4 survival skills that will help you thrive in a disaster or zombie apocalypse
SUMMARY
Do you have a plan for the catastrophe most likely to affect your area? Since the WATM staff is based in LA, our most likely natural disaster is either an earthquake or devastating mudslides. We wondered which one of us in the office (aside from our office Green Beret) was most likely to survive such an event.
The surprise was that some of us have more skills than you might think.
Former Air Force intelligence officer Shannon Corbeil is an avid camper. As is Army veteran and radio operator Eric Milzarski. Veteran Corpsman Tim Kirkpatrick, on the other hand, is a borderline survivalist. As for me, Air Force combat cameraman Blake Stilwell, my plan is to get rescued as soon as possible — hopefully before my rations run out.
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During an earthquake, you're supposed to seek cover, duck, and protect your neck. Shannon Corbeil was raised in the Los Angeles area, and was in major earthquakes in 1987 and 1994. The WATM crew also has different ideas on what to do after the crisis passes: account for resources or create a team of skilled party members, ready for adventure and initiative?
And then, like the real U.S. troops having a survivalism discussion that we are, we lay out our plans for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
But there are at least four very important general aspects of survival to talk about either after a disaster, in the wild, or yes, the zombie apocalypse. The most important is being prepared! Don't wait until disaster strikes to try and get supplies. You'll be food for the people who went to the Army-Navy surplus ahead of time.
Also, you need to figure out how to navigate through your new, post-apocalyptic world, either by the stars or the sun. Or perhaps you even made your own compass with a leaf and water.
In the wild, you need a little bit more. You need to figure out how you'll filter water, start a fire, and identify edible food. Forget that most of us are bad at picking real food in our daily lives — the stakes are much higher when Taco Bell is closed for the end of days.
Finally, you need a game plan for a disaster. What would you do if a disaster struck your area? Find out what the folks at WATM came up with in this week's episode.
Resources Mentioned:
- 12 important things that need to be in your bug-out bag yesterday
- Introducing a bug-out bag that is crazy impressive
- VS-17 Signal Marker
- 100 Deadly Skills Survival Edition
- Rudy Reyes is a good human
- "Fully Semi-Automatic"
- Make a compass with a leaf and water
Key Points:
- What do you need to carry with you in case of an emergency.
- If you don't know any survival skills, you are not alone.
- Use Krazy Glue for wounds; use Doritos for kindling.
- Surviving in the wild is much harder than surviving a disaster.
- Earthquakes don't feel like earthquakes until they do.
Sponsors:
- Audible: For you, the listeners of the Mandatory Fun podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out some of the books and authors featured on Mandatory Fun. To download your free audiobook today go to audibletrial.com/MandatoryFun.
Mandatory Fun is hosted by:
- Blake Stilwell: Air Force veteran and Managing Editor
- Tim Kirkpatrick: Navy veteran and Editorial Coordinator
- Shannon Corbeil: Veteran Air Force officer, on-camera talent, and Video Chief
- Orvelin Valle (aka O.V.): Navy veteran and Podcast Producer
Catch the show on Twitter at: @MandoFun and on our Facebook group.
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