That's more where I am. I live rural with some solid fuel heating, a stream, power station/-Starlink etc. Practice craft skills- make stuff- grow a bit, and polytunnels going up.
It's that bit of resilience.
GC
Bushcraft and homesteading skills in WW3
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That's more where I am. I live rural with some solid fuel heating, a stream, power station/-Starlink etc. Practice craft skills- make stuff- grow a bit, and polytunnels going up.
It's that bit of resilience.
GC
You wouldn't be able to keep chickens as there wouldn't be people left in the government to process all the paperwork poultry keepers are required to do these days.
Joking aside, it does almost seem if someone is trying to deskill us, making it difficult to be independant.
Anyway, I dislike the name homesteader but it probably describes us. I suppose we'd end up growing more food for everyone and teach those willing to learn stuff such as how to grow, cut and season firewood, cook, preserve etc. I could also teach some basic bee keeping skills as our bees could easily keep us in sugar (honey), light via beeswax candles and even drink via mead.
That's if we don't get burnt to a crisp in the first exchange.
Maybe look into into a little more. Estimated value of 15 trillion. At least by Ukraine themselves....Regarding Ukraine’s loudly publicised rare earth mineral wealth. There are voices, often fairly experienced voices, that disagree with the narrative that is splashed over the majority of news channels. I know little about mining, but they make sufficiently persuasive arguments that it makes me suspicious.
Ukraine's $500 billion rare earths scam: they don't exist, and we should know better
Bullets:kdwalmsley.substack.com
We can all google things and come up with answers Chris. But this is my understanding based on various factors. WHere does your understanding come from... And does your understanding make sense, based on what's happening... Allow me to ask a question please. Why do you think they are fighting, why do you think the western world is getting involved... And more importantly, what do each side hope to achieve if they win? What is the objective? You think Russia is running out of territory to settle? Maybe the snow and ice in Ukraine has a better flavour? Mmm, tastes like lithium...Why does the western world care, to want to send our boys there to chew on lead? Why is the US trying to avoid their boys eating lead filled copper cupcakes? Why are we accusing Trump of being in bed with Putin for not wanting the fight, and saying nogtiation is the better option? WHat do you think he wants to negotiate from Russia? A ceasefire? Why? he can get what he wants without lives lost and a potential multi continent conflict. Russia has plenty of their own rare earth, they just dont want us to have it.
Ukraine 1 by Mark Hill, on Flickr
Ukrraine 2 by Mark Hill, on Flickr
People seem to confuse the skills of the past, with the skills of the less past, to the skills of today. As though they are not an evolution of each other. The lighter is an evolution of flint and steel, flint and steel is an evolution of fire by friction... We like to remember and recognise what got us here, yet also acknowledge that modern methods are just better. Thats what evolution is. Continuous improvement over time. Bushcraft is not dead. Its just sleeping. So long as there are some of us who remembered to set an alarm, then some of us, will wake the rest of us and away we go... Right back to the Paleolithic.... And a few thousand years from then, we'll be here talking about all this lot again on some form of digital device where we all have fake names and think we're important.
Regardless of the value of whatever resources are or are not present in the country of Ukraine was it really such a surprise when there was significant , I'm going to call it , " friction " from others in the area to them becoming paid up members of an opposing military ally pact/franchise system when it shares a border?
I'm sure I've mentioned it before but America wasn't overly keen on Cuba / Soviet Unions unique friendship during 1962 - Cuba 90 miles from Florida as a closest point so isolated from America by sea and distance.
Imagine a world where for what ever reason Mexico became more aligned ( obviously and honestly democratically elected ) with a pure Socialist based doctrine of rule and military defence/alignment with like minded superpowers.
Would there not be an equal amount of close neighbouring friction to that also.
Considering how many examples of proxy wars being fought elsewhere - imagine the kinetic push back.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before but America wasn't overly keen on Cuba / Soviet Unions unique friendship during 1962 - Cuba 90 miles from Florida as a closest point so isolated from America by sea and distance.
Imagine a world where for what ever reason Mexico became more aligned ( obviously and honestly democratically elected ) with a pure Socialist based doctrine of rule and military defence/alignment with like minded superpowers.
Would there not be an equal amount of close neighbouring friction to that also.
Considering how many examples of proxy wars being fought elsewhere - imagine the kinetic push back.
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Dear HillBill,
A bunch of the questions you asked me are definitely political in nature. Let’s back off from the politics a bit. This isn’t the place to ask, let alone answer most of them.
You are right, it isn’t difficult in the least to find article after article and dozens of maps showing this and that mineral deposits in Ukraine. That is where your AI summary comes from. Your AI summary also makes reference to experts and extraction difficulties. It takes more effort, deeper digging if you like, to find sources that challenge the narrative there are viable rare earth minerals. I would have thought that you would be someone who would want to dig deeper and would be interested at least a little in alternative ideas.
Did you read either article I posted? You could have said “I have seen those before and don’t credit them because…”, or “I hadn’t seen those…”. Instead you come back with “We can all google things and come up with answers…”. Interesting.
Regarding your barrage of questions aimed at what I think. I think I posted some less easy to find articles that disagreed with Ukraine having economically viable rare earth deposits, and said that they made me suspicious of about that narrative. That isn’t me posting answers, or suggesting I have one. Things are rarely what they seem, so I like to have different perspectives to draw on. Your post seemed rather one sided and I thought you and others might appreciate seeing the articles I found without having to put the effort into finding them yourself.
Best wishes
Chris
A bunch of the questions you asked me are definitely political in nature. Let’s back off from the politics a bit. This isn’t the place to ask, let alone answer most of them.
You are right, it isn’t difficult in the least to find article after article and dozens of maps showing this and that mineral deposits in Ukraine. That is where your AI summary comes from. Your AI summary also makes reference to experts and extraction difficulties. It takes more effort, deeper digging if you like, to find sources that challenge the narrative there are viable rare earth minerals. I would have thought that you would be someone who would want to dig deeper and would be interested at least a little in alternative ideas.
Did you read either article I posted? You could have said “I have seen those before and don’t credit them because…”, or “I hadn’t seen those…”. Instead you come back with “We can all google things and come up with answers…”. Interesting.
Regarding your barrage of questions aimed at what I think. I think I posted some less easy to find articles that disagreed with Ukraine having economically viable rare earth deposits, and said that they made me suspicious of about that narrative. That isn’t me posting answers, or suggesting I have one. Things are rarely what they seem, so I like to have different perspectives to draw on. Your post seemed rather one sided and I thought you and others might appreciate seeing the articles I found without having to put the effort into finding them yourself.
Best wishes
Chris
It depends on the situation. With a gas lighter and some easily combustible material any fool can start a fire. If someone had to cut down the wood first, make kindling and then build up a fire in stages I think most mid to older generations would be capable as they'll probably have previously done this before but likely many youngsters who grew up in the mobile phone generation would be totally out of their depth at this stage. If there were no gas lighters or matches available at all I think almost no one would be able to start a fire apart from bushcrafters, homesteaders and military trained people.
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Many bushcraft tools could come in handy for people who aren't living directly next to the front line of a war but instead had to live in a world where there are diminished resources due to major wars going on elsewhere such as electricity blackouts, gas cut off, less food availability or clean running water being cut off.
Bushcraft tools which would likely be most useful for this kind of situation would be handsaws (I like Silky Saws best) as a safe and efficient method for cutting down wood to use for fuel or a camping water filter of some kind (preferably one which can be back-washed to prolong it's life).
Homestead gardening tools would likely be useful to help with growing food. Obvious things like having an assortment of spades and trowels etc. Another tool which I personally find to be particularly useful when breaking up hard ground to prepare it for tilling is a 60" long solid steel wrecking bar with a sharp pointy spike at one end and a flat pry-bar at the other. They're designed for breaking up concrete and stuff like that but I find they're also ideal for breaking up hard compact soil especially if there are lots of roots or rocks in it.
There are likely many more bushcraft and homesteading tools which you can think of which would likely to be useful during in war time but these are the ones which strike me as being at the top of the list for being the most useful.
Here's an example of a 60" long solid steel wrecking bar I mentioned.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185328846047
Bushcraft tools which would likely be most useful for this kind of situation would be handsaws (I like Silky Saws best) as a safe and efficient method for cutting down wood to use for fuel or a camping water filter of some kind (preferably one which can be back-washed to prolong it's life).
Homestead gardening tools would likely be useful to help with growing food. Obvious things like having an assortment of spades and trowels etc. Another tool which I personally find to be particularly useful when breaking up hard ground to prepare it for tilling is a 60" long solid steel wrecking bar with a sharp pointy spike at one end and a flat pry-bar at the other. They're designed for breaking up concrete and stuff like that but I find they're also ideal for breaking up hard compact soil especially if there are lots of roots or rocks in it.
There are likely many more bushcraft and homesteading tools which you can think of which would likely to be useful during in war time but these are the ones which strike me as being at the top of the list for being the most useful.
Here's an example of a 60" long solid steel wrecking bar I mentioned.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185328846047
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That link doesn't work.Wouldn´t this tool be better? But who am I, you have dunnit and I have not.
Again - I'd like to be charitable and agree... empowerment of people and all that good stuff.
But I've had and experienced quite a few people that not only don't seem to understand something like firelighting but also will happily shy away from opportunities even when they can't get involved.
I guess I'm talking about a younger-than-me generation , most my age or older seem to be able to construct and light a fire , use the right material , don't smother it , allow good air flow , feed gently , don't use wet materials etc etc
I supposed those that have bagged that skill have had to nail it as a skill set for stoves , rayburns and garden work. The modern life of suburban living doesn't really encourage having a bonfire in the typical 20' x 30' back garden surrounded by houses.
Don't know - I'm not sure where modern scouting and guiding is - I hope they are still allowed to light fires themselves but equally I wouldn't be surprised if H&S fun police have stepped in and provided policies or guidelines that forbid it all.
I find a five foot long wrecking bar easier to use than a pick axe. It takes much less effort because you don't need to swing it over you head like you do with a pick axe. With a long wrecking bar you just lift it up a few inches then jab it down fast and hard into the ground letting gravity do most of the work then use it as a long lever with your weight hanging off one end.Wouldn´t this tool be better? But who am I, you have dunnit and I have not.
With a pick axe I'm totally knackered after ten minutes or so of swinging it hard. But I can use a long wrecking bar for a couple of hours before I get tired and can cover much more ground getting more work done. This is just my personal experience. Maybe someone else who is stronger than me may disagree but I expect that for most people a wrecking bar would do better than a pick axe. Probably safer too.
One of my employees spent a lot of time digging pipelines in Barbados and he has sold me on the use of a long metal bar. Works great.
I think homesteading requires a certain amount of creativity, bodging and resourcefulness which would lend itself well to what would most likely be a massive community effort to get things back up and running. Being a 'jack of all trades' is always useful and considering how food shortages seem to be pretty much guaranteed during any sort of wartime, homesteading skills (raising livestock/growing food/food preservation) would obviously be of value in getting communities fed, especially long-term.
Bushcraft skills, in all honesty, I can't see being overly useful. Perhaps if we are looking at long-term displaced communities then there may be some skills that would come in handy. But that seems unlikely in this country.
Generally though, I think any bushcraft/homestead type skills are nothing compared to emotional resilience and adaptability. To me, those are the most valuable things. People who nurture those skills are probably going to be way more useful in any wartime situation regardless of their practical skillset.
Bushcraft skills, in all honesty, I can't see being overly useful. Perhaps if we are looking at long-term displaced communities then there may be some skills that would come in handy. But that seems unlikely in this country.
Generally though, I think any bushcraft/homestead type skills are nothing compared to emotional resilience and adaptability. To me, those are the most valuable things. People who nurture those skills are probably going to be way more useful in any wartime situation regardless of their practical skillset.
I think there is a minimum set of skills required but beyond that short term some prepper set helps and long term I think a set of social skills (and of course how to for food) might pay off. Even in our quite sparsely populated country if I have to fall back to my trekking, hunting and camping skills things are very VERY bad.
If society comes to a point where people start poaching (hunting out of season year round) it won´t be very long until edible animals are hunted to extinction. Finland have some 200 000 registered hunters.
After that sheep and cows start needing bodyguards or kept inside 24/7.
After that sheep and cows start needing bodyguards or kept inside 24/7.
The gov recommendation of 3 days worth of food, some candles water and a wind up radio make me laugh. Seriously? 3days?
The recent co op i.t. outage lasted longer than that!
The water outage in Brixham last year lasted longer, as did the recent Tunbridge Wells one.
Again directing us to look at Russia which can't even defeat Ukraine after 4 yrs is stupid.
It's a look here while we diddle about there so you don't notice what is really happening.
These leaflets about stocking up for 3 days are sweeties to calm the nerves.
Australia just showed us the reality of where we need to be looking. They now want to totaly disarm the whole country.
As I've said, self reliance skills are what you need to be working on. Mental, physical and emotional strength will be invaluable.
There is a brilliant book, written by several authors , all under one cover that will help with the mental and emotional strength. You know the one, it's a world wide best seller.
A veggie patch helps with everything else.
The recent co op i.t. outage lasted longer than that!
The water outage in Brixham last year lasted longer, as did the recent Tunbridge Wells one.
Again directing us to look at Russia which can't even defeat Ukraine after 4 yrs is stupid.
It's a look here while we diddle about there so you don't notice what is really happening.
These leaflets about stocking up for 3 days are sweeties to calm the nerves.
Australia just showed us the reality of where we need to be looking. They now want to totaly disarm the whole country.
As I've said, self reliance skills are what you need to be working on. Mental, physical and emotional strength will be invaluable.
There is a brilliant book, written by several authors , all under one cover that will help with the mental and emotional strength. You know the one, it's a world wide best seller.
A veggie patch helps with everything else.
He (or she) named in the will of the one who died with the most toys wins.
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