Survivalist prepper websites. Are they real?

reply to post by CommandoJoe



i know you can do a home build AR platform on a decent budget,I'll give you that point. But why an AR platform to begin with? With the pending legal stuff,you may not be able to own one ! Trust me,I like the cool factor of them,had one 30 yrs ago,sold it soon after my 300th jam.Its like an old Jaguar,had one of them too....feed it right,get it tuned up every 500 miles,learn not to drive at night or the wiring would fail....Yes,both are hot and sexy...both are too finicky for me tho.
Why not use a mini 14 instead? Why not put a wooden sport/hunting stock on an AR? I have an AR type stock on my 10/22,saved a lot of weight! Why not avoid the zombie horde biker gang than plan to fight it out like Khe Sanh? 10k of 22 is a pile of cash cheaper than .223,and probably will still give the bad guys a really bad day if hit.I do understand the cool factor,but is it worth the extra $$$ in a survival mode?

reply to post by rickymouse


I like your point about the cool hippy types! Years ago my brother in law and I were out training for a race in the middle of nowhere....A guy that looked like Jerry Garcia(Grateful Dead for the kids),pulled up in a VW van,asked if we could spare some gas.All we had was 2 stroke pre mix,but he took it cheerfully,and gave us 4 3 foot long zuccini's in trade! Then he drove off into the nat'l forest,waving and smiling!
I Really hope in a SHTF situation,we could all barter like this.I doubt it,but keep the faith

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by CommandoJoe

 

i know you can do a home build AR platform on a decent budget,I'll give you that point. But why an AR platform to begin with? With the pending legal stuff,you may not be able to own one ! Trust me,I like the cool factor of them,had one 30 yrs ago,sold it soon after my 300th jam.Its like an old Jaguar,had one of them too....feed it right,get it tuned up every 500 miles,learn not to drive at night or the wiring would fail....Yes,both are hot and sexy...both are too finicky for me tho.
Why not use a mini 14 instead? Why not put a wooden sport/hunting stock on an AR? I have an AR type stock on my 10/22,saved a lot of weight! Why not avoid the zombie horde biker gang than plan to fight it out like Khe Sanh? 10k of 22 is a pile of cash cheaper than .223,and probably will still give the bad guys a really bad day if hit.I do understand the cool factor,but is it worth the extra $$$ in a survival mode?

The links I posted were ready to shoot, not assemble it yourself...
I'm not pushing the AR platform, just showing that prices are not as bad as many people think. I considered a mini-14, but you don't really save much over the purchase price of an AR and there are a lot more accessories and cheaper mags for the AR.
I'm also a fan of 22lr (And have a 10/22) as well as many others. I'm considering a Mosin Nagant because of the cheap ammo...

reply to post by CommandoJoe


The mosin is a great choice.....if you have the shoulder to handle it! Accurate,made like a claw hammer,but kicks like a horse

Those prepper websites are "recommendations"...but ones made without any regard to logistics or your own personal finances.


Sure, we'd all love to have some underground concrete bunkers, etc., but the only REALISTIC prepping advice has to consider your personal situation, location, finances, and needs.

Personally, storing a bunch of MREs is a waste of time. They do eventually go bad, and then you spent a lot of money for nothing. The ONLY food that should be stored is food you actually eat every day, and you should rotate through using it, then adding back up to your stores. I'd buy canned food over MREs for this reason. And don't get a big can that will than have half going bad after opening. Get the same sized ones you use every day.

Additionally, our grandparents had it right. The best replenishable food source is a garden and home canning. Lasts longer than store cans too, and way better. Also, replenishable meat like rabbits and chickens.

Water is the most important thing. Having a well is ideal, but replenishable water is a must. Storing water is fine, but should be rotated also, as after 6 months, you'd need to treat it. We have a well, but also use water drums for storing, and we empty/refill every 6 months.

What you really need to survive most SHTF events is LAND and LOCATION (preferably away from really populous cities). Don't get me wrong, I love my AC and cable, wireless internet, etc. so I hope a SHTF event never happens, but if it does, I would prefer to be ready, even if that event is simply being laid off. Even then, you'll appreciate being a prepper, when you can stretch that unemployment check by eating stocked food.

As for guns and ammo, a .22 is still lethal, the ammo is small and cheap, and you'll definitely be able to stock up a LOT more ammo than with many other weapons. I also like the .38, just for the variety of ammo types.

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by redhorse

 

That being said,her son is totally useless in a survival situation.If I told him to get firewood,he'd probably grab 3 twigs and need a nap.He's 34 and has no skill's besides rolling a joint!
PS-If you ever want to bug out in Arizona,your more than welcome in my group.Not even knowing your skills,you must have some good traits.

edit on 6-5-2013 by blkcwbyhat because: forgot my train of thought

Well thank you. I can track, shoot, build a fire just fine (sorry about your step son), gut a deer in 15 minutes, grow a garden, basic first aid, train a horse, teach general animal husbandry, build a fence, do some masonry and I could go on... But I won't bore you with it. I might be a little lost in the desert at first but I catch on quick.

reply to post by redhorse



i just met my new wife! Really,Arizona isn't all desert like in the westerns.The south side is pretty much,but northern AZ has a lot of tall pine country.Deer,elk,even bighorn sheep and wild pigs..and rattlesnakes!

Originally posted by blkcwbyhat
reply to post by redhorse

 

i just met my new wife! Really,Arizona isn't all desert like in the westerns.The south side is pretty much,but northern AZ has a lot of tall pine country.Deer,elk,even bighorn sheep and wild pigs..and rattlesnakes!

Already taken, but flattered. I was thinking, maybe you could get your step son into... horticulture. After all, if the SHTF he's stone cold sober. All he'll have left is lickin' frogs.

reply to post by Gazrok


Great advice,right along with my thoughts.As to the store what you eat concept,even ignoring the prices,how many flavors do mre's come in?I'm sure you'd get food burn out on wheat beans and rice really fast,but mre's would stretch it out a bit.Canned food must be rotated often,as the can will rust.My understanding,according to "Ask Jackie.com",a real off gridder,store bought in jar's will last as long as home canned jars.
Speaking of wheat,it takes a lot of other things to make even a tortilla! Lard,fat,other stuff for real bread,and then a grinder.Why not store bisquick or pancake mix?

reply to post by redhorse


maybe let him grow hemp,he could have a headache all the time! Then weave rope!

reply to post by blkcwbyhat

My understanding,according to "Ask Jackie.com",a real off gridder,store bought in jar's will last as long as home canned jars.

Most store bought canned goods are recommended for a year, but still perfectly good after two years (there is a code you can read on them, to determine best use by date, but still good after that too). Any more than that, and you're risking it. Home canned goods and duration really depend on the level of acid in the particular food. Home canned meats, for example (low acid) can easily last 5 years or more! (in fact, there was a sealed can that was tested over 100 years after it had been canned, and was (after a lab analysis) still safe for consumption! Though who is going to taste it?)

Even acidic foods will last at least two years (recommended), but actually much longer. Mostly, know what to look for to determine the jars are still sealed and intact. I've eaten out of several of my grandmother's jars that were easily over 5 years, and didn't taste one bit of difference in the food.

Ask Jackie.com is a wealth of information on off the grid living,regarding everything from gardening to livestock,food preservation,you name it.They live truly off the grid in Minnesota,even built they're own gorgeous home.

reply to post by blkcwbyhat


Not sure if I'm seeing the right site/s. Do you have an exact URL for it? One I came up with is in Oregon.

reply to post by Gazrok


Ask Jackie.com is part of backwood home magazine,try her thru that

reply to post by blkcwbyhat


Ok, that is the right site then. Thanks.

www.backwoodshome.com...

While a lot of survivalist/preppers seem to concentrate on the food and gun's,what are the opinions on the seed bank things? Not needed for a short term bugout,but if its a cataclysmic event,they may be handy.My opinion is that they are overpriced,for one,and have things that you may not be able to grow anywhere you may be.My preference is to buy them at the big box store,or even save them from the grocery store.Yes,the grocery store! All my peppers and tomato leftovers go right into my garden,and they grow just fine! Granted,I have no clue if they are hybrid or not,but they do grow and produce veggies.All my potato's are from the grocery store,and the beans are from 1 pound bags of soup beans.A small bag of beans for a buck,or a little seed bag of 15-20 seeds? A no brainer to me!

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
$6,000 for 4 AR's?

$10,000 for 10,000 rounds of ammo?

Umm.... People serious about this don't pay anything remotely CLOSE to those prices on their worst day. I've since sold my AR- because I HATE the design with a passion that vibrates. However, I paid $500 for mine, several years ago. Reloading my ammo comes around $0.30 per round...not $1 a round. Less, depending on how many uses I get out of brass ..and that can go up if I just light load them to save wear and tear.

I think your figuring is starting from bad assumptions .... Just my opinion.

If you paid 500 for a AR I can understand why you don't like it. If you buy a low end product you will be disappointed every time.


If you are going to buy a AR buy a KAC,Bravo,Noveske,Colt,Laure. Anything under 1000 bucks will be crap.

reply to post by SubTruth


The only significant difference between what I bought and the better ones on the table next to it was Gas vs. Piston operation. Piston, even then, cost a WHOLE lot more than just $1,000....so, no, it wasn't quality of parts I had any issue with.

The price I paid at the time came because the dealers selling them had about 100 of them, literally barrel down in big trash cans, to choose from. Truth be known, I hate the design for the same reason the troops I have talked to hate theirs. The gas recoil system blows directly into the receiver. So, the first round fired, fouls the action ...and it just gets worse from there. After owning one, I fully understand now why U.S. Troops see weapons jams after a couple hundred rounds (reports from battles in these wars have indicated that).

At the time, I was making all the money I needed in trucking tho...so price wasn't the point as much as a platform to build more on-top of. That was the fun part ..but still such a pain in the butt to clean after even a few rounds fired? Just not worth it to me. I like my bolt action rifles. The barrels need thorough cleaning every time (at least I do), but the entire bolt assembly and action isn't coated thick with crap and carbon from an afternoon out shooting with it.

www.survivalistboards.com
not a retail site, just great info.

there are some fly-by-night retailers trying to cash in on the prepping craze/fad/whatever by offering stuff double it's price for the ignorant. like those sites selling 'silver' coins (actually PLATED) and comparing them to real coins.
'You might pay $1,000,000 for an 1804 Silver Dollar but this SILVER (plated) (replica) IS AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $199.99!!!
caveat empor. I think persons bright enough to be on this site won't fall for such foolishness.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


to be honest,I can't recall any of the original AR specs I bought.I got it in the early 80's for 650-750,don't recall.I assumed it was a colt,the way it jammed.I bought it,for yes,sorry to say,the cool factor!I did a lot of prairie dog shooting back then.My old boss,a vietnam vet,called it a "poodle shooter".Then I met a guy from the desert storm war,an ex marine..he went thru boot camp,wrote his dad a letter that basically said,"no way I'm going to war carrying that pile of crap,I'm gonna carry a M60!!".
If a marine would rather carry an M60 than rely on a M16...thats saying a lot.