Preparedness for Gulchers

Posted by davidmcnab 9 years, 10 months ago to Going Galt
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We are making a farcical descent into a police state. Not just that, but bee populations are collapsing, threatening food supply. Also, water reserves are being critically over-exploited. The oceans are being fished out. And, the world's economy threatens collapse at any time.

This means that the Gulch (or Gulches) are not just a nice pleasant retreat for like-minded people, they are absolutely critical to our survival.

This leads to my question - are there Gulchers among us who participate in preparedness communities? (I believe the older term was 'survivalist'). If so, are there any communities and/or websites you would recommend?

Unless we have the stealth technology mentioned in AS, and this seems a few years off, then a Gulch will only be as good as its members' ability to defend it. Siege strategies are useless - any significant threat from authorities will need to be countered with a way to scatter and disappear into the wilds, then re-convene at another Gulch. This means being prepared to deal with the elements at random times, for random periods of time.

Any thoughts?

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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I had had a similar problem with not being able to find a comment I recall Hillary making to the effect that 'the homeless problem would be solved if everyone with an empty bedroom would just take a homeless person into their family'. I remember the comment, but the Internet is now silent on this.

    As I said, I do not dispute that this is the agenda of the Left, I just do not think it will actually work out that way.

    Jan
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  • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I cannot find the video of odipshit saying he wants to move people out of their cars and the suburbs and into the cities and mass transit. Very strange it can't be found any longer.
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I think that eventually you may need a 'sport driving' license! But that future is a long time away, and I think that driving yourself will be an option for many decades. For myself, if things get really tricky (such as a high wind), I would still like to be the driver because while my reflexes are not as good as those of a computer, my ability to imagine potential problems is better.

    My management style is 'manage by walking around' so I need to be able to pop into someone's office and chat with them. I like the idea of telecommuting, but am grappling with the problems of detecting productivity at a distance. If you have any advice on this, I would be glad to listen.

    Jan
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  • Posted by VetteGuy 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hi Jan,
    Telecommuting is another popular option, and is available for some careers now. I currently work for a company whose office is 1200 miles from my house. My work comes in and goes out electronically. I go weeks without turning on my printer. I could be anywhere with decent internet service, which is an important caveat, and should not be discounted, as I have relatives who CAN'T get decent internet.

    On a different topic - self driving cars - your dream is my nightmare. I'm one of those very few (these days) weirdos who actually enjoys driving! My fear is that I will someday have to donate my trusty '78 to a museum because it will no longer be legal to drive for myself! ;-)
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I do not disagree that this is the Agenda 21 plan. I just do not think that it will happen that way.

    Jan
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  • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I disagree. The plan is to have everyone move into the cities and out of the suburbs. I will see if I can find odipshit saying it on video. That is also the agenda 21 plan, everyone in cities with vast no human habitation areas.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I will... our neighbors just put in a 24 panel system for direct feed (no batteries) and we're planning on looking at it (possibly this weekend) to see what it involves. I do know that he was quoted +$30K to have it installed, and he was able to do it himself for about 1/2 that. He also looked into the Tesla Battery system but was relatively unimpressed with both the cost and the battery maintenance/replacement issues.

    Personally, I would rather do as Ma Bell did for decades and use a set of Edison Cells - commercially purchased they're not cheap but I am thinking, as it's 120 year old tech, it may not be difficult to build them as a DIY project. What I like about them (other than not being lead+Acid) is they have a lifespan that measures in decades, not years. They do take up a lot of space - probably build a "power house" for them (any good deals on voice recognition locks set to a certain phrase?) but it would be a lot more cost-effective in the long run than L/A, Li-Ion, or NiMH batteries that have to be replaced every few years.
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  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Your welcome Jan
    As you I'm here for knowledge. And I too despise the social networking at least here I have a similar philosophy with others.
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    This is an entirely reasonable goal. It will be made easier by self-driving cars and reasonably priced energy sources for them. I think that the advent of self-driving cars will create a new type of city, as different from our current cities as LA (post automobile city) is from NY (pre auto city).

    Right now, I am at work - but my first meeting does not begin until this afternoon. I could be still in my self driving car, looking at the hot problems in my Inbox (none so far this morning) and organizing my day. Then arrive at work, stay for 4-6 hours of face time with people, get in my car and do a bit of documentation on the way home - or maybe just read a novel or watch a movie.

    I think that our cities will spread out to a 2 hour drive ring around the city center. This will make suburban farms/ranches plausible, distributed power attractive, and limit damage done to a target of military importance.

    Did you know that there is a site where you can test the blast radius of a nuclear bomb of the size of your choice on the map of your choice? http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

    Jan
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 9 years, 10 months ago
    Here in California there's a quickening right now. You can see it. One of my offices is near the Capitol and it's a mess over there...think of those scenes in the AS movies with all the picketers... The lawmakers are absolutely doing the opposite of what the people want. The lawmakers have a look on their face like they're running from the fire. It's like they know what they are doing is wrong, but they don't have control over it. Frankly...I think somebody else does. I'm telling you, there is some dark stuff going on. This feels like Cloward and Piven on steroids.
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Ya'know, I had intended to quit the Gulch after the third AS movie came out: This is the only social media venue I engage in, and I was becoming a bit too...vocal...for my own comfort. But I have learned an incredible amount on this site: history, physics, construction. Normally, I despise 'networking', which generally means 'socializing politely with people with whom you have nothing in common', but contacts with people such as yourself have made me realize that I actually do have something in common with some of the folks in the Gulch. So I decided it was worth the risk of having a ding in my profile - and I stayed in the Gulch.

    Thank you for the offer, waytodude.

    Jan
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  • Posted by radical 9 years, 10 months ago
    Keep your powder dry and your larder full.
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 9 years, 10 months ago
    Interesting. We are looking for alternative places to move to. We're interested in living in/near civilization. We just think America is likely to go under. With kids you have to deal with a whole other dimension. I can't Rambo through the wild with little ones. On my own, I'd make Rambo look like Bambi...
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  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    John my goal is to let people know there are still places and people like this . When I first got to my gulch I locked everything as I did in the city after a couple of years and became part of my community I have learned to relax. I know it's hard for most to leave their comfort zone and take themselves and family in a uncertain adventures it was for me however once one gets over the learning curve a hole new light will appear and a sense of a far better life replaces uncertainty. The best advice I could give to one on the fence is to jump off and run if not for yourself but for the ones you feel for the most your family.
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  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    yes. . battery tech is something which can always
    stand improvement. . my stack of lithium-ion batteries
    here is impressive, but it won't cook my food. -- j
    ,
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  • Posted by davidmcnab 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Domestic renewable energy sources like wind and solar are great, but storage tends to be a bit of an Achilles heel.
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  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    jlc and I would love to hear about the success
    parameters for the solar project -- probably the rest
    of the online gulch, also -- so Please Post About It !!! -- j
    .
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  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    sounds like a CSN song from the 60s! . I admire you
    and envy your situation, Tim -- Norris, Tennessee,
    just up the road from here, surprised me in those
    early years when I visited and saw keys in cars and
    unlocked doors. . my dad was a security freak
    and an unlocked door was anathema!!! -- j
    .
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I wish. These days "equal" has been redefined as "protected groups come first," and anyone who supports real equality is a "racist." At least according to the MSM (which is not right-wing and never has been).
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    There are many possible disaster scenarios, and preparations that would help against many of them are more likely to be worthwhile.

    #1 for me (which I can't afford to do yet) is to get out of any city of 100k or greater, at least an hour away, and preferably not downwind (because someday there will likely be a nuclear war, and the cities are possible targets).
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  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Gcarl awesome you've done well for yourself congrats.
    I too feel as you in who can get my help also when shtf.
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  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 10 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Jan
    I know you are doing all you can where you live. You know I'm here to help with any questions on going further into your or anyone else's gulch.
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