Bushcraft and homesteading skills in WW3

[HorseGuy]

That depends on which flavour of zombie we get... The traditional shambling type or the more modern lightning fast type.

A Honda C50 wouldn't stand a chance against a werewolf.

 

[TeeDee]

A Honda C50 wouldn't stand a chance against a werewolf.

Depends , Proper Old country ? or New blood Lycan Americana ?

 

[Dr_Rez]

I strategically live near a major military base so my first plan is to just accept the incoming nuke that will land pretty much on top of me. So the plan is likely a cigar or glass of wine while telling my family I love them. Its been quite the ride.

At least I can die knowing I can start a fire about 20 different ways and we finally got our compost up and running.

 

[Peter_gent]

Before we start this discussion I respectfully request that we avoid talking about global politics and instead keep this thread on the subject of bushcraft and homesteading. So I think it would be best to avoid sharing our personal opinions regarding the moral rights or wrongs of what any specific country or politician may be doing. Thank you in advance.

Ok, with that out of the way… We’ve all seen the news headlines lately saying how Europe/NATO is preparing to transition away from the current proxy war with Russia and towards a direct kinetic war with Russia. Hopefully this will never happen but what if it does? How would your bushcraft or homesteading skills be of a benefit to you if we were in a direct war?

Let me give you an example. One of the things which is likely to happen would be widespread electricity blackouts. Whether this would happen permanently for very long periods or just intermittently for a few hours or days at a time, it is something which would be highly likely to happen during in a war. Most normal people would struggle if it came to preparing some wood and starting a fire then using it to boil water for cooking or drinking but with your bushcraft skills it would be a doddle for you.

So how else do you think that your own bushcraft or homesteading skills and tools could be adapted to be a benefit for you and your family in a war time situation?

I’ve read the best place to go to in ww3 is Australia because it’s not a strategic target and the climate is great for a walkabout

 

[TeeDee]

I’ve read the best place to go to in ww3 is Australia because it’s not a strategic target and the climate is great for a walkabout

Distinct lack of culture however.

 

[Broch]

Distinct lack of culture however.

Oh, I don't know, the Asian quarters of Melbourne and Sydney are quite vibrant

And then, there's the indigenous culture - music and art, belief system and story lines ...

 

[Peter_gent]

Oh, I don't know, the Asian quarters of Melbourne and Sydney are quite vibrant

And then, there's the indigenous culture - music and art, belief system and story lines ...

When I went to the USA/Canada I was more interested in the indigenous culture for sure

 

[Herman30]

I’ve read the best place to go to in ww3 is Australia

Nah, too much poisonous creepy crawly and slithering critters for my liking.

 

[Broch]

Nah, too much poisonous creepy crawly and slithering critters for my liking.

Plenty of those in the UK, it's just they're confined to the Houses of Parliament (only joking folks ).

 

[forrestdweller]

Nah, too much poisonous creepy crawly and slithering critters for my liking.

i never had any issues with creepy-crawlies and maintained a safe distance to croc-suspicious water -- the main issue were two-legged predators and they're only around civilization (and not out bush); the oldest surviving culture on the planet are the Aborigines

 

[GreyCat]

Ok here's a question for you guys and gals. What do you think would be the best option for a war time Mad Max motor vehicle and why?

My vote would go for a Honda C50 Cub because it's economical, reliable, easy to fix, has a good availability of spare parts and it's engine is tuned to be able to run on old or low quality petrol as is often found in third world countries.

Toyota Hilux fitted out as a "technical". Proven track record with irregular fighters all over the world.......

You might find yourself in that position on fuel a lot sooner than expected. The current Govt. plan is to restrict and reduce fuel supply nationally in favour of EV. Also, to increase the ethanol content.
Fuel stations are already struggling to make a profit. As demand reduces, for various reasons the quality of fuel will reduce. Govt.is currently focussing on reducing diesel consumption and the Transport industry, who are resisting any move to EV trucks.

This is not a conspiracy theory, it is govt. official policy. (I'm involved in transport politics on a voluntary basis). This is purely factual, I'm not expressing any political viewpoint, rightly we avoid that here.

Since you can only buy limited quantities in cans, transferring it at home from van to cans for the diesel heater, is a time and cost efficient move. For the same reason I don't want to punch a hole in my own tank to get it!.

As Horseguy playfully suggests, almost any slightly older small motorcycle or scooter will be a good efficient economical option. That's why they are so prevalent in "third" world countries. Unlike cars, the April VED increase on motorbikes this year is minimal.

Policy it may be, but govt (I.e. senior civil service) ain't stupid and whilst they say one thing publicly (repeat political masters' policy), they also know that without diesel, food distribution collapses. Not just roads...... Rail freight is predominantly diesel hauled and will be for the foreseeable future, no one has any money for significant numbers of new locos, and battery systems don't have the capacity..... yes there have been lauded trial vehicles, but after the publicity stunt is over, they are quietly parked up. Diesel generators are also essential in many places as backup power for critical infrastructure.

Yes, we will see a continued push for EVs for a while- until the policy thinking crashes onto the rocks of real life.... Take away the ability to drive to work (many places have no alternative) and it gets real ugly. Be interesting to see whether the resumption of fuel duty increases causes protests like we saw in the Blair era.... there's a lot of protests from farmers in the EU at the moment too.....

.... although geopolitical, we rely on quite fragile supply chains for fuel and other commodities. Some interesting stuff on Watt Logic blog about the possible viability of gas pipeline due to closure of UK North Sea gas extraction too......

GC

 

[HorseGuy]

Toyota Hilux fitted out as a "technical". Proven track record with irregular fighters all over the world.......

Good call, I like it.

I wonder if the smaller size of Suzuki Jimny might make it more suitable for use in the UK though? Equally reliable and capable off road as a Hilux but the smaller footprint would allow it to better fit through confined spaces. It's probably a bit more economical too.

 

[GreyCat]

Good call, I like it.

I wonder if the smaller size of Suzuki Jimny might make it more suitable for use in the UK though? Equally reliable and capable off road as a Hilux but the smaller footprint would allow it to better fit through confined spaces. It's probably a bit more economical too.

Possibly.... maybe the commercial version of the Jiminy....? Plus it has a roof to keep things dry which is a consideration in our climate, although with a higher type of canopy on the back the Hilux is also weathertight. Not sure you'd get so many of the boyz in the Jiminy vs a Hilux, although the Jiminy would be easier to get into and out of for the less agile users.

Economical- nah, the Hilux gets 35 mpg combined which is similar to or a bit better than a Jiminy.

I do like the Jiminys though.

GC

 

[Broch]

I'll stick with my 40 year old Series 3, 88" hardtop - plenty of spares scattered around farmyards and I can fix every single part of it with a 1/2" and 3/8" spanner and a hammer (slight exaggeration). It only does 20mpg but it will go anywhere so I can take the shortest route staying off tarmac. No electronics at all.

 

[HorseGuy]

I'll stick with my 40 year old Series 3, 88" hardtop - plenty of spares scattered around farmyards and I can fix every single part of it with a 1/2" and 3/8" spanner and a hammer (slight exaggeration). It only does 20pmg but it will go anywhere so I can take the shortest route staying off tarmac. No electronics at all.

I'm going off topic with this comment but I would take a restomod 1988-1997 Toyota Hilux pickup over a classic restomod Porsche 911 any day. Black with lots of chrome for understated cool.

When Back to the Future came out everyone else liked the DeLorean. Me? I preferred Marty's Toyota SR5 pickup truck.

 

[Falstaff]

Can I ask in what capacity ?

I'll send you a pm, lets keep political stances/positions out of this forum. Inevitably someone will have a contrary view, which is fine, but some find it almost impossible to let it lie.

 

[TeeDee]

Ok here's a question for you guys and gals. What do you think would be the best option for a war time Mad Max motor vehicle and why?

I'm thinking..... Goat .

Easy to fuel - Not fussy at all.
4X4 Drive and then some.
Intimidation factor.
Greta approved.

 

[Falstaff]

I strategically live near a major military base so my first plan is to just accept the incoming nuke that will land pretty much on top of me. So the plan is likely a cigar or glass of wine while telling my family I love them. Its been quite the ride.

At least I can die knowing I can start a fire about 20 different ways and we finally got our compost up and running.

I've actually had that happen to me, in bed at a German girlfriend's flat. Luckily some idiot at the US military base where she worked had set off the wrong alarm sequence, it was supposed to be the regular All clear signal test.
It was a very strange and dumbfounding experience. There was absolutely nothing I (we) could do about it, lying in bed exposed under a glass rooflight with less than 3 mins to live.

 

[Chris]

I've actually had that happen to me, in bed at a German girlfriend's flat. Luckily some idiot at the US military base where she worked had set off the wrong alarm sequence, it was supposed to be the regular All clear signal test.
It was a very strange and dumbfounding experience. There was absolutely nothing I (we) could do about it, lying in bed exposed under a glass rooflight with less than 3 mins to live.

That’s one hell of a way for her to kick you out of bed the morning after.

 

[TeeDee]

I've actually had that happen to me, in bed at a German girlfriend's flat. Luckily some idiot at the US military base where she worked had set off the wrong alarm sequence, it was supposed to be the regular All clear signal test.
It was a very strange and dumbfounding experience. There was absolutely nothing I (we) could do about it, lying in bed exposed under a glass rooflight with less than 3 mins to live.

3 mins?

I think we know what happened if you believed it was going to be the last big bang of your life.

< You sly old dog... >