Standard fallback is to ask for help... an attitude which has been groomed by certain factions of the government for 3 generations.
Are you a prepper?
- Thread starter Tororider
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In an absolute sense, Yes. Drying and preserving don't need ongoing energy inputs
But, some freezers are less useless than others. I'm in no hurry to replace mine, but when the time comes, I'll be taking a serious look at Sunfrost.
One example (won't feed a family of ten, but could realistically run off solar etc....)
F10 Energy Efficient Freezer
They got started, building for middle-nowhere vaccine storage.....
Rgds, D.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
The TV show about "preppers" made them out to be a bunch of nut jobs. I've always wondered what they are doing now, ten years later? I'm curious how many are still prepping? Bugging out? learning how to shoot?
The new term that I prefer is "homesteader" which seems to be a more positive word to reflect people with a little land, doing what they can with their land to help prepare for periods when food will be hard to find at the stores.
Ten years ago when "preppers" where doing their thing, I really couldn't imagine a time when we couldn't find food at the store. Today it's common to not be able to find everything you want.
During the shutdown, the shelves where bare of certain items, and we started trading for stuff. The barter system took over. We had lots of eggs, and friends who wanted eggs would drive out to our place and trade for them. For me, that was kind of an eye opener. We don't have to store years worth of food, we just need to have something that others want.
We also have a decent sized garden that we are constantly working on improving and expanding. Our goal is to grow enough food to last us a year. My wife enjoys canning, and I enjoy eating what she creates.
Some of our current future projects are to raise a few steers for beef, increase our goat herd, increase our egg numbers, and grow our own hay. I also want to put a pump in my pond and use that water for our gardens. None of this will make us independent from the grocery stores, but it will allow us to have a nice buffer and less stress over buying what we need.
Technically, I believe that makes us "preppers" but I prefer to say that we are "homesteaders" instead.
The new term that I prefer is "homesteader" which seems to be a more positive word to reflect people with a little land, doing what they can with their land to help prepare for periods when food will be hard to find at the stores.
Ten years ago when "preppers" where doing their thing, I really couldn't imagine a time when we couldn't find food at the store. Today it's common to not be able to find everything you want.
During the shutdown, the shelves where bare of certain items, and we started trading for stuff. The barter system took over. We had lots of eggs, and friends who wanted eggs would drive out to our place and trade for them. For me, that was kind of an eye opener. We don't have to store years worth of food, we just need to have something that others want.
We also have a decent sized garden that we are constantly working on improving and expanding. Our goal is to grow enough food to last us a year. My wife enjoys canning, and I enjoy eating what she creates.
Some of our current future projects are to raise a few steers for beef, increase our goat herd, increase our egg numbers, and grow our own hay. I also want to put a pump in my pond and use that water for our gardens. None of this will make us independent from the grocery stores, but it will allow us to have a nice buffer and less stress over buying what we need.
Technically, I believe that makes us "preppers" but I prefer to say that we are "homesteaders" instead.
ROUSTABOUT
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I started out with nothing and still have some of that left.
There's the Thing..... most of us can do better, but many people would struggle @ 4 TO 5 days, not a month +
Outside my budget also. I also noticed that the machine really took a long time to freeze dry food. And I suppose $3k or $6k would buy a lot of prepper 25 yr food.
Outside my budget also. I also noticed that the machine really took a long time to freeze dry food. And I suppose $3k or $6k would buy a lot of prepper 25 yr food.
Wakey
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Most of my neighbors are prepared with gardens, livestock etc. All but 1, we'll have to feed them in event of a total meltdown 
To give you an example, he has two 1 gallon gas cans to cut 5 acres with a zero turn. Bless his heart..
My can goods will be donated to the local food pantry when they begin to "date out".
To give you an example, he has two 1 gallon gas cans to cut 5 acres with a zero turn. Bless his heart..
My can goods will be donated to the local food pantry when they begin to "date out".
Stress - the guy in the DW vid summed it up well.... (paraphrasing) As dangerous as bullets flying are, the Stress Leading to Bad Decisions is the greater problem.... in making the point about Why Training Matters.....
Even w/o a major medical problem, how many hi-rise dwellers today can easily walk down to ground level if the elevators have no power ? To say nothing of walking back Up, carrying food/water.....
"Labels" get thrown around today, for entertainment, and other reasons. I've never been too enthralled with labels.... functionality has always been My Thing....
Evaluating localized Risk (site, geographic, weather, country-specific Other Issues....) and doing Something to mitigate at least a few factors, was considered Common Sense in past generations..... you end up minimizing or eliminating certain future problems, clearing the way/your-mind to deal with unexpected ones.....
Rgds, D.
Have you told your neighbour he can buy those cans in Men's Sizes ?Most of my neighbors are prepared with gardens, livestock etc. All but 1, we'll have to feed them in event of a total meltdown
To give you an example, he has two 1 gallon gas cans to cut 5 acres with a zero turn. Bless his heart..
My can goods will be donated to the local food pantry when they begin to "date out".
Normally (and, sadly) there is no shortage of organizations willing to take almost expired food products. Hardly a new problem.... something close to 10 years back, a mechanic buddy of mine made numerous trips stateside when his son was seriously training for MX racing. MX tracks being what they are, end up sited in pretty remote areas - often very poor..... I remember him talking about going into one building; ALL it stocked was already expired packaged goods - @ cent's on the $, there was a market.
Similar to people who have gardens even when they could easily buy the food, I think the attraction to processing your own dried product is knowing EXACTLY how it was done, and what if anything it was treated with.
Rgds, D.
Larry Caldwell
Elite Member
I think prepping is an urban phenomenon. On the farm, it's the way things have always been done. It's the difference between being a consumer and being a producer. Other than canning, pickling, smoking, and preserving, my primary prep has been economic. No debt. If they want to dig me out of here, they are going to have to really work at it. The shelves of full canning jars are not prepping so much as the only way to get gourmet food. I just started a crock of sweet pickles yesterday, and will start a crock of dills as the cukes become available.
As a senior citizen, I realize that if things really fall apart I will die.
