Do you prepare for a rainy day? If so, how? Are you prepared for a national disaster? Could you survive if you had to? Do you think we will ever see anything like this nationwide?

I'm just curious how many people are. I really am not. I thought I was. Bought some extra batteries and can goods etc. But in reality I'm not prepared to last if the stores went down or we had a total collapse.

Thanks a lot for any responses.

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 13, 2002

Answers

In my own mind sure...but in reality how can you prepare other than to meet each day with an open mind. Here is what I do to make myself feel prepared:

1. No debt on land nor machines nor anything. 2. two years of operating capital stashed so I don't have to see the banker ever except to make a deposit or withdrawal. 3. flexible business plan 4. plenty of food in the cellar 5. private water supply from a deep well 6. The means to hunt and fish... 7. Basic tool making skills 8. the farm stores around 2 years worth of fuel so for a while we would have some petro to use. 9. At least 2 years worth of firewood stacked

As you can see, my rainy day does not include true national disaster. If we have that, all conventional wisdom is up for grabs and so it doesn't matter really. If power went out and fuel supplies stopped, we would be able to survive just because we know how to function well with little to nothing. it would be difficult after a few years though when we had to start making our clothes by hand from hides we tanned, but we can do that...although I know I could rig up power for the sewing machine assuming all of my scrap pile was not obliterated.

Of course, I would not be able to turn my neighbors away if they had needs so the food would not last, but we have a fairly sustainable food production system so we probably would lose weight and get more healthy until someone murdered us for the fuel.

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), February 13, 2002.

Pretty much what Oscar said. Could last several years without leaving the place.......longer if we weren't killed for what people think we have. I have, and so does my husband, extensive wilderness survival skills, but we are getting old........that tends to change your survival rate if everything went down. I've led a great life and would share all until it was gone.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 13, 2002.

Mike, I think us countrysiders are wise enough to survive all but a direct hit from a meteor. I and I'm sure most here sleep well at night!

Good question, though. Makes some of us think a little!

Thanx!

-- woodsbilly N. C. Pa. (coleenl@penn.com), February 13, 2002.

I'm prepared for all but the onslaught of friends and family that aren't prepared! The only thing I need is an electric fence to keep the rift-raft out, it would help with the deer, too.

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), February 13, 2002.

I'm not as prepared as Oscar, having perhaps only a year or two's worth of food. I do shop specials and buy those in bulk,attempting to keep a year's supply of each special. Saves a lot of money. I also have several hundred pounds of grains and dry beans, plus a garden, although where I live in the far north it is not so productive. Fishing in the sea would have to account for a lot of food long term.

I also store pharmacy and drugstore items (especially prescription drugs and vitamins), keep extra ammo on hand for the .22s and have wood supplies through next year. It is useful to have kerosene or aladdin lamps, flashlights and batteries. I keep a bug out bag at work, and my little camper is also packed. I have backed up as many systems as I can, and keep trying to do more.

Another essential to longterm survival is making friends with neighbors! Sharing now can lead to a start on a local economy if needed, and meanwhile is a good way to live.

last, but most important is that I try to keep straight with the Good Lord, and practice forgiveness and controlling my temper!

-- seraphima (gardener@com.post), February 13, 2002.

To answer a few of the questions: yes a "rainy day" will happen AGAIN in the USA. Will we see it? Maybe, maybe not. It has happened before to every nation that has ever been, and it will happen again. And people survived through it all. I keep 1 years worth of food, enough seed to plant a huge garden, enough .22 shells (and shot gun, though too pricy to lay in a huge supply, but I can drop anything with the .22!) to last me 10 plus years of steady hunting (3000 rounds or so). I know how to get gasoline for free and where to get it in the event of something, though I really don't depend on it. I have a plan with family that they will come here in the event of "something big" because this is the only place they could eat off the land and the garden. I do keep 250 gallons of gasoline and enough spare parts to keep my truck running indefiantely. Am I being completely nuts about things? No, I think im being quite practical! Dont go into debt buying anything you "might need" and dont buy anything that would only be used "if something happene." If you just buy what you normally buy, one year or more in advance, you arent changing your lifestyle or throwing you money away.

-- =) (Me@dontemail.net), February 13, 2002.

I think "prepared" is the term I'd use. Smart, very smart.

question: Prescription drugs and gasoline(from 2 different posts) will go bad before very long won't they? Do you have a remedy for this?

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Hello Mike,

In most situations you will find that Meli and I are quite prepared. One of the best things is that we are debt free. This has saved us through any of the times when there was no income. Another thing that has been useful is that we live in a area that can sustain a garden, has plenty of game, a year round creek and plenty of wood for heating our home. With all of this, we could live indefinitely if there was a long-term emergency.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

On the fuel, I don't use much gasoline. Propane seems to last just fine and the few thousand gallons of diesel is always treated with an antioxidant and an antimicrobial. Of course it is filtered for particulate and water as it is dispensed and we have used two plus year old diesel no problem to get through serious spikes in fuel prices. Stll, it is obviously only a short term solution because when it is gone it is gone if the supply line is cut... Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), February 14, 2002.

Q: What is the difference between a recession and a depression?

A: A recession is when your neighbor loses their job. A depression is when you lose yours.

Seriously, I have heard from a number of sources a whole bunch of families are only two missed paychecks away from very serious financial trouble. Suddenly there is no income to cover the out-go.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2002.

Yeah Ken, I heard it kind of like this. What is the difference between the family living in the paid for trailer and the $250,000 home with payments? Homelessness when the layoff comes.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Most prescription drugs use a very conservative estimate of effectiveness, much shorter than actual useful life. One example is that I am still using now expired but carefully kept thyroxin (I had a lot of it for y2k from free samples, etc.)and my thyroid levels are testing absolutely balanced. (Tested in August, and again in December by a different doc.) Keeping them unopened, in cool temps, many will be ok. I am not talking about drugs like insulin which spoil easily.

A lot of things like calcium and magnesium supplements are basically pretty inert in their original unopened package, and should be fine.

B vitamins, for example, quickly degrade once opened from oxidation; use 'em right away or lose 'em.

-- seraphima (gardener@com.post), February 14, 2002.

It rains here nearly every day. You just get wet a lot. You get used to it.

National disasters have been happening for many years. They usually commence in November, with some peak excitement the following January, every four years.

Best defence is a good offense. Keep a positive attitude, a song in your heart, and a rum and coke in your hand...

Seriously, don't take everything seriously. Works for me.

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@Hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.

GASP!

Sheepish, how could you?

Diluting rum with STUFF! Why, I won't even use spirits on the rocks, let alone something with pollutants in it. At best, I'll have the barstaff ice the glass. In any case, in my experience, bottles of carbonated beverages won't keep. In just a few months, the carbonation will have seeped out; so it's not a good idea to get used to needing them. Overproof rum from Australian cane sugar, straight out of the bottle - that's the way to go. Keeps forever. Careful not to chip your teeth.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 15, 2002.