The Simple Skills aren't So Simple
I mentioned in another thread that there are so many skills we would need to survive a Zpoc or any kind of massive disaster. How many of us can sew our own clothes or cook our own foor? Okay, we all know you're gonna have to know how to shoot in order to stay alive. You're gonna shoot zombies and you're gonna shoot food. Now how many know how to field dress what they shoot? Can you skin that critter? Can you tan the pelt? Once the ammo on the store shelves is gone you're gonna have to reload your own. Do you know how to make a primer, a lead slug the proper caliber or how to make gun powder? We talk bicycles, cars, ATVs, Motorcycles and even horses but how many of us have used these things? Riding a bicycle is almost a given but some folks never learn to drive a car let alone a motorcycle, ATV or snowmobile. How many of us know how to cue a horse? How many of us know the proper use of spurs? What's the easiest way to get feathers off a bird you shot and managed to dress out without ruining it? How many can plant a garden? How many know about hydroponics? You may not have access to a garden plot and may have to grow food on a rooftop in a home made green house. Do you have these skills? Do you know someone who does? Can you get enough people together who have different skills that can be used to survive?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dingo on -
I am interested in getting into solar tech, seeing as though the wind doesn't always blow (and with minimal materials a very large battery bank isn't all that practical) but it is quite a bit more expensive.
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on -
The big problem with wind and solar is that the batteries aren't that good.
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Permalink Reply by Wrecks on -
I was sort of taking stock of things that will be abundant during the ZA. Abandoned cars come to mind. Does a car's starter/alternator have what it takes to be the basis for a wind/man powered generator? I have worked with electric motors only sparingly, but it seems to me that if you could rig a DC to AC converter up you could harness the car battery power for daily living and recharge it with wind/bicycle/a working car. I would not ask for specifics here, but if someone knows a good place to look up that sort of thing I am interested.
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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run the car until the gas runs out. There are inverters for sale at Wally World and Auto Zone for cheap. After that you can rig the alternator as a wind generator and run a water pump or a couple low watt lights.
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Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on -
or, decide what KIND of electric you'd actually NEED for daily living - you can direct wire (or alligator clip) an inverter onto any battery for DC. You can find 750 Watt inverters for about $40 bucks on ebay. I bought a 2800 Watt inverter for $125 - but you also have to make sure the surge (start up wattage) won't trip the inverter.
What you really need is solar panels for re-charging the batteries. You can alligator clip a small panel to an individual battery for a constant trickle charge. A car, of course, will charge the battery, but then you have to have gas, and if you have a constant supply of gas, you might as well be running a generator that has 110 and 220 to charge a battery bank. Yes, you can use used car batteries, but they don't have a real long shelf life like a deep cycle battery does.
Check out www.CheaperThanDirt.com - some cool stuff there including a hand crank dynamo generator.
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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One of my favorite equipment sites.
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Permalink Reply by soul in agony on -
If any one wants some info on just how hard surviving after ZPOC I highly recommend two books that are a must read.... the 1st is "Earth Abides" written by George R. Stewart born ( May 31st 1895. died Aug 22nd 1980) this post apoc: story was written in 1949. the book is about a man that is not effected by a virus that sweeps throughout the world... and his day by day strugle to survive and then try to start to repopulate the world... The other is "How to survive the end of the world as we know it" by James Wesley Rawles a U.S. Army military intelligance officer from 1984 to1993 where he resigned his commission as an Army Capt. immediately afte Bill Clinton was sworn in. Now where "Earth Abides" centers on more social terms of survival... this book reads like a training manual much like Max Brooks... "Zombie survival guide" but is much more technical...Now nether of these books have anything to do with zombies but After reading these books you will understand just how hard it will be to survive without zombies... now stop and think just how hard it would be with them in the mix???? These books have opened my eyes and forced me to rethink my whole survival plan.....
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Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on
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Good to see this topic revived - Hey there Prime!
Things I have learned since last year living completely off grid: (This is the short down and dirtly list otherwise I'd be posting for days)
1. Nothing is 100% no matter how you plan it
2. -10 below is DAMN cold when the heat goes out
3. Get off fossil fuel asap including gas & propane. Solar & dynamo are the way to go (along with burning whatever is available, but only when you REALLY need it.)
4. Update your surgical and medical kits. Whatever you think you need, you need more and be PREPARED to use it.
5. You'd better have a Plan C
Things I can completely live without:
1. Refridgeration
2. Mind-numbing television & newspapers
3. Anything touted as a "convenience"
4. A Microwave
5.
Indispensible Items:
1. Flints
2. Wool blankets wool & cotton clothes
3. Good fitting hiking boots and a sturdy pair of steel toe work boots
4. Portable food items & a food dehydrator
5. Canning supplies
6. Smart phone with GPS (communication, information, location)
7. Tin foil and petroleum jelly
8. Back up water sources
9. 100% saline solution or Saline Contact Lens solution
10. Antibiotic cream
Note: I put a HUGE hole in my knee, knew they couldn't stitch it b/c of the way it tore, & have nursed it back to almost 80% health. I even have a full field surgical kit with scalpel and sutures, but found I didn't have enough:
a) CLOTH gauze (lots of what is packaged as gauze is PAPER gauze, so read your labels),
b) clear breathable tape (a BIG gash like mine was too big and too wide for butterflies)
c) Cloth gauze pads (found out the non-stick just kept the wound VERY wet and sticky)
The other question is, if I had needed to stitch it up, could I have done it myself? Maybe it I had done it within the first hour or so, but after 5 hours, it had swollen so much it was painful just to look at it. However, I chose to keep cleaning it for 3 days to make sure all the dirt and gravel was out before I started sealing it. Then I opted for the clear breathable tape and then loose gauze bandages.
Ok, done for now
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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Butterfly strips and splints can be used in place of stitches if needed but it still restricts your movement. The biggest issue is keeping it clean and keeping out infection. Folks should take a course in basic first aid in the very least. Field Surgical kits are available on line.
Good to see you're still with us Lori..
STAY ALIVE
PP
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Permalink Reply by Sir Crocodile on -
I just realized I'm WAY behind on what I thought was a 'perfect' supply list.
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Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on
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Somewhere on the internet is a list called the Top 100 items needed (if the world goes to $hit). It is a good starter.
I got my surgical kit on ebay - you can start with a simple dissection kit - it has the basics, just make sure everything is stainless or surgical steel, otherwise the tools will rust and you'll likely die from tentus (lol).
Spices too and sugar. Those things (salt, pepper, baking cocoa, etc) will be GONE forever. I bought Stevia seeds since their leaves are 100 times sweeter than sugar. Am going to dehyrate the leaves and powder them.
You have to make an imaginary list of what you really need if you couldn't get it for 20 years. Amazing what you will come up with.
We have dynamo & solar flashlights, radio, battery chargers, telephone chargers, - I even have a hand crank DC charger that you can charge up anything that has a DC cigarette adapter on. ALL of our batteries are rechargable.
We live 100% off grid
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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on
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Spearmint and mustard grow wild over most of the Northeast USA. Buy a book and begin to look.
STAY ALIVE
PP
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