Once we got to talking about it the other day, a slightly shocking number of us agreed that we (and in some cases even our otherwise oblivious relatives) are feeling more apprehensive than usual about the coming winter.
And it has nothing to do with the weather.
Might mean nothing, of course. A poll taken of this crowd any month of the year would probably not reveal boundless optimism for the future of the economy or, for that matter, the Great American Experiment. Still …
I just checked my Amazon associates stats for the last few weeks and discovered the unease is carrying over into action.
Sure, people are always buying various things related to survival and prepping. Preparedness books. Water filters or purifiers. But these, along with knives and tools, and backpacks, are things that could be used in good times as well as bad.
But lately preparedness-related purchases have soared and shown signs of becoming a lot more “hardcore.” Here’s just a few of the things people have been buying. (And remember, I don’t ever receive information on who is buying via my Amazon links, or even which items were bought together. The only thing Amazon tells me is what was sold.)
- Heirloom seeds in survival-sealed containers. Several varieties and multiple sizes.
- Way more 550lb. paracord than usual.
- Surprising quantities of very large plastic totes. (I’m thinkin’ car kits; family-sized go-boxes.)
- A Yamaha inverter-generator. (Thank you for that biggie, somebody out there.)
- Big boxes of MREs.
- Really hardcore emergency food bars — the kind you’re only going to want in a bug-out bag or vehicle kit.
- A Swiss Army Volcano Stove.
- Stormproof matches.
- A Maxpedition bag.
- And this extremely clever “wings of life” backpack/emergency kit. A nice “lazy man’s” bug-out kit.
I don’t print this list only to drive you to my Amazon links — although that, too. 🙂 But because this represents a pretty big bump in prepping, even for this already prep-aware crowd.
I suspect if Amazon sold guns, there’d be a few of those on the list, too.
All this has got me thinking (always dangerous). I expect I’ll spend most of the rest of this week’s blogitude on preparedness topics … starting tomorrow with a biggie that is often given short shrift: prioritizing.
Only 65 days to 12-21-2012. Although, I think it is kind of silly to think that there is an exact SHTF date and its been in our faces all this time. I love this cartoon: http://api.ning.com/files/MbwojmptSlsoMpkIUujSYmrHNbT48jDQRZdFWVkb6M5PplLOQJNHeSMWORz80QmFrwsH8oliKBJEC1rSDkdpVCeem2DqEwVH/2012cartoon.jpg
Hopefully we are all wrong and the recent surge in prepping just gets us a bit more prepared for whatever may come.
G.W.F. — You know, it’s funny. I had forgotten all about the alleged Mayan prophesy (and that despite having written a BHM cover story about it earlier this year). I don’t know a single person who gives it any credence, and I have a hard time imagining anybody hereabouts rushing out a few weeks before Mayan doomsday buying heirloom seeds and MREs.
But yeah, I guess that could be the elephant in the room for some. And even for people not thinking much of it it could be one more thing adding to the malaise.
But LOL, if I expected the world to end in two months, I’d be taking long vacations and buying gourmet foods (all on my credit card of course) rather than thinking about what I’d plant in my garden after the world was destroyed!
(Yeah, I know; some believers in the prophesy aren’t seeing actual world destruction; just — shudder — a cleansing in which they, of course, will come out on the other side just fine & dandy.)
I’ve been teaching people to shoot for a bit over 30 years. Over that time the “Why are you here?” answers have been routine or predictable. (Routine= “It looks like fun” “I’m old enough to take Hunter Education/get my CHL” “Something happened that was a wake-up call” “My significant other paid for the class” “I met someone who shoots, and I need to know gun safety” etc. Predictable= the surge after 9-11, etc.)
Since 1995 when Texas got CHL my classes have been about 20% women, which was the state average.
This year new-women-shooter classes are sold out, I haven’t had a CHL or Hunter Education class less than 50% female, and the most common reason has been, “I don’t know. It’s just time to learn how.”
The NON-threatening explanation I’ve come up with is that nationally we’ve reached a tipping point, where it’s now cooler to know how to shoot/do a bit of prepping/be self-reliant than it is to depend on a government that’s obviously without a clue.
Oh, and I like the “Wings” kit. Everything you need except the knowledge of how to use the stuff inside. (Hence “lazy man’s.”)
I note it includes a “directional compass.” What other kind do you have?
😉
I had a suprising conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago. This woman is left leaning, but not very political. I forget how the subject was broached, but SHE brought up preparedness as a topic. She knows I pay attantion to the goings on of the world, and wanted to be sure I was planning ahead. (this from a person that NEVER watches the “news” or reads the paper.) In fact I had included her and her husband in my planning as they are good people, but I thought they were clueless. Folks really are waking up, and the unease is widespread. I find that interesting all by itself.
I’m wondering what you thought about all those Banksy books appearing on your list… LOL What can I say– the guy speaks his mind.
On another note, do you have a personal link to Emergency Essentials? I buy from there anyway. Might as well go through you, if possible…
Laura — Thank you for the very nice thought. I like Emergency Essentials, too, and have bought from them a number of times over the years. But to the best of my knowledge they don’t have an affiliate-link program. So I’d say … buy away and thanks for thinking of me.
I believe most people have innate understanding that things are going bad. Expressing that understanding in words is the difficult part. Probably because they forswear a multitude of problems and can’t give a specific. They just know that they may face these problems sooner than later so they better start preparing. That in turn demonstrates to those individuals how totally dependant they have become and leads to further prepping. Contrary to what many like to say people ate nit sheeple. They are buying guns the point of paranoia, getting rid if credit cards, and paying down debt. Hell they even take government programs and use them to prep. Cash for clunkers became clunkers for trucks.
I consider myself very wired into the going’s on in the world. But my life has turned “interesting” and I seemed to have missed the general feeling of doom. However, a little checking on those around me has led me to Jesus; things are definitely not alright and it’s not just the people at Claire’s place, everyone knows it (except me apparently). No greater example of this can be seen than my son’s girlfriend who now owns an AR. She had never fired a gun in her life until about five years ago when my son (as cover for his own gun purchases) started buying her guns. She’s chomping at the bit to shoot her AR and she’s after my son to keep buying ammo. When I asked her why she pointed out that everyone she knows is out of work or working at a minimum wage job… and even those companies that pay minimum wage are barely hanging on and talking about closing down. And she’s also aware that none of her family will survive higher taxes or gas prices, which is all going to happen in the coming year (the fact that she knows it is unbelievable since I doubt if she’s ever watched the news). Her family, which I’d call lower middle class, is at the end. They know the underside of society a lot better than most of middle class or upper class folks do. She believes its coming undone… And it is. LarryA’s comments on women and guns are interesting. One of my friends runs a highly renowned shooting school, and the number of women involved is at an all time high. These women have come to the conclusion that (in the words of my friend), “some people just need to be shot”. I know this will be considered blasphemy (yeah, yeah, get your pitchforks out), but I regard women voters as the cause of the destruction of our country. They consistently vote for the guy who’s giving away the most goodies and concepts like “freedom” don’t register with the great majority of them at all. But today I see that Gallop shows women voters going over to Romney, it’s almost even. I guess a lot of people are finding out that you can only rob a Zombie economy once. Admittedly I don’t know how to put all this together in once neat package, so forgive me if this seems a little uneven. While I was looking at the big picture a lot of folks were looking at THEIR picture and seem to instinctively understand that the game is up.
It isn’t just in the USA here in the UK I am seeing lots of new faces enquiring on both the how to do and can you make side. Even my normally staid and level headed heirloom seed suppliers have got a page on their website explaining why it is better to learn to grow now than just buy a load of seeds ‘just in case’. Their website http://www.realseeds.co.uk has quite a lot of useful info on it btw. Though due to dumb EU rules they cannot send seeds to the USA! Canning and preserving has become a hot topic here. The number of shotgun certificate owners has gone through the roof, purely for sporting purposes though 😉 reloading is back in vogue too according to me local gunshop. Ray the owner tells me he has sold more large rifle primers in 12 months than the last 10 years.
When the laid back locals of Mid Wales start stocking up it’s time to get a wiggle on!
A week of blogging about preps? How fun!!
Hobbit — Well, you guys will have to help, you know. I’ve just written tomorrow’s blog and I’m calling on The World’s Greatest Comment Section for assistance. 🙂
Roger — “When the laid back locals of Mid Wales start stocking up it’s time to get a wiggle on!”
LOL, one of these days I’ve just got to make it to Wales to meet those laid-back locals myself.
Meantime, thanks for the confirmation that those tom-toms are beating everywhere. Glad to hear that even if the UK, you guys can still get your hands on guns.
LarryA, please forgive my presumption here, but I was so inspired by your first remark that I had to write about it.
Somehow, I find something comforting in the idea that more and more people are offering the “I don’t know, but I think I should learn” rationale, and I really appreciate you sharing it.
Thank you, too, for teaching skills to the willing. In my world, that is at the top of the list of things you can do for anyone. I keep hoping that folks up here will take me up on my offers to teach basic competence too (through word of mouth and our local “time bank” volunteer exchange), but I’ve had to comfort myself with the Nock-ian notion that those who need me will find me when they do. (That sure can be frustrating sometimes. 🙂
EN — Don’t worry about “uneven.” The evolution of your thinking is interesting and what you bring in from your contacts in government and Europe is provocative.
Oh, Laura — about Banksy books … I love it! The variety of things readers buy on Amazon is pretty educational. Items range from car parts to nose rings, security cameras to romance novels.
There are definitely some “themes” in the purchases — health and nutrition, preparedness, SF and fantasy books, political & history books, tools, outdoor gear, gun equipment, etc. But I never know what I’m going to find when I open up my Associates pages. Lots of times I’ve gotten “tips” on cool things I’d never have learned about otherwise.
A little OT, but I found this sight last night. This guy is going to monitor civil unrest on during and after our election but he’s already monitoring the EU.
https://www.facebook.com/CivilUnrestAlertPage
“The World’s Greatest Comment Section”
Thanks Claire, for the first time since my teens I have performance anxiety! 🙂
Oh sure. I know how this system works. The last time I was called the “World’s Greatest Comment Section”* by Claire, it ended up with writing 2/5 of a chapter for her. She just sort of lures you in, batting her eyelashes and looking all helpless and stuff.
*fine, okay, I started it with some form of “girls don’t know guns” comment … but I *did* my penance for that! 😉
As much as I’m aware of the “doom feelings” and as much as I’m aware of all the prepping stuff needed, I’m still not completely convinced I want to live through it and the resulting Mad Maxx (only a quick example) afterlife…..Maybe if I had some kind of reassurance it would be a better life or “whatever better” I’d be more gung ho…..I’m pretty sure I don’t want decades and decades of hard times to deal with on a daily basis……why survive to be uncomfortable and worried and always on alert to a whole new set of constant dangers?
I must be missing something about that whole idea……
I must be missing something about that whole idea…… of naturegirl’s.
I don’t get the whole, ‘bury your head in the sand and give up and die’ attitude.
I suspect it’s due to apathy mixed with denial of some sort.
The same kind of thinking that drove the popularity of the NegAm N.I.N.J.A. loans and high rates of other debt?
“…why survive to be uncomfortable and worried and always on alert to a whole new set of constant dangers?”
That sounds like a perspective of an aware Person today.
Seems like it’s more about not wanting to accept uncomfortable truths or be inconvenienced in any way, and possibly shirking responsibility?
Or it’s mostly they (People in general with this perspective) just don’t give a rats ass about… much of anything really, not with passion.
With no passion, the animated contest for liberty (and life) is… meaningless?
Even so…?
Insert video of one gazelle giving up after feeling the lion’s clutches, while another gazelle has the same experience, yet fights to live and escapes.
Also, why did some slaves want to stay on the plantation after they were “freed”?
I know, but I’m outta time.
I’m with you, naturegirl, I don’t think some medieval existence is going to be all that great. But I definately want to be around to see how it happens.
I don’t see tshtf as a singular event. If you have 1 handful of s and throw it into 1 fan, you clean up and move on. The s**t hit.
But when you have a whole world turn to s**t, which seems to be where its going, well, the fan just ain’t big enough to process all that s**t at once. Even if you turn on the financifan, the envirofan, the sociosafetynetfan and the faminefan, there’s just more s**t than they can spray at one time.
For some reason, I’m envisioning Niagara Falls of S**t.
The way I figure it, if it gets that bad, you can get in the barrel and go over the falls any time you want.
Priorities — yeah, that’s a good one. Since I have guns and ammo, I feel partway there to what feels like #1, which is being able to defend myself and mine. Whatever other things I have won’t do me any good if I get robbed. My actual #1 big priority is getting my teeth fixed. You’ve mentioned survival dentistry before, and I’d rather avoid that. Another main thing on my list is to revisit the bug-out bag threads at places like TMM. I remember there were lots of good ideas there, and I need to formally visit that. I have a bug-out spot, and it isn’t Rawles’ ideal of more than 1 tank of gas away, but the perfect is the enemy of the good, and unless a large wad of money mysteriously lands on my head, acquiring land ain’t gonna happen.
I sure don’t need any more stoves, but dang if that Swiss Army bottle heater doesn’t look good. I’ve looked at the Kelly Kettle too, and Jetboil. My camp cooking stuff is pans, but no bottles, and that seems pretty handy to me.
Actually, I think the #1 priority is to have a plan. Someone once said, “Hope is not a method.” And, remembering von Moltke’s famous “no plan survives contact with the enemy” (paraphrase), #1.5 is to have a backup plan.
Not really, Clark….that comes from first hand experience of living on the streets and not in comfort like most normal people….I already know how a dismal existence feels, and it’s not fun……I’m sure my head isn’t anywhere close to the sand, either….And I’m positive that a great majority of Americans won’t be able to handle it maturely or prep-worthy, either, because it’s a lot of mental work – not just all physical…..
I’d be the first in line for collapse survival if I thought it would make things better afterwards, but such guarantees aren’t possible……for some people out there NOW, it’s a rough existence and they’re already mentally and physically tired of trying to stay alive and sane….not everyone is ok before whatever it is that hits the fan big time; therefore the energy to fight through any more “hits” has already been tapped down to low levels…..and that makes it twice as dangerous for the rest of us…..
I agree with you, just waiting, it could be a series of things coming like waves of bad news until suddenly it’s a complete disaster….but with every attempt to clean up once mess (before or during the next mess coming) you also deplete the resources physically or mentally each time….if not actual cuts and bruises….it’s always comforting to know others are out there to fight the fight for better days, but knowing for sure will have more meaning….
It’s all good that everyone thinks going into “whatever it is” that they are invincible and will tumble through the whole situation and come out the other side….but I think the aftermath will be a big surprise to many people, not to mention harder than ever imagined…..
*typo repair* ~ ONE mess
Naturegirl said:
“It’s all good that everyone thinks going into “whatever it is” that they are invincible and will tumble through the whole situation and come out the other side….but I think the aftermath will be a big surprise to many people, not to mention harder than ever imagined…..”
Yeah, I’ve thought the same thing about most people’s plans. Lots of people have bugout bags but nowhere to go. They have some nebulous idea of squatting “in the woods” somewhere, never giving any thought to the prospect that someone probably already owns/lives there or just how difficult living in the wild can actually be. It looks to me like most preppers are fixated on stuff to the exclusion of skills. Before you assemble a bugout bag you need a place to bug out to, a plan for how to get there and most important, a good relationship with who ever is living there (or nearby) now.
Whatever your vision of the “hard times” is you are probably going to be wrong. So being adaptable and resourceful will mean more than having stuff.
I have no doubts many, many people will make it thru the initial “whatever” and many more will be far enough away that it may just take longer for it to get to them….Most people just aren’t psychic enough to cover all the “potentials” and variables there are to predict they have it all covered….Having so much stuff can be a false sense of security, as well – anything can take it away….
I read some of the survival sites, as often as possible….they all have excellent advice about “stuff”…it’s a lot harder to prepare for the mental reaction to a life completely turned upside down by anything they’ve never had to live with before…if you haven’t experienced it how can you prepare for that? And if you have experienced something that was temporary, don’t be fooled about making it through “easily” – imagine that for 5 years or whatever longer period you can think of….A mass disaster takes a long time to recover from and get back to normal or make a new lifestyle, it takes longer than most expect…..and in the meantime you get to dodge all kinds of crazy people and mistakes and things completely out of your control coming at you…..
For those of you who want books from Lindsay Books for its information better get them in soon.
http://thementalmilitia.com/forums/index.php?topic=31767.0
The same info was also put on Survivalblog to let as many people know.
All I’ll say that it’s a real shame that they’re going the way of Loompanics.
New outfit offering Lindsay’s books:
(I have no connection with either; just think this too good a resource to ignore. I think this is a Lindsay employee picking up his stock.)
http://www.youroldtimebookstore.com/
“We specialize in the high-quality titles printed
by Lindsay Publications, Inc. As higlighted in
the list of Book Categories, our selection spans
many exciting subjects! We’re proud to be a
small business offering books you will not find
in the big chain stores! We are also the only
other retailer to offer the full line of Lindsay
titles ”
I’ll still miss Lindsay’s… _eccentric_ catalogs. (Actually, I saved the catalogs because they put a fair bit of useful info — longish book excerpts sometimes — in ’em; enough to make the catalogs reference materials in themselves.)
Only one problem with that. Lindsay is not just a bookseller, he’s also a publisher and published many of those titles. Once those stock of books are gone, that’s it. Unfortunately.
“Thank you, too, for teaching skills to the willing.”
De Nada.
A. I enjoy teaching more than I enjoy shooting.
B. If you really want to learn something, teach it to someone else.
Just to bore you with further findings from Wales. My friend Oliver who runs a business installing boreholes wells etc has just been over to help replace a couple of sections of the feedstock pipe on our pelton turbine. I haven’t seen him for awhile as he has been so busy. He has a 6 month waiting list for new wells! In 20 years he has not been this busy. And these are not just being installed on farms either. As he points out we have just had the wetest summer in recorded history. We have an enormous reservoir system and fairly low water charges. BUT pretty much allour water is pumped not gravity fed due to environmental laws! A pause for thought….
Jim: Yep. But at least there will be something after February, until those stocks run out. I’m hoping that someone, maybe YOTB, will also buy the titles and print new runs. I’m asking around.
Jim; heard from YOTB. Good news:
“In response to your question – yes, we do plan to keep printing
the books that meet their sales quota. We also have 2 new items
in the works. After that, we may look into bringing back Out of
Print and slow-selling titles in an e-book format. This will allow
us to keep more information available without the printing cost.”
—
So, happily, it’s not just a matter of selling off existing stock.
Lindsay resisted ebooks, something that didn’t bother _me_ because I tend to use the books in situations that aren’t so great for computers or e-readers. But I expect this will open the market to other people.
just waiting wrote: “a whole world turn to s**t, which seems to be where its going, well, the fan just ain’t big enough to process all that s**t at once.”
Sounds about like fertilizing a field. Good things come from that.
Lots of People still don’t like it.
I guess I don’t drop off the end of the phrase from, Doom and Gloom.
When you have a strong central fiat bank, it’s Doom Gloom and Boom, Judging from history of the prosperity those who escaped the clutches of the roman empire – in the so-called dark ages, they did well – the same doom gloom and boom will happen when the money system cracks up and goes boom. See; two kinds of booms. The third kind isn’t even required.
Monster falling is another subject, a temporary one though. Little bit of doom there. Jack be Quick.
naturegirl wrote: “it’s a rough existence and they’re already mentally and physically tired of trying to stay alive and sane….not everyone is ok before whatever it is that hits the fan big time”
I wonder how much “The Man” is to blame? Not to place blame, but to anticipate, to see what a solution is and what happens when, etc…
Where do the “hits” come from?
A poor person in the unitedstate can’t just spread a blanket and start selling stuff as is done in other countries.
Heck, the panhandlers in my city have to pay a fee to get a license.
If there were no minimum wage laws perhaps “someone” could’ve offered the poor jobs, which in turn provide the uplift missing from a street urchin or whatever.
Marriage rates prior to the 1950’s vs. since LBJ’s so-called Great Society, could that reverse without the unnecessary crutches of the welfare/warfare state? And would that mean that things are getting better? I think so.
Thanks for the reasoned reply, naturegirl.
I had in mind some others I’ve met with that perspective on things,
If I ask, their reply is: “The kids are on their own if shtf.”
I don’t, “get that” either.
Live and let die…
Also,
Why is prepping always/often seen as, “having everything covered” approach?
I sometimes carry a pair of vise-grip pliers, not because it does everything, but because it can do many things well that I otherwise could not do bare-handed. The self-confidence I get from carrying it at times is justified, I simply couldn’t do certain things without it, no matter if I had a Phd in “skills”.
A B.O.B. is the same. Better to have one and be able to make the best of a situation, even if a Person doesn’t know how to use it.
A minimal lacking b.o.b. is a woman’s purse? B.o.b.’s range from there… I imagine somewhere a woman’s purse has been stuffed to the gills with “stuff” by a man (and some women too no doubt) that’s where they came up with the term, Get Home Bag? Ha.
One other thing, Roger, that was no bore.
…I’m late@!
Woody says;
“Yeah, I’ve thought the same thing about most people’s plans. Lots of people have bugout bags but nowhere to go. They have some nebulous idea of squatting “in the woods” somewhere, never giving any thought to the prospect that someone probably already owns/lives there or just how difficult living in the wild can actually be.”
DH and I are one of those who live in the woods. We built our house in 1996 on 30 acres surrounded by National Forest, 4 miles in from any maintained roads. We see a lot of campers out here and those folks might end up retreating to these familiar surroundings if things go south in Colorado Springs. Thing is, they all have big honking RVs which they park within 10 feet of the forest service ‘roads’. When their gas, propane and water run out, they’ll be up a creek. I doubt they know where the natural springs in the forest are for water. If they see deer, elk and antelope on their visits, I doubt they realize that those food animals will be gone in short order and not be the lavish banquet that they appear to be. Little to nothing that would constitute wild food grows in this particular area at 8500′. It’s all a romantic notion with no basis or substance.
As nature girl points out, most of us have never actually experienced real on-going disaster. I’ve come close a few times, but those situations and events were really just inconveniences in the grand scheme of things and some even qualified as those romanticized situations that produce fond memories.
Being in our BOL, shelter is taken care of as a priority and we do have a metal roof. 😉 . I’m comfortable that we’re good for at least 6 months on food(pets included), meds and water, even accounting for a few friends that I hope would show up here in a crisis. I’ve felt pressured this year to get in extra firewood, so we should be good for at least a bad winter, and living in the forest makes wood totally accessible, assuming I’d be up to cutting with a hand saw and walking it in. DH has always been a gun nut, so we’re good on self-defense, including ammo and reloading supplies. We both have our concealed carry permits and practice regularly.
I think I’m good on skills. We had livestock for about 6 years, before it became more work than reward and we got rid of them, so I’m well versed there. I’ve learned canning and dehydrating. Gardening here at altitude is in the learning curve, but I doubt it’ll ever actually be at a subsistance level. I’ve resisted gadgetry, but do have some basics like a manual wheat grinder with which I’ve practiced quite a bit, and I ordered myself a Global Sun Oven for Christmas. We have a small deer herd that comes in every year for hunting season and winter(I feed them) so if meat ever becomes a desperate need we have a nice apple flavored venison crop, at least until the feed runs out.
So, all said, I think we’re good to go for a really bad winter or something self limiting like a flu pandemic, but couldn’t tell you we’d weather anything beyond that, or want to. And in that regard, we also have a last ditch extreme Mad Max final backup plan consisting of 7 bullets – 5 pets/2 of us. Just what would provoke that plan going into action I really can’t say, but I can see the possibility of life becoming so unbearable that it’s not worth surviving.
I have done and continue to do what I can to prepare, both physically and otherwise. I do what I can to help others to prepare as well…
I cannot change yesterday and I cannot order or even truly predict tomorrow. All I have to work with is today, and what I hold in my heart and hands. What cannot be diverted or mended must be endured.
If I survive, I will be well pleased. If not, I will have done my best. The only thing in the world that never changes is that all things change – and that adaptation and endurance are near the top of the requirements for any creature to survive.
Great post, Mama.
Amen, Mama!
All I have to work with is today,… sort of, except, I know Winter will be here soon, so I’m anticipating it’s arrival,… and preparing. As a result I will not have to endure as much as some others. If they are lucky, I’ll have an extra. If I’m lucky, it’ll be just enough.
Another type of cliff:
“The more artificial taboos and restrictions there are in the world, the more the people are impoverished…The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves and robbers there will be…” Lao Tsu via, Call the Cops at Your Own Risk
http://lewrockwell.com/berwick/berwick65.1.html
I saw this chart of where we might be at, simple, it just needs a Packman on the left?:
http://www.sovereignman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/22.jpg
Saw the above graph in an article discussing and comparing the similarities of the unitedstate with past empires:
http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/lets-talk-about-facts-not-fear-8991/
Another possible positive:
“But consider the alternative. If drugs were made legal, like alcohol is, the killings would stop, and grandmothers would be selling the drugs at your local Rite Aid and CVS. ”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2012/10/why-selling-drugs-is-such-dangerous.html
You’re welcome, Clark….
“I wonder how much “The Man” is to blame? Not to place blame, but to anticipate, to see what a solution is and what happens when, etc…”
I worry more about them being behind a collapse, than any other kind…..I wonder how people will adjust to things such as having their stock confiscated (possibly even themselves)…..I wonder how people will respond to seeing “Road closed due to Martial Law” signs…..and food/stores being taken over, or gas, or property…
The one big crisis that takes away freedoms of being able to do what you can to survive (on your terms) is the scariest scenario of them all…..
At least your buyers have pretty good sense in what to buy for the most part…maxpedition makes great stuff. I have their vulture bag and it’s survived all sorts of terrible things that your average user would never put it though…not even a loose stitch, though I managed to lose the sternum strap somehow…
Looking at that swiss volcano stove kit though, I used to have the same one and it’s great but I looked at some of the “also bought” items…do folks realize how easy it is to build some of that stuff? That one wood gas stove on there that’s like $130…I made a great one almost just like it that would cost MAYBE 20 bucks if you didn’t have all the cans and stuff already laying around.
Right before I finished high school I went on a crazy stove-building spree for a couple months, back at the old homeplace I have a whole shelf of like 30 different contraptions… for me that’s the kind of projects that got me into the whole preparedness thing in the first place. It doesn’t matter what shit hits what fan, there won’t be an amazon or a surplus store open so learning to improvise solutions with what you have is essential. My preparations may be lacking but dammit, I’ll always have something to cook with.
On a side note I think I’d rather commit seppuku than pay $90 for a box of old knockoff MREs let alone eat out of that box. But whatever keeps people out of the superdome…