Are there any preppers here on the mag?

[Gypsy Nirvana]

Brutus the one eyed Boxer was found dead, next to a 5ft cobra, which was also dead....I guess Brutus got bit, and killed the snake before he died....He was only 4 years old.

He lost his eye when he was a year old, from being squirted at by a 'Pantot', otherwise known as the Palawanian Stink Badger. It was so infected that the vet was gonna operate and take it out, but luckily the anti-biotics worked, and killed the infection.....poor Brutus, I remember you well. Great dog, R.I.P.

Here is a video on the 'Pantot': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5ormzEswo

 

[moses wellfleet]

I can silence them all in 20 seconds.

Ever see what happens when 6 sirloin steaks get thrown to dogs. They like the steak handler. LOLZ

It's a doomsday situation, you are unlikely gonna have six sirloin steaks to spare!

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

It's a doomsday situation, you are unlikely gonna have six sirloin steaks to spare!

True, no supermarkets within about 100 miles of my place, but you could buy a Carabao(water buffalo) I suppose from a local, and butcher that up...

....and in a doomsday situation, I doubt if anyone would be selling livestock, because money would be worthless, and people would be thinking about feeding themselves into the future, not selling you steaks.

 

[Lrus007]

if doomsday happens i am well stocked and ready.
to open my trading post and brothel. be a reach a round
until i get the lady's hired.......
Lrus007

 

[St. Phatty]

I definitely see the need for prepping, i.e. not relying on an economy or a government such as the US, post 9-11.

However, I think the common perception that "Collapse is in the future" is not accurate.

What we have today in the US - this is what collapse looks like.

I would date the start of US collapse at 9-11-01, meaning the United States lasted 225 years, 2 months, and 7 days (counting from July 4, 1776), as a mostly-free nation.

That's an easier judgment to make for those of us who remember the 60's & 70's - when the US had a truly robust economy, and health care was affordable.

My father's income in the 60's was about $20K a year - enough to provide for a stay at home mom and 4 kids. When my brother drove a Bowie knife into the back of his knee, or I had an allergic reaction to a wasp sting on the eye, the resulting trips to the ER did not bankrupt us.

Looking at the economy now - I feel sorry for the young people, because so few adults are telling them the truth. The young people are encouraged to go into debt, to get something resembling an education, to get a job that may or may not be there.

There are many metrics to assess collapse. One of them is economic activity. When prices rise faster than GNP, economic activity is shrinking. That's been the state of the US economy since 2008, if not earlier. That's Greater Depression territory.

One exercise that is interesting is to take the US economy, and remove 6 zero's from the economic numbers. Then show the resulting income, assets, debt, etc., to a bank manager, and ask them if they would give such a person, or business, a loan.

Among other things, the US is borrowing to pay the interest on its debt. That is not the primary definition of bankruptcy, but it is definitely one of the tell-tale signs. Ask a bank manager for a loan under those terms - just don't tell them it's the US government - and see what they say.

One of the better writers I've found about America's collapse, is a Russian-American programmer named Dmitry Orlov. He was a witness to the break-up of the USSR, and probably makes more money writing about collapse than he does from programming.

One way to assess the state of America's economy is to ask, how much of the economy is dependent on US government spending ? Said another way, what would Happen to the US economy if the US government stopped spending ?

I was raised in the Cold War era, where we were taught about the alleged evils of centrally managed economies. What the US has now is a rather incredible mirage, involving MOPE (management of perceptions economics), and a huge centrally managed economy - that calls itself a "free market economy".

 

[KONY]

I used to worry about this much more, now I dont give it much of a thought. However I do still stock water, fuel and such just because we live in the middle of nowhere and if a storm comes or the power goes out, I want the plants to survive and thrive.

I do think it is still possible from a major natural disaster like a solar flare, however it is way more likely I will die from cancer. I am a numbers person, and the odds of that sort of disaster are pretty slim.

 

[brown_thumb]

There are only a couple of scenarios I concern myself with. One is extreme damage from weather and the other is extreme economic collapse. The former is relatively easy to deal with assuming one's home is intact. The latter is far more worrisome.

When I first bought my little two acre home away from the city I had plans to make the place as self-sustained as is practicable. However, within a year I was no longer able to work plus a contractor gouged me for $15,000. Not wanting to be a moocher, I decimated my 401K and sold most everything I had before applying for Social Security disability.

My plan was: 1. Be completely debt free, 2. Install a water well with a complete water filtering and treatment system and many thousands of gallons storage, 3. Install a photo-voltaic system capable of fully powering everything, 4. Add a propane generator capable of taking over in inclement weather, 5. Have a large propane tank to feed the generator, 6. Acquire a vehicle that runs off of gasoline or propane and refill it from my large tank, 7. Have a second all-electric vehicle and charge it from the solar panels, 8. Install at least a dozen raised garden beds made with cinder block, 9. Raise most of my own vegetables, fruits and nuts (plant lots of trees), 10. Raise my own chickens in a chicken tractor (hen house on wheels), 11. Stock up on canned and dried goods, 12. Stock up on ammunition for all the common calibers (for self and trade), 13. Own an assortment of firearms for self-defense, hunting and for trade, 14. Learn how to make safe grain alcohol and stock up for self and trade. 15. If time and funds allowed, replace this old trailer with a half dug-out made with double-thick cinder block walls filled with concrete.

That's about it but I'm sure I've forgotten a few things. I would never 'bug out' because my health won't allow it. I would stay home, barter for things I may need or want and share what I can with the less fortunate.

Not much of that ever happened and some of it was reversed (I had to sell many things). But that's just life. At the moment I'm content enough just trying to learn how not to kill my special crops.

 

[oldchuck]

You can't "prep" for everything. I've tried that. I have all the tools, the spot in the country, etc., but now no longer able to actually use much of that. Trying to prepare for the next global disaster is impossible. Best one can do is keep a reserve good for a short run, some cash, some stored food and water, some tools, a relatively safe place and good neighbors. People need people. We cannot live on our own.

 

[EsterEssence]

I have some food, water, a motor home with propane, water, solar, just in case of something happening. I live in an earthquake prone area away from the cities, so I figure the helping hand is on the end of my arm...

 

[Pinball Wizard]

When Burger King shuts down...I'm fucked.

 

[corky1968]

Once the Internet stops were all going to die anyways.

 

[HerBnGorE(illa)]

I think one of the most important aspects to prepping is mental preparedness. Knowing the local edible plants for example. Having basic knowledge of survival skills can get you a long way.

 

[blastfrompast]

Lets play the scenario game...We have a Carington event... Big old nasty CME

Day1 of "event".... Rush on the grocery stores..people trying to get home...the sheeple wondering wtf is going on....THINK Black friday but 100 Times worse...

Day2...No food on the shelves, no trucks delivering food...

Day 3...Most families live Hand to mouth and only keep 1 weeks worth of food on hand (if that)...water...lol...gonzo (better drain that Hotwater tank cause that's what u will be drinking).

Day 7...Food is getting scarce....cops are with their families....

Day 8+.....It doesn't matter, once shit starts going down hill...well shits gonna get bad...

As for me...I live on 80 acres and became a "squirrel" a long time ago.

Food, water, shelter, protection, and a MAG(doctor, nurse, farmer, engineer, a few ex-military are the ringers in our group)

Hard to find the right like minded people but over time it can happen....

Now what y'all should be also worried about is ALL of the people who are on "MEDS" to keep them from losing their shit....No meds....and everyone with a mental illness will be in "untreated" mode.... not cool for most.

Never mind people trying to stay warm if it is in the winter...no power...no furnace even if it is natural gas...

Honestly if we had an event like that in the winter the casualties would be thru the roof.... How many people out there have cords of seasoned split wood all ready to burn sure as fuck isn't the guy in the appt....

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

That really really reminds me of the video game Far Cry. So the Philippine government seized the property and its a total loss???

No, it's not been seized....there was no legal precedent to do so

My beef was with the US authorities (and they with me), who conspired with the PI's authorities to kidnap me, but that didn't pan out, and because of their inability to get me stateside from the PI's, I was able to deport, many thanks to the British embassy in Manila, who realized what was up, and supported me, since my UK business was not illegal in any way.

My 'Bug Out' place is still there, and my wife's brother is looking after it, till one day I hope to return. Of course if the proverbial fecal matter does hit the fan in the immediate future, I would be unable to get 11,000kms S.E from the UK to be there, so will have to be content with my can opener and the non-stick frying pan, for now.

Probably the worst place to be in an apocalyptic/doomsday situation, would be in or near a large city, as I am currently, and my wife/kids are still in the PI's.

sadly, what happened with my wifes visa, is that they texted her to say 'come and pick your visa up', so she thought that she had it to pick up after the 'All Souls Day' holiday.... when she got there after the holiday it was a bloody refusal!
So her and the kids are still stranded over there.....woe is me.

 

[brown_thumb]

I bought my two little acres here because most of my neighbors are armed (could be good or bad), my place is 30 miles from the closest major city and 12 miles from the nearest small city. I'm 4.2 miles off of the one main highway near here and the road my home is on has only one way in or out. I wish I could have finished what I started here.

 

[coldcanna]

Gypsy its an honor to have you stop in, happy to hear things are looking better on your end...

As far as the collapse Ive never invisioned it as a sudden event where we turn on the tv and the world is ending... in fact I feel that its going to be a gradual happening that takes place over many years. I think the globalists will continue consolidating power at a level that is supra national. 20 years ago the idea of a one world government was fodder for the far right wing yet now we see our likely next president referring to a "hemispheric economy with open borders". We already see this in Europe. They will keep eliminating the power of countries and ciitizens until there is one central bank, one central government that rules everyone. We can see this in America already, the financial industry has 40% of the profit in our entire economy! and its made up of 5 large banks! Thats 5 boards of directors that control nearly half of our contries assets.

I digress.... the term "prepper" is a little goofy I'll admit, picture our great grandparents canning food, storing firewood, saving money at home, and always having loaded weapons around and they just considered that an everyday part of life. They didn't expect anything from anyone and could take care of themselves. I think that is a huge vulnerability in our culture today, think of how many people would die simply if they couldnt buy food at the grocery store, Its simply mind boggling to consider that average citizen cant hunt and gather or build fires and shelter, after all we are animals and weve reached a point where we cant even survive in our environment.

Id expect there are many people in the cannabis community who live close to the prepped lifestyle, we are used to flying under the radar of LEO, used to dealing in cash or bartering, and by and large if we get robbed or have problems we aren't calling for help we're kicking in doors.

 

[Dropped Cat]

I've been on panels that discuss this type of social collapse.

Many hours spent with charts and statistics.

Interesting study, and sadly what you may think as
worse case is more likely than not.

You just won't have enough ammo, clean water, or anything
of value to barter after a few weeks.

Can't shoot a microbe, anyway, can you, lol

 

[Stoner4Life]

I do have some good news, my wife has finally been granted a visa to come and join me in London, so I am looking forward to her and the kids coming over soon to reunite the family after over 3 years of living apart.

that's great news, I was hoping to hear that for you & your family. I honestly couldn't imagine being snatched up and then separated from your loved ones for so long. I'm sure the reunion will be wonderful. Bless you all.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

Thank you all for your kind indulgence in my plight..

Yes, I was just talking to my brother here in the UK about this. He has never had kids, nor a wife and is a couple of years older than me, and his attitude is that he's lived most all of his life already, so it won't be such a big deal for him, just to roll over and expire...

I need to stay alive and alert, and build my life back up again after my recent troubles, for my wife and kids if not for myself, to make sure that they are safe, schooled and fed into the future...

It does look like this world is going to hell in a handbasket at times, and I believe that we do need to prepare for the worst, but of course, hope for the best.

Currently we have raging hordes of voluntarily displaced migrant men (well mostly men), from societies that are in conflict with our own, with attitudes and morals that are completely alien to our own, and in conflict with the values that we hold dear to our hearts moving en-mass across Europe, many of them trying and succeeding in breaking into the UK illegally. People with nothing to loose, and everything to gain, and if they are not given it, many of them just take it by force....I worry for the future, and the safety of my loved ones, because I can only see this snowballing...

Our governments don't seem to realize whats coming, because most all of them live in 'Ivory Towers', and are protected already by the corporate-military-industrial-banking 1%'ers, and they just think that the indigenous people of these fair isles, the working people, the elderly, the veterans, are just making a fuss over nothing, and that we should open ours doors, our schools, our hospitals, and expose our kids to this never ending human tide of people, many of which have designs to either kill, rape, or convert us to their medieval beliefs and culture.

Maybe I worry too much....but then again maybe not.

Because of this crime has risen, and the streets just don't feel as safe as they once were

 

[Jellyfish]

I don't think there's any way to prepare if the grid really goes down. Maybe for two weeks, a month, what's the point?