we are but are the rest ? solar flare survival

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
That's probably a fair comment Mike but if you dont have them what are you going to buy them with and what will the people selling them be looking for in exchange? If im average Joe in the street then im not likely to have lots of antibiotics, fuel or AK47s so ill need something to buy with

They'll be looking for food, cigarettes, shoes, blankets, and yes ammo. Fair enough you're not likely to stock guns and ammo but why is it any easier to amass a stock of worthless metal than it is to amass common everyday items such as blankets, canned goods, tobbacco, etc?
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Depends what side of the planet it hit. Imagine the world if China was left in tact while the "west" fell into the dark ages. Nightmare. Neo-mongols lol

Yes that's the problem with my earlier post about it only hitting 1 side of the planet and the other "eventually" rescueing it. Said rescue might easily turn into conquest. Of course there'd be no predicting just which 1/2 of the planet would be facing the Sun at any given time. Possibly (probably?) a mixed political population/system? Complications, complications.
 

Edcraft

Forager
Apr 17, 2012
100
0
Liverpool
If the fuel tankers go on strike and the army can't take over the driving, there will be a food shortage. We all saw how people panicked at the mere suggestion of a shortage of fuel, imagine there actually was one and a food shortage. On 5 news just now they said the drivers have rejected the new offer...
 

ex-member BareThrills

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 5, 2011
4,461
3
United Kingdom
Gold and silver have always been valued metals, that's why they're linked to money, imho.


Si

Absolutely, and in fact for 1000s of years before they were ever linked to state currency. In a world thrown back in time by catastrophe they would quickly establish themselves as currency and store of wealth and anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.
 

Urban X

Nomad
Apr 6, 2012
272
0
Thanet, Kent
Well I just watched the latest ep of 'Doomsday Preppers' and it seems that the US should definately be the ones to worry (of course it is an American TV show), but luckily the mysterious 'Mr. Wayne' has the solution. :D

When China calls in the US debt of $1.1 'trillion' :yikes: and dumps it's shares so the $ becomes useless, he's fully prepared with wine, bullets and wait for it.... pipe bombs! :yikes:

So there ya have it folks, forget gold, silver, anti-biotics, petrol, etc., it's wine we need as once all the looters have finished pillaging they'll be gagging for a good pinot noir. :D

Gotta love that show, more loons than ya can shake a stick at. :rolleyes:


Si
 

Urban X

Nomad
Apr 6, 2012
272
0
Thanet, Kent
Even if we weren't thrown back to a dark ages situation, eventually currency will re-establish as it has for the past 2000 odd yrs, at least, or government would get control of the situation and things would begin to go back to some semblance of normality and they wouldn't be using wine or anti-biotics for currency or to back a currency, it'd be precious metals as it's always been.

I'd be quite happy to trade food or weapons for my anti-biotics but I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at precious metals, they 'will' be worth having eventually. Imho. :D


Si
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
Not really, :) the ancient civs of the americas for example had no use for it whatsoever other than decoration. Its also far far more common than folk realise. Theres much more gold than silver on the planet.

Gold and silver have always been valued metals, that's why they're linked to money, imho.


Si
 

Urban X

Nomad
Apr 6, 2012
272
0
Thanet, Kent
Yeah but they also couldn't count beyond 21st Dec 2012, go figure. :p

Well, I'll still be happy to accept precious metals aswell as other forms of currency and if it turns out to be no good for money I'll have some really shiny arrow heads. ;)

@southey Haha amass wealth, I'd be happy to amass enough to be able to actually live beyond the very basics. :D


Si
 
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udamiano

On a new journey
It seems all well and good discussing the veritable merits of precious metals, as a basic for a currency system. but it seems that this would be a mute subject as yet we have still failed to identify workable solutions to the basics, namely. Water, food, fuel, and shelter/warmth, and healthcare. without these, a credible basis of currency would have little or no meaning.

So looking around you now. how would you supply these facilities to say your immediate family, in a sustainable fashion for a uncertain length of time.
forget building a lab, out of toilet rolls and sticky backed plastic. I mean using only the thing you would have to hand,with the actual knowledge you pocess, in or around your local area; knowing that these resources would be up for contention from other equally desperate families.

Cooking on fire is a great idea, but looking down the street and the number of houses, how long would the local trees, burnable resources last if everyone does the same, and the same goes for food and water. while its easy to sit back and say "well id use my Katadyn water filter, and build a fire in my living room" or move out into the woods, and live of wild sorrel and rabbits, you are not going to be the only bright spark with that particular idea, realistically you would need a much better plan than that to last
 
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Urban X

Nomad
Apr 6, 2012
272
0
Thanet, Kent
...So looking around you now. how would you supply these facilities to say your immediate family, in a sustainable fashion for a uncertain length of time. forget building a lab, out of toilet rolls and sticky backed plastic. I mean using only the thing you would have to hand,with the actual knowledge you pocess, in or around your local area; knowing that these resources would be up for contention from other equally desperate families....

Hmmm, ok forgetting any currency issues and just covering the basics. I have a couple of largish trees in the garden which I could use for fuel, albeit inefficiently, I have lots of old dried wood, floorboarding and stuff that could be used from an abandoned building upstairs. The beach is at the top of my road, 4 min on foot, so for water we'd have to lug seawater back and boil it to distill out the salt, can't afford a Katadyn atm. :(

I grow my own veg so would be reasonably ok there, I have access to the boats not 5 mins away so fishing would be another source of food, and fresh fish can be eaten raw so no need for a fire to cook all the time, also most seaweed around the coast is edible, there are various fruit and nut trees in the local 'massive' park, I'm pretty sure alot of people wouldn't know what wild plants to eat or in fact that seaweed is nutritious and edible. I don't have guns anymore but do have a ferret and could easily improvise nets, birds I could trap pretty easily, seagulls are shall we say, fairly prolific here lol.

I dunno, I also have a pretty well stocked food store, just something I've always had, same as parents always did, I reckon I'd do ok if push come to shove.


Si
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,718
1,964
Mercia
It seems all well and good discussing the veritable merits of precious metals, as a basic for a currency system. but it seems that this would be a mute subject as yet we have still failed to identify workable solutions to the basics, namely. Water, food, fuel, and shelter/warmth, and healthcare. without these, a credible basis of currency would have little or no meaning.

So looking around you now. how would you supply these facilities to say your immediate family, in a sustainable fashion for a uncertain length of time.
forget building a lab, out of toilet rolls and sticky backed plastic. I mean using only the thing you would have to hand,with the actual knowledge you pocess, in or around your local area; knowing that these resources would be up for contention from other equally desperate families.

Cooking on fire is a great idea, but looking down the street and the number of houses, how long would the local trees, burnable resources last if everyone does the same, and the same goes for food and water. while its easy to sit back and say "well id use my Katadyn water filter, and build a fire in my living room" or move out into the woods, and live of wow sorrel and rabbits, you are going not going to be the only bright spark with that particular idea, realistically you would need a much better plan than that to last

Its impossible to be full self sufficient to be honest. When my heritage, long stem spring wheat turns up in a few weeks, we will be a step closer. We can grind it ourselves, produce our own yeast and, with luck, will have the sugar production sorted this year. Water is on site (three sources), we cook and heat with wood.

Thats far from self sufficient though. I can't forge a scythe blade, and if I learn, I cannot mine iron ore.

Its possible to cover the basics as you say...but thats it
 

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