Living Off the Grid - Survival Techniques

[john.d]

Posted by samvado (here)
IF the grid goes off-line due to a CME (google michio Kaku on that, some excellent videos on Youtube) the grid MAY go down worldwide and everything containing a metall coil of any kind will just burn out. That would be EVERYTHING, from water pumps to Electric generators, starter motors in cars, all phone and radio, all computers and as a result we are back in ca. 1820 minus the self sufficiency of that time.
Of course photovoltiac wont work either. Nothing will work that is based on electricity. So forget about flashlights :-)

it is a quite probable scenario, IMO much more probable than an extended war. It happend in 1857 last, but has been with us always (as recorded in history as northern lights in southern countries)

the primary thing you will need is CLEAN water, dirty water is almost everywhere.

this little toy makes drinkable water out of a sewage tank. one cartrige is good for 50.000 liters. consider it as insurance.

http://www.katadyn.com/en/katadyn-pr...atadyn-pocket/

I have NO stakes in the product - of course ...

***** and just realized Vidya had beaten me to it ***** cheers Vidya !!

Thanks for the link , i shall be investing in one of those . I was thinking of getting a non electric distiller :
http://www.waterwise-distillers.com/...model-1600.htm ......... but The Katadyn Pocket makes a lot more sense .

John

[yiolas]

[QUOTE=Swanny;1696]I reckon you should have this lot as a bare minimum


Kelly kettle
Lifesaver water bottle
Good knife
Food for free book by collins
Pack of cheap lighters or a flint stick thing

Thanks Swanny,
I checked out the products and they look top of line and not too expensive.
I like the Kelly kettle because it uses minimal combustible materials ( sticks, pine cones etc) to boil liquids and has a cooking pot attachment. The Lifesaver bottle looks very promising because it filters out both organic and chemical pollutants . Have you tried any of this products.
Great Finds. They will definitely go on my list. As far as edible wild plants go, I think that everyone should have a book with pictures of their local plants.
Blessings,
Yiola

[annemirri]

Posted by yiolas (here)
personally believe that it we are on the threshold of a universal shift in consciousness and entering a trans-dimensional reality.
But we must first be able to survive the coming upheavals and prepare for the insuing disruption of goods and services.

How long do people think that they will survive with all those fancy equipment,
water purifiers, flashlights....stockpiled foodtins and cans...candles ...

if they do not even have COMMON SENSE or BASIC SURVIVAL SKILLS.

Good example, like yesterday I had 16 year old english girl over for dinner, spagetti,
she had never had it before, and did not know how to eat it.
She tried, but...too difficult.

I do not stockpile anything myself, keep some warm clothes ready and some suncream.

There is not that much we can actually do
other than relocate to a place that feel right for us.

It is the inner guidance that tells where the place is,
no one else can tell you that.

Be safe.
a.

[xbusymom]

Posted by annemirri (here)
How long do people think that they will survive with all those fancy equipment,
water purifiers, flashlights....stockpiled foodtins and cans...candles ...

that was my thought too, ... If I gathered everything I might need ... I could see it needing a UHaul...

so I would either be stuck where I was - fending off theft- or abandoning it all to relocate...

I don't know the answer... I just know that I have to pay attention to my priorities (which is keep job/ pay bills, etc. so I am not out on the street prematurely... ) and the rare spare moments I devote to mental list making, research, forum...

I feel brain-scrambled...

not knowing what is coming makes it hard to know how to prepare/ and for what... how does one prepare for everything in so little time... I am confused

[MorningSong]

It is for this very reason, annemirri, IMO we must all learn TO DO some basc/advanced methods of doing things in a self-sustaining way.... that we can call upon in a survival situation... even without fancy pre-fab gadgets. Kinda like each one of us having a "McGyver" conscious.

If someone wants to invest in fancy tech, go for it...but learn to repair it or when it breaks, it's just rubbish. I would love to have one of those water filter, by the way, but I know that if it needs repairs, I'm out of luck.

Another example: Got your stockpile of soap? Good! But what happens when it's finished?? Soapmaking lessons, anyone??

[yiolas]

The truth is that I have not had the time or the money to stockpile anything either. That is why I've been trying to learn everything I can about homesteading and self sufficiency. Like the water filter using just a plastic bottle that I linked earlier in the thread. I've got instructions for making soap from scratch as well . I will post that soon. There are so many skills that we can be learning now, like harvesting water via condensation or learning how to hand grind grains for making bread. However, it is essential that you have some basic tools around the house, a good knife or hatchet, rope, tape, nails, plastic sheeting, a couple of good lighters,band aids, dried legumes and rice, an extra blanket. Start with the basic stuff and keep it all in one place, so that you can grab it and run if you have to.

Blessings,
Yiolas

[xbusymom]

ohhh...that gives me an idea...my mom (when we lived in phoenix) was involved with a group of crafters that put on a "pioneer days" festival every year...

I know how to make a drop spindle (and can spin), weave (I am currently working on a super-simple re-design of the weaving loom), dye wool/natural fibers with nature items, quilt (sort of- anyway I know the basics of designing quilt patterns), and the like...

lets see... she also did pictures from broken glass and nature items, showed me how to make a table-top pyramid for preserving stuff, sun dehydrated grapes for raisens and other dried foods... and a whole bunch of other stuff I will have to work on remembering...

I will see if I can dig up some stuff and put it in a PDF to share.

I think if we just make up instruction sheets for "how to build" stuff... we wont need to cart around the actual things, and it will also be easier to relocate with just a few books...

[MorningSong]

I agree with you 100%, Yiolas!

I wisened up back in '99 with the Y2K scare... but I've always been very attracted to life off the grid... used to love listening to my grandma tell about her life growing up in the late 18-early 1900 on their farm. Although while growing up in the States, we didn't live on a farm, we did live in the country. My mom taught me a lot too about wildcrafting, gardening and living a simple (haha) lifestyle. My life experience here in Italy has only been a movement foreward in my learning. It all adds up finding my life mission. And I am so grateful.

Oh, xbusymom, I would love to learn to spin...have done a google search and pdf'ed stuff recently! Lots of people have sheep here, and throw the wool away! Wow...yes, lets build looms!

[Shairia]

http://farmgal.tripod.com/lyesoapconcoctions.html

How to make soap and other useful things.

[Swanny]

Posted by annemirri (here)
How long do people think that they will survive with all those fancy equipment,
water purifiers, flashlights....stockpiled foodtins and cans...candles ...

if they do not even have COMMON SENSE or BASIC SURVIVAL SKILLS.
.

Longer than those that don't have them, which means I won't be in the streets fighting for a tin of beans

Yiola I have all those things on the list

[annemirri]

Posted by MorningSong (here)

.. used to love listening to my grandma tell about her life growing up in the late 18-early 1900 on their farm.

..my mom taught me a lot too about wildcrafting, gardening and living a simple (haha) lifestyle. My life experience here in Italy ...

I would love to learn to spin...ly! Lots of people have sheep here, and throw the wool away! Wow...yes, lets build looms!

GOOD GIRL ! that is the way to go ! (see my earlier posts on this same thread!)
back to basics with the help of modern technology, if we get it working with sunpanels...

(For one month I lived in a small village up in the hills of Tuscany, In Italy, of course, the life there was pretty much the same as it was hundred years ago...)

LOVE to you all,
a.

[EsmaEverheart]

The last couple of months I have been putting together what they call a Bug Out Bag. Basically I am putting everything I will need to survive for a while in the wild in a backpack to have ready if everything goes south. I have also been dehydrating and vacuum sealing some food too. I just thought that I could dehydrte my own instead of buying big cases from those expensive companies. Not to mention that I have a lot of diet restrictions because of my health, so it is just easier for me to dehydrate the foods I can eat.They say that the dehydrated food will last a year or longer in the vacuum sealed container. It would also be a lot lighter and therefore easy to carry in my Bug Out Bag if I have to go mobile to survuve.

I am also feeling a strong urging to really get into physical shape and do some training with my backpack ...maybe I will go do some hiking trips this summer. If I have to go mobile when it all hits the fan, I want to be physically strong enough to do it.

[kinsuemei2]

Survival is about Will, and know how.
I highly recommend you scout the area in which you live, drive through or visit, so that you are familiar with any edible vegetation , also for communities start growing your food as soon as possible, doing it tomorrow could be the difference between life and death, of course basic shelter info is useful, also how to build a fire and look for natural tinder is paramount.

Make sure you have some good boots available for hiking and break them in, don't wait for a rainy day. having a good lay of the land is always handy. The best guy for learning stuff from in my opinion is Les Stroude, and I am sure most know of him, he lives off the grid himself, and did Survivourman for 3 amazing seasons from being stalked by Jaguar in the amazon to the Canadian Boreal forest's from Kalahari desert to even being lost as sea, this guy is practical for emergency situations, and will not get you killed, please ignore Bear Grylls he is entertaining but very dangerous, and whilst 75% of his info is alright the other 25% will get you killed.

I spent a good 4 years in the jungles of Burma so I am familia with nature, tracking and trails, but I do not think that it is a very comfortable place to be in the Urban Jungle to many people, with the same idea.

[Ross]

Hi all,
Check this dude out. He lives in Australia, he can live on anything in his enviroment.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8Is4qyLD6Zc


Peace

[MargueriteBee]

Gosh, there's loads of excellent advise here. Thanks everyone for that.

I moved to the ranch last May and it has taken a long time to bring my core strength up. I sat at a desk for 25 years and I was not prepared for the hard physical labor that it takes to bring in the food. I have spent hours and hours hoeing weeds in the garden and the yards because I refuse to use poison there and on the entire property. I've gone from walking with a cane to lifting heavy furniture and pushing around 1200 lb cows.

Another thing is: Dogs, should we have any? Do we need them for protection? And, how do we feed them? Are you prepared to be a real pack leader of attack dogs?

[john.d]

Only problem with dogs is that all the other wildlife stay away . Some animals are benefitial to you and your garden , for example hedgehogs eat slugs .

John

[yiolas]

Posted by Shairia (here)
http://farmgal.tripod.com/lyesoapconcoctions.html

How to make soap and other useful things.

Hi Shairia, Thanks for the great link !
The soap making technique in this link calls for boxed ready lye. If you don't have it in your supplies you will have to make some with wood ashes. Please be warned that this can be a dangerous endeavor and the proper untensils must be used.

Please see the link below for making lye.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natur...the-Woods.aspx
Also: http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html

Blessings,
Yiola

[Bill Ryan]

I very highly recommend Matthew Stein's book WHEN TECHNOLOGY FAILS:



Kerry and I did a good remote interview him at the Brussels Conference, posted here on the Camelot site.

Matthew has a fascinating personal story - he was "told" to write the book in a communication he now feels was from friendly ETs.

[heyokah]

Ross and Bill, thanks for the links !! ....

[yiolas]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
I very highly recommend Matthew Stein's book WHEN TECHNOLOGY FAILS:



Kerry and I did a good remote interview him at the Brussels Conference, posted here on the Camelot site.

Matthew has a fascinating personal story - he was "told" to write the book in a communication he now feels was from friendly ETs.

Hi Bill, thanks for giving your input into this very important subject.
I checked out Matthew Stein's website and in fact his book 'When Technology Fails' is a veritable treasure trove of useful information . Reviewing the table of contents, it has everything from surviving a nuclear disaster to canning and preserving food ! This is exactly the kind of information sharing that I hope this thread can accomplish. I bet you could teach us a thing or two from your mountain climbing days .
Blessings
Yiola