Levels of Preparedness (take 2?)

[Hardcalibres]

Great scale.

So, on, 1-5 scale, this is how I rate myself on each one.

Now that I look at your scores and think about mine (which are remarkably similar), it seems like a good/realistic thing that there may be no one that would objectively score 5/5 for all 12.

That reflects the reality that survivalism is a journey more so than a destination.

It is also a good thing that many would score poorly in the first three (which should be a wake up call to get moving on things).

I would add that I didn't plan to have a dozen items on the list.....it just worked out that way.

 

[elkhound]

One way to define levels of preparedness (that ties in with key capabilities) would be the following:

1. Water Independence
2. Sewage Independence
3. Heat Independence
4. Financial Independence
5. Security Independence
6. Medical Independence
7. Communications Independence
8. Electric Independence
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence
10. Food Independence
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence
12. Complete Independence

some of these need a much large scale than just 5...needs to be at least 10 or more for some aspects.

i.e. fixing medical stuff at home is one thing..dealing with complicated things is another.

sewage..it can be pooping in a hole to pooping in bucket to having running water via gravity in home for a flush toilet.

you can have machinery parts that break what happens when items break you dont have or cant pound out on forge or in a work shop..in this case nobody cant hit perfect top number because they just are not a factory.now if we want to talk scything hay by hand and it breaks and you fix it or pound out a new one.then that particular system is near perfect until you age out or have injury and you cant. see it can be so much more complicated than than just lists and numbers.

i think you see my points..or i hope. one on there should be health and age..nobody can get away from aging part.

 

[Sourdough]

One way to define levels of preparedness (that ties in with key capabilities) would be the following:

1. Water Independence
2. Sewage Independence
3. Heat Independence
4. Financial Independence
5. Security Independence
6. Medical Independence
7. Communications Independence
8. Electric Independence
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence
10. Food Independence
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence
12. Complete Independence

Sadly, I don't understand. It "might" be that some are not relevant to where, some people live. I am confused.

 

[Hardcalibres]

some of these need a much large scale than just 5...needs to be at least 10 or more for some aspects.

i.e. fixing medical stuff at home is one thing..dealing with complicated things is another.

sewage..it can be pooping in a hole to pooping in bucket to having running water via gravity in home for a flush toilet.

you can have machinery parts that break what happens when items break you dont have or cant pound out on forge or in a work shop..in this case nobody cant hit perfect top number because they just are not a factory.now if we want to talk scything hay by hand and it breaks and you fix it or pound out a new one.then that particular system is near perfect until you age out or have injury and you cant. see it can be so much more complicated than than just lists and numbers.

i think you see my points..or i hope. one on there should be health and age..nobody can get away from aging part.

Yep.

The point of using the word independence with each item, is that the person being assessed may have either worked out how to provide that capability for themself (long term) or just worked out how to live without it.

Either way is a solution (with both advantages and disadvantages).

 

[Sourdough]

1. Water Independence DONE
2. Sewage Independence DONE
3. Heat Independence DONE
4. Financial Independence DONE
5. Security Independence Would be mostly luck with humans or grizzlies
6. Medical Independence Fairly WEAK. Not totally, but weak link
7. Communications Independence NOT NEEDED
8. Electric Independence NOT NEEDED
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence Near ZERO NEED
10. Food Independence Not "truly" independent, but OK for four + Years.
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence Very well COVERED
12. Complete Independence I accept I'll never get there.

 

[Alaskajohn]

One way to define levels of preparedness (that ties in with key capabilities) would be the following:

1. Water Independence
2. Sewage Independence
3. Heat Independence
4. Financial Independence
5. Security Independence
6. Medical Independence
7. Communications Independence
8. Electric Independence
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence
10. Food Independence
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence
12. Complete Independence

Solving for 8, 9 and 11 has been a personal priority for the past several years, and other than what I have left in front of me to do, I feel pretty good with my preparedness except medical independence. And this comes from someone who spent 30 years in the medical industry both in the military and civilian settings. I have very well stocked trauma and surgical kits, a great supply of human grade antibiotics, and a lot of combat casualty care training. But I know that will only go so far during SHTF for hip fractures, kidney failure, stroke, etc. Number 6 scares me a bit, but its a price you pay if one wants to live outside the realm of where EMS and fire departments can respond to. Of course, we may all be in a situation where EMS and fire departments are a thing of the past.

 

[Hardcalibres]

1. Water Independence DONE
2. Sewage Independence DONE
3. Heat Independence DONE
4. Financial Independence DONE
5. Security Independence Would be mostly luck with humans or grizzlies
6. Medical Independence Fairly WEAK. Not totally, but weak link
7. Communications Independence NOT NEEDED
8. Electric Independence NOT NEEDED
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence Near ZERO NEED
10. Food Independence Not "truly" independent, but OK for four + Years.
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence Very well COVERED
12. Complete Independence I accept I'll never get there.

See....you are not confused at all.

I would add that (based upon what I know of your situation) you are also quite objective/realistic in your self assessment.

The key weakness of my list, is that it would not work for people with normalcy bias. Most likely they will underestimate what constitutes satisfactory preparedness and/or overestimate their own preparedness. That is almost the definition of normalcy bias.

For example they would look at Security Independence and say "yep....check.....I have a shotgun and a box of ammo..."

 

[elkhound]

Yep.

The point of using the word independence with each item, is that the person being assessed may have either worked out how to provide that capability for themself (long term) or just worked out how to live without it.

Either way is a solution (with both advantages and disadvantages).

see even that word has a huge variable..independence...for how long? if you good for 5 years..then what? were you independent or just independent for awhile?


take financial stuff..you get dividends paid,you have large amounts of cash,gold and silver on hand. but yet in true shtf deal the woman down the road has a pack of children to tend to and you have a house fire and lose all your clothes and yet she has bolts of material and laughs at you wanting to trade silver for cloth. kids grow fast and she knows she needs all of it to keep them babies covered.

in my book no one is financially independent if they owe money.i see folks say i am out of debt except for my home..sorry but they are not out of debt. a home is usually the largest ticket item anyone buys.i in no way agree with that kind of statement nor if they say i have enough to pay it off but have not. i ask why not then?my scale of financial stuff is going to be much harsher and unforgiving than many folks.



then again guy has robbed the thrift store of all clothes and takes fiat currency because people he deals with like currency in there 'circles' as a means of trade..or at least a portion of it.

some a-hole steals your fishing boat..then what? how many ever built boats.i have built boats before. but its been years since i have done it. i could do it but might need a bit of help and in return for certain aspects of it we together would just build two at same time.the smaller and simpler the build the easier for just one to do it.

and on and on and on.

not trying to be a-hole..just trying to get better meaning for us all. i think we are much more reliant on outside and others than we want to admit. take you as example in your travels..you are reliant on others to get home via plane rides. thats high vulnerability in my book. i have no doubt you always have plans to get back home...but for me thats a huge thing.

i have a piped spring in backyard,an outhouse and a conex full of freeze dried food and supplies. am i independent? or independent for a time?

 

[Aerindel]

I can say some things are 5/5 because it is a problem that I have solved for at least my life time.

I will never have a problem with sewage at my place for the rest of my life.

I will never not have access to water.

I will never not be able to heat my home.

Those three things I can say, are solved problems. I will never freeze to death, never die of dehydration, and never have an issue with sewage disposal. Perhaps a generation or two on, they could be problems if no further work is done, but it won't be one I face.

In other regards, I may be prepped well for the problem, but not to the point where it will never be a problem.

I have zero debt, and far far more cash saved than the average american, but not nearly enough to say it won't ever be a problem.
Medical I give myself a 2/5 becaue there is a lot of medical issues I can do nothing about. If I tear an ACL I have no way to fix that at home. A gunshot to the chest, I can only stabilize short term, cancer, diabetes, etc, all of which could crop up at any time, I can do nothing about. Many things that are routinely done in hospitals, I cannot do at home and would simply be fatal if I was not able to get to advanced health care.

I have a good food stockpile, large garden, copious wild game, but I can't say it won't ever be a problem. Eventually, (a few years) I would be in big trouble with no outside resources.

I feel good about security, but there is always a bigger fish, there are threats that would snuff me out in a minute if I was targeted by say, an artillery brigade or attack helicopter.

Electrical, etc, is the same. I have stockpiles, but its not a SOLVED problem. Its mitigated by my preps, but not solved. (unless you take into account electrical is not needed for any of the other categories.)

 

[Hardcalibres]

see even that word has a huge variable..independence...for how long? if you good for 5 years..then what? were you independent or just independent for awhile?


take financial stuff..you get dividends paid,you have large amounts of cash,gold and silver on hand. but yet in true shtf deal the woman down the road has a pack of children to tend to and you have a house fire and lose all your clothes and yet she has bolts of material and laughs at you wanting to trade silver for cloth. kids grow fast and she knows she needs all of it to keep them babies covered.

in my book no one is financially independent if they owe money.i see folks say i am out of debt except for my home..sorry but they are not out of debt. a home is usually the largest ticket item anyone buys.i in no way agree with that kind of statement nor if they say i have enough to pay it off but have not. i ask why not then?my scale of financial stuff is going to be much harsher and unforgiving than many folks.



then again guy has robbed the thrift store of all clothes and takes fiat currency because people he deals with like currency in there 'circles' as a means of trade..or at least a portion of it.

some a-hole steals your fishing boat..then what? how many ever built boats.i have built boats before. but its been years since i have done it. i could do it but might need a bit of help and in return for certain aspects of it we together would just build two at same time.the smaller and simpler the build the easier for just one to do it.

and on and on and on.

not trying to be a-hole..just trying to get better meaning for us all. i think we are much more reliant on outside and others than we want to admit. take you as example in your travels..you are reliant on others to get home via plane rides. thats high vulnerability in my book. i have no doubt you always have plans to get back home...but for me thats a huge thing.

i have a piped spring in backyard,an outhouse and a conex full of freeze dried food and supplies. am i independent? or independent for a time?

Correct.

Any simple system for assessing something as complicated as preparedness is always going to include some really big compromizes.

As to how I live and risk, it is fair to say that I look at personal risk differently to the vast majority of people.

But those environmental risks are traded off against the abnormalcy bias I have, that seems to keep me safe (or is it just safer) than those around me in those very abnormal places.

As time goes on, I seem to go those places less often each year - but I will keep going to those places for now, because they need me.......and I trade that off against personal risk too.

Perhaps I fear unfulfilled personal potential more than death.

When I am traveling, people sometimes notice I only wear hiking boots. When they ask why, I always answer that "I might have to walk home".

 

[Aerindel]

take financial stuff..you get dividends paid,you have large amounts of cash,gold and silver on hand. but yet in true shtf deal the woman down the road has a pack of children to tend to and you have a house fire and lose all your clothes and yet she has bolts of material and laughs at you wanting to trade silver for cloth. kids grow fast and she knows she needs all of it to keep them babies covered.

I'm right there with you.

I often piss people off when they tell me how much better off they are because they have a six figure income and then I ask how much debt they have and invariably I comment that on the balance, if all debts are called, they are a net negative on the books, while even though I have far less income, I am a net positive.

It was ironic that during covid, my household was entirely composed of essential workers, because we where also one of the few households that could have paid our bills for years just from savings without working another day.

Which is not to say we are wealthy, we are far from that, but our BILLS are a fraction of what most people have.

 

[Caribou]

My current weakness is that I'm at Mom's taking care of her. That means that my preps are in two divergent areas of Alaska. My strength here is water and sewer. If the power goes out all I have to do is go into the attached garage and drop a bucket into the cistern. I can use that for drinking to flushing. With a septic tank sewage is taken care of.

At home, if I've got water then I have flush toilets. In the past I've put the faces into the bowl. Urine and grey water are used to flush. If push comes to shove I could build an outhouse over the septic tank inspection pipe. I have generators in both locations so pumping water is easy enough.

 

[SoJer]

Post fer L8r

jd

 

[HippoTwilight]

See....you are not confused at all.

I would add that (based upon what I know of your situation) you are also quite objective/realistic in your self assessment.

The key weakness of my list, is that it would not work for people with normalcy bias. Most likely they will underestimate what constitutes satisfactory preparedness and/or overestimate their own preparedness. That is almost the definition of normalcy bias.

For example they would look at Security Independence and say "yep....check.....I have a shotgun and a box of ammo..."

Normalcy bias is incredibly difficult to overcome w/o a knowledgeable 3rd party (consultant). Simply put... unknown unknowns. You can't know what you don't know. Wife looked at me like I was crazy when I casually mentioned to her that vehicle registrations are security risk. B/c a crook can disable your vehicle, steal your opener and registration, then haul ass to your residence while you're dealing with the police and getting your car towed to a shop.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Normalcy bias is incredibly difficult to overcome w/o a knowledgeable 3rd party (consultant). Simply put... unknown unknowns. You can't know what you don't know. Wife looked at me like I was crazy when I casually mentioned to her that vehicle registrations are security risk. B/c a crook can disable your vehicle, steal your opener and registration, then haul ass to your residence while you're dealing with the police and getting your car towed to a shop.

I am not convinced it can be overcome - especially in the long term.

I have read the posts of many people who turned up on a forum about survivalism (for some unconnected reason), told us (survivalists) we were all crazy, argued against getting prepared (sometimes over years), experienced the beginning of a crisis, misassessed the actual threat level, hit the panic button, told us all to get ready to face death, gave us all bad survival advice........but then gradually went back to denying that preparedness was prudent/wise.

To those people, the fact they panicked in the face of a crisis and then misread the situation was ultimate proof that preparedness was a bad idea from the start of their exposure to that mindset..........go figure.......

Some people have made me think that the only way to cure normalcy bias is a head transplant.

 

[SoJer]

...Some people have made me think that the only way to cure normalcy bias is a head transplant.

..I'd bet combat experience would help 'earthwake' (metaphor, not a typo) the paradigms, also.. Veteran-LEOs & EMS seem to have more 'realistic' viewpoints of the world, as well.. (in "general" - there are certainly no 'absolutes', in any realm of experience..)

jd

 

[Aerindel]

I am not convinced it can be overcome - especially in the long term.

I have read the posts of many people who turned up on a forum about survivalism (for some unconnected reason), told us (survivalists) we were all crazy, argued against getting prepared (sometimes over years), experienced the beginning of a crisis, misassessed the actual threat level, hit the panic button, told us all to get ready to face death, gave us all bad survival advice........but then gradually went back to denying that preparedness was prudent/wise.

To those people, the fact they panicked in the face of a crisis and then misread the situation was ultimate proof that preparedness was a bad idea from the start of their exposure to that mindset..........go figure.......

Some people have made me think that the only way to cure normalcy bias is a head transplant.

Yeah, I remember that guy. Tried to convince us that covid had something like a 50% mortality rate....then decided it wasn't even real. Dude could simply not understand the math of X people infected, Y people recovered and Z people dead. He kept trying to show that the fatality rate was X+Y-Z

On a different forum that I am also a member of, the same guy bought a 4WD lifted truck with oversized tires etc, decided that reason it had poor handling was that it was a 4WD, so he bought a 2WD truck to replace it, without even trying to get an alignment, checking the ball joints, etc.

Same guy that swore up and down every day that we where only 24 hours away from the election being overturned....for about a year after it happened. Not that he WANTED it overturned, no, he was absolutely sure it WOULD be.

I actually now consider not understanding 4WD to be a bellweather of normalcy bias.

When I hear "I'm not planning on needing 4WD", "I live in the south so I don't need it" or "I got stuck even with 4WD so 4WD is useless" its an instant write off for me.

 

[Hardcalibres]

..I'd bet combat experience would help 'earthwake' (metaphor, not a typo) the paradigms, also.. Veteran-LEOs & EMS seem to have more 'realistic' viewpoints of the world, as well.. (in "general" - there are certainly no 'absolutes', in any realm of experience..)

jd

With some of those guys, they are more open minded about some sorts of "sudden abnormalcy", and specifically what we could call tactical abnormalcy. But in most of them, they are no more accepting of the potential for very bad (but rare) natural disasters, economic collapse, societal breakdown, pandemics, decline and fall of empires, etc, etc, etc

So their normalcy bias has only been "cured" in a narrow, specific context.

I do think that occupations that deal with abnormal situations do attract some of those with abnormalcy bias - but that is different to exposure to those situations (broadly) curing normalcy bias.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Yeah, I remember that guy. Tried to convince us that covid had something like a 50% mortality rate....then decided it wasn't even real. Dude could simply not understand the math of X people infected, Y people recovered and Z people dead. He kept trying to show that the fatality rate was X+Y-Z

On a different forum that I am also a member of, the same guy bought a 4WD lifted truck with oversized tires etc, decided that reason it had poor handling was that it was a 4WD, so he bought a 2WD truck to replace it, without even trying to get an alignment, checking the ball joints, etc.

Same guy that swore up and down every day that we where only 24 hours away from the election being overturned....for about a year after it happened. Not that he WANTED it overturned, no, he was absolutely sure it WOULD be.

I actually now consider not understanding 4WD to be a bellweather of normalcy bias.

When I hear "I'm not planning on needing 4WD", "I live in the south so I don't need it" or "I got stuck even with 4WD so 4WD is useless" its an instant write off for me.

What I learned/took from exposure to that same guy, was that many were impressed with him.

Perhaps his main function in the universe was as a litmus test.

Perhaps he could teach us something about groups that accept that sort of guy as a leader/role model.

It made me even more cynical about groups.

 

[SoJer]

With some of those guys, ... their normalcy bias has only been "cured" in a narrow, specific context.

Sure, and with Some, even their 'service' / experience doesn't cure it.. 'Private Pyle' from 'FMJ' comes to mind.. (which didn't end well..)

I do think that occupations that deal with abnormal situations do attract some of those with abnormalcy bias - but that is different to exposure to those situations (broadly) curing normalcy bias.

Agreed, and for Some, they come back from Combat / retire from decades of being LEO or a particularly-traumatic tenure as a FF / Paramedic / ER medic, etc - with their 'poles flipped', and either Cannot get back in to the "normal" / are now 'stuck' in thier narrow-band of experience-based 'AB' (can't "function" unless there's hard-core trauma / action, etc) or just become So "normal" (beer bellied couch potatoes, etc) that they fail to rise to adequately prepare for the Next 'trauma' in their life (quake / hurricane / family-disaster, etc) and just end up being a sloth.

But again - we can never categorize / discuss in "absolutes".. Always exceptions, in any case..

jd

 

[Hardcalibres]

Sure, and with Some, even their 'service' / experience doesn't cure it.. 'Private Pyle' from 'FMJ' comes to mind.. (which didn't end well..)



Agreed, and for Some, they come back from Combat / retire from decades of being LEO or a particularly-traumatic tenure as a FF / Paramedic / ER medic, etc - with their 'poles flipped', and either Cannot get back in to the "normal" / are now 'stuck' in thier narrow-band of experience-based 'AB' (can't "function" unless there's hard-core trauma / action, etc) or just become So "normal" (beer bellied couch potatoes, etc) that they fail to rise to adequately prepare for the Next 'trauma' in their life (quake / hurricane / family-disaster, etc) and just end up being a sloth.

But again - we can never categorize / discuss in "absolutes".. Always exceptions, in any case..

jd

Indeed.

The little "thoughtlets" we post on these forums are the fast food version of deep contemplation.

Convenient but virtually always incomplete.

 

[SoJer]

One way to define levels of preparedness (that ties in with key capabilities) would be the following:

Great 'thermometer'.. I'd say, we're ranking about: (with caviats detailed)

1. Water Independence - 4/5 (excellent location currently, for water, including 'emergency welling', with standing water at only about 48' Filtration, purification, and even distillation (for longer-term) amply covered for our Family for 1.5-2 yrs, no prob.) Future ground / area-water contamination (or having to Flee this location) a caviat)
2. Sewage Independence - 3/5 (supplies / materials for composting toilets / waste-burns / repurposing (urea) in place - would be 4/5, but not - yet - 'doing it full time', have only Tested / trialed the 'concepts', short term, so full-time future use will have 'learning curves', I am sure)
3. Heat Independence - 4/5 (well-covered, between multiple wood-stoves / means to glean BOL-wood; Current area we live has more of a 'Heat Surplus' issue, so "refrigeration", long term, will be a consideration (this is After the current grid-down paradigm of a DC-fridge / solar / batts, etc are expended) Plan B is Root Cellar.)
4. Financial Independence - 3/5 (still need to Work, but amply-stocked with items to 'support' Family, after $$ is worthless, and Ample stocks / skills to 'trade' / barter with)
5. Security Independence - 4/5 (well prepared with reasonably-decent Home-invasion / assault preparations / fortifications. 'Hellfire missile defense'? Yeah, not so much. Plenty of multi-faceted defense supplies / tactics / plans, otherwise)
6. Medical Independence - 3-4/5 (for Most 'baseline emergencies', including advanced Dental repair / rehydration / meds / breaks/dislocations.. 'ALS' / Hospital-level care (ie: Xrays / blood workups / advanced diagnostics / deep surgery / cardiac repair, etc) yeah, not much we can do but align with an area Doc, is / as-possible)
7. Communications Independence - 4/5 (secure Local-talk (ISM radios with FHSS, I personally don't consider the 'typical FRS / GMRS / MURS' very "secure" since they can easily be monitored by-same and/or HAMs) HAM-bands covered, SW-monitoring covered, and means to solar-power / recharge all)
8. Electric Independence - 3/5 (~1800 Watts of 24V-based system, 3500W Tri-fuel Genny, 2.2K Gas / Propane Genny, ~200 lbs of Propane (which also cross-serves for "heat" / cooking, etc)
9. Vehicle/machinery fuel Independence - 3/5 (plenty of spare parts for the 'Battle Rig', but only about 55 gals of Diesel / Gas (combined) Wanna get 2x 55 Gal drums of D, and 1x 55 Gal drum of Gas, and Can work that out, here - No way that could have happened where we lived in Cali. Also need More Tires (only 1/2 full-set of spares) and 1x more-spare Battery, though one of the 12V'ers from solar-stuff could work in a pinch. Chargers / repair-materials, covered)
10. Food Independence - 2-3/5 (well-covered in "stocked LTS" for a good 1.5 yrs (Fammy of 5) now, and small 'container (poly-barrel) gardens' up / running, but.. Larger / long-term gardening / Greenhouse, still lacking in Doing / working bugs out.. :/ Hunting / Fishing / Foraging, all Well-covered)
11. Repair/Manufacturing/Construction Independence - 4-5/5 (TONS of parts / raw materials / repurposable stuff - and Tools - to build / repair / scratch-build (including a Lot of electronics / electro-mechanicals (ie: solenoids, etc) and for Trade / barter. Want to get a bigger Amp welder, ASAP)
12. Complete Independence - 2-3/5 (overall - It will be the "Transition" that proves it all out.. or what Kills.

jd

 

[Aerindel]

One problem with abnormally bias....

You can't be a prepper without having an open mind, more so than most people.

We are literally looking at the entire world around us, and saying: "Yeah, what you guys are all doing is wrong, and you are going to die"

The problem is, this also attracts other kinds of people with very open minds....so open that their brain fell out....most survival groups seem to have a fair mix of people who are just there for the 'open minds' and not even actually interested in the survivalism.

Survivalists have to walk a narrow line, between practical preparations for things nobody else even thinks about....and insanity.

 

[SoJer]

One problem with abnormally bias....
...have to walk a narrow line, between practical preparations for things nobody else even thinks about....and insanity.

Aye, it would seem that even the abnormalcy biased have a 'bias for normalcy', ergo: Who doesn't Love a nice, hot shower or well seasoned & amply-filling meal (even if it's 'squirrel-kebabs' solid, warm shelter from wind / storm, etc and a decent bed to sleep on (even if something makeshift from leaves or whatever) and the Love of a close-knit Family & solid Friends.

...It's not that we "Want" to live cold, bland, arduously short dust-filled lives like our ancestors did, but we accept that's 'just what Has to be Done sometimes', To survive / be as self-sufficient as-possible - and we're willing to 'surf those waves' of difficulty / 'inconvenience' / forgo typical 'creature comforts', etc - Towards that end. We get 'used to' being the flowers that grow in the cracks in concrete / blossom out of the charcoal, etc - even still living in this 'Matrix' that we've been born into..

..And, to Me, at least, I think That's where the 'insanity' comes in - Thriving in spite of being bathed in an environment that We see as "insane" (this 'modern Matrix', often under the thumbs of malevolent fools in "governance" ) - while riding the derision of those who charge that We are the insane. (but, of course, we Know Better, because we've Lived-thru their futile ideas of "better" - And we payed attention in History Class..

What's the old t-shirt trope? "Insanity is that feeling when you overwhelmingly want to choke the living out of some ahole that So desperately Deserves it - but you can't" Or something like that...

Nonetheless, we're All but a Mortal Coil, who's fondest hope / all-hands-on-deck efforts are soley towards the Purpose of helping our Progeny thrive, for the duration of Thier own 'coil', however long that may be. (I, for one, certainly Do 'dream of Great Grandchildren, too', but.. We shall just have to see.)

jd

 

[viking]

Don't have horses, but my family does. Been thinking about some mules.

I remember a guy saying, probably over 50 years ago, that he like to keep a cow around just for hooking up to a wagon or even a non operating vehicle, if the push for EV's makes gasoline and diesel no longer available, he had a great deal of insight.

 

[Amish Heart]

Most everyone here drives their tractor like a car. Had to laugh when I saw a John Deere electric tractor ad.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Is there a level 6?

 

[LadyLocust]

Sorry, but I am Meerkating the thread.
Just for Weedy, everybody thinks about getting a generator but nobody thinks about plugging all that stuff into it.
You can start collecting these things long before you get a generator.
When bad stuff happens, all of the shelves in the stores will be empty of these:
And experience shows that you're gonna need a BUNCH of them:
View attachment 106830

We played that game for a while. Then we put a special little box in so we could plug the generator into it. Make sure the main breaker was off and crank her up. We ran everything but the oven and dryer. I’m sure it confused the power company driving up and down the road. No power except for us . It surprises me that more folks don’t do that.

 

[Supervisor42]

We played that game for a while. Then we put a special little box in so we could plug the generator into it. Make sure the main breaker was off and crank her up. We ran everything but the oven and dryer. I’m sure it confused the power company driving up and down the road. No power except for us . It surprises me that more folks don’t do that.

I loved playing the game when we were in Bama. I built an extensive battery-operated UPS system and 80% of the house never even blinked when the power went out.
The funny part: when I was rewiring things, I wanted the living room to be powered. When I did, the front-porch lights were on that circuit too .
A while after the power goes out, people emerge from their houses like rats leaving a sinking ship.
Being the AH I am, we would have the TV and living room lights going, and I would turn on the front porch lights, go out an the porch and yell:
"Is yall's power off???"
One guy got angry enough to come over and stomp all the way around the house and scream:
"You got a silent generator?!!!"

 

[LadyLocust]

Okay- read the rest of the thread. It’s gone a couple directions.
Normally bias: a real thing. I agree with the walking a fine line of prepping vs. insanity.
Think I responded to original scale a couple years ago. See the “new/independent” scale. I have only continued to prep, stock, learn etc. and feel like the more I prep, the less I have prepared. By that I mean I see that much more I need/want to do. Some things on the list are very low on my priority list (electric). We have no debt, have food, water, and other “goodies” and continue to read and learn, but there’s always more. I would say we are more prepared than 90+% of folks.