Continued Operation

Continued Operation is an idea prevalent among successful survivors and military organizations. The basis of this philosophy might most simply be stated as "anything worth doing can be done one thousand times." The focus is placed on objects and activities that do not require consumable resources. The philosophy, like bushcraft, can be described as low tech, high skill. this is an excellent candidate for continued operation warfare. it is light, tough, very useful, and deadly.Added by TomaslutherIn civil unrest, this principle should be applied as much as is practical. The question is not "Will this base hold out until morning?", it is "Will this base hold out for one thousand years?".

An application that is slightly less rhetorical is weapons. There are obvious advantages to something that kills one thousand times rather than one hundred or twenty. A gun may be a necessity, but never forget that it will eventually stop working, either from lack of ammunition, technical failure, lack of maintenance, temperature extremes, overheating or just abuse. You need a gun, but you also need a way to kill that requires no consumable resources.

When the Russians designed their military equipment, they considered continued operation in the manufacture of their firearms. They loosened parameters and simplified and strengthened until they had firearms that are indeed very difficulty to break, and very easy to repair. This focus on continued operation came at the expense of things such as accuracy and nice features, but there is not much dispute that the Mosin-Nagant and AKM are almost certainly the most reliable firearms available.

The Americans considered continued operation in their military issue firearm, the M16. The M16 was designed around the high velocity, small footprint round .223. One of the driving factors was that a soldier could carry dozens more rounds of .223 than .308 or 30-06. In supplying more rounds of ammunition to soldiers, they made it possible to extend the operational life of a soldier's firearm and killing capability.

Transportation also should be considered in terms of continued operation. In terms of motion, there are two thing to consider: lifespan and mileage. A car has more total range than, say, a bike or a horse, but it is harder to maintain and find fuel. Those factors could shorten the working lifespan of your vehicle. Transportation is an interesting question, requiring innovation and revision, but try to maintain your options. A bike will fit in the back of a minivan, and provide an new option at the end of your van's life.