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This came up in another thread and I wanted to discuss it more in depth without highjacking the other thread.
Assuming a really long term SHTF, everything falls apart kind of situation, I believe it will be important to have more than just the basic necessities. Just getting by is horrid for morale and low morale can be very costly in terms of getting by or not getting by. So, some comforts and entertainment for down times are a good idea. To that end, while making preparations what sorts of things do you consider adding for this purpose?
If you, or someone in your core group is a musician, acoustic guitar or violin or some other easily mobile instrument that could be really wonderful. Sadly, I don't play a frimping thing... but my singing voice isn't so bad that it makes dogs howl, cats run for the hills, and babies cry. Dice are small, light, and easy to pack, as are cards. Board games can be more bulky and difficult to haul around. There's an African game that is played with stones and scooping out small holes in the dirt but has been turned into a board game (I think it's called Mancala) that I'm fond of... it has the added advantage of helping youngsters learn math and strategic thinking.
Aside from games and music, what other comforts do you think would be useful? I would say that knowing how to make lotion is a good one (and has lots of practical applications as well). What would you suggest to supplement TP since that isn't something that is easily manufacturable and will run out in relatively short order (keep in mind I am thinking of a really long term situation). For me, reading material (fiction) is a gimme for comfort... unfortunately lugging around 50 or 20 novels isn't a realistic option, especially when there are books that are extraordinarily useful that do need to be stowed away.
Assuming a really long term SHTF, everything falls apart kind of situation, I believe it will be important to have more than just the basic necessities. Just getting by is horrid for morale and low morale can be very costly in terms of getting by or not getting by. So, some comforts and entertainment for down times are a good idea. To that end, while making preparations what sorts of things do you consider adding for this purpose?
If you, or someone in your core group is a musician, acoustic guitar or violin or some other easily mobile instrument that could be really wonderful. Sadly, I don't play a frimping thing... but my singing voice isn't so bad that it makes dogs howl, cats run for the hills, and babies cry. Dice are small, light, and easy to pack, as are cards. Board games can be more bulky and difficult to haul around. There's an African game that is played with stones and scooping out small holes in the dirt but has been turned into a board game (I think it's called Mancala) that I'm fond of... it has the added advantage of helping youngsters learn math and strategic thinking.
Aside from games and music, what other comforts do you think would be useful? I would say that knowing how to make lotion is a good one (and has lots of practical applications as well). What would you suggest to supplement TP since that isn't something that is easily manufacturable and will run out in relatively short order (keep in mind I am thinking of a really long term situation). For me, reading material (fiction) is a gimme for comfort... unfortunately lugging around 50 or 20 novels isn't a realistic option, especially when there are books that are extraordinarily useful that do need to be stowed away.