Good Survival Gear is like Good Scuba Gear: Used!

So you have everything you could ever need to survive Armageddon. Great. Stuff is helpful, but it's just a tool. Just like any tool, you need to use your survival gear.

I'm a big scuba diver and I dive in some of the dirtiest, scariest waters there are: river wrecks. What does my gear look like? I can tell you this: it's not shiny, or pristine. My gear is faded from sun and chlorine, my wetsuit is patched several times over, and a lot of my rig set up is diy. I'm not saying it's dirt or broken. As a diver, every time you go under water you are depending on the gear, it's your life support system. Any gear that is standing between you and death needs to be lovingly mantained. Not just serviced yearly. You check it before you pack it in the car for the trip, you check it again when you set up, and you check on last time before you get in the water. To do this, you have to know your gear. I can set mine up blindfolded (yes, from the zipped dive bag as long as I don't have to carry the tank around blind, I like my toes.)


Survival gear should be treated the same way. You have to know it, you have to use it, and you have to have it. All three of those steps are vitally important. If you have a hatchet in your BOB but don't know how to split wood, are you going to figure it out as you make your way across country? I'm not saying don't put a hatchet in your BOB. I'm saying go buy a hatchet and learn to use it. When you're not using it, take care of it, then store it in your BOB.

Secondly, you have to have all the gear you need. If you have a reg and tank but no BC, you're not going diving. If you have a rifle and a handgun, but no boots, you're not going to make it across country.

Thirdly, with out a plan, even having and knowing how to use your gear, you'll still be in trouble. You can't just wander around, if you're using your BOB it's to get somewhere safe.