Posted on 10/19/2012 10:08:13 PM PDT by Feline_AIDS
Preppers,
I'm new to this prepping thing, and I have some questions.
I don't know exactly what you're all prepping for, because I know there are different concerns in different parts of the country. Californians, for example, are more concerned about the big one than I am on the east coast. I'm more concerned about an EMP than people in Wyoming, probably.
But what about when the SHTF? I'm assuming by SHTF everyone means economic and thus governmental collapse. Is that right? No more USA?
I have some questions that are ignorant and simple, but I was born that way, so bear with me.
Even when the SHTF, the government of the United States will persist, simply because the government is the original prepper. Mt. Weather facility and all that. So what we really mean by "governmental collapse" is extreme lawlessness and no new goods or resources. Plus government non-intervention. The government may exist, but that doesn't change the fact that hungry/thirsty/angry people will be fighting for resources. When the SHTF, Americans will have to be self-reliant without any support from any public utility or service. Many, many people will die. Many more will be desperate and act in ways they'd never imagine before they die.
How long do you all expect this state of things to last? If all public utilities in the US were permanently shut off, wouldn't it only be a matter of weeks before the great die-off happened? Dehydration would get most of them, then the rapid spread of waterborne illnesses would get lots of those left. Gangs would form and survive longer through unpleasant means. When will the well-prepped prepper stick his head out of his hidey-hole?
Because the government will persist in some capacity, it's reasonable to expect they'd eventually try to straighten things out. Maybe I'm crazy for thinking that, and I don't mean that the correct response to disaster is to sit and wait for Uncle Sam to carry us out on his shoulders. What I mean is that I don't see how the SHTF situation would last more than 6 months, max. A new, smaller society would form and rebuild, most likely without the tech we have today because the industries that support that tech would be gone.
I guess I'm just trying to reconcile two things in my brain. 1) The US government will be present in some form not too long after the catastrophe. Less than a year. Not in its ubiquitous wannabe-omnipotent present state, but it would return. This doesn't mean safety or salvation, but it probably does mean cooperation. Possibly the return of some order. And some society would develop that is fueled by the self-reliance of the remaining people. 2) Most preppers seem to be expecting a lifetime of bushcraft.
Parting thought: If Obama wins reelection, I will take prepping much more seriously in the next few weeks/months. If he doesn't, I will continue to prep for more localized catastrophes.
Cool.. but I’m not sure how long that mayo will last. I hope you are using it and replacing it regularly
Yeah. I married a gal with lots of psych experience too, it wasn't until after we were married that I found out that not all that time she'd spent in mental hospitals was as staff...
The Yoder’s Bacon is extremely good tasting. Not salty or injected with smoke flavor. We have cases of it just for everyday use. It makes for an excellent BLT!
As you pointed out, it also excellent for camping, backpacking, or any outing where bacon comes in handy.
Combined with Mountain House Eggs and Butter mix, all kinds of breakfast foods are available, from muffins, pancakes, French toast, to plain old scrambled eggs or omelets.
I plan on thriving, not just surviving.
It’s very cool and dry in the basement, but the mayo does get rotated-out quickly. I’m gradually-switching to Baconnaise, which has a much longer shelf life:
All Things Bacon!
http://store.baconsalt.com/All-Products_c_33.html
Two 1/4 sheets? Most doors are 1/8 when heavy built. No matter. A 308 can make it through both. If only a 1/8 sheet, then a 5.56 steel penetrator can make it through, barely. A 44 magnum or better would be required to make it through both sheets at 1/8, and that 44 bullet had better be a FMJ/TMJ and 240gr or lighter for the best velocity. A pudgy bear round like the 270gr Speer DeepCurl Soft Point probably won’t make it through both sheets very well. I have rang 1/2 metal targets with that 270gr bullet and it barely made a dent.
“The longer the power is off the more difficult it will be to turn back on”
Worth repeating. Comparing simple storm outages to outages that might last for several months has not ever been tried and they are a completely different animal.
Without seeing the chart or knowing the name of the book to reference, my mind runs wild with reasons the life expectancy was 32. Perhaps they were including infant deaths in those statistics. That would pull down the number quite a bit. There was also a war going on in 1812 that would have caused many premature deaths that do not apply to my claim.
“Even if there is no shtf moment a person could save a lot of money by prepping just because the prices of food are going up so fast.”
Excellent point. Very little that we have is anything we would not normally use. We have saved all kinds of money by prepping. We are not hurting for money but the additional savings has been fantastic. Also, having food stores and doing some basic planning seems less primal than living hand to mouth as the average person does. We don’t need to run to the store every few days having to buy dinner or having to go out to eat because we’re too lazy to plan ahead. Every day we have loads of choices about what to make for dinner.
“I think a Mormon president would be a good influence on the country in this, even if no other, regard. “
That just went over the heads of 85% of the country.
/johnny
“not all that time she’d spent in mental hospitals was as staff...”
hehe. My ‘people’ did a background check for that. However, I’m still not too sure I wasn’t the subject of her dissertation.
“The federal government has stored water and food for President Hussein and his family to last a long time.”
Another excellent point! The federal government spends billions creating and operating shelters for the government employees and agencies, yet, there are those that think the people shouldn’t do the same.
“I think a Mormon president would be a good influence on the country in this, even if no other, regard.”
If most of the population was “prepper”, you wouldn’t have as much of a need for it. We would also be a stronger country.
I don’t agree with LDS theology, but they have some darn good ideas and practices.
Yeah, but what good is any of that if you can't get Oprah, The View, or Dr. Phil? ;o)
“I don’t agree with LDS theology, but they have some darn good ideas and practices.”
Totally agree. If nothing else they survived extreme hardship to end up today having practically their own State, and they have not given up on the idea of prepping one bit.
“Two 1/4 sheets? Most doors are 1/8 when heavy built.”
That was what I measured on the closing side of the door. I just looked at the other side of the door where it attaches to the hinges and that looks like 1/8 inch. That must be what it is.
So, there is some protection there but since I wouldn’t know what kind of bullet was going to be shot at the door, I’d better not stand in front of the door.
I was skeptical whether or not the door would be strong enough to deter bullets and from you and Johnny, it isn’t.
I think most people think their front door is protection from bad guys and that is false. One must have a “protection” device in his/her hand to have actual protection in a worse case situation.
Until fairly recently, most of the population was. Everybody planted in spring, harvested in fall, and put food up for the next year. Rinse and repeat, year to year. Sell excess, but store enough for a couple of bad years of harvests.
/johnny
/johnny
High enough that the sonic boom may never reach the ground...
Handguns, yes, rifles, probably not. It is always best to control a situation and not let it control you by putting you on the defensive and having to resort to hiding behind a door.
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