@thisnamecantbetaken - that sounds great!

I reacted more to the idea that one could build a "fortress," for one's self.

No doubt, even in a regular house it would be a good idea to lock your door; have some protection, etc. Lots of door locks are sold in this world, for good reasons.

(Although it sound like you may not need or feel so; I could live year round without one; but I've also lived places where they were very necessary)

Anyhow...I do have the idea of "association." That association -- a community - a club -- (ha ha) a "gang," - a network is as important as a fortress in the ground.

Sort of that "no man is an island," idea.

Perhaps too that I'm surrounded by Mormons (and Ind...

@thisnamecantbetaken - that sounds great!

I reacted more to the idea that one could build a "fortress," for one's self.

No doubt, even in a regular house it would be a good idea to lock your door; have some protection, etc. Lots of door locks are sold in this world, for good reasons.

(Although it sound like you may not need or feel so; I could live year round without one; but I've also lived places where they were very necessary)

Anyhow...I do have the idea of "association." That association -- a community - a club -- (ha ha) a "gang," - a network is as important as a fortress in the ground.

Sort of that "no man is an island," idea.

Perhaps too that I'm surrounded by Mormons (and Indians) their cultures have very distinct 'clans,' and/or "districts," and community support for each other -- and distinct survival skills -- far more than your average folks.

Guns? Well, if I drove ten miles and camped out in the pine forest I'd expect to see both a deer or bear within three days or so.

If hungry, you'd want to catch/kill the deer. If the bear is hungry, he might to eat you (or attack your camp for food).

Plus...well, sometimes I like to make the point that I live in a country that is insane by most European standards, we are besotted with firearms, sort of stuck deep in the middle of them like stuck in the middle of our Bush mislead wars.

So stuck, I suppose, that it struck me how the "Survival Fortress," didn't mention self-defense. So I thought I'd make a few suggestions.

If hungry, you'd want to catch/kill the deer. If the bear is hungry, he might to eat you (or attack your camp for food)

The most dangerous animal we have up here, is right wingers and we're not allowed to shoot those anyway, unfortunately. I know how to set traps though..

I grew up in Australia, so I have a fair bit of survival skills from home, coz in Oz, you do not want to be caught broke down without water either and not having the proper respect for the outback, could very very quickly cost you your life. The desert is a killer and each year, hapless tourists still get themselves toasted by the desert sun, underestimating the power and perils of the outback.

I have no...

If hungry, you'd want to catch/kill the deer. If the bear is hungry, he might to eat you (or attack your camp for food)

The most dangerous animal we have up here, is right wingers and we're not allowed to shoot those anyway, unfortunately. I know how to set traps though..

I grew up in Australia, so I have a fair bit of survival skills from home, coz in Oz, you do not want to be caught broke down without water either and not having the proper respect for the outback, could very very quickly cost you your life. The desert is a killer and each year, hapless tourists still get themselves toasted by the desert sun, underestimating the power and perils of the outback.

I have not seen or heard of any survivalist groups up here (yet). I think because a lot of people here are still living in denial about climate change, the food crisis, etc and just go on about their daily lives and expect all things to return to "normal" soon. I don't think they realise, that we're running out of resources and time and that the future is necessarily going to be based on local initiatives, both regarding food and energy and lots of people are not preparing themselves. Those people are the ones to worry about too, in case of emergency. They'll be the thieves and the ones who will threaten the ones who HAVE tried to make provisions. I might need to get TWO dogs. .

I'm think I'm gonna go watch "Home Alone" again too, for some more survival tricks and treats. Guns and batteries not included. .

Oh yea...water!

It's absolutely amazing. There's nice camping around the Grand Canyon and I got a nice Discount Pass and when there it's incredible to see people who have just arrived off a plane and they think this is a Disneyland site or something and with no hat, not one drop of water, wearing sandals, and having no idea where they are going they blithely start down the Bright Angel Trail into the inferno temperatures of the inner gorge.

Dogs...I really have to get a dog again.

In a firearms class I took , the police sargent said dogs and motion-sensitive outside lighting were an excellent protection..

...and, uh.... the sound of the chambering of a shotgun.

Keeping your...

Oh yea...water!

It's absolutely amazing. There's nice camping around the Grand Canyon and I got a nice Discount Pass and when there it's incredible to see people who have just arrived off a plane and they think this is a Disneyland site or something and with no hat, not one drop of water, wearing sandals, and having no idea where they are going they blithely start down the Bright Angel Trail into the inferno temperatures of the inner gorge.

Dogs...I really have to get a dog again.

In a firearms class I took , the police sargent said dogs and motion-sensitive outside lighting were an excellent protection..

...and, uh.... the sound of the chambering of a shotgun.

Keeping your remote keyless entry handy (if you have one) was another suggestion of his; pushing the panic button on it sure can wake up the whole neighborhood.

I never would have thought of that, but since I carry my keys around, why not? I'm not paranoid about any of it at all but the biggest problems with a gun culture is that bad people exist and they have guns.

When living on the border (with Mexico) it was simply insane. Four thousand illegals cross from Mexico into Arizona EVERY DAY!

It's insane. Anyhow, for one summer session I was a mile from the border, in the desert and one of the first groups of houses to be seen by illegals. EVERY DAY someone would be at the door begging for water or begging for directions -- all this in a swirl of illegal smugglers loading up van with 50 people to drive them to Phoenix and drug smugglers with fast cars or off-road vehicles also racing by.

When standing in the middle of this you wonder how it could possibly be going on? It's one of the great jokes about Homeland Security how they spend millions and more to search people getting on airplanes and we have thousands of people crossing the border illegally into our state.

Oh well..

I'm really very moderate about all this. Except the idea of camping in areas where there are bears, wolves and m