Has "Prepping for Survival" gone in the WRONG direction......???

[Sourdough]

Why does it matter where it was going 50 years ago? People change, circumstances change.

Maybe they are covertly cleverly changed.
It dose not matter to me any longer. I made an honest strong effort to make people aware. I feel good that despite substantial resistance, I continued and continued to do what I believe was the right thing to enlighten preppers. I openly admit I have clearly 100% failed.

Individual "Survival Placebos" are the winner.

 

[SheepDog]

Times, events and peoples ideas may change but we still have the same requirements for survival.
We need shelter, water, food, companionship and a means to protect it all.

 

[Sourdough]

Times, events and peoples ideas may change but we still have the same requirements for survival.
We need shelter, water, food, companionship and a means to protect it all.

Should not be any problem.......everyone just needs their "Individual Survival Placebo".

 

[SheepDog]

^^^^^ ha ha ha ^^^^^
As sad as that remark may sound there is some truth in it. People have survived in situations while doing everything wrong and everything says they should have died. A lot of it is mindset - a very strong placebo that allows the person to continue on. I use placebos to manage my back pain and others to do things I shouldn't do at all. It is my acceptance that I a doing what must be done.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

I like Lonewolf's post #75 on this thread:

it depends how much shiny new stuff you want, I have always thought that that side of prepping is about keeping the consumer society going.
things and stuff wear out, get broken, even stolen, to me prepping is about learning skills and gaining knowledge to aid our survival post collapse.

I agree 100% with what he said, which is in line with the "Individual Survival Placebo" and other things Virgin Prepper is talking about.

Stuff" is nice, and "stuff" sure makes things easier but when they are used up, worn out, or stolen it can also cripple us because when that happens, we are facing another whole new crisis on top of the initial SHTF events.

To me, survival means having a skill set so solid that if I lost everything but my mind, I have a better chance of surviving than if I relied on a stockpile.

Anything can happen to a stockpile...and in a world where Murphy's Law rules, it probably will happen. (Even if NOTHING actually happens to it, it will eventually be depleted through use.) What then? Thinking outside the box ahead of time will help me to not be boxed in by my own limitations or "stuff."

 

[lonewolf]

there are many this side of the "pond" who call themselves preppers who think a stockpile is the be all and end all, but as already stated stuff wears out, in the case of food its all eaten, what then? if someone relies on stores alone without any skills or knowledge expecting at some point it will return to "normal" they are only delaying the inevitable.

 

[Sourdough]

Will it really matter......It could matter. Will there be a test.......yes. Will that test be graded on a "Bell Curve".......no.

I am thinking this COVID-19 "TEST" is not being graded on a "Bell Curve".

 

[joel]

there are many this side of the "pond" who call themselves preppers who think a stockpile is the be all and end all, but as already stated stuff wears out, in the case of food its all eaten, what then? if someone relies on stores alone without any skills or knowledge expecting at some point it will return to "normal" they are only delaying the inevitable.

I agree, stock piles of the right stuff is nice, but knowledge & skills are much better for barting & survival. Growing food, building shelter, making tools, using tool & protecting it all, is the goal. Knowledge without training is not skill, rather skill is knowledge with training, some skills are perishable, so the young in the camp must take up the torch, as the leader become teachers.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

As some here may already know, I grew up in what passes for a shtf these days. I have a pretty big stock pile because I'm burned out using my skills. It looks like I will be brushing a few of them off again this summer but I am feeling decidedly apathetic about this whole situation.

It seems that the brunt of the work passes to me because I know how to do it. Like butchering a cow. It's long hard days putting it up and my lazy bones feel every hour. I also have low tolerance for all the whining from the would be helpers. If I have to do it, I would like to find a little joy in it, and I do enjoy the sound of silence.

 

[joel]

Hayseed
Never butcher a cow, I have butcher squirrel, carp,bass,catfish beam,rabbits, some from my own traps,doves,quail,chickens, hogs & deer. 500 to 800 pounds is a lot to process, even with a backhoe to hang it. The 300 pound hog is the best I had to handle.
I grow many plants & now that I am retiring, I will be growing a lot of herbs. I have many wild plants now thanks to Peanut. Many of them where already here, I just did not know what they where for. Elderberry & lavender, mushrooms, echinacea, goldseal, garlic, Dog rose hips & more Blueberries are next.
I want to plant a half arce of Blackwalnuts, if they get big enough to shade their roots all day, before I pass, I am going to try Ginseng. It may not make it, even in full shade here, but I will try it.

 

[Amish Heart]

I'd think it would take a number of helpers to do a whole cow

 

[Supervisor42]

I don't know where else to put this.
Prepping.
This corono-crap is a good practice exercise.
For those that had always considered bugging out in case of emergency to a nearby national park, think again.
Those seeking to 'social distance' themselves by camping in the parks are SOLC.
Parks closed Tuesday = Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Great Smokey Mountains, Yosemite, and Rocky Mountains in CO.
Others are already on the list by now.
Nice to know that they will always be there until you need them.

So if you think you can just fire up the camper and escape there if SHTF, think again.

 

[Supervisor42]

...So if you think you can just fire up the camper and escape there if SHTF, think again.

Hope none of these is your 'bug-out' campground location:

Closed Park Campgrounds

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland/Virginia: All campgrounds.
Big Bend National Park, Texas: Campgrounds will close Monday, March 23.
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Tennessee/Kentucky: All campgrounds will close March 25.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado: South Campground closed.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah: Island in the Sky and Needles campgrounds.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina: All campgrounds.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: Fruita Campground would close Tuesday, March 24.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico: Gallo Campground will close Sunday, March 22.
Congaree National Park, South Carolina: Longleaf and Bluff campgrounds.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia: Wilderness Road Campground is closed.
Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia: All campgrounds.
Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado: Elk Creek Campground closed.
Death Valley National Park. California/Nevada: All park campgrounds.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida: Garden Key Campground and restrooms.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah: Campgrounds at Wahweap and Bullfrog.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada: Lower Lehman Creek Campground.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina: Campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms close March 23 through April 30.
Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, Mississippi: The Fort Pickens Campground, and Davis Bayou Campground.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California: Kirby Cove and Bicentennial campgrounds.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Nāmakanipaio Campground.
Hovenweep National Monument, Utah: Campground closes March 24.
Joshua Tree National Park, California: All campgrounds.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada: Temple Bar Campground.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky: All campgrounds.
Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah: Campground closes Tuesday March 24.
Olympic National Park, Washington: All park campgrounds closed as of March 22; Sol Duc Resort, Campground & RV Park delayed opening until April 24.
Point Reyes National Seashore, California: All campgrounds.
Redwood National and State Parks, California: All campgrounds, and backcountry campsites.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, California: All campgrounds.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: Lewis Mountain and Big Meadows campground openings are delayed. New planned opening dates are April 9 for Lewis Mountain Campground and April 10 for Big Meadows.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan: Platte River adn White Pine campgrounds.
Zion National Park, Utah: Watchman and South campgrounds are to close at noon on Wednesday, March 25.

 

[viking]

Just my thoughts here, what I'm seeing is that the general population is getting it's nose twisted due to the "Normalcy Bias" the average non prepper is seeing things disappear and they are not having a good mind set about it as compared to those of us that have been prepping for a much longer period of time, the longer periods of time we deal with have had very little shortages and if they happened, it didn't last that long and so now that we are having a SHTF situation, the general population is shitting their britches, they have no concept of the ongoing "Just In Time" shipping that's been in effect for many years. Some, like my son and his girlfriend have mentioned to us that they don't want to see the things we talk about come to fruition, everyone just wants to live a "Normal" life, no major ups and downs, those whom we have told, still look at us like we are wearing tinfoil hats. In the end, the truth is, we can't help stupid and we may end up having to write off family and friends, otherwise we may not survive. This Corona thing should be a wake up call, at least for us, just to prove that when the SHTF, it could come in any form.

 

[Sourdough]

California's Public Employees Retirement System Just Lost A Stunning $69 Billion In One Month

This will likely be a trend around the US...

 

[Bacpacker]

You are spot on Viking. This to me is just a good exercise for SHTF. We've had storms that killed power for a few days, train derailments where we were on the edge of having to evacuate. But all short term things. This is much longer and has shown me some holes in my preps that I am already working on to fill, or add to my list of things to get or work on after this is over.
But some folks will never get it no matter how plainly it is shown to them. Nothing can be done to change that. Present good solid knowledge to folks and then it's on them to actually use it.

 

[Sourdough]

Just my thoughts here, what I'm seeing is that the general population is getting it's nose twisted due to the "Normalcy Bias" the average non prepper is seeing things disappear and they are not having a good mind set about it as compared to those of us that have been prepping for a much longer period of time, the longer periods of time we deal with have had very little shortages and if they happened, it didn't last that long and so now that we are having a SHTF situation, the general population is shitting their britches, they have no concept of the ongoing "Just In Time" shipping that's been in effect for many years. Some, like my son and his girlfriend have mentioned to us that they don't want to see the things we talk about come to fruition, everyone just wants to live a "Normal" life, no major ups and downs, those whom we have told, still look at us like we are wearing tinfoil hats. In the end, the truth is, we can't help stupid and we may end up having to write off family and friends, otherwise we may not survive. This Corona thing should be a wake up call, at least for us, just to prove that when the SHTF, it could come in any form.

Well..........This thread stared about two and a half years ago. It got a little "sporting" at times.

Perhaps........maybe......Perhaps, most have figured (maybe not) the point of this thread.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Interesting thread. My guess is that it caused some to test their assumptions and critical thinking.

 

[sonya123]

Well..........This thread stared about two and a half years ago. It got a little "sporting" at times.

Perhaps........maybe......Perhaps, most have figured (maybe not) the point of this thread.

New here and just read through this thread, and sorry...but I really am not sure what the point is you were trying to make.

 

[Rosco]

Hook, line and yes the sinker too, folks... reeled in.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Just a note to the newcomers to this thread about references to "Virgin Prepper:"

"Virgin Prepper" is Sourdough's former name. Don't let that play on words fool you, he has been living the survival life longer than some here have been alive, and is one of the best-prepped people I know.