Posted on 02/21/2009 8:03:31 PM PST by Free America52
It seems more and more people are asking questions on what steps can be taken to prepare for what appears to be a looming crisis, maybe even a breakdown in civilization. This is not a fun subject to discuss, because for most people it represents something that we never thought we would see in the USA.
But the facts are all around us. There is a ever-growing number of people who see the worst of what might happen. And worse, there is an ever-growing list of possibilities that could take our economy to levels not ever seen before. Is it the financial / banking crisis? Is it the ominous threat of a terrorist attack? Or is it a civil war created by an out-of-control government who appears to be over-reaching into individual rights?
The reality is that it could be any of these, or possibly a combination of these and many other scenario's that could play out. Unfortunately, the end result could all be the same. And that is a total breakdown in civilization as we know it, leaving millions of people without access to food and basic care. Think the government will take care of us if that happens? They are actually the ones that have created the mess, so I'm not holding out much hope that they are going to be of any help.
(Excerpt) Read more at emergency-disaster-survival-supplies.blogspot.com ...
Just bought a house with a big back yard. Time to start planting a garden again.
One think many people leave off their list is chlorine bleach very useful stuff. I assume people will still have houses but most of them are not built for use without power. I remember those old high ceiling wood houses with large screened in windows. and a space under the house, they were perfectly pleasant during the Summer, especially with shade trees around the house. My brick double paned sealed windows will be hot as all get out during the summer but will be fine in winter.
bfl
And now, our population has more assistance to help people from starving completely to death.
The trouble is that we now have outlawed most practices that people could use to get by.
First of all, keep in mind that no matter how bad things get, Mugabe is still in charge of Zimbabwe. Governments just won’t die on their own. There was no Weimar Revolution in Germany.
That being said, prepare first for the idea that a societal meltdown won’t happen. Good job/business, education, strong family ties, no debt, positive savings, etc.
With the basics covered, you need to be prepared for a short-term emergency like all banks being closed for an extended period of time. Do you have enough cash on hand if your ATM card won’t work for a month?
At the next level, can you survive inside your home without going to a public/government food/shelter depot if a hurricane/tornado/tsunami/volcano/avalanche/earthquake or other natural event renders all stores closed for a month?
You’ve got your meds? Water? Safe canned food (#10 cans keep food fresh for 25 years). A certain way to start a fire, even in the rain? Winter clothes?
Do you have a 72-hour “bug-out” bag to grab and run if a wildfire or medium-sized meteor puts your home in an unsafe region?
Does each member of your distributed family know how to call you if cell lines are working, and know where to meet up if they aren’t?
Do you have basic first aid available (painkillers, asprin, hydrogen peroxide, bandages) and know where to find a doctor/hospital?
Surviving for longer periods of time is an order of magnitude more difficult than preparing for any of the above...and most people won’t come close to having the water or cash handy to handle even expected outages of the comforts of civilization (e.g. sanitary).
A few tips if you are in a longer-term survival situation:
#1: avoid all contact, especially violent, with military and paramilitary groups. You won’t have the firepower of a Destroyer or B-2 bomber, and you won’t have acces to their level of medical care.
#2: stay put if you can. Once you leave you will become a forager, and that’s a very difficult way to survive.
#3: if you have to leave (e.g. to avoid contact with paramilitaries), then leave. F’in go! A stocked sailboat would be nice at that point. Go fishing. Come back when the crisis is over.
#4: announcements on loudspeakers, radio, TV, posters, and handouts, are not to be believed. This is important because in a desperate situation various bad actors will have incentive to tell you what you *want* to hear in order to manipulate your behavior.
Also, weapons, dogs, and body armor are great things...but they aren’t going to help you against paramilitaries and they won’t sanitize your hands before eating or septic disposal.
Likewise, while a gun is nice (and better to have one than not), shooting a deer in a nation that is starving will bring *large* numbers of people toward what they hope will be a deer kill. Drawing attention to yourself by firing a weapon or turning on lights at night...perhaps even a campfire, may be contrary to improving your survival odds. This might be a great time to have a simple slingshot for squirrel hunting. Very quiet.
Is that the doc that showed how fast plant life would swallow up urban areas?
Was pretty amazing how it graphically showed the concrete jungle being over grown and swallowed by plant life.
The problem is that we really have no idea of how bad things might get. This hinders us in preparation.
Actually, if you prepare for the worst, you will be covered in any circumstance and it costs the least to do.
I dont think you see the difference in the people. In the 30’s people had skills, motivation and honor to make due and maintain civil accord. But now with the Me generation so many do not have the skill or resources to be self sufficient (land and green thumb, camping style skills), many are lazy (as the stimulus/pork-o-less shows), and when push comes to shove there will most likely be civil disorder especially in the big city’s. Yes it will get bloody if we continue down this road.
You mean outlawed things like having cows and pigs and chickens in your back yard... :-)
Yep. I especially liked the part about how normal house cats would evolve into super predators basically overrunning abadoned cities. Lol, they showed an animation of what it would be like and you saw all of these cats in high rises.
Only one think I think you need to consider. Do you remember where the tradition of throwing salt over the shoulder came from? It was because it salt had value and it was a sin to spill it. I do recommend considering some of the staples such as salt, sugar, pepper, flour... Best case it will have trade value
Errant, if you’ve got that kinda money then you can hire people to figure this stuff out. >:0
I’m talking kinda cheaper basics here ;) for everyday life.
A good Bow tho is a must. I’m part Seminole so I can if necessary make my own, and arrows too. :)
Oh, I agree that we’re talking about a different kind of mindset for the society of today, than the one of the Great Depression of the 30s. And sure, in terms of survival skills, I would say that *more* of the population then had more skills than a comparable amount of today do (but not everyone was as well equipped back then, either...).
So, the way I see it, the change in the mindset of the population from back then to now, plus the change in the way most people make a living (not on the farm and not self-sufficient) is pretty much “offset” by the government and their “programs” for assisting and helping people.
Back then, maybe someone could build their own log cabin out in the woods. Now, someone would get an efficiency apartment (not even a one-bedroom one) as “assistance” for housing, if one needs it (financially). Back then, you might raise chickens, hogs, cows and so on and slaughter them for food and some use their products for food, too (like eggs and milk...), plus grow some food in the garden and/or field. Nowadays, you would get food stamps instead, because no one would have a cow or chicken or pig and they wouldn’t know how to slaughter it, anyway...
So, that’s the kind of trade-off from then to now...
I personally can, without too much strain, envision huge, destructive riots. Before the Great Depression people weren't used to air conditioning, refrigeration, electricity, etc. In other words, the relative drop in their standard of living wasn't as extreme as it would be today should there be a disruption in the food supply. I suppose I am speaking more to a terrorist attack or other calamity, but hopefully you see my point.
beprepared.com is really, really good.
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