If the apocalypse comes

[robynsa]

I've probably been watching too much TWD (The Walking Dead) and have found myself thinking a lot about what would happen if there was "an apocalypse of sorts". By this I mean a natural disaster of epic proportions, a civil war, or a zombie apocalypse

I like to learn new skills so for the last year or so I have been trying really hard to do all of the home maintenance myself. The only thing I haven't done myself is the electrical maintenance, but I can do the very basic stuff. I have installed pumps and fixed pipes and I have spent time building fences and pens for livestock and my dog boarding kennels. There isn't much I can't build with a pallet or crate I collect a lot of throwaway stuff that I find lying around and I have a pretty good network of people who have their own skill sets that they are willing to help me learn. So, I know where to find stuff, I know how to work with a lot of the stuff and if I don't know, I'm busy trying to learn as much as I can.

In terms of safety and security, we have a human grade REALLY strong electric fence on our perimeter. Not foolproof - desperate times would have people through it in a second. But it's better than no fence at all. In terms of food, we have some crops and lots of livestock. We would need to stock up on tinned and canned and non-perishable goods for sure. I have been spending a lot more time fishing and shooting. I don't have a firearm but I can shoot an air rifle, BB gun, shotgun, .22 and a 9mm accurately and on target and my gun safety is good. We have a pepper gun and an air rifle.

We have a borehole, so worst case scenario with no electricity we could run it off solar (but we still need to get the panels and batteries) and in the VERY worst case scenario we could dig down to where the pump draws water and use bits off our current mechanised filtration system to manually filter. I don't know how deep the borehole is though. Could take us weeks to dig it out. We have a lot of functional solar lights on the property.

In terms of transport we have cars, a small truck, a 4 wheeler and an off road motorbike. And a bicycle Of course all of that is dependent on being able to fuel them, pump tyres etc. We have horses, and I know every route in and out of our area, and the neighbouring areas, whether using a vehicle or a horse, so we could definitely get around. I have a very good sense of direction so if we needed to move we could do it fast and accurately.

There's obviously tons more things we have that we could use, like a really well equipped camping trailer, etc. And lots more skills between us.

The one thing that I just can't imagine is what I would do with my pets (dogs, cats, pet livestock) if we had to run. I simply can't fathom leaving anyone behind or shooting them. I could probably shoot the livestock (so that they wouldn't suffer or be tortured by interlopers) but some way, somehow, my dogs and cats and parrot would need to come with. It probably sounds so ridiculous but it is a genuine quandary for me. And at 7 dogs (including a very large Anatolian) it's no mean feat to fit everyone in.

I'm rambling and not actually saying much, I know.

Does anyone else watch TWD and wonder if our world will ever end up that way? Do you ever imagine yourself living in those times? How would YOU survive?

Could you kill innocents to protect your family? I know I would kill or die for mine.

Before I sound any more like a sociopath, I think it's worth mentioning that I am a really laid back person in real life But these zombie things DO make me think about the future!

[suzorse]

I just started watching it a few months ago , need to start from the beginning
but I have also thought about being mobile with the animals, I bought a horse last year that I am going to train to drive and have been working with a second that is close in height for a team , so just need to get a wagon
I have done a lot of my own maintenance and I can build what I need ,and know how to camp out if need be, and I also need to keep my stock up of the other things that I do not make or grow, I am not worried about zombies but something else catastrophic could happen
and I can hunt and fish for meat with out using my stock for food
Suzanne

[tranix345]

We have watched from the beginning and love it. We always talk in terms of what would happen, and the main threat would be defending what we have from others. We are a gun toting, gun shooting family so we are all equipped in that department.

[elnini]

I suggest the lights are more a liability than an asset, they would telegraph that you have power and planning to anyone with eyes after dark.

[simplynaturalfarm]

I am glad I don't watch these kinds of things. . . I have far to big of an imagination and would never make it to the apocalypse for the nightmares . .

[charlesh]

I saw the first two seasons of TWD on dvd in Afghanistan. I enjoyed it, but did not pick it up at home. We don't have cable so i would have to rent them and I just don't want to use my time on it now that I have a farm to play on.     
  
And yes, SNF, I would say it was definitely a potential night mare inducing show, at least for me.  I kind of felt like my whole deployment was a nightmare, though, so maybe it's not as scary as I remember.  I'm still not going to start watching it again!
  
Apocalypse planning for me basically means being a part of a strong community.  If the world experiences some more bad times down the road, the best way I know to muddle through will be with family and friends in the community who know each other and will help each other through rough times.  That seems to be a good recipe for success with or without zombies.

[Debbie Lincoln]

We don't watch those shows, but have been planning/predicting chaos for at least 10 years. We won't run, though. THe stand will be made here with the hope that family members who live apart can make it here.
I, too, revel in the ability to learn new skills and the ability to discover how much I can actually accomplish in rough times. (Just don't make me clean up vomit! LOL)
Every animal here has a purpose (as well as being considered a member of family), and I will protect them if I can.
Like charlesh says - community is VERY important - and I am very aware of the skills of every one of my neighbors, and we have actually had discussions among ourselves regarding this very subject. One guy has a great machine shop and he can make ANYTHING out of metal. ANd fix anything. Another has a a lot of land and water and cattle. Another has great old dairy barns and chicken houses. I am the queen of gardening and compost! LOL Many hands, many skills. WE WILL SURVIVE WHATEVER!

[robynsa]

Feb 25, 2014 18:39:08 GMT -5 elnini said:

I suggest the lights are more a liability than an asset, they would telegraph that you have power and planning to anyone with eyes after dark.

That's true, elnini, but they would make very good heaters and the panels could be used for something if need be.

Couldn't agree more about the community, charlesh. In terms of our neighbours, one has a number of tame lions (evil smile - let the buggers try invade!!) and she's very handy with a gun, two are construction whizzes who can build or fix anything (and one has river frontage on his property with a strong flowing river year-round), one is a pro fisherman with TWO boats on the property and his wife is an avid gardener who knows more about plants than I ever will, one family has extensive experience in butchering, one has incredible knowledge of the area as a whole. We would also want to take a stand as far as possible. These neighbours are our fenceline neighbours and we're very social with them.

I am not really afraid of horror movies as such, but for me TWD is different in that not VERY much has to do with the zombies (though the bits - excuse the pun - that do, are gross) but more about protecting yourselves and staying together as family units. I've picked up loads of tips and tricks from watching it. I think whether it was an army of the undead or desperate people at war, it wouldn't change much in terms of what we'd need to do to survive. Except in TWD, the zombies can't run/climb/exercise any form of logic, so they're not THAT hard to evade, whereas living, breathing savages might be a bit more tricky...

[renee7008]

Lions....I like that idea lol !
Thats funny !

[Debbie Lincoln]

I don't think the jackrabbits we have in our pasture will be quite as effective as lions.....

[cdmoi]

Feb 25, 2014 20:04:48 GMT -5 charlesh said:

  
Apocalypse planning for me basically means being a part of a strong community.  If the world experiences some more bad times down the road, the best way I know to muddle through will be with family and friends in the community who know each other and will help each other through rough times.  That seems to be a good recipe for success with or without zombies.

This is truly brilliant thinking, charles! Seriously, our loss of community is profound. A friend of mine said "we used to be born into community. Now, we have to go in search of it..." How true.

As far as learning new skills, I'm brewing my first batch of beer today!!! Does that count?...
moi

[charlesh]

Feb 26, 2014 6:58:55 GMT -5 robynsa said:

Feb 25, 2014 18:39:08 GMT -5 elnini said:

Couldn't agree more about the community, charlesh. In terms of our neighbours, one has a number of tame lions (evil smile - let the buggers try invade!!)

OK, I suggest we all agree to meet at Robyn's house for the apocalypse.  What kind of yellow caution signs to do you all have on your streets?

[Nonesuch Melissa]

As far as learning new skills, I'm brewing my first batch of beer today!!! Does that count?...
moi

That is a skill that will make you valuable to everyone!

[charlesh]

Feb 26, 2014 10:36:09 GMT -5 cdmoi said:

As far as learning new skills, I'm brewing my first batch of beer today!!! Does that count?...
moi

 ...And fewer and fewer seem to make the effort to search.  Much good has come out of our society becoming more mobile, and by the safety nets that have been put in place to help those in need.  But there has been a price paid for both.  The biggest in my opinion was that lost sense of community so many people seem to have.
  
As for the beer, once we get to Robyn's house for the apocalypse I would be happy to offer to critique your effort.  

[robynsa]

PAPAMH!

(post apocalyptic party at my house!)

You're all welcome. Not sure of any of moi's beer will be left when you all get here though! moi, I choose you for my team.

[cdmoi]

Welp, it's done. I'm so excited! Now for the wait....

Only problem robynsa, is that if this PAparty doesn't start soon, there may not be any left...


moi

[Jan V]

I listened to Marjorie Wildcraft interview people living in countries that suffered a complete economic collapse. Cubans, when the USSR dissolved, and Argentinians when their economy seemed to collapse overnight. She asked them each what was the most important survival skill during times of civil unrest, no money, no food etc. The unanimous answer was "community".

Cuba had an agricultural system much like ours today. Big agribusiness farms dependent on fossil fuel, expensive machinery, and far removed from the majority of the population. When the imports from Russia stopped, they had to revamp the system, and today community gardens in and near the cities feed about 80% of the population. The 7 years it took to do that are called "The Special Time" in Cuba, a time of great suffering and deprivation.

[charlesh]

I suspect we will eventually return to a model of smaller, intensively managed, and diverse farms here in the U.S., too. The only reason the current system works is because of cheap fossil fuels. The latest energy boom may push back the return to small-scale farming beyond my lifetime, however.

In the meantime, there is still a niche for us small time folks to service the customers who want to be more directly connected with the food they eat. This is also the niche where authentic community exists.

[sweetiepie]

I love how you guys still believe in people. I wish I could do that more. I get along great with my neighbors, right now. Here's the BUT, they don't plan for the what if moments, of any kind. They are farmers BUT they depend to much on others. No garden, no livestock but cattle, use electricity for everything and take every mechanical thing to someone else to fix etc. They laugh and joke that if the stuff hits the fan, they know where they are coming AND they mean our place. I don't find it funny because I know it to be true. If we had a power outage for more than a day they would be at our house because they have no back up heat, or generator, or anyway to get water to their animals. I try to prepare for small or larger disasters but don't you feel sometimes that you are Noah and his family building the ark. Everyone laughing, and joking, not saying I want anything that drastic to happen but sometimes I wonder. The world just seems so tense right now to me but it probably did for my grandparents too and I hope this too will pass.


P.S. Yes, we watch the Walking Dead and love talking about what we would do. First of all, our theory is that zombies would freeze solid come winter and can't figure out why they just don't head north?

[dunderi]

Hello everyone, my name is Morgan, and I, am a doomsday prepper.

my hubby thought at first that i was fascinating (this chick can brew awesome beer!!) and then a little scary (when i took home a roadkill roo to butcher for the dogs) and then a little strange (because i own a lot of hand-powered things like a benchtop meat grinder, and i bake my own bread) but his reasoning is "the foods good, so what if she's a little crazy?"

:-)

i'm a gardener. when we finally get our own place, we're going to have an EPIC veggie garden.
I'll also hopefully be milking two cows, and have beefers too.
I can raise & slaughter goats, poultry... and i'm keen to work with pigs & sheep too.
I can bake - I can even use a hand millstone to grind the grain if i need to. I also can & preserve fruit / veg / meat.
I can brew beers, ale & ciders, and distill to make 'shine or more sophisticated spirits.
I can make soap from ashes, rainwater, and fat of an animal.
I can hunt, weapon of choice is my 50lb composite recurve.
I can ride or dive horses, work stock, and am handy with a vet kit.

AND I BUY MY TOILET PAPER IN BULK!!!! ;p

these are just some of the skills that most people my age / that i know seem to have no interest in learning. It's not like i'm not technology capable either, giving up the "normal" skills of being computer literate, and able to play computer games, or work an ipad.

It makes me sad to think we are losing so many of the skills of yesteryear. That said, i'm grateful I have the technology to self-teach (via the internet) it seems to be the only perk of this "day and age".

i think some of my family would be very welcome at our farm come a period of SHTF time, some of them i'd probably leave to starve. they say God helps those who help themselves, and i'm of much the same opinion.