Preparedness, do any practise it?

[elevenses]

I would never have thought about it in the “preparedness” sense but I suppose I am fairly well stocked with food stuff and camp lighting and cooking etc
I think the biggest thing I would worry about is water as there are no close water supplies. I have means of cleaning water but if there is non to clean I would be in the proverbial.

I think we have about enough food for about 1 week but after that ?

I occasionally consider the recommendation’s of Lofty Wiseman about stocking up on tins a bit at a time but this always falls by the wayside when my missus questions my motives.
I have considered buying a jenny as I am convinced we will be having power cuts in the future as we are buying power and gas from other countries. But I cant warrant the expense. I would like to live in a house that has a chimney for the same reason.

As for social unrest in my opinion unless you are in a sufficiently large group or geography is on your side you are on the bad side of the creek and the good side has all the paddles!

Just my ramblings …

 

[Fraxinus]

Have I missed something? I read in post #91 that Draven would intend to go to Skye due to having connections there. The USA sounds a bit far to go!

If you:
make provision for social problems like fuel strikes, gas,electric or oil based;
food shortages due to poor government planning during a brief snowfall and subsequent flooding etc.
put money aside when and if possible to help you and yours when the big financial institutions mess up and lose people their jobs;
spend some free time learning and practicing skills that may help you later:
Then you are practicing the art of being prepared, and will gain confidence that no matter what the situation a solution will present itself.
( This is the short version of my thoughts on the subject but my foremost actions, currently in practice due to lack of work in the building sector) ;-)

 

[gunslinger]

Bimble, in my opinion, you've made some sweeping and quite offensive generalisations in your posts.

Despite your assertions and quotes everyone, including yourself by your own admission, anticipates and prepares for misfortune. Even if it's just putting an umbrella in your car.

This winter I have made use of the alcohol gel dispensers provided by my employer and I have missed out on the colds and flu that have passed through the office. I have some alcohol gel at home, sensible or silly?

The observation I am trying to to make is that some choose to prepare more than others. The distinction is in what 'risks' an individual considers worth making preparation for. I have done a lot of jobs involving driving and have done in excess of 50k miles a year for a decade. I never had need of a sleeping bag, that doesn't mean that I think you carrying one isn't sensible neither does it make you paranoid. It is down to your perception of risk.

There is a stereotype of "preppers" and "survivalists" as being socially inept, paranoid individuals of debatable character. My experience is quite different, there are people who fit in with that stereotype, but they are to the "prepper" what the SAS wannabee is to "bushcraft". As an advocate of "rational arguments and calm persuasion" you do yourself a disservice perpetuating an ill informed stereotype.

Scoops

Excellent post Scoops ,pretty much what I was trying to convey in my unanswered reply to his post.
If I am honest I did take it a bit personally but that's how I felt it was posted.

Yours was much better put
GS

 

[Broch]

Since the ban gun crime has increased year on year. So the figures will be considerably worse for the UK than the examples stated.

The governments own estimates vary between 3 and 4 million.

GS

Like you I had to give up my pistols in '97

But it is very hard to know what figures to believe. The official figures published in September 08 show that 'Firearms' crime whent up after '97 but has fallen since 2001/2002 by around 30% - 7% in the last year (I find that a little difficult to believe but those are the figures). BUT that number of crimes reported includes 53% of airweapons!! Handguns accounted for 26% but that includes air-pistols - the figures just can't be relied on.

The quoted 4 million unlicenced weapons includes unlicenced air weapons which are all legal!

Anyway - this thread is about being prepared and I think to have any sensible conversation about it we would have to say "prepared for what?" as others have already said. being prepared for 2 weeks without water and electricity is proabably a reasonable aim - all other scenarios are too variable.

 

[Draven]

Have I missed something? I read in post #91 that Draven would intend to go to Skye due to having connections there. The USA sounds a bit far to go!

I would go to Skye, assuming that I am in the UK, but me and SWMBO intend to move to the US in a few years - obviously, assuming there's not a major catastrophe which prevents that - and I was saying that I'd prefer to be in the US when it hits the fan, rather than in the UK

I understand that the US has more gun crime, but where is that? The city, or the forest? Mountains, maybe? And how many of these murderers and crooks do we think will even try to leave the cities, when they could run a gangland there and fight amongst themselves?
The US is a big place, you can't just write it off by saying it has higher gun crime. Just consider that america has about 3,790,000 square miles and Britain is about 94,600. That gives America about 40 times the area and only about 5 times the population. Much better chance there than here, IMO.

Pete

 

[Shambling Shaman]

Many years ago a man did a major study to find the safest place to live after years of research he moved to his dream location... ... ... ... ...




a few weeks later the Argentinians invades the Falklands...

theirs lies, dam lies and statistics - Better the devil you know - the grass it always greener etc. etc.

 

[HillBill]

Anyway - this thread is about being prepared and I think to have any sensible conversation about it we would have to say "prepared for what?" as others have already said. being prepared for 2 weeks without water and electricity is proabably a reasonable aim - all other scenarios are too variable.

As long as you have some basic extra essentials like water, food, fuel, lighting (off grid) and a means to cook then you are good at home. Knowledge of growing fruit and veg and a stock of seeds will also be a bonus, especially during this economic downturn. It may not be nice to contemplate, but some form of personal defence may be required to either defend youself, family or property. I have a couple of tools that could be substituted if the need arose, as i'm sure all on here have to one degree or another.

Knowledge of bushcraft and suitable kit and water purification capabilities means you are well prepared for if you ever have to leave your home for whatever reason.

 

[Broch]

As long as you have some basic extra essentials like water, food, fuel, lighting (off grid) and a means to cook then you are good at home. Knowledge of growing fruit and veg and a stock of seeds will also be a bonus, especially during this economic downturn. It may not be nice to contemplate, but some form of personal defence may be required to either defend youself, family or property. I have a couple of tools that could be substituted if the need arose, as i'm sure all on here have to one degree or another.

Knowledge of bushcraft and suitable kit and water purification capabilities means you are well prepared for if you ever have to leave your home for whatever reason.

Agreed; what I would propose as 'sensible' for most people and what I actually do are two completely different things

My place can be easily defended (I won't discuss the details on an open forum) - even has a type of drawbridge on the road so people would have to walk in! Also: a well stocked veg garden, borehole water with solar pump, soak away sanitation, a lot of wildlife - etc. etc. (but maybe all that that just makes it a target!).

 

[Walks with dogs]

Only if people know about it.

 

[HillBill]

It's better to remain the "grey man" rather than stand out. The less noticable you are the less likely you are to be noticed. If it does kick off, it'll be every man for themselves. I have seen first hand how quickly things can get bad, and how bad it can get, and how long it takes for a community to recover. Just a couple of days of violent disorder can destroy a community for a couple of generations. The hate/anger of families who have lost loved ones to other families is passed down to the children and the cycle continues.

Deep are the wounds that civil strife inflicts.

 

[Bimble]

I seem to have upset some people?
Civility, the lack there of:
What most term the ‘state’ is in fact a collection of rules and structures (legal, financial, etc) that allow us to live together in relative, by this I mean not killing each other, peace. To live without these civil structures, imperfect as they are, is the very definition of Anarchy.
Anarchists, at the risk of upsetting the hyper sensitive, believe that the ‘state’ should leave them alone, and they will get along just fine by themselves in some ‘natural’ way. This is of course a falsehood, due unfortunately to the large number ethically questionable people in our midst, chaos would result.
It is therefore, in my opinion, important that when things go wrong we focus on ‘civility’ as this is the best form of self protection. Examples of this approach, such a rationing during famine, ordered movement towards the life boats, etc, are what actually keep us safe, not the opposite behaviours.
The thought of a breakdown in civil structures, and hence civility, is too ominous to contemplate. In any country where it’s ‘every man for himself’ survival rapidly becomes a lottery not a matter of how prepared you are or are not. (Some African states, such as Zimbabwe, are an all too painful example of this.)
As I thought I made clear, It is not that when going for a walk in the hills you don’t equip yourself properly, this is just good sense, it is preparing for civil breakdown in modern society that makes no rational sense at an individual level.
As for offending people, my views are exactly that ‘my views’. It is worth remembering that people actually choose to be offended by another’s views, and their offense is a reflection of their sensitivities not the other person’s character. You don’t have to like what I say, but by the same token you don’t have to become uncivil either......

 

[sandbender]

Earlier this afternoon I was wandering around the 'mammut' shopping center in Budapest when quite suddenly all the electrical power was cut, not so bad for those either in or within visual distance of the sunlit main atrium but a little hairy for those poor folks deep inside the larger stores or in the subterranean shopping areas and car parks. The power remained off for about ten minutes so I'm presuming that the emergency generator failed to kick in, or perhaps that someone had nicked the fuel

Nobody panicked and no one was hurt, people used their mobile phones to light their path to daylight and a few (like me) had torches.

Not quite a world changing disaster in the vain of Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road', however this was a week day and very few people were around, had this happened during the pre or post Christmas shopping rush the place would have mobbed and there would have been no daylight to lead people to the exits, if someone had panicked under those conditions then I'd imagine that things could have become decidedly ropey.

Preparedness! not just for the big disasters

 

[rik_uk3]

Thats a great shopping centre, when the wife and I go to Budapest (when indeed we have a chance) we stay in a small apartment about 500 metres walk away, its a wonderful city. Have you been in the any of the hot spa's yet? or do you live there?

 

[sandbender]

Have you been in the any of the hot spa's yet? or do you live there?

No hot spa's recently and yes it is my hometown now.

 

[ZDP-189]

 

[gunslinger]

GS

 

[Broch]

Trueways have redesigned their newsletter and have started a series discussing Urban Preparedness.

I hope this link works; I don't think you need to be a member.

http://www.survival-school.org/Default.aspx?tabid=583&Mode=Preview&NewsLetterID=3#Article18

 

[Fraxinus]

Glad I don't use London Underground anymore!!!

 

[Fraxinus]

Broch, Link working here Ta!

 

[rik_uk3]

No hot spa's recently and yes it is my hometown now.

You lucky B*****d , you should still be able to get tins of Feta cheese there, last lot I bought was from the supermarket in the Westend Centre