Comments

Episode-102- Modern Survivalism Pulling it all Together – Part 1 — 13 Comments

  1. If you are dependent on city water who is going to keep that system going in a major incident? I think they will be busy elsewhere if not dead ! Water is the Number 2 preparadness item .

  2. @Mark,

    Really and exactly how does one store the 8 gallons a day per person that is needed in the city? So a family of 4 = 32 gallons a day so a 60 day supply is? That would be 1920 gallons. This would only take 38 of those 50 gallon drums. Suppose you could just stack them in the average suburban back yard with out the DEA showing up to see if you were running a meth lab?

    Water is critical but unless we have the total, complete break down of all society you can most likely expect water to flow. The key in PERSONAL planning is the order of most likely disaster to effect you. If your in a flood zone sure stored water moves up in quantity you should have on hand.

    The “order of disaster probability” is, Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global.

    The issue with massive amounts of stored water are many. Like I said a well is a great solution, if you can put one in, if you can afford one, etc. But if you did store 1900 gallons of water, how practical is it to take with you if you bug out? Water is about 8 lbs a gallon if I remember so that would be what, about 7 tons? Most people don’t own a tanker truck.

    As I said there are options

    1. A well
    2. A pool can be very helpful
    3. A homestead with a natural source of water (pond stream etc)

    It is however just not practical to store more then perhaps a few hundred gallons in barrels or what have you.

    This is a very had subject to rectify isn’t it? I mean you know you need water even more then food simply to live, yet it is heavy, bulky and difficult to transport in large quantities.

    I figure if you statement of “I think they will be busy elsewhere if not dead” you going to have to GTFOD anyway and you can’t take more then about 50-100 gallons with you in the best of circumstances. The reality is water is the most abundant substance on the planet and many survivalists make way to much of the concept of water storage in regard to what is POSSIBLE for the average person.

    Don’t get me wrong I am grateful for my well and if I were buying a new property it would be high on the want list. But if I was starting from zero, I would invest in food, a means of defense and elimination of debt before I paid thousands to have a well put in, in the middle of surburbia.

    I hope this makes some sense.

  3. There are always ways to store water at your place.
    Yes, barrels are needed, but one can haul 4 or so each trip out to your survival plot of choice and emptied into a cistern. I thought much about it as I
    have limited cash flow and as of yet have no well. But get the cozy LITTLE cabin done and so I can lay in a bed and stay warm. Most important reminder,
    alot gets mentioned about wells but, at least here in Colorado, All water is owned by the goverment.
    So be sure to get your well permit. And right soon

  4. Jack,

    How does your wife feel about preparing? Is she on board with helping you? Just wondering…Bailey

  5. @Bailey,

    She is “on board” at least to the point of not being obstructive. The success of this show really has her attention, if a few thousand a day listen, may be she should too, (grin).

    We divide the responsibilities to our talents. She takes care of most of the organizational stuff, the accounting, etc. I do the hard labor, figure out what to do next, stay in touch with the threats, etc.

    I do wish she would get more into gardening with me. She is all into planting flowers but just thinks a vegetable garden is “boring”, I have to admit I don’t get that it is the same thing in practice! Hence my new found affinity for companion planting.

  6. Jack,
    While I am really likng the podcast and the good practical insights that are coming out of it I must add in something.
    The more off the grid and under the radar you become the better. Rather than life insurance a pocket of money hidden squirreled away somwhere oother than a bank is better. Money in the mattress so to speak. Our grandmothers kept money hidden for the “rainy days”/ After the Depression they didnt trust banks.
    As for personal debt. Rack it up before you die and keep the assets in intangibles that no one can find/ use/ garnish other than your relatives.. If wifey has a jar of cash that noone knows is there the better for her. You cant bleed turnips.. If they think you are broke they write it off. And in a depression who cares.
    My spouse and I are hard core survivors together. We both have been homeless at one time and down on the skids. We have learned many skills the hard way.
    Keep up the good work.

  7. Trash with all do respect to these two comments.

    1. You said, “The more off the grid and under the radar you become the better. ” – Only if that is what a FAMILY or INDIVIDUAL actually WANTS. If that is how you feel it is best for you, it is not best for me to live in the middle of Montana, 25 miles from any one neighbor, with no grid, no anything totally alone. Why? It isn’t what I want and it really isn’t what my wife wants. The choice of where and how to live above all others must be an individual choice. To make a blanket statement about such a critical choice is honestly quite short sighted.

    2. You said, “As for personal debt. Rack it up before you die and keep the assets in intangibles that no one can find/ use/ garnish other than your relatives” On that if you do it, you are NOTING BUT A FRICKEN THEIF! And even though you have been a great member of our forum and site I REALLY FEEL THAT WAY. A person that knowingly buys shit with a credit card, line of credit, etc and keeps “the assets in intangibles that no one can find” is absolutely NO BETTER then a street thief that shop lifts it.

    A man that does not honor his debts is without honor. When you buy on credit you give you word that you will pay the bill.

    Honestly if you plan on giving out advice like that, find a new place to hang out and post. I try to be open to most people but theft is theft and advice on how to steal is NOT WELCOME HERE.

    I hope I am well understood.

  8. Jack,
    I think I was a tad misunderstood. When I said off the grid and under the radar. I meant something different. We live in civilization in a community surrounded by people. The point was to live under a contained footprint. As Independent and self-reliant as possible.
    As for number 2 I totally agree with you. The only debt one should truly have is their mortgage.The point I was trying to draw home was with the squirreling away of money and assets out of the sight of the banks etc. Like our elders did.. Remember they didnt trust the guvt or the banks either. The stuffed in the mattress mentality.
    Life insurance is great if the assurance of solvency is there. BUT what if it isnt.. Better to have a stash of cash to depend on then the solvency of the insurance company.

    My philosophy on personal debt is “If you aint got the cash dont buy”. But our economic system is based on the perpetuation of failure and guilt. And our citizenry has bought into it. Buy now, pay leter. If you cant pay, ask the guvt for bailouts. Or drop your head in shame and pay pay pay, while your kids starve or you wind up on the streets. The guilt of Poverty.
    If it works for the corporations why not for the citizens. Therefore the off the cuff comment about “rack up the debt”.. Corporations do it all the time with no semblence of remorse. As we have seen. They hide their assets, they steal from their workers,and when the SHTF they go beggin to the guvt for handouts. And who is the thief?

  9. Trash this was pretty clear,

    “as for personal debt. Rack it up before you die”

    You put it in print, you clearly were advocating theft, perhaps you didn’t mean it but you clearly stated it. I would not call you a “tad misunderstood”, may be you said something you did not mean but what was said is there to be read by anyone who can read.

    On the corps hiding assets, paying themselves bonuses and then taking tax payer money and hosing share holders. Yea they are thieves and they should occupy the same cells as people that knowing steal by buying on credit and knowing they won’t be ever paying the bills.

  10. @Trash,

    I also think this is totally inaccurate,

    “Rather than life insurance a pocket of money hidden squirreled away somwhere oother than a bank is better”

    Really? So you are better off with 5K “squirreled away” when a primary bread winner of a house hold who had an income of 50K a year dies? When a 250K policy on a healthy person 25-45 years old can be had for about 200 bucks a year? Tell that to the widow who just lost that husband.

    Saving money is good but while anyone is dependent on your income not having some form or insurance is just plain irresponsible. It is so god forsaken cheap in the grand scheme of things not doing it as a bread winner is just dumb in my book anyway.

    Not at least covering the cost of being buried and your outstanding debt makes ZERO sense.

  11. “Really? So you are better off with 5K “squirreled away”

    You are dead, so it doesnt matter, but the spouse and kids who remain knows that the squirreled away money is right under her nose without having to jump thru the hoops for the insurance company and her mental state can remain at ease.

    “when a primary bread winner of a house hold who had an income of 50K a year dies?”

    If the primary breadwinner makes 50k then at least 6 months of squirreled away survival money (using your example $25k)should ideally be stashed with immediate access for you/ your surviving spouse.

    “When a 250K policy on a healthy person 25-45 years old can be had for about 200 bucks a year? Tell that to the widow who just lost that husband.Saving money is good but while anyone is dependent on your income not having some form or insurance is just plain irresponsible. It is so god forsaken cheap in the grand scheme of things not doing it as a bread winner is just dumb in my book anyway.”

    Having spent several years in insurance what I can tell you is its not as simple as making a phone call and wowser the 250k is immediately available.. Remember the bureacracy and the paperwork to collect. By then your corpse is rotting..And what widow should have to spend her grieving hours on the phone dealing with the adjuster who want paperwork proving your death. And what if the insurance company becomes insolvent and they cant pay the 250k that you spent 200 bucks on.. I would hate to depend on corps to bury my corpse.

    “Not at least covering the cost of being buried and your outstanding debt makes ZERO sense.”

    Here we agree totally. But I would rather my spouse have the money under her nose should she need it then having to be at the mercy of the Insurance company. AS for the rest of the debt. The only debt should preferably be the mortgage (which we have the insurance whereby if one of us dies the mtg gets paid off). As for any medical bills, what the insurance doesnt pay off pay something every month to keep the collectors at bay while you get back on your feet.

  12. Jack, We have some people in our group that insist on urban survival, I wouldn’t but i try to help them anyway.Real simply you sandpoint drive a small shaft well and hand pump it (being done in Africa over 100 feet.).Don’t you live in a flood area , Hurricane type flood. Anyway things happen and a list of probability does not guarantee reality. I have my two years of food , my cabin , guns ,that’s why I need to get my well in next because I have no services out there.

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