| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jenbove |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 11:00:55 AM
Hi Y'all! I posted this over on the Outpost forum, but I thought it'd be fun to see what blossomed here too.
In light of our troubled economy lately, I can't help but daydream about the possibility of more primitive living - the good and the bad. So here's a question: if we lost power, paychecks, and all the rest, what would you need in order to survive off the grid? Think on this one - food, tools (non-electric!), guns & ammo, needles and thread, fabric, cookware, a root cellar, scrap wood and other building materials?? Let's make a list of the things an outpost woman would need in order to survive outside society...
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| NikkiBeaumont |
Posted - Apr 10 2009 : 05:09:29 AM
This is a fascinating thread! The most original things listed are the bow and a towahawk. It never occurred to me to have any weapons other than guns and knives. I don't remember ever hearing about a crazy person walking into a mall or school and killing a bunch of people with a bow or a towahawk, so I doubt there is a big contingency out there lobbying for all bows and tomahawks to be outlawed. It is great to realize that there are alternatives to defending yourself, your family and your home!
My husband bow hunts deer and turkey and spearfishes for red snapper and gigs flounder, but I can't do any of that. I guess I'm going to need to learn! I've tried to use his bow before, but I was too weak to pull it back. Guess I need my own "girlie" bow. Ha!
I like Rosemary's idea of hightailing it to Mexico!
Farmgirl Sister #554 |
| mulegirl |
Posted - Apr 09 2009 : 7:36:31 PM
Hmmmm. Everyone seems to want to stay where they are, which is great, but I already can't bear the long Rocky Mountain winters with conveniences! So I would dress in layers starting with my bikini, tights, fleece, down and gortex, pack the Northface Tadpole, sleeping bag, art supplies, ipod with solar charger, a handfull of cash, and Tonto, the cat, who, by the way is an excellent traveler and climb on my mule, Gertie and head for Zihuatenajo, Mexico. Gertie eats any and everything, maybe I'd take a bag of treats for her, Tonto eats mice, he has always been a survivor, he just gets a kick out of the silly humans who open doors for him when he knows perfectly well he can come and go thru his cat door whenever. I'll make friends and pay for camping space and meals with art. As we get closer to the Pacific I'll peel off the layers of clothes that will get me out of the cold. A girlfriend, Grace, has an off the grid palapa at the beach where we will sell our art and and and if that doesn't work we will rob from the rich and give to the poor. Guess I'd better take my bow my boyfriend made for me.
happy trails
http://web.mac.com/rosemaryart |
| KJD |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 4:58:44 PM
Thank you, Kelley, for a very interesting and informative post. I do depend on my husband and 3 sons for so much, but have told my husband that it's time to take me to the shooting range. They all go. I did grow up hunting with my dad, but we never shot anything - he and I are too tender-hearted I think. I will take to heart your 3 survival skills and add them to my must-do list. I also have a special place for anyone named Kelley with an extra "e"...
Kelley |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 2:07:04 PM
Sugar, non-iodized salt, like Connie said, and vinegar. With those three things you could preserve just about anything.
Kelley, that is so interesting. I've always wanted to learn how to brain tan hides.
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
Planting Zone 3
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| farmmommy |
Posted - Mar 14 2009 : 8:09:38 PM
I was raised doing pre 1840 rein-actements with my parents, and to this day, still do. Only now with a husband who was also raised going to them, and now we take our 2 and 3 year old with us and they love it. When I was a kid, and the oil field went bust and my parents lost their job and house...thank goodness for the tipi, because that is were we lived for the next 8 months! No running water, no shower, no electricity, no toilet....nope//none of that stuff! My sister and i were 4 and 5...and we both still swear that those were the absolute greatest days of our childhood!! We threw terrible temper tantrums when our parents told us that we were moving back into a house! It was the saddest thing we'd ever heard.....can you believe that??? That is how much we LOVED living in that tipi....well, ok, I lied....about 4 months thru the 8 months...Dad set up a wall tent "next door" for my sister and I so that we had our own bedroom....hehe..yeah, now that I'm a married woman with 2 babes, I bet I know the real reason sis and I got our "own bedroom"...LOL....anyhow....DH and I now have our very own tipi and wall tent and still go to rendezvous...yes,we WEAR buckskin hides!! They are great! YES....we BRAINTAN the hides! Yes...we go out sometimes for a week or more with no "real" shower, no plumbing...no dishwasher, no electricity, and no phones...it's awesome!
A couple of months ago we were talking with some friends of ours about this subject...and my husband and I are 100% certain that we would make it just fine with out any probs if something were to happen...yes, even with a 2 and 3 year old!!
One thing that I would suggest to all ladies, is this....I know that we all tend to depend on our DH for certain things...but we really need to learn that basic survival skills!!! Because...just in case...know what I mean? First thing...Learn how to use flint and steel to start a fire! Learn to shoot a bow, and throw a tomahawk, these are 3 very important things! The fire to keep warm, for light, for cooking and for rescue signals...the bow and tomahawk...not only for harvesting game, but they could also save you and your families life (looters..weirdos..wild animals taking your domesticated stock..etc) My father taught my sister and I at a very young age the importance of these 3 tools, and how to use them...so I would recomend getting aquainted with these things if you are serious about wanting to make it on your own and protect your own should anything ever happen.
You gals have come up with some great things!! Keep it up! This is a great topic!! |
| Thistle Cove Farm |
Posted - Mar 12 2009 : 05:26:02 AM
One of the first things I did when we moved to a rural area was put candles, lanterns and matches in each room. The oil lamps are kept full and the candles are there for fast light so one can see to light the oil lanterns.
Thistle Cove Farm ~ God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands & heart ~
www.thistlecovefarm.com
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com |
| prariehawk |
Posted - Mar 11 2009 : 7:05:04 PM
Hmm, this is interesting..there's so much to cover. For me, first, I'd want something to completely filter whatever my water supply came from. (The last thing you need is to get sick). Second, I'd want some warm and waterproof clothing. Third, I'd want food--most roots of plant are edible, so I'd also want a good digging tool. I'd also look for pots and pans to cook with--matches, dry wood, kindling--wire and twine--and last, I'd set up my tent and curl up in a toasty sleeping bag--and of course, I'd have a good pocketknife. This is all in case I was really living off the grid!(Just call me Nature Girl) |
| Thistle Cove Farm |
Posted - Mar 11 2009 : 2:31:30 PM
We'd need a way to get the water from the underground river to the stock tanks and house. The lines are laid and one or two generations ago, the water was pumped with a windmill; now it's an electric pump. We'd need an outhouse and a store of lime.
About your fire extinguisher - it has to be primed and then, if used, primed again. Around here, that's a lot of work because it means driving 60 miles round trip.
Like Connie in Fairbanks, we're doing much the same.
Thistle Cove Farm ~ God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands & heart ~
www.thistlecovefarm.com
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 07:30:30 AM
Boy Jenn,
I have been thinking about that an aweful lot, too. I think one of the good things about experiencing times like these is, you get a chance to "get clear" and the differences between "needs and wants". I love that MaryJane has shown us, that there is a lot we can do, do with, or do without!
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/
Mavens are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information."[6] They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others
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| Alee |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 07:12:09 AM
Nancy- Those are great ideas and a lot of wisdom too! I can't wait till we own our own little bit of land and home so I can put things where I want and have a wood stove.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Choctaw Farm Gal |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 01:14:46 AM
For anyone who hasn't thought of what it's like to live without the modern conveniences, should we get stuck like our folks did during the depression years, it's comforting to think about trying it out voluntarily before some crisis puts any of us in the situation without much warning. If you have a piece of ground, make time to camp out on it, learn to cook a little something over the open fire & how to make shelter (even if it is just tarping everything) to keep the firewood & yourself dry. Figure out some of those things to make-do at your place without electricity in poor weather & good weather. If you don't have a spot for outdoor cooking, install a wood stove in your home that you can not only stay warm by, but cook on the top. (I have a Vermont Castings & you can't beat them for warmth and simmering a hearty stew on & they are pretty to look at, as well). Become resourceful with hand tools. Fix yourself a well stocked toolbox with things you will need to hammer, saw, nail, screw-drive, rope up, wire, sledge, and split. Fix up a comfort/ warmth stash with extra quilts, coverlets, wool blankets & soft pillows - so when the electricity goes out you can pull them out for sound sleep during the colder conditions. Gather up your handwork needs with sewing & mending supplies - handwork is soothing in the most stressful situations & setting aside time for it is essential...even if it is to sew back on a missing button or stitch up a hole a coat pocket. Your food supply is critical & it's good to have a supply on hand with variety that will not only store well, but give you real energy and fuel you up. Oil lamps and candles are something you can use now to not only save energy, but get used to so if the power goes, it's not a big deal to switch to old-timely light. I don't keep a big stocked freezer, because when the power goes out in my back hills for 2 weeks, folks lose all their winter meat if it's been frozen - instead I prefer to stock up dried foods including nuts, seeds, fruit leather and jerky & home-canned goods. I've had too many friends lose their frozen food stash to an extended power outage & even friends with generators can only run so much gasoline & have ended up losing their frozen food stores to the cost of fuel - or lack of it when times get rough. The best thing is to spend time thinking about your needs now, prepare for your family in advance. Come up with things you can make or do to help yourself and others when a power outage or crisis hits - think about every situation that might happen - while hoping for the best. Talk to your older relatives to educate yourself on the old timey ways they coped when electricity, running water and cars & gasoline were not available. Times will get better if we all do what we can to be prepared. Hard times just don't hurt near as bad when you prepare in advance.
"Love your children with all your might; do for them, care for them, feed them, hold them, protect them, laugh with them, play with them, enjoy them, listen to them, surprise them with a special story, praise them, help them, teach them to do things & make things, help them understand things. Be a good example for them. Walk with them, sing with them and to them...they will remember every moment and how you made them feel when when they grow up & leave home. It is the stuff money cannot buy that really means the most to a child...your time, your love, genuinely wanting to be with them & caring for them with all your heart. |
| nubidane |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 4:26:48 PM
Connie
That is how I can my deer meat. It comes out beautifully. It makes its own juice & is fork tender & delicious. I just used up my last can & made a yummy barley stew. Can't wait until I have more. |
| jenbove |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 3:31:31 PM
Ok - no liquid. Not sure what the book says, so I appreciate the "real live" education. Thanks again, Connie. I love thinking about you way up there in Alaska. It's fun to be in touch this way
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST!
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 3:05:56 PM
jen, i cold pack my meat. cut it in cubes of about 1 inch and pack in jars. add 1 tsp of non iodized salt per jar. do not add liquid! process 90 minutes at 12 pounds. not sure of that pressure, you need to check for your pressure cooker and elevation! cool and enjoy! great for sandwiches, meat and gravy etc! i hope you like it! peace connie in alaska |
| jenbove |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 2:48:05 PM
Excellent, Connie - thank you! After visiting MaryJanesFarm and using her lovely outhouses (which are equipped with baking soda and cedar shavings for outstanding odor control), I wanted to build one...but my hub wasn't so excited about the idea. Some woodsman, huh? I do use our wood stove ashes to boost our blackberries, though.
Now that it's deer season here, I'm going to to try my hand at canning some meat. Got my "Ball Blue Book" handy...
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST!
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 1:37:38 PM
i forgot in my list (and havent seen it in others) a very important item, NON iodized salt for canning and salting meat! you also need to learn how and be prepared to can meat and fish as well s fruit and veggies, since without power your freezer becomes a yard ornament!
peace connie in alaska |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 1:33:49 PM
jen you use lime in an outhouse to help keep down flies and help break down solids. if you are using a bucket instead of an outhouse you would dig a hole to bury the waste in and add the lime to help break them down. you also use agricultural lime in your garden. a good substitute for either type of lime are the ashes from your wood stove. peace connie in alaska (who uses an outhouse or bucket (and a wood stove to heat with) daily!) |
| jenbove |
Posted - Oct 26 2008 : 1:03:59 PM
Great ideas!
Here's a list I found online & modified a bit. Some of it we covered already...
Hand tools
Rope
Wire
Chicken wire (would make a good fish trap)
Adhesive Tape
1st aid kit
Baking Soda
Stearno & Candles
Indoor Charcoal (coal)
Matches & Lighters
Flashlights and batteries (or the wind-up kind!)
Sheets (for all sorts of uses)
Newspaper & Cardboard
Axe and Shovel
Keronsene Lamp & Oil
Plywood
Buckets/trash cans/tanks, etc
Lime (for waste disposal) -- NOT SURE WHAT THIS ONE MEANS, ARE YOU?
Iodine (purifies water; 1 drop per gallon)
Canned Goods, Dry food
Salt
Herbs (seeds) & a guide to using them medicinally
Ammonia
Fire Extinguisher
Magnifying glass
Sewing stuff...
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST!
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 06:59:59 AM
A smoke house for preserving meat. An adobe oven. Snowshoes. These are the things I don't have done yet. I already have everything mentioned above. I also grow amaranth and have lots of that grain on hand which can either be ground to make very nutritious flat bread or re-planted for the next crop. You don't even have to have that much space to get a lot of grain from your harvest. Also, a good axe and two-man saw just in case you can't get gas for your chain saw to get firewood.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
| dkelewae |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 5:04:22 PM
Amie-Non electric(for me anyway) means no crock pots,bread machines,electric skillets,deep fryers, etc. Basically anything you have to plug in to cook with.
Oh, and don't forget to have an old fashioned can and bottle opener on hand!
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
| Amie C. |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 4:55:21 PM
What's "non electric" cookware? Sorry if that's a dumb question. Do people with electric stoves have to use special pots and pans? |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 2:42:00 PM
we are already looking towards that eventuality. stocking up on food basics like bean,rice, sugar, and flour,seeds, tools including a chain saw and extra chains (files for sharpening too) fabrics and tools for creating clothing, guns and ammo (yes, when they take them away it will be out of my cold dead hands!) non electric cookwares that will hold up such as cast iron, crocks and plastic food barrels, sturdy dishes, wood cookstove, wood heating stove, medical supplies (antibiotics, suture kits, etc.) if possible a small generator and fuel but not totally neccesary, oil lamps and candles, warm blankets, a book of what grows naturally in your area that is edible, fishing poles and lures, good quality scissors and knives, and knowlege of how to sruvive without all the precooked, prepackaged, premade items of our lives today! most o fus here have at least a start on that knowlege withour spinning, weaving, sewing, knitting, hunting, fishing, etc. we can never be too prepared! peace connie in alaska |
| dkelewae |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 1:43:59 PM
In addition to what's already been listed, here are a few things I can think of:
First aid kit.
Matches(lots of them), non electric cookware and in my case also non electric coffeepot!
Blankets and hay for warmth.
Yarn and knitting/crochet needles to make socks,hats, etc.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 1:27:28 PM
Flannel for tp!!! I was talking to my DH about this just this morning. Makes you think.
Water, fuel (wood to build or burn), food & seeds, along with tools are the most important.
We are on a well & I have been trying to get DH to figure out how to attach a hand pump to the well we have without ruining our current pressure, etc. Any ideas on that one.
Jen, this is a great topic!!! Thanks!
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many, MRET & Wellness Coach
http://herbalmommasda.blogspot.com/
Farmgirl Sister #97
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| Amie C. |
Posted - Oct 22 2008 : 12:33:58 PM
+1 on the water source!
And a good supply of bike inner tubes.
Tools in general - a full set of wrenches, sockets, etc. There always seems to be one missing when we're working on a project.
Whenever I start thinking along these lines, I remember all the National Geographic articles I've read about Neanderthals and primitive humans. Just think, there were people living for thousands of years with just the simplest bone and wood tools, and nothing but animal hides for clothing. Last month's NG article on Neanderthals mentioned that they didn't have the concept of sewing at that point - just draped hides over themselves. Wow.
I'm not saying it was comfortable, or that I would want to live that way. But still, it's pretty mind blowing. |
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