Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 5708 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Aimrehtopyh wrote:
First rule is: you do not talk about preparation.
Good rule.
But in the interest of promoting discussion here on the anonymous internet - where most of us can’t find where other posters live - let alone our own ass with both hands; lets pretend we are making a conjecture as to what we might do if we thought there were actually something to worry about.
Thanks folks, keep your five coming. _________________ ...ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality.
--Gekko.
"I hope my own children never have to fight a war,"
--GHW Bush, Naval Aviator
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:38 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Man PoPs,
that's a pretty tall order!
I know it's been said a million times around here,but the biggest problem in preparing for PO is that no one knows for sure how it will all play out.Hard crash,slow decline,economic meltdown,and all things in between are possible,too many variables to list.Add to that the fact that everyone's situation is different and it's even more difficult to give advice.
I'll give it my best,don't know that these are rules.It might be better to call them suggestions,or points of consideration.
Always keep in mind that preps can make the difference between life and death in more ways than one,think of all the unprepared greedily,hungrily coveting what you have and they don't.(think of this one as the "bonus" rule)
1) Food,food,food,food ,and food!For many this means stockpiling,but stockpiling may not do you any good if A) you have to leave in a hurry and have to leave all or most of it behind, B) all your neighbors notice you're the only one not starving ,C) in an effort to "share the wealth" <insert generic government agency> decides to have wholesale food confiscation(for the "common good" wink wink).
Learning to garden and grow staple crops is a must(!!!),but you never know when your land/proprty might cease to be "yours"(see rule number three for details),in which case you may have to leave your crops behind.
This leaves hunting,gathering,and foraging.Try and learn the absolute most you can about everything that is edible in your area and in the areas beyond that.If this last one sounds silly to you,perhaps you should read this article about Argentina(someone recently linked this in another thread)let me tell you,if you haven't yet read it it's quite an eye opener-
http://www.pl.net/9politics/enoaro.htm
2)Fresh water!Find several different sources of water,and have several different means to purify it at you disposal.
3)Shelter.
I'd be willing to bet that most of us won't be able to pay off our mortgages before things start to get a little dicey.If you have paid off your house/property/land you can still lose it if you can't pay your property taxes at some point,and lets not forget emminent domain.
You may be able to stay with friends or relatives,or be willing to let them stay with you (depending on the circumstances),but it won't do any of you any good if you all find yourselves in the same boat at the same time.
Have some kind of mobile shelter at your disposal that you are willing to live in (semi??)permanently.For some this might be a simple tent,for others a canvass yurt,and for a few it might even be an alternative feuled Winnabago.What type of shelter you choose is up to you,but be certain you are able to move it when neccessary(which could be very often).
4)Alternative electricity.
Wether it's for your home when the grid fails, you simply can't pay the bill,or you now find yourself living in a yurt!Being able to produce even a modest amount of electricty for yourself can be a real morale booster.
5)Aternative transportation.
If you don't have a bicycle now,get one!Be sure to have one for every member of your household,they'll be hard to come by in a severe energy crisis.
Also consider (if you have the skills) building an alternative fueled vehicle,just make sure you are able to provide all your own fuel.
No matter how stable you think your job during a severe decline,if you can't get to it you probably won't have it for long.
In a hard crash/bugout situation, the person who can haul the most gear and doesn't have to worry about running out of gas will probably fair the best.
Well Pops,that's the best I can come up with.Should work with most scenarios. _________________ "Switzerland is small and neutral.We need to be more like Germany,ambitious and misunderstood!" Futurama
"As for the dieoff of 5E+09 people - not a problem, so long as I'm not one of them." Jack
Joined: Aug 04, 2005 Posts: 403 Location: Traded the man in front of the tank for a cat playing the banjo
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:37 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Here are mine:
1) Declare war to your mortgage and win that war ASAP
2) Trust ONLY those from your doorstep in.
3) Think! Think! Think! Never stop thinking, don't buy dumb ideas, think for yourself, solve your own problems regarding food, energy and freedom. If you stop thinking they'll f*ck you.
4) Have kids (kids are great!) and homeschool them, theach them as much as you can, you will learn lots of things in the process, teach them how to learn, to love nature, self esteem, math, classic literature, universal values, gardening, hunting, weapons, negotiation and everything else you can imagine
5) Most important BE REALISTIC, don't fool yourself.
And the extra bonus rule: always play the diplomacy card but do not hesitate to become violent if you are confident there is no other way out, trust yourself. _________________ When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said about him (or about groups with whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low self-esteem.
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:27 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
1. Fail to prepare - prepare to fail.
2. Keep it simple stupid.
3. Stock up on water puritabs, matches and light, waterproof camping gear including good boots and clothes with high thermal insulation value - prepare to pay big money for this.
4. Keep a 6 week minimum supply of high calorie, easily prepared food which doesn't spoil easily. Rice, pasta peanuts that kind of thing.
5. Buy the Encyclopedia of country living now and read 10 pages every night. When you are finished read it again and again and again. _________________ www.askaboutenergy.com
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:14 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preparation
steam_cannon wrote:
kjmclark wrote:
As in, be prepared to walk 40 miles in two days with a backpack of things and then survive for a month. Note that this requires lots of exercise.
If the carrying gear part is a large part of the need for lots of exercise, personally I never carry gear unless I have to. I always strap it onto a bike or use a two wheeled pull cart. I prefer to use light small tents and wood stoves whenever possible. But still it's hard to avoid weight and moving heavy gear for any long distance is hard. So unless stealth is important, I always try to let a machine do some of my work.
Sure, if you have a way to carry more, depending on the circumstances, it would probably be better to do that. However, part of the backpack idea is that you have to learn to be able to get by with just the stuff in the backpack. Also, the more you carry, the more you might be a target for people who have less but are better armed. If you really need to get out of Dodge and walk 40 miles, stealth *is* important. Heck, if you expect problems at all, stealth is important.
Look at it another way. A marathon is a pretty pointless exercise in transportation. However, preparing for it is a valuable exercise in physical and mental endurance.
Joined: Jun 21, 2006 Posts: 1075 Location: Burgundy, France
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:54 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
1 - Get out of debt - live below your means.
2 - Get reading - create a personal library.
3 - Learn self reliance. Learn to farm. Sell produce direct to consumers. Use permaculture techniques. Ensure you have access to sufficient water and energy.
4 - Get weaponry without becoming too fixated on it.
5 - Ensure family and friends are on-board. You can't do this on your own. _________________ All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. - Buddha
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 5256 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:04 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Pops wrote:
Heineken wrote:
But the most important rule is:
Heine, I asked for 5 rules…
I think all the core "rules" have already been mentioned, Pops. They're all good.
All mentioned except mine. My "prepare for death" rule helps keep the struggle in perspective.
I don't know how old you are, but I'm of an age now when a part of me---a small part, but not an insignificant part---starts to tire of the pathetic squirming for more time. Making peace with the inevitable, and doing some planning for it, also begins to be important.
Death is going to come back in a big way. We will live more like 19th century people, and we will die more like them too, no matter how cleverly we prepare to survive.
bshirt---thanks for your kind remarks. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Joined: Jun 21, 2006 Posts: 1075 Location: Burgundy, France
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:25 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Heineken wrote:
Pops wrote:
Heineken wrote:
But the most important rule is:
Heine, I asked for 5 rules…
I think all the core "rules" have already been mentioned, Pops. They're all good.
All mentioned except mine. My "prepare for death" rule helps keep the struggle in perspective.
I don't know how old you are, but I'm of an age now when a part of me---a small part, but not an insignificant part---starts to tire of the pathetic squirming for more time. Making peace with the inevitable, and doing some planning for it, also begins to be important.
Death is going to come back in a big way. We will live more like 19th century people, and we will die more like them too, no matter how cleverly we prepare to survive.
bshirt---thanks for your kind remarks.
Buddhism seems a useful way of coming to terms with the inevitable.
"Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others."
"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. " _________________ All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. - Buddha
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:28 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
my five rules:
1) Get out of debt
2) hide
3) keep mobility option open
4) Garden
5) Network.
Number 1 is pretty straight forward, most others have it on their lists.
For Number 2 the plan is to go back to the country and build a small home, something that can't be seen fromt he road ways. hiding is of utmost importance here.
Number 3 is the obvious "hey rule number 2 didn't work"
Number 4 was placed in there because food production will be very important in the future.
Networking is the last one because if number 2 fails I'll want to call on friends when I'm mobile.
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 5256 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:28 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
I agree, davep. Buddhism---what little I know about it---is one of the belief systems I admire. Sure beats rednecked Baptism. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 5256 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
hunter wrote:
For Number 2 the plan is to go back to the country and build a small home, something that can't be seen fromt he road ways. hiding is of utmost importance here.
Hiding can work against you as easily as for you. I have thought long and hard on this.
First of all, there is no "hiding." Not truly.
Second, if you're "hidden," it's easier for others to kill you and take what you have. They can do it at their leisure, in fact, with less fear of outside interference.
I live "hidden" because I prefer privacy and the peace of nature, not because I think it will help me survive. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
My 5. (Not too original)
1. No debt
2. LEARN as much as possible and practice it as much as possible. I.e. collect useful knowledge/books for post PO and the generations that will follow me.
3. Collect useful stuff, hand tools, grain mill, weapons, etc.
4. Plant like crazy. trees, scrubs, anything that will feed me later w/ zero effort on my part. And yes still garden.
5.Listen to you guys
Thanks for the thread Pops. You are my hero!
Heineken, davep. Great comments. We will not be around for long. And davep, life is Dukkha. Life is suffering/pervasive unsatisfactoriness/imperfection. We are about to see a lot of that! _________________ Everybody thinks they're righteous! Adam Baldwin "Jayne" Firefly/Serenity
Joined: Nov 09, 2004 Posts: 1144 Location: Big Rock Candy Mountain
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
I'm with Heinie. Remember life is short. No one can prepare for all possibilities. Don't forget to enjoy the life you have today. (perhaps easier to do when you've already done all you can)
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 5708 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject: Re: 5 Rules for PO Preperation
Crap, this is the best thread I have started in a while!
Come on – let’s hear something different – maybe something from the folks in town or...
We know you are out there so pipe up; you must have a plan if you are reading here.
You might save somebody's kids, maybe talking about it could save yours. _________________ ...ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality.
--Gekko.
"I hope my own children never have to fight a war,"
--GHW Bush, Naval Aviator
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,C) in an effort to "share the wealth" <insert generic government agency> decides to have wholesale food confiscation(for the "common good" wink wink).
