Survival Quiz #1 Answers
The maximum score for this first quiz is “100 days” if you know all the answers. Each “yes” answer increases your score by 5 days and each “no” answer decreases your score by 5 days.
Keep in mind that most people will not last 10 days in a disaster scenario, so if you scored 30 days or more, you’re ahead of things.
Becoming a subscriber can help reinforce and remind you what you really need to know with over one hundred 30 second quiz questions and answers that make learning fun, easy and almost automatic. Easy to understand answers and in-depth review will help you increase your odds of surviving a number of threats we could encounter. Below are summary answers and links to additional information on your first survival quiz:
Q: Do you have 30+ days of drinking water, or the ability and knowledge to obtain and purify water?
A: Even if you have 30 days worth of water, it’s a good idea to have multiple ways to store, filter and purify water, just in case. Before you try to take on the whole water challenge, start with acquiring a few inexpensive portable filters such as the popular Lifestraw personal water filter. They have a family version as well. Over time, we will teach you the best ways to be completely secure when it comes to water, no matter what happens.
For now, you can click on any of these links to learn how to desalinate saltwater or disinfect your water, and find water in places you hadn’t thought of.
Do you have the right supplies to manage waste indoors without running water?
A: If the weather or situation is harsh, you might be stuck inside for some time. If the power or water is out, you may not be able to flush waste, and that means you’ve got to store it. Letting it build-up is not safe or comfortable. Get yourself some portable potty bags and an inexpensive portable emergency toilet designed to safely store biowaste.
As disturbing as it sounds, you can also use your waste for compost, provided you’re on an organic diet. You can learn more about those unsettling details here.
Q: Do you have enough small physical assets that would be valuable in a bartering scenario?
A: Money becomes useless in a disaster scenario. Useful physical assets that people want and need will be valuable for bartering. What qualifies? Food, water, ammo, firearms, medicine, fuel, batteries, animal traps, tools, gear, etc.
Even the scrap metal in your backyard becomes a valuable asset when the world doesn’t offer the conveniences that is does right now. Of course, you also need to know how to barter successfully so you can get the most out of what you do have on hand. We’ve got just the information you need to get you started. Just click on this link to learn more about successful trade and barter techniques.
Q: Do you have a trusted group of four or more people prepared to defend your life and theirs?
A. It may be almost impossible to survive a disaster unless you take on the survival challenge with a group of trusted people. If you can’t sleep, you won’t last very long. Having people in your household or camp who — at the very minimum — will take turns standing watch and having your back can make all the difference.
Everyone has some sort of skill to offer, whether it’s gathering data or treating wounds. We give you the information you need so that your group can build on their existing skills. Even children can be taught to sound the alarm and help defend the home.
Q: Do you have what you need to stay warm without electricity or natural gas?
A: There are a number of emergency and portable heating solutions that do not require grid-tied electricity or natural gas. The easiest room-warmer is a portable propane heater. You’ll also want to own a 0-20 degree sleeping bag for each member of the family. Ideally, you’ll want a ultralight hiking-quality sleeping bag for each member of the family, so they can be used in an emergency at home and also are small and light enough to fit in a bug-out backpack.
If things get really bad and you need to be on to go in a covert manner, it helps to know how to build a smokeless fire to keep warm. We’ll show you how to do that and more.
Q: Is each member of your family trained to use a firearm or other weapon in a defensive situation?
A. Owning a firearm and occasional target shooting may be better than nothing, but each member of the family age 14 and up would benefit immensely from a defensive firearm training course. Visit your local shooting range about courses your family can take on defensive firearm handling. Knowing how to shoot a gun is just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s also a good idea to note that there are weapons other than firearms that are better suited to silent situations or skills. For example, even small children can defend themselves or the home by practicing some of the methods taught to children to prevent them from being kidnapped.
Q: Do you have a decoy stash as well as 3 or more hidden stashes of food & supplies?
A. If you answered yes, that’s good; however, it’s possibly wishful thinking, as hungry people in desperate situations may not be easily deterred. Remember, you’ve got to sleep, too. This challenge speaks to the reason why in the event of a disaster situation, you’re better off banding together with a few capable people whom you trust to have your back.
Even after banding together, you still need to take steps to protect your supplies. There are situations where you could be forced to turn over supplies and a decoy stash could limit your losses. Here are some tips where you can hide supplies.
Q. Are you able and willing to use lethal force to protect your belongings if necessary?
A. It’s a terrible concept, but desperate times call for extreme measures. It’s easy to say you’d take a life if your life is being immediately threatened. It’s a whole different thing to be faced with having to protect your own limited supplies from others who need them because they weren’t prepared or self-reliant.
There’s a pervasive attitude among large groups of trained, armed and very capable people that if it comes to it, they will not hesitate take from others. Some justify that if they don’t take it, someone else will. Only those with strength in numbers, training, trust and preparation, equipped mentally and physically, prepared to do whatever it takes would have a chance. Tough decisions indeed. Hopefully, we’ll never have to make such terrible decisions.
Here’s some tips on setting simple alarms to alert you when an intruder is nearby, perhaps before it becomes a life or death situation.
Q: If forced out of your home with no supplies would you survive more than two weeks?
A. This is a difficult question, but it speaks to your confidence, resourcefulness, knowledge and abilities to survive — no matter what you’re faced with. 100+ Modern Survival quizzes, survival tips and preparation lists will help you learn how to survive no matter what you encounter.
Q: Do you know basic first aid and how to treat an infection without antibiotics?
A. Dealing with an infection is what your body is designed to do. Antibiotics can make it easier, but they can also inhibit the body’s own infection-fighting abilities. Whenever the immune system contends with an infection successfully, it emerges stronger and more capable of dealing with similar threats in the future. A few important keys are adequate sleep, hydration and immune-boosting foods.
You will need to know how to treat an infection on the go, so that a small cut doesn’t turn into a fatal injury. We’re not going to show you how to make antibiotics. We’re going to show you how to treat an infection without them.
Q: Do you have 90+ days of essential medications and medical supplies on hand?
A. If there is a disaster, you could find yourself without access to medications or medical supplies for an indefinite period of time. It’s a good idea to make sure you can go a few months without restocking, just in case.
The average person is going to say “no” to this question, but may not realize that they really do have some medications well stocked.
Q: Do you have what you need to trap, kill, clean and cook an animal to eat for food?
A: In a survival situation, the animals you trap can supply life-sustaining proteins to get you through a rough situation. Shooting your food is not usually as practical as trapping it with an inexpensive snare. If you don’t have any experience, start with a book on hunting and preparing wild game.
Animals not only provide food, but other useful materials… if you know how to prepare them. They even come with their own tanning supplies to you can make leather for pouches and other things without using anything but a knife and the animal itself. Don’t worry, we explain how to do this in this article.
Q: Do you know what kind of plants are edible and/or medicinal?
A. Edible and medicinal plants can help you avoid starvation and treat illnesses, but first you have to be able to recognize them. Even then, preparation is key. If you don’t know which parts of a plant to use or how to prepare them, it can take you longer to get what you need from them. We’ll show you resources you can keep on your person, specific plants, and preparation methods to get you through the worst of times.
There are several plants and berries that look similar, but are dangerous for you. Since you may not be foraging your lawn just yet, you can start with the Berry Toxicity Rule so you can learn to identify which berries are edible and which are poisonous.
Q: Do you have 30+ days of non-perishable emergency food supplies on hand?
A. In a survival situation, you have a better chance if you have all you need at home. If you find yourself in an extended food scarcity scenario, you’ll want to immediately start hunting, fishing and scavenging for anything edible and make your supplies last as long as possible.
You really need more than a 30 day supply, because you need to have a supply that is meant as a decoy. And, you need to be able to refill your supply as needed. That means hunting, foraging, and even guarding your food. If you don’t have any supplies or garden going right now, you can start by making a compost pile, even if it’s the dead of winter. We can even show you how to make a compost pile that doesn’t stink.
Q. Do you have a method to keep perishable food from spoiling without grid-tied electricity?
A. Whether you salt, dry, smoke or can food on your own, it’s important to be able to stock up any time food is available. If the power goes out for good, you need to be able to get essential vitamins and minerals any time of the year, without electricity. We can help you learn how, and even show you how to make your own cooler.
There’s more to maintaining a food supply than preparing it. You’ll need to be able to store it properly, right down to stacking your canning jars so you don’t end up with spoiled foods.
Q: Do you have broken-in boots, non-cotton socks and the fitness to hike 3+ miles per day?
A. Even if you never have to go in search of your own food or water, it’s a good idea to be prepared for the worst. Being able to hike 3 or more miles day also means that your body is in better shape to fight off illness and infection. In a survival scenario, even the smallest of injuries can be game changers. The wrong shoes and cotton socks will ruin your feet in a matter of days. A small blister can turn into a large infection. There are a few sock materials (wool, smart wool, etc) that your local hiking shop can advise you on, that will go the distance and help avoid blisters. Here’s an old-school technique for avoiding blisters, but not as good as the right shoes and true hiker-quality socks. See old military method of avoiding blisters.
Q. Do you have an evacuation plan set up in the event you cannot stay in your home?
A. Each member of your family needs to know where to meet in the event of an emergency when communications are unavailable. You should have three meeting places agreed to in advance and prioritized in the event the first one or two are not good options. Each meeting place should be within walking distance of your home and may be based on the emergency scenario you face.
Q. Do you have bug out backpacks (under 40 lb.) prepared for each member of your family?
A: A good bug out pack has everything you need for survival on foot or in a vehicle. You should not plan on being able to stay in your home or vehicle in a disaster, as you could be on foot instead. A bug out bag loaded with everything you can fit is useless on foot. Anything over 40 pounds will severely limit your mobility. Only hiker-quality ultralight gear will enable you to carry what you need and still cover some ground. Here’s a bug out bag checklist you can use to start building your own ultralight packs.
Q: Do you have the equipment needed to generate and store your own electricity?
A. Survivor at heart or not, life is definitely not as harsh when you have electricity to run your refrigerator, radio, communications gear and other devices. Having the ability to generate and store your own power using wind, water or solar is easier than you may think. You can build or buy your own inexpensive portable solar power generator that will get the job done at home or on the go.
Q: Do you have true multi-band UVF/UHF 2-way radios for use if mobile networks go down?
A: You’ll need to be able to stay in contact with the world outside of your own home. This is true whether you just want to keep in contact with loved ones, or set up a perimeter system within your community. Devices, like the Beartooth works on a cell phone even when cell service is gone. A stack of $40 UHF/VHF walkie-talkies will still work when all the consumer bands are jammed up.
