Women are as interested in survival issues as men are-they just see survival in a more realistic fashion. They tend to prepare for things that will be likely to kill you, like health and traffic-rather than things that are less likely to happen, but more fun to work on, like dog packs and civil unrest.

For me, it is generally more successful to find out what interests the woman and head in that direction, rather than try to get them going in my direction. It is not all about me. and managing women is like herding cats.

Nighthiker and hacksaw offer sage advice. Alternatively, if you really want to mix survival and love, look for a partner with skills that complement your skills: a doctor, nurse or paramedic if your medical skills are rudimentary, a skilled cook if you are not one-like that. To my way of thinking, love is so bloody rare in this world that it is self-defeating to set up a lot of pre-love criteria. Good relationships often occur in folks of differing interests, ying meeting yang.

Thus endeth the 'Dear Abbey" element in the ETS forum.