Survival for geezers

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

Many Many years ago, my mentor had a sign over his desk:
"Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."

Truer words never spoken.

We had to learn something to make it this far; so use it!

to add to what Cliff commented on ...

make sure you have steel entrance doors with quality deadbolts and reinforced striker plates...vision peep holes

combination of motion sensor lighting with continuous yard light (I get a couple of years out of a compact fluorescent)

wireless alarm and video monitoring systems are reasonable...even without a monitoring service

curbside house numbers in addition to visible house numbers for EMS

good neighbors are a bonus

and if your gun safe is running out of room... pre drill a hole near your doors for a 16D nail with the head removed...slip a piece of rubber tubing over the nail..slide on an archaic revolver thingie's barrel you don't shoot any more (Security Six and .44 Charter)....

remember you don't have to open the door just because somebody knocks on it...

bws48...years ago, at an Area 6 USPSA championship, a couple of young SF NCOs were on our squad...from their equipment it was pretty obvious they were either Delta, or trying out for the teams..I was shooting a single stack at that time, and had a good run... and one commented "sir, how in the hell did you beat me?" and the natural answer... "old age and treachery, and I just wore out a barrel with 80,000 rounds thru it"

You are only fighting, needing to punch, or dispatching animals for survival, if things are pretty bad. Geezers are by definition at a competitive disadvantage and to survive need to consider going beyond what might be considered "fair" - even being "snarky" [whatever that means] and using "behind the back ploys."

We are discussing situations in which the goal is survival, not building your resume in the community. In such times, to be blunt, if the situation forces the choice, it is okay with me for you to go to your legacy first.

I liked the advice, myself.

What's the point of using Marquess of Queensberry rules when your attackers are just predatory punks? They're not going to report that you went by the rules, and you'll be just as dead.

And suppose you have family to defend?

Sue

GEEZERHOOD 101 – RETURN WITHERING FIRE
My Geezerhood home defense weapon costs $4.90/sec to turn on. Being a Geezer, cost is of no concern – the noise is. In 14 seconds I must stuff another 100 round Beta C Mag in it to continue.

Geezers also remember that you can't miss fast enough to win.


chaosmagnet (geezer in training)

I love the paranoia in this thread. I don't advocate naivete, or remaining clueless, but adopting shady tactics as my primary strategy is not in the cards for me.

It is perfectly true that sweetness and light will not always prevail, and certainly geezers ought to have learned that adaptability is a good trait. It is a good idea to keep your powder dry and have weapons in good shape.

I think if you look at the responses to disasters and tough situations, that cooperation and working together is far superior, with better results for everyone, than forting up and guarding your stash. It didn't work for Gollum and it won't work for you, either (precioussss,,,,where is my preciousss?)

Another thing. Susan, you are entirely too young to be commenting on a geezer thread...

Remember, we didn't get old by being nice.

hikermor, I am sorry we are having this apparent failure of communication, but as a geezer I have learned to just move on when it does not work.

Geezers should know what they need to survive, do their best to redundantly secure those resources, and trust themselves to judge how much of those resources to share with others, if any. Harsh decisions and apparent cruelty, as well as dealing with survivor guilt, may become the norm in extreme survival challenges. Geezers have usually had to learn some mental toughness and dealt with the negative judgments of others.

Probably geezers have already begun limiting their exposure to risk, but in a survival emergency this should become a reflex and habit. Do what must be done in as low key a manner as possible, no more. Limit movement, visibility, noise, and all the other "look-at-me" signatures.

Develop what-to-do plans for when things fail, as many layers deep as you can afford and figure out. Do what-ifs on ETS that assume the unfair and the unfortunate have happened.

Hikermor, Paranoia is the delusional state of mind of one who imagines that someone or something is out to get them and they are not. Geezerhood is the state of mind of one who knows that someone or something is out to get them.

At first I thought your post re "dirty fighting" was an attempt at humor. Evidently you are serious.

You go your way and I will go mine. Good luck.

Oh, and thanks for the warning if we should ever meet....I now know what to expect.

I believe you have given the wrong contributor credit, but thanks anyway.

I am contemplating moving the spare tire and other gear from a roof rack to a small trailer. The roof rack gets a little less accessible to me every year. I dont' think my next truck will have a 4" lift kit either - it's just too much trouble to climb in and out of.

I've also firmly adopted a policy of buying my way out of trouble. I carry cell phones, PLB, SPOT, cash, credit cards, and even a significant amount of gold bullion hidden in my truck. I have memberships to Coachnet roadside assistance as well as the GEOS SPOT rescue service and the roadside assistance that Chrysler offers all their customers. I am prepared to shell out major amounts of cash to buy my way out of a bad spot. 20 years ago, I would have no problem hiking 5 miles with an empty gas can to get a refill but not today - Today, I'd shell out $200 for a gallon of gas in a heartbeat if I have to Old age has a way of changing your priorities and perspective.

Traveling alone is also going away for me bit by bit. I've found that it takes considerable effort and many years to cultivate traveling companion relationships and I have spent a lifetime doing this. I've found that multiple travel partners are the easiest way to go... In other words I have fishing partners and then I have offroading partners and then I have air travel partners and I have hunting partners, etc. It's hard to find one partner that wants to do everything you want to do and then still have a fun time. As I get older, I find it really nice to have some nieces and nephews and children and also friends who like to travel with me. As I get older, traveling alone is getting harder and harder to pull off successfully. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you spend your entire life building relationships around outdoor activities, then those same people still want you around even when you're old. As an example, I'm off to a hunting trip with a nephew in a couple of days - a tradition that I started with him 25 years ago when he was just a boy.

You also have to let the young folks know ahead of time what your limitations are. If you like to go to sleep at 8pm every night, need to be near a bathroom, and do not like to drink alcohol, then make sure your travel companions know this and will accomodate you, especially if they are younger. You don't want to find yourself in the middle of a rowdy dance hall at 1am and have no way out because your young nieces and nephews think it's cool to bring you along into their world. Another facet of this is "control" - as you get older, you need to maintain control over your situation to make things go your way.

A lot of people don't like to talk about this part - but cash is king. If you are poor then getting old isn't all that much fun. Like it or not, geezer survival hinges a lot on how much money you have. So save your pennies and if you don't know what "compound interest" is, then that should become your number one homework assignment.

Quote "......"compound interest" is....."
Your showing our age. That is primarily past tense now......:-(

That fact is essentially an indirect 'tax' on the people industrious enough to earn money and then smart enough to delay gratification by saving. Now, in order to prop up an economy ravaged by reckless irresponsible government spending, the govmt is manipulating interest rates to yield essentially nothing.

Well, when we saved it, it was the smart thing to do.....
Now it is looking like the 'spenders' are being rewarded and coming out ahead. We (society/govmt) are also rewarding those who live and party in the economic 'safety net'.

Things are turned up side down.
gimpy

Yes, if you attack me.

Really?

I have some arthritis in one hip, grey hair, six cats, have no patience left at all and, as most here can attest, I no longer give a rat's patootie what most people think, and can irritate practically anyone at very short notice. Have I missed something?

Sue

"six cats"

Oh No she has cats!!!!
she really is a geezer LOL

Mike

HA! See?

TOLD YOU SO! TOLD YOU SO!

Sue

The problem is, Sue, that the term "geezer" seems to be a term denoting males; it just doesn't work for ladies.
We need something a little different - "geezarina?" geezella?, geezeba?

I like geezella best.....

$4 - FEMALE - GEEZERHOOD
In a feeble attempt to tie in the extra key thread to FEMALE GEEZERHOOD, this happened to my 87 year old mother-in-law last winter.

1. She left our store at 2650' with light snow and strong winds.
2. It was dark on top of Horseshoe Bend Hill at 4250'
3. The cold air frosted the INSIDE of her windshield.
4. She made a near fatal mistake of getting out of her car.
5. The wind blew her car door shut locking it.
6. Open toe shoes, Arizona pants and top.
7. A car stopped to help an extimated 10 minutes later.
8. It was almost to late.
9. She now has an extra key outside.
10. Geezerhood prevents her from survival planning.

To extend Cliff's female Geezerhood thinking a little further, a co-worker's 70 year mother recently called thhe office in a dilemna: she was locked in a washroom stall at the mall. It wasn't an emergency, nobody seemed to be responding to her yells, her throat was sore but she had a cel phone and knew her daughter's work number.

Arthritis prevented her from just crawling under. Male Geezers, of course, aren't exempt from this happening to them, but it's more likely for female Geezers.

Carry a cel phone and a whistle. Those personal alarms for home aren't a bad idea either.

Hmmmm... I asked Mr. Google what a female geezer was, and was handed the term "Old broad". I suppose it's okay, but I always thought Old Broads smoked incessantly and drank straight whiskey, which I don't.

There must be a better word, so I'll call my English Journalism major friend.

She said there wasn't a really suitable word, and that many people use it as a unisex word. She didn't like "old broad" either, and for the same reasons.

So she just said to replace the masculine 'geezer' with the feminine 'Maxine', and that should do it.

Sue

LOL@ Mxine!

I believe there is a term/word used for the female version of geezer....ok wait a minute,gotta'make sure my armor isn't crushing my nuggets,ok now....It's "Hag" or Ol'Hag if you know they can't hear you,of course I would never refer to any of our members as such,regardless of how many Full Moons they've witnessed!

Rich, you're on thin ice... "Maxine" has a better survival rate.

Sue

lol! I knew I was in for a flogging,Maxine just sounds too...how would I say it, a cigarette in jolly Olde England,or what the little dutchboy got his finger stuck in!I sincerely Apologize to anyone with the above mentioned name!There is a correct & proper name for a female geezer,It's out there somewhere,I suggest leave it for the brain trust or not have one at all,for Chivalry's sake's!

I believe "Maxine" is a venerable and legally protected cartoon character.

From the way everyone is talking I think 'geezer' in the USA is an old gentleman?

In the UK it's a bit of fly by night quick dealer:
from the urban dictionary:

A Geezer is a male englishman who likes drinking, football, and violence, preferably all at the same time. Wants to be the typical cockney jack the lad. They dress up smart to normally pull 'birds' favourites being Stone Island and Burberry. Theyre basically like a better meaner version of a Chav and not bad people to know aslong as you just prove your a 'geezer'. Sorted me ol' mucker...
watch the film 'Lockstock and Two Smoking barrels'

qjs

I've always called them, Q-Tips. When you are stuck behind them driving 20 in a 35 in a big ass 80's caddy, the only thing you see over the drivers seat is the white poofy wig.

Geezer was a character in the Beezer...

Comms, reminds me of my Grandmother in her huge Mercury.

Except you saw her head peering through the steering wheel. From ehind she was invisible.

much like my 4'10" grandma was behind the wheel of her '57 caddy. and if you saw the vehicle pass by, you'd swear no one was driving.

The character is, the name isn't.

Sue

I am 57 and have a busy life, so that makes me ...er .. an "adolescent" type of geezer .. LOL

OK, back to topic

(1)

My eyesight isn't good, and have been going south with age. Sometimes, I was stuck with my glasses broken or a lost screw. So, I bought lots and lots of cheap reading glasses and pre-positioned them in almost everywhere that I can be. Plus a few in almost every kit I have. Older glasses are never threwn away. They becomes backups.

(2)

Due to heavy weight, I had occasional pain in my feet or ancles. It was not persistent or frquent enough to visit a doctor but bad enough to get me thinking. What if a pain episode hits me while I am trying to escape a disaster or do an importnat job ??

The other day I was in a camping shop and saw a hiking staff. It was made in China and did not trust it enough, but it gave me the idea. So I am going to visit some drug stores ..etc to look at walking aids and may buy a walking stick and throw it in the car trunk. Worst come to worst, I can use it for light-duty defense or even combine it with a tarp for a make-shift tent.

Expand your search for walking staffs to include your hardware store where you can buy a replacement tool shovel handle. They make great hiking staffs, as does the carefully chosen branch for a suitable tree. I have lots of hiking staffs, being well into geezerdom, and my favorite was a somewhat modified branch. I do have a pair of collapsible sticks, and they are quite useful, since they can help hold up a tarp and can be shortened to tuck away on the pack when not in use.

Your shovel handle, particularly if you equip it with a metallic point, is now an alpenstock, a tool developed by shepherds in the 1500s and used by early alpinists until it was modified into an ice axe in the early twentieth century. Your hardware store may not even know they are selling them.

The thinner pricier collapsible staffs have another virtue. When used in fording fast moving streams, their smaller diameter gives much less resistance, and they are much easier to manipulate. Crossing a stream is just one situation where you will really appreciate them.

FYI, test it before you walk out the door with it. I purchased a 1 1/4 inch diameter ash handle to use as a heavy duty walking stick, but it was so clunky it ended up in the scrap material bin.

As far as the drug store walking sticks go, there's two items you might find interesting. There is a style of walking stick with a T-handle that are better off pavement than the drugstore ones. And two, there are martial arts specifically for the geezers sporting a crooked top cane.

Off topic, but of historical interest; there is a tale that in 1835 Andrew Jackson responded to an assasination attempt by Richard Lawrence by bayoneting him with his cane.