How self sufficient are you ? Honestly ?

[dave1949]

A supply of carbide and an acetylene generator tank would be a good thing. Not sure how the oxygen would be replaced, I've never tried a torch or welding tip using straight compressed air.

 

[woodlandfarms]

So, Moving the conversation onto a lighter note. Reading through one of my liberal news websites I saw this link. Thought of this conversation and had to post it

The Zombie States Of America

 

[Rob-D]

I need a neighbor like Rob and quite a few others on this thread I would welcome as neighbors. We all do as long as we are the helping working kind and not the needy do it for me type of which I see there hasn't been one post here from one as of now. :thumbsup:

Thanks Doc,
I wouldn't mind living around some of the guys here too (like Rick). Trouble is that it's hard to get a good group together in one place. We're just lucky.

 

[OldMcDonald]

I hope it does not come to an Apocalypse, whether through zombies or anything else. I think it is unlikely across the whole world anyway, and even if it was all or most of the US that was targetted, many of you could move North or South - assuming you survive. Hopefully if and when modern society breaks down it will happen over time and we have a chance to adjust in a world where there is still some semblance of law and order. That is the way I am operating anyhow, expecting a lack of purchaseable food, fuel and power rather than the end of the known world.

This brings me back to something I have already mentioned. Those of you who prefer stockpiling, particularly food, when are you commencing your several years' supplies, and how many years are you planning for? Stockpiling materials such as Grumpy is doing is different, because within reason much of what he has will not deteriorate. I make some of my own farm equipment, so have steel on hand and a few years' supply of firewood. Same as Grumpy's stuff and Rob-D's, it will come to no harm. You could say the same about a lot of the other things people have mentioned they will be stockpiling, but for those of you going down this route, are you actually storing tobacco, hundreds of canning jars, salt, etc.? If you are, and you must be buying them, how much are you prepared to spend on something you might never need?

Dave1949 mentioned clothing wearing out and the problems of replacement. Footwear will wear out too. I am fortunate in that my wife can pattern and make anything from a pair of Y-fronts to a full wedding group's outfits. She would need the cloth of course. But, whilst we can shear, spin and I daresay make a reasonable go of making a loom and weaving, wool is not the only material that can be used, even nettles were turned into cloth at one time - a bit like flax. Spinning and weaving still essential. Wool of course can also be made into felt, as can rabbit and probably other fur, and that makes the uppers of footwear. Another of our group does actually fabricate these things. The problem is all this takes time, as does keeping the sheep or growing the crops so a couple cannot possibly do it all themselves even if they have all the expertise, so I would be hoping for the group scenario.

All theory, although I believe I am in a position to move to enough of a self-sufficiency situation to survive if I am given a few months notice. If it happens before Christmas then I need some change of cropping plan for next year, but can survive on what we have for a while. Our sudden cut-off from civilisation thirty odd years ago showed we had enough ability to get through. That brings me to another point. Have any posters been in a similar situation, totally cut-off from the outside world? Is so, for how long? Did you find any problems that might be passed to the rest of us so that we can bear them in mind if it happens to us? Our main difficulty was needing to melt snow for water. If ice had been available it would have been much easier.

 

[EE_Bota]

I hope it does not come to an Apocalypse, whether through zombies or anything else. I think it is unlikely across the whole world anyway, and even if it was all or most of the US that was targetted, many of you could move North or South - assuming you survive. Hopefully if and when modern society breaks down it will happen over time and we have a chance to adjust in a world where there is still some semblance of law and order. That is the way I am operating anyhow, expecting a lack of purchaseable food, fuel and power rather than the end of the known world.

This brings me back to something I have already mentioned. Those of you who prefer stockpiling, particularly food, when are you commencing your several years' supplies, and how many years are you planning for? Stockpiling materials such as Grumpy is doing is different, because within reason much of what he has will not deteriorate. I make some of my own farm equipment, so have steel on hand and a few years' supply of firewood. Same as Grumpy's stuff and Rob-D's, it will come to no harm. You could say the same about a lot of the other things people have mentioned they will be stockpiling, but for those of you going down this route, are you actually storing tobacco, hundreds of canning jars, salt, etc.? If you are, and you must be buying them, how much are you prepared to spend on something you might never need?

Dave1949 mentioned clothing wearing out and the problems of replacement. Footwear will wear out too. I am fortunate in that my wife can pattern and make anything from a pair of Y-fronts to a full wedding group's outfits. She would need the cloth of course. But, whilst we can shear, spin and I daresay make a reasonable go of making a loom and weaving, wool is not the only material that can be used, even nettles were turned into cloth at one time - a bit like flax. Spinning and weaving still essential. Wool of course can also be made into felt, as can rabbit and probably other fur, and that makes the uppers of footwear. Another of our group does actually fabricate these things. The problem is all this takes time, as does keeping the sheep or growing the crops so a couple cannot possibly do it all themselves even if they have all the expertise, so I would be hoping for the group scenario.

All theory, although I believe I am in a position to move to enough of a self-sufficiency situation to survive if I am given a few months notice. If it happens before Christmas then I need some change of cropping plan for next year, but can survive on what we have for a while. Our sudden cut-off from civilisation thirty odd years ago showed we had enough ability to get through. That brings me to another point. Have any posters been in a similar situation, totally cut-off from the outside world? Is so, for how long? Did you find any problems that might be passed to the rest of us so that we can bear them in mind if it happens to us? Our main difficulty was needing to melt snow for water. If ice had been available it would have been much easier.

I am reasonably certain I will eat the food I stockpile, unless I die, at which point it won't matter to me, and hopefully someone else will eat it. So stockpiling food is not that much different than stockpiling materials. I'd prefer not to think of what I am doing with food as "stockpiling" so much as doing what our grandparents tried to do. They tried to make sure they have food around the house to carry them until the next canning season.

 

[Soundguy]

I need a neighbor like Rob and quite a few others on this thread I would welcome as neighbors. We all do as long as we are the helping working kind and not the needy do it for me type of which I see there hasn't been one post here from one as of now. :thumbsup:

i see threads like this come up on a 'gun' forum i read.. and like this one.. many of the posters are kinda 'do it yourselfers'

IE.. we here on a tractor forum are used to building, fixing things and using some level of equipment. same on the gun forums. hunters, shooters, gunsmiths and relaoders. all handy people..

probably not an accurate cross section of society we are seeing here.

and yes I agree.. in the event of disaster.. it would be nice to have a group of 'very usefull and skilled' people around..

 

[tungularafishcamp]

I have a freezer full of microwave dinners and 5 gallons of gas for my little Honda, I am ready for anything

As hard as money is to come by, at least for me, it would be hard to justify a lot of "what if" expenses. On the other hand, by buying in bulk(what you need), growing/harvesting your own food, making/repairing your own stuff just makes $ and sense. For me the logistics of normal resupply make stocking a necessity.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Rob, if things really crumble it would be nice to have a community here, such as yours, instead of flying solo.

 

[Soundguy]

I am reasonably certain I will eat the food I stockpile, unless I die, at which point it won't matter to me, and hopefully someone else will eat it. So stockpiling food is not that much different than stockpiling materials. I'd prefer not to think of what I am doing with food as "stockpiling" so much as doing what our grandparents tried to do. They tried to make sure they have food around the house to carry them until the next canning season.

isn't it the mormons that usually keep 1yr of canned food for emergencies?

nothing abnomral about being ready... IMHO

 

[Soundguy]

I have a freezer full of microwave dinners and 5 gallons of gas for my little Honda, I am ready for anything

As hard as money is to come by, at least for me, it would be hard to justify a lot of "what if" expenses. On the other hand, by buying in bulk(what you need), growing/harvesting your own food, making/repairing your own stuff just makes $ and sense. For me the logistics of normal resupply make stocking a necessity.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Rob, if things really crumble it would be nice to have a community here, such as yours, instead of flying solo.

not to make assumptions about you.. but I'm guessing, just from reading your past posts, and looking where you live and what you do.. I'm guessing you are a pretty well equipped to survive guy if left to fend for youself.

 

[Rob-D]

With a grist mill small grain plots .sheep herd and trout pond ,solar power set up .machine shop and electronics shop ,electric tractors and food stores along with vegetarian living bug out bags and medical stores I'm sure I and everyone else would love to see some pictures so we could gain Ideas and knowledge ! :thumbsup:

I built the house in '92 when I retired. The attached garage will be my workshop (I built the new garage in 2006, I engineered the trusses for 24 on/center but trussed it 16 on/center to hold the intertie panels).
This fall I finished welding all the new racks for the added solar (off grid), the garage roof is a 6.44Kw intertie, the off grid is about 4.2 Kw, 1.4K I bought in 2006 and another 2.88Kw I just got last summer from Ebay. Next summer, windmills, microhydro and rebuild the electric tractors I just aquired.
Here's some pics, I didn't find the file with the new garage and the 6.44Kw system pics but I did find the file of the newly fabricated mounts for the off grid (4.2Kw) and the inverter system. The house doesn't show the new sunroom either, I'll try and dig around and see what else I can find: