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Keith

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I know there is a lot of good gear out there, & I do not shun all modern equipment, BUT, I do believe that much of what is sold for survival these days is a waste of space, literally. Modern firearms have their place, but for many they are not obtainable without a lot of inconvenience. Modern medical supplies are a must have, no argument there. Water filters, I don't carry one but they might be useful.
The problem I have with modern equipment is this; in a long term wilderness survival situation, much of this modern equipment will not last. It will either run out, or it will break or wear out. Then you will find yourself living a stone age lifestyle. Where as if you were to equip yourself with pre 19th century gear, you would never drop below this comfort level. With this of course must go the primitive living skills. You NEED to know how to repair things & how to make your own footwear & clothing.
If you are already on the land or in a secluded position, then your needs may be a little different. If you are planning to remain where you are then you need equipment & skills that will keep your place running smoothly, & you can afford to stockpile.

Now I realise that many of you may treat survival as something that you really don't expect to happen in a big way, we are talking TEOTWAWKI. Others will already have purchased modern equipment & have no intention of getting rid of it. But for those of you who take the possibility of a shtf situation seriously, I urge you to think about the equipment you have & what you may purchase in the future. You can not carry too much weight, you have to make a compromise between two principles; minimum weight, & maximum self-reliance. If you are expecting to have to "bug-out" with family or friends, then this does give you some more options. But your important needs will remain the same. You will need food, you will need water unless you intend to follow a water course to your wilderness destination. You will need shelter & hunting tools & tools for defence. With this may go ammunition, & modern ammo can get heavy if you intend to carry enough to last you a lifetime.
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Your thoughts & feedback please.
Keith.
 
I have had this conversation many times on many forums over the years.
if someone is just preparing for a short term event, something that is over in a few days, a few weeks, maybe a month at most, then none of this applies, they can just replace what they use after everything gets back to normal and the shops restock.
but if someone is looking at a more long term event, not just a month but years, and possibly permanent, as in a completely new lifestyle, then I don't believe it is possible to stock everything one(and all the family) needs for the rest of their lives, things will wear out, break, be consumed etc.etc, then what? they wont be able to go to the store and buy a new one as without a manufacturing base none will be being made.
in this case one would need either the skills and knowledge to at least repair the old item or even make a new one-if that is even possible given the availability-or not- of raw materials, the only other option is to learn to live without such items.
our ancient hunter/gatherer ancestors managed with just what they could carry, which wasn't a heck of a lot,maybe we will have to do the same?
 
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our ancient hunter/gatherer ancestors managed with just what they could carry, which wasn't a heck of a lot,maybe we will have to do the same?
I am forever trying to think of ways to lighten my pack & still remain self-reliant. Especially as I am getting older!
Keith.
 
as things get broken and used up our load will get lighter!:D
I don't think there is anything in my kit that is likely to break or wear out. It will get lighter as I eat the food, but I would like that to last as long as possible.
Keith.
 
I have got some stuff in my stores, modern equipment, that will eventually get broken or worn out, but that's okay, its just to help me and mine acclimatise and get over the "hunker down" period, eventually we will be living a simple basic lifestyle without the use of modern conveniences.
 
I think sometimes "prepping" as opposed to Survivalism is nothing more than blatant consumerism! if you go on some prepping forums you can print of huge lists of what some people think you need just to survive even a mid length event.if we stocked all that was suggested we would need a warehouse to keep it all in.
surely prepping should be about adapting your lifestyle to survive and thrive post event, not trying to live your current lifestyle in a collapsed world.
we should be trying to live a minimalist lifestyle not a privileged one.
 
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Totally agree. I think it was Daniel Boone who once said "I resigned my domestic comforts". He still had some items with him which he considered worth carrying, salt was one, sugar was another. Personally I can do without sugar, I don't use it & it just attracts the ants in a camp, but I understand where he was coming from. You are right, I think half of this stuff is invented & produced just to make money, they know the market & how most people think, & to be fair, to most people I think this prepping is a game, a pastime, a hobby. They don't really believe that anything could happen so they are not really serious in their prepping endeavours. Let's face it, common sense rules. My wife believes that if there is any modern gear out there that will help make our survival easier, then we should get it. To date we have not purchased any so called survival aids, & neither of us would depend on them long term anyway.
Keith.
 
I agree about the salt and sugar, we don't use much sugar these days, gave it up in tea and coffee 17 years ago, we just keep a small jar of it now.
when i'm doing research I go on a lot of so called "prepping" sites but TBH most are trying to sell expensive gear not give advice.
most people in the UK with very few exceptions treat prepping as a hobby, a pastime, nothing is taken seriously and a lot of money is spent on expensive gear but very little thought is given to skills or knowledge because "if"-and its a big IF- they do prep it is only for minor-very minor- events.
 
....we should be trying to live a minimalist lifestyle not a privileged one.

This, I believe, is an essential truth for whatever lifestyle one adopts. Whilst relevant to prepping/survival etc it also has a real and tangible place in modern consumer society, which at its current consumption rate will strip the planet bare far quicker than should ever need to happen - living a minimalist (and low consumption) lifestyle is the ultimate form of prepping in that it is seeking to preserve the status quo as much as possible and minimising the threat posed by events such as post oil collapse :)
 
This, I believe, is an essential truth for whatever lifestyle one adopts. Whilst relevant to prepping/survival etc it also has a real and tangible place in modern consumer society, which at its current consumption rate will strip the planet bare far quicker than should ever need to happen - living a minimalist (and low consumption) lifestyle is the ultimate form of prepping in that it is seeking to preserve the status quo as much as possible and minimising the threat posed by events such as post oil collapse :)
Good post, totally agree.
Keith.
 
My thoughts on this is simple like myself :D
Stored food/water will run out tools will get lost or brake or left behind if a bug out situation occurs. A think about it like this....if the SHTF then it's back to basics real basic clothes will eventually rip ware out..boots will ware out so in that case it's bare feet and minimal clothes if any...back to naturally made garments or foraged like old tyres you can make sandals from deer hide or any animal fur
So when it comes to equipment for survival or prepping a wouldn't store any as such just what a use Day to Day or for trips out in the forest...a do store what if food..for what if it's a bad winter and a cant get to the shops for a few weeks and the equipment I have I use so no need to store more (not saying those who do are wrong)

After reading..and a little research and some experience on this matter if I was to totally commit to prepping then a wouldn't live my life preparing for SHTF I would live it as if it already happened ...no offence intended to anyone that dose... it's only my way of looking at it each to there own:thumbsup:
 
everything will wear out eventually post SHTF, nothing lasts forever, we in the UK unlike the Americans don't in general have the storage capacity to store large amounts of stuff, so we concentrate on the basics, mainly tools and food.
what will last forever are skills and knowledge, if you have that you have them for the rest of your life.
which I suppose is the difference between a "prepper" who is probably only interested in preparing for short term events, as opposed to a "survivalist/homesteader" who takes a more pragmatic long term view.
 
Well I guess ill stick my thoughts in also, I was raised in the northern part of Alberta Canada, we had a well, no power, coal oil lamps or candles, The food we had was from or garden, the meat we shot, we picked a lot of berries, and made most of our own tools, many days it would be -40 or -50 and we used a wood stove, so a lot of or time was cutting wood!, I still have a cabin and I will not put running water or power in the place, I still hunt my own meat, grow my own veggies, I would rather use a horse or dog sled when I can, For the last 40 years I have lived in the big city with DR,s and Lawyer all around me and I still go back to my roots, They all think iam crazy, But to me, that's living !
 
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