Philosophy for the times - please read

[rcavictim]

Please allow me to share the philosophy I have been following for quite some time now as I saw what was coming and see we are now accelerating into big time. Distributing a post of this nature is highly unusual for me, in fact it is a first but with events occuring now as they are I felt compelled. My only purpose is that I hope it might help you in some way.  I know that in this forum I will be in large part preaching to the choir.   

If you have any money, buy the machinery and hard goods and spare parts you need now before the money is worthless and also before the countries making the stuff you need fail through social unrest/politics, war or due to natural disaster like in Japan right now.  We could wake up any day now and find that ships are no longer able to bring in spare parts for your Chinese generator engine.  Could be now already that parts for certain Japanese machinery will no longer be available...ever.  What I know for sure is that what we have always come to expect as normal, meaning we were pretty safe to procrastinate on getting parts or whatever until later or next year is no longer a safe bet.  A wise American (some still exist) recently said, "If you can't eat it, don't buy it".  I take that as good advise but extend that sage purchasing policy to include hardware that supports a private family life support system.  A new 62" plasma TV, X-box 360 or snowmobile do not resemble essential life support systems in my mind.  A used high MPG diesel powered vehicle or multi purpose farm tractor does. Anything that has a great thirst for refined gasoline is probably not a good investment going forward.  Think about this and look at your primary source of transportation right now.

Things are happening that are attacking all that we have come to take for granted.  For example I believe it is no longer safe to assume that the electricity or natural gas, even municipal water now serving your property will continue to function. Much of the country of Japan who had such expectations have just been proven wrong, with life threatening consequences!  That ought to be an eye opener!!!  Japan is the world's third largest economy, not some back woods 3rd world jerkwater.

If you buy a generator think about how you are going to get fuel for it with the gas stations all closed.  In this case avoid those gasoline powered 3600 RPM screamers that wear themselves out in 50 hours of use which are sold at all the big box stores.  Better quality units are available that run on diesel which run longer per liter of fuel because they are more efficient and in many cases can even run on home cooking oil, home heating oil, and in a real pinch even used motor oil well filtered through a sock, towel or blanket into a pail.  A diesel engine is much more versatile in a long lasting emergency situation.  In the case of a permanent generator installation get a small slow speed (1800 RPM) diesel plant.  Stockpile some fuel, lube oil and filters.  Diesel is much, much safer to store than gasoline and does not go bad quickly like gasoline.  There are additives that can extend the storage life of diesel.  There is plenty of info on this subject on the internet.

Consider solar panels and a small wind turbine if you are in a location where these could be helpful.  In fact some of the new electric assisted bicycles can be recharged from a modest home wind turbine and get you a few miles back and forth to work in the warmer months or to the store.  No outlay for fuel and no insurance or even drivers license is needed on these.  There are also health benefits from increased exercise using one of these compared to driving a car even if you don't use the pedals.  The ones I'm talking about look like enclosed motor scooters, not bicycles, and have luggage carriers and compartments for groceries, etc.  I saw a nice looking unit very economically priced under $700 recently at Princess Auto.  Similar looking models are selling elsewhere for twice that and more.

Do not ignore the fact that food is now going up in price all around the world and is becoming short in supply.  This phenomenon has finally hit us here in North America.  It will get worse.  Some types of food can be stored.  Plenty of info is available on the internet.

Buying a remote woodlot with potable water and good soil to support a private vegetable garden and room to keep a few food animals like chickens, goats, geese, etc., also makes sense if you are able.  Our environment is changing. If you live in the city when all hell breaks loose your chances of survival are guaranteed to be very grim.  Only those that can make changes in time to adapt will have the best odds on survival.

This is not meant to be a complete list of what I feel one ought to consider but it does touch on enough to stimulate thought. Do with this what you will. As with anything else YMMV.

Good luck my friends,

rca

[veggie]

IMPORTANT

Mr. Chris Martenson describes the current situation in a series of easy-to-follow videos shown here....
(Click a number on the bar to view that particular chapter)

http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse/chapter-1-three-beliefs

[wiebe]

Is that called preppen.?
i saw a nice vid from a member here i think that had everything covered i think .
Nice house not to big, lister gen, solarpower,food,and sure an ak 47 in pieces,

I dont think we have preppers over here.

[LowGear]

I have gotten to chapter 10 this time.  I'll come back tomorrow and watch some more.  I sure hope there is a happy ending.

Casey

[Crofter]

Here is a short clip of an article that concludes, looking ahead, total situation is unlikely to allow continuation of our present aberrant consumption of finite global resource.

"the American imperial presence in the Middle East and elsewhere, which currently backstops a global economic system that provides the 5% of us who live in America with 25% of the world's energy resources and around 33% of its raw materials and industrial product, has a relatively short shelf life ahead of it, and as that comes unraveled, we are all going to have to learn to live with much less".

[BioHazard]

The earthquake really has me rethinking future plans. Almost exactly the same thing is forcast to happen here in the NW sometime in the next 30 years. Really sends a point about natural gas most likely not working after an earthquake. I am now thinking more and more about how I would heat and generate electricity without that and propane. I need to keep an eye out for a good, huge, propane tank and install it to handle an earthquake. I need to figure out what is involved in converting my natural gas furnace to run off of propane tanks, in a long term emergency.

As for generators I think one is best served by a variety, the more the better. Long term slow diesels are definately the winner, but I also want more than one gasoline, propane, 2 stroke and diesel generator available. That way I can burn almost anything I find. An old low compression briggs will run on pretty rotten gasoline, and other fuels once warmed. (I onced mowed my lawn on a mixture of paint thinner and rubbing alcohol after I ran out of gas half way through) A modern high efficiency/lower speed gasoline generator is a good thing to have, but it's more picky about fuel. If the gas station closes cars are still full of gas. It's also great if your gasoline generator can run on propane or you have another dedicated propane rig. My favorite thing about propane is that it can run in gas OR diesel engines! A 2 stroke generator is a good thing to have if standard lube oil becomes high in demand...

I do think more and more about having some acres of my own land even if out in the middle of nowhere, it could become useful someday. There is some local property for sale that includes a huge amount of acreage for very, very cheap, the only problem is it is "unbuildable" according to the zoning, forest land only. The survivalist in me sees a creek, a bunch of firewood, and a place to live when the government no longer has full control of a given situation. I almost want to build my own bunker.....

[AdeV]

This website (http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/) can be a bit preachy at times, but there's a fascinating collection of items on there, showing some real old-world tech that might come to be useful again, especially to some of us here, the experimenters.

RCA - for what it's worth, I largely agree with your assessment; one of the good things about sticking to using old stuff is there's a good stock of spares around. Of course, the bad thing is, that stock is finite.... and if everyone started to want a piece of it, then spares would vanish fast.

Bio - I entirely agree about the land thing; your biggest problem, if the government does lose control, is how to defend it... because for sure you'd be under attack, just as soon as people realised that YOU had prepared and THEY hadn't...

[BioHazard]

Bio - I entirely agree about the land thing; your biggest problem, if the government does lose control, is how to defend it... because for sure you'd be under attack, just as soon as people realised that YOU had prepared and THEY hadn't...

Not sure if we should sidetrack this here, but everything I believe about generators applies to firearms as well. A wide variety in stock.   I've literally got enough lead and powder to last me a lifetime. (if the hollow points run out)

I'm starting to think it would be a great ideal to stockpile sheets of OSB some 2x4s and other basic lumber, and piles of concrete blocks and mortar as those are the things that disappear and cost way more after a disaster. Even a Bobcat or other small type tractor might be good to keep on hand in case of disaster, they aren't really that much more expensive than a good diesel generator.

I actually do plan on building an underground vault in my new shop, to store most of the goodies. Pre-SHTF, I have some stuff I want to protect down there. I like to keep as much money in real metal (copper, silver, gold) as I can.

[injin man]

Plan and execute. Don't wait, nothing you get today will be worthless
tomorrow, it might priceless the day after though. Read the blog below
and see how he survived the downturn in Argentina.

Here is a guy that's been there and done that. Lots of insight into what
an economic collapse looks like in a civilized country not far from us.

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/

[deeiche]

rm /

[SteveU.]

Interesting thread you have started here Mr RCA.
I know from your pictures and projects you actually live this as do many of the actual DOers here.
The most important beginnings is NOT power and bullets but LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
Spend the effort and money to go live NOW daily where you would be willing to hunker down, OR live out your life. Some place it would be possible to annually grow a minimal percentage of your own food, have your own water and energy resources to heat, light and modestly power with. Then actually do these things. Locate some place where you are surrounded by people who mostly believe in self-reliance thinking. Then dig in and become Local. Then locally become a know valued person whether it is gardening, baking/cooking, animal care, welding/fixing, power maker, etc.
Now these requirements kinnda rule out most Urban/Suburban areas don't they?
To live Now where the majority are renters/entitlement mentality or seasonal residence is B-A-A-D odds.
To think you gonna be able to "Escape . . to " is to make yourself and your's into migrating Prey.
To be the only one around bunkered up with "Resources" will just as effectivly make you into a Prey too - just bigger and jucier.
Have to be willing to share prosperity and hardships with your neighbors - why location is the most important aspect.

Mr weibe yes you do too have preppers there. I correspond to a few. Start living prepping and you will find them.

And any of you for your Now peace of mind DO NOT let any of the current crop of talking heads keep pushing your panic buttons to sell another book, more air time or internet subscriptions.
And yes I live on the Pacific Ring of Fire next to the Cascadia Fault, proven "Fire Balloon" downwind from Japan/Korea, wedged in between four volcanoes. But I DO NOT live on the shoulder of one of these, or in one of the flooding river valleys, in one of the Urban core Guts or along one of the get out suburbia stampede routes. I have my Rods and Staffs to comfort me. And I recommend "Backwoods Home", the magazine or site, as one of those staffs of support. Ha! Ha! They believe in the appropriate use of Rods too. Only needs one bullet either way to change things dramatically.

Regards

[LowGear]

Interesting considerations by you all. 

You do realize you're not going to get off the earth alive don't you?  That all life as we physically know it is finite.

Casey

[cognos]

I figure 5 years from now, the current problems in Japan will be nothing but a fuzzy memory, as rampant consumerism once again waves it's seductive wand - "Spend, or the world economy is doomed..."

25 years from now, any nuclear problems now occurring in Japan will be no more worrisome to those future citizens than Chernobyl is to us right now. Business as usual, all is well, move along folks, nothing to see here. Buy some souvenirs on the way out.

25 years ago - and 50, and 100 - there were people talking like this thread in the world. They're still here. Just a little better prepared for things than the rest of us. Nothing wrong with that. But the vast majority of them haven't seen their predictions come true, and thankfully, haven't been forced to rely on their preparations for anything but the shortest period of time. And they may have lived a more self-actualized existence than many of the rest of us who just went along with the flow. And that's good.

Nothing wrong with preparedness. Do what you can, live with the decisions you make. But don't live in fear, and enjoy every day you have here.

[XYZER]

Don't forget containers.....you might find liquids somewhere but you need to haul it or store it or trade it. I have plenty of backups including containers.

[AdeV]

I figure 5 years from now, the current problems in Japan will be nothing but a fuzzy memory, as rampant consumerism once again waves it's seductive wand - "Spend, or the world economy is doomed..."

Within a year, more like. It'll soon be replaced by the standard local yokel news (in our case, the various problems with Europe & how we're just not paying enough taxes...). Of course, for the Japanese, it will last much longer.

Nothing wrong with preparedness. Do what you can, live with the decisions you make. But don't live in fear, and enjoy every day you have here.

Amen to that. However, unlike the previous 25, 50 or 100 years; world population is really exploding out of control. 6.75bn (as of 2009 - so it should be over 7bn by now). I don't know what the "critical mass" is, in terms of population, where "global civil war" becomes an inevitability. Based on previous growth, we could see a world population of 21bn as soon as 2040 (when many of us will still be alive...), can our planet really sustain that many people?

War's a comin', of that you can be certain. The only remaining uncertainty is the timing... and the form - will it be nuclear, conventional, or civil?