This article is a personal survival experience of “one year in hell” in a collapsed city; a reality check. It is a lesson from history.
It is worth the few minutes to read. Prepare Now; what is coming will be much worse…
The following story has shown up in the past on a number of websites around the blogosphere; the original source apparently unknown, although it may be an excerpt from someone named “Selco” who survived “one year in hell” in a city surrounded by the enemy army and cut off from the rest of the world during the Balkan wars (SHTFschool.com).
Thanks to Rob at ReadyMadeResources.com who recently forwarded this article excerpt from PersonalLiberty.com where it was said, “Some things, especially the terror of war, are never lost in translation.”
Introduction
I am from Bosnia. You know, between 1992 and 1995, it was hell. For one year, I lived and survived in a city with 6,000 people without water, electricity, gasoline, medical help, civil defense, distribution service, any kind of traditional service or centralized rule.
Our city was blockaded by the army; and for one year, life in the city turned into total crap. We had no army, no police. We only had armed groups; those armed protected their homes and families.
When it all started, some of us were better prepared. But most of the neighbors’ families had enough food only for a few days. Some had pistols; a few had AK-47s or shotguns.
After a month or two, gangs started operating, destroying everything. Hospitals, for example, turned into slaughterhouses. There was no more police. About 80 percent of the hospital staff were gone. I got lucky. My family at the time was fairly large (15 people in a large house, six pistols, three AKs), and we survived (most of us, at least).
The Americans dropped MREs every 10 days to help blockaded cities. This was never enough. Some — very few — had gardens. It took three months for the first rumors to spread of men dying from hunger and cold. We removed all the doors, the window frames from abandoned houses, ripped up the floors and burned the furniture for heat. Many died from diseases, especially from the water (two from my own family). We drank mostly rainwater, ate pigeons and even rats.
Money soon became worthless. We returned to an exchange. For a tin can of tushonka (think Soviet spam), you could have a woman. (It is hard to speak of it, but it is true.) Most of the women who sold themselves were desperate mothers.
Arms, ammunition, candles, lighters, antibiotics, gasoline, batteries and food. We fought for these things like animals. In these situations, it all changes. Men become monsters. It was disgusting.
Strength was in numbers. A man living alone getting killed and robbed would be just a matter of time, even if he was armed.
Today, me and my family are well-prepared, I am well-armed. I have experience.
It does not matter what will happen: an earthquake, a war, a tsunami, aliens, terrorists, economic collapse, uprising. The important part is that something will happen.
Here’s my experience: You can’t make it on your own. Don’t stay apart from your family; prepare together, choose reliable friends.
1. How to move safely in a city
The city was divided into communities along streets. Our street (15 to 20 homes) had patrols (five armed men every week) to watch for gangs and for our enemies.
All the exchanges occurred in the street. About 5 kilometers away was an entire street for trading, all well-organized; but going there was too dangerous because of the snipers. You could also get robbed by bandits. I only went there twice, when I needed something really rare (list of medicine, mainly antibiotics, of the French original of the texts).
Nobody used automobiles in the city: The streets were blocked by wreckage and by abandoned cars. Gasoline was very expensive. If one needed to go somewhere, that was done at night. Never travel alone or in groups that were too big — always two to three men. All armed, travel swift, in the shadows, cross streets through ruins, not along open streets.
There were many gangs 10 to 15 men strong, some as large as 50 men. But there were also many normal men, like you and me, fathers and grandfathers, who killed and robbed. There were no “good” and “bad” men. Most were in the middle and ready for the worst.
2. What about wood? Your home city is surrounded by woods; why did you burn doors and furniture?
There were not that many woods around the city. It was very beautiful — restaurants, cinemas, schools, even an airport. Every tree in the city and in the city park was cut down for fuel in the first two months.
Without electricity for cooking and heat, we burned anything that burned. Furniture, doors, flooring: That wood burns swiftly. We had no suburbs or suburban farms. The enemy was in the suburbs. We were surrounded. Even in the city you never knew who was the enemy at any given point.
3. What knowledge was useful to you in that period?
To imagine the situation a bit better, you should know it was practically a return to the Stone Age.
For example, I had a container of cooking gas. But I did not use it for heat. That would be too expensive! I attached a nozzle to it I made myself and used to fill lighters. Lighters were precious.
If a man brought an empty lighter, I would fill it; and he would give me a tin of food or a candle.
I was a paramedic. In these conditions, my knowledge was my wealth. Be curious and skilled. In these conditions, the ability to fix things is more valuable than gold.
Items and supplies will inevitably run out, but your skills will keep you fed.
I wish to say this: Learn to fix things, shoes or people.
My neighbor, for example, knew how to make kerosene for lamps. He never went hungry.
4. If you had three months to prepare now, what would you do?
Three months? Run away from the country? (joking)
Today, I know everything can collapse really fast. I have a stockpile of food, hygiene items, batteries — enough to last me for six months.
I live in a very secure flat and own a home with a shelter in a village 5 kilometers away. Another six-month supply there, too. That’s a small village; most people there are well-prepared. The war had taught them.
I have four weapons and 2,000 rounds for each.
I have a garden and have learned gardening. Also, I have a good instinct. You know, when everyone around you keeps telling you it’ll all be fine, but I know it will all collapse.
I have strength to do what I need to protect my family. Because when it all collapses, you must be ready to do “bad” things to keep your children alive and protect your family.
Surviving on your own is practically impossible. (That’s what I think.) Even you’re armed and ready, if you’re alone, you’ll die. I have seen that happen many times.
Families and groups, well-prepared, with skills and knowledge in various fields: That’s much better.
5. What should you stockpile?
That depends. If you plan to live by theft, all you need is weapons and ammo. Lots of ammo.
If not, more food, hygiene items, batteries, accumulators, little trading items (knives, lighters, flints, soap). Also, alcohol of a type that keeps well. The cheapest whiskey is a good trading item.
Many people died from insufficient hygiene. You’ll need simple items in great amounts. For example, garbage bags. Lots of them. And toilet papers. Non-reusable dishes and cups: You’ll need lots of them. I know that because we didn’t have any at all.
As for me, a supply of hygiene items is perhaps more important than food. You can shoot a pigeon. You can find a plant to eat. You can’t find or shoot any disinfectant.
Disinfectant, detergents, bleach, soap, gloves, masks.
First aid skills, washing wounds and burns. Perhaps you will find a doctor and will not be able to pay him.
Learn to use antibiotics. It’s good to have a stockpile of them.
You should choose the simplest weapons. I carry a Glock .45. I like it, but it’s a rare gun here. So I have two TT pistols, too. (Everyone has them and ammo is common.)
I don’t like Kalashnikov’s, but again, same story. Everyone has them; so do I.
You must own small, unnoticeable items. For example, a generator is good, but 1,000 BIC lighters are better. A generator will attract attention if there’s any trouble, but 1,000 lighters are compact, cheap and can always be traded.
We usually collected rainwater into four large barrels and then boiled it. There was a small river, but the water in it became very dirty very fast.
It’s also important to have containers for water: barrels and buckets.
6. Were gold and silver useful?
Yes. I personally traded all the gold in the house for ammunition.
Sometimes, we got our hands on money: dollars and Deutschmarks. We bought some things for them, but this was rare and prices were astronomical. For example, a can of beans cost $30 to $40. The local money quickly became worthless. Everything we needed we traded for through barter.
7. Was salt expensive?
Yes, but coffee and cigarettes were even more expensive. I had lots of alcohol and traded it without problems. Alcohol consumption grew over 10 times as compared to peacetime. Perhaps today, it’s more useful to keep a stock of cigarettes, lighters and batteries. They take up less space.
At this time, I was not a survivalist. We had no time to prepare — several days before the shit hit the fan. The politicians kept repeating over the TV that everything was going according to plan, there’s no reason to be concerned. When the sky fell on our heads, we took what we could.
8. Was it difficult to purchase firearms? What did you trade for arms and ammunition?
After the war, we had guns in every house. The police confiscated lots of guns at the beginning of the war. But most of them we hid. Now I have one legal gun that I have a license for. Under the law, that’s called a temporary collection. If there is unrest, the government will seize all the registered guns. Never forget that.
You know, there are many people who have one legal gun, but also illegal guns if that one gets seized. If you have good trade goods, you might be able to get a gun in a tough situation. But remember, the most difficult time is the first days, and perhaps you won’t have enough time to find a weapon to protect your family. To be disarmed in a time of chaos and panic is a bad idea.
In my case, there was a man who needed a car battery for his radio. He had shotguns. I traded the accumulator for both of them. Sometimes, I traded ammunition for food, and a few weeks later traded food for ammunition. Never did the trade at home, never in great amounts.
Few people knew how much and what I keep at home.
The most important thing is to keep as many things as possible in terms of space and money. Eventually, you’ll understand what is more valuable.
Correction: I’ll always value weapons and ammunition the most. Second? Maybe gas masks and filters.
9. What about security?
Our defenses were very primitive. Again, we weren’t ready, and we used what we could. The windows were shattered, and the roofs in a horrible state after the bombings. The windows were blocked — some with sandbags, others with rocks.
I blocked the fence gate with wreckage and garbage, and used a ladder to get across the wall. When I came home, I asked someone inside to pass over the ladder. We had a fellow on our street that completely barricaded himself in his house. He broke a hole in the wall, creating a passage for himself into the ruins of the neighbor’s house — a sort of secret entrance.
Maybe this would seem strange, but the most protected houses were looted and destroyed first. In my area of the city, there were beautiful houses with walls, dogs, alarms and barred windows. People attacked them first. Some held out; others didn’t. It all depended how many hands and guns they had inside.
I think defense is very important, but it must be carried out unobtrusively. If you are in a city and SHTF comes, you need a simple, non-flashy place, with lots of guns and ammo.
How much ammo? As much as possible.
Make your house as unattractive as you can.
Right now, I own a steel door, but that’s just against the first wave of chaos. After that passes, I will leave the city to rejoin a larger group of people, my friends and family.
There were some situations during the war. There’s no need for details, but we always had superior firepower and a brick wall on our side.
We also constantly kept someone watching the streets. Quality organization is paramount in case of gang attacks.
Shooting was constantly heard in the city.
Our perimeter was defended primitively. All the exits were barricaded and had little firing slits. Inside we had at least five family members ready for battle at any time and one man in the street, hidden in a shelter.
We stayed home through the day to avoid sniper fire.
At first, the weak perish. Then, the rest fight.
During the day, the streets were practically empty due to sniper fire. Defenses were oriented toward short-range combat alone. Many died if they went out to gather information, for example. It’s important to remember we had no information, no radio, no TV — only rumors and nothing else.
There was no organized army; every man fought. We had no choice. Everybody was armed, ready to defend themselves.
You should not wear quality items in the city; someone will murder you and take them. Don’t even carry a “pretty” long arm, it will attract attention.
Let me tell you something: If SHTF starts tomorrow, I’ll be humble. I’ll look like everyone else. Desperate, fearful. Maybe I’ll even shout and cry a little bit.
Pretty clothing is excluded altogether. I will not go out in my new tactical outfit to shout: “I have come! You’re doomed, bad guys!” No, I’ll stay aside, well-armed, well-prepared, waiting and evaluating my possibilities, with my best friend or brother.
Super-defenses, super-guns are meaningless. If people think they should steal your things, that you’re profitable, they will. It’s only a question of time and the amount of guns and hands.
10. How was the situation with toilets?
We used shovels and a patch of earth near the house. Does it seem dirty? It was. We washed with rainwater or in the river, but most of the time the latter was too dangerous. We had no toilet paper; and if we had any, I would have traded it away.
It was a “dirty” business.
Let me give you a piece of advice: You need guns and ammo first — and second, everything else. Literally everything! All depends on the space and money you have.
If you forget something, there will always be someone to trade with for it. But if you forget weapons and ammo, there will be no access to trading for you.
I don’t think big families are extra mouths. Big families means both more guns and strength — and from there, everyone prepares on his own.
11. How did people treat the sick and the injured?
Most injuries were from gunfire. Without a specialist and without equipment, if an injured man found a doctor somewhere, he had about a 30 percent chance of survival.
It ain’t the movie. People died. Many died from infections of superficial wounds. I had antibiotics for three to four uses — for the family, of course.
People died foolishly quite often. Simple diarrhea will kill you in a few days without medicine, with limited amounts of water.
There were many skin diseases and food poisonings… nothing to it.
Many used local plants and pure alcohol — enough for the short-term, but useless in the long term.
Hygiene is very important, as well as having as much medicine as possible — especially antibiotics.
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I had read this some time ago, glad you found it and posted it. I was mad at myself for not printing it the first time I read it. Good information in the article. Just one not mentioned is seeds for gardens, but I guess in a city that just was not practical. I have seeds for trade as well as growing including tobacco seeds which I don’t think many people think of to have on hand. They should command a premium in trade.
Yes, I had read this awhile ago too, and glad that Rob reminded me of it… It is a timeless account of how this man experienced the collapse – something that we can learn from no matter how old the original experience.
About the seeds… my suspicion is that they would be mostly worthless “within” the city, due to the danger/security, thievery, and probable lack of hidden land to grow anything substantial. The season is critical of course. If one could escape the city however, then for sure this would be of value, and/or barter. This particular story has him (them) trapped in the city itself. Perhaps a guarded ‘roof top’ garden would work…
Yes I think a roof top garden in an apartment complex would work great, no worries about theft except from the building occupants. I also stock pile sprouting seeds as most are ready to eat in three to five days. In the middle of winter, fresh anything would be a welcome change from canned, dried, etc.
The sprouting seeds are a very good idea, and an easy method to get quick and nutritious food. I have not done it in a while, but do want to give it a try again to stay in practice. In fact, I need to look at my long-term storage and see what I have for sprouting seeds… maybe shore up some more.
only saw this article 48 other times.
So…. does your comment mean that you do not approve? Does it mean that because you’ve seen it 48 times that I should delete it so you don’t have to see it yet again? Do you believe that everyone who comes to this site has seen it before? Do you believe that it is a waste of your time? Do you think that it will be helpful in any way for those who may have not seen it?
I ask these questions because I hope to see constructive comments (either positive or negative), and maybe a discussion about it.
FWIW, I have never seen this before. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks Ken for publishing this article!! I had not seen it before & there were some helpful suggestion. I live in the country but all my children live in cities. I may copy it & send it to them. It also opened my eyes to the fact that you may not be able to trust your fellow man. Instead of all pulling together when attacked animal instincts & hunger allowed them to steal & kill neighbors. Sad!
Agreed. Thanks for posting. I never read it before. To those who have read it 48 times, why did you even click on the link?
I always find it fascinating to read stories from someone who has lived and survived adverse ordeals. I feel that their experiences may aid all of us when things turn bad. We all prepare for whatever disaster (manmade or natural)that could possibly come our way but we never truly understand what will happen and how we and others will react. For us here in the USA we are insulated from most devasting tragedies (the old it can’t happen here syndrome). I have worked in the financial industry for the last 15 years and after the 2008 crisis it was a wake up call (especially when you see the amount of banks that were failing….if you ever see the CNBC special on this pay close attention to the amount of insurance AGI wouldn’t have been able to pay out…if the gov’t hadn’t bailed them out we would have been in total collapse). We can only hope that we have stored enough supplies to aid us in our continued survival. Thank you for posting this I hadn’t seen this particular story before but even if I had I probably would have read it again.
Ken:
Thanks for posting this article. I think it had a lot of good information, some of which I hadn’t thought about.
I’m glad that some of you are finding the article of some value 😉
I find value in trying to learn from history, what has happened before, knowing that history often repeats itself – and people forget…
Was it not said that “Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”? My mom as an East Prussian experienced unspeakable hardships by the hand of the Communists in concentration camp during WW2. The things a person will do to survive cannot be imagined by those of us who have lived sheltered and comfortable lives. Let us take some knowledge for our benefit from the experience of others.
Great information from someone who has lived through a disaster. Thank you for posting and giving all of us a heads up and hopefully get most of us to prepare for a disaster.
Thanks for posting this; I had not seen it either. Very frightening, but it is good to know that some people do make it through such awful times! I had read a different survival story about Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre who went through the Argentinian economic collapse; that was very insightful as well, if you have not read it before. He had some electricity, and so had some different priorities because of that.
Ken, thank you for posting this. I too had never seen this. On the topic of gardens something else you can do inside even during the winter is leaf lettuce and radishes. They will grow in a window box. This winter my daughter did an experiment for 4H with a radish some leaf lettuce and a marigold. They took a pot and set it down in a wal-mart sack. filled the pot with dirt added seeds and water then tied up the bag and put it in a window. soon everything was growing. The bag helped to keep it warmer you just opened the bag every few days and watered it.
Ken,
You can never read something so relevant too many times! Thanks for providing this reminder, it should probably be up there annually. Pray to God that we never have to know what we’re all capable of when it really HTF.
You hit the nail on the head… “…to know what we’re capable of when it really HTF.”
The human being is the world’s most powerful predator, and our thin veneer of civilization will be stripped away right quickly when TSHTF.
I think this is excellent information and I am most grateful for you posting it. As this guy speaks of the horrors of civil war and the daily dangers of SHTF/WROL, I think of our own preparation efforts. Will our defenses hold out? How long will our food last? Do we have enough medical supplies? How quickly could we organize the neighborhood to form a united front against looting gangs? I read Selco frequently. Although he lived through this nightmare, these answers just don’t sound like him (to me). I am not referring to the content, but more so the grammar. Selco writes as he speaks, with a foreign accent/tone. Not that it makes any difference, whoever the interviewed survivor is. Again, thanks for relaying this vital information! I hope we all learn and apply these lifesaving lessons.
I, too, read Selco’s writings often. This actually does sound like him. This article has been translated twice, which might explain why it sounds a bit off.
I have read it before, several times (maybe not quite 48 times 😉 ). But I hope to read it a few more. It’s just as relevant on the 4th read as it was on the first. I think it’s an excellent reminder of just how rough things can get, and what to expect from our fellow humans.
thanks guys for all the useful information. always remember that Fortune Favors the Prepared Mind.
What is an “accumulator?”
Good question! I’m reading it to be buckets? I could be way off, but the translation is difficult… any other ideas out there what he may mean?
Car battery.
I vaguely recall reading this account some time ago, but it was thought provoking to read it again. My takeaway from the story? No man is an island.
This was a good read. Thanks for posting it. One may think that they are pretty prepared then read an article like this and realize that there is more work to do. My main takaway is similar to ozarked’s.
Accumulator: a rechargeable battery. Term use extensively across Eastern Europe, especially for car battery.
“Accumulator”. That makes sense now… yes, rechargeable batteries for barter/trade and usage for things like flashlights, radios, enabling communications, etc. All sorts of benefits, provided that one has the battery charger itself – (a solar battery charger is a good prep.)
I would be skeptical about spreading this mans word. I do believe his information to be good but I do believe i read elsewhere he was proved to be a fraud.
Regardless of the origin, I do believe that the message is useful in inspiring thought and discussion about the scenario, and one’s own preparations for such a scenario.
Great read. Thanks so much! Very thoughtful, makes you step back and think.
@Ken
I remember reading this article when you first posted it, and I just finished reading and enjoying it again.
I’m a little confused with the author. His big advice is to stock up on guns, ammo, and bic lighters. At the end of his story, after all he went through, he still lives in the city? Maybe before stocking up the guns, ammo, and bic lighters, maybe he should think – less city, more rural. Now I have nothing against guns and ammo of course, I just can’t see why he would want to live in a city (any city) after all he went through. His story only emphasizes that cities are huge kill boxes. Then again, maybe that’s the point? Rhetorical.
@Grits,
I found this is ‘section 4’,
“Today, I know everything can collapse really fast. I have a stockpile of food, hygiene items, batteries — enough to last me for six months.”
“I live in a very secure flat and own a home with a shelter in a village 5 kilometers away. Another six-month supply there, too. That’s a small village; most people there are well-prepared. The war had taught them.”
So, supposedly he lives in a ‘village’. Presumably that means small. However he says ‘5 kilometers away’. I presume that means from his original location in the city (not sure about that). I don’t know the geography where he lived (lives) so it’s difficult to understand his ‘choices’. That said, 5km is better than nothing, however certainly not far enough for me 😉
@Ken
I don’t know, to me it still sounds like his “flat” may be in the city, and his “home with a shelter” is in the village. It’s the sentence after that that gives it away, “Another six-month supply there, too.” So why not just live in the village? But like you said though, even that’s not far enough away. 🙂 Other than that though there is still lots of good stuff in his story.