Ever since I was a kid we lived in the rural part of wherever we were, always had a well and septic and usually a few acres to call our own.
I now live on a nice 100 acre plot with a 12 acre lake surrounded by our property, not far from town but still in the country. I know not everyone can live like this, but I have never felt comfortable having to rely on all my basic needs coming from, and being controlled by, someone else.
I have a tank of diesel, a nice tractor and on the back a 25KV generator that I can hook up to the house if I need it. I use it mostly around the property, having power anywhere I can get my tractor to is handy as hell, and I really think it is going to come in handy when the poop finally hits the fan here.
My biggest fear is having to defend what I have against people who want it in desperation, I am not a violent person by nature but I know that to some I will be sitting on a goldmine if things turn really nasty.
I really pray that I never need all the stuff I’ve accumulated, but I fear that either I or my kids will someday need it and it makes me hate the idiots in charge of this nation even more.
Man, I'd love to have a generator that size, especially a PTO driven one. I have an old Kubota 21 hp tractor (circa 1972) I never use that would be perfect for that. All three of my tractors and my truck are diesels. I've got 70 acres, about 50 of which is farmable. I've looked into growing rapeseed for oil to make biodiesel and could easily supply my entire diesel needs each year, but the problem is how to do the small scale harvesting without having to pay someone with a combine to harvest for me. Once you get the seed harvested the rest is easy.
A fellow Freeper recommended to me the other day some Swiss-made rifles that I'm planning to acquire. They are long range, and high accuracy, although they shoot a harder-to-find caliber. The rifles themselves sell used for about $200, which is why I intend to add them to my rapidly-growing collection.
If I was on 100 acres a couple of those would let me rest much more comfortably at night.