EVASION & SURVIVAL by: Ol’ Remus at The Woodpile Report

email us at: johnjacob@radiofreeredoubt.com

A staple in my life and such a wonderfully written breath of fresh air, The Woodpile Report’s Ol’ Remus has some intuitive insights on Escaping and Surviving, in an article subtitled “How to stay away from crowds.”  Reading his blogs are like an escape for me.  Though he is keenly aware of (and draws due attention to) the reality of the turbulent country and world in which we live, I don’t feel all doomy and gloomy about it.  I love his perspectives.  When Ol’ Remus speaks, people listen.  And despite all that is happening in the world, knowing that folks like him are around, I feel like there’s hope for society.  Even if it all crashes, we can’t rebuild anything sensible without the Ol’ Remuses of the world there to remind us not to forget a little thing called common sense.

Evasion and Survival
How to stay away from crowds

Remus wrote this in a bout of despair that serial regimes of stastist dilettantes are pushing us toward the third world pratfall by pratfall, that he must take civil apocalypse into his plans, perhaps brought about by failure to fund entitlements such as food stamps and ADC, or ruinous devaluation of the dollar, or outright collapse of the economy, or long-term disruption of food or power distribution. For such causes we may expect coast-to-coast LA Riots, or even long-lasting regional insurrections and guerilla warettes. 

‘Escape, Evasion and Survival’ is a somewhat standardized set of skills taught to members of armed forces world-wide. Evasion and Survival as considered here is the non-combatant’s version, being the short term avoidance of detection using covert survival practices rather than those intended to effect rescue or close with an enemy. Short term means days or weeks. Totally hermetic evasion for a materially longer term is improbable even in lightly populated areas. 

The survivalist is well acquainted with the gear and provisions needed for extended travel by foot in remote areas, and everybody will and should personalize his kit—the more practiced will carry less than the novice for instance, but some items are common to them all. Start with a backpack on a lightweight frame with padded shoulder straps, hip padding and a front cross-strap. The best are waterproof and finished in a camouflage pattern or subdued earth color. For stealthy travel through challenging terrain it should be loaded to about ten to fifteen per cent of your body weight. Take care, you will likely be carrying equipment elsewhere on your person so this is not your total burden.

The first day, your “escape” day, is when you are most vulnerable. For one, your origin point is known with certainty and your intent is unambiguous. Exit well fed, rested, fully equipped and provisioned, you may not reach your prepared campsite or it may have been compromised. Keep your preparations and intentions strictly covert. Your departure, route and destination are best known to you and you alone. Even your general direction of travel is dangerous information. It’s usually best to leave under cover of predawn darkness. Although dew, damp ground and low sun angle are ideal for tracking, these are temporary conditions. Beginning your departure with an anti-tracking cloverleaf may be useful but it’s time consuming and may attract attention. You must take risks, but don’t gamble. A risk is where success yields more than a loss from failure. A gamble is where loss from failure is more than success will gain. Know the difference.

email us at: johnjacob@radiofreeredoubt.com