This article was originally published by Daisy Luther at The Organic Prepper
Did you ever think about how different your day to day life would be after an SHTF event? The little things we take for granted now, like making a meal, staying warm, or having water to drink and bathe in would suddenly become a whole lot more complicated.
Who better to tell us what that is like than Selco? For those who don’t know, Selco spent a year in a city in Bosnia that was blockaded. During that year, he and the other residents lived without our normal amenities like heat, running water, electricity, and supplies that could be purchased at the stores.
I asked him some questions about daily life after the SHTF. I think you’ll agree that his answers are eye-opening.
(Note: Selco’s interviews are lightly edited for clarity, but I want to use his own words. The authenticity of his stories remains intact. For those of you who don’t know of Selco, please note that English is his 4th language. Whiny grammar Nazi comments will be deleted. Comments complaining about my use of the word “Nazi” will be posted, however, so we can publicly mock them, and then the commenter will be banned forever for being a whiner.)
What time did you usually get up? What woke you?
A few weeks after the collapse came, all aspects of our normal life changed based on the new reality around us.
One aspect was “sleep cycle“- the time when we sleep and when we were awake and active.
One of the most basic rules that jumped in was that most of the activities got done during the night.
Some reasons for that were obvious, like danger from snipers. But also the other reason (maybe even more important) was that over time it becomes very important to hide your activities connected to gathering resources.
To explain it more, when you have a lot of people in a small area (city) and you have less resources that are needed for that number of people, the fact that you HAVE something (food, water medicines…) needs to be hidden from people who do not have that.
The system (law, police, etc.) was out, and it was important not to give reasons for people to attack you because you have something interesting.
So, anything connected with gathering resources (wood, food, trade…) was finished mostly during the night.
Of course, violence mostly happened during the night too (violence that included “close fighting.“)
Activities in your home and yard were possible to be done in the daytime. For example, we would spend the day fixing our water gutter that goes from the roof so it can go in a big barrel, but if we needed to climb on the roof and fix holes with tarps or to “funnel“ it to the gutter, that needed to be done in the night time.
There was no “usual“ time to get up, at least not in hardest period. Even if we did not have anything particular to do we would be alert during the night time, simply because night time was full of different activities in the city, and you needed to be ready.
In our case (because we had more than 10 people most of the time in the house) we could do a schedule that meant not all of us needed to be alert all the night.
During 24 hour periods of time, someone was always sleeping, others were doing some job, but as a general rule nights were much more active then days.
Messing up with normal sleep cycle was a problem alone, and it contributed to the stress, feeling tired and stressed because you did not have enough sleep or enough quality sleep was a normal thing.
Sometimes close detonation of shells would wake me up, sometimes my relatives woke me up because it was my guard shift, sometimes we would all be awake the whole night because of close shootings, and possible danger.
Sometimes I would wake up by myself because that day I did not have any particular duty to do, so I would stay home, checking things in the house, maybe trying to fix some things.
What did you eat for breakfast, if you had breakfast?
Traditionally here (in Balkan region) we ate a lot of bread, and we eat it with almost all food.
It is actually strange not to have bread on the table, no matter what kind of food you eat, or what time of day it is (breakfast, dinner…)
It is a Slavic tradition from ancient times to greet dear guests with bread and salt (and right after that comes alcohol).
I am trying to portray the importance of bread here, and then when the collapse came, suddenly it became scarce (just like everything else).
I believe it was the biggest problem when it came to meals, the lack of bread, simply because we used to eat it a lot.
It was kinda a psychological problem for us too, not to have enough bread.
That was first biggest change.
Note: do not underestimate the power that food has not only in calorie terms but also in psychological terms. Having and eating food that you love makes things much easier. Store food in your prepper storage that you LIKE to eat.
Second thing was that the usual “schedule“ of meals was lost.
It was very rare when we could all sit together to have dinner or breakfast, simply because someone was sleeping or someone else was busy with something.
For breakfast, we ate whatever was there in the moment. If the day was good and we managed to find something like an MRE or canned meat it was good breakfast.
On bad days we usually ate “pancakes“. “Pancakes“ were locally picked greens, mixed with water and very small amounts of flour (just to keep greens connected). It looked awful and tasted awful too.
The greens that people picked from nearest hills were supposed to be edible, based on rumors, or older people who had some knowledge about edible plants.
Another favorite at that time was “tea“. It was a big pot that stood on the stove, with water and local herbs inside, we called that tea or soup.
It was something like substituted for one of the traditionally favorite meals in this region – soup. Just like bread, here it is a tradition to have hot soup with your meal.
Just like with sleep cycles, times of meals were messed up. Also, the food that we ate for particular meals was messed up. We ate when we had the chance, and we ate what was available in the moment. For example, in normal times for breakfast here, we ate sandwiches or eggs. It was something to dream about during the collapse.
And yes, sometimes I simply did not have breakfast or dinner, or anything for a whole day or night.
Note: very soon people (when they had all ingredients) started to make bread in small pots right on the stove, it required not too much fuel and time, it was easy to make it (with flipping bread in the pot).
Did you have a job aside from survival? Did people go to work each day like they do now?
No, in my case no jobs because in that hardest period system was out completely. There was nothing like regular jobs in places that you worked prior to the collapse.
You could find a use for your skills if you had any, for example being nurse meant I had some knowledge and skills, and it was pretty valuable actually because I could trade it for food or other usable items.
When the system is out, any knowledge in some particular field is important. For example being able to recognize a broken rib or infection, and being able to help with whatever is available in that moment meant a real value that you could sell.
An important thing to mention is that in some other cities in the region where war was at the same time, some kind of system and government was still there. In those regions, the government imposed something like”obligatory working“.
It worked in a way that, for example, if you were an electrician in a city company, the government could give you an order to work for free for some other company, military unit, or whatever.
In reality, it meant that some armed group or fraction could simply mobilize you and take you from your home.
My biggest skill in that time was my medical knowledge. Even when the whole system was out, even when there was no medication, there was use for my knowledge.
Did children still have school during this time?
No, there were no schools in that hardest period in my place. The system was out completely.
There were some attempts from family members to try to keep up some level of homeschooling, but pretty soon it was clear that we all had much bigger and more serious problems than homeschooling.
Kids simply lost that period when it came to school.
How much of your day was filled with chores like acquiring food, water, and firewood? Can you tell us about that?
A lot.
People do not understand how much hard work is needed to get done things like water, food, heat, security because the system is here for us to take care of those things, so we do not have to.
We were ordinary city folks who did not have a lot of knowledge about stuff like how to go find a tree, take it down, chop it into small pieces, and bring it home somehow. Or how to collect water from rain, or bring enough water from the river when that is impossible.
So we learned that, but it took us time to learn. We were not preppers in any meaning of that word.
If you wanted to go to a hill close to your home and take down a tree for firewood it was all night job for a few people.
The first problem was that we did it in pitch darkness. After that, the next problem was to either to carry it in bigger pieces (and be slow and vulnerable) or to chop it down into small pieces (and spend more time in that place, which also was not desirable), or to leave someone to guard it while others took down pieces, or to go all together and risk that someone else took the rest before we get back.
As a carrying system, people often used homemade carts, very rudimentary setups made from an old baby cart or a wooden box with wheels from a baby cart, or similar. Or we simply would carry it on our back in bigger pieces and chop it later in our yard where it was much safer to be.
It was a heavy job.
Finding firewood was a constant job, so often while we were doing other jobs, we would collect it on our way, things like wooden windows and door frames from destroyed buildings.
Yes, there were days when we were good, we would have enough water, food, and wood. We were good.
But usually, we were always missing something.
When the system is out, way too much time is needed to take care of everyday needs.
If we had enough food, we did not have enough rain for water so we took trips to the river. If we had enough water then someone had a serious case of diarrhea and we were worried about that.
Not to downplay the physical threat, but preppers today usually focus only on the physical threat, on fighting, weapons, and similar, while there is much more to everyday survival.
One good example of the effort needed to get something done is trade.
In order to do trade, first you would look for information about someone who had some goods, then you’d check and recheck that information, then you’d take into consideration the risk of going there, then you’d make a plan how many of us were going and what we are carrying there, and then you’d go and do that trade.
It was a complicated and dangerous process.
Where did you use the bathroom?
Close to our house, between a destroyed apartment building (we used that building sometimes as a guarding outpost or up-front layer of defensive ring of our house) and our house was something like a small park.
It was boxed (hidden) from 4 sides and pretty safe to use as a toilet by simply digging a hole in the ground.
After few months we built something like primitive latrine there. It worked for us during that time.
Toilet paper after some time become unknown, so we used what was available, clean rags and water and similar.
What did you do for personal hygiene?
If you look at it from today’s perspective, we did not do too much.
Personal hygiene was a matter of taking quick sponge baths when we had time and means for that and rare real bucket showers. But those were really rare.
When it came to our home, we did try to keep it as clean as possible. For example, we used one room for sick folks, we did try to clean ourselves in the yard and to take dirty clothes there.
Soap was possible to get in that time through trade, and in some periods things like alcohol pads were traded, but again the biggest problem was not having enough water for all our needs.
When you live for a prolonged period of time in those circumstances you kinda get used to the lack of hygiene. You do not like it but you live with it, and even make fun out of it. Psychologically people tend to get used to the lack of hygiene, especially when everybody around you is in the same state like you.
It was again a matter of having bigger problems on our mind.
For the minor problems, there were things like fungus infections, very common simply because in some periods we did not have enough time to keep ourselves dry and clean. Small cuts were usually solved with alcohol (alcohol for drinking was more or less available).
Real problems were connected with bad food and water treatment.
There were days during the summer when it was almost unbearable because of the stench that was in the city. A lot of bodies were not buried.
How many family members lived in one home?
It depends, but the tendency was that when the collapse came, relatives got together in the better house (between two families of relatives). So, for example, your uncle and aunt would come and live with you if their house was destroyed, or if your home was safer and better, or if you simply agreed that it was better to have more manpower together.
In my case, through that period, not less than 10 people were in our one house.
Usually, prior to the SHTF, living conditions and the number of occupants per house or apartment were the same as in any other European country.
One difference was that traditionally (prior the war) we did bring to our home parents when they got old, or too old to live by themselves.
For example, if you were living with your wife and two kids, and your parents are 85 years old, and one of them dies it was common to bring other parent to live with your family, to arrange room for him and to take care for him untill his death, if you had a house big enough for that.
It was not the rule, but it was common as a part of the tradition. Yes, we did had homes and pension centers for old folks where the state takes care of them, but it was kinda shameful to leave your elders there.
I am pointing out this as an explanation why when the collapse happened, people from the same family tended to quickly go together and form group. Suddenly you were in the same house with your grand uncle.
It was like that because strong blood tradition was present. It is not like that anymore. That tradition has faded away.
As a general thought, at first look more people meant more mouths to feed. But more people also meant more firepower, more working power, more support… It is about the skills, will, and mindset of those people.
How were responsibilities divided up?
Through the socialistic-communist society doctrine (in society before the war) it was strongly pushed that females and males were equal in any field of life, and people had that kind of mentality built.
But when the SHTF, pretty soon a traditional way of life jumped in. Women were staying home, taking care of kids and food, and men were going out more actively.
It was not rule, but it was usual.
Usually, women were the ones who knew how to make food from something that did not look like real food or to make it edible, or to comfort sick or frightened kid.
Women were the pillar of everything.
I would say that we simply did things that each one of us was best in. It was not democraty. The person (not necessary the oldest) who had most organizational skills was in charge, simply because it make sense like that. Duties were divided between other members based on skills, strength, and sense of fairness.
But things had to be done if you wanted to be part of everything.
As I said, we were family, so we were closely connected from before, so we did not have any big surprises. We were not preppers but we had that bond from before.
People of younger age would do the guard job, but a man of 85 years would not do that because we would do it much better then him. He would stay home that day and maybe take care of fixing the tarp that needed to be used for roof hole.
Note: There is a reason why I always advocate building your group way before SHTF, because in that way you get to know folks that your life my depend when SHTF.
What were some tasks that you had to do on a regular basis that we may not have considered?
You could call it scavenging.
When SHTF in a serious way, you were simply always missing something. Of course, you also missed important things, like food, water etc.
But you also missed (especially if you are not prepper) a whole bunch of small things that could make your life easier.
Some of those seem ridiculous. Like shoelaces, not only for shoes but also for oil lamps. But then you need shoelaces of a specific kind because the “bad kind“ kinda melted and turned off the lamp.
You were looking for a simple crowbar because it is a great tool for taking down wooden door frames or similar. You needed small pot with lid on it because you want to take fuel from an abandoned car by making hole in the tank.
You were looking for spare batteries in abandoned houses, candles, wires, ropes, soaps… anything that would make your life easier.
And it is a process because you need to be sure… Is that house empty? Is it safe so it will not collapse on you (roof looked partialy collapsed maybe)? Are you suspicious about booby traps because you do not know?
Simple things like a multitool (Gerber or Leatherman style) would make life so much easier in those days.
Any other stories you’d like to share?
In that time, for a light people usually used homemade lamps. A simple glass with small amount of cooking oil, shoelace, and a tin bottle cap and you have lamp.
It burned with a “dirty“ flame, with a lot of thick black smoke, but the real problem was that it smelled bad. But at the same time, it smelled like doughnuts.
At least it smelled like that to us in that time. We had a lot of hard times sitting in the room, discussing something in very bad light, hungry,v but feeling like doughnuts are almost ready for eating.
Then I was imagining doughnuts because of that smell. Now, whenever I eat doughnuts I always remember those survival lamps.
More from Selco
- Selco: Who Survives and Who Dies When the SHTF?
- Selco: How to Stay Warm During a Long-Term SHTF Situation
- Stories from an SHTF Christmas: An Interview with Selco
More information about Selco
In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.
He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations like Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.
Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.
Read more of Selco’s articles here: SHTF School
And take advantage of a deep and profound insight into his knowledge and advice by signing up for the outstanding and unrivaled online course. More details here: SHTF School Survival Boot Camp
Please feel free to share any information from this article in part or in full, giving credit to the author and including a link to The Organic Prepper and the following bio.
Daisy Luther is the author of The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide To Whole Food on a Half Price Budget. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]
Reminds me of “midnight auto supply”
“One of the most basic rules that jumped in was that most of the activities got done during the night”
Lost my interest after the first paragraph…
Yeah, lemme know how that thermal imaging works out for ya…
I’m still amazed at how much time you preppers put into preparing, but none in preventing… Gonna get ate alive.
Truth is, if you can’t defend it, IT AIN”T YOURS!
The fact that they did so much work at night points out the need for headlamps that would free up both hands. The difference between “scavenging” in a strange, seemingly unoccupied house and looting it depends on whether someone is living there and catches you. From this article and the other articles, barter does not seem as important as some survivalists say it will be.
You must remember that Selco was living in an active war zone. History shows us that barter will be wide spread and relatively safe in times of peace.
Just because an economy collapses due to, say, hyperinflation does not mean everyone will turn violent.
(well, the white people won’t anyway)
Well said.
Big difference between SHTF like in Venezuela and Serb War. Venezuela still has a functioning society, just the money is worthless, so everybody has to trade. In War there is no society, just lawlessness.
Well too in Venezuela there is little food. Just recently my son showed me a video on a crowd of Venezuela citizens clutching only rocks, knocked down a farmers fence and beat a large cow to death and were carving it up and actually eating some of the raw meat as the cow was struggling. He looked at me and asked, is it that bad there (cause I say little of what I read, see or hear to allow him to have some hope of a future. He does have concept of obtaining food through a garden and he can butcher deer and those sort of tasks. But I speak very little and just prepare for the whole family in case I’m not around if things happen. I must confess too that both wife and children are well versed in firearms training. Long guns and handguns. My wife has her own personal weapons. I truly don’t know if that will be enough. I do hope that if I am no longer here that they’ll carry on.
Learn to live off the grid now. I found a better site that focuses on this subject and survival called OffTheGridNews dot com. Lots of good tips and you can comment with out being nazi moderated.
You are not doing your children any favors by failing to talk to them about reality. If they can deal with butchering a deer they should be able to deal with the reality of what governments can, will, and have done to their populations, now and in the past, and that includes starving them to death.
Why are you not discussing what you see, read, and hear with everyone in your family on a daily basis? Do you think they are weak? Do you think you are doing them a favor by keeping them as imbeciles?
Guns are not enough to protect your family! They all need to be able to think in a critical manner, to be able to determine friend from foe, to be able to be a leader. Who leads them when you are dead? Everyone in your family should have leadership skills as a core skill.
I hope that got you thinking a little deeper.
it may well be MORE violent than selco went through….have you seen walmart on black-eye-day?….the younger generation has NO respect anymore. i once asked selco about bartering when shtf….he said just what i figgered….too damn dangerous, it won’t work, unless you’re VERY lucky, and VERY careful, and VERY good.
I listened to NPR radio during the Bosnia war, the narrator made it sound like a movie was playing in your head from the details and the horrific accounts. TV news showed people starving in detention centers. If we were nuked or an EMP hit us, many would starve in weeks, be taken captive in cities if martial law was in force, or have to live off grid and self sufficient depending on where they were. Few are prepped and organized today, and wouldn’t make it, crime would run unabated.
You’re right. The Darkies will riot for sure when they can’t get their soda and cigarettes at the store.
Yo Brian, I wouldn’t reccomend headlamps or anything else that coud be so easily spotted!
Head lamps are great for when there is no power and you are still in your house. Much easier to use a head lamp to go the the bathroom than having to light a candle.
Head lamps would be great for quick 5 minute projects without having to turn on a larger power source. If you risk using it outside, you risk people seeing you, but what else are you going to do?
You said it first- remember, they were scavenging with active snipers around!
One of the main reasons for operating at night is not to be seen. One would not want to put a glowing beacon on their forehead in that case.
Just sayin.
Living in the woods I can relate to things. We use wood heat and water can be an issue. Largely self reliant we hunt and use what is in the woods to live on
I would sure like to know how to go about putting a group of “like minded folk” together without giving away too much opsec
Arby5
The first thing is to prioritize where to look and therefore by extension where not to look for candidates.
Where not to look:
1. Golf courses except possibly the grounds staff.
2. Sports games
3. Any place that has to do with art
4. Drug rehab centers
Talk to your neighbors.
Mine are all rich(I’m NOT!),
so, I have an advantage over
most city folk.
I used to live in a place
where most people were illegals,
same rule, talk to the neighbors.
People want peace and quiet.
They go to church on Sunday.
Here we get rid of problems.
Only assholes call the cops.
Talk to your neighbors but DON’T let them know what you have, or don’t have for that matter. Trust no one, including your neighbors, just pretend to trust them so they’ll invite you in and show you what they have. When it goes down and dark, people change for the worse. It is then when you really know who your friends aren’t.
CJ,
Part of prepping is figuring out who can help you.
I have a skill set. My neighbors have an idea of what that
is. I know their skill sets and generally what they have.
They know I have Cannon aimed at my front gate.
I’m not afraid of my neighbors. They have far more to lose
than I do and I will help them anyway I can.
Arby, do you have hunting buddies? are you a member of a church? Have you ever had a discussion at work that gave you a “good feeling” about that person? Do you do any outdoor activities with others like cycling, running, camping, or backpacking? Do you have family who are even remotely self-reliant? Garden clubs? VFW? Know any local farmers?
Pick and chose from those folks and invite someone out for a beer or a hike or something. Start a conversation. See what happens. Start a group around another activity like camping or hiking and see where it goes. What state are you in (if you dont mind me asking)?
oathkeepers meetings you find a lot of conservatives, and retired LEO and vetchens. also 4×4 clubs seem to have a lot of conservatives to.
I have naturally gravitated to night shifts.
While in the military I always volunteered
for grave shifts. In Aerospace I worked swings
for school reasons(graves weren’t an option).
My reasoning is during the daytime you have to deal
with all the idiots. At night you have the real
workers, people that want to be there.
I think something like that is truly what the US needs, to get rid of all of the dead wood in this country.
Careful what you wish for C-C. In theory, I think most of us agree with the sentiment; but, I’ll just use myself as an example or straw-man to be knocked apart. I worked years to own my home (I am 100% of all debt today). I worked years to build a business and enjoy a good reputation and customer base. I raised my children, now have 7 grand-children. Had a wife who eventually could not cope with menopause and ran off with a drunken 5th-rate at best guitar player who has not had a year go by since he was teen he wasn’t in some legal trouble. Oh well. My point is that I’ve lived best I could and retained my integrity and honor, garnered what I have by hard work and planning. I do not wish to lose all that. So? Whereas I surely see your point, call me selfish as hell; I just hate the idea of seeing all my life to date go to hell in a handbasket. Would I survive the chaos. I hope. I’d sure as all git-out try and never give up. But… is that my choice? To end my days fighting, kill or be killed? No.
Heartless,
Damn that sucks!
Why are some women so stupid? Ya got a great guy, one who works hard and keeps a nice house for ya and you go off with some pisspoor jerk. I am a woman living all alone in the country. I have things that are broken down and no man to fix them. I would give an arm and a leg for a good man!!
A shoelace can be used when delivering a baby. Put one in your medical bag.
Tie the imbilicle cord a few inches from baby’s abdomin.
Be sure to keep it clean inside a plastic bag.
During SHTF doctors and hospitals may not be an option. Get trained up. Nurses can do almost anything a doctor can do. During SHTF they may prove it.
.
Imbecile cord?
Auto fill. It supposed to be umbilical cord. Better yet- do NOT cut the cord, especially if there are less than sanitary conditions. Leave it intact, let the placenta be born, wrap it in a clean cloth or plastic bag(so it doesn’t get blood on anything) and let the cord dry naturally and separate that way. It’s known as a Lotus birth, and in times of Questionable sanitariness, would be the way to go. Even a clean shoelace can draw germs to it, let alone scissors. It has to be sterile.
hey there!
Just be careful that the position of the placenta does not allow the blood to drain from the baby and cause anemia. No hurry to cut cord but it will need to be cut at some point. You need to tie off with two sterile shoelaces and make the cut between them. Have delivered many babies in the hospital.
Clueless people playing doctor again?? You need Secure clamps like zerostats that lock. And you clamp it about 5 inches from the baby and about 3 inches again beyond that for 2 clamps and a space of about 3 inches in the middle where you cut the cord. That is a blood tube. Clamp on the baby side keeps the blood in the baby. The other clamp keeps the blood in the tune and placenta which still may be attached to the mother inside the woam. The mother can bleed out if it is not clamped. Yes I was a paramedic and deliveres a few babies and that cord is really tough so you need really sharp sergical scissors or a razor knife. FYI. You leave about 5 inches of umbilical cord on the baby in case you need to tap into it for fluid transdusions or shots or anything else. It wi ll eventually dry shrivel up and fall off all on its own in time. You also need a bulb syringe to suck mucas or amniotic fluid out of the babies nostrils and mouth. If you are expecting a baby buy a delivery kit with all the accessories and tools. Be prepared.
CrackSummSkulls
Clueless people playing doctor again?? You need Secure clamps like zerostats that lock. And you clamp it about 5 inches from the baby and about 3 inches again beyond that for 2 clamps and a space of about 3 inches in the middle where you cut the cord. That is a blood tube. Clamp on the baby side keeps the blood in the baby. The other clamp keeps the blood in the tube and placenta which still may be attached to the mother inside the woam. The mother can bleed out if it is not clamped. Yes I was a paramedic and delivered a few babies and that cord is really tough so you need really sharp surgical scissors or a razor knife. FYI. You leave about 5 inches of umbilical cord on the baby in case you need to tap into it for fluid transfusions or shots or anything else. It will eventually dry shrivel up and fall off all on its own in time. You also need a bulb syringe to suck mucas or amniotic fluid out of the babies nostrils and mouth. If you are expecting a baby buy a delivery kit with all the accessories and tools. Be prepared.
Crack/Summ/ Skulls
If you are expecting a baby in this era, you have to be insane. This world is a shithole.
In the big picture:
If you don’t have kids, you don’t matter.
imbecile cord haha I love it, its umbilical cord
Good article.
I’ve always used my hunting trips to learn something. I’ve tried to think about this at least once or twice a day.
Even if you think you a have a bullet proof plan everything will change when TSHTF!.
Off Topic.
Gun show in Princeton Ill Sat and Sunday. Goods time to pick some stuff.
Sgt.
here’s my gun list again for those that dint pay attention…..but MIGHT be payin’ attention NOW. randy
well, it’s time for me to make another list of STUFF
AR-15 and 2000 rounds of ammo
870 wingmaster 12 guage with 500 rounds of ammo
22LR semi-auto rifle with 10,000 rounds of ammo
9mm pistol with 2000 rounds of ammo
otis cleaning kit for all calibres
gun oil(i use 5w40 synthetic motor oil)
GOOD flashlight
night vision
acog
earplugs
rod for clearing jams
extra magazines for all weapons
holster for pistol
gun cleaning solvent
gun disassembly mat
manual for guns owned
multi-tool
AR parts kit
boresight
cleaning/shop rags
bulletproof vest or at least plate carrier
armorers wrench
magazine reloading devices
Don’t agree with shotgun ammo altercation.
I can buy several handguns, or just one shotgun with several ammo types.
A shot gun can hunt anything from doves to big game with the right ammo!
Ammo is often sold in 250 round cases.
Have one or two cases of slugs, look for LEO low velocity, more accurate. Easy on the shoulder, good to over a hundred yards.
A case of 00 buck.
Some #4 buck for home defense.
Turkey shot.
Duck shot.
Bird shot.
That’s 5 or 6 types, a case is 250 rounds. Now your ready
Damn you to hell autocorrect!
Altercation
Wanted to say
Allocation
umbilical
Grammar is very important to the nazi party!
dont be a tool. when your grammatical error completely changes the meaning of what you are trying to convey, you should be mocked for it.
Consider the following two phrases used on a dark night during shtf:
Lets eat, grandma!
Lets eat grandma!
“…Making a meal, staying warm, or having water to drink and bathe in…” are already highly “complicated” considering what all we have to do for those who control all those things and won’t let us have them under the terms which they’ve gotten us all addicted to if we don’t slave for them to make them ever more powerful over us.
How many here live in the country? How many have a mechanical hand pump on their well? Without one when the grid goes down you ain’t got no water as the saying goes. And eventually you will run out of genny fuel. I just got my hand pump on my well this past summer. Sure beats walking to the creek.
Wood smoke can be smelled from long distance? Look into projector tv plastic lenses, reflector ovens, but in cold, colemans fuel , propane? Untill it runs out. Kerosene? Seems all this night stuff requires a Shotgun? Or 22 with plastic bottle? Try using a game finder infrared detector? They say they can see a still warm bird from distance. Should see a person from more? Taped to a shotgun might give advantage? In the movie , The Good Earth. She heated up black dirt and let the sand settle and ate like soup. With solar panel a George Forman 600 watt grill or omelet cooker works . Water can be heated by a 50 watt auto battery warmer under a plastic jug for showers or whatever. And a police trade in bullet vest can be had for 50$? An infrared resistance vest can be made from a good windshield sun shade and duck tape? A good set of knee and elbow pads for crawling around.. 300 $ mountaineering boots can be had for 50$ used on E bay? In heavy duty use how long does one par of shoes last? The last civil war lasted 4 plus years. And the saying, Even if the money was good, there’s nothing to buy.
It sounds like they did fairly well. He survived to tell about it. Becoming accustomed to what will otherwise then be “uncustomary” is the key to it not being “uncustomary”. Learning to do without electronics, bullets, and all the other “necessities” made only by big business that they push on us is what will make the difference.
Try this one: “Grammar: the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you’re shit.”
Ah, Confucius say, you so smart, round eye.
Great article,good tips.
SHTF is trying to fill up your gas tank in Chicago without getting robbed. Good luck.
There have been a number of foiled robbery attempts since concealed carry has been
legalized there. Some of those thug boys have met their maker. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
thank you, daisy, for doing the banning you were talkin’ about. sick and tired of hearing the spelling jackasses!….even though I DO like to spell everything correctly. selco has definitely been through hell, and it makes me angry when i hear some of these simps talkin’ their trash. many thanks to selco too!….and thanks, daisy, for everything you do here on shtfplan, and other places too!
A very poignant article, can’t stress the need to think while one preps enough.
Don’t think your trash is trash… look at it for its trade value….. got a ton of Amazon boxes like we do… then make fire starter packets in water tight baggies, simple things like this can make life as Selco describes a bit easier I would think.
Again great article and thanks for it !
You can use your headlamp in relative (some) safety even in a place like where Selco was at, if you know how to do it. I use a headlamp, every night, when preparing for bed, my wife is usually already in bed asleep. So as not to wake her, I use my headlamp on the RED setting, and the red like helps increase the visual purple chemical in my eyes, and is less harsh and visible at a distance. Just plan each move in the dark before you turn it on.
The red light too is supposed to be good for not blocking the melatonin. The blue light blocks/depletes it. So how come a lot of electronics all have blue lights? My new radio has a blue light and my new humidifier has a blue light. I read the blue disrupts melatonin. I love the red light too. I have a red bulb in my bathroom. Makes it feel nice and cosy when i take a bath.
I should also add, turn off your red light headlamp as soon as you can do without it, and don’t travel a lot with it on.
I’ll be the first to admit that I dread SHTF and the mass panic that is sure to ensue instantly.There are millions of people that have ignored or refused to prepare for SHTF and will either be trying to latch onto those that have prepared or they’ll be trying to Take what’s yours.There’s millions of people that are ill-equipped for life in an conventional,non-technological world because their so dependent and addicted to modern technology,and lack basic life skills and knowledge,and will panic the instant their unable to gain access to modern technology..
I think that is the PLAN tho. To keep us all dependent on technology which in the end will be our downfall.
A twig stove would be useful, you use a lot less fuel when using one, far more efficient than cooking on an open fire.
I love twigs. I gather a lot of them and use them in my outdoor grill. I use a lot of sticks and a few cubes of charcoal. Twigs are great.
Coming more to the at vantage of a motorized bicycle? With a cup of gas in the tank you can peddle all day and save the cup for starting the engine if being followed by Olympic grade bicycling canibles? And at 65 pounds you can haul it over anything or float it across anything? The BBR tuning stage 4 kit is the only one I can say ,if you have the right bike frame, is great. Almost too fast off road. Had to beat the expansion chamber to clear peddles. If you can pay someone a 150$ to put it on your frame. Might be the ultimate get anywhere vehicle? And you can hang it on a bicycle bumper rack. The kit is 229 $. From bike berry or spooky tooth. I love mine. A super lite weight motorcycle? That will do 30 at 100 miles per gallon.?
Kind of setteling on the 44 special 44 mag. Low powder consumption,good power , stopping power. 7 grains of 800 X gives a 240 bullet 950 fps. Low noise. Cowboy loads . Seem to have worked for a long time. 308 or 223 takes 25 to 45 grains of powder? Cast bullets ? Night fighting seems to require a shotgun? Also high powder consumption? Aim small miss small?
Oooooh, ooooh ooh, no,problem here with school, I can teach advanced calculus to all the toddlers?
Lorenz, you are my bitch.
having had the advantage of living on a farm every summer one awakes before the sun is up to milk cows then feed the pigs and other critters. you set down to a large breakfast I was nine but ate six eggs bacon and biscuits. we head for the field to do various things depending on how far we are with getting the wheat cut. or we may cut the straw and rake so we can bale it the next day. when done we come in for dinner which is also large. it is already getting dark and we head for bed. I dont ever remember having a problem getting to sleep. what would be different in a crisis. we may not have the gas for the tractor. we would all be armed for defense against the ones who think to take what they need instead of working for it. In truth not many would even know how to plant and harvest wheat or any other grain. you would be lucky to have a cow or a pig or hens for egg’s your food would be hard won. it is easy to read what to do to grow your own food or care for animals until you do it. we wonder why we have such unhealthy people today. we dont move. yes running helps but it is not work. at seventy five I take no medication other than the pain pills for a back damaged by a car. if you want healthy kids get them out on a farm. take their shoes off and make them build bodies that nature designed. All your books wont save you in a crisis. You must be able to act with instinct. it wont insure you will survive but increase your chances. lastly talk and learn fron the old people.
Grampa
Great to see SELCO on shtfplan ! ! !
I have been following him for years.
Keep up the great work.
Pay heed, SELCO has lived what we prepare for ! ! !