Some prepare for a bad weather event lasting 6 to 8 days.

Some prepare for a bad weather event lasting 6 to 8 months.

Some prepare for a bad weather event lasting 6 to 8 years.

Multiple years is really difficult.

Like Ann said, for years is difficult, then what after that? Educating yourself to become as self reliant as possible is the key, then barting with the neighbors to fill most of the gaps.

It can be done if you are a good forager and hunter AND also have proper shelter. Still, such would be an enormous task.

I keep a two-year or better pantry but that's still pretty limited.

quote:

Some prepare for a bad weather event lasting 6 to 8 years

How well do you want to live?

How many people do you have to support?

What part of the country do you live in?

How badly damage is the current infrastructure.

Each one makes the situation a bit different.

In a situation that last that long expect about 25 to 50 percent of the population to die. Maybe more.

What would cause it to end.

If you live in a very large city, contemplate a move.

In the USA, think where your kids live. You have options. In the 1965 Watts riots, basics including food items became scarce in some neighborhoods. Recently, it has been Missouri and Minnesota. Civil unrest has a habit of spreading and can lead to breakdown of agencies responsible for law and order, along with metropolitan functions like fire departments, water and trash pickup.

Non-large city residential living like cabins or farms are an option, IF the basics are there like food, shelter and a conservative networking base.
Farmers and ranchers are nice to be near as they understand barter and lend/lease thinking. They do not riot and burn their own neighborhoods.

Something to consider if you have a place to retreat to in case of real social disorder on a large scale.

The problem is that you have spent time and resources preparing for the event, then the hordes of nare-do-wells come looking for you to take your shit. Now you have to figure out how you are going to stay awake 24/7 to defend yourself.

There will be many who will not prep but plan on becoming predators. MANY. Open season to take from others. Keep in mind all those illegals too.

Preparing for the long term is hard but doable.

You need time and lots of it because getting ready for the long term can take years when you take into account that you need to stockpile spares for everything.

It takes $$$ which speaks for itself.

And it takes some space. You have to have a place for it all and space to grow along with a water source.

Finally it takes people. Not just to defend but also someone on watch. Planting, harvesting, building/repairing, hunting, foraging and hundreds of other things. A 3-4 person family group is. It going to cut it.

It also required orginization and a dedication to being prepared.

An odd thing in a way to have for long term is a few 3 ft long long piano hinges and a few one inch or other size pillow block bearings. These could come in really handy. Long term is more about knowledge as after a period of time supplies run out.

One of the best survivalist tools is the human brain coupled with practical common sense.
Years ago books and a newsletter were published/authored by Mel Tappan in Rogue River, OR.

While time and distance has dated some of the Tappan's material, the philosophy is sound especially found in Survival Guns. A target -rich environment requires preparation in advance.

For the fully aware, in the Western US there is a
religious group that is probably the best prepared realistic organization for long-term networked survival.

Some of them
Are.

I fortunately some of them will become nothing. More than loot drops for predators.



Once the supplies run out and they will and quickly it will be the best scavengers they are able to thrive IMHO.

Nothing is a guarantee but the ability to improvise and adapt will be vital.

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Fisk:
An odd thing in a way to have for long term is a few 3 ft long long piano hinges and a few one inch or other size pillow block bearings. These could come in really handy. Long term is more about knowledge as after a period of time supplies run out.

Thanks for the suggestion about piano hinges! That had never occurred to me, but now that you mentioned that to me it sure makes sense. I would suggest that instead of pillow blocks I'd get a set of auger bits and a brace, and just make them out of hardwood 2X4's. It sounds silly but back in the 80's me and my family made quite a few museum exhibits and some interactive ones that moved I used oak bearings on shafts. I used grease zerks into a threaded coupler and epoxied the coupler into the wood but is a zombie apocalypse situation I'd just drill a hole and use a grease gun shoved into the hole.


Lastly,I do have a question I've been meaning to ask you the past couple of years- Have you ever used a wood fired forge ever do you have a design you'd recommend?

Yes, ive used wood fired, coal fired , fired with dried pine cones *short lived so you need a basket of em. Even used dried corn once and of course propane. Charcoal (wood) needs a side draft forced air, coal works best as bottom draft.
Bear in mind that if you are working low or very little carbon content steel you can use sugar to bring up the carbon content if you cannt powder up some Charcoal. I took a metal 5 gallon bucket forged welded the strips together added sugar each time i folded etc, made a heck of a cutter.
Being able to make tools could be valuable.
I agree on the oak but i had in mind a water wheel to drive power hence the bearings but ubet a good hard wood would work. Bois de arc (bodark) is a oil based wood so it would work great for that.

We live close enough to population centers that prepping would be a waste of time.