Thread: preparedness

Originally Posted by sicboater

To me, being prepared (thanks BSA!) is knowing that you will one day be in a situation where you will not have all the tools, all the information, all the skill, or all the ability to perform the task which will unfold before you.

You will need to rely on others to some extent. You will need to make hard decisions. You will need to adapt and overcome. You will need to learn quickly.

You will need some luck but you will not be able to rely on that.

I don't stock up on food. I stock up on what I need to get/make/grow food.

I frequently don't go looking for the perfect tool when I am tinkering, I use what tool is in front of me to see if I can make it work.

I know how to tie knots.

All through out college, I didn't have a bed. I slept on the floor. If I was visiting someone and they offered me a couch to sleep on, it was like being in the lap of luxury.

In short, I don't make things too easy on myself I push to try and figure out everything as though it is a problem to be solved. I think this is the greatest way in which I can be prepared: being truly creative.




-Rob

Sounds good. What do you get, make, and grow, and how much do you rely on those today?

Originally Posted by kevint

Sounds good. What do you get, make, and grow, and how much do you rely on those today?

If you cant raise rabbits, you cant do crap, rabbits are the easiet animal to raise, twice the protein of chicken per weight, fast growth to harvest(2-3 months), create the best fertilizer in the world, if they laid eggs and tasted like bacon it would be better, but the way they are aint bad. You would be surprised how many rabbits you can raise in little space at minimal cost. Its true the price of feed has almost doubled in the last ten years, but rabbits eat grass naturally, easy enough to harvest.

Check out the heirloom seed companies for original seeds instead of hybrids. If you have space enough, be sure to plant fruit trees, berries, etc.

www.rareseeds.com


Get a subscription to Countryside magazine. Screw Mother Earth News, worthless.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

If you cant raise rabbits, you cant do crap, rabbits are the easiet animal to raise, twice the protein of chicken per weight, fast growth to harvest(2-3 months), create the best fertilizer in the world, if they laid eggs and tasted like bacon it would be better, but the way they are aint bad.

Check out the heirloom seed companies for original seeds instead of hybrids. If you have space enough, be sure to plant fruit trees, berries, etc.

www.rareseeds.com

Thanks a lot for the link. I don't have a lot of space right now. I used to but it didnt pan out for several no good reasons

I would like to grow stuff like that-- heirloom yummies

Here's two similar methods for growing your own in limited space with minimal effort. Especially handy for the beginner getting into gardening:

• Lasagna Gardening
  
• All New Square Foot Gardening

Originally Posted by Sticky

Here's two similar methods for growing your own in limited space with minimal effort. Especially handy for the beginner getting into gardening:

• Lasagna Gardening
• All New Square Foot Gardening

Thanks man. I am not new to gardening but I would be new at being a good one.

Going through a hurricane or a flood is a likely event for many hurricane areas. Planning is essential.

A year aft er Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Texas got another and got nailed with a tidal surge that wiped out a coastal area. The aftermath, are when survival skills are practiced. All of the basics are gone and it is you, your family sent back into chaos.

It was well noted that the people of Texas were well prepared, no looting and they survived without much media attention. One reporter asked the Govener, how it was that there were so much order in the days after the total destruction. He said" Here in Texas our residents pride themselves on being self sufficient. We always like to remind all our citizens to keep enough food and water to take care of themselves and there families for at least two weeks.....and to make sure they have plenty of ammunition on hand"

Just recently, Nashville Tenn was just hit by a flood that was considered one of the worst natural disasters in the last 200 years. Very little media coverage, but kudos to that community as well for helping each other, not waiting for the Gov't to do it for them. It took FEMA over 40days to even show up. Neighbors are still helping neighbors rebuilding each others houses in Nashville...

Seems like parts of our country are brought up as survivalists and that their respective communities work together and help each other afterward.

It is wonderful feature of the US, that we have areas of the country that include their community in their survival kits. If there is a Creator, the only instructions He left were to love each other. Love Him, yes, but we do that when we do for others too.

Kingfish, you have noted something that is simply fact and what is killing our great country. The predominate welfare regions were the ones sitting on their poopers waiting for help to arrive while the working class citizens just pick up the pieces and move on. I will admit that Texan's do have a self-sufficient attitude. Texas is one of the few states that "could" live without the rest of the states. (that should ruffle a few hairs!)

To get back on track though, the mind is the most advanced survival tool available for any of us. It's up to us to keep it from rusting and "shave ready"...

Originally Posted by kevint

Sounds good. What do you get, make, and grow, and how much do you rely on those today?

I get: fish, in season game (deer and wild hog mostly), wild mushrooms, whatever I can find. I really like learning about plants and especially which ones I can use for food.

I make everything I can (bread, beer, flour, etc.) The make part probably is less useful from a preparedness stand point.

I Grow: cucumbers, melons, strawberries, tomatoes, pole beans, squash, zucchini, radishes, carrots, basil, and anything I think will sprout in our soil!

Lots of stuff gets canned. I would say we eat about 50% stuff that we have a hand in providing ourselves directly.

Sorry I didn't see your question until now.

-Rob

That is really cool Rob. That's a lot of doins'. I'm impressed.

Originally Posted by sicboater

I get: fish, in season game (deer and wild hog mostly), wild mushrooms, whatever I can find. I really like learning about plants and especially which ones I can use for food.

I make everything I can (bread, beer, flour, etc.) The make part probably is less useful from a preparedness stand point.

I Grow: cucumbers, melons, strawberries, tomatoes, pole beans, squash, zucchini, radishes, carrots, basil, and anything I think will sprout in our soil!

Lots of stuff gets canned. I would say we eat about 50% stuff that we have a hand in providing ourselves directly.

Sorry I didn't see your question until now.

-Rob

How much of what you grow is of a native (wild) food plant variety? I ask only because I find most people could be surrounded by food plants and would still starve due to no knowledge of what a wild food plant looks like.


Mick