Harsh Environments

I was reading some posts on one of those survival forums. It doesn't matter which one. The subject came up about how everyone who lived in cold climates would die if the grid went down long enough. Well, that's obviously not true, as the grid has gone down in cold climates numerous times.

That doesn't mean people don't suffer and a few even die. People freeze to death. Winter cold is no joke. That being said, almost all people in cold climates have cold weather clothes. They also usually have some good blankets. Some even have excellent cold weather sleeping bags. Mayy have backup heat like woodstoves or propane heaters.

One commenter said that only people, like Eskimos, could survive without technology. Actually, the people of the frozen north developed a whole tool kit of technologies to survive the cold. Their clothes kept them warm. Igloos provided shelter, and they had a whole range of hunting technologies to harvest the native creatures. They even developed kayaks for transportation, hunting, and fishing.

Ancient peoples all over the world learned to live in harsh environments, everyplace from the frozen north, to the burning desserts, to the deepest darkest jungles. None of those technologies needed electric power, computers, modern materials, or plastics.

There's no reason that modern people cannot learn from their ancestors. We may not be as comfortable. Life might not be as as convenient, but we can survive.

Now I'm a big fan of off grid systems. Having electric power when the grid goes down is very nice indeed. Being able to pump water to the house sure beats carrying water in jugs. More important than electric power is my woodstove. It provides, heat, cooking, and even some light through the glass door on the firebox. If I had to choose between a woodstove and electricity, the woodstove would win every time.

When planing for a survival situation, don't neglect the simple tools and skills that kept our ancestors alive. High tech survival tools are great, but high tech devices need high tech parts and skills to keep going. Don't forget the simple things that have worked for hundreds or even thousands of years.

-Sixbears