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Borrego
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 06:26pm
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Haven't seen this really discussed here and my search didn't come up with anything other than a mention here and there. I don't like the word 'Prepper' and "Survivalist' sounds a little melodramatic too, but a better word escapes me...I thought it would be helpful to compare notes with my fellow cabin folks, whom I'm guessing are pretty prepared if only due to common sense  . I was recently spurred into more thought about the probability of this by seeing Ted Koppel on TV with his new non-fiction book on what he thinks might happen. I am hearing and seeing too much of what I consider to be warning signs to not pay attention. That's my opinion anyhow.
I've been getting prepared in one way or another for about 10 years now and although I am a long way from being able to make it much longer than a week, I am light years ahead of most anyone I know and the average person in the streets. We have water, canned food, freeze dried food, gasoline, propane, precious metals, a generator, and yes, guns and ammo enough to protect it all......for a while at least.......
Our cabin is about 2 hours away from our 'regular house' although the regular house is in the country and somewhat remote and would serve for a while.
Here's what I need more of: water, food , ammo, gas, and a better plan as to what to do when.
So how about you all?
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darz5150
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 07:02pm
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I have been through multiple hurricanes when living on the gulf of Mexico. So I have seen and survived when there was nothing left on ANY store shelf. And I mean NOTHING!! I learned my lesson the hard way, surviving the first one.
Remember...Noah didn't wait for the rain to hit his head before he built the Ark. Just saying.
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rockies
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 07:14pm - Edited by: rockies
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I've posted several threads on survival in the useful links area. Where to find gear, food supplies, storing and keeping food, etc. It doesn't seem to be much of a topic of much interest here.
I think most people use their cabins as pleasant weekend retreats or maybe mini-homes just like they would have it in the city. They think that preparing for a future disaster is kind of "crazy sounding" and it will be too much work.
I did find a good article on prepping for an entire year on $5 a week (just ignore the "tyranny of the govt comments). This is just food, though, you'll still need a cookstove and storage space.
http://theprepperproject.com/5-week-can-feed-year/
Here's an article that includes other options like medical supplies, etc.
http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.ca/p/12-monthly-food-storage-lists.html
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Borrego
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 07:45pm
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Thanks Rockies! I will check out your previous posts. I've kinda felt the lack of interest towards 'prepping', but I figured this is a perfect site for at least a thread about it, I'm sure lots of us have tons of knowledge that could be helpful. I think a lot of people get turned off due to the conspiracy theory type of mentality that accompanies much of the prepping forums, I just take in what seems useful and move on. Lots of good sites out there with mucho info. I've noticed the one area where they all fall short is where we all are strong and that's the whole off-grid cabin thing. Hmmm, Funny.
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littlehouseontheprarie
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:33pm
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I am a proud prepper.
Prepping is common sense. If I was to lose my job or was
unable to work for an extended period of time.I know I could take care of my family without the assistance of the federal government.
I know that I have enough shelf stable items.Chickens,rabbits and an aquaponics system that I could feed my family and a few others for easily over a year.
I might be classified by some as a nut case.But I just like to know that I can take care of my own.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:40pm
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I personally think a lot of people here are more prepared than a lot of so called "preppers" actually are. You are correct that many people think the term prepper = wacko. I would consider many people on this forum to be more "self reliant". That sounds a lot less wacko doesn't it.
Anyone who has a garden, does home canning, knows how to hunt or fish, can clean a gun, fix a squeeky door or a leaky faucet,sharpen an ax or chainsaw, or doesn't wait til they've tossed the last log on the fire before they cut down a tree...etc.etc.etc.are more self reliant than most.
What I like about this site is that the helpful hints and info offered here, comes from people who actually live that sort of life... Not just post the blogs so to speak!
So you may not be a " prepper", but you must admit that you are prepared.
( self reliant). To me, that's not a bad thing.
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OutdoorFanatic
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 09:19pm - Edited by: OutdoorFanatic
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I had a years worth of food put away but it all expired a couple of years ago. Really hurt to through a five gallon pail of powdered milk away,
along with pounds and pounds of beans and rice and everything else.
I'm old enough and experienced enough to know that anything can and will change in the blink of an eye and most likely when you least expect it.
So! I always consider some preps. At least enough to get me through to where my head clears. And I pay close attention to my surroundings and what they have to offer.
Like the little pond out in the woods by the cabin thats loaded with shiners.
Now I guarantee shiners taste like shit. But I'll eat them if I need too.
Three shiners and a chipmunk stuffed with pine nuts might just get me enough energy to catch one of the neighbors cats.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 09:36pm
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I'd like to live in a self sufficient manner to the extent I can.
What they say that global warming will do is cause weather to become far more erratic, disrupting the international food supply chain. The end result of that will be higher prices in the grocery store. The more food you can grow yourself the better.
Modern agriculture depends on oil and natural gas for fuel to run tractors, insecticides and fertilizers. There is a growing movement of "perennial farmers", or just orchardists if you like, who grow perennial plants that don't need the soil plowed, cultivated, fertilized and pestified with synthetic materials all year long.
That's what I plan for retirement, on a fixed income.
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hattie
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 09:39pm
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I think if you're going to store away food, it should be food you normally eat. The key is to rotate it. It is also important to realize food actually lasts longer then the expiry date. Just check it for infestations or, if it is canned, check for bulging cans. As long as it looks okay it probably is.
I hate to throw out food. I would never throw out powdered milk, beans and rice. As long as nothing was crawling in it and it had been sealed up, I would consider it good enough to eat.
One time I served Bob and I some canned soup that had expired 3 years previous. The cans weren't bulged and looked fine. After we ate lunch I asked how the soup was. Bob said it was good. I told him it had expired years before and he agreed it tasted just the same as if it hadn't expired. Now I am more careful with my rotation so this doesn't happen again, but I am glad I hadn't thrown it out.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 10:13pm
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Quoting: hattie I hate to throw out food
I agree. If it isn't buldgy, leaky, or stinky, its probably still good. We recently opened a can of brown gravy that " expired" a couple years ago, and boy was it good on my hamburger steak and French fries!!!!
We also can jars of meat. Stew meat, chicken, hamburger and also bacon.
We are still eating bacon from 2012 and its fine. We often use the chicken to make homemade chicken noodle soup. Just cook up some noodles with some veggies, open up the jar-o-chicken/broth and in no time at all we have homemade soup!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 10:14pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I am a prepper to the medium degree. Lots of dried food, and adding. Plenty of firearms and ammo, this area is well covered. I have water, generator, spare fuel, ham radio gear, bug out set up. My truck can tow my fully enclosed loaded trailer non stop (35 gallon of diesel fuel) to my cabin non stop, but will the roads be open, plugged/congested?.
I have legacy/heirloom seeds for growing food and 40 acres to grow it on, will deer eat it all?. If you buy seeds from Fred Meyer, those seed will not produce more seeds. Get the good seeds.
I have 40 acres of timberland, plenty of room to grow food, livestock, firewood. I have a solar well there. Plenty of ammo to protect it, lots of edible wildlife too.
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littlehouseontheprarie
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 10:31pm
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Hattie you are so correct.If you are not used to eating it you probably will not eat it when the time comes.
My kids are very picky eaters so we have made a lot of changes to our preps.Rotation is the key.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:03pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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http://www.stilltasty.com/
Great web site for anyone that keeps a well stocked pantry.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:28pm
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We, as a nation, are incredibly amazing.
It has taken many generations, many thinking minds, many hard working people, to get us to this place.
This place of....well....complacency.
Look at us.
Wy, we can't even muster the energy to git off our butts to vote, let alone get involved in the local issues.
Why, how did this happen?
Was it TV?
Was it too much of everything?
Is making a choice of which coffee is better our big decision of the week?
Is it now too much information at our very fingertips??
Got me.
Most of us don't even know our neighbors, a true source of food supply and sustaining materials, combining our resources.
But
We sure know guns.
Prepping is now an industry.
Here's what I know in regard to what can happen...and very quickly;
1972
Forty three years ago.
Remember?
A gas 'shortage'.
Fueled by us, scurrying to the gas stations in hoards.
Folks threatening each other, pulling guns, demanding their vehicles get filled....now.
Creating a much more potent false shortage.
Woe unto the poor station attendant, trying to explain to the guy waiting in line for hours that the pumps were now dry.
Wonder what self-serve would be like now?
Grocery, hardware, and sporting goods stores were quickly emptied.
I rode my ten speed to work.
It was amazing, peddling by all those cars lined up.
The government stepped in.
It was suggested that we all stay home on Sundays.
Dad had a 'connection', so he never ran low on gas.
One Sunday, we even pilled in his Buick and drove the 40 miles to Gramma's house.
The freeway was empty.
We could literally swerve from one side of the rode to the other, and take up all four lanes.
Kinda eerie.
Not the most secure feeling having stuff when others don't.
Yeah, it's a concern.
Not sure of any answers in regard to long term sustenance, but this made me laugh, hard;
Quoting: OutdoorFanatic Three shiners and a chipmunk stuffed with pine nuts might just get me enough energy to catch one of the neighbors cats.
Then I had a few sobering thoughts.
I better make sure the hand pump for the well I replaced with the electric one last spring is still in good working order.
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 12:46am
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The prepper fad and wannabee survivalists have their place, where the heck else am I gonna get powdered milk and ammo if things get ugly. But seriously, they have imported some really nice stuff into rural areas that may one day need it, even if it doesn't need them.
My shoulders are broad but if the fan hits the poop heaven help us keep the deadbeat relatives out.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 05:36am
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Prepping to a point is fun and gives you a better sense of security. The question is, what is going to happen, when, and to what scale?
http://shtfdad.com/5-shtf-prepping-levels-competency-emergency-preparedness/
The link above provides some good definitions of what might happen and some recommendations of preparatory measures to think about.
I cannot meet each of those levels and measures exactly. Some of them I can live without. I would pick out of levels 2,3,4 as a tailored plan that fits my needs, skills, and capabilities. All I have is woods, no plow, no horse, and the deer would eat everything I could grow.
Another fun thing to do might be to copy all those levels and measures to a spreadsheet and then decide which ones you need and for those you cannot meet, write down several alternatives. Then print it out and keep it where you need it.
Hierarchy of needs.
Water, Food & Cooking, Clothing, Shelter, Heat, Meds, Vitamins.
Saw, Axe, Arms & Ammo, Knife, hand tools, first aid kit.
After basic life support, then nice to haves.
Books, Self Charging Radio, Solar Power, Coffee, Vodka, candles, candy, Physical Security, building supplies, etc.
What does your hierarchy of needs look like? No reply needed, just stuff to think about. When I rush out the door, I always forget stuff.
So its helpful to create a plan, use and test the plan, then update the plan. For certain emergencies, it may be better to shelter in place for a couple of days so you don't get caught in the middle of panicked crowds running around in circles.
I have a scaled plan.
My property has two springs coming from the mountain. So I can get water with no electricity.
Stock of 25 year freeze-dried food. Supplemented by a timed increase stock of other dried and canned food as global indicators dictate.
I have books like Readers Digest Back to Basics, Furniture making, cook books, etc.
To Do List.
I need to find books on medicinal plants. I heard some mushrooms have antibiotic properties.
I need to buy a bow saw as a backup to the chain saw.
In conclusion, writing up a reasonable plan will help create a good level of comfort and security.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 10:01am
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Quoting: DaveBell Prepping to a point is fun
Scattered thoughts of an early morn;
I imagine, like most things we focus on, prepping can be a bit of a romp, then proceed to some sorta OCD thing..
I'm bent that way.
Like say, firewood.
Can't seem to pile enough up.
For me there may never be 'enough'.
And, cabi can attest, I never seem to have the stove stoked enough, so it all feeds on itself.
It'd be the same for those dried packets of 'food' that lasts 25 years, but for the one reason...taste.
I think they would last much longer than 25 years with me.
Cabi stocks flour, rice, oil, beans, sugar....and maplene.
Of those six things, four of them will yield pancakes.
A guy can go a long way of a day on pancakes.
Thing is, living off grid, a ways out, one becomes a prepper of sorts in just maintaining day to day stuff.
Goin' to town is a 100 mile round trip you really don't want to take unless there's eight or twelve needful things, so we natcherly stock up.
And meat? Of course there's deer.
And dog.
Had dog in China.
Didn't know it.
Best chow mein.....ever.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 10:13am
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One of my serious concerns is having beer if there is ever a shutdown.....I just can't seem to keep it in stock. No matter how much I buy.....
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 10:21am
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So what is the biggest concern in your particular area, I mean what could be the event that causes a SHTF situation? Out here in SoCal of course it is earthquakes, a recent article/study by JPL says there's a 90% chance of a major quake in the next couple years!
And then there's the ominous things we hear about like an EMP attack, or an attack on the undersea cable network..those could be devastating....nothing would work, no food in a matter of days etc...
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Malamute
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 10:38am
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Quoting: Gary O Most of us don't even know our neighbors, a true source of food supply
:D
Struck me as funny.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 07:11pm
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Quoting: Gary O It'd be the same for those dried packets of 'food' that lasts 25 years, but for the one reason...taste. I think they would last much longer than 25 years with me.
You should check out Emergency Essentials. They have very good tasting food and you can buy small cans pretty cheap. Try the freeze dried sweet corn. You can eat it rite out of the can. Also Mt.House has great tasting stuff.
You can get a small order sent for only $6 shipping.
We eat many different items all the time. Its so much easier to use smaller portions for 2 or three people. Just take out exactly how much you want, add water, and that's it. It keeps us from wasting food. Its just my wife and me most of the time and we can't always eat a whole can of veggies by ourselves.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 07:13pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Quoting: Gary O Goin' to town is a 100 mile round trip you really don't want to take unless there's eight or twelve needful things, so we natcherly stock up.
I'm with G on this one. My cabin will be 50 miles and 1.5 hours drive to and from town to grab a 1/2 gallon of ice cream. I told the wife we will have a big varmint proof pantry and a large deep chest freezer. We will make a run once a month to fetch supplies. Will need the truck as it will be full from stem to stern with supplies.
She has already done a lot of that extreme couponing and we have lots of supplies now.
I will stock up the shop with misc fittings and hardware over time. If I go in for some plumbing, grab some extra fittings, this is for copper, PVC, CPVC, PEX or whatever I have around the ranch. Same for electrical, all the small stuff on hand. Loads of fasteners, ie nuts and bolts. Not a lot of extra, just a little extra with each trip and watch inventory and replace whats running low
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2015 08:47pm
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Quoting: Malamute Quoting: Gary OMost of us don't even know our neighbors, a true source of food supply :D Struck me as funny.
Wondered how that'd be taken....
There's at least three ways;
Pooling/sharing
Taking what they have
Won't mention the third (shudder)
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hueyjazz
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2015 12:13pm
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By my very nature I'm a bit of a survivalist but I don't really try. The cabin is always stocked with many weeks worth food.
Mostly in case I get snowed in. A dream of mine.
I keep a large and small caliber rifles there with a large stockpile of ammo. I'm educated as to what plants grow there that I could eat. There's abundant wildlife that would provide protein. One of my ponds has a good supply of bass.
Cabin is an hour South in a pretty remote area. If I had to I could get the family there on mountain bikes. There's an old rail line that was converted to trails that come fairly close to my city house and then fairly close to the cabin property.
I have a stock pile of hand tools there so whatever I need I could build.
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shall
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2015 01:16pm
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Quoting: Borrego So what is the biggest concern in your particular area, I mean what could be the event that causes a SHTF situation? Out here in SoCal of course it is earthquakes, a recent article/study by JPL says there's a 90% chance of a major quake in the next couple years! And then there's the ominous things we hear about like an EMP attack, or an attack on the undersea cable network..those could be devastating....nothing would work, no food in a matter of days etc...
I believe that the most probable is a supply chain disruption brought on by a freezing up of credit markets, like what was narrowly avoided in 2008.
I am in the freight business and I primarily move food product. Our average move is probably around 1800 miles. I can tell you that the supply chain is a shockingly delicate thing and without credit, everything comes to a sudden and absolute stand still.
Everything runs on credit. The diesel in the trucks, the drivers' pay, the transactions between grocery chains and their suppliers, and the list goes on.
As it's often been said, the typical American city is 9 meals away from anarchy
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2015 08:30pm
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Quoting: shall As it's often been said, the typical American city is 9 meals away from anarchy
Good quote, and after anarchy and hungry people, they get mean and nasty. It will be chaos. What do you do, shoot someone who is hungry, no, but you cant feed them all either and you run out sooner. And there will be plenty who will not deserve help from others, we all know those types. Those are the ones who will threaten bodily harm to those with food. Then that is when the other prepper item comes into play, the firearm.
I have always figured a major disruption to the food supply would do it, be it from a quake, as you stated, credit or maybe an internet blackout where credit info is transferred.
You just need to have at minimum, enough supplies to carry you through one of these crisis. You do not want to be part of the panic rushing into the stores grabbing the last of the food, fighting with traffic, people, congestion, dwindling fuel supply etc.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2015 10:27pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech You just need to have at minimum, enough supplies to carry you through one of these crisis. You do not want to be part of the panic rushing into the stores grabbing the last of the food, fighting with traffic, people, congestion, dwindling fuel supply etc.
Yes. This is what I am striving for....not to last out several months/years like 'The Walking Dead' or such, but just to make it through a medium sized 'event'. And I'd like to do it with some amount of dignity and enough beer.....
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2015 11:16pm - Edited by: Don_P
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Quoting: Borrego And I'd like to do it with some amount of dignity
Memo to stock up on TP.
In a survival situation porters and stouts should be favored. We've been stuck in for a month before and walk up often in the winter, I don't care how lite it is, it isn't worth it.
A month or few probably isn't a problem, but our supplies really just reflect the seasonality of harvest and always a coming winter.
Edit... for storage though, those hophead IPA's, didn't they find one in Tut's tomb?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 01:18am
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Borrego,
Have you thought about planting Date Palms at your place, burying weep hose around them fed by your gray water? You could get shade, a tiki bar, and fruit in a few years.
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beachman
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 05:58am
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How many have copied this forum and other details to a hard drive? When SHTF there will be no access as all communications will be lost.
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