[IamElmerJFudd]

Hi, BC. I think we are interpreting things differently. I didn't think Hal was saying anything at all that was contrary to what I was saying and I agreed with him about his friend's situation. The survival forum is here and it's reason for existing is to be a teaching tool so we can learn from each other. I am willing and eager to learn from the members here and over the years I have learned much.

 

[Edward Tinker]

Pretty funny story Hal - I have backed away from 'prepping', I now call it being prepared But as Black Powder said above, a reasonable amount of prepping is the way to go. We had some good friends visit us from Penn and they were surprised at how much food we had in our pantry. I am thinking it is barely enough for a couple of weeks.
Fire scares me more than anything, we have a nice clear zone, but I've seen so many instances of the fire (forest fire, I live out a ways) jumping hundreds of yards and burning the house down. In fact a funny story (now its funny) was last year. We were going to look at a horse trailer the next day, because we didn't have one (although if there was an awful fire, I could put them in the backyard where there is a huge pond).
Anyway, we are in town, knowing that tomorrow we were looking at the trailer and the neighbor text's us and tells us there is a fire within a couple miles of our house. We race home and the fire as the crow flies is less than a 1/2 mile. All was good and the next day we bought the trailer, so at least that is something to not worry about.

 

[IamElmerJFudd]

Pretty funny story Hal - I have backed away from 'prepping', I now call it being prepared But as Black Powder said above, a reasonable amount of prepping is the way to go. We had some good friends visit us from Penn and they were surprised at how much food we had in our pantry. I am thinking it is barely enough for a couple of weeks.
Fire scares me more than anything, we have a nice clear zone, but I've seen so many instances of the fire (forest fire, I live out a ways) jumping hundreds of yards and burning the house down. In fact a funny story (now its funny) was last year. We were going to look at a horse trailer the next day, because we didn't have one (although if there was an awful fire, I could put them in the backyard where there is a huge pond).
Anyway, we are in town, knowing that tomorrow we were looking at the trailer and the neighbor text's us and tells us there is a fire within a couple miles of our house. We race home and the fire as the crow flies is less than a 1/2 mile. All was good and the next day we bought the trailer, so at least that is something to not worry about.

I would consider a home firefighting pump a must have accessory if I was in your situation Ed. You already have a pond to draw water from and these things only cost about as much as a riding lawn mower. Even if you evacuate and won't get the chance to use it yourself the firefighters who come to your area could use it to defend your house. You would just need to leave a sign in your driveway stating that you have a portable fire pump ready to use behind the house and I guarantee the firefighters will find it.

Home Firefighting&#174 Systems - Home Page

Residential Firefighting systems including portable fire pumps, whole house pumping systems, widlfire sprinklers, aspirated and compressed air foam (CAFS) and other firefighting products for homes and ranches.

www.homefirefightingsystems.com

 

[Pardt]

Pretty funny story Hal - I have backed away from 'prepping', I now call it being prepared But as Black Powder said above, a reasonable amount of prepping is the way to go. We had some good friends visit us from Penn and they were surprised at how much food we had in our pantry. I am thinking it is barely enough for a couple of weeks.
Fire scares me more than anything, we have a nice clear zone, but I've seen so many instances of the fire (forest fire, I live out a ways) jumping hundreds of yards and burning the house down. In fact a funny story (now its funny) was last year. We were going to look at a horse trailer the next day, because we didn't have one (although if there was an awful fire, I could put them in the backyard where there is a huge pond).
Anyway, we are in town, knowing that tomorrow we were looking at the trailer and the neighbor text's us and tells us there is a fire within a couple miles of our house. We race home and the fire as the crow flies is less than a 1/2 mile. All was good and the next day we bought the trailer, so at least that is something to not worry about.

Pretty similar story. We were eating lunch inside the house on a Sunday two years ago and got a phone call from a friend asking if we were close to the fire. I step outside to see a pillar of smoke rising 3/4 of a milw from us. Fortunately it was headed the other way. If we do get a fire again we have a horse trailer for our two horses and there are a few things we would grab before heading out.
As far as prepping go we try not to get carried away but we do keep more food around than some people.
I think each situation will be different but in a emergency situation having good friends who all can band together would be key.

 

[staffy]

If you have water, the fire pump is a good idea, although we have had one for 25+yrs and not needed to use it.

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

swimming pool pumps work

 

[Tempest2]

Uh-oh, something in common with frozen-chicken boy...

My 'be prepared' plans for an EOTWAWKI scenario depend on burning wood for heat in a post-grid/post-fossil world.

That's nice, fat boy, but how you gonna buck-it-up when there's no gasoline left to run the chain saw? 'Cause you can't store gas for extended periods. Funky California "e-saws" and photovoltaics? Those batteries will lose their mojo a bit slower, maybe, but it's still temporary.

I'm not fat, but using a big bow saw to process a winter's worth of heat is beyond my starting-to-age abilities.

Storing a year's worth of processed firewood is not hard, maybe two years even, but various constraints limit more than that.

Backup plan for now involves a single .38 round.

 

[Gorilla Gunsmith]

Fudd, My friend is an intellegent guy, has a great job that requires critical thinking. But he has blinders on when it comes to this. I have breached the subjet several times with him but get nowhere. I have come to the conclusion that after working and knowing him for over 15 years he just doesn't value other peoples input once he has made his mind up.

If he is truly your friend, Then humor him, Arguing with a fence post will get you nowhere.

 

[Orcutt]

Lived in a house once owned by Mormons. They converted most every area in the house plus garage into cabinet space. For canned food storage. I figured they and others were a lot better prepared than most people if an EMP ever went off.

 

[Claypipe]

Taking Heed of the cautionary tale of the chipmunk and the grasshopper. Not to mention, shutting one's mouth, can keep your well laid plans from going south.

 

[SfcRet]

chipmunk and the grasshopper

the next time you point a "cautionary" tale at least get the characters correct.

review Aesop's Fables

 

[IamElmerJFudd]

Uh-oh, something in common with frozen-chicken boy...

My 'be prepared' plans for an EOTWAWKI scenario depend on burning wood for heat in a post-grid/post-fossil world.

That's nice, fat boy, but how you gonna buck-it-up when there's no gasoline left to run the chain saw? 'Cause you can't store gas for extended periods. Funky California "e-saws" and photovoltaics? Those batteries will lose their mojo a bit slower, maybe, but it's still temporary.

View attachment 3992851

I'm not fat, but using a big bow saw to process a winter's worth of heat is beyond my starting-to-age abilities.

Storing a year's worth of processed firewood is not hard, maybe two years even, but various constraints limit more than that.

Backup plan for now involves a single .38 round.

Prepare to barter for other people's labor then. If you have booze and tobacco and canned food and toilet paper and whatever people need that they didn't stockpile for themselves then you can trade it for their labor. Just don't show off the whole pile all at once, or even the most honest person might plot to take it from you.

 

[Claypipe]

chipmunk and the grasshopper

the next time you point a "cautionary" tale at least get the characters correct.

review Aesop's Fables

Many cultures have the same story with different characters, but the message remains the same. So if my cultural background offends you, TS.

 

[Claypipe]

Fudd, My friend is an intellegent guy, has a great job that requires critical thinking. But he has blinders on when it comes to this. I have breached the subjet several times with him but get nowhere. I have come to the conclusion that after working and knowing him for over 15 years he just doesn't value other peoples input once he has made his mind up.

If his mind is set, then that is his reality. People such as that are both a threat and a liability. A threat and a liability because once they realize that their reality is a fairy tale, they will immediately panic like a drowning person and begin to fail about grasping at straws. And the first thing that will come to mind is coveting what you have worked to prepared for this situation.

S03e03 pt.1 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.2 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.3 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.4 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.5 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.6 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.6 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

"The Shelter" is episode 68 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on September 29, 1961 on CBS.https://en.wikipe...

www.youtube.com

S03e03 pt.7 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

S03e03 pt.7 - The Twilight Zone - The Shelter -

"The Shelter" is episode 68 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on September 29, 1961 on CBS.https://en.wikipe...

www.youtube.com

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

i live along the edge will die that way

 

[Claypipe]

i live along the edge will die that way

BE CAREFUL, THAT FIRST MISSTEP COULD BE A DOOZIE.

 

[barnetmill]

Right now the most pathetic prepper that I know is myself because i have not done what I know should. Part of that involves better gardens and rest is storage buckets full of grains and such under nitrogen. Lots of sugar, salts, and spices that will keep. Along with a lot more.
There is no need for me to make little of others to the extent i see being done here. Preppers mind their own business. One can learn from the mistakes of others as well as your own mistakes.

 

[IamElmerJFudd]

"One can learn from the mistakes of others as well as your own mistakes." barnetmill.

Well said.

 

[Lyman1903]

Hal, failing to plan is planning to fail. Go buy yourself a couple of hundred pounds of charcoal because your friend is, no doubt, going to have to throw one hell of a cookout starting about 2 days after the power goes out, and he's going to need the charcoal. Oh, and don't forget a couple of cases of barbeque sauce.

Sir Fudd, you gave me a PTSD type flashback,

worked years ago as a Meat Manager, the Work Methods Supervisor for the Division was famous for saying
plan your work, and work your plan, in every conversation,

good words mind you, and the phrase holds true,, but I could hear his voice 25 yrs later, in my head,

 

[Lyman1903]

chipmunk and the grasshopper

the next time you point a "cautionary" tale at least get the characters correct.

review Aesop's Fables

caught that as well,

I have somewhere a copy of the fable from when I was a kid,
grasshopper and ant,,,