I don't mean to go all "survivalist" on y'all, BUT

[socialist_n_TN]

it might be time for all of us to consider stockpiling food, meds, and other neccessities for a LONG duration of shortages. Things are still escalating and, although I personally don't think that it will escalate into a situation that requires stockpiling, I could be wrong. And what's more, even if the Occupy movement fizzles, this won't be the end of it. EVENTUALLY it will get there unless the capitalists change their ways. Anybody really think that's going to happen?

I used to be a Boy Scout. :) I guess this is a "Be prepared" post.

[Tippy]

1. We never know what tomarrow will bring.....

Never was a BS but almost always have more than we need..

[socialist_n_TN]

12. But for how long Tip?

I'd recommend a few MONTHS worth of necessities, not just a few weeks. And this way we can stockpile gradually.

[Tippy]

23. Morning,,,,have two freezers full plus I can, everything available the shelves are full

But have found you never really have enough...If worse comes to worse we will be eathng a lot of pickle sandwiches.. :)

[RC]

31. Alternate power source for the freezers?

[Tippy]

41. Genator.....

[Nye Bevan]

2. I think the snowstorm has been overhyped. We'll see. (nt)

[socialist_n_TN]

7. Maybe so. But the "snowstorms" will get worse and worse

over the next few years, so even if this one fizzles out the next one will be worse. And worse. And worse.

Hey we're going through resistance now and they haven't even really come down with their "austerity" budgets yet. Wait till Grandma's SS and Medicare actually ARE cut just to make sure the uber wealthy tax cuts can continue.

[backwoodsbob]

3. deer season is here and

I cleaned both my chest freezers to stock up.

Family garden did great this year..all told over 200 quarts canned.

I'm ready :)

[canoeist52]

4. If this non-violent revolution fails..

I fear the violent revolution will take over.

[NNN0LHI]

5. How did you prepare for Y2K if you don't mind me asking?

Had an old guy who lived across the street from me fill his entire garage(attached), with containers full of gasoline. He and his wife slept in the bedroom right above the garage.

After his wife had him committed she had me remove and dispose of the hundreds of gallons of gasoline he had stored up.

I was giving the stuff away to anyone who wanted it. Took me a month to give it all away.

Don

[lonestarnot]

10. OMG

:rofl:

[socialist_n_TN]

13. With Y2K I didn't prepare at all. Because I didn't see the need.

I was pretty sure that nothing was going to happen.

This is different. It's an historical imperative that things will get worse unless the capitalist class changes their ways. And that's not going to happen until it's REAL plain that they're in danger of losing it all. And probably not even then.

[Arkansas Granny]

28. For Y2K I did put aside a few containers of water. I didn't expect anything to happen, but

I thought I'd feel awfully damn stupid if I turned on the tap in the morning and couldn't even brew a cup of coffee.

[lector]

6. "Be prepared"

The wing nuts in Panama City amassing huge stock piles of ammo and salt. It's funny to hear them talk about it. It's like they are looking forward to the fall of government.

[ret5hd]

11. salt? in florida? are they so anti-ghandi that they are against "making" salt???

[Arkansas Granny]

8. This is good advice. In today's economic cllimate, the shortage might be money.

[socialist_n_TN]

18. I'm not sure money will be worth much........

but yes, some EXTRA cash on hand (a month's worth perhaps) would probably be appropriate.

[Arkansas Granny]

21. I was thinking more along the lines of having some necessities on hand

in case your income disappeared, but having a some cash on hand might also be a good idea.

[socialist_n_TN]

22. DEFINITELY agree about having necessaties on hand

but a little cash probably won't hurt either. So many people nowdays use debit cards and carry VERY little cash. If the banks suddenly shut down because of a TRUE nationwide general strike, they would be in a pickle. :)

[eilen]

24. Whiskey , bourbon, vodka

white sugar, honey, chocolate, cigarettes, coffee, toilet paper, condoms, medicines (pain relievers, fever reducers, etc.)-- basically anything you really can't grow yourself.

As things get worse, probably bicycle inner tubes too.

If the money loses all value, these things will always be good for trade.

[Tace]

9. When Irene Hit Central Vermont...

The "survivalists" (most residents) were fine. The "normal" people were airlifted out by helicopter.

[WinkyDink]

43. Can't survivalists drown?

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. A lot of people are seriously into this. "Preppers" they're often called.

What I've noticed is that a lot of them are into stockpiling supplies and setting up plans for a "SHTF" (Shit Hits The Fan) scenario, which I find somewhat fascinating myself but the majority of the time there isn't a lot of talk about actual survival techniques. Then again, I don't think they want just to survive, but they want to live- with more or less the same lifestyle they had before the SHTF.

I mean.. If you're a survivalist, you know how to work with what's already available to you. You don't need a warehouse or underground bunker full of supplies to get by.

I think basic survival skills are very worthwhile. Having enough cash on hand and fuel to get you out of the area or out of the country and enough food for a week. And a well stocked go-bag or "bug out bag" as they're called is a good idea myself. But if SHTF, I'm outie.

[socialist_n_TN]

17. Well, I've never been "seriously into this"

but I'm seeing an historical imperative building that only the capitalist class can stop by lulling the sheep with a few more crumbs. And they don't seem to be inclined to do so. Ergo...

[Shagbark Hickory]

20. But it begs the question...

Do you really think the 1%ers and the 1%ers in the making will let the SHTF?

They're often in industries like banking and financial that are most vulnerable in a SHTF scenario.

[socialist_n_TN]

25. Oh yeah, I do. While recognizing that I MIGHT be wrong

I honestly don't think that the capitalists will change their ways just because the people don't like it. I actually think it will get worse before it gets better, hopefully with a new system.

Look at it this way. We're getting all this feces hitting the fan this year in Wisconsin and now the Occupy movement YET NO AUSTERITY MEASURES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PASSED. What happens when the supercommittee slashes even more from the domestic side while keeping the wealthy tax cuts? And not cutting a bloated and imperialistic defense budget? IOW, what happens to these protests when the wealthy ESCALATE the class war on the working class and poor?

Yeah, I think it will get worse before it gets better.

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. First,

buy lots of guns and ammo.

Food and meds? - nah, not so much.

[socialist_n_TN]

16. Well I don't have a lot of guns, but I do have a couple

I'm about to start stocking up on a little more ammo. And I want a 12 gauge and ammo for that. I'll probably make that purchase ASAP.

I've GOT to stock up on meds though. My wife needs a LOT of those things and we can't have an interruption of her supply.

[CanSocDem]

48. Used to be....

...heroin and .22 shells. H for the inevitable pain and .22 shells because most people have a .22 rifle.

What, me worry?

.

[dkf]

29. The meds are what gets you.

Geez just imagine if masses of people can't get cancer treatments, dialysis, diabetic necessities, high blood pressure pills, etc.

[Strelnikov_]

19. Winter is Coming n/t

[gordianot]

26. The idea of stockpiling beyond a few months beyond a year is really not practical.

That is how my wife's family lived for years the farm was almost self sustaining they even canned meat. As for those who arm to protect themselves from the government they would not last 10 minutes from organized semi trained supported law enforcement. If you want to live somewhat independently away from the grocery store and with minimal reliance on the grid it is possible been there done that for a short period of time (2 years). Even for those 2 years I had a teaching job but we saved our money and spent very little. We also had access to a well equipped farm where people had lived that way for 50 years and had generations of experience.

For those who live in the city trade goods are a good idea they need to realize their dependence on everyone else beyond a few weeks. We have a foot in both worlds and can head for the farm at short notice.

[1monster]

27. Some of us did that. And this some of us started using our "Bad Times Food Bank"

for dinner last night. Things are looking bad in the tourist industry. That does not bode well for the rest of the country because people always cut vacations first...

[Zorra]

30. Good post. IMO, it's always a good idea to have backup. If for any

reason the system crashes and goods and services are not available, having enough to eat and drink to tide you over for awhile can be the difference between misery and harm and relative comfort. If there is a sustained interruption in the flow of goods and services, having backup gives you time to assess the situation and figure out how to continue to survive.

If you have ever experienced a sustained power outage, but at least had sufficient sources of light (candles, gas or battery lantern, flashlights) to sustain you at night through the outage, I'm sure you were glad that you had the foresight to prepare for emergency.

"My kingdom for a horse".

[Ilsa]

32. I'm getting cash, food, whatever meds I can lay my hands on.

I'm not wanting to do this; I'm supposed to move early next year. But I need to be prepared.

[Ilsa]

33. Don't forget the ability to purify your own water. nt

[sendero]

34. Anyone who isn't doing these things

... is simply not paying attention.

As one dude put it "you have to be right every day, I only have to be right once" - in talking to those who don't believe in preparedness.

[taught_me_patience]

35. If anything, this should help the Q4 economy by pulling demand forward

and it will help more when all the stockpile spoils, useless, and you have to restock for the next "catastrophe". The more likely scenario is that OWS fizzles out over the winter and life goes on as normal.

edit for spelling

[socialist_n_TN]

36. I actually agree to a point...........

As I said in my OP, I don't think this is the one that brings down the system. But it won't be the last one either. Unless the capitalists change their ways. And that ain't happening. And every one that follows will be MORE radical and MORE militant. It ain't gonna stop because the Faux Noise, the Republicans, the DLC, and the rest of the capitalist apologists want it to.

And I would recommend stockpiling goods that don't spoil.

[taught_me_patience]

40. The Roman Empire took 400 years to collapse

America, at some point, will collapse faster than that. However, it will be slow enough to stock up while it's happening.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Well it is time to restock quake supplies

I use them so they don't spoil...and every six months or so go on a can buying spree

:-).

Living in quake country is just the thing to do.

[socialist_n_TN]

38. I agree. It's just the thing to do...........

I just think that we all need to maybe start doing so, even if we're not in quake country.

[a la izquierda]

44. We stock up annually for tornado season.

Enough dog food for awhile, water, canned goods and peanut butter for us. We pull our camping gear and put it in the closet. We've got axes and machetes in there, plus sleep gear, lanterns, and head lamps.
I'm going to learn how to can over the winter. But we have no clue where we'll be living next summer, so I'm not going too crazy, as I don't want to spend a bunch of money only to have to give stuff away.

[kelly1mm]

39. Glad to see this type of discussion here on DU. Most of the 'preper' sites

have some really good information but the politics usually run to the right of the tea party.

You could call me a prepper I guess. I have a pretty good stockpile of food, water, fuel, self defense tools, hard copy books/manuals, seeds, hand tools, human powered gardening tools etc. I also live in a rural area and 'live the life' already. Power went out today for 1 hour due to the snow storm. Didn't really effect much except the internet went down.

[jtuck004]

42. K&R Good suggestion.

fwiw, there is a site:

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/

That has some good tips on how to get started, and you don't HAVE to buy what they have to sell. Lots of good links on their front page to other info. The key is to create a system so you can use the stuff every day, adding a little here and there if that's all you have time to do.

The added bonus is that it lets you pay a little attention to items that are on sale, which should help costs be lower over time, whether we wind up in a survival situation or not.

[workinclasszero]

45. Something like this might help if it all goes to shit

Army Survival Manual...

http://www.ar15.com/content/manuals/FM21-76_SurvivalManual.pdf

Matter of fact maybe the Occupiers could get some good tips for living outside here??

[whistler162]

46. Don't stockpile your meds...PLEASE start taking them again!

[lib2DaBone]

47. From what I understand.. because of draught... ranchers in Texas were forced to sell entire herd.

Soybean and Corn farmers in the midwest were rained out last spring.. and lost their crops. Same for wheat.. because of wet spring and summer.

We could easily face food shortages or massive price spikes.

Not that anyone in Washington gives a shit...