Posted on 07/05/2010 8:27:04 AM PDT by ChocChipCookie
Sobering, wasn't it?
I can’t believe your account is still banned/suspended. ;o)
The point of this article brings up a very sticky point for me because I will absolutely welcome my parents if they are in dire need, but not my sister. She and her spouse spend money on the most foolish things imaginable, have a house that her FIL paid cash for, gives lip service to the idea of preparedness but actually does nothing. She keeps her kids enrolled in multiple classes and camps so she doesn’t have to spend any actual time with them — all of that costs a fortune. If they come to our door, I’ll suggest they sell one on of their Rolexes in exchange for money.
It sounds cold, but this past year has taught our family the meaning of, “barely making ends meet,” and I don’t have any sympathy for those who hear the warnings and make a conscious choice to ignore them.
Oh yeah. It should be required reading for every American. I’m planning on buying a copy for each of my family members. I have concluded that our family would quickly die as long as we’re living in Phoenix. First and foremost because of the heat, lack of water, and scarcity of any game.
I wrote a list of 15 things I learned from it on my blog over the weekend. LMK what you would add!
http://thesurvivalmom.com/2010/07/04/15-things-i-learned-from-one-second-after/
Interesting article; if my husband loses his job to this economy, I’m planning on packing up the contents of my ‘doom room’ and hightailing it up north to live with my family.
I don’t want to be sitting on a pile of food in the middle of a starving city.
“meat or chicken as a long-term storage source of protein. “
How long would we expect the canned meat to keep safely?
Well, try to take some of your stored food and supplies with you. Rent a trailer if you must so you don’t show up empty handed. You’re lucky you have somewhere like that as a refuge.
“I will absolutely welcome my parents if they are in dire need, but not my sister.”
And you feel good about this fantasy?
There are five things that will cause food to deteriorate or spoil: oxygen, light, heat, pests/rodents, and humidity. Regardless of what you’re storing, if you don’t pay attention to these factors, you’ll find yourself with ruined food. So, the answer to your question is that it depends on how it’s stored once it’s PROPERLY canned.
There are some good videos on YouTube that explain the canning process.
Just realistic, Appy. We don’t have the resources to prepare for everyone who might knock at the door. Determining priorities may become a harsh reality. I hope not, which is why I teach preparedness classes, run a blog that teaches ways to prepare, and am doing a lot more to try and spread the message. Bottom line? Some will prepare, some won’t, and those that do will not be able to support those who CHOOSE not to. The word ‘unsustainable’ comes to mind.
BTW, it’s no fantasy. I’m thinking through possible scenarios, debating responses, figuring out how to prepare, and going from there. Who knows. A Rolex may end up buying a year’s worth of food at some difficult point in the future.
A big sack of rice is a good start. Envelopes of gravey mix are good to have on hand also.
To which the proper response is: "If you show up here empty handed I'll shoot you in the head."
I've used it. Believe me you find out real quick who your friends really are.
A handy supply of can openers would be worth their weight in gold.
I must disagree here. We have our own small garden that could not feed us worth mentioning, but growing it has taught us the fundamentals that we could apply on a larger scale.
Also, a person will starve to death after one month with no food. So, if one can squirrel away 2-3 months of food then there will be much less competition for resources when those are exhausted.
You might want to think-through the following scenario:
1. Things go bad.
2. Your parents show up, and are welcomed.
3. Your sister shows up and is told to keep on going.
What's your parent's reaction going to be?
Agree 100%.
Rule #1 of Prepping: OPSEC.
Also Rule #2, #3 and #4.
Oh yes! The doom room is the closet where I stockpile beans, rice, booze, etc. I can move it all in my car, with room left over for the kids. I’m not really a serious survivalist, but I figure one closet full of food isn’t going to hurt anything. :-)
I really love your blog, btw.
In a true SHTF scenario, I highly doubt even a Rolex would be worth much in bartering terms.
“Why on earth are you telling people what you are doing?”
I thought the same thing. Don’t adverstise certain stuff. No one needs to know how many guns I have, where I keep them, what my income is, etc. In a nightmare scenario where families DO have to band together and live with each other, then each able-bodied member should contribute SOME type of work. If family shows up and they’re all living off the host’s laboriously prepared food, then those members can contribute equally in other ways. That goes without saying, doesn’t it? Oh, I forgot, we’ve trained several generations to EXPECT a free handout.
those 33 pints of veggies and 14 of chicken aren’t going to last long enough to make a difference...
Actually, it might.
If there is a serious SHTF, I expect the mortality rate to be huge. Sorry to spook anybody, but that’s the way it is. And not all bad guys by any means.
But the net result is if somebody can hunker down and last a few months, some form of civilized society will re-emerge.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.