The late afternoon light is shining through your window and the scene outside is quiet, just the way you like it. You are about a month into a serious collapse and thus far your preps have held up. Power has been out for 2 weeks; you don’t plan on ever having power again. You prepared for that.
As the sun sinks closer to the horizon you hear one of the most terrifying sounds of all: A knock on the door!
Your family finds their places and weapons, you leave from the backdoor and flank whoever might be on your porch. To your surprise it is your cousin! You haven’t seen him in years, but he is here. He looks rough and he has his disheveled family of three along with him. He also doesn’t seem to have any food or supplies with him.
This is one of the prepper scenarios we all have thought about. However, it might not be as bad as you think!
People Are Power
So, what do you do when someone unexpected comes knocking? Now, that is an interesting word to use in conjunction with preppers. UNEXPECTED. The whole point of prepping is to consider the unexpected.
In a true SHTF situation people bring you power. Your community should be like a hive. Hardly worth the trouble of any small group that might wish to steal or worse. You must be able to sustain them or have them sustain themselves but there will be tremendous power in numbers. Big jobs become easier, you can make an area more secure with more people, and you have more brains to put towards a problem.
Of course, its not heaven. With people come people issues like fights, jealousy, and the like. However, good leadership and preparedness can give you the upper hand on things like that.
You must first make an honest list of “survival dependents” or people who will come to depend on you when everything goes to hell!
Trust me, your list is bigger than you think.
Survival Dependents
While it is nice to imagine that the calamity will never cross your threshold, the reality is that many more people depend on you than you think. Chances are, even if people don’t know you’re a prepper, you are the type of person who has it together. You are likely the person people go to for answers.
No matter how strong your OPSEC protocols are if you are a good and solid person, than people will look to you in times of crisis. These might be people you love or just people you know.
Now is the time to sit down and create a real list. You must take off the blinders and truly consider all the people who will depend on you in an SHTF situation. It would be perfect if your list consisted of 4 people but when you break it down you have groups of people to consider.
- Immediate Family
- Extended Family
- Friends
- Co Workers
Your group of survival dependents could include people from each of these categories. How they depend on you may vary but this list will help you understand that there are more people than just your immediate family who will turn to you in times of calamity.
Can You Support People?
Of course, the question that comes to mind after you create a list like this is: Do I have enough?
For most people, the answer is no. It can be over burdensome to assume that you can prep for all the people who might be on your list of survival dependents. When these people show up asking for food, though, you need to have something!
Unless you subscribe to the idea that you are going to turn everyone away who comes to your door. If that is your game plan than you better also prepare for some serious backlash. How many fathers with kids can you turn away before one of them says, “No, we are coming in.”
What happens next cannot be good, with lots of harmful outcomes.
This doesn’t mean you should be a pushover and let any old person into your home and feed them.
Tip: When people approach you to ask for something, if they come to your door or see you outside, simply ask them for something first! Open the door and ask for food and medicine: “Oh, I hope you brought some food, we haven’t eaten in a week!”
Put Them to Work Immediately
From that list of survival dependents, you will likely choose people who you will bring into the fold. However, don’t let them in free of charge. The best way to handle someone who comes asking for help is to immediately give them some form of work to be done.
This is also a great gauge of the depth of that person. Those who are outraged by the work that needs to be done at “their new home” are people that you can easily weed out. Just make it truly clear up front that there is plenty to do and if they cannot do what is asked, they cannot stay.
By the way, there will be plenty to do! If you manage a household of four and all the sudden it jumps to ten you will have lots of extra work. It is not so much about room but about dishes, laundry, food production, security detail in the neighborhood, general cleaning.
In an off-grid situation, it might be about things like water procurement and sanitizing, renewable energy system maintenance, gardening, canning and everything in between.
There will be a serious list of chores to be done and the last thing you want is a house full of freeloaders laying around all day while you are red in the face.
Using a basic Excel spreadsheet, you will be able to create chore lists TODAY for issues that might come tomorrow. Print a stack of them and save them. They can be filled out by hand when the time comes or if you know the system you could print them with the duties listed.
It’s high time we stop looking at neighbors and friends as threats in the downfall. Many people can see something resembling collapse just on the horizon. Its hard not to look around and wonder how the unprepared will react to a future of scarcity, uncertainty, with up close and personal violence.
If America is facing balkanization or civil war it will be particularly important that you have a secure neighborhood with plenty of able-bodied individuals. Many neighbors will leave for a safer environment and you must be aware of that. However, that might free up homes and living areas for more of your survival dependents.
Your survival dependents are not the burden you once thought. Believe me. While you know the flaws of the people around you, they have two ears, two eyes and a heart that wants to survive. If you can find it in you to lead these people they will provide you with a true survival group that will keep you and yours from being acted upon by anyone with a group larger and better trained than you and your spouse!
You may also like:
What Do I Store in My Pantry As a Prepper?
The US Army’s Forgotten Food Miracle (Video)
The old tradition of taking cookies to the neighbors at Christmas can open the door to relationships and allow you to gauge your neighbors thoughts, preps, intentions, and training plus it’s neighborly! The collapse is too late to know how the others are prepared or how they might act.
My mother and grandmother use to bake hundreds of cookies for the Christmas season. And I mean hundreds! Once the oven went on for Thanksgiving it didn’t get turned off till January 10th! All Fall after school we had to crack nuts! No one came to the house and left without a cache of cookies! Today, you wouldn’t eat anything given to you that was not commercially prepared in a sealed package unless it was from family.
CC: Isn’t that a shame? I think actually the divide is greater in urban and suburban areas than it is in very small communities and rural areas. Passing through very small towns on bicycle rides, I found the people in very small towns far more open than people in larger towns.
LCC – Here in the big city, it all breaks down to small neighborhoods. The problem is manipulating government policies which have forced a churn in the local population. They need to leave so that they then can bring in waves of foreign populations to create their warped idea of a perfect world! Here in Queens, the public schools have said there are 186 languages spoken at home. I was born and raised here, as were five generations of my family and yet people will stop me and ask me where I come from. Their master plan leaves much to be desired!
I’m sorry to hear that you’re sick. I have a course of treatment that might help. It helped me when I got sick back in February – I don’t know if it was Covid or just the flu, but I got through it pretty quickly.
First, get some tonic water and drink as much as you can stand. Tonic water has quinine in it, which is good for all sorts of infections and fevers. Obviously, if you are allergic to it, don’t take it. Grapefruit also contains quinine. Many medications contraindicate taking with grapefruit, so check your medication for interactions.
Take Vitamin D, 6000 to 10000ius every day for two weeks. Take 50-100mg zinc daily and vitamin c 1000-3000 my daily. Take all with food that contains some fat – if you’re nauseous, buttered toast or cooked rice with a little butter and salt may be best tolerated. Ginger in any form helps with nausea.
Get lots of sleep – take melatonin 10 mg but be aware that it can elevate blood pressure.
I’m not a doctor, but this combination helped me with whatever I had and I was over it in less than a week. I have type two diabetes, asthma and I’m overweight – the deadly three for covid complications. I’m still alive and feel pretty good.
Hope this helps…God bless you and your family.
Miz Kitty: When advising like that, say this is what works for me and others I know of. Great-grandfather would tell people that, and he had decades as an herbalist.
My problem, chica, is allergies and allergy meds. I’ve been poorly since the operation, but a whole lot better in most ways. Right now, we’re getting smoke from the Kali fires and that hurts. Good thing it’s trees burning and not liberal politicians. the stench of roasting cockroaches is disgusting. Of course, 3 Nov is coming and many they all get burned! 🙂 be blessed. niio
The dosage of melatonin I mentioned should have read 3-5 mg. Sorry for the typo?.
Miz Kitty! OK, “what I use” or “have been told”, please. there are a few who lurk here hoping to make trouble.
Yeah, the VA has me on it. I think, but don’t know, ten is considered a no-no. After that nutty movie came out about the Kali-fornian who changed his skin color with it, a lot of kids got sick trying for a good tan. Any chemical is suspect. niio
catman: what children? and, the old-timers liked the outhouse for certain disposals.
Red, unrelated, but why do some of the comments on here not have reply buttons? I tried to reply to your comment on the Tarahumara, but there is no reply button available. Brum
Oracle: thank you for reminding us to hit the reply to comment! that’s likely the most common reason, but no computer program is prefect because they’re constructed by humans. Again, welcome home. From the comments, I’d say we’re all glad to have you. niio
Red, you all are not nearly as glad to have me here as I am to have found you. As a survivalist one can become ostracized by the general public, and even by some friends. It’s comforting to be among kindred spirits. Plus this know-it-all is learning from your shared experiences.
Oracle: Much thanks, but a know it all you’re not. We’re all on a learning curve and thanks to Claude for this site where we can ‘family’. I doubt I’ll make it thru SHTF, but if something eats me, I want to give it massive indigestion. It’s the American way 🙂 niio
You’ll make it, if you don’t the rest of the world is surely doomed. Your indigestion quote reminds me wot the T-shirt my son gave me … it reads “Be Hard To Kill”.
I’m working on that.
PARASITE CLEANSES. DO THEM. THEY WORK. Get the book, The Cure For All Diseases’, by Dr. Hulda Clark. If you can’t find that one, try The Cure For All Cancers’, by the same Dr. I have both, and have been listening to her advice since 1996. Fresh air, get rid of the electric gadgets, moth balls, chemicals, and most hand sanitizers are toxic–don’t use them. And if you drink soda, STOP right now—it is nothing but cancer in a can. Good luck.
Best to avoid Oreo cookies: chocolate OR gold variety…they too now are confected with HEK 293 “for enhanced flavor”.?
Today, am even more wary of commercially prepared foods, especially from “Fortune 500” brands that rely on HEK 293 (human embryonic kidney) elements for “enhanced flavoring”.
(To name just a few:
Kraft, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Heinz, Entenmanns, Tropicana….
even Lipton and Yogi Teas, Ice Mountain, most boxed candies & almost all chewing gums)
I do that all year round… I’m able to chat a bit and find out who has weapons, who doesn’t, who might need help, if we can, who might be a problem.
Susie: Best spies are kids. ASAP they learn all the gossip and sitting down to coffee and cookies makes them chatty. Teenage boys can be the worse for gossip. Next best source of information, senior centers. Volunteers helping there are always valued entertainment. All that’s left is sorting out gossip from the information, but you need to do that while watching the news media, anyway. niio
Red – Yes! Most times You don’t even have to ask them! They are just to happy let you know what’s up and sometimes they even manage exaggerate a little in the process! Remember, Anything that happens at home goes to school with them!
CC: I raised 13 kids, some of them mine, some ‘adopted’ into the family. Little pitchers have big ears. And, remember the grain of salt. I cannot say how many times I heard a kid say, “But everybody is (or has).” I got busted once, myself, using that line 🙂 Had I used it a second time Mom would have packed a bag of clothes, and dad offered to drive me down to live with the parents where “everybody is”. niio
In my opinion, if they won’t or are too dumb to prepare on their own, that’s their own damn fault. I don’t tell people that I preserve or have a stash. Its not their business.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, Lisa! Thank you.
There are bins of soya beans, corn and wheat. No one needs to go hungry. And if they are really starving they won’t turn their nose up at it. Have copies of improvised grain grinding equipment and cooking methods from the Nuclear War Survival Skills manual along with instruction on how to make tofu, soy meal, soy milk and soy flour. With corn meal and wheat flour they can have corn bread and protein. They can make hominy out of the corn too. The only thing you might have to give them is some Epsom salts to make the tofu. That will get through a winter and prove that they a smart enough to listen and learn. If they want more by Spring, you can teach them how to find some wild greens until they can prepare a garden. If they don’t want to work and survive but would rather beg or steal, fuck em. Let them either starve to death or be shot. The ones that survive can in the spring plant potato’s, tomato’s, pole beans, peppers, cucumbers, yams and onions as a basic beginners garden so they can learn to save seeds. They can dry some foods like potato’s, peppers, onions, and tomato’s. and can use regular jars with twist off lids salvaged from trash to can tomato’s and beans in tomato juice to raise the acid level. These can be water bath prepared. Cucumbers can be pickled with just salt and water bath prepared. This will give people a basic diet for several years.
“There are bins of soya beans, corn and wheat.” Where, who filled the bins, how much did you store, and in preparation for how many people? How will you increase or replenish the bins? “cooking methods from the Nuclear War Survival Skills”.. do you currently cook meals from scratch? If unexpected “guests” show up in the beginning of the winter, your stored food supplies can be greatly depleted before the first garden crop comes in the following spring/summer. After they’ve eaten your food supplies and decided they don’t want to share in gardening or extensive preparation of foods such as Hominy, they could move on leaving you with less food. Tofu? Seriously?
Wow, wow wow and double wow! I hear o lot of good stuff, them some stuff I only pray I will never encounter in person. FWIW I’m a Republican. And one of the first people welcome into my fold in a crisis just so happens to be a Democrat. We would be after each other’s throats if we let politics take reign. Instead we agree that we disagree and while we will discuss politics of all angles, we try to keep it to a minimum. Just like religion.
My experience is broad- I have been in a variety of environments that I feel educated me immensely on what to do in a SHTF scenario. Considering that in some instances, it was just that, though on a local level.
I have encountered people that will ask for help and want to give nothing back. I make their stay very short. I am not their momma nor am I their daddy. However, things may not always be like they seem.
Like this one time I met a family whose truck broke down on the highway. They needed help, and even offered to do work around my place if they could stay until they got the repairs done. Well, that sounded like a deal maker, so I agreed. The first week all went well, got parts, had to return parts, this happened, that happened, expected when fixing old truck I suppose.
In the middle of the second week I had to have the sheriff escort them away and had their truck & stuff towed. I overheard their son (about 14 years old) tell his daddy about how he watched what I did regularly and how he felt confident in killing me without a struggle. Then my place would be theirs until their truck got fixed, then they could load up everything they wanted from my place and head off to where ever they were going. His daddy congratulated him and said to just wait, it’s not time yet. WOW!
Within 1/2 hour after that I had the sheriff’s dept. there. They wouldn’t arrest because it was my word against theirs, but they had no problem in getting them out of there. Thank God!
I can also tell you of one fella stayed at my place for a few days, he talked about how he has money and he has this and that and the other, all talk. Well, he had nothing to help his circumstance at the time, and looking where he was I was led to believe was all fiction. That’s fine, I did promise him that when I went to the city next time I’d give him a lift to the bus station. So he got the lift to the bus station, I paid his one way ticket to where he was going, all this time he kept promising me he’d pay me back someway. Sure, right. I imagine you will, buddy.
A month later I got a box from him. Inside was a brand new engine for a generator of mine that had broken down. And a note telling me he was gonna keep his word. He never promised me that particular motor, but he swore he’d make up the brief stay somehow. And I found out that he was exactly what he said he was, just had a series of unfortunate circumstances fall upon him.
Or I can tell you about a neighbor in another town whose husband (and only breadmaker) was critically injured in an ATV wreck. Nearly killed. Couldn’t work for quite sometime. They were already having difficulty with his employer going out of business, so he made do with a part time job and odd jobs on the side. His wife was disabled, a verified legitimate disability (in case someone says she could be faking it), and for 6 months a neighbor, their pastor, and myself helped them with getting by. I didn’t foresee any political unrest, which is the only crisis I worry about really, so I helped with food. The other neighbor helped with transportation, and their church filled in when and where they could so helping them wouldn’t be a huge toll on us. They got by, he got healed, and back to work. Not a one of us asked for payback, because they’re our neighbors- a few of you might turn a neighbor away, but I sure won’t. Sometimes crap happens and takes us down for the count. That happens to everyone.
The moral of the story is, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but at the same time you gotta cover your butt. Life can be tricky, but this chick I call “Karma” can be even trickier.
CK – “ Trust, but verify”. Ronald Regan.
CK: You are incredibly lucky you overheard that conversation otherwise you wouldn’t be posting to this list.
“I paid his one way ticket to where he was going, all this time he kept promising me he’d pay me back someway.”
We had one like that. He was so lazy, we bought him a bus ticket and took him to the station.
A month or two later, I got an email from him, saying he got a real job and that he’d like to repay us for the bus ticket.
“You can’t, ‘pay us back’,” I told him. “You pay it forward.” Go find someone who needs help and then help them.
You’ll need more help than you realize. Put them to work
We must realize that things are much different today than ever before Our only true SHTF occurances in the US before were after the Civil War and during the Great Depression lasting from 1929 through 1933. I remember the latter one well. I was born in 1923. I well remember the people who wandered around the country who would knock on our back door asking for food. They had a stick on their shoulder with a cloth bag tied to it. They usually walked along a highway or railroad. They were always polite and humble and volunteered to do some work such as chopping stove wood or doing yard work They were called hobos. They were usually family men who had left home to find an kind of work in order to send a little money home .
I,m concerned that we are living in a different world today. There are millions more people today with a larger number living in big cities. If the SHTF today the hungry ones today might be going around in angry, armed groups intent upon taking whatever they want by force.
Since urban dwellers don’t have any work for unwelcome visitors, I think it would be wise to have some plastic shopping bags ready to hand out that contain a small amount of food that would feed a family of 3 or 4 for a few days.
I’ve already started putting together a number of bags that will last a long time without refrigeration with a combination of basic nutritional inexpensive food such as a half quart +or – depending on the size of beggar family,some jelly, a small can of peanut butter, and a small can of meat. You can be ready.
Davis: While I genuinely appreciate your kind-hearted feelings toward your fellow man who chose, in light of what we just experienced with a non-emergency, to not stockpile necessities of life. Wow! Is that a convoluted sentence?
And there is more — Unfortunately, I think that you will soon have a line at your door of folks not only asking politely, but demanding, not just what you have prepared to hand out, but more. I think it will present you with a significant problem that will make you wish you had not started.
Unlike an earlier era where hobos came to the back door, not the front door, and politely asked for food and offered to work for the food, as you, yourself said, the folks today have a sense of entitlement that is truly astounding. You will find most of them angry that the food you have prepared for them is not what they are accustomed to eating or want to eat, that there is not more of it and that they are entitled to what they feel — not what you feel — is their fair share. If they don’t get it, they will try to take it by force.
I like Walton’s opening line, “Thank God you are here. Do you have any food and water? We have been out almost a week.” Before they even get to say a word.
Even if a child comes to your door you can’t be sure that the child isn’t actually acting as a spy for a group of adults. The same with a woman and small child. I would be especially careful about that situation. How did she get to my door? How has she managed to survive so far with a small child? Those are just two questions that come to mind without even thinking about the situation.
If you will recall your youth, there were county work houses where folks on welfare went for sustenance. They were sheltered, clothed and fed. It wasn’t 5 star living, but it wasn’t starving. Folks did almost anything they could to stay out of them as it was considered a mark of shame to be on the dole. That isn’t the case today. Folks feel no shame about taking food stamps, getting free lunches when they can well afford to pay for them. Lining up for all sorts of free stuff. Starting a GoFundMe page for necessities that they should have provided for themselves.
No, I am afraid that when you were young is so different from young people today you might as well have grown up on a distant planet. I, too was a depression era baby and I know I feel like a visitor from a different planet.
I am afraid if you start a hand out program you will be overwhelmed even if you are well armed and prepared to use force.
This was my immediate thought as well. It would certainly be a chain reaction. Also, the people that you hand out to will run out of whatever you gave them and just keep coming back for more.
My Wife’s 91 year old Mother feels the same way, & so do we!
Hi LCC,
Long time no communicate. 🙂
You are right on track as usual… A bit long winded as usual for some folks, but I have always enjoyed and appreciated your dissertations, 🙂 Much wisdom to be found within, and youngsters today are just too SAS (short attention span) disabled and most of them don’t even know it. 🙂
This is how I prep, right or wrong.
I prep primarily for me and mine. Nothing wrong with that.
But I have been prepping for years, as well as serving my community by building and serving in local militias for years, so I have had years to buy a little here and a little there.
I did it slowly over many years, so once I had enough for my immediate family and friends, who all laughed and refused to prep themselves BTW, I knew what I would be facing. I started putting away not only more years worth of preps for me and mine, but also preps for those people who GOD sent my way later. 🙂
I have been in the city, due to owning property that I need to sell, so it seems that half of my house has become a storage building. I not only have enough food to feed a small militia of 10-30 people for a year, but also weapons, ammo, and reloading supplies to keep us going and secure for a year.
GOD has seen fit to put my retirement property within my grasp, so I finally have my 12 acres of homesteader property up north in the Ozark mntns, and today he put someone into my life that is willing to buy my local property so that I can actually move and start my preps in earnest in my forever home. ( IDK where that came from. lol it makes me sound like a stray dog.)
I can be cold and mean, and sometimes a drunken hater due to PTSD issues, and to being done wrong so often in this life by people that I trusted, but that is not my natural disposition.
I truly don’t understand how basically good people on this site can be so shallow and greedy in their attitude. I mean, so what? You warned them and they laughed at you. Don’t be a hater, don’t hold a grudge and don’t rub it in their face when they come to you later, hat in hand looking for help after the SHTF.
Make a plan for them now. You know that it is coming. Dry beans and rice are cheap right now. Buy it in bulk and repackage it in small containers purged of oxygen with dry ice which sublimates into plain old CO2… This lets you store dry goods for decades. Buy TONS of basic spices, and store them the same way. Salt has historically been very expensive, buy it cheap now. It is not only a necessity, but it will become a valuable trade good again once the local supply dries up and the trucks stop delivering food all across the country.. you will need it for flavoring plain meals like rice and beans, but you will also need it for preserving meats, for pickling crops, and for any livestock. Buy the good stuff in bulk for food, but buy the big pure salt lick blocks meant for cattle and store them away… these can be broken up later for human consumption and trade goods.
LOL, I’m just rambling now, brother – but you get my point… I am just preaching to the choir in addressing this post to you. 🙂 lol.
But honestly, I don’t understand how some of these peoples plan is to selfishly prepare for just themselves, and their game plan is to become a hermit and to turn the entire world away at the doorstep even though anyone can plainly see the writing on the wall at this point.
That is just selfish, vindictive and hateful in my book. So what if they laughed at you now???
They won’t be laughing when they are starving with their wife and children in tow 5 years from now, or whenever the world starts going up in flames…
Make a plan for these people now. You will NEED them later, because despite your butt hurt feelings, and grand fantasies for revenge one day for them laughing at you today… You and a 3 man crew cannot hold out against the whole world for long.
As usual, nothing but love brother – and the last paragraph or so was not directed at you, but at the general readership and specifically at at certain people within the group, who come across to me as typical libtards from their posts…
To paraphase some of the comments that I have seen over the last day or two:
I told them to prepare, and they laughed at me I am turning every one away at the door. I only have enough for me and mine, and they were warned….
To that I say, spoken like a true libtard… Charity is cheap until you run out of other people’s money to give away – then these people’s true nature rears it’s ugly head.
God Bless you, brother… You have always got a second refuge with me if it comes to that and your 1st bug out location fails, only now it will be 12 acres in the Ozarks of Missouri. So happy to finally have it, and feeling Blessed.
Until then fair winds and following seas, and keep your powder dry! lol
Can you post your address here so those in need can find your house? They can start coming there now.
Ugh oh…I got two thumbs down, guess I need to use a sarcasm symbol next time… or just quit fooling around.
Oracle: there, I just thumbs up-ed you on both of them 🙂 I was given a great pix by a prepper. Big sign, neighbor hates guns and owns none. An arrow aimed at the neighbor’s home. niio
or, “My wife hates guns, her bedroom is in the back”.
Oracle: My sympathy to the poor widower 🙂 niio
Oracle – No need to apologize here! I actually liked your post. It’s a real good heads up reminder to all that “lose lips sink ships!” More than ever, information is a valuable commodity which needs to be guarded and carefully attended too!
Salt is not used to pickle crops.
Salt is all that’s needed for fermenting. Pickles, cabbage, beets, and most vegetables can be preserved by pickling in a salt brine.
Jen: Most natural pickling recipes contain salt. It slows the action of mold and so on, but also slows fermentation. niio
Red, I use salt brine to slow ferment my home grown hot peppers for my pepper sauce I bottle every fall. I’m originally from Louisiana, so hot and spicy food is a way of life. Not to mention what we ate while living in Mexico for 14 years. My Mexican friends and family found it interesting that we Gringos loved the Chilies as much as they do. I create the brine with pink Himalayan salt, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and Ozark spring water taken from my land. I ferment four different peppers for 4 months in a 3-gallon German stone crock with a water seal around the top. It burps and gurgles the entire time. After preparation, it makes enough hot sauce to last a year for this family of eight and a few friends.
Oracle: we got another 80 lbs of roasted Hatch chilis, these red, which are sweet and hot. Got another mess of fresh ones that will finish turning red, then get chopped and packed to ferment san salt. We’re not salt eaters. Traditional (Mexican Tobasco Indians) don’t use salt. Juice from roasted makes very good salsa picante negra vinegar. On top of that, chimoyo chilis are now perking up after a summer slump. they like cool weather and a touch of frost doesn’t bother them. with some shelter, they die back over winter and resprout come late spring. the ex in the Sierras loves them. Bright red, thin wall for easy drying, but great all around. Can you ever eat enough chilis? niio
Red, well there ya go, I grow Sandia Hatch peppers, got the seeds from New Mexico. They are big peppers, and I would say a medium hot pepper. My wife cooks with them, my daughter-in-law roasts them and makes salsa. My son puts them in the smoker along with green onions when he cooks fajitas. I like them fresh and raw. I started eating cayenne in Louisiana when I was a kid, my son has followed suit. We keep a quart jar of my peppers canned in vinegar, salt, garlic, and sugar sitting out on the dinner table all the time. I can some chopped, some whole, some mixed variety and some jars have only one variety in case we get a craving for a favorite. Peppers here are as much a part of our diet as is bread to other folks. I grow nine different varieties and put up enough jars to last us a year. I like to see them ripening on the bushes. I have peppers in colors from pale green, to screaming red, peach, bright yellow, purple, and even some black Zulus. I’ll send you some seeds before next spring. Brum
We made both wine and sauerkraut in microbiology in college. Cabbage naturally possesses various lactic acid bacteria species. Slice it up and mix salt in it and pack it dry in a jar, and in about 3 wks you have delicious juicy sauerkraut. The salt pulls the water out of the cells, and the native bacteria ferments the cabbage, digesting the carbohydrate and producing the nice sourness and also out competing less beneficial bacteria.
How about salt brine pickling for cucumbers and other vegetables?
Oracle: With caution. We’re no salt tolerant. Kraut is made without salt, aka summer karat. that was developed a few centuries ago when salt cost a lot. Shred and pack it in a jar, cover with water, set in a bowl because it will ferment fast at 80 F plus degrees. Check daily and taste it after day 3. When it sours, it should be done. Taste test and freeze. It should be crunchy yet. Very good taste and no bad smell.
Carrots in a pickle mix are loaded with sugar. No salt is needed is using them. We’re not wild about cucumbers–old timers used to say, if a pig won’t eat it, neither should a man. But, I do like some when canning chow chow. niio
Red, this fellow is not salt tolerant at all. Too much raises my BP. Same with sugar. I like Kraut, you’ve encouraged me to make a batch, thanks.I don’t particularly care for cucumbers either, but my family loves them so I grow a a couple of bushels every year My chickens and ducks go wild for cucumbers, they get the ugly ones and those that were lost under the vines and got too big and tough for us to eat. Brum
Read Mark Kurlansky’s book “Salt – A World History”. Ancient peoples salt cured everything to preserve it until the next harvest.
Miz Kitty: Not mine. We’re salt intolerant. Smoke dry everything, even seed corn. Salt doesn’t stop ham beetles and some kinds of worms from eating meat. Even when dry curing a whole beef, the coosie (camp cook) just hung it in the shade and cut up as need. If the humidity was up, he would build a smoky fire under it. You, tho, if you can, get purified sea water and try that. niio
Miss Kitty, thanks for the suggestion on Kurlansky’s book. I found a free PDF download of his book here: https://www.askaprepper.com/how-to-deal-with-neighbors-and-friends-that-come-begging-for-food-at-your-door-in-a-crisis/#comment-552268
Here is the link to free PDF download of Kurlansky’s book about salt: https://www.pdfdrive.com/salt-a-world-history-d193135706.html
I picked up a paperback copy a couple of weeks ago at a book swap for free. I’m old fashioned…I like books! ?
But thanks for locating the link…I wouldn’t have thought of that and I hope others will take advantage of it. It’s a great read. I love his writing.
It’s such a big challenge to put away food and preps for my own immediate family, it has taken me years of steady buying and storing away what we would need just for a year after shtf—how on earth and WHY, for heavens sake, can I be expected to feed and care for able bodied adults who made no effort for themselves? Every ounce of rice given away is food out of my own child’s mouth, every offer of assistance is a calling card that I have something worth taking. No, we all have the same opportunity now to plan and maybe drive the old car for another year instead of the newest shiniest one, and spend the money on things that could save us if the lights went out forever. People who live for now always will and if you do the work for them now you always will have to.
Nurse: A lot of mine, the men never mature till into their 30s. Work like a dog, make money and pay bills and blow the rest. My stepson is walking in my footsteps in this. In time, hopefully IN TIME, he’ll get over it. Women are opposite that. niio
Watching our society slide into a morass of insanity for the last decade caused me to begin preparing for a societal collapse, I’ve been greatly increasing my preparations for 3 years now. The shortage of food and other necessities brought on by last minute Covid panic shopping was a warning to everyone to get prepared. After such a clear warning that life as we know it may not remain the same, anyone who is still unprepared to at least feed their family and have a water supply would be dangerous to be around post collapse. The unprepared live in denial, they also will be the first ones to DEMAND a share of other peoples supplies. I have a tender heart toward the poor, and I’ve worked to help many who were without basic necessities, but I draw the line when people are without due to their lack of effort to care for their own needs. In contrast, a few months back, I saw two men standing by their fully accessorized expensive trucks complaining about there being no toilet paper available in the store, yet they obviously had plenty of extra money and a new truck to haul toilet paper home a month earlier while the shelves were still stocked. Money doesn’t buy common sense or foresight, laziness and slothfulness only buys grief.
That is commendable, but I’m in the Dr. Bob camp. No worky no foody.
My neighbors and friends, family, etc, 1st and foremost I have enough food on hand for I also have work and a list of who is likely to show up.
My/Our little encampment will grow pretty fast at fist and my peps are to sustain 1-20 people through the first winter and into the growing season.
After that when we are set for the next year or two we can talk about helping wandering hobos.
As I said in my first post, this is not the 1st time that I made this decision and this plan. Certain trusted people WILL NEED HELP and I can afford to prep for them RIGHT NOW, too. Dry beans and rice, but a safe home and food every day. stretch it by sending out hunting/foraging/fishing parties.
I have been in a built multiple militias over the years, and they all fall apart for the same reason. Someone comes in after you have built a good organization and they want to take it away, or rather take over and run sht. They will weasle their way into the group and build trust and partnerships behind your back, and it will be a friendly take-over with a fair vote (usually) but it is still someone coming in and taking over what you built, and they will try to do things their way.
It creates dissent and problems within the group which eventually lead to it falling apart into factions. You have to have a plan for this.
Be ready to take in people, but put them in their place and rule that sht or someone will destroy it for you regardless of how well intentioned.
Treat your people fairly, learn to be a good leader, but you need to be ruthless, or watch it die before your eyes. It is not “mean” to maintain disciple, and you have a responsibility to the entire group to keep it focused and on track.
Don’t listen to your, or anyone else’s crying heart, and let yourself go soft on keeping what YOU built. This is my best advice this morning.
Prepare yourself mentally, to take the lead from the start, and to keep it until you decide to pass it on, and who to.
Turning everyone away and making enemies just builds an enemy encampment outside of you door… don’t be greedy, selfish, and shortsighted. make a plan now. Plan the work, and then work the plan when the time comes.
Adios Amigos. 🙂
dp: In my opinion, your comments reinforce what I pointed out happened in the wagon trains going west in the mid 19th century.
dp – ‘It’s good to know all is well with you and that you are out there living the dream! Enjoy every day!
@ Oracle for the link: CRAP! scam page, multiple issues with it on my computer! gave itself access to my computer….thanks for the virus!
At 8 and 9 we had several hobo’s knock on our door. Those days there were no microwaves, very little quick foods. I remember making meals for them, meat, potatoes, veggies, and what ever dessert that was on hand. They were always polite and willing to work. I never ask them to work, just served them coffee while I cooked. Never let them in, they never expected an invite. My father road the rails before and after WWII, he understood them, (most of them were good law abiding, but broke Americans.) Long before people were terrified, that every man knocking on the door is a rapist or pedophile. Oh yes, I could cook also iron, clean and sew between 4H and responsible parents, actually having you do these things, as soon as you were capable. My father would have been disappointed if I had turned them away.Sunny
There are more people now on drugs and little morals. Safety of the family is too important to let in unknowns.
My fear is that if you start handing out “trick or treat” bags is that a) word will spread and you’ll be overrun, and b) if the person sees you have anything to spare they’ll want everything for themselves and use force to get it.
If you think you’ll likely have a bunch of relatives, etc. coming to you for help, I think it might be a good idea to be proactive and have a discussion with them ahead of time, setting up in advance what help they can expect and what you expect from them in return. If you gather the clan together on your terms you’ll be in a much better position than if people just start randomly showing up and expecting to sponge off you ad infinitum.
Davis, I’m 68 and I remember hobos coming to our rural home when I was a little fellow. They always came around to the back kitchen door. We had a small table in the kitchen, just inside the screened door, for eating breakfast or snacks. Mama would have the poor men come in the kitchen and sit at the table while she fixed them something to eat. Many times I saw her treat these complete strangers in raggedy clothes with as much kindness as she did her own family. But, Davis, those days are gone now, we can no longer safely be so trusting of strangers. If you prepare bags of food to give out, most recipients will camp near by and continue to return for more food until you run out, then they’ll just move on to the next house, rinse and repeat. They will also spread the word on the road of where you live. If you want to see the extent of greed in society today, look at the US government welfare system, 6 or more generations now live fully on government funding, with no one in the free housing filled with numerous people working to help with the support. There may be very special situations where we can help the most desperate of those in need. But if we are not wise with our giving, we ourselves will be begging in order to survive.
This is an important idea to consider. We will need a close knit, committed group to survive lone term. I have already started trying to identify non-preppers who could help me and have been “trying out” some people. I needed help with a several jobs around my homestead and asked several people to help me. I found some that I would help and work with in a crisis, and some that I will no longer consider for a viable community and will not take care of in a crisis. That said, we need to maintain opsec. Less than a dozen people in my orbit know that I am a prepper and less than half that number know anything about the extent of my stockpile.
Last year I read a book about the ’49ers, the folks who crossed the plains in covered wagons.
The book detailed how the wagon trains had a written contract with elected officers and how each family who wanted to join the train had to sign the contract.
It also detailed how quickly those contracts were violated with folks heading off in their own direction or just leaving the wagon train to travel solo because they couldn’t abide.
Even wagon trains that consisted of relatives had contracts and those contracts were broken just as frequently as non-familial trains.
Just think about large family gatherings. How smoothly do they go? How many dysfunctional families are there with family members who do not speak to each other?
The take away? Be really, really careful whom you take in. Have a written set of rules with the penalty for violation of those rules. Be prepared to use force to enforce the rules. Consider what you will do when you need to exile someone from your retreat. That person will know almost everything about your set-up that you know. Do you want him or her rounding up allies to take what they now consider rightfully theirs?
Think carefully about how you are going to manage. Be especially careful about to whom you reveal your preps.
I know lone wolf won’t work. But the dangers of a group falling apart are so significant one must tred with extreme caution.
I don’t have any answers. I can only urge you to really think carefully about how you organize after the EOTW. I think the organizational plan is just as important as the food, water and bullets plan.
The Group that I got corralled into being the leader of has a single one page set of rules, there is just one penalty for breaking anyone of them and it is not being exiled either it is severe and permanent. We are at present 46 families with their children, 10 of whom live at our Base of Operations full time, and maintain the equipment we have there. One thing we did is when we first started out 6 years ago is we only allowed military veterans in and that is still the rule, you must be recommended by a member, vetted and interviewed by your racial/ethnic/religious opposite and gender opposite number and never at our base usually at a motel some 150 miles away. They have a set program of questions to ask each new person, and their family members, and they never use the same packet twice. We grow a lot of food, and raise cattle, sheep, goats, hogs and other live stock.
Sarge: Things the dems taught us well, no large groups and cell structures. Boys are encouraged to go into the military and girls to college to learn things they can use to survive if they lose their husband. niio
Hey, Chuck. Great post. Would you mind sharing the name or author of the book you mentioned here? I’d like to read it. Thanks
Good to hear from you again. How are you and the family? niio
Excellent article! I have been saying this for years, while most preppers talk about running folks off with a shotgun.
I keep telling them, how long can you stay awake and on watch by yourself, and how many enemies can you afford to make?
Kudos on a job well done! Short sweet truth… straight to the point, and very well written and excellent advice in my humble opinion.
dp, agreed, a very well written article. I previously thought I could have others in the family stay awake on guard and then wake me in an emergency, but it takes me a very long time to wake up enough to function safely… especially around 3:00am. A few months ago a car showed up in front of the house after midnight with no lights on. They parked close to the garage on our parking pad and no one got out of the car, nor did they announce themselves as friend or foe. Now keep in mind that we live in a forest, a mile off of a remote 2-lane blacktop, on a private gravel road with no other houses along the way, plus our house is located through iron gates another 1200 feet up the hill from the gravel road. No one comes back here at night without phoning us first, and we were not expecting anyone. So, I’m sound asleep and I hear my son calling me from upstairs using our code for “there’s a problem, get armed”, which is simply saying “Dad, GUN”. Without going into great detail, I woke up from a dead sleep, grabbed my AR and went out a side door around to the front and lit the car up with my 1800 lumen LED attached to my rifle. Turned out to be just some kids who got lost while looking for a friend’s house who lived on a different road. The eye-opening part for me was, I was able to arm myself, chamber a round, flip off the safety, and work my way outside, stumble around in the dark to take up a concealed position, but I couldn’t dress myself properly… I found I had only one boot on, my pants belt was twisted, my fly was down, and I had on no shirt. I now realize if I’m going to be responsible for issues happening at night, I’ll have to take guard duty from start to finish and stay awake. No napping allowed for me. I need coffee to function even in the morning after good night’s sleep. I’ve more than once put the coffee grinds in my cup and the milk in the French press.
Okay you let me come in to your group and some time go’s on and then you trust me.
One night I make my move and start to take out your group. After that I’m gone 500 miles away with your stuff. Thanks.
Just know that you are dealing with people in a very distressed state of mind. Any one can snap in a second. So watch them for some time. If it was me. I would gain your trust even if it took some time. Then one day lights out.
Just saying help all you want, but just be careful who you help.
Be gracious, but trust nobody.
If they didn’t prepare after all the talks we’ve had, then I guess they’ll starve. I prep for me and my immediate family, not for those who didn’t have time for me when times were good. I have no trespassing signs posted for a good reason, cross them and see what happens.
Post all the signs you want.
Once someone comes onto your property you sre legally responsible for their safety and well-being. Why do you think liability insurance is such a big seller.
Sure, you can kill someone here in Ms. for threatening your life on your property but even if you have a pre-planned excuse for it because the burden of proof will be on you.
You go to jail either way.
Unless you have what every preper needs…a deep pit.
There is no crime if there is no body.
I have already played this scenario out in my head…although my Hubbo and I moved out of the city into the burbs, I know that the freeloading idiot immediate family members I still unfortunately have would seek us out. I will not open my door to them. I will not assist them in anyway shape or form. I do not care if they have nothing. Years ago, because of them, I had nothing as the father embezzled every dime I had. We were homeless. We did survive, thanks to community outreach, food banks and shelters and using my wits. If you cannot stash a bottle of water and a box of crackers, too bad. Don’t come knocking on my door or the sheriff will escort you away. Like Lisa states, if you don’t prep it’s your own damn fault. Don’t make your stupidity and assumption that a relative will help you my problem. The encroaching Civil War (especially if cheeto tRump gets re-elected) will be bad enough to survive without mooching siblings/cousins etc. holding out their hands for a free ride. If it sounds mean and cold, that’s exactly how it is meant to sound. Retribution.
Janeth,
Politics has nothing to do with prepping and survival. Granted, one political party believes guns are bad and will do anything to take them away, while the other party believes that money and a “good” economy is the way forward. What has either party done that is so great for the average person?? Education is used more for indoctrination. Medical is all about making big pharma rich. Defund the police, or give them more money? Wear a mask, or believe in personal freedom? Orange man bad, or sleepy, senile Joe? Nationalism or globalism? NONE of this benefits me!!!!
There is a story about ants. Put an equal number of red ants and black ants in a jar, the shake the jar vigorously for a few moments. When you dump the ants out, at first they will mill around; then they will start fighting each other. Is it because the ants are racist? No, someone pissed them off and they are attacking what they can, instead of attacking the idiot that shook the jar.
Our jar has been shaken frequently for the past several decades. And like the ants, we attack each other instead of the people that have been shaking the jar. Whether you like or hate a president is your choice, but to accuse Trump of this division is ridiculous. MSM, politicians, and rich idiots thinking they deserve the right to control us peons are the ones to blame for our current political climate. I can point out that obama was guilty of more division in this country than Trump. Go back to the ’60s and blame Johnson and Tip O’Neal.
We prep, not because MSM or some politician tells us to. We prep because of what they are NOT telling us. Is there honesty in government or media? There may be an honest journalist or politician, but those are very few and not high enough on the food chain to make a difference. I am not waiting for SHTF because I am too busy preparing for SHTF. I don’t have time for politics.
But, I do want to thank you. Instead of me asking about someone’s qualifications to join my group, I will make my decision based solely on their political beliefs. I sure hope the doctor or master gardener don’t take offense when I ask them to leave.
Compassion should run deep, but guarded. I will help some, not all, if I feel that my generosity will not be abused or betrayed.
There is an honest journalist. He works for the weekly paper in GreyBull Wyoming.
The is one honest politician. He is in his first term on the city council in Hot Springs, Idaho.
catman: I doubt most people care. After all, the grasshopper would have had sex at least once. You know how the world thinks. niio
I may print your quote and hang it on the wall over my desk: “I am not waiting for SHTF because I am too busy preparing for SHTF”
Janeth – In a SHTF situation, the sheriff is not coming to your house. I suspect here, no one will answer the phone if I dialed up 911 either.
This copied from a website called sheriffs.org.
“The average school shooting lasts 12.5 minutes, while the average police response time is 18 minutes.”
I don’t know where this stat is from but I know in our town a medium sized town, fairly compact in layout. One can drive, observing traffic control devices and the speed limit from one end of town to the other in 30 minutes even during rush hour. Our average police response time is 12 minutes. Well below the national average and influenced by the fact that distances are close. AND the town is divided into beat patrols. That 12 minutes doesn’t mean that Officer Friendly is knocking on your door in 12 minutes. That means that he has arrived on scene and advised dispatch that he needs backup and will remain by his vehicle until backup arrives.
That’s in a world where ostensibly, law and order are maintained. Now, figure a world where there is no radio communication; cell phone communication is out; motor vehicles don’t work and the roads, streets and highways are clogged with dead vehicles. Fires are running rampant because fire fighting equipment doesn’t run and couldn’t get through anyway.
How long does everyone think police response time would be under that situation? A week? Six weeks? Never?
If you are depending upon Officer Friendly helping you out with the angry mob at your door demanding more than you are handing out, he had better live across the street and you and he had better be better buddies than just a nod and “Hi” upon passing.
LCC,
We have a fire department but I have fire extinguishers.
We have an ambulance service but I have first aid and medical equipment.
We have a police department but I have fire arms.
You are the fist responder today and very well could be the only responder in the future.
One other thing, I have lots of lime if things get that bad.
AirCavDiv: You will have to be all of the above when the end of the world comes about. And I might be so bold as to say you will be as busy as a one-armed paper hanger re-papering the World Trade Center solo, in time for the election night festivities.
The “end of the world” is at least 1007 years from now. But God will have that well in control.
Oracle: It may not be the end of the world according to God, but we may well think it is the end of the world. X class CMEs happen more frequently than every 1000 years. In 2017 Earth just barely dodged the bullet with one missing Earth by a week. One week’s difference and the entire Earth would have been bathed in the emissions from an X category coronal mass ejection.
It might not have been the end of the world, but it would most assuredly been the end of our lifestyle with the world thrust back to the early 18th century but in most places without the infrastructure that existed in the early 18th century, primitive as it was and without the life skills that everyone possessed at that time.
I have asked these questions before: When was the last time you saddled a horse; hitched a team to a wagon; drove a team of horses hitched to a wagon; slaughtered a pig and prepared the meat for storage; took something to the town blacksmith for repair?
When was the last time your wife spun some wool into yarn; knitted a shirt or sweater; wove some yarn into lindsey woolsey; does she even know what lindsey woolsey is without looking in a dictionary or consulting Wikipedia? When was the last time a woman you knew gave birth at home using a midwife? How many midwives do you know?
The list of 18th century skills that will become life-saving in the event our servant, electricity, goes to the great beyond would probably fill 25 pages of single spaced 12 point type — except that after a CME it would be written in ball point pen until the ink ran out and then in pencil if you had the foresight to put pencils in your prepper supplies.
LCC: Very true. The old-timers understood well the saying quick on the brain or quickly dead, and stranger equal enemy. niio
I guess it would be better to say, “the end of the world as we know it”. In answer to your questions, I grew up on a horse and cattle farm. No need for sheep, a man can store factory made wool clothing enough to last for decades, which if stored properly, will last for 50 to 60 years… synthetics even longer. I’m working on that. Been storing multiple pairs of work boots, work gloves, and extreme weather expedition grade clothing. We have two Amish midwives within a horseback ride of us. I can suture a wound, pull teeth, (have the tools), and deliver a baby myself. I developed a blood clotting agent and have it packaged to trade or sell. We’ve been preparing for many years. My list of survival supplies and tools is a 7-page Word document long in 10 pica. LOL Three women in this house, all can sew and darn, one is a dress maker. We use 55-gallon steel drums to store kerosene for our large collection of lanterns, still buying new ones every month and I have 500 feet of wicking material so far. Also have several new rechargeable LED lanterns, flashlights, head lights, and search and rescue lights. Built a solar system with a large battery backup for charging everything and running tools, 2 deep freezers, and the water well pump. I have Honda generators and hundreds of gallons of gasoline, two 600-gallon tanks of propane. A wood heater, a wood stove, plus a huge wood-fired smoker, that I can feed from several thousand oaks and hickory on our acreage here in the Missouri Ozarks, and 5′ and 4′ one and two-man cross cut saws, several axes and busting malls to make fire and cooking wood. With 5 adults in the house who like to shoot, we own a small armory and a well used 200-yard shooting range. Tools? We got tools, of every shape, size, type and for most every use, manual and powered. Garden tractors, chain saws, garden hand tools and a wheel hoe on order. Two 4×4 trucks, two 4×4 SUVs and one highly economical 4-cylinder little SUV grocery getter. To have a means to barter, tthree years ago I began storing ammo in six different calibers. Two years ago I taught myself to distill liquor (Bourbon, Rum, and good old white lightening), I also grow tobacco, with approximately 4 millions fresh tobacco seeds stored away in temp controlled vacuum containers. I grow vegetables, grapes, and my own peppers, nine varieties, and ferment my own brand of hot sauce. I dry and hand grind 9 different spices.I raise chickens and ducks that are so proliferate I have to give some of the eggs away to neighbors. Counted 15 whitetail deer in the yard the other evening, my wife counted ten turkeys in the lower field two weeks ago. Our palce is surrounded by thousands of acres of virgin national forest, with no public areas or access within 18 miles. I’m sitting at my desk in my office that has now been turned into a food storage area. I bought a year’s supply of the regular foods we all enjoy for the eight of us, and and we rotate through it and replace it as needed. We are located 5 miles from a very small village, 18 miles from a small town, 50 miles from a medium size town and 220 miles from the liberal hell hole St Louis. Our compound is located one mile off of a quiet 2 lane paved highway on our private gravel road. We live in an area of small farms and cattle ranches. Good people, all self sufficient, and kind. Took me two years to find this place. I’m here because the good Lord prompted me to move here. If we survive the first few weeks after an EMP or other weapon, we’ll survive for decades. Brum
Oracle,
You are doing well, brother – obviously, you know what you are doing.
My only suggestion would be to either convert any gasoline engines to alcohol now or to have the parts on hand. also don’t forget the oil for oil changes, and common spare parts (spark plugs, etc). You can make alcohol easily forever. Same for bio-diesel.
What part of Missouri are you in? I am currently in Arkansas, but I just bought my 12 acre homestead in Ozark county Missouri between Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake. It would be great to have like minded friends in Missouri before I make the move. Been stock piling in AR for years, so like you I am pretty much set – not new or starting late. Auto mechanic, construction, and computer science skills professionally with a lifetime of other skills too numerous to list. My first major expenditure for the new property will be a sawmill. I just need to sell off some property prior to making the move.
Veteran and top level militia BG. I would much appreciate some intel on Amish and other local sources for bulk supplies.
God Bless you and yours. 🙂
Thanks, dp, for the response, I’m kinda new to this forum, didn’t expect to be so warmly accepted. Good advice, thanks. I have the oils and parts stored away. I’ve had this practice of buying two or more of everything when I order parts for repairs. Use one, store the others away. That also keeps me from heading to town every time something breaks. My generators run on gasoline, ethanol, and propane. I can make 2.4 gallons of ethanol from each bushel of corn (55 lb.) Ethanol works for our V8 car and truck engines, they’re FlexFuel engines with electronic fuel injection and port injection cylinders, but I believe straight up ethanol will be hard on the generators and other engines. I applied to the ATF bureau for a Federal permit to run a small/farm ethanol production plant, just to be legal, but canceled the request after finding out how much government hands-on unannounced inspections and extensive production record keeping is needed. Would even need to supply aerial photos of my property. Don’t need that going on. My Amish neighbors grow corn and sugar cane and I have a supplier that grows barley and wheat, stocking up on that for the Bourbon. I don’t drink much hard liquor, so I’m building up a good supply to barter with later, and it only gets better with age. I’m aging it with 100 year old charred white oak from my land. By Missouri law, (the only state it is legal) I currently can legally make up to 100 gallons of alcohol per year for personal use. The Feds don’t look into such small things. Anyway, post shtf, they’ll all be too busy protecting their own families to be bothering with us farmers just trying to get by.
I’m located near Grovespring Missouri, mid-state, about 65 miles North of the Arkansas border. I don’t have a military BG, missed being drafted during Nam, then too old for the Big Sandbox. Not much into the military full battle rattle look as is my 30-year-old son, he’s a Militia member. But give me an extra wool flannel shirt and little .22 rifle and I can send the best of marauders running, and bring home a few squirrels afterward to boot. I can move up to my 5.56 AR or .308 and hunting camo if things get rough. My background is 35 years of commercial and industrial photography, 10 years of E-Commerce in web hosting, web design, and Domain Name registration. I also started flipping real estate, including restoring and reselling old houses about 30 years ago. I hold a US Coastguard Captain’s license, can drive anything with 2 or more wheels, and can fly some single engine prop planes. I can fix anything I can get tools on, as long as I take pictures along the way to remember how it goes back together…and I don’t lose the parts, or leave a socket inside what I’m working on, been there done that. I have umpteen other skills used for profit and fun over my lifetime, one of which is reading a man’s character. God’s prompting through His Holy Spirit gives me the extra clarity when needed. Blessings to you also. Brum
Oracle: Cool! I have friends in the mountains there. He inherited the family farm in south Illinois and the youngest son and his family moved onto the mountain farm. The two moved to IL, and regretted it since. Nice, flat land, easy to farm but very anti-veteran, very anti-preppers. Now he wants to sell and buy a place near Hendersonville, NC. I told him, best you learn Spanish, then. She wants to go back to the Ozarks (AR) or home to where she was raised, the Choctaw rez in OK.
Me, raised by cattlemen, brush cattle and dairy. Dad had the cattle and horses (Morgan Belgium crossbreds), and hogs. Mom, goats, chickens, ducks and geese. I was looking for something close to the border with Mexico, easy shopping, cheap gas, family down in the Sierra. I saw this place advertised and it looked interesting but had little land, but, sits on the edge of miles of brush. Just out of curiosity, I inquired and next thing I know, I’m signing my life away and packing to move. As God wills, so am I. I could not have made a better choice. Walk in His beauty.
Thanks, I’m feeding all that info into Google maps now… I’ll be right over.
Put some coffee on.
You won’t feel a thing.
Just as you turn to the cabinet the coffee is in.
In the time it takes for 55grs of lead to travel 300 yards it’ll all be mine…or whoever gets there first.
That’s not a treat brother. That’s just the world you’re waiting for there.
Your time on earth will not be judged by how well you served yourself in this life but by how much and how well you have served others.
If nothing else, the latter path is a much less lonely one.
Happy trails, which ever path you stay on.
Oracle,
Thanks for the reply… It has been a hectic week here, so finally getting back to you on your last post. Odd, no reply button on that particular post, so I just scrolled up to add it to this one.
The site is awesome, and I can’t recall ever meeting a bad person on here… not to say that personalities don’t clash now and then, but folks tend to lick their minor wounds and forgive rather quickly. 🙂 Articles vary from good to great, and the discussion is lively.
it seems a waste to use perfectly good corn squeezin’s to run an engine off of. Waste wood will make alcohol for engines – just don’t drink it. The good thing that the Nazis found out about corn squeezin’s when we had them blockaded in during WWII is that the used corn makes a highly improved feed for stock.
Any gasoline engine that you have should be fine running off of alcohol as long as it is properly converted over. The pure alcohol will decay certain kinds of rubber in the fuel system, and they need to be jetted and properly re-timed for the new fuel. You can get away with advancing the timing a lot due to the much higher octane rating in alcohol.
That is quite the impressive resume, and all are valuable skills for a SHTF scenario. I was an Operations Specialist in the Navy for an enlistment (radar, navigation, communication, target tracking, etc) so the Captain’s license alone is impressive to me. Throw in pilot, cowboy, and the rest… and a country boy can survive! lol.
My computer systems degree is more hardware oriented with systems and network design, repair, and management, so I design, build, install, and maintain the hardware for server farms, and networking systems that folk like you use to accomplish a set task.
Looking at keeping a few cattle, goats, chicken, and rabbits. The old bull will be gelded for Ox duty as soon as a viable replacement is bred. Horses are just too expensive to keep around, and wild hogs are an invasive species that need to be kept under control anyway. Donkeys are a good option, but the dogs cover those jobs.
Reloading supplies and black powder calibers like .45 colt and .45-70 pretty much ensure that we won’t revert to bow and arrow after 10 years…
With proper technology and systems set up living off grid does not mean giving up any creature comforts. Home heating and A/C systems are easy to build that will last several life times.
Aquaponic systems will keep farmed fish and fresh vegetables available year round, and any electric will be 24-12 volt DC.
IDK if you have looked into the latest portable saw mill set-ups or not, but the prices are dirt cheap, and the milled wood is a God-send for any homestead. I will probably make my own. along with making a GARN style outdoor wood furnace for heat, hot water, etc.
Prices start at around $2,000 depending on brand.
https://woodmizer.com/us/Portable-Sawmills
GARN
https://www.garn.com/
Good chatting with you, brother. Any time that you want to exchange personal contact info, then Claude (site owner) will facilitate that. =D
You have fallen in with a good crowd with Red, LCC, CC, and others. I can see that you will quickly fit into the cyber community that Claude has build here.
May GOD Bless you and yours,
~dp
No hurry, same here, been busy.
The comments on here are very interesting, I believe I’ll learn much from everyone’s experience. I may sound harsh at times, but that’s just my getting old, my filter is wearing out. If I offend I’ll certainly ask forgiveness. I’m thick skinned myself, not much bothers me. That comes from my online debating with atheists, liberals, and followers of a certain mid-East religion that is trying to take over the world. Thanks for the compliment on my background, but, you see, I’ve been around 68 years, I have always been an adventurer, in work and in play, which has given me a diversified background to fall back on.
We had a surprise frost here Friday night, damaged some of my exotic pepper plants as well as my tobacco plants. My WunderGround weather app lied to me, again. Said it was supposed to be 36° got down to 31°. Only lasted an hour or two, leaves are wilted, peppers are okay. I’m debating whether to harvest the peppers now or wait and see if they’ll put out some quick leaf buds to keep them growing a few more weeks. They need a little more time for maturing the seeds. I have a Ghost Pepper I crossed with a Habanero pepper plant that I was late getting in the ground last year (2019), it was nearly in the seed stage when a full blown freeze was due, and so I pruned it back, dug it up and put it in a 3-gallon pot. I put it in the living room for the winter and it thrived. Our East wall is all glass and 22-feet-high, it’s like a greenhouse all winter. My wife raises tropical orchids in there year round. The pepper was doing so well I left it in the pot and put it out on the upper deck last spring where it gets 10 hours of sun per day. It is a late bloomer, but now is five feet tall and has around 70 odd wrinkly peppers on it. I’m collecting the seeds and will plant a few more in the spring. I also plan on keeping this same mother plant through the winter again to see how many years it will live. It has produced peppers that are almost inedible… way too hot. I’m using them as a heat base for my green pepper sauce I’ll be making next month. Some of my tobacco has flowers going to seed and they could use another two weeks of growth. That frost was a real surprise. Was 68° the day before and 77° the day after. We’ll need to discuss our computer related backgrounds more, and I also want to comment on your extensive background. I have great interest in animal husbandry, with a post collapse background in mind. But, for now I need to get back at it here, been up since 5:00am, chickens and ducks are cared for. I’ll look at the sawmill link you sent, then, much more to do. Talk to you later. Brum
catman? :)? Mind yourself. this is Indian Country. Post SHTF, if I have coffee, I surely am not advertising it. It’s Indian country and coffee is the elixir of life.
Don’t worry about catman. He’ll be left in a heap by the first carload of gang members he stumbles across. They’ll take his rifle and his car, and he’ll slowly starve. Because “muh Google Maps”.
Chuck: I am a trained nurse-midwife, I saddled my horse and rode him yesterday, and worked on training my daughters pony in harness- though he is still green, should make a nice cart pony by next year. We butchered half our chickens this fall as the flock was getting too big and annoying, and I made my kids hand pluck even though I have a plucker in the shed. I,m not sure what Linsey Wolsey is, but my daughter spins fiber on a drop spindle from her friend’s sheep, and our angora goat, and she can knit and crochet anything, sells specialty hand made, hand dyed goods on Etsy. She and I make our own soaps too, we are practicing using lye water from wood ash instead of store bought. I do garden and dry my own produce and can using my pressure canner. No blacksmith around here, but I have learned to trim my own horses hooves, and a farrier friend is teaching me shoeing, though I doubt I have the stamina for it, but I will teach my son. We are not off the grid, but my son is interested in solar and wind energy and has enrolled in a training program, so hopefully he can help get us set up eventually. The old skills are not gone my friend, they are just masquerading as expensive and eccentric hobbies now 🙂
Nurse: there’s a major reason why shoeing horses is expensive. Someone has to pay for the farrier’s back pain meds. Dad liked hot iron shoeing and while we rarely had more than a few horses, before he was done you could see the pain. Shrapnel from WWII didn’t help. When I was old enough, I found that same pain, ouch. niio
Nurse Dawn, I sure wish you were my neighbor.
but you forget, many words equals a lack of knowledge and an inability to express yourself as an adult. It’s called nattering. More, you now seem to need to blow up out of proportion anything someone says that you imagine is against you. Sorry, but all you’re doing is wasting our time. According to psychologists, you’re the very sort raiders look for first to eliminate.
Red, I have a standing agreement with my neighbors, anyone who threatens the community as a whole or threatens individuals, will be warned once, and removed if they continue. One poor soul whose grandparents lived near here, was a meth user in St Louis. He came home to get money and while here for just 2 days threatened a man’s daughter with rape. His body was found out in the grandparent’s yard on the morning of the third day. Maybe an overdose killed him, maybe something else. The county coroner didn’t bother to order an autopsy. Preemptive strikes work in times of war and of peace. Remove a threat before it becomes an action. Brum
Oracle: Call his demise an act of God. when I was a kid there was a violent drunk up on the Killsdeer rez, near the New York line. As the story goes, he came home and his wife sent her kids down to her sister’s. He started beating on her. When the rez cop got there, she had a bunch of little kids hanging on her and crying. Her hubs was laying on the floor with a couple of dozen knife wounds and she held the knife. He asked what happened and she said, “Suicide.” the cop asked again. She said, “He come home drunk and started to beat me. I sent the kids down the road, but my oldest, he came back and tried to stop his dad. My old man punched my kid in the face.” She turned the oldest one’s head to show the cop a big black mark. “that was when he committed suicide.” the kid was supposed to be about 6. the cop looked at the body, the knife, then the mother and said, “I beg your pardon for bothering you in the hour of your bereavement.” He wrote it up as a suicide, but also said, “The outhouse covers a multitude of problems.”
Killsdeer, like most reservations is a place of peace and neighborliness. when my stepson wanted to dog for bottles where my parents came from, he was politely told no, tho he offered to pay. Most of the sites had been there for a few hundred years. niio
Your story brought back to memory a vile thing that happened when I was about 6-years-old. Back in the 50’s there was a fellow in Louisiana who molested his 3 little girls. Our elementary school teacher saw the signs and called the sheriff. The sheriff looked into it and removed the children. He tried to hold the father in jail but that didn’t work out and the father was going to get custody of the girls restored through a scum bag lawyer in town. One night shortly after that my dad received a call from the sheriff, whom he’d known all of his life, asking for his help with a matter. Dad went to the barn, came out with an Oak ax handle, got in the truck and drove off. A few days later the molester’s picture was in the paper, his body had been found along the highway. The article said he appeared to have been run over by several cars.
Oracle, we do not know when the end will come. It will come as a thief in the night. It could come tonight, tomorrow or a hundred years from now. Just be prepared when it comes. T
1wtb, we cannot know the day or hour, only the Father knows that. But according to Jesus, we can recognize the season leading up to His return. There is currently a convergence of all of the prophecies Jesus gave to His disciples (and to us) as being signs of His imminent return. I am spiritually prepared and I long for His return. I am also prepared if His return will be mid Tribulation and we’ll face the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation while still here on earth.
According to University of Utah anthropologist Joseph Tainter (Collapse of Complex Societies) the Mayan civilization collapsed in less than two years, based on the production of monuments, which went from several hundred a year to zero in two years.
Perhaps some future anthropologist will note the collapse of our civilization, based on production of our “monuments” — fracked oil wells, which are currently in decline.
Jan Steinman – Interesting study! The Mayans would have faired much better, and perhaps still be around today if they were energy independent. Just imagine how many monuments they could have kept on producing if they had the energy provided by fossil fuels? Energy independence is an amazing accomplishment for our
nation and one for which I am most thankful! Promises made! Promises kept!
CC: Mayans had plenty of wood. they pretty much wiped out any tree that wasn’t useful replacing it with types that were. They created a food forest of the Yucatan. When fields wore out, they planted mimosa, a legume which likes poor soil but grows fast, 4 years to cutting, and tons of mulch under the tree. It attracts deer and other prey animals. When the trees were cut, they replanted maize and chilis. What wiped them out was bad government, liberals.
Trump 2020! We’re at or close to energy independent again. If development continues, we’re be exporting oil! Ya got to love it when a plan comes together. niio
Jan, you mean from when the collapse started? Because there were still cities in the highlands that were free in the 18th century. But, there were 5 Mayan peoples, not one. they shared culture but not language. niio
To clarify, 1007 years refers to a 7-year period of Biblical Tribulation and plus Christ’s millennial reign on earth. Then the end of the world comes when God burns off the heavens and the earth and starts over.
catman or Nancy Peloci or whatever you call yourself when not looking like a moron, stop trying to wreck Preppers. You’re not a prepper, but another nazi liberal. I doubt you’ve ever been to Alabama. That’s Indian country. Please, go back to PRDK/Kali-fornia, and enjoy your life in San Fran. LOL.
Catman, what was your dad’s response when you told him you are gay? Was he not surprised? Have your creeper peers disowned you?
Oracle: LOL! Stop reading my mind! 🙂
niio
Red, I sent some of his comments to Claude.
Oracle: that was Mrs. Clinton or maybe Pelosi. Just call them that because that’s how ‘she’ acted. I have got to admit, it would be interesting to see if ‘she’ made good those threats, if she survived out little Eden in Hell’s back 40. I just hope ‘she’ doesn’t scare poor Mouser too badly. You know how shy those rattlers are. Just gentle woodland critters, as the liberals call them. And the neighbors, too 🙂 niio
City Chick, where I live in the Missouri Ozarks, the sheriff doesn’t come a knockn with out being invited by the homeowner. That will be even more the case post shtf. Law enforcement members will be home taking care of their own families, not out sticking their nose in other people’s business. The rule of law will return to the hands of the homeowner and to the family patriarchs. Country people, including sheriffs and deputies who live nearby, all live by ancient unspoken rules to live and let live, don’t mess with another man’s family, property or dog, and just in general stay out of each other’s business. Criminals will be dealt with decisively without hesitation. Respect will return to our society. One of my signs will read, “Leaders of marauding groups will be shot first”.
You assume the best of potential unwanted guests’ educational background…One of your other signs will need to be the definition of the word “marauder”.
Miss Kitty, I assume very little when my family’s safety is at stake. I know my neighbors, and better yet, they know me and won’t risk coming around here uninvited. Out of the 9 people that live within a 4 mile radius of me there is only one whom I’ll need to keep an extra wary eye on post shtf. The other 11 neighbors and I are in agreement regarding that one. He’s not a bad fellow, just lacking good common sense. But stupidity can get people hurt. The word marauder refers to a person who is predatory, who lives by victimizing others. I’m not referring to a scavenger of completely abandoned properties, we may all resort to that later. Blessings to you. Brum
Oracle – Most folks will probably head in another direction, but If you’re expecting lots of folks from the big city, best put that sign up in at least 15 different languages.
CC: Wow, wait till I can breathe again! You said it! niio
City Chick, you are correct in your belief that most people will not head to the remote farmland out in the country. I’ve talked to hundreds of people who currently live in cities and their plan is almost universally to “bug out” to a national forest or recreational area near them. So, essentially they will be moving from a city with buildings and homes to a city in the woods with tents or even less. Many, if not most, will die just as quickly as the people who remain in the cities. I did a lot of backpacking over many years and I can say from experience, living in the woods for weeks at a time is not easy. Even with the best of gear, I still became exhausted from exposure to the elements and concerns about security. And that was during normal times. I have a sign designed and ready to be made up at the printers. The text is printed over a shadow of a scull and bones.That should handle the language barrier. The sign, for those who can read English, reads in large and bold letters as:
STOP! DEAD END.GO BACK.
No Turnarounds Available.This Road and All Surrounding Land are PRIVATE PROPERTY
Do not continue without permission. No excuses.
A silhouette of my scoped AR-15 goes across the bottom. The man shaped steel target plate down by my locked gate with bullet holes in the face and chest should be helpful too. I use it as a target when shooting from 1200 feet up on the ridge by my house. Be safe.
Count Dracula,
or Vlad the Impaler – as he was affectionately known in “Thye Olde Country” found that words and signs were unnecessary,and that the message crossed all language barriers, by simply impaling a few hundred enemies alongside the roads leading up to your castle.
Vlad, BTW, was a direct ancestor to nearly all of our past presidents…
My understanding is that the victim ( Oops, I mean, lawfully convicted criminal) was seated on the bluntly pointed pole with a cross point foot rest, and arms tied to the pole behind them. So it was an animated message for days or weeks depending on the stamina of the seatee. Getting into the whole spirit of the fun, I imagine that there were probably various diameters of pole along it’s length, to allow resting points, and to stretch out the duration of the entertainment.
Such, crudeness is probably unnecessary today. I feel that most people will respect a few signs along the road that say, “Come on up, the dogs need to eat too!” and a few well chewed bones at the foot of each sign post.
I prefer three freshly dug graves, still uncovered, with three simple wooden headstones reading as; “Trespasser, Thief, Looter”. And one additional new grave that is freshly covered over with a headstone that reads as… “Unprepared”.
And just when I was about to give you a thumbs up, you had to go and say something really stupid. Can you guess what it was?
Sherry, to whom are you speaking here?
You better think about family.Ihave family my wife and I have chosen not to help,in any way because you can’t trust them to keep their mouths shut.When SHTF you and people you trust and can work will should be in your circle.Think about this.
NC: Agree. I have family down in the piedmont I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, but family there and up in the hills I love to pieces. Mostly, you live in a great state. there are no elysian fields, as I just reminded my youngest stepson. May life be good to you. niio
Although I talk it up with the family all the time about how important it is to stock up, be prepared and self reliant, I prepare for them at home here as well. Our Family Home is a welcoming safe space! I could never turn them away and I know that they would never turn me away either. No matter what else happens, that’s a blessing. We know it’s all in God’s hands.
Forgive me but I left out the main food item mentioned above that I put in the food bag to give out. It,s pop corn . You can get it in any super-market in 4 pound bags and put it in empty plastic or glass jars. Very inexpensive and stays fresh and ready to use for 20 years or more.
Davis: Makes good beer, too, and you still have the grain and sprouts to use for bread. I would freeze it for a week before shelving it to make certain no weevils are alive, and something to prevent pests from getting it; Diatomaceous earth, bay leaves, and so on. niio
Davis – Popcorn is a great trick or treat snack! Lots of people will be coming to your house! ?
Davis,
Popcorn is good, however, make sure it’s pure popcorn. By that I mean, not the prepackaged instant in a microwaveable bag. The oils in the bag will go rancid in less than three years. Found one in the back of my cupboard that I failed to rotate that was 3 years old. Tried to cook one and had to put the bag outside from the stench.
Of course family. some wit hugs of joy, others with a baseball bat. Like we say, you can find friends everywhere but family will get you killed.
But, my community is good. Most now are prepping, some even taking loans to buy guns and other weapons. Example: Up the road, 9-year-old Alejandro is a good shot with all light guns Mama y Papa have, and mami (granny) knows her stuff and learned to be a survivor growing up in Sonora. A block away Concepcion may be only 5, but she can take out a mosquito on the fly with a wrist rocket–and has a few windows, too. We live in a quiet, conservative village. Libs move here and love it, then wind up either leaving or converting. When they do leave, their kids carry conservative ideals with them. This is Arizona and still Indian country and proud of that. niio
Red- You’ve touched on something very important here. Knowing exactly who you are dealing with is more valuable than gold. In your village, probably know everyone in some depth and are mostly like minded folks. You understand their level knowledge, skill set, how they will react in certain circumstances and who you can trust, who you can count on and on what level. The same they you. That’s all learned over time not during an interview.
CC: Very much. A lot of Mexicans here are from Kali-fornia and tend to get a little violent when discussing dems and libs in general. Same with the American Indians. Blacks here are black Indians, mostly. Whites are metis. Very few liberals and those liberals who are here are disgusted with the DNC. Gov. Babbitt is remembered as an example like Simon LaGree. Our political discussions are viewed online by most folks in the area. It’s like living near a reservation. This is Indian Country and a very, very conservative area. niio
I’d never turn anyone away that is staving but I would give them food and tell them to move on. They should have done the same as my husband and I to be prepared! When the shfi hits the fan, I will look out for ourselves! Locked and loaded!
CC good to you active as well. Yes, life has been good lately. 🙂
This discussion seems to have gone off the rails somewhat. lol I talk a lot about helping and needing people in these posts, and I guess that I am not specific enough. I also see a lot of talk about freeloaders, and helping strangers…
The title says “friends and neighbors”, and there is a lot of talk of turning people away to starve, or how would they find you, etc. lol
IDK about you, but I am pretty sure that my friends and neighbors can find me. 🙂 As far as running a charity or a hand out, that is not what I am advocating.
You are 100% correct about trust but verify. If any of the people listed above find me then they will get sent packing… freeloaders and such were never friends to begin with. There seems to be some serious confusion about what constitutes a friend – maybe because fake book and other media bandy the word about as if anyone who smiles at you or gives you a pat on the back is “friended.” If I can’t trust you, then you were never my friend to begin with… I learned at a very young age to choose my friends carefully, and I work very hard to be a good neighbor. I don’t want enemies living next to me when the worst that they can do is make life difficult. In a SHTF situation it becomes too easy to put a bullet in someone’s back…
I guess that I don’t understand how these folks feel that they are making themselves safer by turning people with easy access to you out to starve? GOD Bless you, you are always welcome at my door. I’m not going anywhere, and I don’t expect people who have had to flee for their lives to bring me gifts. 🙂
Dp- That’s very kind of you dp and very much appreciated! In the end, God has a plan for us all. As you have seen, all we have to do is wait and be patient for it to unfold.
If they want any help from me, they either have to have something to trade, or they will be doing a lot of yardwork to get any food. I only have one neighbor who is a taker and never a giver. She’d be pulling lots of weeds.
My fear is that if you start handing out “trick or treat” bags is that a) word will spread and you’ll be overrun, and b) if the person sees you have anything to spare they’ll want everything for themselves and use force to get it.
If you think you’ll likely have a bunch of relatives, etc. coming to you for help, I think it might be a good idea to be proactive and have a discussion with them ahead of time, setting up in advance what help they can expect and what you expect from them in return. If you gather the clan together on your terms you’ll be in a much better position than if people just start randomly showing up and expecting to sponge off you ad infinitum.
Miz Kitty: Very wise! We’re trying to get as many back to Arizona, plus many who never lived down here as possible. niio
It’s likely a good idea to make a list of those friends and relatives that might come to your door. While your at it make a list of the number of people you would trust with your life. Folks talk about the friends and neighbors in their support group but which of those can you trust when things get really bad and decisions have to be made. That wonderful brother- in-law is going to protect his family and feed his family if he has to choose. Brothers, sisters, cousins, etc…. If it’s you and yours or him and his who do you suppose they pick …. who would you pick?
One can only Hope!
TAL: Let not your heart be troubled and your aim steady. niio
I don’t have enough. All will be turned away. It is that simple.
We will not be getting anyone coming, we will do as others do, throw trash etc around the front of the house, make it look uninviting.
We will hopefully have my daughter SIL and Grand daughter make it here, my neighbor will be part of our group, when COVID hit he came and said, how about we watch each others backs, he offered supplies etc, I didn’t tell him we were preppers, but agreed and said if we can help we will. we have what we call ferals living across the road, the type that would take anything not theirs in a SHTF scenario.
The biggest problem with opening your doors to others is security, can you really trust them if someone came begging and they felt sorry for them and said sure they have food and water here.
Would have to be someone I know and trust 100%, hmmm no-one fits that bill these days, we are fairly disabled now, and anyone coming in as a member would soon see we could be dispatched easily
Trust my biggest issue
Wazza: How disabled is helpless? I’m disable, but know how to turn a straw and toothpick into a dart and aim for eyes. Flour, a fan, and a lit match is a bomb. A good security door isn’t cheap, but in the long run, valuable. It should be the same color as the door. anything else, especially black, is an enticement. Same if you have bars on the windows. 5-finger socialists are usually young men and tend to be hormone driven (not that I have changed 🙂
Just having signs from house-protection agencies has been shown to discourage break-ins. One usually works.
learn to use a cane like a quarterstaff. Mace, a bag of beans scattered under the feet of invaders, squirt gun filled with vinegar. If urban or rural, feed skunks. They will never be pets, but are great mousers and a deterrent to invasion. Unlike many an animal, they do not bite–or in this case squirt–the hand that feeds them. Just the sight of one or more is enough to make normal thinking people walk away. I live in Arizona, and we have them here always ready to dig grubs from the garden or spray down anyone sneaking onto the place.
Above all, you have the best weapon in anyone’s arsenal, your brain. niio
Wife and I have had three spinal fusions, and she is in a bad way, even with all the pain medication, once they run out it will be a nightmare for us both, and to think I used to do fun runs (10kms) and martial arts, now I couldn’t run to save myself, no bugging out, we will stay and do our best to defend, Son In law is a big enough bloke, but no skills in self defense, trying to train him, Son is here with us, also on disability, Psorias arthritis that is slowlt destrwying his back, his feet are no good as it knocks him around even after a short walk, we are a healthy bunch lol, we have archery gear here, all have Katanas, and knives, Kukri and a nice Bowie, my karate students knew I liked knives lol.
My Wife and I biggest fear is for our children, not afraid of dying (Christians), but we know how debased and evil mankind can be, some humans are more animals than actual animals.
Good job on those skills you have, we may be down a bit but not out, not yet anyway
Cheers from Oz
Wazza, most medications including Opium have a natural (plant) source. Just saying…
Thanks for the prayers, so many weapons here are not allowed, crossbows, slingshots, those wrist rockets etc, getting to the stage even slinging some bad language will be against the law, snowflakes will make sure of that
Thanks about the flour, will add to my list, Son in law is a lab tech so I think he may have some ideas.
God bless
Wazza: Like the saying goes, what the government doesn’t know won’t hurt us. Emergency supplies can go between the walls. Uneatable ones should be hidden, anyway. With a lab tech in the family, you should be sitting pretty after it all starts and the government collapses under its own blockhead weight. niio
dp, hens&chicks-somniferum is proliferate. Just saying…
Wazza: My prayers are with you. Yeah, I like sharp pointy toys, too. Do you like crossbow pistols? Easy to use for back patients. And, a fan, a bad of flour, and a little fire. Major cause of death in flour mills in the old days was explosions caused by too much flour in the air and fool with a cigarette. It’s a last gasp defense, no pun intended, a Masada, but it works.
An observer of humanity once said about people, and they dare call animals beasts. Blessings from Arizona. niio
Pet trained skunks! Good idea, I’ll scoot over to the animal shelter and pick a couple of them up. What do you feed a skunk? And how do ya get a diaper on one? LOL
Oracle: I fed ours at the junkyard chicken bones and meat scraps. We called them our co-guards. I worked 3rd as a guard and it was cool. Take the dog and let him run all night. He had the sense to not screw with skunks but had a bad habit of teasing copperheads.
Skunks ‘tame’ easily. You can’t trust them more than a barn cat that comes begging, but yes, they kill off rats and mice and scare the devil out of intruders. Better mousers than cats and rattlers. They don’t waste the stink unless they feel frightened. People have had them for pets for years and they never sprayed anything. If you really want to try to diaper one, be my guest, brother. Send us some pix, but thank God we don’t have smell a vision yet. niio!
Red, you just taught me something new. I was not familiar with the positive traits of a semi-domesticated skunk. The animal shelter said they are fresh out of skunks… so I’ll see if I can run one down and catch it by hand. I’ll send you a video. LOL
Oracle: No Smell-a-vision! Ours are great for eating scorpions, centipedes, and killer bees, as well as mice and pack rats. A durn owl or rattler scared one down the road. We could smell it till after 9, when the sun finally burned the stink out. enjoy your new friend–maybe should say you only friend! Just leave meat scraps and bones out. That’s all we do. niio
Oracle,
I have actually been around, and just lurking. lol
I get the follow up for any thread that I have posted to in an email, so I have been following along via email without actually signing on… This leads to some comical emails where I am privy to only half of the conversation as if I were listening to a room-mate talking on a phone call. This is one of those posts, so I figured that I would check in and see the other side of the conversation. lol
Skunks have a personality and habits somewhat like a cat. So, they can be litter box trained, but like a cat I recommend toilet training them, so that all that you do is flush the toilet if you notice a floater. Other wise they have a clip on shield which will direct any urine down into the toilet bowl. You just remove the shield and use the toilet then you re-attach the shield.
You get a pet skunk by either buying a new born domestic, or capturing a new born wild new-born, and hand raising it basically from birth. (shortly after) You remove the scent glands as soon as they are old enough to have the procedure done.
I see that you have fit right in, as I knew that you would. Red, CC, LCC, and other s are all great people, as well as many others. This makes a great second online home where most get along just great, when a trouble maker shows up the locals tend to educate them quick, and if they are a slow learner they get run out of town, as you have found out. lol
I have fallen prey to my PTSD issues, gotten good and drunk and shot off my pie hole with some stupid posts in the past. Many have forgiven – some never will… I have no one to blame but myself. Neat trick… I find that with enough alcohol I can fit both feet into my mouth at the same time. lol =D
Anyway, I keep a low profile now mostly. Time heals all wounds, but it must be given time to work it’s magic. 🙂
What did you think of the saw mills and the GARN batch process wood stove? You will find many videos on You-tube with more information on both. During summer months when you don’t want heat the GARN unit can be mothballed, and an outside shed (same shed that houses the GARN unit) can house another stove for summer use – specifically to heat water, cook, provide electricity for battery banks, etc. This stove runs basically all day every day to cook, heat water, run steam turbine generators, wood gasification for any stationary engines requiring fuel, etc. This is how I plan to set up my property since I an starting from scratch on an un-improved 12 acre plot.
Watching you and your new friends run off the newest loud mouth troll, was quite entertaining. lol Always a pleasure talking to you, my friend. =D
Respectfully,
dp
db, now y’all have gotten me interested in raising a baby skunk. Sorry to hear about your run-ins on here. But, you are right, time heals. When I comment on line I try to recall my Chiricahua grandmother’s jokingly wise advice, “don’t drink or smoke too much before sending smoke signals, you could start a war”. For those who don’t forgive, the good Lord tells us we should “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave us”. Yes, I feel at home here. This is a nice change from my dealing with the animosity from many people online. But, even so, it’s my own fault. I refute atheists and others who promote sin, deny God, and or mock His son and His children online. I’m not well thought of; in fact some say they hate me as well as my God, all because I quote God’s word to show them the error of their sinful ways. I don’t beat them over the head with the gospel, nor do I compromise the Word to avoid hurting their feelings. Their soul is far too important to fall for that excuse. I have been appointed as a Watchman on the Wall, and I don’t want their blood guilt on my head for my not speaking when God says to speak… so I “must indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others, show mercy tempered with fear.”
I like the Garn gasification cordwood burners, the 3200 model with the built in thermal storage tank would be ideal here at my place. I’m impressed with the simplicity of design and operation of their products. But, with 30 years of experience they were able to refine the entire process. If you’re starting from scratch you would do well to build one in to your house. I have a large Napoleon free standing wood heater in my living room, heavy steel and bronze, with a glass door for esthetics, and an elctric blower built in. It can keep a coal bed going all night when shut tight. I run it 24/7 in the winter, keeps the all-electric central heat from kicking on too often. I bought and restored an old flat top wood cook stove last year, no oven with it but it could cook all of our stove top meals on its two eyes, while heating the kitchen too. I drew up a design for a dual chambered oven box for baking that will fit in the exhaust on top of the cook stove. I’ll weld it up soon and connect it. I’ve also been negotiating with a neighbor who has a large Roby Cuisiniere wood cook stove with an oven, warming box, and a water reservoir. He mentioned in passing that his wife hates it, so I’ve offered to help him out with that dilemma by buying or trading for it. I’m always willing to save a marriage. He bought the stove as an emergency back-up cooking source and she refuses to believe the electricity will ever fail or the propane will run out, so she also refuses to learn how to use it. “Too messy” she says. He probably should keep the stove and get rid of you know who. LOL
Regarding the troll, he can dish it out, but obviously couldn’t take it. He made a few remarks that were warning signs to his being a sociopath. I may be new to this site, but I’m not new to dealing with those who are mentally unstable. Most have daddy issues due to their mama losing her proper placement under God and man’s authority, and many are sexual orientation confused. Dealing with them is a lot like hand-to-hand combat, zeroing in on their vulnerable areas takes them out in the first few rounds of the bout. The real issue is my needing to not make myself look like an insensitive jerk. But only a liberal would need a safe space from that. That’s all for now, and same here, my new friend, it’s good talking with you too. Brum
Remove the feral den.
Draw up a list of the people right now that you would trust with the lives of you and your family while you slept, were incapacitated or were away from home at a time of great potential danger. Yeah right, and that’s your start and finish list! “In God we trust”, all others pay cash unless in credit! Oh and the list that you may be on is not perhaps the list that they are on!
One thing that hit me is how many books on SHTF are talking cannibals. Writers tend to study society, and where writers of the past rarely if ever mentioned it in conjunction with even apocalyptic events, now it’s grown common. something to think on, after weeks have past and life is still bad. For that matter, gang rape by invaders. Our society has crumbled to that. Once stray animals and live stock are gone, when all stores and abandoned homes have been looted, what’s next?
but, let not your hearts be troubled and your aim steady. niio
As Hannibal Lecter might say, “Don’t worry. If the food runs out…we’ll still have each other.”
Thank you for this, we all need ways to deal; with what will be real issues for real people.
Never feed anything you don’t want to keep around which includes cats, dogs and people and don’t let them make it to the front door in the first place.
How much can you share and how would you do it? This is one of the hard questions that everyone has to figure out their own answers for.
Four adult family are living with me, it’s already tough out there. We’re making ends meet and getting ahead slowly. Attitudes have changed, no longer am I the wacky widower. Can’t turn them away, they’re already inside.
A buddy of mine lives across the street. We’ve been friends since childhood. He and his wife are raising 3 grandchildren as their own. He’s sick, needs dialysis 3x a week. If my dying friend, a good man I am proud to know, asks for help, the only answer I have is yes.
There are others that I will not turn away; neighbors, a wayward grandson, nephews and more. These are my answers, and I may have gotten them wrong. So be it.
As with all difficult questions, there are no easy answers. It’s like scavenging. When is scavenging stealing and when is it just plain good sense? We had that discussion some time last year and while there were many varied opinions, there was no clear, concise answer to the question.
So too, the question of when to help and when to turn away. If you have close family nearby, of course you want to help them. If you family is scattered across the U.S. the likelihood of ever seeing them again in the event of a catastrophic event is dim.
I have discussed prepping with both of my adult children and I think my daughter is finally beginning to see the light. My son still thinks everyone will band together and sit around campfires singing kumbaya with everyone sharing, share and share alike.
Aside from the neighborhood gossip who lives next door, most folks in this neighborhood mind their own business and aside from a nod and a wave, don’t socialize.
I make it a habit to watch folks around and I have identified a couple that I think are peppers. The guy with the three old, right hand drive Land Rovers in his driveway just might be a preppier. The guy down at the corner who has a very large back yard and is into preserving what he grows may be. The doctor across the street from him has lots of veggies growing everywhere and they must be canning them otherwise the two of them can’t possibly be eating all that they are growing.
The guy across the street and up a couple of houses was a mechanic until he retired. He also regularly shot short range (100 yards) bench rest at the gun club where both of is apparently belong. At least I know that he can hit the x ring at 100 yards. I think he may also reload as most bench rest shooters think they can reload better than the factories. That used to be true but I don’t know how true it is with some of the match ammo being produced at some of the factories. He also has a pretty complete machine shop in his garage, although with no electricity it might not be much help.
We have a welfare family living in a rental a couple more doors up and they have some unusual appearing friends who frequent their abode. Yes, you can’t judge a book by its cover, but how people dress and decorate their bodies and drive their cars frequently can tell you a little about them.
If we get a premonition about the world turning to doo-doo in time and can leave we have a place to go. If we wake up some morning and the world has turned to a cesspool, we are pretty much stuck here. I would try to organize the neighborhood for self-defense, but given how many snowflakes live on the street that I haven’t mentioned, I am sure that they will insist on their “fair share” of whatever anyone else has and will shrink from violence even when it is visited upon them.
LCC,
Unfortunately, you are 100% correct. Also unfortunately, this does not happen by accident. This is learned behavior, and while I won’t go into my usual rant it begins in the school system over the course of generations.
My husband and I live in the country and have been prepping for years. My adult kids think they know everything and refuse to see the writing on the wall. I’m sure a few of them will contact me if things get tough and I’m ready for them. My husband’s family lives nearby and they are poor and disabled and raising two grandkids that their drug addicted kids left them with. We have planned to help them out, but the druggies will never be welcomed in our space. Period. After years of stealing from my husband, they are on their own. As for the neighbors, we have already brought them cookies and gotten to know them. Your neighbors are your tribe and people are good resources. I’m a nurse and my husband is a microbiologist so we have useful skills to offer our tribe. Others in the neighborhood have useful skills as well. I’m perfectly okay with growing and storing extra food to accommodate those who are willing to contribute to our neighborhood cooperative. I agree with the author of this article. There is power in numbers! But you absolutely need to be choosy about who you allow into your circle as well! Trust and loyalty are paramount.
RN: when my youngest son started doing heroin, a neighbor gave me some sage advice. “Mano, you got a addict in the family, you don’t have a son, you have an addict.”
And, yep, we have our own ‘tribe’ here. niio
Hmmm. In my opinion “prepper” is nothing more than the soccer mom version of a survivalist. And in my family being a survivalist is nothing more than having common sense. Ain’t just disasters and political unrest that you’re preparing for, but what if you lose your job? Your family’s primary breadwinner bites the dust? Or even worse- your home burns down. Think of it on all levels. What if a tornado hits and wipes out your place? Or a flood?
CK: Not a valid argument. SHTF, the only ones working will be the authorities and those who work for them. Don’t worry about bills because you won’t have power and outside of the city, no water. No food because computers will go down and computers are in all the trucks these days. In the phones. In every aspect of this life. I never expected more than that. Read Wolf and Iron, a novel where the computers shut down and what happens. As infrastructure decay, fungus eating at anything organic will cause a boom in CO2 levels. That, tho causes plants to grow better, provided we’re not in a nuclear winter.
We had a fire last summer on the Catalina Mountains. One major rain and half of Tucson could be flooded. Winds are worse down that way and so is the heat. Birds and animals wiped out people’s gardens. In a SHTF event, Tucson will go dry, fast. Pumping stations get water from the reservations, and that depends on computers. A quarter million people will start looking for water. If in summer, most won’t make it far, but those who do will wipe out small towns.
Arizona cops mostly encourage every household to have guns for self-defense. People here have been prepping for generations. Up here, we’re fortunate that we have backup water and are remote. I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson is becoming one big housing development. Here, people help each other. Race doesn’t matter. Indians own more guns than rednecks and blacks love their gins. Every Mexican is waiting for SFTF, as well, and many are from Kali, and angry at the liberals.
It’ll happen and prepper is another name for survivalist, one that confuses the left (not a hard thing to do). peace. Let it come.
Red, I see that you & I are not talking on the same wavelength. “Being prepared” is not just for major catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina or an asteroid hitting the Earth, or a civil war. This pandemic is, in fact, a version of “The End Of The World As We Know It”. It has changed society in a way that extremely few of us have ever encountered. Life has changed in so many ways, likelihood of it going back to the way it used to be is too slim to measure. The “TEOTWAWKI” many people think of is on the level of Mad Max. It that real or is it fantasy? Who know, really. But having the knowledge to survive as long as you can no matter what hits, is, or should be, our goal.
Realistically, as I heard another survivalist say, “Survivalists are Do’ers and Preppers are wait’ers.”
Gee, and here I thought survivalists were the folks who start in place as is without any preps and manage to stay alive wherever they may find themselves, and preppers the ones who like to have some creature comforts they can tap into should they find themselves in a similar situation!
CC: good definition. You cannot be a survivalist without being prepared to survive. niio
Red – Yes in deed. It’s what works for me! This is why a solid foundation/education and life long learning/reading/doing is so important! You take that how to knowledge and skill set with you wherever you go and no one can take it a way from you.
Words of great wisdom. “life long learning/reading/doing is so important”. And wisdom comes from God.
Oracle: Amen.
CK: I live rural in Arizona. This year alone, we’ve gone thru winter blizzards, corona fake pandemic, drought, and the bighorn fires. People are preppers because they’re survivalists. You are trying to redefine words. It goes with the territory.
I’d never turn anyone away that is staving but I would give them food and tell them to move on. They should have done the same as my husband and I to be prepared! When the shfi hits the fan, I will look out for ourselves! Locked and loaded!
The current Virus situation is the absolute perfect example of the FED predicted SHTFfor severity and longevity – and – still no real determined terminal date …
When you make a decision to share your supplies – it’s un-retractable – try moving your new guests back onto the road and/or cutting them off from their salvation …
Just might be signing your own end – the disgruntled won’t be writing a Facebook complaint or complaining to some BS authority >>> could be some form of vicious revenge or a vendetta – possible death in a SHTF ….
Grim but in my opinion, realistic. As I tried to point out in an earlier post on this thread, police and fire protection will be non-existent in an EOTW situation.
LCC- I’d add “and when socialist governors/mayors tell them to stand down”.
I love this article. Because everywhere I read ‘don’t ever open your door’. I don’t believe that. I believe you can trade with trusted neighbors, start a bartering system. We are a small town and know our neighbors for the most part. They aren’t going to bust into your house to feed their starving children if your willing to trade for food, medicine, or labor.
Suzie,
You are exactly right. You will need these people in time.
Take them in… You are not sure about them? Then house them in the back yard.
Keep them out of your house. and feed them, and give them jobs every day.
Trust GOD to make that one fish feed the whole crew…
Your job is to build that crew. After the fall. When the snowflakes have died off it will be you against other forts made up of professional soldiers.
You will need these people, because you will have multiple watches with multiple schedules. You will need 10-20 people to guard one house.
Have you considered how much stored food it will take to feed 20 people between growing seasons? Or how many deer will need to be killed and slaughtered? It might work if all 20 people are preppers and bring their own survival supplies sufficient for a year or two. If you take people in off the streets who are not prepared, eventually you will all starve together. Gardens take months to grow to maturity. We have 8 family members in our compound here in the Missouri Ozarks. Even with an entire 10’x12′ room filled with foods, we still are only prepared to feed the eight of us for one year. There are plentiful deer on our land and in the thousands of acres of national forest surrounding us, but when the stores run out of meat, the deer will be quickly consumed by the hungry residents within the first year or less. A full blown shtf situation will be a life or death scenario.
Oracle: Thousands of deer and tens of thousands of deer hunters. One shot, Bambi reverts from garden raider to shy woodlands critter. Those who aren’t prepared for the hordes of starving will soon join them and learn like many starving people the great delicacy of rat, until that is gone, as well. Then what? LCC? No, he’d be too tough to chew 🙂 But, you get the point.
niio
Yes, Red, I did the math, it was not encouraging. We far outnumber the deer. I have an agreement with my few neighbors, none of us shoot the deer on our joining lands. We are allowing them to grow a large herd to feed us later. We hunt the forests away from here. Nothing is killed for sport, and we only kill that which we can and will eat. Even with all that, seer will last only a limited time. But not to sound cold hearted, man won’t last long either and the animal population will come back. Tree rodents, squirrels, are a country boy’s delicacy. I’ve also got my eye on a fat wood chuck living just down the hill.
Oracle: When living in Pennsylvania, I told a friend who moved there from Colorado about woodchucks. He called me a liar and laughed. One day on the way to work I spotted one along the road and he got out, looked, and his jaw dropped. He bragged how many deer they got back home in Redfern, CO, and I showed him herds of 50 and more, does and fawns. Same scene. But, most people hunt. The season before Y2K, the herds were decimated.
Old-timers say, if you want deer, feed them what you pasture cattle on. I don’t know MO hunting laws, but here, Arizona, if you have too many in the hay, you get extra free permits from Game and Fish. A lot of ranchers sell them and make some good cash at it. A healthy doe will have twins and triplets on clover or alfalfa. We used to plant deer feed (and for the hogs) in the brush in Penna. Chestnuts, mulberries, crabapples, and a lot of poplar (bark and buds are 10% protein), plus feed stock that likes shade, blackberries and so on. Deer are your ‘other cattle’. niio, walk in His beauty
Red, didn’t know about a doe having twins and triplets on clover or alfalfa. I already have a few acres of clover, and now I’ll add planting a cover crop of alfalfa to my things to do list. Fortunately we have elder berries, crabapples, black berries, chestnuts, mulberries, poplar trees, red maple, dogwood, hickory, redbud and cedar growing on our land. We also have red and white oaks that cover the ground with acorns during a masting year. Our immediate neighbors have several hundred head of beef cattle, and they keep their grazing fields enriched with all the food a cow or deer needs. We are blessed to have game conservation minded neighbors adjoining us. We protect the deer from poaching, and hunting on other folk’s private land here is an absolute guarantee to get arrested at gunpoint for trespassing. If we need to go on our neighbor’s land we call first and ask permission, and they do the same. We also don’t visit neighbors at night with out calling first. Had a fellow moved here from Colorado 3 years ago, at around midnight we could hear intermittent gunfire coming from his place located about a mile away. I phoned him to see if he needed help. Turns out he was shooting coyotes by thermal vision. I told him I thought he might be having trouble over there and I apologized for what might appear as my just being nosy. He said no problem and that three other neighbors had already phoned to check on him. He doesn’t shoot coyotes at night any more. We have a lot of rules that are not written down, anywhere, most of them designed to protect and support our community. We know that help is only a few miles away if we need it. Our entrance road off the highway is 1 mile long. It is gravel and meanders up and down steep hills through thick Ozark virgin forest. The dead end sign up by the highway deters most country folk from taking a Sunday drive back here, but people still get lost and show up once every couple of months. We give them directions to their intended destination, and kindly tell them to leave and not come back. I have steel BHA drill pipe set aside to build two separate locking iron gates across the entire road. Due to the thickness of the forest, steep hills, gullies, and creek beds, our property is not accessible by even the most capable 4×4.. except by the gravel road. Anyone who shows up on foot better be a close friend. By His grace we remain safe and at peace.
Oracle: Yeah, wow, do they ovulate on high-protein greens. A major plus, both legumes are high in calcium and phosphorus. Good milk maker, good for bones and antlers. If haying, most states allow you to reduce pressure by taking deer out of season. Ask the county ag rep.
We do live in a beautiful country. The friends who moved to IL are talking about going back to the farm in Arkansas. The grass is always green till you get to the other side.
I had a chance to buy-in on a farm near where their place is, in AR, from a widow but it’s just so darn wet there–to me, of course. Lots of bottom ground, good creeks on the place, forest, and plenty of good pasture and hunting. Well, Arizona is home. Second choice would be northwest Mexico where outsiders keep their nose clean or get it shot off. Good redneck genes there! niio, walk in His beauty
Red, as a landowner with more than 20 acres, I am allowed a special permit to harvest deer outside of standard hunting seasons from my property here in Missouri. Yes, I agree, God has blessed us with a wonderful country. And these Ozarks are very special to me. The abundance of fresh water, game, and fish here is comforting in times such as these.
I just returned stateside 3 years ago from living 14 years full time in Mexico. I went there as a Christian missionary, and decided to make it home and retire there. I was on the shores of Lake Chapala in the San Madre Mountains, in the state of Jalisco. About 49 miles from the Pacific Coast, we could see Volcano Colima erupt from our upper terrazas. I enjoyed our life there, until the drug Cartel killings began taking place all around us. I bought an old lakefront hacienda and restored it over a 2 ½ year period. The land surrounded me was ancient Nahuatl homeland, and I found many artifacts when reworking my gardens. Had to teach my Mexican gardener to handle them carefully, save them for me, and to not merely throw them away. He said he’d seen them all of his life and I guess he just took them for granted. Go figure.
The land adjoining mine on the east side had been empty lakefront property for millennia, and wouldn’t you know it, when I moved in, so did a wealthy Cartel member… right across the road from me, 200 yards away. Long story short, he built a 9000 sq. ft. party house, I filed formal complaints against him for the ongoing noise and shooting of guns out over the lake. I didn’t kowtow as the locals did, and he hated me. He was deeply involved in transporting drugs. It took a year to put it together, I surveilled him, some other nearby neighbors also hated him and informed on his activities because he was recruiting their young men, and I had him arrested by the Federal police. Couldn’t use the local or even state police, they were his peons. We had initially planned to remain in that house, but after neighbors began disappearing, local young people were killed at the restaurants and stores where they worked, plus machine guns battles in the village square and hand grenades being thrown out of trucks on the autopista, we decided to move. I searched the entire USA, including Alaska. Didn’t want to live in a state with a short growing season, or with extreme weather, such as the Dakotas, Wyoming, e.t.c, didn’t want to be near a military base, nuclear power plant, earthquake fault line , Interstate highway, or large city. I wanted a remote location with good land, game, fresh water, good conservative people with a like mind for survival as neighbors, and God’s blessing on my final decision. I found it 3 years ago and have not regretted my decision and choice for one minute. God is good to us.
Oracle: God is always good. 🙂
In the 90s, the Tarahumara, up in the barrancas, lost 9,000 people to a planned famine; PRI and Monsanto/DNC did this. since then, they started to collect things. When drug lords decided the mountains were great to raise poppies, the people fought back. Not openly, but stealth. When Holder sold al those M16s to the drug lords, they had nothing to track them. When the people found out, that was the end of the drug lords in the mountains. Drug lords lost armies in the mountains just as they do in the Yucatan.
I have friends and family all thru the Sierra Madre. When news broke about the famine, we were part of an organization that sent tons of maize and beans south. More people bought anything they could in Mexico to help. Others provided mules to ride in and pack. The PRI never caught on till much later or would have stopped us.
Don’t blame the cops for looking the other way. They have families. Drug lords aren’t know for being human, just greedy. Until Fox, they owned the government. Right now, there are plenty of them buying homes on this side of the border and moving their families north. It’s moving slowly, but war is happening in Mexico. the states are growing more independent and before long, the country will break a part. Right now, mestizos are demanding their rights back to be American Indian, to be registered as that and not Spanish. The PRI is fighting it but losing. If not for the DNC, they would have lost all elections since Fox. niio
Where can I read more about these events you mentioned?
ST: Name names! who are you talking to? It’s a problem here because the program doesn’t automatically show who you’re replying to. I see a lot of that on youtube. niio!
I too live way back off the main road back in a holler. Only one way in or out. We have installed gates that are locked at night and when we leave. Hills too steep and wooded to get through to us. We have our own spring water and soon a water mill. Anyone comes in, I hope they bring their own body bag, ’cause I’m out!?
T:
One more reason to raise hogs!
Miss Kitty,
I don’t eat pork, but the dogs need to eat too… no sense in having them get into your supplies if someone else is going to volunteer to feed them for a few days. 🙂
Miz Kitty: LOL! Word of caution, just make sure the hogs are on their way to a slaughterhouse or auction house fast. From what I hear, putting them on pasture won’t work. niio
T, much of our security is dependent on our remote and inaccessible location. I could not imagine living in or even near a large city today. I have a close friend who lives in Reno, he’s seriously worried about his own oblivious and unprepared neighbors, but he’s even more worried about the Golden Hoards that will head up out of California. Reno is only a 3 or 4 hour drive from San Francisco. All of the surrounding farms here have private roads and all of us are at least one mile off the 2-lane highway. My neighbors adjoining me feel the same as do I about protecting our homes and families. No one back here has a bug out bag, just get home bags kept in our trucks. My home is my bug out location, and it is more than satisfactory to get us through what ever comes.
Oracle: I haven’t been to the Reno area in years, but the desert and mountains are close around there. I did live in Carson City for a while, prison ministry thing. OK, if your bro has a bugout location, the best I can figure is, it’ll take 3 days before things break down. It may be longer, but I would move as fast as possible. Reno has a stable water supply and much of it is gravity fed. In any case, chlorine tabs are life savers.
3 days because it would take that long for the food to run out. then people will start to get angry. Mobs form, raids on homes, and that begins in the poor areas, then middle class and works its way up. By the end of the week, unless they force people to obey, it’s going to be anarchy. Same for you, CC!
In my area, you have to travel 25 miles to find a good store. Even those who think preppers are funny, a dying class, have to stock up. niio
Thanks for your input. I was reading some of the other comments. I’ve told my neighbors when the shift hits the fan too grab all they can and come to us. Unless someone can contribute, they don’t get in. They all know we’re preppers. We have put enough food and ammo to last a long time, but shorter if our families can get here. I won’t see a stranger starve but I won’t be handing out to just anyone that comes to the door. They’ll have to get through our defense first. I think you can tell alot by a person if you just listen.
My apologies. My question was for Red, about…”In the 90s, the Tarahumara”. Any links or helpful hints are appreciated. Thank you.
ST: Monsanto/soros were to blame, but the PRI (called the maritos of the dnc) allowed it.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-25-mn-1296-story.html
They think the pollen form the trigger maize is weakened enough now to plant native varieties, again. I’m praying so.
https://www.nativeseeds.org/blogs/blog-news/famine-stricken-tarahumara-reunited-with-native-seeds-from-ns-s-collection
Native Seed Search carries a lot of Tarahumara seeds that do well in dry, cold mountains. But, if you order, please remember plants there don’t need to worry about fungal diseases. niio
Red, I again see that your comment located above doesn’t have a reply button available with it. What’s up with that, I’ve seen that a few other times as well.
Oracle: I try to double check everything before posting. I may have slipped or the program did. A lot of times I try t hit thumbs up or down on a post and it doesn’t acknowledge it. niio
Red, when we comment here is there anything special we should be doing to make a reply button appear with our comment? Double check, I triple check, and still get things messed up. The lack of a “edit” feature is nightmare for one such as myself who types with two fingers… 60 words per minute, but still some letters and words out of order get.
Susie, I agree. The key word, as you have stated, is “trusted”. And in the case of strangers arriving at our door, we can’t fully trust them. If someone is hungry enough they can playact as being trustworthy long enough to get our guard down, then pounce. Wisdom and practical judgment in dealing with strangers is not in any way to be confused with naiveté. However, I would add, and please keep in mind, some “trusted” folks will still break your door down if their children are starving. I’ve often wondered how far I will go to keep my little grand children alive. May God protect us from such dire situations.
You must be referring to the state of affairs arriving in December 2020 in the U.S.
TA – NYPD just picked up the head of BLM in NY at a riotous demonstration. So far, there is no release. I do believe many steps are being taken quietly now to prevent what you fear TA. Isaiah 41:10.
CC: Just a thought, but, maybe the dnc is worried about stopping them, so want them to chill. BLM is the best thing the rnc has seen since dems were still physically lynching political enemies. Or, they’re now worried Trump will use emergency powers to call on the NGs to stop BLM cold. niio
The criminal behavior of BLM is also a good thing for all who have been naive enough to have allowed themselves to be played a dirty hand with a “Race Card” over the last several decades. The BLM riots are a wake up call for us to stop being obtuse regarding race. Our laws must apply EQUALLY to all. And for our laws to be enforced we can not accept the socialist agenda being promoted in our nation today. Well, that’s enough on politics. One of the things I really like about this site is politics is kept on the back burner. But, like it or not, we are at a cross roads with a great precipice on every side. May God have mercy on our nation.
Oracle – Every prepper must be have their ear to the ground and understand the politics of today. Not just here in the US, but also overseas. Europe is on the edge of self destruction. Terror attracts across France and now just today, in Austria has prompted thousands of Muslims here in the US to demonstrate against Macron in front of
the French Consulate Office here in NYC. With loud speakers they are blasting that if attacked, Islam teaches that they must fight back! Many of these like to riot and create mayhem in the name of their religion. BLM is the least of our problems. I hope they all go home soon!
CC: Even lib blacks are angry about BLM. Note, they only make attacks in lib states. When they try a conservative state, people fight back. niio
Red – Well then, I guess that is why I heard reported today that Two deer heads were left by a BLM sign in Idaho a la “The Godfather”. You see, this is a good example of where city and country folks can be like minded.
CC: Half the old cow pokes you see when blind from too much TV LOL. But, there’s brotherhood all over. We have folks from LA and San Diego in town, ranchers and ranch hands, and we all get on fine. Usually. But, most people who come to this area tend to be respectable back home, too, and got sick of the rodents owning city hall. niio
CC, I’m aware of the global threat by Islam. I may be among the most hated men on the internet due to my exposing the historical evil of Islam for the last 20 years online. I’ve received many death threats. This election and politics in general from here on out goes far beyond the physical/political realm as we know it. We are in a spiritual battle for the very souls of mankind. The NWO will be upon us soon, and from there will be built the platform for the coming global ruler know as the anti-Christ as well as his One Global Religion leader. Here is an interesting video of people around the world praying about our elections. Seeing how America is a defender of freedom for many nations and we are also the God-assigned protector of Israel, this election is viewed as very being important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sy29uUgh7w&feature=share
Oracle – Your words here are true to your handle! The so called religion of peace is only peaceful under their own law. We must beware – there is no wiggle room.
CC, God says He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her. Having a liberal Democrat fool as POTUS, who will turn our back on Israel, will be our downfall. BTW, I got the name Oracle from atheists who deny God’s prophecies of the end times. One of them laughed and said I must think I’m “some sort of Oracle”, to claim to foresee the future… but… I spoke nothing of my own, I was only quoting God’s prophetic scripture.”Oracle” was used as a slur against me, I adopted it. I’ve also adopted “Deplorable”.
Oracle – There is much now to fear especially if we lose heart and fail to remind ourselves that God has a plan. Proverbs 3 5-6. He will direct our path. Only He can fix this mess!
CC, I know what you’re saying, and I won’t lose heart. I am concerned for our nation and for Israel. I have three grandchildren, 11, 6 and 4-years of age, whose lives will be changed greatly under a presidency by Biden and Harris. I know God has a plan, and I’ve read from His playbook… so I know how it all turns out in the end. It is the time between now and the return of Jesus that worries me. My concern is not for myself. I am angry that this very obvious and openly blatant coup is taking place to steal the election.
CC and Oracle: Amen
Oracle: Every election there’s a coupe attempt. this one is just more blatant than usual, but the leftists have a lot more to lose. As God wills, so am I. Like folks are saying, politics in 3rd world terrorist states (see blue states) can be exciting. If you plan to order seeds of fruit trees, I recommend doing it now. A lot of places are running low or are out of stocks already. niio
Oracle: I had a fatwah against me once. An imam down in NYC because he couldn’t win a religious debate and Muslims started to want to know the Bible. After all, to claim the bible is corrupted even tho Mohammed was a religious judge for Christians Jews means that Mohammed was led by a corrupts teaching. The son-in-law, an Asian Muslim said, we’ll take care of it. Mohawks beat them to it and the imam ran home to wherever he was from.
I’m probably preaching to the choir, but all it takes is one bad imam to lie and a lot of people will die. While most Muslims are a lot more ‘liberal’ about what they believe, they can be forced into compliance by threatening their families here and overseas. niio
Red – Oracle – All is not lost! We still have a
Tough
Relentless
Unstoppable
Motivated
President
All we have to do is
Keep
Asking
God
Amen, sister!
City Chick, yes, and I would like to keep him in office for another term at the least. I am praying almost without ceasing, that God will intervene, and that it will be so obvious it is God’s direct intervention that He will receive glory even from the godless politicians. I know God can work through other men, but it would be a shame to see all that God has used Trump to protect and prosper our nation and Israel quickly thrown out by the Democrats. We also can be punished by God as a nation due to a return to evil as it was under Obama. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And if I might add, an angry God. I fear the evil that has prevailed in our nation has pushed the limits of God’s patience and long suffering. May he be merciful toward us.
Red- You Know I thought about that too, but for the first time, the NYPD has come out in support of a presidential candidate and that candidate is President Trump! Members of the NYPD that have resigned in protest over DeBlasio have been hired by ICE and Homeland Security. They are probably still here working the beat with their buddies in blue. The founders of BLM are anarchist Black Panthers who should have been kept in jail for life. If you listen up you will hear that the administration’s second term agenda includes terminating sanctuary cities. Things should get interesting around here! Those folks may start to pour out and into the country side.
CC: the dems were playing with fire and it’s burning out of control. It’ll stop only when soros stops handing them money. BP had some greats and a lot of bads. The worse of them have been wanted since the 70s.
Given how many the Weather Underground murdered or attempted to, and now BLM, when Kali-fornia goes to Hell she better apologize to Manson.
YES! No more sanctuary cities. The problem there is, it goes underground, with the libs going undercover again. But, at least now the FBI can make raids, again.
did you see this post, that Hunter Biden gave himself up to the FBI. It was on CIA letterhead, and if it is fake, someone will go to prison for it. He’s turning state’s evidence for immunity. that makes it plausible. The whole family is weird.
niio
Red, the Bidens will be exposed, along with many other evil people in DC. God sees them.
“Therefore whatever has been said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what has been whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:3
Oracle: Dems lock cases tight. A lot of what FDR did is still under lock. Truman, Carter, the Clinton duo, Obama, and Biden all need to be exposed to the public. Trump can, at least most of it. A lot of what Hitler did in research is still locked. Why? Germany is talking of opening Jonastal Mountain and the underground city but dems do not want them to. Why? Control. It’ll happen but not till nothing can be done about them. niio
Red – Did not see that one. Time will tell and the clock is ticking! Folks are getting real impatient! Groups of Deplorables actually held a peaceful protest outside Barr’s home the other day. I’m sure he was pleased to know we don’t forget details and that we are all paying attention and looking for some action from the DOJ.
We live in a small ranching/farming community.
We purchase from a local farmers market each week and after a missile scare, I asked our farmer friend if he had enough seeds to increase his yield in event of TSHTF. His reply was that he had plenty of seed and land to triple production, but didn’t have enough workers who were interested when they could get more on welfare and sit on their duff.
I told him that I would be the first to volunteer.
This is what I would tell any strangers that came to the door looking for a handout. “Go to one of the farmers or ranchers and hire on for food.” Give them several numbers or addresses. Warn the farmer that you would be referring them
Excellent point. Nothing wrong with charity, but it tends to undermine people’s self reliance. It comes down to focus and giving a man a fish, or teaching a man to fish.
Prior to FDR and the New Deal people understood that the government has nothing to give out. They produce nothing, and the only way for them to provide charity is by stealing it from someone else at the point of a gun.
The entire focus was on building character and self reliance in your neighbors which we did via apprenticeships – giving young folks the tools and skills to excel on their own.
David – Aloha! Over population may be a real issue at some point in HI, but I would think the state would continue to strive to be as self sufficient as possible. Wouldn’t want to have to wait for the next boat to arrive for essentials in a SHTF situation.
Totally agree. Million plus people crowded in Honolulu on Oahu, which I left in the 70s. Too much noise, pollution, corruption, and traffic after Statehood in ’59.
When the ships quit coming from the Mainland, everybody will be fighting to survive. Tens of thousands will starve because they are not prepared.
The Hawaiian people used to be self sufficient and live off the land and ocean. Very few anymore because the government wants them to be dependent on handouts.
I pray for My President, whoever that may be, NOW and in the future.
And for the Congress, the Judiciary, and for all world and religious leaders that they may make ethical decisions without greed and avarice.
For the Press and other media that they may make unbiased reporting attempting to root out corruption where ever they find it..
Vote for the platform more than the person who has done the most for the benefit of the American People and the World during their tenure in office.
God Bless you all, and God Bless America!!!
David: I have family on Maui. One cousin married a Native and they have kids. He said when SHTF her and the kids would go to an island near the end of the chain, but no outsiders. There, they have to work to keep a place to stay. She knows gardens and they have poultry and ah, get wild pigs 😉 She bought him a set of foxfire books, and he loves them. We were brought up country. His mother, a psychologist, taught her kids well from the egg up, so to speak. niio
Red – If they are living on Maui wouldn’t they, even if Native, now be considered outsiders? I was told the island population there chose to be a closed society and no longer would welcome any outsiders including other Natives.
CC: Native Hawaiian. Her mother and aunts go there. Nothing too modern allowed. they take the grandchildren but the kids have to speak Hawaiian. Ni’ihao population isn’t that big, only 250 on Kahoʻolawe and less than half that on Niihau. To the best of my knowledge, any native Hawaiian is welcome as long as they stay in the old law. one of the islands sells hunting licenses for deer and other game animals. I haven’t seen either one in 5+ years. 🙂 niio
It’s high time we stop looking at neighbors and friends as threats in the downfall.
Well put!
But how do you tell if they’re “your tribe” or not?
Well, you can get practice with discernment right now. There are lots of “work-exchange” websites where people are looking for food and lodging in exchange for work.
We’ve kissed a lot of frogs that way, but have gotten pretty good at separating the wheat from the chaff.
And not only that, but a lot of the good folk who have been through here are ready to come back if there’s a crisis!
So like all things in prepping, start now! Don’t wait for the knock at the door.
Maybe that system works for you, or maybe I just misunderstand you, but that sounds like the same hippie/commune/peace-corps scheme that got us to this sad point in our history to begin with.
What works for me is to find good hard working people and to suggest that we might create a partnership business.
You do paint and body work, and I do auto repair – let’s open a business together and see where it goes?
You find out quick-fast who you can trust to have your back and to pull their share of the load, and who slacks off and keeps their fingers in the cookie jar. Everyone is equal and respected.
Even if the business fails, as many do in the first year – you have been to war with this person. When they show up on your doorstep asking for work and food, you already know them well… they have been vetted.
You misunderstand me.
I didn’t know that’s why I said that. Have a great weekend. 🙂
I pray for My President, whoever that may be, NOW and in the future.
And for the Congress, the Judiciary, and for all world and religious leaders that they may make ethical decisions without greed and avarice.
For the Press and other media that they may make unbiased reporting attempting to root out corruption where ever they find it..
Vote for the platform more than the person who has done the most for the benefit of the American People and the World during their tenure in office.
God Bless you all, and God Bless America!!!
Oracle: Only above the green button, notify me, is all.
No, but you can type it out on a file, edit, and then post. I’m hearing from Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and all over they’re praying for Trump today.
Hungary is being shafted by soros. The president of Hungary sent paperwork to the Us state dept. asking for soros to be sent home. A list of war crimes wnt with it (he was a gestapo agent). In retaliation, soros ‘donated’ 70 million to some radial left wing nuts to stop any elections. If Trump can, soros loses his diplomatic immunity and gets extradited. Yes! niio
Red, I often use a Word doc. to write out long comments due to my satellite system going off line unexpectedly resulting in loss of the comments. I have Word set to auto-save every minute. I’ve also begun writing ,dating, and saving my comments to resubmit later when using Disqus. They are notorious for removing my comments on different sites that some liberal snowflakes don’t like. The most aggravating aspect of that censorship is my comment within the context of an ongoing discussions with atheists, Muslims, liberals, etc. are not even presented. I can answer someone and my response never shows up. I don’t use profanity or threats, I am courteous and kind in my writing, but I have regularly been flagged/blocked by Disqus, several times per week, probably by way of my user name. I once had a pack of rabid atheists following me around and flagging everything I said. Had to change my user name.
I’ve been watching the Soros news very closely, I’m also still praying that God would remove that evil man from any power or control over us. Soros and the other ultra wealthy liberals are proof of God’s word “You cannot not serve both God and mammon”. Blessings to you my friend.
Oracle: Good! As for soros, only time will tell. As I understand it he wants to be the antichrists unholy priest.
As for atheists and Muslims, there are intellectuals and there are militants. The difference between a militant atheist and militant Muslim is a Muslim, no matter how hate-filed he may be, will debate. If he loses the debate, he goes silent. Militant atheists lose mental control and start spitting on the monitor.
At this time, I’m fighting with FB. Most of my posts are being removed, so I repost and it goes, then I add to the post, will the nazis take this one down too? The others, forget it. They’re owned by the dnc. Blackmail is a common means to own the wealthy. niio
An edit feature would sure be nice on here… I see I wrote cannot and not in the same line… going back to my Word doc.
Yes, I was just exchanging comments with a user on disqus by the handle of Atty Tude… we’ve both been censored by the disqus bots or college students or whatever woke pains in the butt they have over there. Like I said to her, they never tell you WHAT exactly they are censoring, so you can’t avoid the verboten terminology… I’ve gotten very creative with spelling, punctuation and terminology to get my message across.
Miss Kitty, I’ve been censored by Facebook, Twitter, and Disqus many times. Was completely thrown off of and blocked on a “popular “atheist site. Turns out quoting God’s word upsets their demonic controllers, who woulda thought. I’ve never used a curse word or vulgarity, never made a threat. Probably has to do with being flagged by weak little snow flakes. If they don’t like what we have to say, they are gonna really freak our when Jesus returns. He won’t be ruling by a democracy. He also won’t be concerned with political correctness, just God’s truth. Something tells me the whiney liberals won’t be able to find a safe space during the Tribulation.
If you plan to buy seeds or trees, do it now. A lot of nurseries are low or out of many stocks. niio
Red, my dogs ate down three of my blueberry bushes, only 3 left now. Had a fellow build a fence last winter around a half acre for my chickens to semi-free range, instead of them being eaten by fox, bob cat, lynx, and coyotes again. Because the my grape vines were bare, no foliage, he cut down the vines with his pocket knife to add goat wire along the bottom of my already standing drill pipe posts and steel cable the grapes had been growing on for 3 years. The grape vines grew back, but no fruit was produced this year. I also had three grafted apples I’d been babying for a year, dogs again. I’m considering adding dog meat to my menu.At least the dogs have not managed to eat down any of my mature White and Red Oak trees, yet… LOL. I can make acorn flour post shtf. I live about 20 miles from Baker Creek Farm, you should look at their seeds catalog. https://www.rareseeds.com/ Their seeds are consistently about 90% viable or better. Great selection too.
Oracle: Rare Seeds is a go-to! Very good selection.
Have to tried aggie lime for painting tree trunks? Even goats and deer avoid it.. And, if the flock is big enough, you might try a guard dog.
right now a massive wave of biden supporters are driving around town honking their horns, all 4 of them.
So far I managed to educate a number of college students on what to expect if biden takes it . Massive unemployment, poverty rate sky rocketing, college professors competing with college grads for jobs at places like McDonald’s. And, as well, if not for hispanic and black support, Trump wouldn’t have taken states like Florida. that shocked them. But, it ain’t over yet. Philly has major protests as does Michigan and Georgia, and other places.
niio
OFF TOPIC—-Help, I really need a friend. If you are by Northeast Pennsylvania, OR anywhere in NJ, pls. write. Male/female, any age, nationality, I just need to converse with someone who ‘gets it’. I am so overwhelmed with all this and just want to talk to someone. Not into smoke/drugs/alcohol, or all this smart crap. I am clean, healthy, sane and on no medications. I am just looking to make new friends, who hopefully live nearby. pbpossum@hotmail.com Thank you.
Possum, answers to most any question you may have regarding prepping can already be found here among the comments sections of this web site. The site’s articles are excellent, use them. If you have specific questions not discussed on here related to prepping, ask. If I may ask, are you currently residing in a government facility?
No.
possum: NEPA? I escaped there a while back and came home to Arizona. do you pow wow or rendezvous?
“No, we are coming in.”
reply” Ya think so’?
BANG!
Then YOU have 144K calories of fresh meat to eat….
CS, take your meds.
I love this story idea. It’s an idea that is required!! I look forward to reading it and all of your other answers!!!
Family of three?
Well, his wife can do the oldest profession known to man.
If she does it well, feed her a little and less for her family.
A win-win for both….
To borrow from The Blues Brothers – ‘How much for de little gurl’.
I can see people selling off their kids just to eat.
It happens in every war zone. No less common, a lot of kids get to be main course. And, every year we hear about lazy trash selling their kids or renting them out.
niio
The best idea from the article was when he says to say to the person who knocks on your door looking for food is to say “Omg I hope you have some food we haven’t eaten for a week.” That alone will give you a hint as to who you might be dealing with. I also think that if you start by giving that food you have specifically put aside JUST for those people you are just begging for problems. They will be back and with friends. Many won’t care how they get what you have. In the end only you can decide what is right for YOU! There are so many fools out there. During Katrina some being taken care of at a stadium complained because they were given Wendy’s food and not McDonald’s. They complained about everything they were being GIVEN that was provided for free by others that cared. Its happening now with these so called “refugees from Afghanistan. They think they are entitled to everything and it will be worse if we do have an EMP or other disaster. I have been trying for years to get my family to prepare but only get eye rolls, tsk tsk tsk’d, comments about being the crazy old man and “jokes ” about putting me in a home. My son and his family are the only ones who have listened. The rest say “if it happens we’ll come and stay with you.”. I used to shrug it off but now I tell them “Uh no you won’t. If you can’t take the time to prepare yourself why should I do it for you?” To a TINY extent they started listening but a pack of toilet paper and an extra case of water is NOT preparing. “I dont have anywhere to put it” says the daughter with a huge basement and a sister with a big garage that has junk piled up where food and water could go. My son and his family actually do NOT have a lot of space but still manage to save up by using space under beds and building shelves in the pantry. No I probably won’t turn immediate family away but that 2nd cousin twice removed that I have only met once –not so much. You HAVE to think like a survivor and not try to save everything and everyone as it’s not going to happen. I will fight a chainsaw for my family but those who have chosen to ignore advice I have little sympathy for. Yes my place is the best place to hunker down of all of those belonging to my family but to ask me to bear the brunt is ridiculous. I will continue to berate,bully and shame them into putting things back for emergencies but I WILL tell them “I told you so ” just as often as I can WHEN it happens. And it’s not just about the zombie apocalypse. Even during this alleged pandemic my sister called me wanting TP to wipe her bum. I helped but I think it woke her up A LITTLE as sh now has extra TP. Lol.
During a serious SHTF situation, I doubt I would answer the door to total strangers, but if someone I recognize comes knocking on the door and I therefore might decide to cautiously open it, I would try to make sure everyone else in the house is aware of what is going on before I proceeded. I’d be armed, whether discreetly or in view is a decision I’ll make at that time, and I might have some really raggedy garb to throw on for a visual, and a discreet “scent bag” near the door or in the pocket of my “raggedy garb” so they get a good whiff of bad odor as soon as the door is opened. Have you ever smelled “dried fish” from an Asian market? It has a truly nasty stink that gets even worse when it’s cooked. And then I can hit them with the “I hope you brought something to eat, what did you bring with you?” and then watch how they respond. What a shock it would be if they piped up with “oh, you have dried fish?” That would definitely put a damper on the stinky charade.
Or, instead of answering the door, leave through a different exit and while trying to remain concealed, flank them from outside, observe them, and if I do decide to talk with them, it’s on my terms. Hopefully there will be other family members or very trusted companions armed and ready during any encounters of this nature.
https://newswithviews.com/will-america-be-hit-with-food-shortages-part-2/
I listen to a lot of survival apocalyptic books as I work. In this one book the guy had prepped all his life and was more then prepared. It was just him, his wife and little boy. Every now and then someone would wonder on his land looking for food. In the book he dealt with these people by killing them. The reason was because once in the past someone came by hungry. He fed them and they took off. A few days later that person came back with friends. They tried to rape his wife, kill him and live like kings on his land until the food was gone. In the book he was prepared for such a thing but in reality it can absolutely go wrong very fast. So it is certainly best to have numbers. Then you have to ask yourself if you feed that person knocking on your door should you let them leave after that? Should you feed them at all? Ask them right away “hey you got any food, i’m hungry” to make it look like your starving? There are so many questions to ask in that moment. Do you help this person because you were taught to help people or do you eliminate this person because you think they can come back with many friends? This is the reality of a shtf scenario. Don’t sugar coat this issue because it is a very serious one.