About twenty years ago, when people talked about "being prepared" we all got the same image of the paranoid survivalist with a bunker full of guns and ammunition. Not that there is anything wrong with guns and ammunition, just that that isn't really what the "Prepper" movement is about today. To me, and to many others I connect with, it is about having a plan for sustainable living-should political, economic, or physical circumstances warrant.
I wrote a while ago about being physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared. Well, I lost those 40 pounds I talked about although I've gained 5 of them back. My body is much more physically prepared for hardships and challenges. I just more physically prepared to do anything-fun or not so fun.
I talked a while ago about how I would run my farm should fossil fuels become prohibitively expensive or unavailable. I had a funny conundrum yesterday. I needed to plow the driveway. I needed (or wanted) the tractor to do it. Only the tractor needed diesel to run. So I needed to drive to town to get a big can of diesel fuel only the trucks were already both stuck in the snow. Which was why I needed the tractor in the first place. So, in the end, despite owning a bunch of big machines, I still ended up digging the truck out with a shovel, so I could go to town to go get diesel for the tractor to plow the driveway. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss rhyme.
Rambling back to my original point, can I live sustainably in a long or short term political, economic, or physical (back to the ENERGY issue) emergency. I could, but it would be hard. Imagine having to till an acre or more by hand. No tractor. Imagine haying 9 acres by hand. Sure people have done it in the past, but I sure never have.
I've been thinking about this a lot. I'm not going to create a 100 item survival list on my blog, but I have one on paper. And I have a lot of the stuff on it. There's a lot more stuff I would love to have that I don't.
Hand tools, propane back-up stove, generator, pressure canner, lots and lots of mason jars, bulk foods, animals, breeding pairs of animals (yep, just like Noah), physical gold and silver, guns, ammunition, freezer full of food, root cellar, 55 gallon drum of drinking water...the list goes on. Some of these things I have already, some I don't.
I don't really think there is going to be gasoline one day and none the next, but if you're old enough you can still remember the lines at gas stations in the 1970's. Even last year folks panicked when gas hit $4.00 a gallon. What would it be like if gas were $10.00 a gallon. $15.00? Will the dollar continue to be the king of currency? Maybe not. What happens if $10.00 doesn't buy a loaf of bread.
OK, OK, enough of the rant. But how prepared are we all for general weirdness? How prepared am I? Things seem a little weird all over right now. I just want to be able to ride out a storm should one occur.
Blessings
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I feel the same way. The oil is the major player in our society today, not only because of the gas situation but also because it's in nearly every single product we purchase today in some capacity or influences it. I don't think people realize that. The movie "Collapse" was a real eye-opener for me in that regard.
ReplyDeleteIf I start thinking about what the future could be like I'd probably end up in a rubber room. I can't really afford that. So, I'm doing what I can which is learning how to make the things I need from everyday, inexpensive ingredients. This includes food for me and the animals, seed saving, clothing, cleaners (both personal and surface). I've been learning how to can better and different varieties and love to barter with friends and neighbors.
I like your idea of a list. I should make one for us, too.
Good post! I want to be prepared more too. I have to work on the physical part of being prepared. Need to get in shape. lol
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