Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by 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
>SPECIAL REQUEST!!!!
COULD WE TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HOW TO SURVIVE, WHEN THE LAST PAYCHECK HAS BEEN SPENT???
WHERE WILL YOU GET THE FOOD TO FEED THE KIDS???<
Hi, I’m reading this thread with great interest. I’m in the Denver area and one good thing to look into where you live are the church-run food pantries. Our church has a food pantry open every two weeks. It is stocked by our members with canned goods, canned meats, dry goods, cereals etc. Also, some farmers and groceries leave fresh vegetables there for the taking. We feed about 100 families. Call around to local churches and they can point you in the right direction.
We also belong to a network of churches that house homeless families. Each church provides shelter and meals for one week each quarter, and then the next church takes over. The network also provides help with finding permanent housing and jobs. It’s not the best situation for a family to have to sleep in a church classroom, but it beats sleeping in your car (and we church ladies are pretty good cooks, so the food’s pretty good). Call churches. You would be surprised what help they can provide.
Thanks for the great thread!
Now, that’s a great idea. (I will likely end up at the store wearing my plastic bag, however...) <<<
If you are having arthritis problems, sleep in a sleeping bag, with a sheet of plastic over you, it helps and is even warmer than the electric blankets are.
I learned that one from one of my clients, I was amazed to find a common sleeping bag on her bed, in the perfect home that was a picture to see.
So she explained its uses for the arthritis.
LOL, the man who came to service my oxygen machine, had to ask, I didn’t think to ask him last time if he told anyone else how well it worked.
A safety pin would work, but I am lazy and the clothes pin was handy.
PREPARE. . . . .because you care about your loved ones<<<
Good advice.
Unless the bird stole it right out of the packet it is open pollinated and should come up true.
I cook most of my meat in the crock pot or the oven, and use beer and old strong coffee, along with spices.
LOL, the other day I goofed and used water and that was the most tasteless meat that I ever ate, even tho the spices were used.
When we raised pork and the hams were not cured, I cooked them in coffee and that “Liquid Smoke” that comes in the square brown bottle and they were good.
LOL, yes I also used spices and garlic and pepper.
Cal may have snow on the roof but there remains a fire in the boiler. ;)<<<
Fantastic news!!!
Geez, guess I be a newbie! My family didn’t get here till 1703... <<<
As I am 3/4 Cherokee, I guess that means my family was here waiting to welcome you all.
[No, I couldn’t resist...LOL]
I tried another experiment on the pie. I had the limes given to me about a month ago. Put 'em in the juicer cause I didn't have time to mess with 'em. Refrigerated the juice. Wasn't sure if it would taste like a fresh pie... but was just fine.
Today, Uncle Johnnie couldn’t do that. He would have to pay minimum wage, pay payroll taxes and have his housing inspected. Must be that Ronald Reagan was right - ‘Government is the problem.’<<<
Your post is correct on all points and when the liberals get real hungry, the fancy laws will be ignored too.
I have taken jobs in my day that were not to my liking or did not pay for the amount of work I put in and managed to survive.
When times were hard in the mid 1950’s and I had a baby to feed, dumb me, lied about my age, got a job as a bartender at 5th and Market in San Diego.
As I never was a drinker, I was a good clean and sober employee.
Then, my mother and aunt came to visit me and found out that one of my duties at work was showing young Italian men who showed up with a small suitcase, how to get in the basement and mom and aunt Bess, had a fit and made me quit.
I had managed to peek into the basement, it was a 100 year old type building and the basement was full of trash and rubble.
I never did find out what/why those men wanted in the basement or where they went once they were down there.
I quit.
OMG!!! I love this! I would love to have rocks around like that. Beds just aren't arranged right if you don't have some rock in them. I don't know one kind of rock from another so I can't say I'm a rock hound, but I sure do like to put them around for yard decor. :-)
I'm fortunate, I lived in a house for 17 years in an area where you didn't get permits for anything. Now, I've got this man who *thinks* he has to have a permit for everything. I keep tellin' him if you don't ask and they don't see you doing it then you don't need a permit.
Welcome to the thread.
Good advise and I am glad the churches are still serving the community in your area.
Thank you for helping with the caring for folks.
On the police scanner for San Diego, I have heard that there is a group that also helps those that want off the street, the Police ask the dispatcher to send them, to those ready/needing the help, right there on the street.
They come with a van and pick them up.
This area is not like that, I am not up to date on the area churches, but know when I worked in a cafe in Kingman, we told them that we would check them out with the cops and if they were ok, fed them....some were gone in a flash.
There was a food pantry, but I haven’t heard of it in a long time.
Our local/large church, in my opinion, was taken over by liberals or something, as the new pastor can’t be bothered with all the special groups and does not have a Sunday evening service.
For some of the casino workers, the evening service was the only one they could attend.
WOW - that is sure a beautiful area.
Took the whole family up there a couple of summers - Loaded up the old Chevy Vega with Wife, 3 kids, camping gear and a canoe strapped on top. We really had a beautiful campsite with a view across a lake of Mount Katahdin. Then Fundy National Park and then all the way around the Bay of Fundy to the southern part of Nova Scotia.
They almost didn’t get me to leave New Ross Farm in central Nova Scotia. It is an authentically run farm community with all the trades and crafts as they were done in the 18th century. We spent three days there and I was right at home hitching up a team of oxen and plowing, barrel making, foot treadle powered wood lathe and a whole bunch of stuff right up my alley! They give you a chance to actually do those things yourself. Second time up there we spent 5 days there - and man was it hard leaving and coming back to the old grind. It was like Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg but without the commercialization.
As a kid, my parents introduced me to a whole world of wonderful things through an old Book Of Knowledge Encyclopedia. I spent many many days reading about the world and things. It was trying to wrap my mind around a 50’ tide where the water goes from near the top of the dock to being out of sight that made me want to go there. I had to see it and experience it and wanted my kids to see it too.
Anyway, I wonder if we will ever see times again where people like the town clerk (along with the other jobs) are appreciated for all they do and we encourage people to for the good of all rather than for a new ipod, sports car, mansion, etc. I don’t think we will, and it makes me sad.
PEP-C has some pretty good ideas and thoughts that should be passed along too - at least I think they should. ;)
Family Drills
Planning is important, but rehearsal is vital. Rehearsals test your plans and help you to identify flaws in those plans. Rehearsal is simply pretending you and your family have just experienced a major disaster and acting accordingly. The following are some examples of “drills” that you can try:
* Live for a weekend without electricity. You can do this for real by shutting off the breaker (to prevent cheating) or the easy way by just “pretending.” If you decide to run this drill the easy way, set a “fine” for each violation of the rules. Make the “fine” something fun or monetary or both. (But not so fun that everyone cheats on purpose!) This drill will teach you that boiling water over a camp stove or a fire in the back yard just to make your morning coffee can really wreck your normal morning routine. But hopefully the drill will also help you identify missing supplies, bad ideas and be the springboard to a better plan.
* Evacuate your family to another location over a weekend. Visit a friend or book a motel room that’s at least 100 miles away from your current location. Give your family 20 minutes to pack and take off, ready or not. Once you’ve reached your destination, make a list of everything you forgot to bring and then add it to your emergency evacuation bag. Once you’ve settled in at your destination, take a minute to think about and discuss how you would feel if everything you left behind was destroyed in a fire. Or how you would feel if everything below the second floor of your home was damaged or destroyed by a flood. These reflections will give rise to ideas of how you can revise your storage and survival plans.
* Take your family for a drive on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. Pull over in a remote area (as long as its safe to do so) and spend the night there with only the supplies on hand in your car. By morning you’ll know exactly what you should have in your car kit as well as what is rather useless.
* Try eating only your survival foods for a weekend - or, if you’re really brave, do it for a whole week. This is an excellent drill to conduct if you’re ready to rotate and replace your emergency food supplies. It will also help you identify any menu selections you just can’t stand as well as those items you want to add to your stash (including recipes).
These are just a few examples of what you can do as a family to test your preparedness plans. Be creative. Come up with your own unique scenarios. Execute them and then let us know what you did and how it fared. We’d love to add yours to the list for others to try.
LOL maybe we should focus on qualities rather than seniority. ;)
Mmmmm Key Lime pie...
I think while the bread is rising ... Hmmm no limes - but a bag of lemons - Sounds like I will be making a Lemon Meringue pie instead... Chickens are producing about 20 eggs a day now - gotta use ‘em.
***Had the same situation last year. Really wanted a key lime pie but didn’t have any. I looked outside at our beautiful lemon tree and thought, why not! Used the lemons and it was great. Ya gotta try it sometime.
Wish we had chickens...those that do have them have been “grandfathered.” Anyone moving in around here can’t since 2001 (I believe). We’re outside the city limits but since the city keeps getting closer the county laid down the law. Nothing like a good “home grown” egg.***
I think a lot of that depends on what kind of pre-planning you have done. I own a home that is paid for. (I don't currently live in that one, I rent it out.) No, I didn't inherit, I bought and worked and paid. That place has 1/4 acre of ready garden area and a well.
But, before that last paycheck is spent I have done a lot of prep work, have some things to barter and a store of knowledge. You don't get those on the day you get your notice of no more job.
Not trying to be hardhearted to fellow freepers who have come to hard times, just addressing the question. Forgive me if I sound harsh.
WHERE WILL YOU GET THE FOOD TO FEED THE KIDS???
Well, my kids are grown. But, in my realm of thinking it is possible that the hard times could hit us all. My kids know that they would be welcome to come and work to feed the lot of us. Mind you, they don't come for a free ride and they would not want to.
WHERE WILL YOU LIVE???
I think I answered that but as the next questions assume that perhaps there's a job available someplace else I would live where-ever I needed to in order to get by. If there was a job in another town and I needed to go I could live in my tent or my (paid off) vehicle until I had enough pay to find a cheap place.
WHAT WILL YOU DO NEXT???
Probably I answered that one too. But, I will do whatever it takes to make it be it find other employment, or go to ground and eat whatever I find and barter with skills I have or items of value.
WHERE WILL I FIND A JOB???
I don't know, I'm having trouble finding a job now but I'm also not looking to relocate at this point. Were I to be forced to relocate I would start searching near my children's homes.
WHAT SHOULD I DO TO BRIDGE THE GAP???
Trade upon skills I have. Barter things I have. Manage to live like my grandparents did when they married in 1932.
I'm really sad to hear of Freepers out of work and searching for jobs in this economy. I know it's bad because I have been self-employed for 3 years now. Contracts for jobs are just not out there at this time. I *really* feel for folks that have families to support, mortgages and no stock of necesities. My prayers are with everyone in this situation. I can give tips on how to grow food and a little on how to scrounge food in the wild. I can tell you how to cook it all and make it taste good if you have a little seasoning (which some may not.) If anyone were nearby I could show you how to sew your clothing and any other fabric necesity. I can teach you how to build a fire and bank it so you've got coals in the morning. Unfortunately, these things help no one here so I'll pray.
* Is for heirloom seeds
On second thought, that may be the first two plantings. I don't think I have enough pots to do them all.
LOL, my Key Lime pie that turned into Lemon Meringue migrated to Apple and daughter said - Dad, I really wish you would make another of those Peach pies... (How can a father refuse a request like that from his daughter?) So, we are about to have a slice of Peach Crumb pie... Just as soon as the ice cream maker is finished which is about now!
Hi, granny! Sorry you can’t do crafts anymore but I’ll bet you made some great stuff. It seems we’re always more critical of our own work. At least that’s how I am.
I read up to post #713 before answering you and must admit that I never gave much thought to what I’d do when my last dollar was gone. I’m not “pampered” by any means and know what it’s like to do without but not for a long period of time (say 1 year or more). The questions you posed are a real eye opener. I’m glad you posted them. Going to give them some strong consideration.
We had a leak in another house that took a loooong time to fix because they, too, couldn’t find the source. Then, BINGO, one day our handyman found it clear across the other side! Water goes wherever “it” wants to...not where “you” think it should.
Hope it gets fixed for you. Take care.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.