'Survival seems to be a much used word,nowadays.
If you turn on the TV there's this 'expert' and that 'expert',showing the world this technique and that technique and impressing the pants off the gullible or inexperienced with their pre-planned,edited and in many cases fake acts of 'survival' and general action-manliness.
There's a huge market for this kind of stuff-and the undiscerning and/or just plain lazy lap it all up.
It might entertain some,but how real is it-and how relevant is it for most of us?
Firstly,I'd like to comment on the very term,'Survival'.
The definition/s I've found that I most like so far,are from an online dictionary and really pretty simple;
1)The act or process of surviving.
2)The fact of having survived.
Survival is not some modern invention folks,neither is it a specialist skill,or a hobby or a subculture.
It's what ANY LIVING THING does(or doesn't),every moment of it's life.
Sure,wilderness survival and extreme survival etc.,are very valid disciplines/subjects of which if I'm honest I know very little(I told you I was no expert!),and need to learn alot more.
There are people out there with great knowledge and skillsets,some with real experience and I'd guess fewer still with both.
There are fire officers,emergency medical technicians,trauma surgeons,S+R guys etc.,that are indeed experts in surviving and helping others do the same.
In a warzone,you'd guess experienced soldiers have an edge(or the normal folk who go about their lives in the same environment-without weapons,or specialist training,or equipment,or logistical support).
On 'the mean streets',maybe police(para-military or otherwise).
The meaner the streets,though-the less likely this is.
Small children play in places that are 'no-go' areas for elite and heavily armed law officers.
'Survival' then,is something we're all doing until we die.
Each of us is different,and what works for one person in one situation may well not work elsewhere.
The only 'expert' in our survival can only ever be us,from the moment we leave the 'nest'.
This is why I felt the need to start this blog.
I have survived so far,and aim to survive a little longer if at all possible.
I was looking at the world we live in,the challenges facing us individually and as a species.
I was thinking how UNEQUIPPED,mentally or otherwise the VAST majority of us are to survive the kind of threats to life that seem to be sweeping over us like some kind of nightmare.
I realised-and realise-that I have ALOT to learn,and alot to do if I want to carry on living,hopefully raise children that can carry on,and so on.
Given a couple of centuries,I'm guessing the world will be a pretty different place from that of today.
Sure,any of us can survive purely on luck(and we shouldn't underestimate that very important factor!)-but if we really want to stand a fair chance of 'survival',both personally and as a species,
we ALL need to become 'experts'.
AND QUICK!'
'Derek Crankshaft'

 http://personalsurvivalblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/blog-post.html