Hunkering down for the big one (Resources for retreat)
October 7, 2008
It’s Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 and the stock market is in shambles. The super-rich have raided our pocketbooks for what they could get and don’t seem to think there’s anything wrong with that. Not only that, but they’ve demanded nearly $1 trillion to bail them out from their own mistakes. Of course, they aren’t interested in chipping in a couple bucks of their own money.
The American public just doesn’t buy it anymore. We’ve been bailing the rich out for a century, all the while being told that it’s for the greater good. Well it isn’t. We’re only going to see catastrophic failure. Total systemic collapse as the market continues to hemorrhage and we all lose our jobs.
As such, I thought it would be helpful to provide some links and thoughts with information on how to survive the coming collapse. Sorry if this seems a little over-the-top, tinfoil hat, survivalist crazy.
Investment Opportunities: Cigarettes, top shelf booze, common ammunition. These are the initial things to stock up on prior to the collapse of western civilization. Water, food, and shelter you can get from mother nature, but cigarettes, booze and ammo are the lifeblood of commerce in a post-collapse world.
I’d suggest 4 cartons of Marlboro Reds, 4 cartons Camel wides, 4 cartons Marlboro Lights (my old brand), and 4 cartons of American Spirits (for the hippies). 1 case Quervo 1800, 1 case Belvedere Vodka, and 1 case of Jim Beam (prefer it to Jack). 5000 rounds of 22 Long Rifle, 1000 rounds .30-06, and 1000 9mm.
Land: Got some? Good. Don’t have any? Squat on State or Federal land. Since the government will be in shambles, they won’t have time to care.
Food: Goats, Chickens, Root vegetables, Rape Seed, local grain (whatever grows best, rice, wheat, etc. high input though, so don’t depend on it.)
Water: Beaver free spring-fed lakes, existing wells converted to manual pumps, dubious stream water purified by boiling. More info
Shelter: Cross-cut saw, rip saw hammer, axe, hand planes, shit-load of nails, construction guides from Home Depot, improvise with material from derelict buildings.
Of course, there are many other sundry items that should be considered. Medical Supplies (and the skills to use them), firearms for hunting (and defense if it comes down to that), as many books on animal husbandry, agriculture, and survival as possible, tin foil hats (to keep the voices out), enough food to last you until you can become self sustaining, etc, etc…
At any rate, stay tuned for my 3rd stream of consciousness debate analysis tonight. Should prove to be depressing. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.
October 7, 2008 at 9:45 am
Always boil the water. And, don’t eat little brown mushrooms (or pretty white ones for that matter). Always dig a trench for your ‘daily business’ and cover it up; otherwise you’ll be dealing with unwanted wildlife. Know the endangered species and try not to eat them. Don’t eat more than two fish from any stream per week (PCBs), and beware of arsenic or lead in soil before you plant. A soil sample kit is less than $20, and well worth the money for an effort like this. Finally, this effort is best done in groups (no, I didn’t say a commune), as there is strength in numbers. Take lessons from the Rainbow Family, although I would suggest keeping your group size much, much smaller. Don’t steal someone else’s coffee.
October 7, 2008 at 9:51 am
Good call! There are some streams and lakes where more than 2 fish per week can kill you. Take a look at your state’s DNR webpage to find information about PCBs and mercury levels.
October 7, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Outhouses are the safest form of waste collection. The zone of contamination only goes out one or two feet. Soil bacteria do the decontaminating (they’re stronger than e. coli), so make sure the waste is in contact with the soil. Be sure to include carbon in your waste (like paper) so the balance of carbon and nitrogen are in right proportions. You can throw down peat moss. You’d be surprised how much the waste breaks down. However, a winter problem is poopcicles. Knock them down with a 2×4. Better yet, make a two-seater and use only one side at a time.
It’s also important to have good hand tools and ways to sharpen them. Stock up on nails and screws. Get a bunch of crank-up LED lights. Keep it simple. If you can find an old wood-burning kitchen stove, they’re worth their weight in gold.
October 7, 2008 at 11:47 pm
FWIW:
Dump the 9mm ammo…it’s junk, the FBI found out the hard way and now use .40′s. Go with either .38/.357 Mag (both can be shot through a .357).40 (nice), .45 (better – see below for duality of use), or if you have a need to shoot through schools (reference to the movie Johnny Dangerously…I’m not actually advocating shooting up schools) .44 mag which will make the average engine block shudder. Honestly, your best value would probably be a .45 cal revolver and a matching .45 cal lever action rifle (equally good for home defense and for general hunting).
While automatics are cool in the movies, they tend to be more maintenance heavy unless you are getting some sort of Russian military surplus or an old 1911 which will function well enough even when not cleaned for months (I honestly wouldn’t suggest buying either as you will have better accuracy throwing rocks or cans of spoiled SPAM (can spam actually go bad?)). Stick with a good quality revolver or a well made semi-automatic. Get proficient at speed-loading. Buy a few cylinder speed-loaders or extra clips and practice reloading. Always keep your weapons clean, well oiled and make sure people know how to use them PROPERLY. “Unloaded guns” kill as many if not more people than loaded ones.
I also think the amount of ammunition you are suggesting is on the conservative side. The only real reason you carry pistol ammo is to defend against people; if people are coming chances are pretty good they are carrying an above-average number of guns somewhere slightly beyond the level of insane. I would suggest dropping the .22 magnum by half, increasing the pistol ammo by half again and at least doubling the rifle ammo. It might not be a bad idea to have a shotgun as well. Nothing says true love like a “crowd pleaser”.
I noticed you also forgot a mixed case of good single malt scotch…tsk tsk Janos
Finally, unless you plan to shave with a hunting knife, I would suggest either investing in a crap-load of DE blades for your safety razor or just buy a couple good straight razors
Just a few thoughts…