Generations is not for me to survive for. Maybe 20 something years realistically. I'd lose a few pounds pretty sure.

 

Yes, it’s possible for generational survival.

My wife came from one of those places famous for endless coups, war, poverty, famine, and natural disasters. Both her parents were killed when she was a tot, but her older sisters and brothers kept her alive and they got her out of that country when she was 12. For generations they lived by collecting rainwater for drinking, growing, harvesting, fishing, hunting. Dirt floors, no shoes, thached roofs, hand made tools and clothes, malaria, disease, etc. My wife survived childhood malaria. And they survived by simply being too poor to be bothered, staying low, and by being generally isolated away from the worst of their county. Family was everything, probably more so when both her parents were killed. She was the youngest of 6 kids, and they pooled what they had to get her out of this cycle in the early/mid 1970s. She was fortunate to be adopted and brought to the US. I though my depression era parents were frugal and no nonsense. She is all of this times 10.

I think the question is, are most westerners capable of survival in this type of SHTF? But yes, generational survival during SHTF is possible and its a reality for some humans today who happen to be born in the wrong location. For us softer and more fortunate westerners, I am not so sure the majority would make it for too long.

 

Someone is likely to survive. Those who are smarter, or more prepared, or craftier, or determined, are more likely to survive, and so will their offspring.

I think of it in terms of evolution.

The environment will select those who survive. Some of it will be random, and much will be self-determined. Those who can build community and create dependencies and relationships will be more likely to carry on. Others? Not so much.

And Darwin's Law will cull out those who cannot.

As for me, I'll set up my children as best I can, and hope that between their innate intelligence, ability to grasp and embrace change, and demonstrated ability to buckle down when times get hard, they'll be the ones passing on their genes.

 

It was about 40 years ago that I grasped the realization that my survival, my family's survival, and the survival of at least some of my generation was essentially pointless unless future generations after us were also able to survive, reproduce, and continue the human species on the planet.

And like we have done several times, no matter what happens pre-humans and then humans did survive and continued advancing civilizations, even if there was an interruption in population growth and knowledge and skill loses.

And I realized that while I had to do what I needed to survive, some of my preps needed to be made with the understanding that there would be future generations that might need some of the knowledge, skills, and ideas that we have now, in order to create the society they want.

It will happen either way. It is not dependent on me, but if I can help make it more likely, happen sooner, or make it easier, my ashes will rest easy.

Just my opinion.

 

Instead of calling it "generational survival" I would think of it as living life as they did in the 17/1800's.

 

Honestly my mind gets over whelmed trying to plan out 2 plus years. Its incredibly hard when you have a 4 year old kid that is growing up. To prep for generations would need to focus on skills over items. Figure out how to focus on homesteading and 1800s skills. Plus have a network of other people to help each other. You might be able to store enough of some items for generations but most I don't think its possible.

Personally I am trying to prep for a 2-5 year shtf with hopes that things settle down and become a new normal. At that point with any luck people are not just barely scraping by but starting to flourish again. I don't have the space, time, people to group with or energy to realistically try to prepare for longer.

Looking forward to other replies seems like an interesting topic.

 

Honestly my mind gets over whelmed trying to plan out 2 plus years. Its incredibly hard when you have a 4 year old kid that is growing up. To prep for generations would need to focus on skills over items. Figure out how to focus on homesteading and 1800s skills. Plus have a network of other people to help each other. You might be able to store enough of some items for generations but most I don't think its possible.

Personally I am trying to prep for a 2-5 year shtf with hopes that things settle down and become a new normal. At that point with any luck people are not just barely scraping by but starting to flourish again. I don't have the space, time, people to group with or energy to realistically try to prepare for longer.

Looking forward to other replies seems like an interesting topic.

prepping skills over supplies (with supplies a close second!) is the way I’ve decided my Prep has to go.
One of my most valuable preps is books (actual paper books on a shelf, not online info) on prepping. My adult kids are brilliant but are all focused on their lives and careers right now, as they should be. I’m extremely confident that with these resource books and supplies I am gathering, they will be able to survive and create and rebuild and possibly even thrive. As for food, I’m probably only at two years right now. And there are 8 people in just my immediate family. If we are unable to grow food due to nuclear fallout or some other awful event, then survival time will be limited. But if we are able to simply go back to a simpler time, gathering supplies and how-to resources should keep us alive for generations. So, I’d say accruing knowledge comes before prepping food. Or is at least tied with it. Just my prepper single mom 2cents. ♥

 

I can grasp survival that could require several generations to establish a solid foundation for mankind. I feel that location will way-way out in front be the most important factor.
(Of course, that was/is the very foundation of pre-1975 "prepping for survival").

 

Sure, its called “what millions of humans have done for thousands of years.”

 

While I did not state it, my thinking was not history, but with the humans of today and future.

 

Survival or anything for any length of time becomes the "New Normal".

Generationally it just becomes culture change.

 

No sense worrying about what I can't help. If Im lucky I can live for 20 more years in this current world. If it's The Road lifestyle it will be considerably less. My offspring ,maybe they will surprise my expectations but I doubt it.

 

IMHO....generational survival should revolve around generational wealth........... this type of wealth often created by land ownership, food production, ownership of multiple home/shelters, the means to make/market consumable goods (not food), the ability to physically move goods and services (logistics) and finally education. Economically this falls in the spectrum of agriculture and manufacturing......service based things are normally structured on the individual skill set.

HK

 

I guess I'm in the "I don't get it" camp because I don't know what you mean by "generational survival." Preparing my future generations to survive? I hope so.

 

There are more than a few people on this page (I am one of them) that a dramatic departure from the way we live our lives will happen. Certainly over history.....there have been periods of survival that lasted more than a few lifetimes.

The Bible chocked full of stories like this (the book of Daniel is one of them). Communism came along on 1917 for Russia......90 million people killed under Stalin........ considering that 30 years is considered a generation......if you were 30 years old in 1917 then you technically would have gone 2 more generations (and been working on the third) to survive that mess until the wall came down in the 1908's

Countries like China living that now.....and Venezuela well on the way. Technically Germany took a few generations to rebuild.

People that survived this......KNEW how to make due with what they had. My German grandmother grew up during WW1 and raised 5 young children in WW2......she died at 96 years old.....but what she taught me (at 58 years old) about food preservation lives on today.....let's call that about 100 years.

I could write pages on this topic...... but I hope the above gives you some idea.

HK

 

As long as my clan isn't in the way of a younger dryas event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_Dryas People will keep on keeping on. Study history to see what has happened in the past and is sure to be repeated till things change radically. For now I am prepping for the next couple of years and helping out younger people who will be around after I am gone. There just aren't any guarantees that everything will be nicey nicey just like they are today.

So yes i do believe in generational survival, after all someone should get to use my stockpile of TP.

 

If you are looking to do this you might consider joining the LDS Church. They are into prepping as I understand it.

 

They really scaled back advocating the store food for 1 year. Now they suggest 3 months.

 

Im thinking if im forced to bugout into the wilderness then it will be the time of tribulation and christ will return. That would solve everything...

If not, the concept of generational survival really isnt something i can fully grasp based on my preparations. The concept of having children out there when subsistence is the standard of living isnt something that im personally perpared for. Without modern medicine the chance of pregnancy killing my wife seems way too high to risk.

Im good- but i dont know if im that good that i can provide for myself my wife and then children aswell without a community or substantial stationary stores/means of production.

I plan on having kids within the next year or two and my biggest worry is something going down while my wife is pregnant or the children are still super young. When they get a bit older its not such a scary concept anymore- but being out there for some sort of extremely long term scenario with an entire family sounds difficult enough without having to worry about my children eventually finding mates, starting families and spawning the next generation. Nothing is impossible- but its really not on my mind right now.

I would REALLY want to be part of some community as my family grows and would then feel responsible for the success of that community for the sake of my childrens futures.

.02

 

...Without modern medicine the chance of pregnancy killing my wife seems way too high to risk...

Yeah, abso-freakin lutely!!!

Such risk is one of those "things" though. Not much you could do mitigating it, without modern medicine. -If pregnant at the time of everything going sideways.

-Unless you have access to clinicians. They can, do & would continue to reduce risk when delivering at home. SOoo...there is that.

 

It all depends on what causes the change. Economic breakdown, world wide heavy causulty plague, worldwide EMP turning off the electricity, new ice age, major meteor strike, nuclear war? All of these will greatly affect whether long term survival is possible.

I have always said the best shot anyone has is for an event that dumps the population by a large percentage quickly. The population is too large to feed, clothe, and shelter via 1700 or 1800s means. So too many left around means depletion, war, and, I expect, spiteful destruction of resources. Also, the natural resources including game animals are a drop in the bucket compared to then. The chance of several generations making it depends on skills, but if the dirt will not grow crops or all the woods are empty of game, there is not a lot of options.

I grasp the concept but admit I am in no way even 1% prepared for it. I do not have enough bodies for one. A group on 15 is going to have a lot more issue surviving that long than a group of 50. Even just from a mating perspective, too small a group ends up with culturally taboo means to generate the next generation.

 

If you have children you're doing "Generational Survival".

I know more than half the folks here are in some eotw wrol fantasy land, and more than half would probably go bankrupt if they lost their job. Or not, welfare seems to be pretty good these days.

Just get your kid/s off on the right track if you can. I say "If you can" because sometimes they don't want to. I know that because I am the only one in my immediate family who has had a job and works in the last 20 years, and I'm 58. The rest of em are waiting for mommy and daddy to die for their retirement plan. I guess thats a form of "Generational Survival" in itself lol

 

 

I think and plan for generational survival. I have tried to instill this in my kids and grandkids. I have no accurate or firm knowledge of what the future might bring but I am doing my best and will continue to do my best to better the chances of the future generations.

I might have 20 years left so it won't be long until someone else will carry that mantle. With proper use of resources, millions or billions can survive.

 

I think and plan for generational survival. I have tried to instill this in my kids and grandkids. I have no accurate or firm knowledge of what the future might bring but I am doing my best and will continue to do my best to better the chances of the future generations.

I might have 20 years left so it won't be long until someone else will carry that mantle. The limitations are age and money. With proper use of resources millions (or billions) can survive.

 

My Grandparents lived off the land for quite a while. For a lot of years they essentially bartered for what they needed. So yeah, I can conceptualize it pretty well.
I sure learned a lot staying with them during the summers.

 

I used to worry about providing LONG term survival for kids and grandkids. Land to grow things, secure water source, and wood for heat. But, the way things are happening in the world today, Israel returning to their homeland, working toward rebuilding the third temple, Having NO allies, alone in the world, the Euphrates river drying up, Jesus' description of the people at the end times, has convinced me that all we need to survive for is 7 years or maybe just 3 1/2 years.

 

We have advanced our thinking to include such a scenario - and yes, we believe it is possible.

However, desire is one thing, achievement is another.

Only time will tell.

 

Japan was bombed into the Dark Ages during WWII. How long did it take them to rebuild their economy? You can't compare a modern economy with that of a country or culture where people crap in a hole in the ground and worship the moon. Modern economies can be recreated in years, not generations. Once the knowledge is obtained it can't be eliminated.

 

If the northern hemisphere is attacked with nukes all bets are off. USA, EU, China, Russia will attack each other in WW III, and there is a possibility that the civilizations attacked are slowly replaced and taken over by migrants from the southern hemisphere. The migrant issue is taking place right now.

In the EU, Muslims and Africans are raping women, committing bombings, having riots...and they refuse to go back home. All that it took was for them to establish the numbers to take control, and they are almost there.

 

Yes. there can be survival through a couple/few generations. It will be a small percentage, maybe 10-15%.

There are some stubborn pricks out there who will refuse to give up. That mentality will get passed on to their offspring and people around them.

Human nature has both good and bad attributes. But survival is an attribute that humans have had for more than 48,000 years

(you know where I got that number, right?)

 

#1 thing is land the more the better. all land is not created equal too.the best locations have some type of resource or multiple resources that sustain life. i.e.fishruns,freshwater,some type nut production,some type soft fruit production.then usually what happens is a culture develops around these items that allow them to live and expand and live a better life each generation going forward..as long as one generation doesnt mess it up.then there might be a crash for them.

#2 is knowledge to maintain the above and pass it on to each generation and i know one thing is GREAT COMMUNICATION is needed to be sure why certain things are done at correct time for various processes.

here is an example to read about a culture of generations that was built from ground up centered on a resource and now its going away because of our so called modern society.the resource is the chestnut tree.eliza greenman has spent tons of her time,energy and money on searching out what is called tree cultures where their life is based on trees for survival.it was started here in u.s. with mainly mulberry and apple trees.years ago i mentioned to martin longseth..famous gardener at other forum and seed producer etc. that our society of living pay check to pay check is reflected in fruit tree root stock. by putting grafts on dwarf and semi-dwarf roots we are forcing that tree to produce faster and younger but limiting that tree from living multi generations with a full standard root system.

read here about corsican chestnut culture...BEFORE ANYONES READS THIS...theres some political talk in it and it not for any arguments from me i am ONLY looking at tree culture. i am showing this as a story of long term survival over generations as an example.theres many example of this all across globe of cultures based on resources.native americans,chinese,turkey,australia,oak trees of iran and much much more.

if i can find a video i will post it of a small property thats been in one family 27 generations i think it was..no promises.

unconventional stories from a tree crops farmer

A perennial resource for farmers young and old

elizapples.com

 

i cant find the one i want but i remembered this one from geoff lawton thats 2000 years old.

our modern society is based on oil/electricity and maximum production 24/7/365. one day if and when oil runs out or becomes very limited we will back to a much slower and local life.