Any survivalists/preppers/doomsdayplanners here?

Started by Captain Maltese, January 28, 2016, 09:28:58 AM

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Oniya

'Seed vault' is more likely crop seeds, for the agriculturally inclined prepper.
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WindVoyager

I live in the country and have a lot of land and the knowledge to grow a lot of things.  >:)

Basically a seed vault is heritage plants, usually veggies. In my case its all veggies I'l eat and some I can trade.

Something like a seed vault won't be much use to someone who lives in a more urban environment.

QuoteHas the floodings reached your area yet?

Its all largely to the west and south of us. Its pretty high and dry here with the exception of a ditch in the back pasture that collapsed when it over flowed


QuoteYeah, it's amazing how many of those equipment touting blogs and videos have more than a whiff of marketing about them. But then, that's how magazines have earned money on 'reviews' since the dawn of paper. My own heap of gear is getting on the heavy side but there's hardly more than an item or two who cost me serious money. In fact I have found it to be a motivation in itself, to scrounge for inexpensive items to fill the slots. Sort of survival training in itself. Which is why my bugout bag 'tent' is a three dollar tarp and a ball of thin rope.

My tent is a two person Coleman I found out in the woods a few years back. Teens used to go out there and party and get into all manner of trouble and leave behind a LOT of stuff. Almost everything I own is on the cheap side. I've never seen the need to sink 100+ just into one thing.

I even have a small folding stainless steel stove that I spent 10$


Captain Maltese

Nice! Coleman is a decent brand. I know them chiefly through their camping stoves and their brand fuel.

That little stainless stove - is it this one?


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Oniya

Even people in urban environments can make use of seeds.  Certain veggies that you get in the store can be propagated at home.  I've successfully sprouted tomatoes from that inevitable 'last slice' that didn't fit on someone's sandwich.  (I have a brown thumb, though, so I don't give it high odds of surviving the summer.)  Potatoes can be cut up and used as seed-stock (They will also sprout in your cabinet if you forget about them).  Carrots (especially if you can get them with a decent amount of greens still on them) can be re-rooted.  I've heard that bell peppers can be grown from grocery stock, but I haven't had much luck there.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
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WindVoyager

Its pretty close to one of these, multi fuel sources.

https://www.amazon.com/Forfar-Portable-Stainless-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/B015GWTWRI/ref=sr_1_123?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1471723375&sr=1-123-spons&psc=1&smid=APYYD5OK9ZDQ

QuoteNice! Coleman is a decent brand. I know them chiefly through their camping stoves and their brand fuel.

I'd find all manner of free stuff they left behind. Tarps, cooking stuff, coolers. Even find fishing gear.

QuoteEven people in urban environments can make use of seeds.  Certain veggies that you get in the store can be propagated at home.  I've successfully sprouted tomatoes from that inevitable 'last slice' that didn't fit on someone's sandwich.  (I have a brown thumb, though, so I don't give it high odds of surviving the summer.)  Potatoes can be cut up and used as seed-stock (They will also sprout in your cabinet if you forget about them).  Carrots (especially if you can get them with a decent amount of greens still on them) can be re-rooted.  I've heard that bell peppers can be grown from grocery stock, but I haven't had much luck there.

I've tried growing bell peppers from store stock but they usually don't germinate. I use seeds for carrots, like Purple Dragon and other heritage ones. 'tatos grow damn near any where. But somethings need a lot of room like squash

Captain Maltese

Ah, I see. I have a couple of rather smaller collapsible burners meant for a spirit burner or fuel pellets in the middle. That one looks like it is meant for keeping in the car boot perhaps?

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Oniya

Quote from: WindVoyager on August 20, 2016, 04:27:33 PM
But somethings need a lot of room like squash

Squash is one of those plants I can't kill.  The other one being mint.  ;D  One of our neighbors left a Halloween pumpkin to rot in front of their house in one of those 'tree plots', and the vine got to at least three feet before someone took it out. 

I suspect red bells might work better than green bells (being the ripened version of the seed capsule)
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
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WindVoyager

QuoteAh, I see. I have a couple of rather smaller collapsible burners meant for a spirit burner or fuel pellets in the middle. That one looks like it is meant for keeping in the car boot perhaps?

Most come with a little metal bowl that fits inside the stove so it can burn alcohol and fuel pellets as well as burn pretty much anything burnable-twigs, leaves, dry grass, wood, new paper.

I thought about getting a Pocket Rocket but the fuel canister never lasts long and its heavy.


SmokingCamels

I've recently put together a kit for my car.

I keep a change of clothes sealed off in a garbage bag, a roll of quarters, a flashlight with extra batteries, a gallon of gas (which thankfully doesn't leak gas odors all over the place), a gallon of water (because it's smaller than a pack of bottles of water), two quarts of oil (Castrol GTX for high mileage... 10w40 is fine), a socket set, power steering & break fluid, duct tape (because as every redneck knows, duct tape and WD30 can fix anything) and of course my jumper cables.  Naturally I have a spare.  Not a donut, an actual tire.  What's the point of a donut when you need to change your tire anyway?

Captain Maltese

I recently had a flat tire myself and got an embarrassing reminder of my own car preparedness. - The cup set for unscrewing the bolts was in my garage. - The jack was in my garage too. - My spare tire, although not one of those accursed donuts, was almost empty of air. Fortunately the flat happened only a hundred yards away from home so I didn't have to stand there like an idiot calling in for the road emergency service truck. I learned though, and now all the necessary gear is well tucked away into the car.

The OTHER gear has been in place for a while though. Basic tool kit, emergency vest, emergency triangle marker, towing rope, big first aid kit, e-tool type folding steel shovel, and a kit set with: coins, matches, pencil, paper, sewing kit, micro flashlight, folding knife, some sugary sweets. And I keep a blanket in the car during the period when the temperature goes below zero.

But I don't have any emergency supply of gas, water or oil in the car, nor duct tape. I see the wisdom in this should there be an engine system breakdown on the road and will get a couple of each to stow away inside - thanks for the tip. And I need to find a place for an extra set of charging cables too. As the man said... Winter IS coming.

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WindVoyager

I'm surprised no one has thought of this when it comes to raising small animals as a food source. Rabbit and chickens are the most common. Why not raise  guinea pigs?

They do have their cons and pros just like rabbits.

Pros

-young are born fully formed and can eat solid food and grow fast
-They are very hardy and don't get sick easily
-they breed easily
-unlike rabbits they do have some fat content
- they can eat lawn clippings and the like
-they taste good

cons

-they make a lot of noise
-they have a gestation period of 59 – 72 days compared to a rabbits 31
-they have fewer young

TheGlyphstone

Maybe it's the 'cute/pet' factor? Most people don't have any problem seeing things like rabbits as both food and pets, since they were the former long before the latter, but if you suggested eating guinea pigs, I bet the average person would look at you like you were selling kitten steaks.

RedRose

I used to have pet guinea pigs :)
In some South American countries people do eat them.
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Captain Maltese

#88
It is an interesting line of thought. How much meat is there on a guinea pig though? And is the pelt any good?

Here in Norway, non-farmers who have animals or poultry for meat are fairly rare. I think I can recall that back when I was a kid there were some houses that had rabbits in cages in the garden, but I haven't seen that in a long time now. I know someone who has chickens though, mainly for the eggs.

Back during World War 2 and before however, there were many even in urban areas who had a pig in a garden shed; they were fed dinner leftovers and swede and apples and potatoes etc. Usually got slaughtered for christmas.  Another animal that many in the rural areas had was sheep, and goats.

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Oniya

I'd say that a rabbit pelt is going to be more useful than a guinea pig's. 
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Captain Maltese

#90
During WW2, there was a lot of home breeding of rabbits in German held territories; it was encouraged by the regime as a food supply. And rabbit fur was also used to line military winter coats, especially on the eastern front and in the arctic areas. I don't know how much they were used for civilian winter clothing; I could be wrong but I think rabbit fur insulates well but I am not sure how well the skin compares to other animals.

But since we are talking about animals at home we should not forget about fish. Carp in particular is well suited for small shallow artificial ponds; I think the Chinese have a lot of experience with this.

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WindVoyager

Not much meat on a GP and the pelt isn't useful.

Carp and Tilapia  do amazingly well in ponds.

I have a pair of pigs and they eat all the left overs, law clippings and the like. Living trash disposal. Going to get goats before too much longer.

SmokingCamels

I like the idea that some people are into raising animals like that.  I won't lie, I'll eat about any meat.  But if I am raising animals specifically for a food source that don't require a lot of extra work, I would stick with caged rabbits (so other animals can't get them) and deer.  That said, I don't need to raise animals for a food source.  I'm fully capable and equipped of hunting one myself.  :)


Captain Maltese

Agreed with the hunting.

Still, I do remember the Chernobyl accident. I was planning on a student visit to Russia at the time - it got cancelled, to put it that way. But more importantly we got some of that radiation downfall even here in Norway. Hunting was cancelled. Sheep and reindeer, which we have a lot of in some areas here, had to be given meds and special food. I even had to throw away fish I had caught and frozen down. Since we are talking about doomsday scenarios the longer term food plan will probably benefit from being diversified.

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Captain Maltese

#94
Let's try a more mundane survival scenario.

It's your summer vacation, and you have decided to go visit an old derelict farm your family once owned. By car. You are not part of a tightly knit family or group of friends, so no one knows your exact plans. It doesn't look too complicated though; you can apparently drive the whole way and there's an inn conveniently near the farm.

So you set out in the early morning, and the arrow goes straight into the rural areas and from there into forested and mountained wilderness. Somewhere around lunch you find a gas station and buy a coffee and a sandwich and juice up your tank, and drive on.

By evening you are in trouble. The roads are all gravel and you haven't seen a single car since the gas station, the names on the signs might as well be written in Orcish and it's getting dark when suddenly a deer jumps into the road. You swerve to avoid it, hit the ditch at 40mph, the car front gets intimate with a tree and the lights go out. All of them.

When you wake up eating airbag it's just the last glimmer of daylight left. There's no battery left in the car, your GPS is dead, your cell phone has no contact with any network. There's a map but you don't know where you are on it. On the bright side you aren't bleeding, nothing on you is broken and the car is not on fire.

It could be a week before anyone starts questioning openly where you are. What do you do from here?



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TheGlyphstone

Wait until morning, then follow the road back to the gas station. I'm pretty sure even my flabby ass can walk that far without dying of starvation or dehydration.

Captain Maltese

Quote from: TheGlyphstone on September 24, 2016, 07:46:20 AM
Wait until morning, then follow the road back to the gas station. I'm pretty sure even my flabby ass can walk that far without dying of starvation or dehydration.

And if you can't tell what is the right road back to the gas station?

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Oniya

Quote from: Captain Maltese on September 24, 2016, 07:52:46 AM
And if you can't tell what is the right road back to the gas station?

'Down' is likely to lead towards water/civilization.  Since we're talking rural, you probably have clear enough skies to catch sight of the Dipper and orient yourself to 'North' at a bare minimum.  Scour the wreckage for anything edible (there's usually a bag of chips or jerky, knowing my car) and maybe a decent branch from the tree for a walking stick.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
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SmokingCamels

*scratches head*  So in this scenario I have no survival skills and only moderately understands modern technology?  I immediately close the game down, eject it from my system (or go into my control panel, open up programs and files and remove it) and return it.  When asked why I am returning that game, I get quite verbose about how stupid it was and that 3 minutes into it I had completely lost interest.

Oh... you mean for real?

I can't apply that situation to any sort of logic as to what I would do since that scenario has 0% chance of ever happening.  There are too many things wrong with the setup that couldn't possibly happen to me.  To start with, I -CAN- read a map.  I wouldn't go out to a derelict farmhouse in the middle of nowhere for no reason, and if I had been there as a kid, I would also know the area well enough to know what was in which direction and about how far it was.  I'm not gonna end up in a ditch for swerving to miss a deer either, because my vehicle is a truck, I know the odds of the deer's survival are non-existent while mine are ridiculously high.  :P

Seriously.  Not to be a tool, I would normally give you a straight answer.  But I can't on this one.  You've made it too impossible for me to put myself in that situation.  :/

Captain Maltese

Well, I thought the setting was pretty realistic but I may have been thinking too local for it to have any meaning. I live in a rural area; there's a few thousand people around here and lots of gravel roads once you get off the main roads. Back in the day I worked in Sweden for a while and about once per month I drove to visit my parents. That was a five hour drive, of which maybe four go through desolate mountains or dense forests, and once you drive off the main road for some reason they don't bother much with any kind of road signs. On the Swedish side even the main roads were gravel back then and I am not going into the mid winter issues. I have been well and truly lost a few times and I have also been standing in the naked mountains outside my car, removing the engine top with about three basic hand tools so I could yank out a broken valve pin and continue the drive on two cylinders the rest of the trip. I didn't see one other house or car until I was nearly home. I grant you, neither GPS or cell phones had been invented yet but there isn't any phone network up there anyway.

That said, I encourage you guys to present a scenario that makes sense to you.

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