:reddit-logo: is half-assedly trying to train a militia by letting feds post wikihow guides for becoming an insurrectionist, so we might as well sort through the slop.

Most of this is going to be LARP :reddit-logo: shit, but whatever. Useful stuff to look out for is “boring” suggestions around logistics, operations, and quality of life.

You are not going to learn how to shoot by reading tips on the internet. If you want to learn that, checkout !guns@hexbear.net and then join an SRA chapter.

Posted unedited below and am now slowly editing it.

PREAMBLE:

This happens to be a rare time that I think I can helpfully contribute. I have been working for Doctors Without Borders for almost 10 year ( Note that these are my views and not that of my employer) , I also run an non-profit that specifically trains humanitarians to work in conflict / post disaster zones, on the weekends I teach survival skills, guide back-country trips and teach basic firearms courses ( Very basic weapons familiarization and manipulation, I am no Rambo ).

I have worked overseas, been through road blocks, shot at, dealt with gunshots. I have had to try to save staff and have lost staff in gunfire. I am not the most experienced for sure, I am not a soldier, but I have firearms training and have been a first responder for years. I am certain there are people with more talent than me but after seeing how about 90% of the people raising their hands here have 0 experience, here is a copy paste of replies I have posted on Reddit. Hoping it can help. If you have more experience you are very likely not reading this anyways.

Dicslaimer: Since I am not there right now some information is from experience not from there.

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QUESTION YOURSELF:

So to all the: no money… no experience… no research… no passport… But PUT ME IN COACH.

You are likely more of a liability than anything and would be draining resources. If you haven’t lived or survived a conflict / post disaster zone then you are a liability. Do you have your shots? What happens when you step on a rusty nail, get lock jaw? What about when you get Cholera which is one of the first things to propogate when masses of people are on the move without proper water and sanitation? What about measles, do you have your shots for that? What about the fact that Ukraine is dealing with MDRTB and XMDRTB and that during times of conflict that shit just thrives! Especially since TB is massively prominent in the areas where Russia had control.

So yes our brothers need help right now. But trust me you don’t want to be a liability. Fucking protest in your home town. Was protesting in a blizzard at -15 today. It does make a difference. Send money or join anonymous or protest or reach out to your MPs ( Gov officials).

How will you feed yourself, take care of yourself and bandage yourself? How do you expect to navigate or even prove who you are without a passport?

Research the legalities of your travel, contribution in war and return within this conflict. Can you actually legally join a foreign military force? Are you allowed to travel to said country per your countries regulations?

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LIST OF TIPS:

But if you still are revved up please take a second to see this very not exhaustive list of tips. Note that this isn’t a packing list. Don’t take the word of one person as gospel. These are Tips from my experience. If you need a packing list of what to bring to a conflict / post disaster zone and have 0 idea it might be a good time for self reflection.

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• Get a passport.
• They likely won’t have amour for you, so would need to source your own plates and carrier and helmet.
  • Research your own travel paths and legalities on this.
  • Also know that if you get steel plates, which cost less, bullets tend to fragment so you will likely take it to the face. Do your research and decide is ceramic is the way to go for you or not.
• Find hearing protection.
• Eyepro
• THIS IS NOT A PACKING LIST - so research what you need in way of kit.
• I would also go with at bear minimum a wilderness first aid. Best would be to take a combat medicine course.
• Learn how, when, when not to and what to do after using a tourniquet.
• I would make sure to have my own IFAK.
• Get extra prescriptions for your meds.
• Know your blood type and allergies
• Extra glasses if you need them.
• Get in shape. Work on cardio.
• Write a will.
• Decided proof of life with your next of kin.
  • A sentence, questions or series of sentences that prove you are you.
• Take recent head shot of yourself and give to next of kin
• Take photos of all documents and email to self.
• Source insurance.
• Research phone carrier / sim card.
• Wipe phone or have a burner phone.
• Research the weather, find appropriate clothing.
• Source sleeping bag and mat.
• Go to dentist.
• Earplugs and sleeping aids
• Travel clinics can do shots. I bet they aren’t busy given no one is travelling. But some staff may have been diverted to work covid.
• Buy tons of socks.
  • I would suggest wool, lightweight and medium weight, I would wear 2 pair at all time.
• Bring foot powder and nail clippers
• Spend all your disposable income on good footwear.
  • A friend of mine was kidnapped and force marched for days. Good footwear is key.
• Buy multiple pairs of leather gloves.
  • There will be glass everywhere.
• Learn to shoot and or be around firearms.
  • In Canada the Type 81 is similar to an AK. There are videos on youtube of the CF training procedures for Ukrainian firearms.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkW38NCTKmQ
• Water born diseases will fuck you up too, so getting your water system up is key.
  • You can go 6 weeks without food technically. Water infrastructure might not be trust worthy, likely one of the first things to go. Sewyer Squeeze is ideal, if the weather is not going to freeze. If not get shit ton aquatabs.
• Bring gatorade or hydration tablets
• Bring laxative powerder and mix with gatorade
• Bring calcium tablets for stomach problems.
  • Note that your body having the runs is a sign that it’s trying to get rid of something but sometimes it’s just better to deal with that problem tomorrow.
• Bring wetwipes.
• Load up on cypro “Cipro”, as in Ciprofloxacin
  • Pretty much everything wants to kill you. A general broad spectrum antibiotic is key. And also your gut will want you dead so cypro Cipro for the win.
• Allergy meds
• Learn to camp.
• Have trustworthy local contacts
• Learn to pack you bag for inclimate weather.
• Take out some get out of jail money in local currency
• Language course to at least get you in the right direction.
• Buy lots of smokes ( preferably good quality locally liked )
  • I have gotten out of a lot of binds by just offering someone a smoke. Especially at roadblocks. Have them very handy.
• Buy lots of chocolate
  • Moral for you, for troops, civilian populations and to barter.
• Stop drinking Alcohol now.
  • Most people don’t know how much they actually drink. You don’t want to detox in a fucking warzone. You will likely be drinking there to numb trauma. Better have yourself in control before that. Also note you are very likely to have a drinking problem when you get back.
• Buy lots of instant coffee or tea
  • Again for barter, moral and most people are addicted. Caffeine with drawl can be fucking intense for some people. My first week sans coffee and I was a wreck.
• Buy small flasks of liquor ( I don’t suggest drinking, I have been drunk once during a compound attack. Never again. This among with the luxury goods above is to barter. Bring vodka. ( Multi usages )
• Plan for bordom… I know this may sound insensitive… but in my experience there is a whole lot of hurry up and wait.
• Kiss your cat goodbye and find someone to feed him because he’s an awesome dude who has been there for you during rough times.
• For the love of god wear your seatbelt and don’t ride in the back of pickups.
  • If you have any career in humanitarian aid it’s almost statistically impossible that you won’t be in a motor vehicle accident. I have been in 3.
• Plan for your return: What’s the point of surviving to die when you get home from suicide.
  • When I came back from a mission I once froze in my building stairwell and blanked out. No idea how long I was standing there. When I found myself crying in a closet I knew I hadn’t actually come home yet. Find a psy and get your network ready for your return. 100% of the time my returns have been harder than anything I have dealt with aborad. In the field you have purpose and your brain kinda numbs itself to what you are seeing ( well it does for me ) coming home I thought everything and everyone was a threat, couldn’t take public transpo.

All of this doesn’t scratch the surface of prep I would do.

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OTHER WAYS TO HELP:

When you wind up fighting alongside people wearing black suns, do the most American thing you can: frag yourself and everyone around you.

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Source (CW: chauvinism, fash, imperialism) https://www.reddit.com/r/volunteersForUkraine/comments/t1pbnh/tips_for_the_reality_of_going_into_a_conflict_zone

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