[Chester]

I'm in rural Alabama, i got a couple of acres to grow food on. And wood to burn, What else should be considered?

[gnoll]

well this is a good one
you want like some chickens and goats or some cows
think about a still for fuel grade alcohol
a shop stocked with all kinds of tools and spare parts for your truck
and maby some hidden places for other stock piles

[fapprez]

Yeah, and how about a clean source of water? Water seems to rarely be mentioned. If I were to pick a "spot" for a SHTF situation, it would be away from any Large, metro type cities, yet a half of a tanks drive to a smaller city. I would be in the forest for an abundance of food and shelter and quite possibly up on a mountain side, but below the timber line for tempeture reasons.

I sure as hell wouldn't hang around here. I'm only an hours drive from Macdill AFB.

[ScottG]

I'd say forget the cows, too much food and water needed or open range. Might lose them to rustlers. Chickens for food, eggs, and fertilizer. Goats for milk, food and (some) trash disposal.

If you're talking no govt interference, the corn squeezins can be used as currency as well as fuel.

You'd probably want a few dogs as early warning devices too. A nice, fortified house wouldn't hurt either. Hopefully you have a self contained water supply. A generator if you're set up for one, use the likker to fuel that if you can.

Grow whatever food you want to eat and is good in your area. Unless you plan to process your own flour or corn meal, I really wonder what kind of diet most of us would manage to have on our own. You'd have to find someone to trade your surplus with to get manufactured items, otherwise you'll soon end up naked or wearing scraps for clothes if a long term disaster strikes. I'm not sure how many people really take such things into account when ruminating on survival after a disaster. We'd like to think we'd be just like the pioneers, but we don't really know how to do as many things as they did to survive on their own in a hostile environment without an industrial base nearby.

[Chester]

I'm very close to the cleanest large water supply in the state and maybe the nation, i also have a national forest not very far away (maybe 30 miles).

[hillbilly68]

Originally Posted by ScottG

We'd like to think we'd be just like the pioneers, but we don't really know how to do as many things as they did to survive on their own in a hostile environment without an industrial base nearby.

Scott, you hit the nail on the head; most of the conjecture about "survival" is not rooted in harsh reality. Most who fantasize about the "SHTF" "NWO" etc etc are akin to the airsoft community. The cold hard reality just isn't accounted for.

[Chester]

Originally Posted by hillbilly68

Scott, you hit the nail on the head; most of the conjecture about "survival" is not rooted in harsh reality. Most who fantasize about the "SHTF" "NWO" etc etc are akin to the airsoft community. The cold hard reality just isn't accounted for.

Some of us do realize we're not equipped with the survival knowledge we could need. What better way to find some info than to ask those who have the knowledge. As for me I'm not so far removed from the old days that alot of it would come back to be known

[bkt]

Originally Posted by ScottG

You'd probably want a few dogs as early warning devices too. A nice, fortified house wouldn't hurt either. Hopefully you have a self contained water supply.

+1. What does it matter if you're pretty well stocked with food, water and other supplies if you can't defend it?

Originally Posted by ScottG

We'd like to think we'd be just like the pioneers, but we don't really know how to do as many things as they did to survive on their own in a hostile environment without an industrial base nearby.

Sadly, this is true. It would make a lot of sense to learn how to can, pickle, ferment, distill, smoke, grow, harvest, build and forage effectively.

[fapprez]

Originally Posted by ScottG

We'd like to think we'd be just like the pioneers, but we don't really know how to do as many things as they did to survive on their own in a hostile environment without an industrial base nearby.

We also seem to think that we would be the only ones in the woods. I anticipate the chanes of meeting someone in the forest would be high in a SHTF situation. Every hunter, fisher, outdoorsman and hippie would "Head for the Hills". I say introduce yourself and use each others skills. After all, wouldn't a small community of sportsman be better than going it alone? ( let the fisherman fish, the hunter hunt, ect.)

[ScottG]

Originally Posted by Chester

Some of us do realize we're not equipped with the survival knowledge we could need. What better way to find some info than to ask those who have the knowledge. As for me I'm not so far removed from the old days that alot of it would come back to be known

I agree with you, I just pointed out it wouldn't be as easy or romantic as many people seem to think if this kind of situation happened. I know very little needed to survive "in country." I understand that meat doesn't grow on beef trees and ready packed in plastic for the store, but I couldn't efficiently and correctly dress any animal I had to kill for food. I'd waste most of it.

My grandparents could survive, even my dad probably could, but he hasn't lived on a farm since the late 40s and I never did. Mom used to can things and I could probably recall the methods to can with glass jars and wax, but I'd still suspect I'd end up poisoning myself and others at this point.

We also seem to think that we would be the only ones in the woods. I anticipate the chanes of meeting someone in the forest would be high in a SHTF situation. Every hunter, fisher, outdoorsman and hippie would "Head for the Hills". I say introduce yourself and use each others skills. After all, wouldn't a small community of sportsman be better than going it alone? ( let the fisherman fish, the hunter hunt, ect.)

That would be exactly what happens. It would be nice to band into a group instead of going it alone, but then that pesky Nockish "remnant" talk starts up.