What do you miss the most?

The scenario is one of The End Of The World As We Know It. Sit X has come and gone, and you have survived. For the sake of this discussion, lets assume your family and loved ones have all survived as well. Situation X has left the world in shambles. No power grid to connect to, no internet, no city plumbing, or cities for that matter.

Social order is only beginning to be restored, and it's in a, for lack of a better term, "Titor-esque" way. Small bands of survivors have congregated into tiny communities for survival. You've managed to return to a sustainable existence, but of the most primitive variety. All modern conveniences have been eradicated. You're basically camping, permanently.

What will you miss the most? Your CD collection? Reality TV? Hot dogs and nachos? A Big Juicy with bacon, and extra cheese from the local burger shack? Tampons? (hey c'mon now, I'm surrounded by women in my house, and I'll tell you right now I'm going to miss midol) Now, I know we'll all miss our favorite supermarket, so lets limit responses to matters of convenience and indulgences.

As for me, I think some may think my take on this concept is a bit strange. Odd as it may be, mine would be camping with the family. I've always been an outdoorsman, and likely could adapt quite readily to the aforementioned scenario. However, what I'd miss most is the time spent with the wife and kids, enthusiastically checking and re-checking gear, packing the packs, loading the dogs, and heading for the dark ages by choice. The experience of living rustic in the woods has little to do with where you are, and everything to do with why you're there. Perhaps then, we'll take leisurely trips to abandoned cities for recreation... Who knows.

I'll miss recorded music and playing and watching live and plugged in concerts.

I'll also miss Back to the Future. I've seen it a million times, but still.

First thing that comes to mind is --- ice, and loud music. There will be many others. This is actually something m'Bride and I have talked about to some length.

Excellent thread........ pretty much crossing the boundary between several forums, doesn't it? to be continued......

Music, hot showers, and daily shaving, regular haircuts. weight rooms, rings, and power tools. Slightly dressed up/made up girls and their perfume on the wind. Refridgeration, modern comunication, and my craft as it is today(carpentry). And some of those who didn't make it.

Definitely the 'net.

I have enough know how to rig simple generators and water pumps to supply myself and family with enough electricity to have a stove, oven, fridge, and running hot and cold water. Nothing I can do to get the net back up though.

First post here. Thought this would be a good start. I would miss all the comforts that I am blessed with now. I am grateful for each and every one of the things that allow me to lead the life I am leading.

But if the worse case scenario took place and my family and I survived it, I would be too busy being grateful for that blessing to be missing what is nothing more than "icing" on the cake of life.

Unit, I think given your scenario then you would be in seventh heaven as thats where you would probally end up, living rough that is.

But given what you asked the way I see it is the most important things are what you stated, for all my love of material things I would not miss one of them. Keeping my family alive, fed, sheltered and well would mean more than winning the lottery.

As it is I am very fortunate that I can create things given certain basic tools, give me a alternator off a car and I will give you electricty, I recycle anything that can be of value or use. My next project when I'm off work in a couple of weeks is to manufacture a steel griddle, hotplate and oven that can be powered by gas, wood, coal or oil.

One should always prepare for the worst but hope for the best as they say.