I need advice

[wildbil]

I don't know if i'm being paranoid or overreacting. I recently came across 2 things that got me thinking. first was an interview with Gerald Celente. Google him if you don't know what hes about, but basically hes an accurate trends researcher who think 09 will be the begining of the greatest depression, and possible riots, civil war, looting, chaos. The second is the number of "survivalist" forums and blogs popping up. See www.whenshtf.com for a good example.

Is something going to happen soon? Should I be putting together a survival kit instead of worrying about planning a cabin this year? Is this year a bad year to buy land?

Part of me says to write them off as extreme koolaid drinkers. The other half is saying to get ready to live in the wilderness for a while.

I need some rational advice from all of you cause I know most of you are pretty level headed and calm.

Thankyou,

Wildbil

[NM_Shooter]

Seems to me that we as humans like to fret over end-of-world type stuff.  Sputnik, Y2K, whatever.  Always lots of prophets foreseeing the end of the world and offering coolaide. 

But there are plenty of real reasons to be prepared for minor or maybe a bit bigger emergencies.  Jeez... look at New Orleans.  Or the recent ice storms in the midwest. 

I think basic supplies to hunker down and hang out a month are not a bad idea.  Some food, fuel, water purification, cash, communications and defense items on hand could bring decent peace of mind if nothing else.  Don't get crazy, but do be a bit of a boy scout.

[Redoverfarm]

I need some rational advice from all of you cause I know most of you are pretty level headed and calm.Thankyou,

Wildbil

If you shout " mouse" there will be approximately 75% of the people will either run or scream.     I like to think we are the minority. 

[peternap]

I don't know if i'm being paranoid or overreacting. I recently came across 2 things that got me thinking. first was an interview with Gerald Celente. Google him if you don't know what hes about, but basically hes an accurate trends researcher who think 09 will be the begining of the greatest depression, and possible riots, civil war, looting, chaos. The second is the number of "survivalist" forums and blogs popping up. See www.whenshtf.com for a good example.

Is something going to happen soon? Should I be putting together a survival kit instead of worrying about planning a cabin this year? Is this year a bad year to buy land?

Part of me says to write them off as extreme koolaid drinkers. The other half is saying to get ready to live in the wilderness for a while.

I need some rational advice from all of you cause I know most of you are pretty level headed and calm.

Thankyou,

Wildbil

Bil.....My opinion only.
Everyone should have survival items, not necessarily a kit because it involves a lifestyle that is too big for a kit. These are items you pick up and use over the years. An emergency kit to get through hard times is good and doesn't have to be expensive.
Finish your cabin and take things as they come.

Will the end come, economy melt down or as the survivalists say, the s&it hit the fan.

WHO KNOWS! My experience with the survival forums is that they have 10% people concerned with providing for their families in hard times and 90% nuts.

Know how to react in case of a riot. They happen. Know how to live with less, it happens. Know how to defend yourself and your family, it;s needed sometimes. But don't ldedicate your life to preparing for the end of the world.

[peternap]

Remember this fellow?

[wildbil]

see...I already have 4 level headed people giving me reassurance. Thank you it does ease my mind a little after reading way too much doom and gloom for the past few days.

On a side note, I'll be starting a ~12x16 or 12x18 "practice" camp soon. I need to know where my carpentry skills stand before I dig into anything too pricey. good thing is I may have enough free 2x4 to frame it already. I'm gonna use this camp for a place to tryout any ideas I have for when I build a serious homestead.

Wife is really starting to support my effort of downsizing and getting debt free; it would be a shame if the survivalists are right and all my groveling was for nothing.

[apaknad]

i agree completly w/shooter although i and others are a little further down the road as far as supplies for whatever happens, you can never go wrong by starting w/the basics. if you have no weapon a cheap 12 gauge pump is a good place to start. canned food from a large grocery store when on sale for 4/$1.00 will get your pantry going. raman noodles are cheap and so are rice and dried beans and egg noodles. put your $1 dollar bills and change into a jar every day for emergency money. you won't miss it and you'd be suprized how fast it adds up. medical supplies from large stores, simple stuff. band aids, asprins, kotex old style pads(stops or helps slow serious bleeding), gauze, tape. if i remember right you are a young man on a budget and concerned about having enough time to build your own place in the event of a total meltdown of society. it may happen, but only God knows if or when. plan for the future and hope for the best. i would still get the land as a foundation for your and your families future if you can. good luck.  dan
p.s. you can e-mail me at any time if you have the notion.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

I don't think you need to go gung-ho survivalist, but I definitely think you should have supplies should something go wrong.  Growing up, this was always our way of life.  The cellar was full of good things to eat, we kept a generator and fuel on hand for power outages (we had a big fuel tank on the farm for the tractors, which came in handy in an emergency), and we always had extra ammo on hand if needed.  There was always a surplus of daily items on hand.  Once, we had flooding that washed out all the roads into and out of the farm, the power was out, and the phone lines were down.  It took more than three weeks to get everything back up and running, but we never ran out of things we needed.  My grandma was always very good at harvesting rain water, so we even had enough rainwater for bathing etc.  We could run the generator to use the well when we needed to draw up some drinking water.  Anyway, live conservatively and keep a little extra on hand, know how to defend yourself and family, and you'll be alright.

[Windpower]

http://www.urbansurvival.com/week.htm

I keep posting this website because the guy has been spot on for a long time

and this one for the same reason

http://www.leap2020.eu/GEAB-N-28-is-available!-Global-systemic-crisis-Alert-Summer-2009-The-US-government-defaults-on-its-debt_a2250.html


If the world were ruled by wisdom and love for our fellow man I would never worry a bit about tshtf

BUT

Markets and societies are manipulated by sociopaths

This is not new -- I believe it has always been so with few exceptions

This is not just my opinion more learned men than I have researched this and come to the same conclusions

Anthony Sutton for example

http://www.antonysutton.com/suttoninterview.html

who has written several books on the very real conspiracies to keep us rabble in check

The markets are corrupt and manipulated -- do you really think Bernie Madoff is the only crook out there

$50,000,000,000 stolen

How is it that he was never caught until he confessed

think about it

do you really think he just put that money into a mattress somewhere

the banks and accountants certainly knew of the fraud -- they didn't say anything

ordinary people are doing time behind bars for writing bad checks

So now we have the DJ at 50% (inflation adjusted) of its high since October 2007

Congress has already had 'hearings' about what to do with people's 401K plans --- read that confiscate them --- so they can protect us -- they want to manage the funds and pay us a princely 3%  -- I am not making this up

A prudent man will look around and plan for a rainy day

minimum you need to have 6 months of cash food and necessities

I work for a company that last year made record profits

My boss yesterday said 'we need to close all billable work over any other priority (warranty, service contract etc)'

other wise 'expense cuts' will be necessary

read that lay offs  

I service (that is I directly provide cash income to the company) laboratory instruments (Chromatography and Mass Specs for you chemists out there) this is a fairly recession proof industry -- but I can 'smell' the panic out
there at many companies

including my own

IMO we are headed for a 'very great depression' (GEAB's term) at the best

a 'Road Warrior' scenario at the worst


OK now everyone can start calling me a nut job

go ahead

I will be the one eating home canned tomatoes and eating venison stew cooked over my wood stove next winter

[NM_Shooter]

If you shout " mouse" there will be approximately 75% of the people will either run or scream.     I like to think we are the minority. 

You shout "mouse" and I am grabbing a .50 Beowulf   

[cordwood]

 I tend to look at where the "Prophets" profits come from, If they can benefit from paranoia then you can bet that to the them the sky is surely falling.
I have lived pretty well when times were good and I have lived more Little House on the Prairie when times get tough. I think anyone who has had to live off the land worries about the "Doom & Gloom" less than the retail dependant types. JMHO
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But I would still suggest an accompaniment of suitable firearms for hunting and self defense because you never want to be a "Victim" no matter what.

[ScottA]

I don't expect a total meltdown but I expect we'll see some hard times. No matter what happens there will be a governement of some kind and that government will need to see that people have what they need to live or it won't exist for long. It may not look anything like what we are used to but there will be a way to survive. I don't think hiding in the wilderness will help but being in a less populated area should be better than living in the city.

[muldoon]

[Redoverfarm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4s0nzsU1Wg&feature=related

[glenn kangiser]

They may hold it together for a while but we are more ready now than we were a year ago and will continue to try to improve our readiness for a continuation of the same as today or whatever may happen tomorrow.

Continue like it will be the same but begin preparing like it will fail. hmm