Do YOU Have A Plan?

Started by RadioRay, October 11, 2012, 11:29:09 PM

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White Tiger

Now to THAT ^^^ I will say AMEN!

I can only continue to state how differently I feel - due to the times we're living in. It's not just a phrase we typed to improve our speed in high school - these ARE the times that try men's souls.

Over the last 2 years I have spent money and time on things that I never would have thought I needed just 5 years ago...and they are for things I - personally - think my family and group might need in case the world as we know it, falls apart. Those resources were redirected from other areas...mostly they cost time... which cannot be replaced...and which many more like me no longer have to dedicate.
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

RadioRay

#31
What I am finding to be encouraging is that a younger (25-30 year old) demographic is getting into prepping on a scale I have not seen before.  Previously, it was old men like me.  Now, I have questions from young nurses, or some young man who I bump into in conversation and it turns to prepping and the world in general.  Maybe - just MAYbe the TV is loosing it's grip. Naturally, many of the returning vets are switched-on, especally if they understand the long range trends of over expanding 'the empire' and how historically, that's usually the last thing that a fiscally & morally bankrupt country does to try to maintain control: look at the former USSR, The British Empire or Rome for that matter.   It's also a period of increasing political tyrany, with federal (feral) government having their fingers in everything from guns to guacamole. "Creating jobs" by stuffing the government full of evermore useless eaters is NOT building an economy, it's tearing it down, because federal government is a debt, not a way to actually earn money.

Yup - we do indeed live in interesting times.


>Ray


Ps. I remember escapees form the former communist bloc telling me that the reason they were caught by surprise and became de facto prisoners in their own lands was the same thing heard in this country: "We never thought it would happen here.". 'Here' being their home countries. Unfortunately, We do not have an America to escape to.
"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

gil

Time and money that could be used for other things more pleasant to think about. Maybe because I don't own a television or care about sports, I have time to look around and get worried. We would be fools not to make some preparations. Unfortunately we are surrounded by fools. Like those lounging on the Titanic's deck laughing at people putting life vests on... Because of course the boat couldn't sink. If I was 25 and not 45, I would pray for it to hit the fan. Now I know better. I am nowhere near ready, and that little voice is screaming in my ear to hurry up. Intuition is nothing more than data processed by our brains unconsciously. Usually those feelings of uneasiness are well founded, because they are based on observation and powerful processing outside of our grasp. Like Tim, I had no worries five years ago. Today is woefully  different. I just hope nothing goes down before the spring.. One thing is certain, as Luck hints, we are on our own. That is why I urge people here to get on the air and call each-other. I just had a nice long QSO with RadioRay on 30m :) Bless him for being so patient with my slow-as-molasses Morse copy speed. We need to know who we can trust and exchange information with. Remember that everything has an end, and that includes the Internet. The Internet doesn't run on servers and fiber optics, it runs on money. Everything does these days. Money isn't green, it's black and it comes out of the ground. How reliable is that given what it takes to get it out? So they just print more monopoly bills.. I feel like sailing on a cardboard ship and there is a suspicious black cloud ahead. Everyone is partying. The captain and crew are stashing money in their shirts, heading to the lifeboats with a smile and a gun handle sticking out of their pants, while I'm at the bow getting more gray hairs realizing that there aren't enough life boats for everyone. I'd rather be partying too, but now the warning bells are too loud. I want to scream to everyone that they are fools and we are going to take the plunge, but I know they'll just laugh and think I'm crazy. What is that whooshy sound under my feet?

Gil.

White Tiger

#33
Gil, while I was reading your post I could not help but think of something I have remembered since I was a child:

As it was in the time of Noah, so shall it be in the end of days...

And Ray, as I was typing a post earlier - I actually mistyped Federal, as Feral...it would be sad if it were not so true. When I used to hear politicians warn about what would happen if we as a nation kept "taxing to spend"...that if we lost freedom here, there would be no place to for US to seek asylum - I remember thinking it was great political theater, but could not imagine how this could ever actually happen.

I too have considered what others who came here as refugees - told me. I spent a lot of time in South Florida, many of my customers were Cuban immigrants. They gave me the script for how this would happen - and the worst part of it is - it happened anyway.

For now...I don't prepare to avoid the inevitable collapse of the current system...I am preparing to get through the transition period.
And this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone...

...so is the government.

Which kind of brings us back to what Luck was saying - the government agencies that we volunteer for have slowly switched their charters...they ARE concerned about saving something...but it isn't Superman's values (Peace, Justice! And the American way)...they're in it to preserve government, hold on to some power.

(Geez, when I read my stuff anymore...I sound so cynical...)
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

Sunflower

This was a really good read. I am in the company (internet-wise) of like minded folks. On the way home tonight, that was the topic - having so few like minded folks to communicate with. I look at my sis and her husband - there is so little they agree on except for which channel to watch on the boob-tube. 

No TV here, but do turn on the computer a little too often. INo longer get in any piano practice or to the many chores that I could be working on. Right now, helping my husband day to day is the main thing. I use to worry so much about him if the grid went down. I still do, but it won't be as bad. I have a handicap accessible bathroom set up ready to go as one example. I have tons to do to get fully set up. Yes, I hope to not wait until the lights go out fully before getting the rooms ready. I have made a start, but have long way to go. Prepping has kind of transitioned from hobby to way of life more and more. I am starting to acquire some skills also (like dealing with pack rats, keeping pump going).

Little things matter, for example, each room has a flashlight ready to go or a candle and matches nearby.     

Gil is right. Congrats to GIL for getting on the air. Inspiring. I still need to study the Tech book fully. I get through parts, but have have a long way to go and a lot more to review. The way it is going, it will be after the holidays before I can test.

I can relate to Gil. My uneasy feeling (more like silent terror) for what is going on began years ago, but it was not until 4 years ago that I started hearing about what sort of action I might take to lessen our woes. I began making big changes then. Every 6 months I can see major progress. I still have big holes in our preps, yet there is much progress. When I started I did not have any means to cook without electricity, nor did we have more than a couple weeks of food. A water filter has been one the best investments to my peace of mind. I think of HAM - or at least the hope of becoming a Amateur Radio person as important as a water filter - like the water filter of our back up communication interests.

 
Around June/July this year I had this uneasy but certain feeling that "planning time" was about to pass. I knew it was time to stop trying to advise/inform others, and to just work on last minute preps for our home.

I understand the gist of White Tiger. I have some exposure to cultural interests also. It is kind of chilling.

For those of you still real worried about water, do what I did. I bought some clean rbbermade trashcans with good lids and filled them up. Added bleach and change it out every 8 months or so. Adding bleach helps when I don't get them changed often enough too.

BTW, does anyone know if adding epson salt will help perserve water. I heard a story about adding epson salt to a car battery tonight, and it made me think of the cruder water supplies on the place.

White Tiger

#35
Sunflower - that idea you shared about using Rubbermaid trash cans was fantastic! I don't know if they were meant to use that way - and if you we're to store them in direct sunlight it would facilitate in the breakdown of the plastic into the water...but if you're storing inside and change it on a regular basis, that's a good solution! How many gallons does one trash can hold?

I own a couple of blue, food-grade rated (blue filters the UV light out of sunlight so that the plastic doesn't breakdown into the water supply) 55 gallon drums, I keep about 1 month supply in bottled water, and I have a water-bob for the bath tub. I also have some rain collection going on.

You definitely have a lot more to plan around than some of us - but you have a working plan that is getting you to the level of preparedness you need - as WA4STO says: "good on ya'...!"

As for water purifier, my son and I hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail a couple years ago. We asked an outfitter about a good water purifier - as you can't possibly take all your water with you on a hike - so you have to purify water from streams, creeks, rivers, even mud puddles (and believe it or not, we actually DID take water from a flowing mud puddle), and we were pointed to - AquaMira. We used it and never had a problem. You can buy it from the link I provided, or you can find it at some WalMart locations. It is apparently the same purification system that municipalities use. I have personal experience with this product - so I bought enough to treat 55 gallons at a time - if you add this to your water filtering system - you shouldn't have any problems.
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

Sunflower

I use a dark brown trashcan. A light blue one too. They are stored out in the shop building. It is about 30 gal, but I only fill part way. So far, no damage from freezing. Last year was a mild winter. During a hard freeze, the trash can may not hold up too well. I keep 5or6 of the 5/&6 gal units in the home where freezing is not usually the problem.


KC5OTL

My plan is simple, as far as what I will disclose publically.

I plan on continuing with my preparations until some event triggers a SHTF scenario.  After that, I plan on getting out of the way until the rage burns out and then I can be a part of the solution, rather than a part of the on-going problem.

Sincerely, it's getting far too late in the game to be broadcasting specific plans.

What I do know is that, mental fitness will be every bit as important as physical fitness.  And, on top of all else, you had better be all prayed up and in good standing with, and in the center of, God's will and plans for you.

Water, food, shelter, clothing for the season, some Silver, Gold, or both, some defensive measures, some skills, tools, trapping, gardening and barter skills, all of these things will be required and will be in very high demand.

You should have at least 6 months to one year of food and other supplies to get through the peak of the chaos and through a full growing season.

After the Zombies and gangs burn themselves out by way of self destruction, you might begin to start living in something like the mid to late 1800s.

Consider this... 65 percent of the U.S. public is addicted to some form of emotion stabilizing drug.  When the drugs are cut off, there will be about 170 million zombies walking around going berserk while they transition through detox.  The same will be true for the alcoholics and heavy illegal drug abusers.

When the system collapses, anyone believing that it isn't going to get bad really doesn't understand the true scope of the situation this country has devolved into.

What I have described above is only the part of the Iceberg that you can see.  What is below the surface will prove to be orders of magnitude more catastrophic!  And you can bet on it!!!

With the state of the economy, such as it is, if it weren't for food stamps (EBTs) hiding the real view of the dire-straights this country is in, this country would have fell into total chaos several years ago.

The absolute best thing a rational person can do is to get out of the way and let all of the riff-raff burn itself out and then clean up the mess in the aftermath.

The perception is far more than a bad feeling, it's understanding that this country is already in total free-fall and the powers that be are not only doing nothing of any substance to slow or stop it, the powers that be seem to be doing things to deliberately accelerate the collapse.  And when the sudden stop comes, it's going to devastate everything about your way of life as you know it today!

Enough said...

Sunflower

Amen to that last paragraph above. The collapse is being accellarated with even a digger hole for us to climb out of.

Sunflower

http://www.freeownersmanualpdf.net/ebook/37-critical-food-items-free.pdf

This is a nice list to check over. There are many pages, and different kinds of lists provided with this document.

The chainsaw part is the that improved on after the list. I know have more chain oil on hand. Still need to get more 2 stroke.

Recently, I added Mobil 1 in various viscositys to my preps. I heard that Mobil 1 oil might be good for gun oil in a pinch.

I have reached my quota for wheat in buckets. I have seen researched how to clean my own. I have not practiced it yet, but will at some point. I figure that by cleaning my own from local sources, that I would be able to extend the life of what I do have.