Yuppies are getting on the survivalist bandwagon

[fixer27]

I'd like the reloader in 9mm. .338 would hurt my wrist too much. Can it foam soy milk?

It would seem the reloader/expresso machine would be a huge hit, we could sell the foamer as an attachment that is solar powered....

How about home Alcohol distiller for use in making Ethanol that can also purify and bottle water?

I think there is an undeveloped market here...

 

[Horn Dog]

I think it is a hopeful sign that urbanized folks are beginning to think of survival. Most of them are smarter than I am to be making all the money they make. The gene pool might be improved if they survive. They are us, just on a new path for them. We should assist them.

 

[nemoaz]

The gene pool might be improved if they survive.

Debatable. Very, very debatable.

 

[kgd]

I guess I really have no understanding of those posts above that chastise people for preparing for the worst by saying nothing is going to happen because nothing has happened since 1960's.

So what if nothing happens - do they think that people who are preparing to be self-sufficient have suddenly lost something? Have they been wasting their time, learning skills, saving energy costs, re-evaluating what they choose to spend their money, time and brainpower on. While I don't think society is going to hit total anarchy in my lifetime, I do think there is real merit in coming to terms with how I live my life and the footprint I make.

Give me a break folks - part of this sub-forum is about survival. Maybe some of you think that survival is only a scenario where you might get lost in the woods, but don't chastise others for extending that definition!

 

[fixer27]

The musician/paralegal in Washington State summed the article up fairly well when he said that he considers stocking up on staples as a personal responsibility issue, not a armed "survivalist" one.

I tend to agree, though if they are not wise, they could merely be acting as grocery stores that have been prepositioned for those who do have armaments if things get as bad as a looting and extreme civil disruptions.

All in all it's a positive article, I'm surprised that no one was mentioned who bought one of those Ham radios that also can make actual telephone calls through a local repeater, many states used to use such a system, and I've heard of "Some" Ham's who do that occasionally, especially during the Katrina Aftermath.

1.00 in face silver coins for a 3 minute phone call perhaps?

 

[kgd]

Ham radios is a good point Fixer - glad you brought it up. We are getting to the point now where a lot of people are forgoing hard lines for cell phones. Yet cell phones seem the most succeptible to interuptions and have the least amount of independent control regarding whether they operate or not. I wonder though, how much of a foothold the radio enthusiast can still hold given that internet chat have circumvented much of what was the main advantage of these things in the past - an ability to hold long distance converations at negligible cost.

 

[fixer27]

Ham radios is a good point Fixer - glad you brought it up. We are getting to the point now where a lot of people are forgoing hard lines for cell phones. Yet cell phones seem the most succeptible to interuptions and have the least amount of independent control regarding whether they operate or not. I wonder though, how much of a foothold the radio enthusiast can still hold given that internet chat have circumvented much of what was the main advantage of these things in the past - an ability to hold long distance converations at negligible cost.

The popularity of Ham radio is waining, but it is one of those things that can make a bad situation much better, IMO that is part of the reason why the FCc made getting a Ham operator's license much easier to obtain.

No more Morse Code decoding for a basic license, and negligible cost.

Some Hams even rent satellite time to make calls across the country possible.

And there exists a few packet radio networks that can send email, but at 1,200 baud...that's 1,200 not 120,000....

For me, Katrina is a really good event to study, the cell towers went out on Day 1 and chaos even engulfed the upper income people who stayed behind.

I think in the US (I notice you are in Canada) the cost of license is a day, and the fee is 20.00, decent Ham radios run around 200 dollars or less.

 

[misanthropist]

I guess I really have no understanding of those posts above that chastise people for preparing for the worst by saying nothing is going to happen because nothing has happened since 1960's.

So what if nothing happens - do they think that people who are preparing to be self-sufficient have suddenly lost something? Have they been wasting their time, learning skills, saving energy costs, re-evaluating what they choose to spend their money, time and brainpower on. While I don't think society is going to hit total anarchy in my lifetime, I do think there is real merit in coming to terms with how I live my life and the footprint I make.

Give me a break folks - part of this sub-forum is about survival. Maybe some of you think that survival is only a scenario where you might get lost in the woods, but don't chastise others for extending that definition!

Who is doing that?

 

[zenheretic]

Ham radios is a good point Fixer - glad you brought it up. We are getting to the point now where a lot of people are forgoing hard lines for cell phones. Yet cell phones seem the most succeptible to interuptions and have the least amount of independent control regarding whether they operate or not. I wonder though, how much of a foothold the radio enthusiast can still hold given that internet chat have circumvented much of what was the main advantage of these things in the past - an ability to hold long distance converations at negligible cost.

IIRC, cell phone lines jammed up after 9/11 as well; this HAM idea strokes the imagination.