Survival Hobby Communities

May 23, 2010 5:17 AM

Blogs And Forums About First Aid, Survival, Worst-Case-Scenario Etc... Etc...

I am a desk jockey researcher in desperate need of a hobby (or atleast a distraction). I don't know if "survival skills" is officially a hobby, but it is something that has always fascinated me. I think that getting out and doing something physical (as opposed to mental / intellectual) would be a perfect fit.

I am looking for online communities and blogs about survival skills, first aid, and the like. I am not so much interested in camping as "survival".

I am not looking for sites about guns, knives, self-defense, conspiracy theorists, Michigan militia, tea-partiers, etc....

I am considering this a hobby to get my head away from the computer, not a lifestyle.

Any help would be appreciated

posted by LudgerLassen to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Jim Macdonald is a writer and an EMT in New Hampshire; he's done a series of posts on the blog Making Light about dealing with medical emergencies, wilderness survival, and the like. Entertaining, informative, and often a little gruesome.
posted by Jeanne at 5:42 AM on May 23, 2010

http://www.equipped.org/
posted by jara1953 at 6:05 AM on May 23, 2010

I've recommended these here before, but the five-part "Are YOU Ready for Disaster?" series over at Daily Kos is worth reading (make sure to read the comments, too).

And, although the CT/TP stuff is elsewhere on the site, AR15.com's Food and Garden and Survival Discussions are good on practical self-sufficiency and preparedness. You are going to run into some of the stuff you mention disliking, but have a look at the information anyway. Recent threads on beekeeping, canning and food storage might be of interest.
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:03 AM on May 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Any good survival forums out there?
posted by LudgerLassen at 7:44 AM on May 23, 2010

Pick up Neil Strauss' Emergency, which is a novel about his experiences picking up a broad array of survival skills. Something in there will resonate with you, hopefully. He lists a ton of resources in the book and has a website to back it up. Just as a caution, he's a guy who imprints easily and can get excited about nearly anything, but he does do a good job of reporting the facts.
posted by adipocere at 8:54 AM on May 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

You need to focus less on "survival skills" which will lead you to guns / knives / crazies and more on "wilderness skills" which will also lead you to guns / knives / crazies but also some more sane discussion.

If you are in California there is a great series of workshops put on by the forest service aimed primarily at hunters, but they would be useful to anyone. I am sure other states do similar things.

http://www.scvqu.com/Hunter%20Education.htm
posted by outsider at 1:38 PM on May 23, 2010

Ignore that last link, looks like it changed.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/index.aspx
posted by outsider at 1:39 PM on May 23, 2010

You can take free online courses in emergency (disaster) preparedness and response at FEMA: http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp
posted by neuron at 8:45 AM on May 24, 2010