Okay, we have lost a few steps, some breath, and our strength is no longer "as ten," but we are still in the game. What would be some good adjustments in geezer planning for survival?

Stock up on Prune juice,Beano, Geritol & Grampers,make sure all clothing,equipment is in International orange color so as to "Not forget something important"& Up a knotch or two on the life insurance policy.If any of this ruffles your feathers,You are not a Geezer!

Have a microchip implanted at your vet clinic. Then, when you get lost and are found, they can find out who you are if you can't remember for yourself.

Explain to your family how you're teaching your dog to play Hide & Seek with you, just in case...

Sue

I think the basic answer for us geezers is to refine our gear and approach to preparedness.

Counter diminishing muscle strength by reducing the need for strength and also by using strength multipliers and substitutes.

Substitute titanium, ceramic, and plastic for stainless or other metals, for example. Use tools that incorporate levers and ratchets instead of brute grip or other strength. Borrow the power of gravity, electricity, chemical reaction, and even gunpowder where possible in place of muscles.

Focus on wily tactics and "unfair" advantages; "fight dirty." Think of how to "take advantage" of others. Think poaching rather than hunting, ambush rather than chase, and sucker punches rather than fair fights. Study camoflague and hiding in plain sight rather than being obviously strong and intimidating.

Think in terms multiple fighting retreats rather than set piece battles; make pursuit of you cost your enemies just enough to persuade them to leave you alone. Study guerilla tactics and asymmetrical warfare techniques for making your territory something others would just as soon leave alone because of multiple, overlapping, and ever-changing layers of booby traps.

Eliminate reliance on one cache, resource, or place of retreat, and instead pre-position multiple resources conceding that many will become at least temporarily unavailable. Increase focus on the ultra-portable in preference over the ultra-comfortable.

And stuff like that.

I'll be 64 next week, so I guess I fit the description of geezer..

a couple of observations as a former classroom teacher about those of us that grew up in the 60s...

better work ethic...mowed yards and delivered papers pre teen age ...and worked for an allowance

most probably worked for a while in construction...

good number have former military service, and many served in South East Asia, and even if not a combat vet, an appreciation for a subsistence economy and society...

mechanically inclined.."gearheads" can stick weld, run milling machines, lathes and other hand tools,...if it has a carburetor and distributor can make it work

probably financially better able to purchase specific equipment...as a shooter, if I need an $800 scope on a $600 rifle, I'll buy it..I've shot over 300K rounds of pistol ammo to become a Limited Master

prescription meds typically evolved around being overweight...a 90 day supply can possibly give you enough time to loose the weight causing the need

probably more of a shooting culture.. many young people today were not given a .22 for the 10th birthday...and definitely not allowed a BB gun for back yard safaris

probably belonged to Scouts...first aid, navigation, and other woodcraft skills reach a small fraction of today's youth

possibly more religious

those of us that grew up on the coasts...protein gathering sources from seafood

and lastly...we can be better problem solvers, because we have more experiences to draw from..we did things in our youth, rather than just watching them be done

Keeping dr. visits, dentist and prescriptions up to date; spare glasses ( and reading glasses) Much thicker sleeping pads. realistic weight & distance goals.

Teacher

Peh.

You still have the ring of the potty 'round yer hiney, youngun.

Nevertheless... your summation is spot on.

AT 66 I WOULD RECOMMEND –

1. Many home invasions target the elderly. Project a dangerous image. Mow the lawn with a Glock. Carry every place except the shower. Wear a firearms related hat and jacket shopping.

2. Home alarm system. Harden your house. House dog.

3. Eliminate the word SEARCH out of SEARCH & RESCUE. CB in the vehicle, cell phone in case you have service, PLB if you really need RESCUE.

4. Hike farther then ever. Carry the heavest backpack you can each week. When that gets easier, add some weight. For hunting - carry a heavy rifle in addition to the pack. Have a fool proof plan on how to get the elk or moose out if you get one in a bad area. Cash and the phone number of the youngster with the horses is best. If you are wolf hunting, don't buy a tag, but carry a good camera. They are not good eating anyway.

5. Watch the hoarding show. Practice hoarding. Get organized. Hoard what you use. Every month, buy two months worth of supplies. Hoard small equipment to fix things. Glue, sewing, hardware, hand tools, etc. Hoard, hoard, hoard. If you can’t think what to hoard any more, take at least one $100 bill to the safety deposit box every week.

6. SLIP & FALL causes most back country injuries and death. I use Kahtoola MicroSPIKES everywhere except in the house.

7. And last of all scavenge the body of your enemies and their vehicles.

Now ya made me think of one.

I have a flag outside.

LEO's say home invasion/burglary types avoid houses with American flags onnem. Reason: The type that puts a flag up has a mess of guns in the house.

Geezers bring experience to the game, usually some knowledge of what strategies work and which ones don't. For a lot of us that translates into a better appreciation of the value of teamwork and cooperation in solving life's difficulties, along with better analysis of situations and often improved planning.


Also, when faced with bad situations (power outages, storm destruction, the unexpected night out), we have experienced those situations before and have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Most things in life are easier the second time around.

"Dirty fighting," "sucker punches'" and "poaching" are short sighted ploys that are counter productive in the end. Eventually we will all die and all we will leave behind our legacy. I try to act so that mine will exemplify honesty, trustworthiness, and dependability rather than snarky, behind the back ploys