[threadbear]

My husband and I have been preparing for economic depression, or hyper inflation for 9 years. Before that, we were just frugal. We could possibly live off our savings till we die. Mind you, we may be reduced to Northern primitives, foraging for twigs and berries. It won't be a refined caviar lifestyle, that's for sure.

DeMolay--I vote you the best prepared forum member. Astonished at what you've achieved!

[deMolay]

I don't know about that, we don't own anything new. It seems we have been recycling all our lives. If you look at our place from the road, if you were a crook you would just keep on driving. You would be afraid that I might hit you up if you drove into the yard. We used to desire new things, and then when we got to were we could pay for the new things, everything went for a shit. Like a prairie dog, we popped out of the hole, took a look around said Oh Shit, we were right. Then we popped back into our hole. Heh, Heh, Heh.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'M')y husband and I have been preparing for economic depression, or hyper inflation for 9 years. Before that, we were just frugal. We could possibly live off our savings till we die. Mind you, we may be reduced to Northern primitives, foraging for twigs and berries. It won't be a refined caviar lifestyle, that's for sure.
DeMolay--I vote you the best prepared forum member. Astonished at what you've achieved!

[nobodypanic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', ' ') Basically one COULD get through that layered defense with a little effort (really thick clothes, tools to cut through fence) but you'd have to have a reason to, which you might not since you wouldn't be able to see anything past the evergreens; and then you would trip a perimeter alarm & probably be shot via AR15 as I sit comfortably behind a firing slit in brick wall sipping tea.
That would be assuming one of the neighbors don't pick you off first.

[deMolay]

Maybe good old rangerone built one of these: Fort

[Revi]

After reading the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler I got to thinking about how to fortify a place enough when times get really tough. I think you can survive, but it takes more than just a big wall. It takes a community of like minded people. I think, like in the book that people will come around to a way of thinking that includes their neighbors, but things will get bad first.

I have thought about ways to fortify my neighborhood. We'd have to block off roads and post guards.

I lived in a place like that in Central America. There were armed citizens at every entrance to the town. It made the place safe from the death squads. Every male in town had to take a shift.
I envision a safe place to be like that. It's a drag, but that's what it will take.

There's a reason why people built castles in the middle ages.

[mos6507]

Well, Revi, you're big thing is talking about how everyone is leaving Maine in droves. Do you really see a big reversal post-peak or are you mostly worried about the few who are staying behind going zombie on you?

[Narz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')an You Survive?

[Cid_Yama]

<i>I got to thinking about how to fortify a place enough when times get really tough.</i>

A good place to look for ideas is in the past. What did the first of settlers heading beyond the Appalachians do to survive in hostile environs?

They did not start out in communities and most <b>avoided</b> communities as there were serious drawbacks. Town was usually just a trading post for provisions. The merchants provided security for themselves and their operations. That was it. Evolution beyond the trading post happened far down the line once business stabilized and expanded. Once business was good then the Government would show up, build a fort, and steal as much business from the merchant as they could. Then you got communities.

Think 18th century rather than 19th.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('evilgenius', 'G')ood point, Cid, when the banks went down in the thirties those that thought they had their money in a safe place didn't.

[Newfie]

While I believe that we are nearing the end times I don't have sufficient insight to know HOW this is going to happen so doing preps is very difficult. I can spin out various scenarios that are all very different and one as likely as another.

So my preps tend to lean towards flexibility.

We own a multi-unit brownstone. Rent pays mortgage. When mortgage is paid off rent income alone will support a meager retirements. That is if things just sort of slowly unravel.

Then we have some remote property with plenty of trees for heat, a stream for water, in a remote place.

Then we have a small cottage in my ancestral homeland, very far away. Lots of family, very good with guns. Zombies can't swim THAT far.

Then I have a small ocean capable sailboat "up there" so I can get anywhere.

There are flaws to my plan. The biggest one is if there was a sudden rationing of gas (in order to drive) or if the borders were closed. I have a work around for that but I need my wife to buy into it. I'm working on it.

The other part to my preps, such as they are, is that they should be something that you enjoy. Since we really don't know what is going to happen we should strive to enjoy what we DO have while we have it. My wife says I am a master of rationalization and that may be. Now if I just get her to by that SECOND sailboat so we can slip out of here quietly (and practice on the odd weekend in between) I'll be (sorta) happy.

[Cid_Yama]

Newfie,

You have to do the Romantic Sailing Excursion route. Wine, good food, HER music, promoted as a way to get away ALONE together.

Get her to the point where SHE suggests it, wants it.

If you have to rent a boat first to get her warmed up, so be it.

Soon she will want your own so you can go whenever you want. Your special place.

Either that or just buy it. Tell her or don't. Be a man!

[deMolay]

Head for the Rock Newf. No body can weather a storm like the Newf's.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deMolay', 'H')ead for the Rock Newf. No body can weather a storm like the Newf's.

[Cid_Yama]

If you want Greenland, you can always get there while you still can.

Set yourself up. Fly your wife there. If you want a boat, probably necessary as you will get much of your sustinence from the sea, get one there, or get one delivered there.

Just read an article, and Greenland looks like it could be a great place to be. Friendly people and beer made from ancient pristine water coming off the glaciers.

[Revi]

I think a boat is the ultimate bug out vehicle. You should aim not to hit land until you are in Maine, and then land on an outer island. Stop by to visit us if you hit Swan's Island. It has the best harbor of any of them.

It's going to be crazy if anything happens in a city, and the only way out may be by sailboat.

Newfoundland is a great place to be when TSHTF.

Good luck!

[Newfie]

The boat I have is a 33' steel cutter. I bought it about 5 years ago in SW Nova Scotia. I've done about 2,500 miles in her over extended summer vacations. I have been out to St Pierre (French islands S of Newfoundland) and she is now in Bonavista Bay where I have family.

Last year my wife bought a cottage, abut 25 years old and in pretty good shape, next to my Aunt's place. It was about $35K, 100 amp service, dug well, working bathroom. I also have acreage in Nova Scotia.

I don't know if I'll ever do the Greenland thing but I would like to. I am intimidated by the crossing, about 800 miles of open ocean. At 58 I can feel my time running out for such foolishness. Ideally I would like to cut back work or even quit now and take off. However the wife is a psychoanalyst and has spent many years building her private practice, to which she is devoted. Besides she is prone to seasickness. And I'm not independently wealthy, but that we could probably work around if we wanted to.

So we are having some "issues." We WILL work them out sooner or later. I just hope things hold together until we do.

Personally I enjoy the solitude of the boat and can happily exist alone for weeks at a time. Not all can.

The whole sailing thing is weird. Without going into detail I can tell you that while I am not a "spirtualist" in any way I found that sailing has come to me almost as if I were reliving a past life. Very weird.

Sailboats can be the ultimate bug out mobile. I like the idea of the flexibility to go where you need to. Unlike others I do NOT like the idea of building a defensible fortress/homestead. I'm pretty comfortable with guns and enjoy hunting. I'm not a picky eater, lentil stew last night and venison heart for Christmas feast. I know what a .308 can do and I have no desire to exchange hostile fire. Guns are a LAST resort. Far better to run, far and fast.

Anyway, that is my take on survival.

[Cid_Yama]

Intentionally deleted for privacy reasons. Revealed more than I intended.

[Newfie]

Yeah, I do that too sometimes.

Easy to forget you are on an open forum.

[Revi]

My father loves sailing, but at 78 he just couldn't do it any more. He sold his boat and is pining for it now.

He had a Rhodes Ranger, 28 feet.

It was a hard boat to singlehand at his age.

I am not all that crazy about sailing, but I am thinking of getting a small boat you can row, motor and sail.

I think a Drascombe Lugger or a Sea Pearl would be the thing.

What I would really like is a Norseboat, but they are pricey.

I envision it as a way to get back and forth to the island, even if it is too expensive to motor around.