Apocalyptic Survival

Apocalyptical Survival for beginners.

By

AJ Newman

I’m AJ Newman, and I write post-apocalyptic novels and consider myself to be a prepper. When asked to write something about survival in an apocalypse, I turned to look at my bookshelf, which is full of books on everything from what wild plants you can eat to how to kill people with a wire garrote. Then, I opened my bugout bag and took stock of the thirty pounds of survival food and gear. About halfway through this exercise, it dawned on me that most preppers could write a better article than I could. They don’t need to hear from me. I’ll concentrate on Joe Blow, who might camp, hike, and fish a bit and hasn’t prepared for doomsday.

This article is not meant to be a complete survival guide, and everything listed below should be thoroughly researched by you before using any info listed below. Yes, covering my ass.

You’re the guy or girl who didn’t believe the apocalypse was going to smack you in the face and kick you in the butt. However, don’t give up so easily buttercup. There is food all around you. Almost anything can become a weapon. Use your imagination, and you can survive and perhaps make your life a bit better while others starve and kill each other. The bottom line is being prepared for an apocalypse also prepares you for a bad snowstorm, power outages, and earthquakes.

A short but straightforward list for non-preppers to stay alive until they learn the hard way.

1. The most important thing you can do after taking shelter from bombs etc. is to not do anything stupid. Assess your situation and stay hidden from anyone that you don’t know until you get the lay of the land. Grocery stores will be out of food in three days after the grid goes down. People will riot, loot, and kill for food or a 50 inch HDTV.
2. Food – Food is all around you. Gather as much as possible as quickly as possible without getting in the middle of a riot at the grocery store. Stores, food delivery trucks, food warehouses, grain silos, farms, food manufacturing buildings, and dog food are all sources of survival food. A can of food can be opened by rubbing the end of the can on rough concrete. Borrow the food and candy from food machines at work or school.
3. Water – Immediately fill bathtubs, sinks, and every pan and container with water. A hot water heater has 35-50 gallons of water. Your toilet tank has about 5 gallons. Boil all water to purify it. If away from home 8 drops of bleach will purify water from a stream or roadside puddle after allowing suspended material to settle.
4. Weapons – Almost anything can become a weapon. I prefer an AR-15, but a sharpened stick is better than nothing. Kitchen knives, screwdrivers, and scissors can be used to stab or make a spear. Ropes and wires can be used to make snares or tripwires. A piece of pipe, baseball bat or tire tool will make a good club. If you don’t have a gun, get one. It’s an apocalypse; they will be in abandoned homes, stores, and probably lying on the street next to bodies.
5. Shelter – Your home, office, or workplace is a good start. A tent, overpass, or lean-to in the woods will also work. Try to stay hidden from others. After the stores run out of food, your food supply becomes a target for starving friends and strangers.

That’s a shortlist that should keep you alive until you learn how to survive through trial and error. I hope it makes you think and start a survival plan. Now, I’ll list some imaginative things the characters in my books have done to help survive.

War Dogs Amazon Warriors  A soldier and his military working dog survive after an EMP attack.

Large slingshots – One of the teens in Book 3 makes a huge slingshot to lob Molotov cocktails hundreds of feet to a murderous gang. Small hand-held ones work great also to hunt rabbits or even injure people.

American Apocalypse: American Survivor.   Joe, a non-prepper survives the apocalypse in the woods of Oregon.

Rabbits for food – The survivors catch rabbits and raise them for food. Simple, but rabbits multiply quickly.

Shipping container shelter – Builds secure fort by dragging shipping containers to form a large square with homes in the containers.

The Day America Died: Old Enemies   A father travels 2,000 miles during an apocalypse to save his daughter and friends.

Generate DC electricity – A bicycle and old car generator are assembled to make a human-powered generator to supply lights and charge car batteries.

Hit and Miss engines – These old engines will run even after an EMP/grid down situation. Most are a hundred years old but still run.

Thanks for reading my article and good luck. You’ll need it.

About the Author

AJ Newman is the author of 30 novels that have been published on Amazon. His favorites are the Post-Apocalyptic stories. EMP blasts, nuclear holocausts, viruses, and devastating meteor strikes have appeared in his novels. The heroes aren’t perfect, but the bad guys are evil.

AJ Newman – destroying the world and delivering great Post-Apocalyptic Survival Fiction since 2013.

All of my novels are ebook and paperback. All are on Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HT84V6U