Essential Items For Surviving in the Event of Rationing-Depression

[patandchickens]

Have y'all read any of the handbooks produced by/for farmers and rural households from the actual Great Depression? They're really interesting. There's a couple available in reprint form from Lee Valley, and I have read some others in libraries over the years.

An amazing amount can be done with just the metal that you have around or can scrounge, if you have the ability to stick it together in new ways e.g. welding/soldering/etc (which apparently many farmers were doing right thru the Great Depression, btw).

Rivetting is better than nothing, but really not all *that* much better than nothing IME

On reflection I suppose that the real substitute for welding etc would be actual blacksmithing. You know, forge, anvil, all that. I don't see me learning to work iron and getting all the necessary supplies just on the very off chance that it should ever become useful, though, although certainly someone else might want to.

Me, I'm not really interested in preparing for anything that would involve those sorts of fuels becoming almost immediately unavailable and remaining unavailable for years. Anything like that, I expect roving hordes with guns would shoot us more or less right away *anyhow*, so I don't even worry about that kind of catastrophe.

BTW, note that food was rationed during WWII and there was no accompanying relapse to 'cowboy days'. Of course things might be different *now*, at least some place, but I'm just sayin'

Pat

 

[the simple life]

Hey so glad you guys made it over here.
Welcome!
I hope everyone makes you feel welcome, I am sure you have great ideas to share with us and vice versa.
Stay and poke around some of the threads, some good stuff here so far.
If you like it here, spread the word, its always good to get new perspectives from other people.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Shoes and yarn and knitting needles or crochet hooks.
Chocolate and sugar
Seeds
Water purification stuff

A depression usually would not create rationing- people who have no money are self-rationing. Rationing occured when the government was using supplies at a rate much out of the ordinary- food and clothing for troop, gas for military and transport, neccessary stuff for manufacturing, etc. There was a limit in manufacturing for non-war things which created shortages at home.
One thing that will surely create shortages is hoarding itself. But not seriously so I think.

Transportation issues may create distribution issues though.

 

[the1much]

the "rationing" will come when our $ collapses,, which it is.
and if your a nation with worthless money,well then EVERYTHING gets rationed,,,,, look at africa. they cant even get the "rations" to the people.

 

[me&thegals]

Chocolate and sugar.

Hey--those are my priorities, too! Lots of things could go by the wayside, but chocolate? Never

On a more serious note, I think an excellent road bike with pull-behind trailer. I don't have great roads for biking, but if fuel were no longer an option, I could conceivably do the 22 miles to town and back for any supplies still available for sale.

Good ax for procuring firewood. Plenty of matches and fire-starting material. Lots of canning supplies--can't even bear to think of freezers not being available! Water purification tablets?

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I sew and have fabrics, thread, needles, zippers, velcro, buttons and have a pedal machine.

I would think that things like coffee, tea, spices, sugar and cocoa would be important and could be used as bartering tools.

Fishing line, traps and guns w/ ammo. Oil for keeping them from rusting.

I think antibodies, peroxide, bandages stored in a water proof container.

Matches, lots of matches in a water proof container.

Books how to books as well as for enjoyment.

I think EVERYONE should spend time finding out wild edible food sources from their area and make notes of when they are in season. Journals and pencils are very important tools.

Everyone should know how to clean a dove/chicken, deer, rabbit, fish and cook it on an open fire.

Spend some time: cutting logs with a two-man cross cut saw, NOW

If you are going to be able to live (NOT just survive) the time is NOW to explore new and different ways of doing things... Just like the boy scouts..go on hikes, campouts, try cooking on wood, shooting/trapping a rabbit (any wild animal you have in your area /skin it/cook it. IF you have a container you think is waterproof--place a roll of tissue, close top and place it in a bucket/tub of water and leave it for a week..then check it.. Don't wait until the power is out, the roof has blown off to find out your container was NOT really waterproof..

KNOW where you water source will come from, how will you get/keep it safe????

 

[pioneergirl]

Awsome thread! First, I think if you aren't willing to think about the extreme, the you may not be able to survive the extreme. If you look at your grocery sale flyer, or coupons, it will say "Limit # per customer per visit"...rationing. The Great Depression did cause 'self rationing' because the economy collapsed. So we have to think of ways to survive on our own, with out having to depend on the Government, or others.

We have to think as if metal is out of the question...or gas...or whatever we take for granted. Personally, I think it would be more practical to learn how to grow food, make shelter, hunt, cook, ....SURVIVE. No, I don't think there is going to be a major apocolypse, but I do think these skills are going to become necessary in the future. That being said, I think we should learn about many things....

Learn what wood makes for good tools, equipment, and housing in your area

Learn how to use the 'old style' , non-electric tools

Learn how to build a sturdy shelter, build a fire, hunt and cook

Try to amass as much first aid type supplies as you can. Doesn't have to be all at once, get the $1 band aids each time you go to the store, etc.

Stock up on other supplies, such as was mentioned before...matches, or even learn how to use flint....flour, sugar, salt, vinegar, yeast, etc. And as was also said before, TEST your waterproofing NOW.

Its not about mass panic, or thinking the End of Days is coming...its about being prepared and we all know that KNOWLEDGE is key!

We all have our opinions on how to survive, and what we may need, but I think we might get too carried away. BASICS go a long way!! JMO

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

We all have our opinions on how to survive, and what we may need, but I think we might get too carried away. BASICS go a long way!! JMO

I agree. Just look around you and be realistic about what you need to survive every day. Stock up on items that you are light on and continue doing what you are doing if you feel it is adequate ( such as canning, splitting wood, etc.)

I feel pretty comfortable as far as the amt of food and medical supplies I have on hand. I would probably need to improve on the amt of feed for the animals and what not.

Owning a landscaping company we have more tools than the garage and shed can hold and plenty of them do not require electricity!

We are camping and hunting kind of people. Have been all our lives so I feel that we would be ok.

We have friends of many different occupations and they are for the most part like minded and level headed people so I am pretty sure if we needed something and could not handle it ourselves we could work things out with others. I feel this is a very important thing.

 

[the1much]

i say stock up on friends,,they WILL be 1 of the most important thing for survival,,,not very many "loaners" can prosper,,and what happens when sickness hits,,who's gonna "help" with the "daily" things. i think i said it on the other forum,,,but to do this right,, you WILL need help,, and your "helpers" WILL need your help.
food
shelter
tools
friends
then everything else.

 

[enjoy the ride]

I think that the next time we have an extended power outage (which happens yearly here,) I will try a practice run on how to cope. Just a test drive to see what I have forgotten to prepare ahead.
The water thing is very important I think. I do maintain about 5000 gallons here but any real water source would be down a steep ravine so once gone, it would be a real challenge for me to get water in the summer. For city folk, it might be a challenge too.
I know posters have mentioned filling bath tubs when a storm comes but the two real long outages here have been totally unexpected wind storm that just blew in from the ocean.
A rain catch system, which I don't have, would probably get me though each year with serious conservation. I should have one anyway as water can get scarce in the fall til rainy season starts.