This article has been generously contributed by Tess Pennington of Ready Nutrition. After joining the Dallas chapter of the American Red Cross in 1999 Tess worked as an Armed Forces Emergency Services Center specialist and is well versed in emergency and disaster management & response. You can follow her regular updates on Preparedness, Homesteading, and a host of other topics at www.readynutrition.com.
Possessing crucial skill sets are a must have when forming a survival group. Individuals bringing a variety of skills binds the group further to create a solid, well-functioning team. That said, like anything regarding preparedness, you do not want to become complacent and believe that just one person should perform a certain set of tasks. Remember, what one man can do, another can do. Your group is only as strong as its weakest link, and training members to perform multiple tasks will make for a more fluid unit, especially during highly stressful situations.
We have seen this type of group training with many emergency organizations who have cross-trained their employees in case one employee has to compensate for the other during a disaster. This helps cut down on dependency on one or two of the stronger members, because each member can pick up where the other has left off in the event the primary responder is incapacitated or has to perform other tasks. This type of training is both efficient and can easily be incorporated into your preparedness plan.
Don’t Fall into Gender Stereotypes
It’s so easy to fall into gender stereotypical jobs. After all, we do what makes us feel most comfortable. However, one of the most dangerous things we can do when learning skills for SHTF-time is to allow ourselves to be tied into stereotypes, for both gender and age. “Why is that so bad?” you may be asking. “I take care of the cooking and the laundry and my husband chops the wood and defends the homestead. And we don’t want the kids to have to worry about these things now.”
That could be a fatal mistake.
What happens if Mom is bedridden for several months with a risky pregnancy? What if Dad breaks his leg and the wood is not chopped, with winter fast approaching? What if Mom and Dad both were stricken with an illness, or even worse, died, leaving the kids on their own?
The fact is, family or group members all need to possess the minimum skills needed to run and protect the homestead. Especially in a post-disaster world, life will be full of risks and danger. Your survival could one day depend on your 12 year-old’s ability to build a fire in the wood stove and keep it going. Mom might have to be able to shoot an intruder bent on robbing the homestead when dad is away hunting.
We must remember to stretch ourselves in order to become better at prepping and living a preparedness lifestyle. It is paramount that we remove those gender and age defined roles and stereotypes so that more than one person has the ability to perform the self-reliant skills that are vital for a family’s survival.
Some essential skills all members of your team must know:
- Acquiring water and making it potable
- Building a fire
- Canning and preserving food
- Chopping wood / Splitting kindling
- Cleaning fish or game
- Climate control (operating the off-grid heating system)
- Cooking off grid
- Doing laundry by hand
- First aid
- Foraging and identifying edible plants
- Gardening/farming
- Home repair (basics like patching a leaking roof or repairing an entry)
- Hunting
- Communications (includes acquisition of news, as well as secure two-way communications between members)
- Sewing / Mending
- Shooting (defense)
- Wilderness survival skills
Familiarity with tools can also help you avoid injury. Becoming comfortable and proficient with things like a crank wringer, an axe or hatchet, a filet knife, or a weapon not only allows you to use them more easily and efficiently, it keeps you safer while you’re using them.
Don’t underestimate your kids either. Give them age-appropriate responsibilities and allow them to help you when you perform the necessary tasks for survival. The more familiar a child is with a certain task, the more confident they will be if ever a day comes when it is necessary for them to perform that task without your supervision. One of the things I’ve recently been working on with my daughter is keeping the fire going in the wood stove. Initially she was very leery of adding a log to the fire, but after a few weeks of it, she is becoming a pro. Teaching children to build a fire is one of the most basic survival skills that everyone must know.
Likewise, kids need to learn to be comfortable and respectful of firearms and other weapons, and this can only come through practice. Take for example the recent case of a 12 year old girl who shot an intruder through her bathroom door when she was home alone and forced to defend herself. One day you may have to depend on your child to save your life by providing backup in the event of an emergency where law enforcement doesn’t exist. Or, perhaps it will be your young adult who will be out hunting for wild game to put food on the table while you engage in other tasks.
Cross-training – it’s not just for the gym! Ensure that your family doesn’t rely too much on any one person by having everyone pitch in to learn the different tasks necessary for survival.
This article has been contributed by Tess Pennington of Ready Nutrition. Subscribe to Tess’ Get Prepped Weekly Newsletter for more emergency preparedness tips, homesteading ideas, and insights. As a subscriber to her free newsletter you’ll receive the latest updates from her 52 Weeks to Preparedness Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Planning Series. It’s well worth your time, and oh, did we mention it’s totally free?
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Prepare Prepare Prepare!!!! You never know for what, when, why, how or where! I bet people in Chicago never expected to be getting damage from a hurricane off the Atlantic coast…
I’ll bet there are a lot of people living in the North East who wish they knew a lot more than they do about basic survival…
This article is a good refresher course/reminder of needed preps and practices. Thanks Mac, good reading.
Here is a good start to find the names of those who must be prosecuted at Nuremberg II for crimes, including economic crimes, against humanity:
http://andrewgavinmarshall.com/2012/10/28/the-global-banking-super-entity-drug-cartel-the-free-market-of-finance-capital/
JQP –
I brought you a present:
http://qz.com/21785/the-lights-at-goldman-sachs-stay-on-through-hurricane-electricity-as-the-new-symbol-of-wall-street-greed/
OQ; it wouldn’t come up. Can you give a summary?
John Q’s link just proves the greed for power.
John Q, thanks, it made for good reading. The thought hit me as I was reading it: Now that is journalism!
You are most welcome.
Allow me to return the favor:
http://www.ammoman.com
I grew up in eastern Mass, 1945 thru the ’60s. We were always prepared for power outages, and there was week if not months of home-canned food in the cellar. There was an acre of vegetable garden in the summer. My Dad could and did fix anything we had, including rebuilding the car engines when they needed it, and even made his own boats and furniture. We painted the house, and shingled the barn ourselves. He wasn’t a farmer – he was a process engineer, but that level of self-sufficiency was just normal life. That same town now has been over-run with rich suburbanites who literally don’t know which way to turn a screw, and they’re probably demanding loans from FEMA to repair their lawns and flower beds. If they’d had MY Dad, they would have learned that a man is required by his duty to God to be capable of living without being dependent on anybody else. I honor him for it every day.
Well said OC.
Hey coach,
Earlier this afternoon I decided to dig up some of my sweet potatoes since the weather forcast here is calling for our first frost/freeze this week. I planted them for the first time this year and I planted them late after my beans were finished. I was pleasently surprised how big my taters are. Just two of them will make a nice meal. I have been a gardener for years, but I now grow 2-3 new things each year just to know that we will have plenty to eat if and when I need them. My dad also gave me the skills to care for my family. Thanks Dad!
You can plant potatoes in the fall and actually harvest them in the middle of winter. The trick is covering your potatoes and carrots with hay so the ground doesn’t freeze underneath. Nothing like fresh veggies in the middle of winter.
This works in Canada, where I’m located.
straight up true Old Coach… those of us who grew up in the Mafia Republic of Rho’ Dilund know all too well to rely on ourselves, and not a government of criminals
Remember the old Boy Scout motto:
BE PREPARED
Agreed, perfectly.
There is one skill that seems to be missing, though – improvisation.
It’s well and good that I can start and fuel a generator, but I think that the greater skill is the ability to take a car alternator + a water wheel and make power off of that. It’s one thing to know how to shoot a firearm, but how many people know how to make a bow, arrows, and then use them?
Knowing how to build a house is an awesome skill, but knowing how to modify an existing-but-busted abandoned shack into something livable is likely to be even more valuable.
This ain’t just for the guys, either. Someone who can take old clothing and make new/usable clothes out of the fabric (albeit in a smaller size) is going to make a bundle once civilization goes down the crapper. Same with the ladies who can turn rags into quilts, no? Most of all is the person who can fix shoes… because a good pair of shoes are going to be worth their weight in platinum as the years pass post-collapse.
==
In other news, there’s a few storm advisories out on this (Pacific) coast, so I dragged out a couple of oil lamps, including one that I thought was a good bargain. Figured I’d test them out alongside a few yard-sale-special ones I picked up.
Funny thing is, the shiny new $6 China-built “emergency oil lamp” began leaking from a couple of seams (I fortunately recovered nearly all of the fuel) while the $2 (and likely 50-year-old) oil lamp I bought at a yard sale works perfectly. The old glass lamp now sits fueled up and ready for use, while the metal one sits in the garage waiting for me to figure out whether it’s worth fixing.
Lesson learned: when it comes to new stuff, bargains are almost always not. I think I can fix the thing (nothing a bit of JB Weld on the seams can’t handle), but I should have plonked down a few more ducats and gotten a better quality product in the first place (or hit more yard sales, one of the two 🙂 ).
OQ,
Great point. All awesome info.
One thought though: You cannot make hydroelectric power with a car alternator. A standard alternator uses a semi permanent maganet and does not have enough RPM’s to make any sort of measurable electricity. You need an alternator that is almost exactly like a car’s but has the differences I mentioned. This piece is a little more expensive but not much. I am by no means an expert but I was looking into hydroelectric a few weeks ago and dug up a bunch of sites that explained the difference.
OQ i agree with what your saying.
Prep’s are more then #10 cans, guns, and gold.
How prepared are you without your preps?
Can you feed your self let alone your family?
Can you keep yourself let alone your family warm?
Can you create tools to use?
When and if you have to travel are you prepared for stealth?
Basic tracking of animals?
Basic traps, Housing, herbal remedies?
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/ Great site I mention them all the time, they use and have some great skills to teach. Even if you can not go to the school itself, ( which i have not done personally all my info was handed down by generations of native americans, and military training.) Still good to read click thru the site much basic informationis given along with books to get and such for better survivability.
Primitive Technology 1 and 2 good books to get.
well said OC mine taught us too,,
OC, you hit the paternal lottery!!! Congratulations!!!
I live on long island and I needed to learn how to survive for 5 hours
I bet you learned a lot, Anonymous, and that you will be far better prepared next time!
lol lived on long island during gloria in the 80’s, right on the water in babylon, we bugged in ol much fun swiming in the first floor of your house 🙂
Damage in Chicago??? There IS no damage in Chicago. I am not too far from there and other than being cloudy and a bit windy, the only damage in Chicago is Obama.
I too do not live far from Chicago & as of yet no problems related to Sandy. Loads of other problems like being over taxed, the only state with no concealed carry, & being known as the home of Obama, but other than that Sandy has posed no problems.
High winds and waves off the lake is all I have heard about. But I was surprised by that.
1 day late: I meant to post this yesterday.
Today is Monday, Oct. 29, the 303rd day of 2012. There are 63 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Oct. 29, 1929, Wall Street crashed on “Black Tuesday,” heralding the beginning of America’s Great Depression.
This century has defined moving forward in reverse.
Camping is the best way to start…
Whole heartedly agree. Before last year my son nor wife knew how to start a fire shoot or tie a simple fishing knot. With all the bad karma in the air my wife has let go of her little boy and let him learn all he can from dear ole dad. Not there yet but far better off now
@ Dingo
Good luck & train him well, Dingo.
‘Cuz one day, the survival of many may rest upon the talents you taught him.
Thumbs up!
Thanks I take great pride in teaching the little booger. Best of all he takes to it like a fish to water.
By the way. Long time reader. Love this stuff.
eppe you nailed this one.
Ha! And my wife thought our weekly backpacking and rockclimbing trips were just for fun. “Oops, Honey I ‘accidentally’ left the matches at home, how do you think we should start a fire?”
Indeed.
I tell folks who ask me about Bug-Out Bags to test them (and themselves) by taking ONLY the B.O.B and nothing else on a weekend camping trip. It’s an easy and harmless way to find out what works, what doesn’t, and what you really need. Since they’d be doing this in a non-SHTF situation, it’s not truly life-or-death if something necessary was forgotten or overlooked: they can always go home.
Better to find out that way than when civilization has failed and the gear absolutely *needs* to work.
Also will give you the chance to use the nice new skills you are learning and to make them perfect. Normally take the wife camping iwth nothing more then a SoG, 4″ non folder, two hatchets, a machete, and the cheapest tin mess kit ( dont want to have to carve out a wood bowl to boil water in im lazy :). The land we camp on is family owned, only out building contains a generator that hooks to the trailers when they bring them and the well. ( they being her family ) They used to laugh at me for coming unprepared for the trip as they would say.
Then a week later we would return to thier camp for the ride home 🙂 ( is how my wife found out she likes squirrel 🙂
18. Evasion
Great point US. Like being in a stealth mode.
Practice by playing hide and seek!
Skills are by far and away the best trade goods you can ever possess. Nobody can steal knowledge from you.
2 people with similar skills can get the job done quicker. Time is of the essance when you are trying to survive in a crisis. But team work is beyond value.
Skills that most Boy Scouts or country booys know about. I know Boy Scouting is now off limits to the liberals and you have to go to the country to find a country boy. This reminds me of an old song “Country Boys will survive”. Although I live in the country I was born a city boy, but this old boy will survive.
Consciousness; the Field of All Possibilities.
By tapping into ones own Consciousness one can acquire the quintessential skill for subtly navigating through, around and over “danger” by knowing how to remain off “their” radar.
[Avert the Danger before it Begins]
Without this primary skill one is like a ship at sea without a rudder or an anchor.
Can you give us a little more on this one, EA? Maybe some examples?
Have you ever had one of those moments, Daisy, where you felt your intuition was dialed into subtler levels of the world around you, like you could “almost” read someone else’s mind, hear someone thinking, feel energy being generated in a situation that either spooked you or empowered you?
I believe our nervous systems have inherent in their make up. the most sophisticated cosmic technology in the universe. And yet, for many reasons known and unknown, most humans lack the skills to tap into this amazing system. However, there are those who know how to cultivate that refined perception, who can naturally and automatically utilize their God given skills to tune into the subtler levels of creation and experience these more refined states as easily as brushing their teeth. No magic. No strange, dark world stuff, but normal, clear, Conscious Awareness. Einstein said we use only a small portion of our brains, so what if he was right and what if we started functioning on all cylinders? What might ones experience be then?
Maybe it might manifest in someone whereby the could hear someone thoughts, if, that was where one put ones attention. Like walking into a room and hearing someone saying to themselves something not so good so you turn around and walk out before “something” happens from that person (with bad thoughts). I know all those that read this know what I’m talking about. Sensing something not right in a situation and listening to “our” inner voice that says “Exit stage right”. It’s that 6th sense. We all have it and I suspect many preppers have a deeper connection with that realm because we “listen” to what is going on around us and the more attentive we are to both the outer world and the inner world, the more we get in touch with ourselves and who we are and what we are capable of doing and realizing.
Anyway, I’ve just skimmed the surface but I suspect you get what I’m talking about. That’s why when we do things to nourish our Nervous System, what ever that may be, e.g. eat well, get rest, exercise, etc., then as our nervous system gets the various “fuels” to keep it running properly, the Consciousness that intimately functions within the system is able to clearly connect with subtler mechanics of Nature. IMHO.
If the Consciousness is up and running, then the radar is fully operable to keep us restfully alert to anything and everything that comes our way. Like “Hmm, something tells me this is a good day to stay home, to not go into town. I’m going to listen to that voice and work in the garden. Later you hear of an accident that took place on the road you were going to take about the same time you considered taking it. Funny how that works.
That’s really all I was referring to.
Definitely – great explanation!
I call that feeling a “cosmic thump on the head” and anytime I’ve ignored it or tried to shush it, it’s been a terrible mistake.
~ D
“Conscious Awareness” is a faculty that everyone possesses. It is as natural as the air that WE breathe in and out. It is who WE are.
Some are more self aware than others, but this awareness can be cultivated and developed by quieting the mind and body on a regular, timely basis, and intentionally looking and listening for the Divine.
The Lord yearns for OUR companionship as a lover yearns for their beloved when they are separated one from the other.
Seek and ye shall find. Its the building block of Life.
Great article, all very good points.
I got super excited when I saw the title and I thought it was about physical fitness as it relates to being prepared. I still have not seen an article like this.
As I have brought up several times I believe physical fitness will be a big factor in most SHFT scenarios. What if you have to carry a 60 lb pack all day or through some rough terrain? Would you be able to? I have encountered many people who do not do anything to stay active and just count on “I could do it if I had to”
I challenge everyone to go out and get a true measure of their fitness level. Try to run a mile with a 20 lb backpack. Or walk a mile for that matter. Gauge how you feel afterwards. I’m not saying you need to be able to run a 3 hour marathon, but knowing what your body is and is not capable of will be of tremendous value in a SHFT scenario.
Yes, I wonder how many preppers presently (or have ever) have/had the experience of being “in shape”, physically ready for what’s coming? Without question, it’s the game breaker. With one out of every three Americans obese, contrary to some beliefs, one won’t be living off their fat to survive. Good point.
European American,
Agreed. Game changer for sure. Having all the supplies is great but if you cannot carry them from point A to point B it is all for not.
You also bring up a good point about people who used to be in shape. Being in the physical fitness business I have run across many people who used to be athletes, military, ect, who think they are still in shape but have not gotten off the couch to test themselves in YEARS. Just because you could do it 5, 10, or 20 years ago, does not mean you can do it today.
I’ll second that. I used to run triathlons and then developed a physical problem, started a grind-you-to-dust job, had a family & other life events intercede for many years. I tried to exercise for the first time in a long time this summer and was simply shocked how bad it felt and the condition my body was in.
I highly recommend a current training program 🙂
Oh, and physical conditioning is not just to hump a pack for miles. The day in day out work required with no / limited power will get you too. Trying to plow a garden. Hauling wood. Carrying water or gasoline. Even just holding your arms up to pick fruit for some period of time. It’s all manual labor. And with an out of shape body you are very prone to injury.
Boy, you aren’t kidding about all the physical work! I have never worked so hard in my entire life as I have in the past few months. I thought I was going to keel over for the first month I was here, especially when dealing with a winter’s supply of wood.
My recommendation is to start doing things manually now. Sure you can use electrical equipment to make things easier but if you do at least some of your chores the old fashioned way you will begin to build up your strength and endurance. You may also be surprised when your body acclimates to a healthier weight because of it.
The darnedest things are harder than you expect. Stacking wood, hand-washing laundry (not just dainty articles but heavy dirty items like jeans), watering plants with a bucket instead of a hose, hacking up kindling with a hatchet. How many people have actually hiked through the bush – not on a trail, but right through the trees that are so closely spaced that you have to move branches out of your way and turn sideways to get through them?
If a person doesn’t start now to get into shape, they don’t stand much of a chance when EVERYTHING has to be done the hard way.
I completely agree. I used to think I was in good shape because I could run on an elliptical for an hour a day. Then I went on a vision quest in the Utah canyons and hiked for a few hours with a 60lb pack. I had pain in muscle groups I didn’t even know I had. Definitely a good idea to work out once and while in potentially “realistic” conditions.
JIB and EA,
Spot on!
It’s not important, it’s critical!
One may be required to exert oneself all day and day after day for an extended
period of time.
I practice a very physically demanding sport twice a week, and it is not enough
to improve my strength and stamina.
Now don’t laugh when I tell you that on 2 separate occasions I have done
P90X. Ok, you can laugh if you want, but it has got me in the best overal
shape of my life! Yes, it’s hard, but the results are self evident by your first
month. Best of all you can do it at your house.
When your endurance and strength is enhanced, you will be more confident
with any adversity that you encounter….
Unfortunately fitness is often overlooked.
Slick,
No laughing here. P90X is a great routine that practices functional, athletic strength. I have done P90x and liked it. When it comes down to it, anything is better than nothing. A program like P90X is so awesome because it hits all the basics you want to work on to be functionally strong. Core, cardio, lean muscle mass, and athletic movement. Being a 275lb all muscle bodybuilder looks cool, I guess, but at the end of the day those bodybuilders have all the same problems as obese individuals. High blood pressurse, joint pain, limited mobility, and a need for a high food intake, not to mention the roid rage.
When I tried P90X I loved it, the only downside I noticed was it was a little hard on my body. The 1 hr a day is tough. I work in cubicle hell, and like everyone my day is busy. 1 hour a day is a lot of time. I actually put together my own personal workouts for myself and a few coworkers that we do in the on site gym right after work. We shoot for a 30 min workout, and trust me, its a busy 30 mins, but it gets you there. Since our gym at work is barely more then a stuffy small room with a few dumbells I use a lot of the same principals as P90X. I do a lot of bodyweight exercises and do not really like to use any special equiptment. I change the workouts daily so I never do the same one. To get the most out of the 30 mins I use a weight vest. You do not need a bunch of time or money to work on your fitness. You just need a desire to be active, and the ability to learn some fitness basics. Anyone can do it with a few google searches. Please if anyone wants help starting just reach out and let me know. I would be more than happy to point you in the right direction.
I like belly dancing for an overall body work out, great cardio when done right!
Halfkin: Where’s your video for that?
What do you suggest for us older folks, some of whom have medical issues? Thanks for any input
Feisty Old Broad
Feisty,
Start with walking everyday. Walk a mile or two. Or whatever you can handle. When your mile or two becomes easy incorporate some jogging. It could be as little as jogging 100 yards out of each mile. Even 50 yards if that is all you can do. Repete the process everyday for 30 mins or so. Or more if you have the time. But make sure you are CHALLENGING yourself everyday to do a little more. That is the key. Start slow with what you can handle but try to do more everyday. I am not sure what your medical issues are but activity will most certainly not be pleasant at first, but in a few weeks I can almost promise you will be feeling better. The trick is easy, just get out there and do it.
Since the majority of the population is urban, most of the list doesn’t apply. You need an urban list of skills – for example how to build a safe indoor stove or basic electrician skills.
Also, basic economics is a must. If you can wisely save, invest and protect yourself financially, you have not prepped for the most common and probable SHTF event – personal financial calamity.
Err..make that “…if you CAN’T wisely save…”
Having ran a high adventure outpost for the BSA for many years, I taught a lot of these skills to children. I went too far, however, when I taught a friend’s six-year-old how to start a fire using only what he could find. She had to watch him pretty closely for a while after that.
My own daughter is only 1 1/2, but we are already playing blocking games and she enjoys swinging and closing the tactical baton.
The skill I wish my in-laws had taught my wife as a child is how to use money. There are two types of people. Those pay interest and those who earn interest and we get to decide which one we will become.
18. homeopathic herbal medicine growth manufacture use
and
19. electricity alternative generation use and storage .
the possibilities are endless one is only limited by their own ignorance and desire .
~N.O. ;0p
See no rant good simple advice. You can do it. You can be in a place where people will enjoy your posts.
Cop Tasers 10-Year-Old Boy For Refusing to Clean Patrol Car
WTF ??? ;0p
This is DEADLY USE OF FORCE … TASERS KILL and PERMANENTLY DISABLE !!!
PUBLIC NOTICE : PERSONAL WARNING TO ALL POLICE MILITARY SECURITY GUARDS DHS … PULL AND USE A TASER ON ME OR MY KID without PROPER LEGAL justification … I’LL SHOT YOU WHERE YOU STAND – DEAD ! or I’LL WAIT THEN hunt you down as the rabid dog you are PAY YOU A VISIT with a axe handle AND SHOW YOU HOW TO USE YOUR TASER AS A SUPPOSITORY then pull the trigger and watch you dance till you die .
Its time the POLICE POLITICIANS MILITARY learned RESPECT FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE REPUBLIC and THEIR CHILDREN once again .
PUCK THE POLICE !!!
http://www.infowars.com/cop-tasers-10-year-old-boy-for-refusing-to-clean-patrol-car/
~N.O. ;0P
How to use your TASER suppositories http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/suppositories.htm
What did this rant have to do with anything this site is for. That is a extreme site article. Today was about needed skill. Every police do not need a Phuck You.
Many of us here are either Military or Police or Retired for one or both. So do you think many here want to hear this beating you give them all in suck a general statement.
Child be tazed bad. That doesn’t make them all bad. Your statements just make it to where you will be remembered.
Most ex military tha ti know are disgusted by the way police act, and treat the ppl they work for. Seems all these ppl who work for us treat us like we dont matter. Maybe we need to cut some more of thier jobs. We are supposed to trust and pull over when a police officer says yet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmhjKjjJKIU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGxi5YeFK_I yet another handicapped tased.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWxm_oJfx8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2nKBVKvRSg yep even in thier own buildings doing nothing but requesting a complaint form.
yeah they are not ALL bad but those that are make up for it 🙂
The Police State is alive and well.
Asshole Praetorians Giordanao & Schumacher of the 26th Precinct accept bribes to commit Extortion, Fraud, and Murder. All in a day’s work.
They are coward bastards for using Tasers on children!
Can you say P-S-Y-H-O-P-A-T-H-S?
I hope the hurricane destroys their homes! These monsters deserve it! They are C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-S with a gun and badge!
Their Internal Affairs does absolutely nothing because they are all in bed with each other. Faggot-ass bastards!
P-S-Y-C-H-O-P-A-T-H-S.
You point out 2 individuals not the entire force or officers everywhere.
I do not like the Sheriff department in my area but for the most part all the deputies are good with me except when they pull me over for having fun in my Mercedes then I it my fault.
I told Captain Hart personally yesterday about Pig-Vomit Faggots Schumacher & Giordano of the 26th precinct!
You know what he said?
He says, “They’re phucking each other in the ass, and sometimes I join them!”
They’re all contaminated, corrupted, and soiled. Unions in bed with the Bureaucrats, and Bureaucrats in bed with the Unions, along with Lying Lawyers, and Fraudster Banksters who never get arrested!
They’re a bunch of pussy-ass faggots!
And you know who’s paying for this bullshit?
He says, “They’re phucking each other in the ass, and sometimes I join them!”
That where your whole story became unbeleiveable.
We also have to remember that our caloric intake will more than likely be lower than what it is today, leaving less energy for the task of the day.
If you have stores of food and the SHTF, one of the first things to do is to inventory exactly what you have, break it down in to how long you will need it to provide for your sustinance and how many calories you have stored. Divide the amount of calories by the number of people in your group and divide that by the number of days you need it to provide for and that will give you the calories per day that your stores can provide.
Assume you have 4 people in your group and you total up the calories in your food stores to equal one million calories. You need it to last you 6 months. 1 million divided by 4 divided by 180 equals just shy of 1,400 calories per day.
Do an experiment and write down all of the calories that you consumed yesterday or if you can’t remember what you ate, do the experiment tomorrow. Be sure that you eat normally, not restrictive because you are counting. The goal here is to find out what your body is used to.
I think you will find that 1,388 calories is quite shy of what you normally eat and in addition to that, in a post SHTF scenario you will likely burn more calories because you will be chopping wood and doing laundry by hand, not sitting in front of a computer.
I think that a goal of 2,500 calories per day would be adequate per person given the activities that will be completed. This may even be on the light side.
For 4 people to last 6 months, you will need 1,800,000 calories in your food stores. You can obviously subtract calories that you can produce daily like eggs from chickens, rabbits, sprouts/veggies…etc.
I also would encourage that if 3 months go by and no end is in sight, you will need to ration what is left.
Assume you have no way of producing calories and have the 1,800,000 calories stored away. After the three months passes you are down to 900,000 calories remaining. If you at that point believe that you need them to last another 6 months, you need to start rationing the 900,000 calories down to 1,250 calories per day to make it.
If it gets worse and you get 3 months further and need the 450,000 calories to last 6 more months, you are now down to 625 calories per day per person which will leave you enough to survive, but not enough to expect to be productive.
The bottom line people is that you need to supplement your food stores by produceable food. No cache of food will last forever and we all need to prepare for what is coming.
Below are some things that come to mind for renewable calorie sources.
1. Breed rabbits because they reproduce like rabbits.
2. Chickens producing eggs will be priceless. Make sure you have feed for the chickens and if you chose to free range them, you need land and protection from them. I know of a lady locally that raises chickens and sells the eggs. A mink just killed half of her chickens. This could be devastating.
3. Obvious…a garden. Plant for your climate and soils. Look in to greenhouse growing if you are in a northern climate or potting inside as well.
4. Make an arrangement now with a local farmer to get food from him. When the SHTF, the farmer will be busy fending off strangers. Make sure you aren’t a stranger.
5. Have barterable items to trade for food. I won’t go in to a list of barterable items, use your imagination.
6. Know what plants grow in the wild around you that are edible. A cattail is 100% edible, they can be a survival food and if you have any ponds in your area they are plentiful.
7. Seeds are cheap now, stock up on heirloom seeds so that they can produce more seeds that will grow. Get as many as you can afford to get because you will be able to barter them away for goods and services later. It also doesn’t hurt if you were the one that provided seeds for gardens in your community because your community will be fed and you will be highly valued.
8. Canning supplies – lots of them. OK, I realize this isn’t a food source, but if you have a substantial garden, the ability to can your fruits and veggies will provide until the next harvest.
The first step I would do right away is figure out how many are going to be fed by your supplies. Start with a number of days that you want to have in your storage. Get a count of how many calories you have and do the math. I think most will be suprised when they find that they are lacking adequate storage.
Last thought…there is a reason that during the midevil period, the moon in the spring was called the hunger moon. By that time, most of their stored foods were eaten and harvest was months away.
If there ends up being a TEOTWAWKI situation, you may need years of food, and that can only be from renewable food sources. Don’t learn how to garden after the event, learn it now. Don’t learn how to can things after the event, learn it now.
Prepare, prepare, prepare.
God Bless
FWIW I have just read “Winter Harvest Handbook” by Eliot Coleman — I’m starting some of his ideas this fall. Hopefully there will be no hunger moon in the spring. I really like the idea of producing from the land year round instead of the traditional summer garden, fall harvest, winter stores. He has some really good ideas (I think, we’ll see). If nothing else, hopefully I’ll save a lot on fresh spinach.
I read the “Winter Harvest Handbook” just this spring and it inspired me to build a small greenhouse and some cold frames (as much as I could get away with without violating the annoying neighborhood rules). I have some seedlings for root crops and lettuce in the greenhouse and ready to move to the cold frame. Not sure I’ll get anything with planting this late (near Minneapolis) but I’d rather screw up now when I can still go to the store then when my family’s life depends on it.
thank you for the wonderful info 🙂
@ Norse Prepper. You are so correct about calories as people don’t usually take this into account. It is not fun losing a lot of weight because of not enough food energy. However, people should NEVER substitute calories for EMPTY CALORIES. Nutrition is so important I cannot emphasize enough. There are plenty of junk food crap food that has plenty of calories in it, but no nutrition at all and will over the course of time tear apart someone’s body. Someone that has a store room for of Cheetios or Pillsbury lard made baked goods has lots of calories, but death in a package waiting for them.
People’s bodies must be kept healthy, and if someone looks at the pasty zombie like apprearance that someone gets from consuming junk food, it is scary. To avoid disease after SHTF people need to have the best immune system they can. These chemical rich foods will inhibit the immune system badly. Besides this junk food ia awful for proper digestion and likely bond someone up seriously with constipation. Always consider healthy as possible food with enough calories. There is plenty of good food available to store that will benefit your body.
Norse Prepper, I am glad you brought that up about calories.
Spot on about the calories guys. The basics of nutrition are all meals should have protien, carbs, and good fats. Good fats come from nuts, avacodos, beans, some oils, and a couple other more obscure things. Point being good fats are not, cookies, candy and, fried chicken.
1/2 cup of uncooked rice and 1/4 cup of uncooked beans per person per day is a good start. this is about 2100 calories per day of food. Which, as Norse Prepper mentioned might even be low if you are active all day. But if you supplement this meal with some cooking oil, which is cheap in bulk and caloricly dense, you are adding flavor and a much needed extra 400-500 calories as well as fat to round out the meal.
My basics of food storage started out with bulk bags of rice and beans, and several gallons of oils. I also threw in assorted bulk spices for very cheap to add flavor. A 2 year supply for 2 people can be purchased for under 300 dollars.
Granted that is basic and you will get tired of it quick, but it fills the daily calorie need and is fairly healthy might I add.
You best know how to barter. Because if you ask for the moon you might just find that ‘nice’ gentlemen more than willing to try and take it instead of trade for it.
Over on Survival blog there’s a site you can click on which shows vids on nine different ways to start a campfire. One technique brought a “No way!” along with a chuckle from me when the fella got the fire started. I won’t say what he used…..go see for yourself. Survival Blog: under “Odds and Sods”.
steel wool?
I’ve trained the little woman on everything except, ‘how to operate a chainsaw’. She and sharp objects, like knives, don’t work well together. She can get help with wood if I’m no longer in the picture; Still a fox at 48, she won’t have “any” problem if and when that issue (either kind of wood),comes along.
Years ago, when I was working in collections/loans for a bank; I had to go out and visit a woman that had fallen behind on her mortgage payments. When she opened the door I was horrified. She had a huge,nasty looking scar from the hairline on the forehead,across her right eye and cheek, all the way down across her jaw bone. Apparently, her husband had skipped out on her and the kids about a year previously, and she had been using a chainsaw(without prior experience) on a log set on a saw buck/horse. The saw kicked back and she wasn’t holding it correctly, so she met the screaming chain head-on. Needing to save money wherever she could, she was heating with wood. I felt so sorry for her and the kids, I fudged some numbers and did a re-fi on her mortgage.
I always think of her face when I see a woman or old person using a chainsaw.
Thanks D Tread for your humanity, it is always good to hear the positives/good in people. I thank you for her and her kids too. A though situation for her and the kids.
LIFE SKILLS
I’ve said it before but historical renenactment societies are a wickedly easy family friendly way to gain useful prepping skills, make “useful friends”, and teach our kids in an OPSEC friendly way that won’t attract the wrong sort of attention from the authorities. Agree too about kids and camping.
I loathe the way the adult population in the West has been infantilised. Since when did it get cool for a grown adult to confess they can’t cook or put up a shelf like their basic deficit is a badge of honor?
That said, my team has it’s individuals with specific strengths. I’m never gonna equal the doc or the nurse
though my 1st aid is OK. Noone can match my son’s hearing or his ability to predict the weather. As a team we can all play to our strengths while not carrying any “kidults” along the way.
Army Suicides This Year Exceed 2012 Combat Deaths in Afghanistan
Its time for a COMPLETE and THOROUGH independent multi-national multi-corporation multi-private labs INVESTIGATION on the POISONED pharmaceuticals and POISONED Immunization Vaccine shots FORCIBLY GIVEN TO active duty ARMED SERVICE MEMBERS and V.A. MED dependent VETERAN RETIREE’S from all the branches of the armed services .
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS OBVIOUSLY KILLING ITS OWN TROOPS … BY POISONING THEIR OWN TROOPS MINDS WITH MIND WARPING DEPRESSION ENHANCING SUICIDAL immunization vaccine DRUGS DISGUISED AS “GOOD FOR YOU” SHOTS . I.E. the POISONED ANTHRAX SHOT ( which i know from personal experience destroyed my own immune system for life ) .
It’s time for ALL VETERANS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE DELIBERATE BIG PHARMA MASS EUGENICS POISONING OF AMERICA’S naive SOLDIERS MARINES AIRMEN and SAILORS FOR PROFIT BY NOT ONLY THE 4 MILITARY SERVICES … BUT THE VA VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AS WELL !!!
NO MORE POISONED “BIG PHARMA” POISONED DRUGS FOR AMERICAN VETERANS !!!
THE ARE KILLING US !!! DELIBERATELY !!! INTENTIONALLY !!!
FIGHT BACK “JUST SAY “NO” TO BIG PHARMA DRUGS IMMUNIZATIONS VACCINES” – YOUR LIVES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS CHILDREN HEALTH LIVES DEPEND ON IT !!!
~N.O. ;0p
Army Suicides This Year Exceed 2012 Combat Deaths in Afghanistan http://12160.info/profiles/blogs/army-suicides-this-year-exceed-2012-combat-deaths-in-afghanistan
Are like Ted Turner and think this is a good thing. With your rants it hard to tell which side you are on. Have your YouTube hits paying off.
Would you kindly SHUT UP?????????????????????
Really! It’s not your job to patrol what people post. What useful information have YOU posted lately? NONE!!!! What educational links have you provided? NONE!!!! What positive thing have you added to a conversation? NONE!!!!
I like it when people like NO and KY Mom post links because I LEARN. Try it sometime, this whole learning thing. It will give you something to do besides annoy the crap out of people.
You are such a bully, FBP. You probably beat people up for their lunch money when you figured out they were smarter than you, because you were seeking some way to feel superior to them. I really have been trying to be courteous to you but I’m so irritated by the fact that you are working so desperately to silence someone just because you dislike him. YOU are the one getting the conversation off track because you are constantly harassing him. If you don’t like what he is posting MOVE ON.
Every single time he posts a comment you follow along like a dog humping his leg. Is this some kind of weird BOY CRUSH that you have on him? Is it like that little boy that sat behind me in grade 6 and pulled my hair and annoyed me just to get my attention?
Whatever the motivation, it’s creepy. YOU are creepy. You serve absolutely NO purpose on this site except to annoy and cause conflict. You say that this is your “therapy”? Well stop taking your mental health issues out on others.
Daisy, I just sprayed milk through my nose, that was hilarious. And richly deserved. Facebook, shut the hell up already. It is becoming overly tedious.
Consider me duly threatened, FBP.
You always take everything as a threat. Why is that. When none was made.
Hell. I feel threatened every night we are forced to eat the meal you serve honey !
BWAAA ha ha ha ;0)
;0) AWESOME !!!
Keep Digging that “TROLL HOLE” @fbp .
@Daisy … as much as I appreciate your watching my “6” , please for your own safety … leave the Troll @fbp to me . Just ignore him @Daisy . He’s nothing but a Flea , a lil’ parasite , eventually in time he’ll get “squashed” .
“The Truth … always eventually comes to the Light of Day .”
~N.O. ;0P
NO ~ I think he’s all talk, honestly. He annoys me but he doesn’t scare me.
The fact that he talks too much made him very easy to pinpoint. I have a knack for that type of thing, you know. 😉
I`m sorry for pulling you hair Daisy
Just don’t do it again! 😉
FBP,
I don’t think Daisy was condoning certain images but like most of us here I think she would agree with his right to convey his opinion. Right or wrong.
It seems like you are all for regulating and censoring anything negative being said about the Government or State employees.
I have news for you FBP, WAYYY more thsn 2 cops are guilty of abusing their power and if it wasn’t for sites like this, actions of the corrupt might not have any light shed on them at all. But again, that seems like it is your agenda so that’s not news to you.
If police and government corruption were to go unchecked imagine how much quicker we would turn into a police state.
So, instead of writing something negative about everyone else’s comments, do as Daisy said and try to contribute. We are not your mental health punching bag. Try to stop being such a D-Bag, and if that is not possible for you, at least try to be a less smelly one.
LoL the military does use the troops for drug testing for the fda, have for years. Daisy might not like the hardcore extreme sites but I do 🙂 then again I am a sadist. As far as police and beating them up I think they do a good enough job of beating up on innocent ppl all the time and our constitution. As for the pedo sites I will leave that to the face bookers of the world.
Hey, Coco=—for once we have the same views about something–there is something fishy in the numbers of suicides of our vets.
MK-ULTRA comes to my mind…
What better way for the VA to reduce expenses than to have veterans who “self-terminate” once they are finished with their tours?
The longevity of veterans is NOT cost effective for the Veterans Administration.
So know you are saying they were programed to reduce costs.
Careful daisy, you are getting creepy.
@JayJay ~ Mama Bear ~ Daisy ;0) … Many Thanks .
CoccoPuff Crackhead is telling the truth about the Anthrax shot. A fellew hunter and EX Marine has the Gene that reacts to the vaccine causing auto immune. They didn’t tell him about the vaccine danger.
110k active US troops ‘on prescribed meds’ http://rt.com/files/online-exclusive/galleries/cartoons/active-troops-110k-prescribed/i3e4396424d7ce2053b053110c47623dd_lock-and-load-2-gal.jpg
‘We have lost respect’ – former US Senator http://rt.com/files/online-exclusive/galleries/cartoons/us-wars-corporations-gravel/i67ad3d84c2632ac658fe95530e8f0af6_us-02.jpg
US in Iraq: Men of steal http://rt.com/files/online-exclusive/galleries/cartoons/httpsrtcomnewsus-iraq-dollars-pilferers-795-us-men-steal/i9b2a8d8a4798642bb48f9802b4efa6a1_big.jpg
AmeriKan Veteran V.A. Illnesses – Radio Show C 2 C AM:
V.A. Fraud Cover Ups ~ Aug 20 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfZbhEorMsE&feature=related
Put kids to work. Give them chores and expect / demand that they be done correctly. At a young age they learn that their is no free ride and a terrific work ethic too often lacking today id developed. My close friend started working with his father in HVAC at the age of 10 after school and in the summer. By the time he was 20 he had already accumulated a decade of experience.
I hated all I had to do as “a kid” while ignoring the 12 hours days my father worked. That “training” paid off throughout my working life.
We were holding a workshop for returning vets with kids. And a father was having problems with his daughter with doing anything around the house after she returned from her mothers.
She to all of our amazement said. I don’t have to do anything to get stuff there is always nice people who get me and mommy food and stuff. So I Will just wait for them. Why should I do anything. She is 7 Years old.
@fbp … i call “BULLSHEEIT” on you … on both accounts . You working at the V.A. and your quote of the kid .
I volunteer with vets where I can. I have no need to work anymore.
And that statement i heard very often when I was a slumlord . It is the SNAPer mindset . That was were the mothers life ended up when she run off from this vet when he was deployed.
Howdy All,
In the event that a single person is truly ‘indispensable’ to the well being of a group that group is already in deep trouble. I coudn’t agree with the author more, on all of her points, about the need to have both a broadly diversified skill-set available to any group and the neccessity for that skill set to be as broadly distributed redundantly through it’s members as can possibly be arranged. The Grim Reaper doesn’t care whether you found the time to learn how to chop wood or cook dinner – or change a diaper – along the way or not…when he arrives and you’re weighed on his scales it’s either ‘PASS’ or ‘FAIL’
One of the things that has rolled through the back of my mind over time, something that wotties me a bit is that the circumstance dictates the need; In English, If a SHTF situation occurs – almost no matter how well we have planned – the vagaries of life will inevitably change the specifics with which we are faced…the situations we face will change and our immediate needs will have to change to match. Norse Prepper lays out a really good schema for evaluating the need – nutritionally – I wonder though that we might alos have to consider our efforts in a ‘phased’ sort of way.
If one is moving from place ‘A’ to place ‘B’ in a SHTF scenario (hopefully whilst still mobile in a vehicular sense) then the actual caloric neccessity would be fairly low, more of a comfort/shock response to eat more than at subsistance level. If – God Forbid – one was relegated to relying on ‘LPC’s’ then that’s another matter entirely, much higher caloric intake is mandated. Arriving at ‘B’ we either have a circumstance ranging from a previously laid-out site, pre-prepared in advance to arriving at a location whereat far more physical labor is required just to effectively afford the group the basics of sustained daily existance. Additionally, there’s the issue of ‘Defense rations’. At any point when a group is effectively under duress due to threat – implied or real and at-hand – again we have a (neccesarily) different set of requiremets nutritionally speaking.
For the most basic and limited ongoing scenario it appears – broadly by the consensus of several different sites – that about 1400 calories/day would suffice for the simple maintenance of the body. But – and here I make the distinction between Men and Women explicitly – when the physical labor is from dawn-to-dusk I have heard that we might well be obliged to over 4500 cal/day/male and 3000/day/female. I guess what bothers me in this most is being able to plan to always have – AT HAND, independent of caches – sufficient foodstock, regardless of whether travelling, emplaced permanently or in a duress situation such that we don’t come up short. If I haven’t already mentioned it previously, you need a high sugar intake during a ‘duress’ type situation in order to be able to respond immediately as the situation suddenly changes, otherwise far less sugar is required day-to-day, etc. Sometimes it-feel-like-head-will-EXPLODE!!! Any thoughts you all have as to your specific solutions to the foregoing ‘balancing act’ would be greatly appreciated. I’ve thought about this for a while and have considered a lot of different cases I just feel a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities and permutations involved.
@ PO’d Patriot,
Good Job, Keep plugging the importance of the strict requirements relative to electical motors at everyone… most people truly beleive that they can go out with a ‘pedal-powered’ gen and do the job, they just don’t understand the radical distinction between light bulbs and things that go round’ and round’, truly most don’t HAVE to consider such things in daily life so long as the Grid is there to pick up the slack.
@ BI,
Thanks VERY much for the lesson in seimicity! I finally got over to Wiki and there got apprised of the switch-over to the ‘Modified Moment Scale’. Your explanation was Spot-On…I suppose I’ll have to wiggle out of my (intellectual) hole a little more frequently to keep apprised of changes as they occur. Again, Thanks.
“My Ignorance Is Unveiled Before All Mankind” 🙂
@ JustOneGuy. I know a lot about the basic sciences, but what I am doing in predictions in earthquakes would be viewed by most with skepticism, ALL new theories get picked apart. Until I can pinpoint earthquakes to the exact spot or the exact day, the seismologists might ho hum what I am doing, even getting it within 135 miles like this 7.7 is not good enough. That is okay because I am learning with each new earthquake. By the way you are no way ignorant, you were just not aware. I have plenty that I don’t know, and I learn valuable information from many people on this site everyday.
Hi Bi,
You’ve got anohter Polar event to work with… A 4 someodd up near Nord, Greenland. It’s not on the default USGS map, you’ve got to ‘move the map north till it displays. I caught it only because the cont was 301 and the display was only for 300 events, when I moved the slider to 400 it STILL only displayed 300 and of course I thought ‘*?*X!!@%^VV@$#$?’…natuurally. Happy calculatin’!
Oh, BTW, several postings ago, when I mentioned the ‘Trafeoff.pdf’ the natural disaster-as-precursor to a tipping point was illuminated by the author…I hope that future historians don’t end up naming that point ‘Sandy’
‘Auf wiedersehen und guten nacht alles!’
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
— Robert Heinlein
although most of my “education” was provided by my old fashioned and countrified parents my husband always made sure i knew what to do in any given situation while he was away on military business and if it was something that i just could not grasp he made sure i knew who i could call on for help..number one rule growing up with parents and in married life has always been to be prepared for anything.
One skill that used to get passed down is how to fix things. At one time things had quality and could be repaired. While that is not as common today a lot of stuff can be fixed. It was a father / son and should be daughter bonding experience and real useful too.
Yard sales in good neighborhoods often have quality things that just need a little fix but the office types that live in the McMansion have no clue how to use a wrench. I got a one year old self propelled LawnBoy mower with a damaged throttle cable for $25 at a yard sale.
My husband was a great “fixer of things”…..when he passed I was 44 with a 16 year old son …..when the vaccuum quit working I rewired it (never having done it before) and when the front door would not close, I replaced the doorknob and plates (also never having done it before, and granted that took me about 2 hours to accomplish), but it was when I replaced some parts in the shower that my son asked me how I knew how to do all of this….I told him that I guess watching his Dad for over 20 years I absorbed some of HIS knowledge…..just by watching….now my son is 27 and he is a great “fixer” too….
very good share.I appreciate ur works.
Everyone should try to become Jack and Jill of all trades. No one should feel that a task is below them or to much above them, we can all adapt to what others become good at. It takes time and practice to acquire skills, but it can be done. Not only does it protect you presonally, but it gives a person much confidence in themselves the more that they can do. The more you work with you hands the better dexterity you will have, and eye coordination is essential with so many different survival needs. One of the most important exercises someone can do is to exercise their minds. The more problem solving you can use your mind with, the easier it will be to solve those problems that will be many after SHTF. The interaction we all do with each other is excellent to get that mind working on all sorts of issues.
Kevin2, I couldn’t agree more on teaching the kids to work and start them as early as possible. As a kid in grade school, I did chores at home, helping both Mom and Dad. It taught me responsibility; later i worked my way up to doing yardwork and other odd jobs for our elderly neighbors. I went on my first camping trip at age 7. I learned how to put up the tent, build campfires, etc. In summer of 2010 I went camping again for the first time since I was a teenager. I set up my tent and got a campfire going just like in the old days. At the time, everyone else in the state park I was in had some kind of RV. I was the only one out there in a tent. You should’ve seen all the crazy looks I received like I just came down from the moon. To me, sitting at a campfire at night telling stories, laying back and watching all the stars, and being in a tent IS THE REAL DEAL. There’s something about being in an RV at a campsite that makes it seem so bogus. Doing it the old-fashioned way is the real deal to me; nothing else like it. I do need to learn some other skills like firstaid, etc. If i can ever find some other like-minded people i can trust; that’s the problem. braveheart
You are so right! I just returned from a weekend trip to my great grandmas old home place, which I love to visit. I woke up this morning thinking, how ironic is it that I leave the comforts of my home to find rest and peace in an old 4 room house, wood stove for heat, purchased water, out house, camp stove for cooking. I love it there as much as real camping!
I’ve been teaching my daughter everything I know since we moved out into the boonies. She is learning how to build a fire in the woodstove and keep it going. She’s learning to shoot right along with me. She knows how to can (with guidance), is learning gardening and can find her way around in the forest. She has better survival skills at the age of 12 than many adults that I know.
It has been really hard for me to let her do risky things, like tending the fire and using a hunting knife, but if I want her to be safe if something were to happen to me, there are essential skills she MUST have living out here like we do and you can only acquire those skills by practicing them. If the need were to arise for her to keep a low profile, she MUST be able to do these things for herself.
More than skills, though, the most important thing I can teach her is an independent mindset – the knowledge that SHE CAN DO IT and the confidence that comes with it.
That didn’t teach anything it sound like a Facebook Page post. So we are going back to that now. And I was going to change my handle.
Is that all you’ve got, FBP? You are truly laughable.
Daisy you are not the issue. But your above post is the same as you complain about.
change it back to southern boy
I am not southern boy
What’s been the hardest thing for your kids to adjust to re moving to the boonies?
If all goes well then we will be relocating at the end of this school year. It’d be really great to get some hints and tips on how to make the transistion from someone who has been there.
Lone: My oldest daughter is away at school, so only the younger one made the move with me on a full time basis.
We lived in a pretty big city before. I prepared her ahead of time for the fact that going to Wal-Mart and the larger discount stores is a 3 hour round trip, so we will only go once a month. She keeps a list in her bedroom of personal items to stock up on when we make the trip. Shopping, or lack thereof, has probably been one of the biggest changes for her. (I hate shopping so I am THRILLED to only go once a month!)
The kids here have a very different mindset, which has been a big change for her also. Whereas we still have the cautious “city” mentality of locking our doors and being more prepared for crime or violence, kids here tend to have a lot more freedom. They are also much more familiar with weapons and hunting and that type of thing too.
Some of the things I did to make the change easier:
~ We got some field guides for exploring the woods near our house. She really enjoys identifying plants, tracks and scat.
~ She’s a voracious reader so I got her some fiction from similar settings. For example, “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” by Stephen King is about a 10 year old girl who is lost in the wilderness by herself for a week. It’s her new favorite book.
~ I explained everything to her in advance, about the distance from shopping, the lack of luxuries and all of that. She has been raised with a prepping mindset so she understands the importance of this move and of learning these skills.
Let me know if I can share anything else to help!
I’d learn how to live off the land to if I had to eat another day of your cookin.
Shooting is crucial for defense, but also necessary for hunting to provide food.
In other news, Star Wars Episode 7 has been confirmed. It is being taken over by Disney and largely pushing Lucas out of the picture. It must be the end of civilization.
There will be Panic into Gold: Doug Casey
Now (THIS WEEK end of Oct 2012 ) is the time to buy Preppers .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZHTFhrmyHk
Silver – I’m Buying – Mike Maloney (Delayed ‘Insiders’ Release)
Now (THIS WEEK end of Oct 2012 ) is the time to buy Preppers .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZvQEhQsGE&feature=related
Now We Can See The Devastation At The Jersey Shore That Made Chris Christie Get So Emotional http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-jersey-shore-hurricane-sandy-2012-10
The Prison System Expands at Frightening Pace Following Declaration of War on Drugs In the early 1970s, the prison population in the United States was small and was steadily falling relative to the size of the population. Experts imagined that in a few decades, the prison system as we know it could be successfully dismantled, but that began to change after President Nixon began the War on Drugs in 1971, resulting in a huge influx of convicts. http://sgtreport.com/2012/10/the-prison-system-expands-at-frightening-pace-following-declaration-of-war-on-drugs/
Mainscream: US media Iran hysteria http://rt.com/files/online-exclusive/galleries/cartoons/media-iran-hysteria-mainscream/i48248708b83642a005af1758e7b5d0e8_us-media-cartoon-605224.jpg
i’d add 1 more skill: bartering… the reason should be self-evident
Ihave a question,,,there is some people i would like to contact in here one on one is there anyway for me to do that???
Snake, you can send an email to mac@ and we will contact that individual with your details if an email address for them exists.
In the very near future we will have private messaging capabilities.
Thanks!
Mac
You know, one day, when shtf, all the people that have been preparing should all get together and build our own colony……that would be awesome.
Hey guys, so I’m a 16 year old girl that is trying to get ready for when shtf. My parents think I’m crazy and don’t really support me.. They don’t let me buy anything in order for us to prepare because they say it’s a waste of money. (I’m currently looking for a job though) Is there anything you guys think I should do? I’ve also been working out and learning self defense and packing my bob bag and doing other stuff also. It just makes me so angry.
@help:
you mentioned that you are looking for a job. i hope something has come thru for you since november 2012.
because the conventional jobs economy is crumbling as we speak, i want you to consider that we do not need jobs, we need income. with that in mind, i suggest you check out the nonjobcampaign channel on youtube. the creator of it is a body-builder (& more) who, on this channel, shares how he became financially successful in his trade for the sake of those who don’t want to work in traditional jobs.
i also suggest you consider the book i myself wrote a few years ago, Surthrival Guide For Under 18ers. it’s available thru amazon. you are not on your own per se, & hopefully will not be for another few years. unless you are in an abuse-situation, it is likely best to stick together as a family. while SG is not specifically an SHTF or doomsday title, it does give you some things to consider as you navigate your way into the world at large even if the world were as bright & sunny as it was in the mid 80s.
continue working out & learning the self defense. sadly, those may come in handy no matter what your home life is about. if your parents start to be non-supportive about that too, frame your explanation in the context of how you like it as a sport & how it helps you to stay in shape.
get yourself a job/income. sooner than later.
good luck & God bless,
MarkF
“Hey guys, so I’m a 16 year old girl that is trying to get ready for when shtf. My parents think I’m crazy and don’t really support me…”