparedness, and that's all there is to it. Spend the $$ and you're done. That Was Easy!

 

[AllaSnackbah]

dude the shit you read on ARFcom is ridiculous, primarily the reason i tend to stick around here

 

[Another_David]

Just found a "Floating waterproof survival lighter" online. $20.

One of the guys on that forum said "The best survival tool is PT." He has a point.

The refillable butanes and the liquid lighters are a pain. I have a nice jet to light cigars but it burns gas so fast and you get diminishing refills as the butane can empties. A new disposable $1 is actually better than my $70 refillable. But the refillable makes me feel special

second craziness I see is people by obscene amounts of grain. that's a f'n joke. wtf am I going to do with a sack of grain. I still have a 36 lbs. of the 40 lb bag of rice I bought 6 years ago.

my lighter, purty little thing:

 

[atmay]

The refillable butanes and the liquid lighters are a pain. I have a nice jet to light cigars but it burns gas so fast and you get diminishing refills as the butane can empties. A new disposable $1 is actually better than my $70 refillable. But the refillable makes me feel special

second craziness I see is people by obscene amounts of grain. that's a f'n joke. wtf am I going to do with a sack of grain. I still have a 36 lbs. of the 40 lb bag of rice I bought 6 years ago.

my lighter, purty little thing:

The nice thing about those jet lighters is that it's possible to get fire to tinder from a lot more angles than with a bic.

I find that not having to build your tinder/kindling pile around lighting it with a bic makes for much better fires.

 

[bfm]

second craziness I see is people by obscene amounts of grain. that's a f'n joke. wtf am I going to do with a sack of grain. I still have a 36 lbs. of the 40 lb bag of rice I bought 6 years ago.

I normally work rice or pasta into lunches during the week. Even with that, it would be months to get through a 40 lb bag. I normally buy about 10 lbs at a time and transfer it to large Ball jars.

 

[Rider]

The biggest lie in prepping is that if TSHTF you are going to survive. The second biggest lie is that all your crap is going to increase your odds significantly.

The best ice of advice: define 'surviving'. Once you know what that means to you, a lot of your other questions are answered, as well as whether you might make it.

- - - Updated - - -

The biggest lie in prepping is that if TSHTF you are going to survive. The second biggest lie is that all your crap is going to increase your odds significantly.

The best ice of advice: define 'surviving'. Once you know what that means to you, a lot of your other questions are answered, as well as whether you might make it.

 

[bfm]

The biggest lie in prepping is that if TSHTF you are going to survive. The second biggest lie is that all your crap is going to increase your odds significantly.

The best ice of advice: define 'surviving'. Once you know what that means to you, a lot of your other questions are answered, as well as whether you might make it..

For me it is mostly that if I get snowed in for a week or so that I will not really have much worries other than maybe the weight of the snow on my roof. When my brother got stuck in his Hoboken apartment because of Sandy he finally left only to check on his job site in NYC, and then ended up staying with friends there for two weeks because he could not easily get back and forth. His apartment has no where near as much storage as my house, but he said he would have been fine for over a week but after four days he mostly just wanted out, which meant wading to someplace he could get a ride.

 

[NEVER SURRENDER]

when i saw a genius on preppers make his own armor out of kitchen tile and let his buddy shoot him is when i realized these are the people who are on these survival forums. he did live, but i was kinda hoping he learned a lesson out of it. but apparently not.

He learned his lesson when he got arrested.

 

[Rider]

For me it is mostly that if I get snowed in for a week or so that I will not really have much worries other than maybe the weight of the snow on my roof.

That is a reasonable, relatively easily achieved prepping target. As others have pointed out, the prepping industry is geared to people who think that the next tool, the next gun, the newest calorie brick will make all the difference.

There is a great analogy between prepping and most sports( and someone already mentioned this, too): yes, you could buy those $200 sneakers that weigh 6 ounces and will give you a 0:02/minute improvement on your pace, or you could lose 5 pounds and get a 0:10 second improvement, feel better, and be able to run longer. Works for almost any activity where they are selling gear to compensate for laziness.

 

[mclina]

That is a reasonable, relatively easily achieved prepping target. As others have pointed out, the prepping industry is geared to people who think that the next tool, the next gun, the newest calorie brick will make all the difference.

There is a great analogy between prepping and most sports( and someone already mentioned this, too): yes, you could buy those $200 sneakers that weigh 6 ounces and will give you a 0:02/minute improvement on your pace, or you could lose 5 pounds and get a 0:10 second improvement, feel better, and be able to run longer. Works for almost any activity where they are selling gear to compensate for laziness.

So you are saying that instead of drilling 1,000 holes to lighten my AK, I could have just layed off the Little Debbies for a few days? That's crazy talk.

 

[garandman]

//The second biggest lie is that all your crap is going to increase your odds significantly.

The best ice of advice: define 'surviving'. Once you know what that means to you, a lot of your other questions are answered, as well as whether you might make it.//

When we had to bail out of our house in Hampton Beach NH (Blizzard of '78) I took a duffel bag with another pair of boots, couple of pairs of socks, underwear and tshirts, and a sweater or two. Then we got evaced to the middle school, picked up a case of beer at Cumberland Farms, and hitched to a buddy's house. It would not have been possible to prepare less: we saw the water coming in from the marsh and started packing. No biggie when you are 23 and healthy.

So of you are exactly right. Prepping/survivalism has become a hobby for many. Nothing wrong with that unless people actually think some of the stuff equates to being better off in a real life scenario in a real practical scenario. The verdict still isn't out on that one.//

And a business, lifestyle - and TV series!

My kids love Doomsday Preppers, mostly for the characters. There was one about a guy who took his [apparently mail-order] new Colombian bride from his condo in Somerville to his bugout motorhome in upstate NY. The look on her face when she saw it was priceless!
http://channel.nationalgeographic.c...ers/articles/meet-the-preppers-brian-murdock/

 

[TonyDedo]

I think there is a ton of value in emergency and disaster preparation. Over the years our society has lost an incredibly amount of self sufficiency - I certainly recognize it in my own family. So there is some valuable information being passed around on these websites. You just have to sort through the mountains of BS to find it.

That being said, the "prepper" movement is by and large ridiculous. You've got people who've stockpiled enough guns and ammo to fight a 10 year guerrilla campaign for when the Russians invade, but they don't have a dime of savings and their credit cards are all maxed out. Or the people who've filled an underground bunker with backpacking food they're never going to voluntarily eat, that is likely going to be flooded the next time there's a heavy rainfall.

My personal favorite are the mall ninjas who think, at the first sign of trouble, they are going to take a backpack full of mil surp and camping gear, along with a couple twinkies, and run off into this magical place called "the woods" and live there indefinitely, living off the land, untouched by whatever misery is being suffered "in the city." All they need is 7 knives and 15 different ways to make a fire.