Maybe I'm crazy

reply to post by Nohup


While I have seen many people that would have me want to agree with you
about 2 years ago we had a tornado hit and had no power for 8 days but do to the preparations we had made we were quite comfortable even had the neighbors over to eat with and so on also gave us the opportunity to keep track of and check on our elderly neighbors, not having to worry about food and water allowed me to get a group of neighbors together to clean the street off so that emergency help could get through in case it was needed and it was needed

You see we are not sitting around waiting for the world to end but sitting here prepared and secure that should some natural disaster or even some catastrophic doomsday event should happen we will be as comfortable as we can be and be able to help others..

you might think that you would go to the store and buy food but they were all closed for the first 3 days no power and no available back up generators
in case you think we live somewhere rural we don't right near St. Louis
it was kinda relaxing all in all and with no lights for miles I got out the telescope and did some star gazing

One last benefit is when you are hungry for something and you can't find the right thing I have many times found it on the food pantry shelf..


Respectfully
GEO

[edit on 2/6/2008 by geocom]

[edit on 2/6/2008 by geocom]

Not crazy at all. I recently began preparing for bug-out also. I ordered a 4-month supply of dehydrated food from EfoodsDirect.com. A 2 month supply each for myself and my girlfriend.

I have began stocking up on bottled water and I am contemplating buying 2 food grade 55-gal barrels to make large quantity storage easier. I have also began getting necessary survival supplies to make things a bit easier. Magnesium fire starting blocks, hatchet and a camp saw with extra blades and such. I am contemplating a chainsaw purchase to make permanent shelter building a bit easier. For the long run, when the gas for the chainsaws runs out, you can buy hand-powered chainsaws. It is nothing more than a chainsaw chain with handles on either end. Simple and VERY effective.

There are quite a few of us preparing for the worst, so, I THINK building a permanent structure will be reasonably easy. No job or school to get in the way after all.

I recently talked to the g/f about all this and she was surprisingly open to the possibility of the scenario coming to pass and was extremely interested in preparing with things such as food.

Something else those just starting might need to be reminded of, there are not an refrigerators in the wild. Food storage beyond the winter is a must. You must be able to store food during the summer. I have recently began reading up on salting and brining meats for long-term storage. A quick google will unveil many how-to guides. While modern guides specify to use "curing" salts, salt with potassium nitrate and nitrite added, from what i have found it does not HAVE to be. the temperatures simply have to be keft low and regular salt will work fine. I have began buying 50 lb. bags of salt from a local feed store. It is surprisingly inexpensive at about 5 dollars for a 50 lb bag. The salt preservation MUST be done in cold weather, so the idea is to preserve over the winter for eating over the summer.

Talking to the guy at the feed store he opened up another possibility. He mentioned that the did the salting in the old days in underground cellars since the temperature is a steady 64 degrees(depending on location).

One final thought, talk to a local professor or other environmental scientist and figure out the growing seasons for your bugout locale. Don't forget to buy seeds for growing fresh veggies.

Best of luck to all you who are thinking ahead. Being prepared is what decides if you live or die in a catastrophic emergency. I prefer to live. If people roll their eyes or call me crazy I simply tell them to not come running for help when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan, that is unless of course they bring food or guns...

Prepare for the worst, Hope for the best.

The Captain

[edit on 6-2-2008 by CaptInsanoX]

Thank you for your responses and good advice.

But you know what the sad thing is, if i saw the guy that called me crazy starving on the side of the road i would toss him a can of beans or survival bar or mre or something.

On my way out of town.

Forgot to add that to the last sentence, sorry.

Not sad. It shows you are human. I commend that and I would probably do the same, offering him/her a ride out of town if they are willing to fight along side me. The bigger the group, the bigger the possibility of surviving, If anything, you can always eat the stragglers.

The Captain

Kind of a everythings better with hot sauce?

reply to post by Noah-What


haha. Speaking of which, I wonder what the shelf life of tabasco is... 3-5 years. Awesome, buying some tomorrow. Good catch on the much needed supplies.

It's admirable that people plan ahead for their own and loved-ones' welfare.

It wouldn't be an inexpensive undertaking and would certainly consume much time, thought and sacrifice.

But how would survival groups (especially small family or couples) protect themselves against starving, ruthless mobs ?

reply to post by Dock6


Guns and explosives !


Really though like steve martin said make yourself small do what you can indoors and when you have to go out try to make it at night and without light
if at all possible.. besides people nowadays will be where ever the government tells them they will be handing out food for them so I wouldn't worry to much but I would stay alert if a SHTF scenario happens (improbable but not impossible)


Respectfully
GEO

reply to post by Dock6


I subscribe to the "avoid the shock" theory. Go camping for the weekend at the first sign of catastrophe(9/11 II, nukes in America, Gun-removal, etc.) and be prepared to stay for the long run. The key is to not be around when the mobs begin to starve. If people are starving in a SHTF scenario, and you are still among them, you waited to long. Avoid the shock, do what you can later. Avoid being put into a position of shooting someone simply because they are desperate and starving.

As for a situation X where you do not have warning enough to leave, or it is a temporary localized disaster unlikely to affect the entire long-term continuity of government, board up windows and play fort. Pray the starving don't give you a reason to shoot them. Don't be a starving person being shot.

I will help those I can, but I will not sacrifice myself for another unless they have shown me they are willing to use that extra bit I gained for them to help fix the problem. Those blindly attempting to rob and endanger those you love must be treated just as though the society was still intact.

It's scary to think about, depressing even, but it a realization we must all confront sooner or later.

The Captain

Look at it like this, I am currently thinking about buying some body armour. If situation X kicks off it would be nice to have the extra protection and if not I can use it for paintballing/airsofting. In much the same way if you try and make your preperations so that if a situation x does not occur they can still be usefull then you are justifiably not crazy.

If you're crazy, then you're in good company. Most of us here are right there with you. That's ok though. We're the ones most likely to survive to rebuild. It will be a world run by crazy people. Not like the one we live in where everyone is so sane. I think that the really crazy are those who believe that somehow this lousy setup of corporate and political leadership will somehow transform into something that works for all of us. Albert Einstein once defined insanity as repeating the same action and expecting different results. I agree.

Thank you,

This is a great forum filled good people.
I'm glad I joined.

May God bless you all