SHTF Emergency Camping
Dr. John Woods 09.10.18
John J. Woods
Magnolia Outdoor Communications
SHTF EMERGENCY CAMPING
If you are not already a seasoned and experienced camper with plenty of real world trips under your belt out into the wilderness, then forget it. You don’t stand a chance to survive for the long haul. Yesterday was the time to get ready for a SHTF campout trip.
Of course, it is never too late to get with the program, but perfected camping skills takes a lot more effort than you might think. Even with all this quickie set up high tech camping gear, you still have to actually figure out if it works when the light is dying or dead and the insects are biting your rear end off or sweat is rolling down into your eyes. Been there, done that.
If you have never or hardly ever started a fire at night with a light rain falling or a steady wind or both, then that is a challenge alone that can defeat a lot of campers. More power to you if you have a more or less secure pop up type camper where you can get out of the elements to fix dinner, but if you rough camp it with a tent and outside cooking, best run trial trips now.
Everything about camping is tougher under less than ideal conditions. I remember that as a kid camping it rough at Kentucky Lake on a private lot my dad bought after the war. We had to put up the tent by car headlights. We got fairly good at that after many trips. But something always went wrong. The Coleman stove had a fuel leak somewhere, the mantle on the gas lantern always broke at just the wrong moment, and once we forgot to pack a can opener.
As kid campers, my brother and I could live on beanie-weenies for a week, but during a prolonged SHTF that is hardly feasible. What would a millennial do if they pulled out a can of green beans that did not have a pull tab top? Of course, I am being somewhat facetious, but think about that for a moment.
Most camping skills can be tried out and tested in the back yard. If you happen to live in a housing unit or apartments, then check out a nearby park where you could actually camp out for a weekend. Camping is fun, but it is not if you are not prepared to handle all the challenges that can arise. Just don’t wait until you have to camp to learn how to do it.
