Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today - an On going Thread #2]

May 05th,2008

[nw_arizona_granny]

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood

[DelaWhere]

I was surprised, too, not to see toilet paper

Well, ever wonder why we shake hands with the Right Hand?

The Left Hand was referred to as the 'unclean hand'.

Sorry to gross everyone out this morning - but just had to add that historical fact.

[TnGOP]

OH! I got my cantaloupe soakin’ under some sugar now.

I made some great cantaloupe wine a few years back. I just looked at a few recipes, and came up with my own. After it was done, it was so good that I wished I had written the recipe down. I also have made muscadine, blackberry, elderberry, and pear wine, with varying results from excellent to pour it down the drain. I rarely drink the stuff, other than to taste it. People still ask me years after getting a bottle if I have any more, so that might be a good bargaining item if TSHTF.

My wife also makes jelly and pear honey when she has the time. Between the wine and jelly, we've made a few new friends, and gotten access to fishing holes and free wood with gifts of both.

[DelaWhere]

It kept Merlin very busy keeping them all levitated.

Actually, having resized ammo many years ago for my 7 mm mauser, I made a homemade resizing tool and die. By heating a piece of pvc sch 40 pipe and then forming it using my resizer, which I inserted into a $15 auction bought drill press. I had a flange on top and an insert section that would accept the unsized pipe. I had a hard time finding heavy duty pvc 12” nursery pots, but did finally find them, drilled a large hole in the bottom and then solvent welded the flange to the pot.

I had contacted several plastic nursery pot manufacturers and the very best price was $10,000 to make their injection mold and had to guarantee them a run of 50,000. Not an option! So, I improvised. Problem becomes water distribution. I played with that quite a bit before going on to another project.

[azishot]

I had a flat electric stove for years and I used cast iron on it without a problem. We had both the quartz burner and the standard burner. It was black but I was obsessive about the top for scratches etc. and had no problems. You could use the cast iron on low heat if you wanted to see what happens.

***Several FReepers have said the same thing! Amazing how opinions differ...when I search online, the answer is “No” but “real” people say “Yes.” Will give it a try.***

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Great resource, bump!

[ExSoldier]

There is an awesome list of supplies permanently listed at the start page of the THREAT MATRIX threads, courtesy of freeper appalachian_dweller. It should also be made a standing and permanent part of this thread. Has anybody heard from AD by the way? If you do, please ask him to telephone me, okay? I sent him a snail mail letter back in OCT, 2008 since it seemed he was going offline but I never heard back. I hope he's okay. Love that boy & his pup, we do.

[MHGinTN]

I’ll bet this one gets to 10,000 also, if the Internet lasts that long at this point.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Isn’t DelaWhere great? she found the best stuff!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

LOL I never paid any attention to that. Thanks!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Yes, let me get my laptop out and find the post for the earth boxes that is in the old thread. I’ll post it shortly.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

There is a link in post 3721 and 1838 of the old thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=3721#3721

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=1838#1838

Also a whole bunch of links for container gardening here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=2501#2501

On the last one Granny advised you pack a lunch first, there are so many links. LOL.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Red Devil posted some good information about breadmaking that might be of interest to you. Post 423.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

If everyone were like you we would NOT be in this mess because not one of us would have dreamed up the deadly CRA that the media refuses to talk about. What a nightmare!

[Wneighbor]

I made some great cantaloupe wine a few years back. I just looked at a few recipes, and came up with my own.

That's what I've done with the cantaloupe preserves I've got going right now. I'm fixin' to put it in the jars and bath 'em in about 15 minutes. The drippin's from the spoon is MMmm good .. and jelled good.

I'm like you, don't do much but taste the wine. The man-o-the-house likes wine so he's been after me to make it. Since I have only watched my daughter and her friend make it in the past I am going to go strictly by their instructions for this first try. And if it turns to vinegar the way my daughter's first batch did I'm going to stick some good herbs in it, call it herbed wine vinegar and do that gift thing with it. Funny how folks get impressed with little things like that. Like your wife, I do enjoy doing jelly makin' and the like. And I hardly ever eat jelly myself.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I wish California would stop sending you snow, too... we will need the water next summer! I am really worried about the farmers here in the Central Valley. The enviro-whackos made sure they lost 1/3 of the water supply to feed the farms, all the while the aquaduct flows 24/7 sending water to the liberals in Los Angeles. Westlake Farms is letting a third of their land go fallow this year. Grrrrrrrr....

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Check here for information about solar ovens etc.:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=959#959

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=1836#1836

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=2245#2245

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=7522#7522

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=8031#8031

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=8686#8686

You might search for “haybox cooker” too.

I will be posting the YouSendIt link this Friday to download the old thread in two parts. Everyone let me know if you want the links. There may be a limited number of downloads, if so, I will post it again. My upload speed at home is SLOOOOOOOW. I will zip the files to take less upload and download bandwidth.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Great post, plus the fact that beer is taxed to a ridiculous extent. Beer drinkers pay for a lot of stuff they shouldn’t have to. And beer could be a great barter item. Ask Granny about her homemade wine story.

My husband had Dr. Pepper the other day in a mason jar and held it up to me. “It’s been a long time since I drank a Dr. Pepper.”

“I’d rather you drank a beer,” I said. (I’m a health nut and pop is pure poison in my eyes.

“Glad you said that,” he answered and threw out what pop was left. Next time I saw him he had a pretty glass with beer in it.

[DelaWhere]

Hmmmmm,

I guess I really should think of changing that handle... But after 8 years of using it here it kind of feels comfortable.

Hey, Y’all, Name’s not Dela - this ‘she’ is a grizzled (well not really) Old geezer 6’3” 250# Retired Great GrandPA.

‘Jack of all trades and Master of NONE’.

Since I love to eat good food, I figured the best way to be assured of it was to raise it, store it and cook it myself. My BOY Scout cooking Merit Badge final test involved Scratch Spaghetti Sauce (from ingredients I had dried) noodles I had made and brought with me, and french bread that I made from the wheat grain (ground with rocks.)

Glad you liked my posts. Thanks.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Some days I wish I wasn’t on an organic diet! LOL

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Check here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=1753#1753

The old potato roll dough recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbooks of the 1960s.