The Core
Why We Are Here => Economics & Investing => Topic started by: buckworks on October 28, 2016, 08:19:04 AM
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Brad said:
I can see two types of Prepper threads:
1. Soft Prepper - breakdown in global trade, shortages that are not life threatening but change lifestyle. Breakdown in trust in financial institutions . At it's worse the soft prepper scenario is a bit like what happened to the Russians after the fall of the USSR or the Great Depression. Life and govt still clanks on but there are big disruptions in jobs, currency, finances, ownership, pensions etc.
2. Hard Prepper - real dramatic breakdown in govt and civil order. Like giant solar electromagnetic pulse scenario that RC talked about previously. Food, fuel, water, services shortages that could threaten life and health.
I hope people have things to say about broad issues like these but sometimes prepping needs careful thought on a much smaller scale.
I've just had an experience where I wish I'd been better prepared. My mother-in-law had a bad fall and we left home on short notice late at night. We ended up going to Winnipeg and spending a couple of days in hospital waiting rooms while she got a pacemaker.
What does this have to do with prepping? Well, I was only partly ready to leave on short notice. There was I, 300 miles from home, with cables and chargers for all my devices but no gloves or scarf. Not smart for late October! We didn't have blankets or winter gear in the vehicle, either.
My purse wasn't big enough to carry a water bottle, snacks, an iPad or a book, things one is apt to want during long hours of waiting. I was wishing for a tote bag. And what about purse security during naps? I was wishing for a waist pack. And a pillow! Small things can make a big difference to comfort and security. If you have them with you, that is.
... to be continued ...
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(Roughly maintained) Grab & Go bags are a part of 'Everyday|Travel Prepping' for us. One thing that I've found that does NOT work, is to think we're going to use certain items out of the bag routinely and then put them back. We end up cannibalizing the bag. Buy stuff and dedicate it to a bag.
We're building Packing Lists for various travel scenarios on Trello. Sorta works.
As for prepping in general, I'm not getting ready for the apocalypse, I'd just like to have 3-4 weeks of being able to scrape by without too much deprivation & hardship if we lost major infrastructure. Though I was overseas at the time, my neighborhood was inacessable for a few days and without power for 10-12 days after Isabel.
#1 is a sustainable supply of drinking water
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QF3TW4
#2 Food --easy, just buy some tubs off Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00955DUHQ
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>tote bag
We've just switched to small, schoolkid's-type, soft, frameless backsacks. We opted for the simple ones without so many pockets that tend to hide stuff rather than organize it. $25-ish at Target.
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<added>
>lists
I'm finding that bastardizing Grocery Shopping Apps such as 'Our Groceries' into general-duty reminder lists works well for me. I haven't done a Grab & Go list but it would work in lieu of a cloud-kept list.
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Grab & Go bags AKA BUG OUT BAGS or BOBS are for those folks in metro areas that have to GET THE F OUT.
If Y'all are prepared, you should stay PUT, make yourself invisible and don't need no Fing BAG -imo
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>> sustainable supply of drinking water
A note from cold country: Protect your water filters from freezing. Residual water within the filter would expand as it turned to ice and likely damage the filter's functionality.
>> Buy stuff and dedicate it to a bag.
Yes.
I was well organized in some ways, but I'll be adding the above-mentioned things to my grab-and-go.
The vehicle was full of gas, so we could set out without hesitation. I keep some cash for grab-and-go so we'd have been okay if there was a problem with credit cards. That amplifies the purse security issue, though.
One detail that worked well was that I had the app for my favourite hotel chain on my iPad mini. When we decided to find a hotel instead of spending Tuesday night at the hospital I was able to book a room with just a few clicks.
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One thing I've been thinking about is light source at night. Plenty of flashlights, but without a ton of batteries, they won't last long.
What's the best solution for solar charging a set of eneloops?
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>eneloops
>solar
First, they make led bulbs to retrofit the old camping lanterns and road emergency lights you likely have stashed around the house. Convert them. One of those old 6v camping lanterns will run for hours & hours if only powering an led.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MP8MGO/
I'll post separately about standby battery power.
>water
>solar
I wanted a cheap-ish solar bilge pump for when boats are on trailers in storage. For K.I.S.S. I want NO battery required, though. It doesn't
have to pump much or often, just when enough condensate collects.
First attempt (last year) failed --couldn't get the pump to run without a battery & controller in the system.
Ordered this 2.5 watt fountain kit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GDUV2W0/
and a float switch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013XSDREQ/
In full sun, it pumped more than 5 gallons an hour. It will only lift the water about 3 feet, but that's just enough to get it out of
the bottom of the bilge and to the scuppers.
It doesn't escape me that 3 of these daisy-chained as lift stations would provide a reservoir to flush my downstairs toilet.
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>standby battery power
Besides now cheap led tech, usb 5vdc becoming a commodity has really altered the standby energy landscape. BUT, the real common denominator is 12vdc systems in vehicles and boats.
5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006JO0TC
I keep one of these in every car & truck
300W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Inverter with 3.1A Dual USB Car Adapter
https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/
With the above and one of the batteries out of your lawnmower, cars, boats you could limp along pretty well with solar generation.
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>coat
I **HIGHLY** recommend getting a fleece cape or poncho that stays in the car. Grey or some other dirt-hiding color. Something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-L-Bean-Polartec-Fleece-Grey-Hooded-Cape-Poncho-Wrap-Three-Button-Front-/222193465325
You can sometimes find them cheap at Wallyword or Target. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to get one of these capes because the restaurant or waiting room is being kept at freezing.
I recommend a cape rather than a coat because it spreads out to make a blanket.
Though not mentioned, get a couple of $1 plastic rain ponchos. The best/smallest pak I've found so far is at truck stops. Came in handy at Hanoi, had 2 in my back pocket.
>pillow
We keep a dogbone-shaped travel pillow in the car. I just upgraded my u-shaped airline travel pillow to the best/plushest I could find. I hadn't thought of putting one in my backsack for vehicle travel.
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My current car is a Subaru. I've driven through enough snow storms over the years so I liked the idea of all wheel drive plus ground clearance. Just in case.
So think about an all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive as a bug out vehicle if you can afford it.
I keep a bunch of emergency stuff in each vehicle:
simple tools
folding shovel
space blankets
chem light sticks
Water heater pot that plugs into cigarette lighter
Swiss army knife etc.
A word on Swiss Army Knives: they are inexpensive enough that you can buy a bunch and salt them around: vehicles (cars, ATV's, motorcycles), bug out bags, boat etc. Check Amazon.
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So why would folks wish to PREPARE?
Here is a LIST to discuss. (These are in MY order and MY phrasing) NOT a perfect list…
## Natural events:
Floods kill more people and cause more damage than anything else.
Yellowstone Caldera – My personal favorite ;)
New Madrid &/or San Andreas faults
CAT 4 or 5 Hurricane
EMP – not manmade
## ManMade events:
Economic collapse brought on by factors such as China’s debt bubble, other debt bubbles created by the Fed, BOJ and Euro Central Banks
World War 3 or other Middle East debacles
EMP – Nuclear
Pandemics – that’s a FUN one
### Civil Unrest brought on by any or all of the above.
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Good list. I would add to natural events:
Blizzards
Brush or forest fires
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Here is a video worth viewing - imo
Not a pretty picture...
https://news.fastcompany.com/leaked-army-video-shows-a-future-of-urban-hellscapes-4023336
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I have to run away from tsunamis. I need a waterproof go-bag.
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From Ralph
http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2403-6-reasons-why-new-civil-war-possible-terrifying.html
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I'm genuinely scared... even if I could be sure "my side" would win a revolution/civil war, I would be scared because no matter which side you are on, winning or losing, you do not want to live through a civil war.
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I have a liberal friend who is a bleeding heart for the working poor. He keeps talking about living wage, higher minimum wage, etc. as well as the continuing hollowing-out of the middle class here in the US ...all valid concerns. He also wonders 'Where's the revolution? What will it take?"
>scared
When my friend sees a revolution, Debbie says it ain't going to be the revolution he's picturing but more like Watts, Baltimore, or the London riots.
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No one would win a civil war. If you read through this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_terrorism_in_the_United_States) you will see a long history of Americans thinking that their beliefs are worth more than human life. Very little of it actually spurred any change; often they end up having the opposite effect as the other side digs in.
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Well, I'm pretty liberal, but I'm also a historian of early-modern Europe (that was my main profession from 1988 to 2010). So though not a scholar of revolution per se, I nevertheless feel qualified to say that your friend is a delusional idiot.
Revolutions are nasty business, even if you are one of the winners. Just ask Robespierre and Trotsky. I think Americans have the mistaken idea that our war of independence was a revolution or, at worst, that the revolution will look like the Civil War. I expect it will be much worse and I do not want to live to see it.
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>> mistaken idea that our war of independence was a revolution
Please say more about that. If it wasn't a revolution, what was it?
I'm a Canadian with lots of gaps in my knowledge of US history!
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>Just ask Robespierre
My thought as well. Verbatim, in fact.
>Civil War
Where the Gatling Gun was the gee-whiz war tech of the day.
>delusional idiot
I've told him that it's my job to retrieve the wispy vestiges of reality from his thoughts, hhh.
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>> mistaken idea that our war of independence was a revolution
Please say more about that. If it wasn't a revolution, what was it?
It was a war of colonial independence. Off the cuff, I would propose a typology like this
1. Revolution.
This is like the French Revolution, the Soviet Revolution. The people who believe themselves to be oppressed by those in power attempt a "revolution" meaning an overturning of power and those at the top go to the bottom and those at the bottom go to the top. The goal is to remake the social order. It never works like that, but that's the idea and that's why it's such a messy business and why there are ebbs and flows and purges - nobody has any clear idea of when the revolution is over.
2. Revolt
This is like the Northern Rising in England or perhaps the Fronde in France or any number of peasant or noble revolts. The goal is not to overturn the social order, but to get specific demands met - cheaper bread, relief from an onerous tax, etc. The goal is the same social order, but with a little more consideration for the people who got upset enough to revolt. The revolt is over when the revolters get what they want or get violently put down. In a revolution, the king is bad. In a revolt, the king has bad ministers and if we can only get the ear of the good king, all will be set right.
3. War of Independence
The American Revolution. We didn't free the slaves, take away land from the landed gentry or really change the social order at all. We merely told the king to bugger off. Otherwise the social order was hardly changed. The war is over when the colony governs itself. Think of how radically the social order in Canada would have to change in order for Canada to quit being a monarchy and become a republic. Would anyone even notice? In a war of independence, the king may or may not be bad, but he has no business telling us what to do. In other words, he's a legitimate king, he's just not legitimately *our* king.
4. War of Secession
That's like the American Civil War. The main difference between this and #3 is that the breakaway state is not a colony, but part of the state it is seceding from. But again, the idea is not typically to overturn the fundamental social order, but rather for those who think they should be in power if not for the central government to actually be in power. In our case, the Civil War was fought because the people seceding wanted to avoid changing the social order, not because they wanted a revolution. Quite the opposite.
5. Civil War. Sort of like a revolution, but without a utopian social agenda. Think Rwanda and ex-Yugoslavia. True nastiness
https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Inform-Tomorrow-Killed-Families/dp/0312243359
So in this thread, we're talking about #1. And as nasty as #4 is, the one you really don't want to live through is #1 or its close brother #5 because they are going to be the hardest ones to hide from.
In some cases, what you call it is a political choice. Traditionally, leftist historians liked to talk about the English Revolution while more conservative historians prefer the term English Civil War.
And of course, the American Civil War was a Civil War but, again, as nasty as it was, for the man in the street, at least if you're on the winning side and not of draft age, it's not all that bad living in New York during the war. But in #1, Paris and Moscow were very dangerous places no matter who you were. And in #5, well, you might wake up tomorrow and find your neighbor who was at your cookout last month hacking the legs off your daughter with a machete.
There is a French/Romanian philosopher named Emile Cioran who said that he liked to frequent criminals because they only kill one person at a time, while under saints they die by the millions. By "saints" he meant Robespierre, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Cromwell and all the people who promised utopia at the expense of just a few million, or perhaps one hundred million, peasants (I believe the estimated death toll from Mao's famines was over 100 million).
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>delusional idiot
I've told him that it's my job to retrieve the wispy vestiges of reality from his thoughts, hhh.
I meant that, BTW, in the nicest possible ways. We all have our delusions and it is terrifically helpful, albeit annoying, to have friends and wives willing to point them out.
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NOT WISHING TO ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE
BUT
Migrant War Erupting On Streets Of Paris Among Migrant Gangs
http://thefederalistpapers.org/us/breaking-migrant-war-erupting-on-streets-of-paris-among-migrant-gangs?utm_source=FBLC&utm_medium=FB&utm_campaign=LC
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BUT
There's trouble in the wind. Bad vibes from multiple directions.
In the face of growing unease I think it makes sense to get our households stocked up so we could last for several weeks without having to go out much. If nothing bad happens we can just eat our supplies.
The time to stock up is now while store shelves are full and supply lines are functional. Hoarding doesn't create moral questions if you gather your goods when conditions are good. In a crisis, your neighbours would benefit from the fact that you won't need to be in line ahead of them once supplies are limited. And of course you'd be more able to help others directly if you had stuff on hand. The ideal community would have everyone well stocked to ride out a crisis.
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BUT
There's trouble in the wind.
I think we're in a "make it break it" time. The sociologist Norbert Elias had a concept called the "threshold of shame." Basically, before reaching the threshold there are things you don't discuss because they are either so normal (spitting on the floor during dinner) or so abnormal (same sex marriage), that they don't come up at all. Then over time, the culture changes and you see these things crop up lots (such as in the manners books of the late Middle Ages or the media of today, respectively). Then things exit the threshold either through advance or retreat and they fade into the background again.
I think we're seeing that in so many ways right now and far beyond manner and morals. We have a convergence of so many "threshold" issues that we're either going to deal with or not. Everything from cultural divides to perpetual deficit spending to climate disruption to income inequality (local and global) to how we handle automation and so forth. All the stuff we talk about here every day, but seems absent from CNN and Fox news, which is a problem, because so many people are thinking such short term. I feel that a sense of urgency about these problems is more important than one's solution. In other words, if people recognized that these are urgent issues, it would be much easier to get people on different sides of the issue to compromise and collaborate (this is empirically demonstrated - the longer your time horizon, the easier it is for people to see common interests and therefore come to compromise on solutions).
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>There's trouble in the wind. Bad vibes from multiple directions.
I don't think these times are any more tumultuous than the 1960s or 1970s. I agree that we have serious problems looming, but I don't think its quite time to load up the shotguns. Don't get me wrong, I think everyone should have emergency supplies and safety plans. That said, I feel like too many people are all about surviving the 'end game' instead of thinking hard and taking action to prevent the ax from falling on them.
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>> emergency supplies and safety plans
My mission for now is to stock our pantry so we could go for several weeks without shopping. We have lots already but need to fill some gaps in the menu planning. That would help us get through several kinds of trouble including bad winter weather which is a certainty where I live.
I'm also going to do more work on my grab-and-go bag.
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Here's an excellent candle-powered light which we have used during a power failure. It's also great for camping:
JOI Candle Powered Lamp - http://amzn.to/2fn2STM (http://amzn.to/2fn2STM)
This is on my wish list:
Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho - http://amzn.to/2eFrNly (http://amzn.to/2eFrNly)
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SHE SAID:
The time to stock up is now while store shelves are full and supply lines are functional. Hoarding doesn't create moral questions if you gather your goods when conditions are good. In a crisis, your neighbours would benefit from the fact that you won't need to be in line ahead of them once supplies are limited. And of course you'd be more able to help others directly if you had stuff on hand. The ideal community would have everyone well stocked to ride out a crisis.
I totally agree!
PS: we own no guns
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> prevent the ax from falling on them.
Well said.
It's good to be prepared, like buckworks has outlined, but that is just one tool.
The other is about us and the communities we live in, our countries, how we conduct ourselves, and how we treat others. "No man is an island" applies here. We have to work with others to keep things going, to work out differences, to maintain civil discourse, civil liberties and civil order. And somehow, taking the high road is important, more important than we know.
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>PS: we own no guns
How did you get into N Carolina? Deportation imminent.
Seriously though, don't get a gun unless you plan to spend time learning safety and proper usage/practice.
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WE DON'T NEED NO f###ing GUNS ::)
You've been to our casa in the woods.
On our RIGHT we have my buddy Mike with an Arsenal of Firearms and to his right a Country Sheriff
On our LEFT is a Flag Waving "DON'T TREAD ON ME" MF
Across the street is a guy who owns a SHOOTING RANGE
We'all live at the end of a LONG Cul-de-sac .
MFs come in & they will never get out alive...
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THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POST
From NBC News:
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/election-chaos-fears-have-preppers-stockpiling-survival-food-n678161
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I really am not flippant on the topic, but I've known so many people over the years who are just itching for chaos so they can justify their paramilitary arsinals. You guys remember how all the ignorant Y2K nutjobs were prepping for that? Civilization has momentum and humans are way more resilient than most give us credit for. Neither candidate is going to unravel society.
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>Neither candidate is going to unravel society
But EITHER candidate will unravel their party.
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>> ignorant Y2K nutjobs
Also remember that geeks around the world worked hard to get systems updated to head off problems before they happened.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and all that.
Some predictions may have been inflated, but the concern wasn't imaginary.
>> itching for chaos so they can justify their paramilitary arsinals
If one wants to prepare for assorted difficulties, building an arsenal wouldn't be the best place to start on my planet. Around here the most certain hazard we need to be ready for is severe winter weather. Guns and ammo would be zero help for that. Ditto for floods or forest fires. Ditto for a family crisis such as illness or job loss.
A big principle for savvy prepping would be to prepare for the most probable problems first. I ponder the irony of guys who are splendidly equipped for battle with zombies but would have trouble coping in the all-too-common situation of a few months without a job.
IMHO, there would be many bases to cover first before even starting to think about guns and ammo. How about stronger locks and doors? Upgrading doors is actually one of the changes we made after moving into our present house. Our first motive was energy efficiency but they're better for security too.
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Shutting down the house, related to the Bug-Out Bag... Get a label maker and pick an inside cabinet or closet door and make a punchlist of items --valves, circuit breakers, thermostats, etc.-- that should be closed, locked, shut down, etc. Mine is in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. I also installed a ball valve for the whole house's water main there.
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>> make a punchlist
Yes. Don't count on just remembering such stuff. If something stressful is going on, your mind may be a bit muddled. Stress makes you stupid unless you've done a lot of practicing.
While you're making lists, make one for phone numbers. Make a list of emergency numbers, important family/friend contacts, neighbours, etc. and post it near every phone in the house. Use print big enough that you could read it without your glasses.
Make sure those numbers are on your mobile phone, and also Skype on all your devices.
My husband also made a little card with our most important numbers that we each carry in our wallet.
Related: when you're planning to travel, collect the phone numbers both local and toll-free for all your lodging, airlines, car rentals etc. and add them to your mobile phone, and Skype on all your devices. Having such numbers organized and handy could be a major help in a pinch. For example, letting your hotel know you'll be delayed for several hours but yes you do still want the room!
Another list: Look at each card or document you normally carry in your wallet and ask: "If I lost this, who would I contact and what info would I need to provide in order to cancel it or get a replacement? Compile that info now for things like your driver's licence, credit cards, debit cards, medical cards, passport, and so on. Store the info someplace safe but accessible. Hopefully you'd never need the info but it's a stress reducer to know that you've got it.
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"Shutting down the house"
A few years ago I saw a TV presentation that recommended people outside Metro Areas stay in place and make themselves invisible.
Make your place look like it is abandoned.
Leave the from door open.
Through some of your sh## on the front lawn so it looks like YOUR HOME was recently terrorized by robbers.
Hope that y'all never need this info:
http://www.survivopedia.com/how-to-survive-riot/
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HERE's an IDEA
Enomad, a startup from South Korea, has revealed a hydropower device called the Estream, which will convert running water into electricity that can charge your phone and other USB devices.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/estream-hydropower-portable-charger/?utm_source=k1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cpc_test&kwp_0=233912&kwp_4=983687&kwp_1=469823
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>> hydropower device
Fun to think about, but too location-dependent for me.
I'll take solar charging, thank you.
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I have one of those 12v solar chargers in my amz cart and will try it when I get back from upcoming travels. I sent my last one (early model, lower charge rate) to Haiti for field duty.