This is a follow up thread for the thread I posted a couple days ago. It was originally supposed to have a poll section, (this one now does). I needed some technical help to get the poll part to work.

 

How prepared I am depends on how many people I'd be expected to support. I have 4+ million calories stored--probably approaching 4.5 or even 5 million.

If you assume 2000 calories a day per person--more if people have to do hard work, less in some instances--then I have between 2000 and 2500 "days" of food stored. Divide that by 365 days and we're at between 5.48 and 6.85 years.

If it's just my wife and I, we're pretty much at the 3 years threshold. If my two children and spouse and granddaughter come home, then it's down to about a year.

 

How prepared I am depends on how many people I'd be expected to support.

This is probably our only challenge as well. Food isn't too bad, but with most, it's the concern of potable water and if you need to make it potable, do you have the means and storage to do so.

Fortunately, we have a shallow well (actually inside our house) and can keep the pump running for a couple months with the amount of gas I have stored. I really need to put in a shallow-well manual pump, but it's wide enough I could take the top off and use a bucket on a rope We also have a spring fed pond, but that would require filtration and/or treatment (which we have).

We don't have the time right now, but we are setup to house chickens if needed, but we also have plenty of local geese and ducks along with a healthy 11-acre pond (frogs and fish), deer, rabbits, beaver, and the occasional hog.

ROCK6

 

Great job on the poll fella (and helper ) should be interesting!

I keep 3 months of non perishable supplies + bottled water & cooking fuel on hand at any given time. After hunting season I can extend that to roughly a year foodwise but we are fuel limited for "making lightning" though we hardly have need of it tbh. The generator is more for smoothin out power outages and is fuel limited. I do have basic ability to heat home and have a water source (plus rain catchment supplies) on property to handle sewage with my normal septic system. So I can extend/supplement that 3 month timeframe quite a bit if neccesary.

I don't however see a 3 months or prolonged shortage as a tenable/worthwhile situation to remain at home particularly due the security concerns that come from a widely dependant population of nearly 2000 in my rural hometown. I'm more likely to bug out long before then, but I do like having usable reserves to draw upon depending on how the economy is acting up. Suffice to say we're decently well covered for the "usual suspects" concerning stationary preparedness.

My biggest survival investments are made in the skills/knowledge to successfully bug out longterm and forage successfully for my needs in extreme scenarios.

 

We have about 6 months food stored for the 11 of us here, all family.

But, we have enough diesel and petrol for several years use in farming for the tractor /generator etc, along with 30 kw solar, 3,000 amp hour 48 volt submarine battery, inverter, regulators etc. There are also stand alone systems on the other houses, all have independent rain water, a common 1 meg dam equipped with a solar pump system for irrigation, emergency Honda petrol pump and a single cylinder South Korean mechanical diesel pump, emp safe for firefighting. All bases covered.

Ham radio and sw comms, using WW2 valve gear, all EMP safe, along with a homemade all valve transmitter.

Spare solar panels/regulators/inverters etc stored in an EMP proof safe.

Ultimately, stores will deplete, then its up to what we can produce ourselves.

Luckily, we only have to last for 3 1/2 years until the 2nd coming, and that's doable with effort.

Adequate means for defense and lots of ammo, most cached.

1 hr from a town of 5,000 over 2 mountain ranges, sheep, cows, chooks, ducks, rabbits and so on. All kept under control by a dog that is about 70% dingo.

 

Ham radio and sw comms, using WW2 valve gear, all EMP safe, along with a homemade all valve transmitter.

A "valve" is what we call a vacuum tube. I have two vacuum tube radios (receivers). What happens over time is the capacitors in old radios dry up or leak and tubes become difficult to find.

As for the poll, like Rolls Royce says about engine performance of its cars ... "sufficient".

 

Like others have said, it depends on how many people I end up feeding. But I'm somewhere between answers (A) and (B).

 

From the few people that have answered so far, most are in the 3 months to 3 year range for survival.

Knowing how long and how severe a situation might be is virtually impossible. Also, the ability of people to cope with the various degrees of deprivation varies tremendously. Some people will 'go under' the first week and others could consider 3 months a slight inconvenience.

Also, there are widely different views/definitions of 'off grid'. Are we really off grid when we rely on stored food and parts for a solar energy system that might become unavailable? D Powell in post 5 said it best, "Ultimately, stores will deplete, then its up to what we can produce ourselves". I do believe that can be tempered with that no matter how bad the situation, there will be a certain amount of cooperation and trading/bartering between individuals and groups. The ability to do this also will vary widely depending on any area's population and available resources.

Not having any long term experience with really large cities, (I've visited, driven through most of them) I can't imagine how a large percentage of people can survive in them, even for a moderately long period (several weeks or months) without an operating grid and transportation system. Wars give us a general idea, but cities that get highly damaged (Kiev as an example) are still supported by a nationwide grid and supply system. What would be the circumstances if a whole nation's grid went down? A long shot perhaps but certainly conceivable.

I have lived 'off grid' and with modern support have found it not even greatly inconvenient, in fact often quite enjoyable and preferable. I like to think of myself as somewhat self sufficient but I've never lived without the convenience of modern transportation and things like bottled propane, a chain saw, and a pickup to haul the wood to the house. That method of wood gathering is far different from having to cut a year's supply of wood for heating and cooking with a crosscut saw. I do have a couple of two man crosscut saws but truth be told, never once have cut a big log with one. The closest I've come to anything like that is cutting firewood with a bow saw while camping. Again far different situation than cutting firewood/cooking wood on an every day basis for months at a time in all weather conditions. Again, while camping, I usually had a manufactured canoe, same with tent, sleeping bag, pots and pans, a car to get there, etc. Is that really off grid?

If this thread progresses, the views and opinions should vary a great amount.

 

With the amount of squirrels I have around here it sure seems like it would be an ♾️ supply.

 

What do you call prepared? I would call it common sense. Since I was a young kid I was taught to have at least a 3 mo food supply which I have done with most of my life. I have taken a beating from my family because I do not live a mainstream life like they do. Simplicity is my lifestyle. I prefer to spend my $$ on useful things like tools, firearms etc instead of a new car or other "toys" such as Atv's and such. Personally I found living off grid was far more enjoyable than being surrounded by the idiots who think they are on top of things and in control of thier life.

 

Between 3 and 15 months, depending on who shows up,

 

While it might be great to have a 3 year supply of food and supplies, for the vast majority of us; that would be unobtainable and impractical.

The bottom line: having ANY sort of preps will still put you ahead of the game. Even a 2 week reserve would at least give you some time to consider options.

I suggest a 90 day supply. Which should be within the possibility of the average homeowner/apartment dweller and budget. And would be sufficient for 99% of the potential "SHTF" scenarios that could occur.

It's that sort of advice and encouragement that should be given. However, too often, I see threads like this getting dominated and sidetracked by the ---and let me call them for what they are--the "braggers".

"I've got enough food and supplies to stock a warehouse! I've got enough fuel on hand to power a B52! I've got enough ammo and guns to equip a division!"

I feel that kind of "look at all MY preps!" bravado, only puts-off the average prepper, or person interested in prepping.

 

Rice and beans are cheap. Add a can of meat product once every mo th and things add up quickly.

I also understand that some people can’t even support their daily lives. Others can’t support themselves based on bad choices. My sister is an example. She always has the best phone and fastest internet, gets fast food 8-10 times per week, and goes to the movies often but bought one tire every other month for her car because her tires were bald.

 

I feel like I answered all I need to answer in the other thread. Besides, who needs to know?

 

Right now I'm eating pork smothered in wild rice and wild mushroom. I'm washing it down with a couple bottles of spruce beer. All of this came from my farm or forages and cooked over a fire on the bank of this river. My feet are in the river as I catch tonight's dinner. My body's a bit sore from shearing sheep last weekend, so if my bobber doesn't start doing something I'm going to spend this afternoon in the sauna, napping in that sweet sweat. If I didn't feel the need to help out in my community right now I'd disappear from the domesticated world for a few years and hope people get better.

 

I have about a year of stored food, plus seeds and a large garden area for restocking. Problem is the garden's been fallow for almost 25 years, and our gardening experience in the meantime has been in a completely different climate.

So I chose the option of 1 year. We are hoping to get the garden supplemented this summer after soil tests showed it's really depleted, and I have plenty of fresh seeds with varied genetics.

Most everything else we have an indefinite supply of. Water, wood heat. We have over a year's supply of soaps/detergents with the means to make more, several years worth of sewing and quilting supplies (likely a lifetime supply including batting), etc. A full spectrum of high quality hand tools for both woodworking and gardening.

I'm watching Grid Down, Power Up again and it's getting my tush in gear to fill in the last bits.

 

I have about a year of stored food, plus seeds and a large garden area for restocking....

I'm watching Grid Down, Power Up again and it's getting my tush in gear to fill in the last bits.

Here's the link, if you peeps want to watch:

 

Wife and I have enough food and water to last for a while. Have a million gallon plus tank a couple hundred yards from the house. Got no problem turning that pipeline off.
When our meds run out that'll be the issue.
Probably a good 6 months.

Not to worried about looters, lots of empty desert too drag their carcasses off into. Let the yotes feed off them

 

Three years food and a water source. My journey into prepping began with Mel Tappan's book, Tappan on survival.

 

Supply shortage seems to mean there are foodstuffs and items to be had in the store if you have the $, there just isn't as much variety. I've got enough on hand to stretch out say a depression with decreased food supply for quite awhile. Grid gone is another situation all together. Life is gonna suck. I'd be dead in a year. I could probable make it if the grid goes like current day South Africa.

 

My land produces 100-1000x the nutrients/calories we need every year. We have a spring, a well, plenty of wood, and great neighbors.

But like most of history, it's not the production of nutrients/calories that is the problem, it is the storage of such to get through the winter and/or lean years. We are working on that as well.

 

Probably close to a five year supply of food for the DW and I. That drops significantly as the kids and their spouses show. Well and power to run it but if power fails I am back to rainwater catchment and while I have the supplies to set it up I see that as a huge weak point for our situation.
Gardens, orchards, and chicken# round things out. Chicken feed will.be an issue but I can raise some of it. How much? IDK. Working at expanding everything as well as updating.

 

Rural town here, 2200 residents. I have 3 months minimum but depending on the season; beyond that could be challenging. Generator can run a month if grid down but then its a problem. I have a well and lots of wood for heat etc. Spring and summer (and indoor grow room) we could stretch that out. Problem I still have not been able to solve is getting water out the well with no power. Bison pump is apparently not an option (i think) due to the size of the casing required and low profile pitiless adapter (which are not permitted here; even though the well company says once we've installed it, "do what you want"). I would have to either put in a solar system (just for the well) or drop a new dedicated well for a Bison pump. Either of which will cost thousands and haven't committed to that level of preparedness; yet. Have a pretty good network here of neighbors that are savy and resilient (chickens, eggs, goats, cows, milk etc.). We would all barter with no issue but if times got really tough? I'm sure that would end. I'm the only one with a generator in close proximity (large distances between neighbors) so that likely won't go great after a while..... I'd say 3 months then would have to get creative. We also have militia groups here that keep a low profile but I know they have plans to raid WM and dollar stores for all they have and ability to drive a boom truck thru residential areas with propane tanks close to the road and will snatch them (not something most think about). If you're tank is easily accessible; know that it's not gonna be there in this scenario, so think about moving it to a more secure location (just MHO).

 

TBH, I can alot, most of what we eat involves rice and noodles, the rest comes out of a 1/4 acre farm garden. I have access to a trully obscene amount of black tea, coffee and brownie mix that I love and only needs water. The rest orig>nates in a chickens butt. I'm not bored easily, as long as my food is spicy. And my wife.

 

D to c Have my perks and drawbacks in this game I won’t thrive during shtf but I’m doing better than most and that’s what I’ve always shot for

 

With all the full time expenses of a home, medical stuff, current projects and chores, all I can do is hope the grid down won't last more that 3 months.

 

That's still an excellent level of preps. As I mentioned in a previous post, 3 months would be enough to get you through probably 99% of the potential grid-down/SHTF plausible situations. And it already puts you way ahead of most others out there.

 

This poll is actually a great idea. Even inspirational. Myself, I have some things that may last me a year or more, but other items only 3-4 months. So it shows how a majority of folks are in the same boat and the uber-prepared folks are who we should be learning from. Frankly, if I had unlimited funds I would be in that minority of uber-prepared.

Otherwise, my preparedness project is still a work in progre$$, as I suspect may be the case with many if not most of us. Good luck to all~!

 

Depends what you mean by uber -prepared. You can do things like buy 50 lbs of lentils and 50 lbs of pearled barley plus 50 lbs of corn meal, for a total of about $150, and extend your food quotient exponentially. Sugar and salt are very cheap and quite important too.

You don't have to have # 10 cans at $40 each.

 

Depends what you mean by uber -prepared. You can do things like buy 50 lbs of lentils and 50 lbs of pearled barley plus 50 lbs of corn meal, for a total of about $150, and extend your food quotient exponentially. Sugar and salt are very cheap and quite important too.

You don't have to have # 10 cans at $40 each.

agree the basics are pretty reasonable,,, its not until you start looking to eat well [like we do now]from storage that it starts to add up fast as in canned meats and such,, but for basic needs [to stave off starvation] you can build a food supply fairly fast/reasonable priced

 

I think we can all agree that there is so much more than food preps to being uber prepared but let’s follow along with just the food idea. First water. Lots of water needed for basic hygiene etc but a large amount is used in producing or cooking many food items. Flour does little good without a lot of clean water plus other things to cook it with. Animal fats, oils and other fats to cook with. So much more than a little butter or ghee to scramble your eggs. Heating source suitable for cooking. Canned foods have the benefit of being relatively easy to heat and cook. Baking bread is another story. I’m sure 8m missing much more but it’s been a long day.
In a nutshell, yes it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to store a lot of staples like flour, corn meal, dried beans etc. Long term use of those foods in a SHTF situation is going to take a whole lot more preparing.