Fend for yourself now; it will be easier later.

I'm curious how many survivalists are already subjecting themselves to potential conditions of the future?

Ie how many of you already practice eating less food, or living off a minimum of food?

How many of you grow, gather, trap, or fish your own food already?

How many of you have learned to improvise things you normally buy at the store, or have learned to go without them at all?

How many of you have bought or use electrical generators so that you may use certain appliances even if the grid shuts off in your area? Or decided to abandon electricity altogether? (Then I don't suppose you would be posting here! )


I know what I have to do to acquire my own food, and have practiced it, but because of how intensive it is and how much of a full lifestyle change it is, I usually buy things from the store. I still fast regularly, can go indefinitely without a trip back to the store (as long as my clothes and blankets alone don't wear out -- or I'd have to learn to make more), and have learned to accept the idea of going without electronics, including digitally-stored music.

But just this took an exertion on my part and at least a few months' time consideration. So I am just wondering, how many of us are really prepared to go now, and accept it?

reply to post by bsbray11


You really hit the nail on the head.I have given a lot of thought to this
subject.The only thing I have done is slowing down on the snacking.
This is a good thread

reply to post by bsbray11


I rationalize not doing with less now by thinking that I mind as well eat good now and enjoy things while I can. Cutting ones self off now will make for less suffering down the road, but hopefully I won't have to suffer to much since I'm stocking up on bartering items/food.

I think I will be adding junk food to my collection of items to barter with in a SHTF scenario.

People will be craving candy bars and other junk after not having any for months, enough so that they might make good trading items.

[edit on 9-9-2009 by lucentenigma]

I've been living it for close to a year now... Let my luxury SUV "go", as well as many contemporary ways of life, (expensive clothing, home appliances/ improvements/electronics, etc., etc.,. I began skeptically following the web-bot project, MIT'S GCP, Timewave Zero/One, and ATS, since August 2008. It unfortunately changed my life. Too many things add up, in-coincidentally, esp. the web-bot project predictions. EVERYTHING I've "A"cquired, as far as provisions, have proven "R"equired for present/future survival situations. I remain skeptical, but for your continuity of life, I recommend at least you be prepared. IMHO.....

reply to post by bsbray11


Im trying to eat less, but it's difficult. While I am trying to lose weight, I don't want to put my metabolism into "preserve" mode by depriving of food, but I don't want to cause myself to store more than I need.

I know how to fish, I just need to become more familiar with the rivers and lakes around here.

I posted a few weeks ago about what I was doing. I went through the great caffeine with drawl and endured a few days of caffeine with drawl triggered migraines. I don't go with out eating by I try to keep my diet as close to what it will be in a survival situation, or at least as close as I can get. Pay attention to what your body begins to crave. Pack that in your bag. Don't worry about trying to lose weight, focus instead on building muscle strength and endurance. in a survival situation, you will be using muscles not normally used in every day life, get creative with your workouts. Learn to waste not. Reuse everything.
Practicing preserving your own foods,baking your own bread. I have experimented in preserving all kinds of food. dehydrated cauliflower comes out all most like a powder and is great for thickening up soups.

Originally posted by calstorm
I posted a few weeks ago about what I was doing. I went through the great caffeine with drawl and endured a few days of caffeine with drawl triggered migraines. I don't go with out eating by I try to keep my diet as close to what it will be in a survival situation, or at least as close as I can get. Pay attention to what your body begins to crave. Pack that in your bag. Don't worry about trying to lose weight, focus instead on building muscle strength and endurance. in a survival situation, you will be using muscles not normally used in every day life, get creative with your workouts. Learn to waste not. Reuse everything.
Practicing preserving your own foods,baking your own bread. I have experimented in preserving all kinds of food. dehydrated cauliflower comes out all most like a powder and is great for thickening up soups.

Really good post
I used to drink 3 large mugs of coffee everyday.I drink a smaller cup
in the morning and drink a large mug at mid- morning.I cut my coffee
consumption from 72oz down to 35oz,full caffeine down to half caffeine.

I have a serious cookie addiction I'm working on now.I do prefer to
bake my cookies rather than buy them.I have a juicer and I sometimes
use the pulp to bake cookies.I don't want my grandchildren to know
that my cookies may contain vegetables and fruits.

I have been learning to can foods.The only thing I've been canning
right now is jellies.I use frozen juices and bottled juices to make jelly.
I need to can fruits and vegetables and meats.I bought a pressure
canner so that's next.

A lot of people have cravings for chocolate.I am a chocoholic,so I know
first hand how serious this addiction can be.The best chocolate is the
dark chocolates.I have chocolate ready to be packed.I chose the dark
baking cocoa,ovaltine and swiss miss instant.

I do need to start an excercising routine.That alternate toe touching
exercise,I can only touch down to my knees.I do have a treadmill and
a skier collecting dust in my basement.I could blow the dust off and
give it a try.

reply to post by calstorm


This is a great point. Going without caffeine is going to SUCK! It will probably be bad for smokers too when the tobacco runs out.

In the book The First Second After the author pointed out how nasty things will get when people run out of their prescription meds that they depend on daily and a lot will die when that happens.

I've been a survivalist for many years since I live in hurricane alley.

I have any and everything I would need.

You don't have to do without a few electrical luxuries if you buy some solar panel kits. They will charge a 12 volt battery. Some I have will charge other size batteries.

I was feeling pretty good about my readiness when life kicked me in the butt.

Two months ago I learned I was in 4th stage kidney failure. I will need dialysis and a kidney transplant.

How do you prepare for such a thing?

I had one surgery and will have another one in October getting my arm ready for dialysis.

I chose home dialysis so that I can hopefully stock up on the things I Will need to stay alive.

When I run out of supplies for dialysis I will go where the action is and die for my country.

I won't have anything else to loose so I could be of good use.



[edit on 10-9-2009 by dizziedame]

reply to post by bsbray11


Completely cut out sugar, thats one heck of a withdrawal in itself. Saving sugar, however, for barter/canning/drying, etc. only when necessary.

No refined flour. Saving some for barter.

No rice. Saving some for barter.

No salt added to most foods, bare minimum only, enough to survive. Saving some for barter.

Only fresh foods used in cooking, barely any canned foods.

Stocked up on lots of water over several months. Re-used all sorts of containers.

Gathered:
crank/solar/battery radio (AM/FM/shortwave) with cell phone adapter
shake flash lights
crank flash lights
whistles
waterproof matches
Gas cannisters for lantern, cooking stove
emergency stove
water purifying tablets
weapons/ammo
knives, collapsable shovel, fishing lines and supplies
bug out packed with various clothing/shoes
first aid

Only problem I am having is prescription meds. My insurance will not allow me to buy anything in advance, so I am unable to stockpile that. It is a bit worrisome, and far too expensive to buy without insurance.

Main diet consists of meats, fats, proteins, vegetables, fruit. Low carb high fat keeps us feeling full, less hunger peaks, stable glucose.

Collecting non-hybrid seeds, planning on fall builing and planning for a full spring garden next year. Will start canning, preserving my own foods, and using as much of my own or farm grown foods from my area as possible, less store bought.

Already capable of necessary crafts, candlemaking, sewing, tanning knowledge, leather crafting and tooling, etc.

reply to post by emsed1


Smart people will hoard tobacco leaves and use it for barter. It can be bought rather cheaply, either whole leaves or shredded, on line ATM. It will be like gold in some areas. Desperate people will part with lots for a tobacco fix.

Same with lots of staples like sugar, salt, ric, flour, etc. All of these are things a lot of people take for granted, but a nice bef jerkey will satisfy a tummy and physical needs for protein, and salt sure makes that happen.

As for meds, thats my worry. Indeed.

Originally posted by emsed1
reply to post by calstorm

 

This is a great point. Going without caffeine is going to SUCK! It will probably be bad for smokers too when the tobacco runs out.

In the book The First Second After the author pointed out how nasty things will get when people run out of their prescription meds that they depend on daily and a lot will die when that happens.

I was working at the prisons when the entire state decided to make all prisons "smoke free". One day the prisoners were allowed to smoke and the next day (and thereafter) they were not. Surprisingly, there were no violent incidents, riots or even bad behavior. And these were convicts.

As for the medications-try to find natural growing plants that serve the same function as the meds. Most meds are derived from some plant anyway. Digitalis is derived from foxglove, etc. There are alternatives for those who research the options.

Originally posted by Libertygal
Completely cut out sugar, thats one heck of a withdrawal in itself.

I agree; I don't even like thinking about it, because I notice when I am in "the wild" eating "wild" food, the sweetness factor is the hardest to go without. And when you don't get it for even a day or two, yes, you definitely start craving sugar. Whether you realize it as such or not. You'll want a soda. Or a candy bar. Or some sweet tea. But it's really that sugar (and maybe a little caffeine) that you're craving.


I'm stocking up on no food, though.

I don't have the money to stock up on everything I'll need to last for as long as I'm expecting this tragedy to last. It's infinitely more valuable to have the skills necessary to provide for yourself year-round.


And learning to eat wild food year round, is essentially learning to survive on wild food during winter. Rest of the year is a treat for you, especially all the obvious stuff like berries and corn.