I am subscribed to a Homesteading/Survival page on Facebook and for the most part, enjoy reading their tips about living a minimalist lifestyle. Some of the posts, however, make me SMH in amazement.
For example, in this post someone asks about what to do about the medicine that people need in order to survive. The question goes on to mention the "upcoming storm". Quite a few people chimed in with some common sense solutions (but probably futile) and others responded with idiotic answers.
It wasn't this question that makes me shake my head so much, but the attitude of many in the forum. There are many questions about the best preparations for the "storm" and far too many people answer with what sort of weapons one "needs" with specific requirements for ammo and such. Others blather on about where to live and how much land one might need for various numbers of people and what sort of garden to have. Others talk about how it's best to own gold and silver; they even advise to not purchase bullion, but invest in small denomination/sizes of coins.
Sorry, but if "it" does hit the fan and food is scarce, I wouldn't trade my last can of beans for all the gold in Fort Knox. (if there IS gold there) I'd think cigarettes and whiskey would be worth many times more than gold. I wouldn't swap one laying hen for a Krugerand. (OR the goose that lays golden eggs) A roll of toilet paper would be worth a lot more than a roll of silver coins. (paper money might have SOME use in case of "the storm", come to think of it)
It's something I've seen in common with these sort of people; it's almost like they're looking forward to the breakdown of society. Sure, it's not a bad idea to be prepared for disasters, but I think most of these folks don't have a clue about just how bad it would be.
Stop and think about it; if society breaks down completely, you're on your own. There will be minimal medical care- only what you know how to do- no law enforcement, no electricity or other comforts of modern civilization. One small cut on your hand could quickly turn into gangrene...appendicitis or other "minor" ailments mean you die a slow, agonizing death. An abscessed tooth could be your death warrant, an ACL tear could mean you're crippled forever. In my own case, if I broke my glasses I would pretty much be disabled. I certainly wouldn't be much use on sentry duty, couldn't be a hunter...I wouldn't even be much good as a gardener - couldn't tell the weeds from the vegetable plants. (I'd probably only be worth something by being boiled down for my lard!)
All right, let's say you are fortunate enough to have a hundred acres up in the mountains near...oh, let's say Denver. If the "storm" hits, don't you think that as soon as the food runs out (I've read the average grocery store has a 3 day supply) people will soon be spilling out of that huge city, trying to survive just as you're trying to do? There's no way you could defend your hideout forever. Many people in the forum talk about hunting one's own game, but it's easy to see that even if you have managed to get off the beaten path, many, many others will be hungry and armed and competing for the same animals.
OK, let's assume you're prepared to the max; you've got your great survival cabin, plenty of freeze dried foods, a nice garden, your own water well, a generator and loads of weapons and ammo. First of all, you can only shoot one gun at a time. Even if everyone in your family becomes a soldier, you could quickly be overwhelmed by a force only a few times your numbers. What about trying to fight people who have managed to obtain military weapons, such as automatic rifles, mortars, heavy machine guns? How are you going to defend against REAL soldiers who have banded together and also want to survive and are using advanced tactics to assault your "fort"? Your trusty, rusty .22 won't quite cut it against an armored personnel carrier. One homemade Molotov cocktail could drive you out into the open.
What about your neighbors? Are you going to take them in? If so, your supplies and resources will immediately be reduced by a factor of how many you've taken in. Or, do you turn them away and think of your own family first? Fine, but you've just made enemies, your former friends who are thinking of THEIR families too. You've just shown you care nothing about their welfare, why should they consider yours? A desperate and hungry man will take desperate action for his own hungry family.
You HAVE to sleep sometime, you HAVE to go out to tend your garden, go hunting, turn off/on or service the generator, feed and water your animals, even go to the outhouse. Easy enough to pick you off from a distance then. The noise of a generator, a rototiller, even the sound of talking carries a long way. Lights at night? Like moths to a flame, here comes the 2-legged predators. The smell of a fireplace, meat on the grill, will also bring them, human animals who want what you have, too.
I could go on and on about how relatively simple it would be to kill you and/or take away your supplies and survival cabin, but no need. I want to tell these people in the survival group that they shouldn't look forward to the "storm" they're so sure is coming. Like I said, it bothers me that people seem to be eagerly anticipating it.
What are you going to do if you run out of your insulin? Why, you're going to die.
You might be the lucky one.
