Ragnar's Urban Survival: A Hard Times Guide to Staying Alive in the City
This book was reccommended to me some time ago by our very own ExSoldier762. It's not strictly CCW related so feel free to move the thread, but it does have information on guns in it.
If you want the short version of the review here it is: get this book.
This is a very good read for someone (like me) who ever felt helpless to survive in an urban or suburban setting in a crisis.
Now be forewarned that the author is as serious as cancer about all of this. He's about surviving no matter how much it costs or how legal or illegal it is. He has a lot of great ideas but there are some problems with his suggestions. For one most of them assume you have a house and a yard. Not having your own separate building or a little bit of space is a huge hindrance for implementing a lot of these suggestions. For another, the author sometimes points to solutions which are cost prohibitive, even if they are ideal solutions. In his defense he always, always, discusses the alternatives if you can't go with the ideal solution.
The book is very thorough. He takes just about everything into account with lots and lots of gritty, nasty real world experience. The book may actually frighten very sensitive people. A friend of mine borrowed it briefly but gave it back after the first two chapters and told me he though the guy was nuts for writing such things. You want to plan for SHTF? Well this is your book. The author pulls all this information from real life, contemporary SHTF scenarios that last longer and happen closer and far more often than you might think.
The main benefit of this book is the methodology behind it. Thinking like a survivalist is something that you can take with you and use no matter how much gear you don't have or whatever the circumstances are. Honestly, if you implement 10% of what this book tells you to do, you're probably going to survive anything that'll ever happen to you unless there's a war where you live.
Chapter 1 is Philosophy and it's invaluable.
Chapter 2 is about Combat in Built Up Areas. This is a real eye opener if you're a civilian. Ever wonder why the Army does some of the things it does?
Chapter 3 is quite timely in that it's the government's view on survivalists. Look at what is happening to old ladies in NO right now.
Chapter 4 is Water. This is the chapter I have used the most. I unfortunately don't really have a place to put a sand filter but I do want to get a 55 gallon water drum at some point. All of the author's other suggestions I've used in some way or fashion. For instance I've started to keep extra bleach on hand and I go buy a 5 gallon bucket with a snap on lid from Home Depot every so often.
Chapter 5: Sources of Energy could be very valuable or not depending on where you live but it's very thorough. Here's a hint: Peat Moss.
Chapter 6: Food is just great. If you're stockpiling MREs you're doing it wrong.
Chapter 7 is Food Preparation. Very informative if you weren't raised on a farm (Which I was not).
Chapter 8 is Emergency Shelters. Very clever ideas here.
Chapter 9 is Caching and Storage. Think PVC.
Chapter 10 is Trading. Honestly, I had no idea of the kinds of black markets that emerge in places where the SHTF.
Chapter 11 is Guns. I'll come out and say it, the author has good tastes in guns and most of the advise is sensible, but he's got to be kidding me that I need to go out and get an incredibly expensive custom rifle right now. One thing that does stand out here is he talks at length about how guns are important to the urban survivor and not so much the rural survivor, and combine this with Chapter 2 and you honestly have the best idea you're going to get about how to be a resistance fighter in a city siege that you're going to get without actually doing it.
Chapter 12 is a very informative section on nursing.
I've read the book 3 times and am reading it again. I wish I could do everything the author suggests because if you did you really would be prepared for almost anything.
If you want the short version of the review here it is: get this book.
This is a very good read for someone (like me) who ever felt helpless to survive in an urban or suburban setting in a crisis.
Now be forewarned that the author is as serious as cancer about all of this. He's about surviving no matter how much it costs or how legal or illegal it is. He has a lot of great ideas but there are some problems with his suggestions. For one most of them assume you have a house and a yard. Not having your own separate building or a little bit of space is a huge hindrance for implementing a lot of these suggestions. For another, the author sometimes points to solutions which are cost prohibitive, even if they are ideal solutions. In his defense he always, always, discusses the alternatives if you can't go with the ideal solution.
The book is very thorough. He takes just about everything into account with lots and lots of gritty, nasty real world experience. The book may actually frighten very sensitive people. A friend of mine borrowed it briefly but gave it back after the first two chapters and told me he though the guy was nuts for writing such things. You want to plan for SHTF? Well this is your book. The author pulls all this information from real life, contemporary SHTF scenarios that last longer and happen closer and far more often than you might think.
The main benefit of this book is the methodology behind it. Thinking like a survivalist is something that you can take with you and use no matter how much gear you don't have or whatever the circumstances are. Honestly, if you implement 10% of what this book tells you to do, you're probably going to survive anything that'll ever happen to you unless there's a war where you live.
Chapter 1 is Philosophy and it's invaluable.
Chapter 2 is about Combat in Built Up Areas. This is a real eye opener if you're a civilian. Ever wonder why the Army does some of the things it does?
Chapter 3 is quite timely in that it's the government's view on survivalists. Look at what is happening to old ladies in NO right now.
Chapter 4 is Water. This is the chapter I have used the most. I unfortunately don't really have a place to put a sand filter but I do want to get a 55 gallon water drum at some point. All of the author's other suggestions I've used in some way or fashion. For instance I've started to keep extra bleach on hand and I go buy a 5 gallon bucket with a snap on lid from Home Depot every so often.
Chapter 5: Sources of Energy could be very valuable or not depending on where you live but it's very thorough. Here's a hint: Peat Moss.
Chapter 6: Food is just great. If you're stockpiling MREs you're doing it wrong.
Chapter 7 is Food Preparation. Very informative if you weren't raised on a farm (Which I was not).
Chapter 8 is Emergency Shelters. Very clever ideas here.
Chapter 9 is Caching and Storage. Think PVC.
Chapter 10 is Trading. Honestly, I had no idea of the kinds of black markets that emerge in places where the SHTF.
Chapter 11 is Guns. I'll come out and say it, the author has good tastes in guns and most of the advise is sensible, but he's got to be kidding me that I need to go out and get an incredibly expensive custom rifle right now. One thing that does stand out here is he talks at length about how guns are important to the urban survivor and not so much the rural survivor, and combine this with Chapter 2 and you honestly have the best idea you're going to get about how to be a resistance fighter in a city siege that you're going to get without actually doing it.
Chapter 12 is a very informative section on nursing.
I've read the book 3 times and am reading it again. I wish I could do everything the author suggests because if you did you really would be prepared for almost anything.
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Yep, a flashlight to give away your position. Oh wait to signal for help, ya that's it.QKShooter said:
A radio so you know where to find a government shelter. Also so you know to just throw your guns and any other weapons you have into the street so the police can confiscate them.
Some cash to give to the BGs so they won't rape or kill you. Or in their thinking to get a beer :1saufen: or something once you are out or for the pay phone to call someone who cares about you.
Typical mindset. :chairshot
-Scott-
Survival Books....
Thanks for the boost, Euc. In truth I have almost ALL of Ragnar Bensons books. I have found How to Live off the Land in the City and the Country one of his best. I have used (in military training) some of his examples in the awesome pair of books titled MANTRAPPING and find they are real useful in situations where you wish to ummmm deter folks from using certain avenues of approach. Survival Poaching is a no holds barred look at pure lawless survival. Euc wasn't kidding when he said this guy is as serious as cancer on the subject. Another awesom survival book is written by a former green beanie (green beret) and it's titled Great Livin' in Grubby Times and I think it's published by Pathfinder Press. Amazon should have it, tho.
Thanks for the boost, Euc. In truth I have almost ALL of Ragnar Bensons books. I have found How to Live off the Land in the City and the Country one of his best. I have used (in military training) some of his examples in the awesome pair of books titled MANTRAPPING and find they are real useful in situations where you wish to ummmm deter folks from using certain avenues of approach. Survival Poaching is a no holds barred look at pure lawless survival. Euc wasn't kidding when he said this guy is as serious as cancer on the subject. Another awesom survival book is written by a former green beanie (green beret) and it's titled Great Livin' in Grubby Times and I think it's published by Pathfinder Press. Amazon should have it, tho.
Oh yeah, I forgot one more...not strictly SURVIVAL but could be applicable in an extended situation: To Break A Tyrant's Chains by Duncan Long
Also those "Green Beanie" Books, well I just dug them out of my library:
1. The Green Beret's Guide to Outdoor Survival by DON PAUL he also wrote as I've already mentioned:
2. Great Livin' in Grubby Times.
Also those "Green Beanie" Books, well I just dug them out of my library:
1. The Green Beret's Guide to Outdoor Survival by DON PAUL he also wrote as I've already mentioned:
2. Great Livin' in Grubby Times.
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Ragnar Benson is a very uneven writer. Some of his books, like "Survival Poaching", "How to Live off the Land in the City and the Country" and "Ragnar's Ten Best Traps" belong in your bookshelf. But in other books like "Hardcore Poaching" he seems to have exhausted his knowledge of the topic. He has also written books on other subjects he doesn't seem to have any in-depth knowledge of, like gunrunning and explosives manufacture. His two books on mantrapping are interesting, but the problem is that it just takes too much time and manpower to make most of them.
Ragnar Benson & Mel Tappan
It's important to note that the mantraps DO work and aren't so very labor intensive if you have a well trained TEAM working together to create the obstacle. I learned and actually set up many of those traps when I was an infantry officer. The first two you mentioned especially: Survival Poaching and How to Live Off the Land in the City or the Country are HIGH in value. Good stuff but only inasmuch as you're willing to go the distance....all the way and then some.
Another EXCELLENT book as far as the gun subject goes is out of print but you can still find copies at gun shows and the like: Survival Guns by the Late Mel Tappan.
It's important to note that the mantraps DO work and aren't so very labor intensive if you have a well trained TEAM working together to create the obstacle. I learned and actually set up many of those traps when I was an infantry officer. The first two you mentioned especially: Survival Poaching and How to Live Off the Land in the City or the Country are HIGH in value. Good stuff but only inasmuch as you're willing to go the distance....all the way and then some.
Another EXCELLENT book as far as the gun subject goes is out of print but you can still find copies at gun shows and the like: Survival Guns by the Late Mel Tappan.
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I agree, some of the traps are fairly easy to make. And I liked "The most Dangerous Game" better than "Mantraps" because the traps in this book were easier to construct. On the other hand a lot of the traps in both books were already known to me. But another problem is that a lot of the traps are hard to camouflage in an arctic environment where I live. And from a military point of view I still feel that a lot of the traps take too long to construct, even for a trained crew. Several years ago I had my sapper platoon - great guys - (I'm a former sapper officer) construct several of these traps. (pages 21, 30, 37, 40, 53 in "Mantraps") It was interesting and my men enjoyed it, but the conclusion was that it simply took too much time too make them. Logs and boulders are heavy. And further drilling in the construction of these traps was in our opinion a waste of training hours. I agree that non-explosive traps can be a good supplement to the explosive kind, but I did not find the ones I keep in my personal arsenal in his books.
I don't think you need to go "all the way" to learn from "Survival Poaching" and "How to Live Off the Land in the City or the Country". I learned a few trapping techniques in those books I didn't already know that are quite effective. Interestingly, my grandfather was taught several of these trapping techniques in Britain during WW2, which he again taught me when I was young.
And yes, Mel Tappan's book belongs in everyone's bookshelf.
I don't think you need to go "all the way" to learn from "Survival Poaching" and "How to Live Off the Land in the City or the Country". I learned a few trapping techniques in those books I didn't already know that are quite effective. Interestingly, my grandfather was taught several of these trapping techniques in Britain during WW2, which he again taught me when I was young.
And yes, Mel Tappan's book belongs in everyone's bookshelf.
I loved some of the urban traps, like the one that perches a bucket of gasoline atop the chimney and runs a wire down from the handle to the doorknob so that opening the door brings the gas down the chimney onto an already hot fire.
I don't like anything that requires a figure 4 trigger. Nor do I like the rollers holding back logs or boulders, etc. I really like the spike trap that traps a foot so you can see how many buddies the victim has as a sniper picks them off as they try to reach him.
The idea of tying a venomous snake by the tail to some fixed object near an area where your target will approach has merit, too. Careful handling the snake.
I don't like anything that requires a figure 4 trigger. Nor do I like the rollers holding back logs or boulders, etc. I really like the spike trap that traps a foot so you can see how many buddies the victim has as a sniper picks them off as they try to reach him.
The idea of tying a venomous snake by the tail to some fixed object near an area where your target will approach has merit, too. Careful handling the snake.
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A bucket of gasoline perched atop a chimney is likely to be ignited by sparks from the chimney (you could of course cover the bucket with plastic, but sparks might still burn through it), but it's a creative idea even though there is no way I'm going to rig that one. It seems that we are pretty much in agreement after all. I too prefer the spiked ones. But these are far better covered in U.S. military manuals from the Vietnam-era. I also agree with you about command-detonated traps.
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