[Opinion] 5 Rules for PO Prep.

[strider3700]

Thuja I entirely agree if we're talking a fast crash. If we're talking a slow crash though, people will flock to better regions and spread the problem with them. If tomorrow the lights go out for good and all cars stop working I'm set in a temperate climate with lots of food and water sources at my doorstep and there should even be enough for everyone on the island. Everything beyond that is a bonus at first.

However if things slowly go to hell everywhere else then after that first two week power outage in Vegas where it's known that these events will repeat and be more common in the future people will leave the desert looking for nice temperate climates like we live in. When The economy tanks in the east people will flee west looking for work and vise versa.

I'm confident that I'm in the right place so I should want a fast crash to make sure it remains the right place. In your city planning thread you discuss moving to the countryside after the city becomes the wrong place. That is only possible for a slow crash.

That is where the majority of our disagreement comes from.

[Pops]

...spelled wrong.

Surely an all powerful moderator type like yourself can fix this.

Yea, ten feet tall and bulletproof.

Thanks Cougar: I would have put “don’t skip English Class” in my five but I didn’t have room.

[thuja]

Fair enough Strider- thanks for your thoughts...

[Pops]

Shoot!

So that is the distillation of knowledge here?

OK, for those of you that stuck to the 5 Rule limit, here is the bonus point: Your Sixth Rule.

My Sixth rule:

Don’t close your ears.
Many of us have found things viewed in our polycarbonate ball are misleading, so keep your eyes, ears and mind open because your situation could change fast and render your Plan A and the other 5 Rules useless.

[bobaloo]

Pops, don't have the time to rewrite it, just wrote a long reply but the board wouldn't accept a post for some reason and it got ate.

Here's my main point, rule 1 and only for now:
Whatever you're going to do, do it NOW.

I can't believe the number of people I run into who say they're just going to keep living wherever the are but when things get bad they'll move and start their real survival strategy. It ain't gonna work.

My wife and I "bugged out" 25 years ago, bought a little land in a small town in the PNW. We've spent the last 25 years busting our humps planting fruit trees, building chicken houses, improving soils, finding out what works and what doesn't, and most importantly building up social networks. In a town of 1500 people I probably know names and faces of 1400 of them. I've been on the Planning Commission, City Council, Library Board, you name it. Someone new that shows up, even in "good" times, it takes a while before they're accepted, they have to prove themselves, that's just the way the world works despite our best intentions. I know a dozen folks with similar values and good skill sets that I'd trust to watch my stuff, my kids or my back. If things get tough and someone new shows up in a rural area with a lot of money and stuff, they're more likely to be considered a target than an ally, there's already enough resentment against those "rich Californians" around here.

OK, rule 2, we're all going to die. Life is a terminal disease, all we can do is try to make it as pleasant as possible. Don't get too hung up on this crap, remember to have fun along the way. I live the way I do because it's what I like, not out of fear of anything. I have the preps just like I have life insurance and homeowner's inusurance, just in case. I'm still involved in my community, I take vacations when I can afford it and try to laugh as often as possible.

[kjmclark]

Ooooh, I get a sixth rule? No one has said this yet:

6. Learn how to read and manipulate people.

As much as I hate the games the lunch-eater management crowd and executive types play, they're winning the game. I know that whole concept drives various misanthropes nuts, but there it is. Think of it as learning to negotiate your way out of trouble.

And I really like Bobaloo's two rules.

[Pops]

Whatever you're going to do, do it NOW.

Thanks Bob - a very good rule!

6. Learn how to read and manipulate people.

Ah! As well, a very good rule kjm!

I come from a long line of folks with, shall we say; addictive personalities. Consequently, when I come into a room or a group of people, I instinctively know where the mood is – whether jovial or threatening, I learned it as a kid. I guess I thought everyone has a similar radar - guess not tho.

Allong the same lines, I am a pretty good schreiber (Yiddish slang for salesman) or liar if you prefer.

I do have trouble reading women’s’ intentions however…

[mmasters]

Lets see:

1) get out of debt

2) have some surplusses of food, water, cash, ammo and gas, if shortages come you'll be well off, if a crash happens you can lay low until the worst is over.

3) if you have money diversify it. Invest in oil service companies, gold/silver and Euros. Keep some in the market and some physical. ETFs are good for the market because you can sell out of them in an instant (not so with mutual funds for example). If you have a lot of cash divide it up between two or more different banks.

4) Be adaptable, a general strategy is best now, however be ready to adapt towards a specific strategy in the future.

5) keep your job; don't be in a vulnerable position; Aim to be valued.

6) Consider the subject of PO and its implications along with all your preperations business, avoid mixing business and personal where possible except with those you trust most.

7) Learn to read people and situations. Know when to avoid certain people, places, discussions as well as when to approach them.

9) Have some people around you. Find a good SO. Work on continually making and keeping friends and network with those around you. We're all in this together.

10) Remember death is a part of life, we should embrace it as we embrace life itself. In the end everybody dies.

11) Knowledge is power.

12) Take care of your health.

[madison]

My Five Rules:

1) Ask yourself: why did I chose to be born during this transition time, the Great Turning? What is my reason for incarnating now? For what purpose am I alive at this point in history?

2) What skills & interrests do I have that might benefit others? What can I do to increase my skills and talents? How can I increase my usefulness and decrease my consumption? What do I have that my family/community/world needs?

3) Where can I do the most good? How can I use my skills to benefit others and thereby help myself? Who needs my skills the most? Where do these people live? Who has the best chance of surviving the multiple disasters of the 21st Century and how can I be of service to these communities?

4) Am I working with like-minded people motivated by similar hearts for service? Can I help create this compassionate and pro-active group or community? Who can I work together with to create a future full of good work, loving family/friends/community, and build a future of hope for those who will inherit from me and my generation? (Something to do, someone to love, something to hope for)

5) Use current resources and wealth for compassionate ends - educational classes, workshops, books, tools needed to help build a good future - waterproof shoes, good wool socks, underwear, backpacks, sleeping bags, kelly kettle, parabolic lighters, tent, bicycles, seeds, cloth diapers & cloth menstrual pads, Maya wrap baby slings, internet to connect with like-minded folks & collect information. Use today's wealth to gain skills & goods that will make life easier in the decades to come while we turn back to living closer to the earth and being flexible and grateful to be alive in this time of crisis (opportunity & danger).

That's my five

[Pops]

Thanks Madi, a good and different take!

[Pops]

Bumpity!

[Iaato]

Outstanding ideas. I'll just add one thought about prioritization: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs



The stuff at the bottom of the pyramid has to be taken care of before you can graduate to the stuff at the higher levels. I think of PO prep in these terms.

[DrBang]

This thread was interesting.

My daughter was born a few weeks ago. I often think of the world she will grow up in and the challenges that await her (while sitting up till the wee hours of the mornings). My wife and I have given her a blank canvas for her to create her life path. It is not for me to tell her what she should do or why. That being said, I would ask five things of her:

1 To be self aware and have real confidence in her inner strengths
2 To be capable & self sufficient
3 To take responsiblity for her own happiness
4 To be adaptable to change
5 To act decisively on matters that count

But we all ask, how could this be possible in the coming hard times? What is required is that she somehow survive and ride out the hard few years directly after the poo hits the fan. This I believe will be contingent on her banding together with a small group of tight knit people, each of which can be depended on in a storm. This tight knit group could either be part of a larger group of people who tend their own survival or are adaptable enough to keep moving.

In the short term, for me:

1 Get out of debt: disconnect from the rat race and be happy about it. In the great depression, families were turfed out of their homes because they couldn't meet their morgages and lived in their cars.

2 Self educate myself and the people who I will depend on when the time comes in all the usefull areas of knowledge.
Emergency protocols (first aid, fire fighting and the like)
Woodwork and metal work (under new rules where you can't just buy what you need. Learn to improvise.
Learn to fix and repair things like generators.
Learn basic electonics.
Learn how building systems work
Learn plumbing.
Learn black smithing
Learn as much IT and computer tech as possible.
Learn to garden. Permaculture and companion planting. Food to eat and other useful plants to live off.
Learn landscaping, pasture management and drainage for design purposes.
Learn holistic natural remedies from herbs.
Learn about horses and livestock.
Learn archery and martial arts (guns too if you can)
Study history and human responses and learn from them



3 Invest in equipment, tools and food stuffs that will empower me and my family to live more effectively that will be hard to come by in the times to come (keep as much of this hidden as possible, tell no one).

Replace as many of the white goods (fridges washing machines, etc) as possible with good quality units. While things are still cheap. Inculde several good quality radios.

A functional workshop that is kitted for wood and steel
Tools to fix a wide range of things from generators to power cells (as many that don't require power as possible).
A reserviour of nails, nuts and bolts, glue (all the small bits that make things possible to make).
Equipment to recycle and shape metal products from scrap
Tools to set up and maintain a big permaculture garden
Sewing machines & overlockers to make and repair clothes
Mutiple medic kits of high calibre with a reserve of pharmicuticals and antibotics
Camping gear, several sets
A kick arse library
Water tanks and plumbing for the house (even a rental where they can be moved)
Solar panels that can be moved if necessary
Clothes and shoes (good quality)
Stuff to be used for barter (cigarettes, alchohol, etc)
A bug out kit ready to go if necessary
Security measures that are not obvious but are strong

4 Remember at all times, it is what is between my ears that will make the diference when TSHTF. Be mentally prepared to leave it all behind if necessary. Don't get too attached to things that ultimately don't matter. The ability to problem solve in the face of adversity is what is required here. Improvise. Remeber what is most important and not lose sight of it.

5 Get in there and do stuff that builds communities in context of the new world. A community is much stronger if it can be built, than a mobile indiviual. This is keeping the end game in sight though where you don't want a Mad Max senario to happen or if it does, it doesn't last indefinitely.

This all takes planning and money. The mental ability to adapt I believe is the most important point of all. If you have that, then the rest will kind take care of itself.

[DavidFolks]

1) Have the good fortune to be born to the right parents. A father in the military, who spent his childhood as part of a large (12 kids) family. He learned to cook from his mother, who had him help with the full time job of feeding the mob, and his father who was a highly regarded chef. He spent summers working for a gentleman farmer who insisted on doing things the old way. Had a mixed farm, and grew apples, seed potatoes, grain... Used horses to drive the farm equipment, grew organic, and made a profit when those around him insisted on using petroleum based fertilizers and tractors. A mother from another large family, who learned to stand up to her brothers, and never say die. Spent time as a model, and learned to move in higher social circles with grace and aplomb. Both with an excellent work ethic, and encouragement for whatever endeavor their children pursued.

2) Grow up without a lot of money. Work along side of your father when he's home. Build forms, place concrete, install plumbing and electrical, do carpentry and plaster work. Dig gardens and landscape. Build sheds and additions. Work with your mother in the kitchen, learn to cook, garden, make jams and jellies and preserves. Can food, bake bread, mend clothes and clean. Paint and hang wallpaper. Re-finish old furniture.

3) Spend time moving around a lot, going wherever your dad is posted. See various parts of your own country, and spend a few years in Europe. Travel through various countries while you're there. This will help you see that people are all basically the same. Customs and taboos may differ, but reactions to behaviour remain the same. Learn that there are different ways to do things, and that no single person or culture has all the right answers. Helps to learn to be accepting as opposed to tolerant.

4) Quit high school 3/4 of the way through your senior year to take an apprenticeship in toolmaking. This has the advantage of entering the work force while you still know everything. Make sure that your boss is a hardnosed businessman who doesn't hesitate to can your ass when you figure you can do as you like, instead of doing what you're told. Spend a decade or two moving from job to job, and field to field. You'll gain valuable experience at a lot of things, and find there's about a dozen ways to skin a cat. Get a solid, practical competence at a little bit of everything. Remember that a man with a hammer sees every problem as a nail. Build a bigger toolbox for yourself. Educate yourself, and develop a large diverse library. Finally settle on work that is mentally stimulating, spiritually satisfying, and produces something useful and tangible. If you can do this as your own boss, so much the better.

5) Find the perfect partner. One who can balance your weaknesses, and who is complemented by your strengths. Someone who you enjoy living and working with, who not only appreciates the support you give them, but supports you as well. Build a life together. Use your united strength to build something larger than yourselves. Work on developing systems and strategies that you can share with others to enrich the lives of your fellow man.

{edit}

6) It helps if your dad teaches you to hunt and fish, and to dress and eat what you kill, not hunt for "sport". Spend time on your uncles' farm, and learn about livestock and crop production. Working with another uncle to restore cars is educational. Living on a farm for a while, working with horses and maintaining pastures gives you a few insights too. Heat your home with wood for a while, and learn to manage a wood lot.

In a nutshell, pay attention to everything around you, learn all you can, and try to see the interdependance of everything in your life. Understanding how things work together, and having broad experience in life will always serve you well.

[Pops]

(I thought I had posted a note here to Sky and all but I guess I did something wrong.)

Anyway, I put this in the stuck location of Assessments and Plans thread because it had seemed to run it’s course.

[Heineken]

God, there is just so much to do. I don't dispute that these interminable lists of steps are good things to do, but it can become overwhelming, especially to fellers like myself who are already thoroughly burdened with functioning in the precollapse world.

I go keep going back to my earlier "rule": Prepare yourself for the possibility of failure and a graceful letting go.

As you get older, the idea of slipping peacefully beneath the waves should become less terrifying and more lovely. I call that wisdom.

[Pops]

As you get older, the idea of slipping peacefully beneath the waves should become less terrifying and more lovely. I call that wisdom.

I’m not sure how old you are Heine but I asked my wife to cut the plug when I can no longer make or teach my grandkids how to make something.

Before that I call it quitting; after I call it begging..

[rdberg1957]

One thing I am planning is bariatric surgery. My insurance will cover it and I will probably lose 130lbs of excess weight. Then I will be able to pursue physical fitness goals and survive on less food than normal.

[Blacksmith]

I live in a part of the country where getting trades to repair or build is all but impossible. Because of these fortunate circumstances, I have learned to fend for myself, building, repairing, and reusing.

[Heineken]

As you get older, the idea of slipping peacefully beneath the waves should become less terrifying and more lovely. I call that wisdom.

I’m not sure how old you are Heine but I asked my wife to cut the plug when I can no longer make or teach my grandkids how to make something.

Before that I call it quitting; after I call it begging..

51, Pops, closing fast on 52. You?

Turning 50 was the biggest phase-shift I've hit so far. Still can do 13 or 14 pull-ups, though, but I've realized I'm never going to hit 20 no matter how hard I try. Injury will intervene first.

Getting older can really alter your perspective on PO preparation, because the older you get, the more dependent you are on the status quo, not change.