Sorry for the break in posting. This is partly because of our holiday and then because of a garden full of produce that needs attention and also there is much happening with the Civic Society at the moment. I have managed to read a few blogs but that is all I have done blogwise.
So I'm now "back in harness" and have much to write. Firstly I need to complete the Preparedness posts.
Thanks to those who have joined in with ideas and experiences, from surviving hurricanes and floods to 9 months without electricity! Suggestions of work gloves, underwear and identity documents to add to the "Grab Bag" (Sol, Joan and Tricky Wolf). Joan and TW both point me to the SAS Survival Guide. Anon in the US reminds me that in tough times it is more than possible that cash points etc won't be working, so keep some cash with you.
Angela Merkel is clearly reading these posts and is advising Germany to keep some stocks in! Resulting (obviously) in empty shelves etc! Whatever AMs reason for this advice, if nothing else it might help a few more people consider being prepared.
Over forty years ago David and I watched a TV serial called "The Survivors". The scenario was that 90% of the world's population had died from a virus and those who remained had to learn how to survive. We watched it avidly saying to each other "We would do that better" and ",Why don't they do such and such?".It was the flame that fanned our ambition to be self sufficient. Of all the sudden disaster story lines I've always thought this to be the most likely to happen.
My guess is that extreme long term survival situations are likely to be predictable. Climate change, oil and world food shortages etc. may well creep up on us, but creep they will, giving us time to realise that harder times are ahead. Armageddon-type situations are far less likely but would also result in a situation where nothing is the same ever again and we will need to pit our wits to survive.
Eventually your food stores will run out (and you can't eat money) which brings me back to.. SKILLS. Tricky Wolf suggests bushcraft and foraging skills, which I consider to be the most essential skills to practice and hone. I'm not suggesting you go native in the park for a few weeks ( I have a picture here of thousands of people sleeping in the park in the middle of town!) but read books such as the SAS Survival handbook and watch a few prepper videos, just to put ideas in your mind. Nobody can do everything, but we all have some ability to develop. These skills we can take to the table in our group/ family Come the Day.
You don't need to live in the country either. before we moved to our smallholding we lived in a semi-detached house in a large estate. here we kept rabbits for the pot - just three large hutches attached to the back of the garage and a run on the lawn and foraged greens from the roadside were needed to produce 60 rabbits a year (could easily have been more) We grew great beans against the fence on the rabbit poo, learnt lots of ways to cook rabbit, cured the pelts and made some slippers and a (bizarre) Davy Crockett hat!
Joan from Wales has a great idea that I will personally take up. Like many of you I have bookcases full of "how to" books on sewing, cooking, preserving etc. Joan rightly says that we can't put all those books in our Bug Out Bag. She keeps an exercise book in which collects only those recipes she will use (looking at your recipe books I'll bet you only use a couple or so from each book) or prints out "How To" blog entries, similarly she copies out basic knitting and sewing patterns. I'm really excited at this idea. I have already photocopied and reduced in size a page on seed saving and a basic hat pattern reduced to the absolute minimum space. I personally have much of this knowledge, but to collect it together for my nearest and dearest to use too is equally important to me.
As I have written these post I have realised that a 100 posts wouldn't cover all I and others have to say. I would like to discuss the social aspect of survival (of the fittest? - I hope not!) as a retired Social Worker I find this particularly interesting but don't feel I could do it justice here. Suffice to say that being able to get on with others is probably the most important skill you could learn if you wish to survive. I don't subscribe to the hunker down and look after yourself in isolation in the woods type of survival as I believe it only works short term (unsustainable) and even though living with others is difficult it is essential to well-being and future growth. Anybody disagree?
Finally, how do we defend ourselves when SHTF - "S**** Hits The Fan"? If you are the only person in your street who has food and heat how long before your neighbours (or a marauding gang) ask and then demand you share your hoard? ooh er. There are many who will not hesitate with an answer and while I know that being able to defend you and yours will require a weapon I hesitate to suggest it as it flies against everything I believe in. I would always want to negotiate, but know that not everything is negotiable and not everyone would negotiate and are likely to be armed themselves. So I guess my answer to my own question must be that should things start to look really bad we would reluctantly arm ourselves. You have no idea how hard it was for me to write that!
As they say at Uni... "Discuss" let's hear it folks!
Only a lighter note (how could it be anything else?!) Here are some photos of part the garden which is so overgrown this year, partly because of the weather but mostly because it has rather got away from me this year. Hope the colours and fecundity lift your spirits!
That's enough for today.
I look forward to your input/ views/ arguments !
Love Gillx
PS I seem to have lost a couple of followers.. is it the depressing posts or the long gaps between posting I wonder?!
PPS I will probably bore you with a couple of holiday shots next time.
PPPS And I shall start discussing preserving the crop.
Gill - Blogger has been busy : http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2016/01/the-followers-gadget-and-internet.html will explain where your followers have gone ;)
ReplyDeleteI have hidden my stock pile from the builders. No one in the village knows what I have here. We trialled (sp) what we would use from our stock pile and what we would run out of, last year. I did a post about it only when we did nearly 9 months. Yes, I had to buy veggies, and I did run out of nuts and seeds very early on. It can be done in a semi or even a terrace. We had it previously stored under the beds and in tea chests we used as end tables. I was advised of these ideas many years ago by a mormon friend. Their church advises to have 1 year of most product for adversity. Could be anything from unemployment to a bad winter. And you know how this country is with half a cm of snow. lol
ReplyDeleteSol - we have a problem with nuts going rancid here. To prevent that and to extend the life of nuts indefinitely, store them in the freezer. They are edible straight from the freezer too ;)
DeleteHey Dani, we did have them in the freezer. But I ate them all! Bwah ha ha! We went veggie to help it all stretch and not go to the supermarket where I might have caved in. Yep all the nuts gone! Nom nom nom! Tofu and cashew nuts with black bean sauce. Nom nom gone! lol
DeleteI shall go back and read those posts.Thanks for that
DeleteGill
I too watched and enjoyed The Survivors, Gill. Can't remember much of the details, nor of how it ended.
ReplyDeleteLike you I think the most likely world disasters will be wild weather or a pandemic. Closer to home the most likely causes for preparation are illness/accident, unemployment, floods, winter weather, power cuts etc.
It's a long time since I went on it, but I think the British Red Cross give information on their web site for floods and other disasters like winter storms, which is quite good.
Basic knitting patterns I was meaning wasn't just hats, gloves, scarves or socks, but also basic polo, crew and v-neck jumpers and round and v-neck cardigans for all ages.
Glad you had a good holiday.
Joan (Wales)
Didn't know about the Red Cross.
DeleteI now have jumper and cardy patterns to add and a simple poncho made from a blanket. Also how to make soap. I'm loving your idea.
Gill
Whilst briefly living in Shropshire I had a visit from a local 'Civil Defence' type person. He wanted to know if we had a cellar (we did), and if we had a well (we did). He then informed me that I would be designated several people in case of notional disaster, who would no doubt have all turned up to live in my cellar and eat all my stored food. I told him to eff-off, and that I'd be locking the door.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it is possible that if things gor really bad as in catastrophic the Civil Defence or Army could insist on all sorts of things!! Bit scary tho' isn't it?!
DeleteJust to say, Hubby and I are even now enjoying a reviewing of Survivors! It's all on YouTube!
ReplyDeleteOh Jackie I had never thought of that! I have now watched the first 4 episodes. For its time it is an excellent take on the aftermath of a catastrophe.
DeleteThanks for the heads up
If the worst happened and people were roaming the country... Would this happen though? people in the 2nd World war got through it without beating each other up. Would we not stand together, as part of a town or village and look after each other. think about the recent floods how everyone turned out to help. Okay maybe I am being naive but it does not all have to be doom and gloom. Must go and watch that 'Survivors' ;)
ReplyDeleteErm.. If you watch the survivors you will probably change your mind about folk getting together in harmony. It gives a good take on the social aspect of aftermaths.
Deletef curse it does not have to be doom and gloom, there will still be good people around.. like us!
Ooo-er....I find these posts a bit scary, Gill. I can cope with local potential flood, lack of money, ice and snow etc but a major disaster nooooo....I hope thelma (above) is right. I simply can't think about it or I wouldn't get to sleep at night x
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like after "Crimewatch" give it some thought but "don't have nightmares" !
DeleteDefence is paramount as otherwise like you say anyone might get the notion in their head to take your hard earned preps.
ReplyDeleteMany people are not aware that it is your RIGHT as an English person to own a shotgun. Unlike a firearms certificate which the police can refuse to issue, the police MUST issue shotgun certificates as long as you do not have a violent criminal record or history of mental illness. All you have to do is fill in the forms, pay the fee and fit a gunsafe. Apart from the peace of mind on the defence side, it might just help you fill the pot post SHTF too, definitely recommend getting an SGC purely because it is one of those rights that if people don't exercise it it will end up being taken away!