With shock I did the math for sustainable survival

[backandbeyond]

No.1 Bushmen have been surviving in Namibia and Botswana of 100's/1000's of years.


What is your prepped resources to date, mate?

And the BIG one, can you make "biltong"?

Yours prepping.

Are you a traditional bushman mate, or a product of the techno world? Survivalism, or prepping as it's now called, is just a bastardized mix of hunting experiences, religion, camping trips, military training and now, a Billion youtube vids made by 30 year olds. From my perspective very little of what is called prepping is of much value, it's mostly all about planning for a zombie apocalypse that will probably never come, and in it's place is coming a totalitarian world government that will require a different sort of prepping.

Biltong, is that the ANCHOR in your preps? if I wanted to eat that I wouldn't waste my time making it, I'd just buy a hundred long salami sticks. Salami can be kept safely unrefrigerated for several years, but if biltong is your thing, here, Perfect Biltong Recipe—South African Beef Jerky - Greedy Ferret

As for my chops, I have been at this for nearly 20 years now, I have more knives than a camping shop, more spare solar panels than an electronics store, a fully stocked bug-out-van from the 1970's, and have thrown out more bug infested rice, sugar and oats than you could eat in a year. My advice is plan for a future where you will be living in one place rather than roaming the hills in search of wild game. But I have no idea of your situation other than you live in south Africa, and being there, I hope for your sake you are black.

Note to Mods: I used the work 'Anchor' in this post so you may want to move it to a boating thread...

 

[randolphrowzee]

Nuke wars weren't very likely when Russia and China had closed economies that weren't dependent on trade with the free world. Who has the nukes? Russia, but they'd have to hit Europe first and that's the biggest customer for the gas and oil they sell. China would have to hit the US, but we're their biggest debtor/customer.
Makes more sense to prepare for the next "duck flu," or whatever crawls out of a wet market in China.
Total economic collapse isn't likely because the bigger an economy gets the more inertia it has.

 

[DrHenley]

the bigger an economy gets the more inertia it has.

I guess you are not familiar with the maxim "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."

 

[KateMTx]

only one problem - everything in your analysis is about a nuke war - go live in a 3rd World shithole and die - they aren't surviving today without aid & relief and the economy from the 1st World countries ...

the US is getting buried under the 3rd World trash heading here because they won't work in their country to better it - you actually think you'd survive against some barbaric local hoard that would continue their dependence on welfare ...

and why you'd think 3rd World countries wouldn't be involved in a nuke war scenario is mystery - most likely not a primary target but any post initial strike involvement would make them a tertiary target - a working airport or seaport and you could get a tactical missile hit ....

Some people in "third world" countries are relying on aid, but there are plenty of people in less developed countries who still live pretty much the way they always have without relying too much on modern technology (the ones who need to rely on aid are generally the ones whose old way of life was disrupted by outside influences). Many of the people in those "third world" regions won't even notice when the apocalypse happens because they are already living that way.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Rather than replying to each person, this is my synopsis. Third world countries can work, if you know what you are doing. I have been dealing with someone who is thinking Costa Rica is going to be a heaven/haven. He seems to be getting a good deal. I may not be ready for that deal.
I like where I am, maybe not the state I am in. I do want to be within 4-6 hours of my kids. I am trying to figure out what my best move is
Everyones perfect situation is different.

 

[backandbeyond]

I guess you are not familiar with the maxim "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."

Short men use that a lot, I had a short guy face me off one day say it to me, so I took a step forward and said "Well get on with it" He took a step back and kept talking lol.

But it doesn't take much to destroy an economy, 1929 proved that. All you have to do is pull the safety net out as it rolls over. Oh sure it might drag on for a year or so, sort of like when someone is told they have terminal cancer.

 

[bigpaul]

Some might if they knew what I had and got desperate enough. We're talking about country people, who know everything about their neighbors movements. It's a complicated dynamic but you get a hint from the current violent crime and break in stats, out here it's Zero, in the city it's well up there and growing decade by decade.

Unless you live on an island Paul you have neighbors too remember. They are just not watching each other like we are, here we have what you would call accountability.

if you ever looked at a map you would realise the British mainland is an Island! sorry, couldnt resist that one!!
I live in a rural area but my neighbours know very little about me and thats the way I like it.

 

[Nam-hunt]

 

[Nam-hunt]

we cannot prepare for any event, we as ordinary people cant prevent some event from happening (only the minor personal ones), we can only prepare for what comes AFTER the event.
then comes the decision as to how we are going to survive the aftermath, do we go big and have a large group to support or do we keep it down to single figures?(10 or less).
then are we going to have a large farm and try to grow as much as possible or are we going to try to live in a simple, basic way( my preferred method).
do we live a static life style and stay put or do we go hunter/gatherer and move from place to place season to season?
the choices are endless and differ from person to person and location to location.
it can also be expensive to prepare, personally I think a lot of BS is talked about having great lists of equipment and gear, if I stocked everything that have been listed on preppers forums over the years I would need a large warehouse to store it all (probably several!!)and that just isnt practical or affordable, but each to their own, prepping is after all a personal thing and what suits one person wont suit another.

I agree. Maybe it should be a matter of faith....The Noah effect. I believe in, "as much as possible must be done" so that enough is available for everyone on the "ship" in a sustainable way. Sustainable means you can live it before and after most chaos scenarios happen and if it does not happen in your life another generation can be helped. It must even be like a retirement possibility and then an inheritance for future a generation.

 

[bigpaul]

I agree. Maybe it should be a matter of faith....The Noah effect. I believe in, "as much as possible must be done" so that enough is available for everyone on the "ship" in a sustainable way. Sustainable means you can live it before and after most chaos scenarios happen and if it does not happen in your life another generation can be helped. It must even be like a retirement possibility and then an inheritance for future a generation.

a lot of people liken prepping to insurance, you dont go out of your way to have a car accident or burn down your house but your glad you've got it-just in case.
I grew up with WW2 parents in the days before supermarkets, shops shut at 6pm sharp and didnt open at all on a Sunday, so you had a larder and didnt run out of anything. I have tried to live this this all my entire life, there were times I had no money but I never ran out of food.

 

[Nam-hunt]

Are you a traditional bushman mate, or a product of the techno world? Survivalism, or prepping as it's now called, is just a bastardized mix of hunting experiences, religion, camping trips, military training and now, a Billion youtube vids made by 30 year olds. From my perspective very little of what is called prepping is of much value, it's mostly all about planning for a zombie apocalypse that will probably never come, and in it's place is coming a totalitarian world government that will require a different sort of prepping.

Biltong, is that the ANCHOR in your preps? if I wanted to eat that I wouldn't waste my time making it, I'd just buy a hundred long salami sticks. Salami can be kept safely unrefrigerated for several years, but if biltong is your thing, here, Perfect Biltong Recipe—South African Beef Jerky - Greedy Ferret

As for my chops, I have been at this for nearly 20 years now, I have more knives than a camping shop, more spare solar panels than an electronics store, a fully stocked bug-out-van from the 1970's, and have thrown out more bug infested rice, sugar and oats than you could eat in a year. My advice is plan for a future where you will be living in one place rather than roaming the hills in search of wild game. But I have no idea of your situation other than you live in south Africa, and being there, I hope for your sake you are black.

Note to Mods: I used the work 'Anchor' in this post so you may want to move it to a boating thread...

Seems your prepping was rather short term planning and lack sustainability.
Yes I am on the other side of black spectrum and that is a challenge in South Africa. The final destination of refuge is Namibia and not ignoring Botswana.
We dont buy salami.... we make it... and may variants of it as well.

 

[Dracos]

All the real estate salesmen and women trying to get people to buy land in Costa Rica remind me of a spider trying to get flies to move to her web.

 

[backandbeyond]

Seems your prepping was rather short term planning and lack sustainability.
Yes I am on the other side of black spectrum and that is a challenge in South Africa. The final destination of refuge is Namibia and not ignoring Botswana.
We dont buy salami.... we make it... and may variants of it as well.

We all make mistakes in the early days, that's just life, in any complex pursuit. One thing I know now though, governments, even warlords, protect the means of food production. The Roman invasion of Egypt over 2000 years ago was all about securing grain for their hungry masses. Same with Stalin's occupation of the Ukraine, and benign governments keep a close eye on internal production. Social stability is at the heart of it, they learnt that from the French revolution, hungry people rebel. I chose to move out into the middle of a food producing region, one that wont be bulldozed for housing developments in the years ahead.

Cities are an obvious target for destruction, as we saw in WWII, but farmland far away? That is my plan for the future, no home farming, no chickens, just a few years worth of protein and luxury items stored up, and faith that whatever happens in the future the myriad of farms and cattle ranchers around me will still be producing to some degree. If they are not then I doubt any other long term option would work.

Well anyway, good luck with your plans there, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes for Quids as they say. I have met quite a few expat South Africans in my time, Australia was one of their big migration destinations, and it's not a pretty sight over there.

 

[backandbeyond]

if you ever looked at a map you would realise the British mainland is an Island! sorry, couldnt resist that one!!
I live in a rural area but my neighbours know very little about me and thats the way I like it.

My neighbors know little of me as well, I project the image of a semi-retired contractor who is basically a stereotype city born consumer, which I am to a good degree lol. I never discuss the future, I just chat amicably about the now as they all do. My biggest challenge if the SHTF will be losing lots of weight, as they all will be no doubt.

Have you seen those images of Venezuelans, 40lb lighter in a year for most of them and they weren't all that beefy to start with.

Pets on the Menu as Venezuelans Starve
https://www.thedailybeast.com/zoo-animals-on-the-menu-as-venezuelans-starve
Some of them are well fed.

 

[bigpaul]

My neighbors know little of me as well, I project the image of a semi-retired contractor who is basically a stereotype city born consumer, which I am to a good degree lol. I never discuss the future, I just chat amicably about the now as they all do. My biggest challenge if the SHTF will be losing lots of weight, as they all will be no doubt.

Have you seen those images of Venezuelans, 40lb lighter in a year for most of them and they weren't all that beefy to start with.

Pets on the Menu as Venezuelans Starve
https://www.thedailybeast.com/zoo-animals-on-the-menu-as-venezuelans-starve
Some of them are well fed.

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I dont have anything to do with neighbours, Oh I say good morning when I meet them on the street or in the local corner shop but thats it, no one comes into my house and I dont go into theirs, I dont trust other people and I only have time for people who prepare and any communication is done on forums like this one and one other.

 

[Dave2001]

All the real estate salesmen and women trying to get people to buy land in Costa Rica remind me of a spider trying to get flies to move to her web.

I have been to Costa Rica and i dint see anything i liked there!!!

 

[randolphrowzee]

I guess you are not familiar with the maxim "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."

More like a pithy quip by someone who knows nothing about economics.