Economic collapse and when the SHTF

[Zil]

Can't say anything about collapse, my family has survived a great many from 1700 on. Check the history of our economy. But I want to recommend a movie called "A Boy and His Dog".
try here; https://archive.org/details/ABoyAndHisDog1975

 

[INVADER ZIM]

Solar and hydrogen is now possible. Nano tech. can keep the hydrogen in a liquid state and can be used in a regular fuel tank, also at fuel stations without any financial changes. The state of AZ can provide all the power and plenty more. Check out Gizmo Magazine for true references and how alot of problems are being solved.

But sorry kids, the Govt. Is very greedy and they want their piece of the cake and soda. Soooo, you will have to pay, pay, pay, and pay some more because Uncle Sam loves you. Remember they have their needs also even though they have more money then they will ever know what to do with.

Just think the Govt. could have given everyone a million dollars as bailout money, but Insted only the rich bankers and corporations got it.

I wonder if there would still be drug dealers. Huuuum? With a millon everyone would be retired, but who would work at the drive through?

 

[Willy]

The politicians whom the populace 'elect' run the government, but who 'runs' the politicians? Follow the money and you'll know who really runs a country, and what changes, positive and otherwise, you can expect.

Regarding SHTF stuff, whatever rig I have would be for getting me and my stuff out of the urban centres and set up for when the fuel runs out. TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS! ..and the more versatile the better. At least a coupla months worth of food and a recumbent trike (delta style) to haul stuff and live off afterward. ..Willy.

 

[Bdog1]

I don't think the economy has recovered at all sine our "financial collapse" of 08. As the money devalues it's like someone getting the pin # to your ATM and taking out money. I think we're all waiting for a big sign, when in reality it's right here all around us. Sure your SS check, pay check, whatever is still the same, but it buys half what it used to.

 

[highdesertranger]

good points bdog. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

I'm convinced things are going to get real bad pretty soon. I've done a long series on prepping as a vandweller and covered most of the basics. At the top of this page, click on blog. In the right hand sidebar is a list of categories. Click on "Survival" and they will come up. I've talked about nearly everything said so far in this thread.

I've got 6 months supply of food in my van right now with multiple methods of cooking and multiple methods of water purifying. I've got a motorcycle that gets 70 MPG and I'm carrying 50 gallons of gas in the vans tank and cans=3500 miles of driving.

Of course I've got 1000 rounds for the AR-15 and .22 and 500 for the .357.

The all important thing I have is I live 365 days a year on public land far from "civilization" but never more than 50 miles from a natural water source. And I've got a community!
Bob

 

[RogueRV2]

Hello All,
I've avoided talking about this as I thought I was the lone survival nut on this blog. Boy oh, boy, was I ever wrong! It looks like I've stumbled upon the right place.... There is definitely more than one nut in a Planter's Peanut can. :0)

 

[GotSmart]

I have been hearing this all since I was a kid.

What every tribe needs is the basics~~~.

Leadership, (Chief, wise man, etc.) medical (medicine man/woman) Tool and weapons making capability.(Mr build and fix it) Food / water resources. (Farmers and hunters) and the religious leader.

I spent my life repairing as many things as I could get my hands on. I will be the Wizard. The man that can fix everything. The truck load of tools (my toys) are my survival cards. I have trained in every basic need from water purification to sewage treatment, concrete to computers, cars to handguns~~~ I have been having fun learning many things.

What other resources I keep are my own business. I still do not trust this internet that can be hacked.

 

[LeeRevell]

I have been hearing this all since I was a kid.

I spent my life repairing as many things as I could get my hands on. I will be the Wizard. The man that can fix everything. The truck load of tools (my toys) are my survival cards. I have trained in every basic need from water purification to sewage treatment, concrete to computers, cars to handguns~~~ I have been having fun learning many things.

What other resources I keep are my own business. I still do not trust this internet that can be hacked.

Agreed, same here. I am a 'jack of all trades', and a fair shade tree mechanic with good tools. Not an 'expert', but those will be in short supply after the balloon goes up.
I also dabble in gunsmithery and am able to handload eighteen calibers and convert several calibers of brass to other calibers. I can cast my own bullets. So I hope to be an asset to a prepper group after The Fall.
I can garden, but don't enjoy it

The key will be to find a good group that works together without taking all you have 'for the community good'.

 

[jeanontheroad]

Both the Great Depression and the recent Great Recession, as well minor problems, were caused by the weakly regulated behavior of the financial industry. You might want to think about that when you vote. As for we codgers on Social Security, we are not really on fixed incomes. We have increases that are tied into inflation. Sure, our investments will be hammered. We won't be living the high on the hog life we planned. Oh, well. But if we have invested conservatively, and don't panic and sell, the economy will come back and so will our investments. As for gas prices, we'll all just have to stay put more. We'll have to use what we have and not shop for entertainment. We'll have to change our diets to focus on locally grown foods and a lot less meat, which takes a lot of energy to produce and ship. Been there. Done it all. The sky really is not falling.

---

BTW, if you have any debt and the value of the dollar falls, you will be paying off you debt with cheaper dollars. Just make sure you don't have a lot of debt on credit cards with flexible interest rates.

 

[caseyc]

I can be the resident geek. Oh wait, that won't be too useful huh??

 

[jeanontheroad]

Yes, casey, that would be VERY useful, for the same reason I would be buying up Verizon and TMobile the minute the market tanked. People will live on bread and water before they'd give up their phones and internet. They may cut way back, but they won't give them up. As soon as the economy picked up, demand would be back, strong.

 

[caseyc]

Cool! Since Verizon backed down on their threat to throttle users with grandfathered unlimited 4G data plans (like myself), everyone is welcomed to log into my smartphone WiFi hotspot signal for internet access! Free Internet for all my friends on this forum, haha!

Would that make me the most popular guy you suppose?? ;-)

 

[jeanontheroad]

Hey, looking for a place to stay when the SHTF? Try a farm in Florida or Georgia if you have a gun. You could probably stay for free if you were getting rid of the *#%^*% feral pigs that were ruining the crops. You'd have meat, too.

 

[wagoneer]

ef all that!!!!!!! stocking up on good bourbon the Golden gate bridge is only 15 minutes away. I will have my trusty Roberts 257

 

[PeterG]

I would have to disagree with the folks saying to live in a coastal area in Florida. In a hypothetical collapse, you would lose weather forecasting, and hurricanes are really no fun at all, especially in a vehicle.

I think everyone gets just a little too excited about this, though. We have had rough times in the U.S. before, and we didn't go full Road Warrior or Walking Dead. Having food, water and a way to purify more, and plenty of fuel to reach family or friends are always good ideas, especially if you live in a remote area in case of vehicle breakdown.

Preparing for natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and floods makes more sense to me, since they are much more likely.

I have been in and worked hurricanes and tornado disaster areas a few times, and the people were for the most part very good to each other. There were a few dirtbags taking advantage, but mostly people helped each other and worked together to get through it.

 

[compassrose]

I believe that we should all be prepared for a natural disaster. Much of that would be transferable skills for longer term situations if you are so inclined to believe in (NOTE: I am not saying it won't or couldn't happen, just not highly likely). Learning homesteading/pioneer skills would be desirable. Self health care and first aid would be a premium skill. Learning how to raise the herbals you would need to treat various ailments would be a necessity. They have books for that. Having a small piece of land to put in an intensive garden to feed your self and sell/barter would also be desirable. They have books for that too (look for titles concerning 1/2 or 1/4 acre homestead farms). Storey Publishing carries some good books including Basic skills, "crafts" that you can make and barter/sell, how to preserve the food you are raising (which you can also sell/barter... I really like "Putting Food By" as a good overall basic food preservation book), raising food animals (chickens & rabbits are good choices for 1/4 acres homesteads both for meat, chicken for eggs and rabbits for the fur and yarn from angora rabbits plus you can feed them almost exclusively from garden gleanings or even plant a bed or two just for critter food). www.motherearthnews.com is also a great source of information for independent homesteading (I like the older issues... I have them on CD's which makes it easier to search them). You can learn how to make rag rugs, etc (also a sell/barter item). Build a chicken plucker machine. Check out MEN's DIY books and don't forget about their e-books.

My rural upbringing and former lifestyle is showing.

 

[BC Guy]

The free articles online at backwoodshome.com are a good resource.

 

[Harleyrider]

There is a website called WTSHF. Tons of good info. I've always held the theory that when it happens the only thing of value will be guns/ammo and food/water. Either will get the other for you. Being raised in a full service gun shop I have half of my theory covered. I'm willing to make a stand. I'm new to rving so I am soaking up all the info I can to make my Winny a bugout vehicle. Keep your powder dry and save your 'mater seeds folks, it may be a long dry spell.

 

[LeeRevell]

There are far too many different disaster scenarios to try to prep for each one - the best we can do is a general prepping, which will cover 90% of what we need, the basics. Being limited to a van/bus/RV will limit the preps one can take along.
Truly living and enjoying life after The Fall will be a lot easier if we become part of a larger group of folks of similar interests but a wide range of experience and skills. Something like Quartzite and other RV settlements may be a good start.
Religious leaders...... well, some folks need that support, others of us do not. I am not an atheist, more a Deist (as were many of the Founders), and I oppose major organized religion - don't like another man telling me how to live my life.
Don't want a militarily organized group either, for much the same reason. A good strong cohesive community, like the frontier communities of the old west, is more to my liking. RVing seems to foster this ideal well.
Once the basic water, food and defense needs of the group are met, each man, woman and family should have their own independence.