enjoy the ride
Sufficient Life
Dacjohns- I hope you all are warm and doing OK. It gets wearing to be in a constant state of figuring out how to cope. Boy, I am such a lover of routine........................
How long would you make it??
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opiemaster
Lovin' The Homestead
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Well, ok. We would last I would like to say as long as we needed, generaor to run the freezer and fridge, (only during the day for a couple hours) I am instaling rain barrells this spring, and I am going to the hardware store an getting the necessary PVC pipe and fitttings to have on hand so if anything does happen I can plumb the down stairs toilet into a rain barrel outside so we can flush. 
I dont store anything in gallon milk jugs anymore as they are designed to deteriorate in a short period of time (within a year they get real brittle) I have lost water and such stored in these and not to mention the mess that it made.
I have read where some people say they dont know how to hunt, well better look into that one.
Another thing is self defense. You will need it and know how to use it. A good 12 gauge pump shot gun has always been known to be a great self defense weapon as women can shoot it easily, point a shoot usulay gets what yer aimin at. My opinion you should have a rifle around to, (that way you can defend yourself freom a distance.) And plenty of ammo put away.
I dont like thinking of having to defend my self in this way, but when things get bad, the people who are not caring now and runnin around with there heads in the butts will be hungry and want to take what you have.
We heat with wood and have plent of oil lamps and oil around. We are accustomed to live in with out power as where I live we lose power atleast 2 times a year in the winter. No big deal.
Oh, dont forget TOILET PAPER!!
A battery operated shortwave radio, it helps to hear sometimes whatthe ham operators are talkin about in other parts of the world.
A CB radio would work great to talk to your neighbors with, they run on a car battery and you can get solar powerd car battery chargers cheap. (just have to get your neighbors to think thatway also)
I dont store anything in gallon milk jugs anymore as they are designed to deteriorate in a short period of time (within a year they get real brittle) I have lost water and such stored in these and not to mention the mess that it made.
I have read where some people say they dont know how to hunt, well better look into that one.
Another thing is self defense. You will need it and know how to use it. A good 12 gauge pump shot gun has always been known to be a great self defense weapon as women can shoot it easily, point a shoot usulay gets what yer aimin at. My opinion you should have a rifle around to, (that way you can defend yourself freom a distance.) And plenty of ammo put away.
I dont like thinking of having to defend my self in this way, but when things get bad, the people who are not caring now and runnin around with there heads in the butts will be hungry and want to take what you have.
We heat with wood and have plent of oil lamps and oil around. We are accustomed to live in with out power as where I live we lose power atleast 2 times a year in the winter. No big deal.
Oh, dont forget TOILET PAPER!!
A battery operated shortwave radio, it helps to hear sometimes whatthe ham operators are talkin about in other parts of the world.
A CB radio would work great to talk to your neighbors with, they run on a car battery and you can get solar powerd car battery chargers cheap. (just have to get your neighbors to think thatway also)
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Heat wave?
In garden time, I would rig up a way to pump water from my spare well to irrigate my plants each night after sun down. I would also rig up sheets for shading my plants that were wilting too much.
Eat light, keep well hydrated. Rest at midday. Wake up early and complete most chores in the early morning coolness and finish chores in the evening after sundown. Make sure livestock had good shade, which they do here in my yard. Take the dogs swimming often in the river as a cool down treat. Keep window shades drawn during the day.
Tough it out.
In garden time, I would rig up a way to pump water from my spare well to irrigate my plants each night after sun down. I would also rig up sheets for shading my plants that were wilting too much.
Eat light, keep well hydrated. Rest at midday. Wake up early and complete most chores in the early morning coolness and finish chores in the evening after sundown. Make sure livestock had good shade, which they do here in my yard. Take the dogs swimming often in the river as a cool down treat. Keep window shades drawn during the day.
Tough it out.
TanksHill
Super Self-Sufficient
Living in So Cal heat is something we deal with. The best thing is to keep hydrated. Like Bee says work in the evenings when its cooler.
My neighbor has a great system where he uses buckets at the bottom of each plant/bush/tree. As a drip watering system. Less waste and the plant gets a good watering.
When its really hot I let my hens out to take shelter in the neighbors orchard. They seek hide under the shady trees and settle on the cool ground. I also use a misting hose on the coop and run area. Two or three years I learned the hard way and lost ten hens in a heat wave.
I use black out blinds now. I open the west side in the morning and switch and open the east side in the afternoon when the sun is setting. That way we can stay cooler.
Most summers I bite the bullet a budget about an extra 100. bucks a month towards AC.
My neighbor has a great system where he uses buckets at the bottom of each plant/bush/tree. As a drip watering system. Less waste and the plant gets a good watering.
When its really hot I let my hens out to take shelter in the neighbors orchard. They seek hide under the shady trees and settle on the cool ground. I also use a misting hose on the coop and run area. Two or three years I learned the hard way and lost ten hens in a heat wave.
I use black out blinds now. I open the west side in the morning and switch and open the east side in the afternoon when the sun is setting. That way we can stay cooler.
Most summers I bite the bullet a budget about an extra 100. bucks a month towards AC.
Homesteadmom
Frugal Homesteader
Here in the desert of Az we have high heat temps every summer(115+). You work outside & have everything done before 9am(8 preferably). You water everything at night(less evaporation) as it helps to lower the temp on your property faster. You keep the blinds/curtains closed on the house for the windows that the direct sun would be coming thru. Maybe even put more coverage over the windows like sheets & blankets if it is really bad heat wise. Run your ceiling fans & keep your ac set at a reasonable temp so you are not a help to overload the grid & cause black or brown outs. Cook on the grill outside for any cooking you have to do. Otherwise you eat lots of cool or cold foods. Most important you always, always, always have water with you! You never leave home without a supply of water in case something happens, but because you need to stay well hydrated too.
makerofstuff
Enjoys Recycling
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It is winter here and I think that I would make it for the duration. Even though I am living in town right now I am able to take care of myself, an getting the am working os is my family. I worry about being able to keep those around us from panicing in a long term situation. I find myself torn these days between wanting to run and hide in an off grid homestead, and being trained to keep the people that really trust that nothing bad is going to happen in their lives settled enough to reorganize. I have signed up for citizen emergency response training, if nothing else it should help me feel a bit more empowered. That is a good thing in my struggle to find enough information and skills that I hope to never need.
breconbcs
Power Conserver
We went through 6 days during a bad snow storm that knocked out hydro and our road never got plowed so we were literally snowed in and we made it. We were not prepared for it as such. Everything that can be on natural gas is - stove, heat, dryer, bbq, hot water, fireplace. Our house is a bungalow so heating the upstairs wasn't too bad, our bedroom was extremely cool but sweaters and blankets took care of that and the kids slept in the livingroom. Basement got really cold, I lost 95% of my fish but didn't have to worry about the freezers.
When we went to the grocery store after the mess was cleared up it was surprising to hear people complaining about being out for a a day or even 24 hours and the shock from them to hear we "survived" 6 days and how did we do it. It showed us that though we weren't prepared physically at least mentally we were up to the challenge. But it did get us thinking about long term issues like if it had been alot longer. So we saved up and got a generator, have wired up the house to fire up the must haves - furnace, water heater, fridge/stove (gas stove still requires hydro for their ovens), modems for the phone line (this is more for when the hydro goes out and the kids are home alone), and of course the most important to hubby the tv/satellite/dvd player.
We also store enough gas to run the generator for about two weeks right now. I have right now 2 cases of bottled water stored away even though we are on town water. And if things really went down hill, we have all the supplies together and the directions printed out to make an ethanol still and by-law couldn't stop me from having chickens and such if it's a matter of eating or starving. Honestly I don't think we'd have to many neighbours around to complain about the animals if it came to that, after 3 hours of no hydro (and finding out it would be alot longer than that) they almost all left. There was probably only 3 or 4 of us left on our street that went through the full 6 days.
When we went to the grocery store after the mess was cleared up it was surprising to hear people complaining about being out for a a day or even 24 hours and the shock from them to hear we "survived" 6 days and how did we do it. It showed us that though we weren't prepared physically at least mentally we were up to the challenge. But it did get us thinking about long term issues like if it had been alot longer. So we saved up and got a generator, have wired up the house to fire up the must haves - furnace, water heater, fridge/stove (gas stove still requires hydro for their ovens), modems for the phone line (this is more for when the hydro goes out and the kids are home alone), and of course the most important to hubby the tv/satellite/dvd player.
We also store enough gas to run the generator for about two weeks right now. I have right now 2 cases of bottled water stored away even though we are on town water. And if things really went down hill, we have all the supplies together and the directions printed out to make an ethanol still and by-law couldn't stop me from having chickens and such if it's a matter of eating or starving. Honestly I don't think we'd have to many neighbours around to complain about the animals if it came to that, after 3 hours of no hydro (and finding out it would be alot longer than that) they almost all left. There was probably only 3 or 4 of us left on our street that went through the full 6 days.
Mackay
Almost Self-Reliant
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We have a Honda generator. How much gas do you think it takes to last 2 weeks?breconbcs said:
Are you running it day and night?
Sunny
Lovin' The Homestead
Im not very prepared. But working on it..
I dont have a generater.. But my freezer stuff could last for a little while if it wasnt opened.. Then if I had the jars and lids.. I would can the meat.. You can always use a wood stove for the heat to can.. It would save your meat longer..
I didnt read the whole thread.. So I hope no one else suggested this.. I didnt have time to read it all.. Have to get ready to pick up my daughter from school..
I dont have a generater.. But my freezer stuff could last for a little while if it wasnt opened.. Then if I had the jars and lids.. I would can the meat.. You can always use a wood stove for the heat to can.. It would save your meat longer..
I didnt read the whole thread.. So I hope no one else suggested this.. I didnt have time to read it all.. Have to get ready to pick up my daughter from school..
