While we are all feeling the effects of the current economic recession many people don’t understand exactly what happens during a recession. In order to learn how to protect your financial future it’s important to learn all you can about the economic crisis. Keep reading and I’ll explain some key elements to a recession.
How It’s Defined
To define recession one has to consider the GDP, or gross domestic product, which is the main index used to measure economic health in any one country. During a recession there is a gradual but steady decline in the GDP over a period of several months. When a recession turns into a depression, the GDP has gone down by 10% or more over a period of several years.
Recession Phase
The following factors describe what happens during a recession and why. While it’s little comfort to understand why these things occur, it is important to education yourself about the effects, causes and likely outcomes.
1. Stock market dips and crashes in anticipation of the recession. Because economists are always carefully studying market and economic trends they are able to predict a recession. In response, the stock market slows with periodic crashes before the rest of us have felt any effects of the coming recession.
2. Interest rates will start to decline also in response to a market prediction of an impending recession. These cuts in interest rates are intended to stimulate consumer spending and off set the overall effects of an economic recession.
3. A sharp increase in unemployment and underemployment rates are one of the most difficult effects of a recession for most of us. Once demand slows, production follows and companies will typically cut jobs first to cushion the effects on their business.
4. Once a recession has dug in its heels, there will usually be some government response. For example, our federal government has responded in part by extending unemployment benefits. Governments will often instate new legislation to provide rebates, tax cuts and refunds in an effort to stimulate the economy.
How To Survive the Recession
Understanding what happens during a recession is only the first step in protecting your financial future. The next step is to find out where you should invest your money. Some of the newest marketing systems like those that utilize the top tier approach can provide answers to the most often asked questions about how to survive an economic recession.
If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!
People who appreciate the earth and everything we stand for can appreciate questions regarding the earth and its people and specifically the question, “When will it be the end of the world?” This life-altering question has been relavent from the beginning of recorded history and is a crucial question for Preppers and a prepper’s mindset and how they prepare for the inevitable disaster.
As preppers, we can see the “end of the world” as a predicament through which we will be brought into a survival situation and in which we will be forced to put our preparations and planning into motion. While this may not be the end of the world physically in the minds of many preppers, this is rather the end of the world and society in which we live and are accustom… and would obviously alter the way that we all live. For this reason, it is important for the prepared prepper to study what elements they believe to be the main factors that could cause the end of the world and plan accordingly for this event.
Many preppers are thinking at this time that the end of the world will come as a result of the unstable state of the economic and political situations in the United States and around the world, specifically in Europe. Specifically preppers look at the uneven nature of the economy as a contributing factor for their preparations. The idea behind this form of social collapse is that the economy completely crashing will lead to a breakdown of our society’s structure.
Other, possibly more pessimistic preppers, believe that the end of the world’s way of life as we know it will come as a result of a natural, or astronomical happenings. These fears can hypothetically result from a variety of sources from an ice age to hurricanes and fires to floods. Each person’s personal fears fuel how they choose to prepare for these planned disasters. You can view other posts in this site regarding information and methods on how to prepare for these individual situations.
Many people will want to know how to use this information in their lives… Even if you as the reader do not understand or truly believe many of the notions that lead disaster preppers to take such precautions as to prepare for such events, you can still use the information given to us by these people. You can apply this information by preparing for noted unexpected events, big or small, to protect yourself and those who you love. You cam do this by preparing stocks of supplies and information in the event of these unexpected events taking place.
You can choose to prepare for specific events usually based on your surroundings and your frame of mind. An example of how you can prepare based on your surroundings is to look at the most likely natural disasters in your area and prepare yourself accordingly. As an example, if you live on the southern coast of the United States, you would prepare for hurricanes, in the Midwest-tornadoes, West-Earthquakes. In addition, you can prepare for economic collapse by being financially pessimistic with your resources and not expecting and relying entirely on one investment or income source. Hopefully with all of this information, the answer to the question, “When will it be the End of the World?” will be a welcome unexpected event, but one to which we can hope for the best while living a life of fulfillment and courage.
So you are hunkering down. Now what? Here are 7 things you need when hunkering down when the SHTF.
We always talk about bugging out when the SHTF. It’s a necessity with certain disasters. But sometimes, it is best to stay where you are.
What happens when there is no need to evacuate where you are?
Going out may be dangerous…. then what?
Today we’ll focus on just that. What things you should focus on first if you need to hunker down.
Shelter
You need to check to make sure your home is secured enough for you to be safe. Things like sliding doors are particularly vulnerable to intruders as is unlocked windows and doors. Make sure your shelter is as safe as it can be.
Also, try to keep items out of the way to keep a clear line of vision around your home, if possible. Secure garages and make sure it will be hard for intruders to break into.
Lastly, keep your prepping supplies in an area where you can get to it easily. If you have your prepping items in an area that could be completely closed off such as a detached garage or a climate controlled storage shed, move them quickly inside if possible.
Food
Preppers are notorious for their food storage because it’s one of the biggest and most important concerns when the SHTF. Of course, we want to feed our families.
But I added this because a lot of preppers like myself forget to rotate my food out so it becomes expired or my wife needs something while cooking dinner and I give it to her out of my stockpile instead of driving to the store when I’m tired. (Come on guys, i know we’ve all probably done it!)
Remember to replenish what you have taken from your food storage, Keep up with expiration dates. Rotate them out. Do an inventory of your food to see what you are lacking.
Water
Storing water is super hard to store because is heavy and you will need so much of it for each family member. Because of this, I lean more towards water purification.
One of my favorite is the Lifestraw from Vestergaard products. They are compact and the ultimate in water purification. Read the fine print however because even though most Lifestraw products remove viruses, some don’t. (Lifestraw Personal & Lifestraw Go do NOT). For prepping purposes, I recommend you use a larger water purification device that meets the standard EPA standard for removal of bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
Medicine
OTC drugs will be few and far between when the SHTF. Buy up a stock of OTC drugs for pains, cold, allergies, and whatever else you think you may need while you can. Prescription drugs can often be gotten in a 90 supply just by talking to your doctor.
As a reminder, keep all medicines in a safe place where children, teens and persons with questionable judgement cannot get to them.
Protection
Have a way to protect yourself if needed. For some that may mean having a gun or even multiple guns and for others in may mean a knife, or a bow & arrow. Hopefully you have multiple ways to defending yourself.
But just make sure you have at least one way of protecting yourself and your loved ones. If you have guns, make sure you have plenty of ammunition stored. Make sure again to keep these in a safe place away from children!
Light
You need some form of light. It could be an LED or a rechargeable flashlight. It’s important for security such as it’ll help you keep an eye out at night around the perimeters of your shelter.
Entertainment
One of the most overlooked things by preppers. You don’t want to just survive. You want to thrive in a SHTF scenario. The means having a way to unwind, some refreshment.
Play cards. Read a book. Play UNO or Monopoly. Play charades. There are several things you can do to get your mind refreshed and relaxed.
Final Thoughts
Remember to keep any harmful items such as medicines and weapons away from children and in a safe place.
Have you ever wondered what makes a person snap? What causes a normal, quiet, everyday citizen, loving mother, or doting father to lose it all and fight like a caged animal? What can cause a small village to rise up and rebel against an oppressive police force and start killing them? What is the switch that gets flipped that causes a city to pour two million people into the streets, chanting and demanding to be heard by their government?
Lately it feels more and more as though we are on standing on the edge of some yawning precipice peering over the crest into darkness. What is more troubling to me is that we have been down this path before. The sense of unease is almost palpable to me sometimes; it is more evident if you are paying attention. If you are able to eliminate the white noise of the world for a minute; hit the pause button on the playlist of daily life for a while and look around, listen, you may start to recognize that you too are caught up in events that will soon change all our lives.
For several years I have felt an unsettling sense that we need to be prepared, that life is going to throw us a big, fat, greasy curve ball soon and we better not be caught napping. To try and proactively address that warning voice I started planning and taking steps to prepare my family to be able to weather events in the future. I am certainly not alone in this concern as you can easily see by the tremendous growth of the prepper movement. In the spectrum of probable events, there are a lot of potential scenarios. Natural disasters and emergencies occur every day all over the world, but you have to broaden your gaze and look to current events and history as well. One of the things that I think is a valid potential event to consider is a collapse of our way of life which leads to an authoritarian oppressive government.
This guide below can help you in a survival situation
If society collapses, you can bet that the foods the pioneers ate will become dietary staples
SS soldiers guarding the column of captive Jews in the Warsaw ghetto.
We have seen in recent events, by now almost too numerous to mention, the effects of a rising frustration with the way things are. It isn’t necessary to go into all of the individual reasons, but as a society there are more and more outpourings of frustration on a global scale. There are increasingly tightening restrictions against people. There is a manipulation of markets and the economy. There is a great increase in the loss of freedom and there is a more open antagonism and almost outright animosity by Government towards their people.
Governments exist either because they have come to power through force and violence or they have been elected and given power by the people. The force and violence crowd usually have their roots in the military and we like to call them Dictators. There have been a ton of them throughout history; Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Jong iL and now his son, Saddam, Gaddafi, the list goes on and on. Dictators don’t care about the people and usually kill anyone who gets in their way. It is a fact that government has killed more people than any other cause, disease or reason.
The other side of the coin is what is usually called Democracies. I am lumping a lot of governments in here I know, but the democracies are usually elected and formed with the consent of the people with the noble goal of securing rights or protecting the people over whom they govern. Almost without fail however, Democratic Governments eventually do not want to answer to the people and at some point they most certainly will not be told what to do by the people to the point of ignoring the will of the people (for the people’s own good of course). Now these governments that are supposed to secure the liberties of their people are becoming more openly hostile to the same people they have sworn to defend. Funnily enough the democratically elected governments now seem to want to hang on to power with the same methods of force and violence as dictators. How else can you explain arming themselves with ammo, ignoring the constitution, purchasing assault vehicles and preparing to confiscate firearms?
When governments will steal money outright from the citizens in order to pay bills that were not incurred by the people we have a problem. When government spies on its people and uses that information against them punitively we have a problem. When Government uses the force of the military that was supposed to defend the people that was paid for by the people, for the purposes of killing the people, we have a big problem. When someone brings to light crimes by the government and is labeled as the one who is a danger, we have a problem.
The problem is that governments around the world are viewing their people as the problem and there really seems to be only one way throughout history that this is ever rectified. My fear is that we are already set on a course that won’t be changed with laws, great political leaders, or a return to the values of a golden age in time long past.
The Fine Line – The Straw that breaks the camel’s back
The fine line between someone who is a law-abiding citizen and a murderer is one that exists purely in our souls. There is nothing physical that is different from a person who follows the rules and someone who breaks them. The urge to pull the trigger isn’t something you can see and it isn’t a trait to test for, so it must be our own individual sense of right and wrong. Of good and evil.
I know that some will argue that a psychopath is definitely recognizable by character traits and maybe even brainwaves or chemistry. That may be true, but you can be a psychopath (clinically) without ever hurting anyone. By the same token, you can take a life while being perfectly “sane”.
If you hold a knife in your hand, you are just as capable of using that to stab or cut someone as the murderer in the next town, but that thought never enters the mind of an overwhelming majority of people. A baseball bat in your hands can easily be swung with great force connecting it to the back of a skull, but this thought never appears in our heads; that is unless we are forced into a corner. When a person is in desperate fear for their lives, the unspoken rules of right and wrong are broken. The processes that we follow every day are overridden in the cause of rage or self-preservation. What was unthinkable before is now very real, necessary and even righteous with the right circumstances.
When the right buttons are pushed, anyone can lose it. When the fear of dying or of losing someone you love is so overpowering, the “fine line” that has been keeping us sane, law-abiding and good is easily shattered. When this happens, all bets are off.
We as a people, a country are still rather firmly attached on the good side of this line. We have not yet completely been driven to abandon all hope and lash out. We have not yet been so harmed, have not gotten to the point that we have nothing to lose and are ready to lose it, but this may be coming in the future.
The force and violence that is being used now to quell the dissatisfaction of people globally is increasing. The methods to cease the complaining of the rabble has been relatively minor with some exceptions. Tear gas, rubber bullets, mace and batons only work up to a point though. When the time comes that people can no longer abide, there won’t be enough police to stop them using riot control techniques. The military doesn’t have enough people to stop the entire population unless those people peacefully agree to surrender, so what will they do? Do you believe any government will quietly step down and admit that they are obviously not speaking for the people anymore? No. They will resort to more force and violence and people will die. Either that or you have a coup like they had in Egypt and guess who took over to “restore order”? Yep, the Military.
What will be the inevitable response by the authorities?
The Chinese people who started to revolt against the police in their town did so because the authorities were “placing restrictions on their culture, language and religion”. China is no picnic compared to America and we clearly know they have lived through far worse oppression than we have, but this was the straw that broke the camel’s back for them?
The protests which turned into an estimated two million citizens of Brazil had started simply enough with a protest over a rise in the rates of public transportation.
In America, what will be the trigger that causes people to rise up and say we aren’t going to take this anymore and more importantly what will happen when/if we do?
What will happen if we don’t change the path we are on?
The execution of the last Jew in Vinnytsia, made by an officer of the German Einsatzgruppen
There is a quote that has always struck me as very sad and telling from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his book The Gulag Archipelago. Solzhenitsyn was a Russian who was sentenced to 8 years in a Soviet prison camp for essentially writing things about Stalin that the government didn’t like. During this time in Soviet Russia, to stifle dissent, millions were killed or sent to prison camps. In this passage Solzhenitsyn is talking about regret that everyone felt because they simply went along with this tyranny and didn’t oppose it.
“AND HOW WE BURNED IN THE CAMPS LATER, THINKING: WHAT WOULD THINGS HAVE BEEN LIKE IF EVERY SECURITY OPERATIVE, WHEN HE WENT OUT AT NIGHT TO MAKE AN ARREST, HAD BEEN UNCERTAIN WHETHER HE WOULD RETURN ALIVE AND HAD TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HIS FAMILY? OR IF, DURING PERIODS OF MASS ARRESTS, AS FOR EXAMPLE IN LENINGRAD, WHEN THEY ARRESTED A QUARTER OF THE ENTIRE CITY, PEOPLE HAD NOT SIMPLY SAT THERE IN THEIR LAIRS, PALING WITH TERROR AT EVERY BANG OF THE DOWNSTAIRS DOOR AND AT EVERY STEP ON THE STAIRCASE, BUT HAD UNDERSTOOD THEY HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE AND HAD BOLDLY SET UP IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALL AN AMBUSH OF HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH AXES, HAMMERS, POKERS, OR WHATEVER ELSE WAS AT HAND?… THE ORGANS WOULD VERY QUICKLY HAVE SUFFERED A SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS AND TRANSPORT AND, NOTWITHSTANDING ALL OF STALIN’S THIRST, THE CURSED MACHINE WOULD HAVE GROUND TO A HALT! IF…IF…WE DIDN’T LOVE FREEDOM ENOUGH. AND EVEN MORE – WE HAD NO AWARENESS OF THE REAL SITUATION…. WE PURELY AND SIMPLY DESERVED EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD.” – ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN
Will this be our fate too? Will we slowly be conditioned to accept atrocities like this and to be completely defanged so that we can be herded into camps without so much as a whimper as well? That’s crazy you say! Is it? Right now, our government is hunting down someone who simply exposed how they (government) were illegally spying on all of us. Our government is buying arms and stockpiling weapons for use domestically not in some war. Our government has the IRS actively harassing a single political/opposition party. Our government has shown that they will lock down a town and go door to door while making the citizens stay cowered inside. Our government has stated that they can imprison anyone without cause for an indefinite amount of time.
Can you seriously argue that we aren’t headed down the same path as others have in our not too distant past?
This is not a call to armed Revolution, but I do think we should all be very wary of this course we are on and the echos of history. We should not be silent in the face of increasing oppression. We should not simply go along quietly because of the fear that we may get in trouble, or worse that we believe the government is only looking out for our best interests. You only need to look at the people in Poland who quietly went into the Warsaw ghettos. You don’t have to look any further than the Holocaust to see what quietly going along will get you.
This is not a fate that I will be bringing on my family.
Coming the most severe financial crisis of our times. A financial crisis so severe 99% of all Americans will be financially devastated. They will in fact be far worse off than those who experienced the Great Depression of the 1930’s. And yet, even though some economists are sounding warnings about the impending financial catastrophe no one is even paying the slightest attention to the earthquake of economic doom. Not one presidential candidate or the media has even bothered to alert the public about a disaster of Titanic proportions unfolding right under our feet.
We have to go back to the time when stocks dropped by more than 12% losing over $3 trillion in value. We are being beguiled into thinking that our financial footing is all well and good when in fact the exact opposite happening. What is happening is our whole financial system is now just a house of cards where just one tiny cross breeze of inflation would send that whole house of cards tumbling down and with it wiping our practically everyone’s financial means of support. To put it more bluntly just imagine waking up and going to get gas for your car. Your credit or debit card will not work because the banks have already frozen your account. And, what little cash you have on hand won’t be enough to even buy a loaf of bread. Scary isn’t it? A real imminent full blown financial crisis will soon be at our front door.
To put this in perspective right now corporate debt is over $30 trillion and counting. American consumers are now holding over $733 billion in credit card debt. They hold over $1 trillion in auto loan debt. This while today student loan debt has reached over $1.4 trillion with more than 12% of these loans are in default or overdue by more than 90 days. All this debt is strangling the life blood of our whole economy.
Compounding this problem is the fact that the economy in the United States has remained flat for over four decades. But wait there is good news if you happen to be in the 1%. Your net worth just keep growing by leaps and bounds. While the 1% dine on caviar and champagne the rest of us eat hot dogs and stale beer. Without a growing economy or having the “Williams Theory of Economic Evolution being fulfilled there is no possible way for the United States to ever be able to pay back all this accumulated debt. Simply put The U.S. economy is withering and dying on that vine of lost opportunities. This, despite the biggest stimulus of new cash, think of all those Qualitative Easing programs the Fed pumped out and the exorbitant amount of and credit available. Yet, we have far fewer real living wage jobs being filled or even being offered today than we did just 15 years ago. Thus, the typical household has even far less income. This while the cost of living keeps increasing. Too many are trapped into a cycle of having to rob Peter to pay Paul just to make it through one more day. There are a lot of people out there who know deep down that something’s not right in America. Could it be that with all this debt increasing every day a great credit crash is inevitable?
This is only part of the monumental credit and debt crisis facing the United States. The national debt of this nation has reached a level unprecedented in the history of our nation. The government has to keep borrowing just to keep meeting it’s expenditures. But, with endless wars, and more people now than ever being relied of those meager safety nets just adds to the national debt. Yet, we still have our politicians offering band aid fixes to a monumental hemorrhaging society. With all this debt from our national to consumer debt the immediate problem we face is that there’s not enough real money in our financial system. Between $958 billion to $1.5 trillion changes hands in the U.S. every month. People buy milk, pay babysitters. They pay their mortgages and their taxes. Consumer spending alone is $11.2 trillion annually. But here’s the thing there’s only $1.2 trillion worth of actual dollars – physical money in the entire world. We can’t be sure how much of that is actually here in the U.S. Estimates are that some 50 percent to 75 percent of our money is in overseas bank accounts or held by foreign governments, and a lot of what is left in the states is called “dead money.” It’s stuffed in mattresses and safe-deposit boxes. In fact, the amount of U.S. dollars being hoarded this way that is to say the amount of dead money is now at an all-time high. Corporate America is by far the worst offender in hoarding cash. Think back to those QE1 and 2 bailouts by the fed with borrowed money to the financial sector. Instead of dolling out readily available cash to the public all they did was hoard it an let the public use credit to finance their daily expenditures. It was only recently that banks have put caps on all cash withdrawals. And you can see there really is a cash shortage.
Since the 1970s, the credit system in America has grown to become our biggest and our most crucial asset. Credit, not real money, is what people spend. Since 1971, the real money has been taken out of the system. Credit is what we have now. And, every credit dollar has a dark side to it, debt. And there’s more debt outstanding now than twice the value of every single home in America put together, more than three times the value of every single U.S. bank’s assets combined, more than 20 times the trillions of dollars the U.S. government collects in taxes every year. To put this in perspective let’s say you have one physical dollar, the one with George Washington. It doesn’t matter what other people think or what’s happening on Wall Street; it’s yours to spend as you like. But, with credit it is another ball game entirely. It can disappear before you spend it, because at some point all that credit can only exist if people believe they’ll get paid back, that is if they believe there’s enough money in America to pay back all that $60 trillion in outstanding credit. The sad fact there isn’t. Our credit system is insolvent. And when it fails, which it surely will do, it could wipe out more wealth than any other crisis in history.
During the financial crisis of 2008 over $10 trillion vanished. This next crisis will wipe out six times that amount. What we are saying is that our whole financial system will collapse. An economic disaster unparallel in the history of the world. Today, our whole society relies on credit. And, when any one link in the chain of production through distribution in economies is broken the whole credit system will implode. Businesses can’t run. Paychecks don’t go out. This credit crash not only destroys the mechanism that runs our economy, it shuts down our access to our own money. Just imagine what happens as lenders try to redeem $60 trillion worth of credit and there’s only $250 billion to go around. You go to your ATM; you ask for cash, but there isn’t any cash left. Suppose you have a $10,000 line of credit on your card. If the credit system doesn’t work, you might as well be flat broke. Dollars become ultra scarce. Prices skyrocket. Banks go under. In fact, it would only take about three hours for our entire country to shut down. The last time our credit system came to the verge of collapse was in 2008. This next crisis watch out.
To stop this impending disaster will take much more than open mouth rhetoric by our politicians. It starts with educating the public to realize that drastic reforms are urgently needed to stave off a disaster that would wipe out our whole financial and economic system. The implications of not addressing this urgent crisis will have global ramifications that will lead to a world war. A war which in all likelihood would send humanity back into the caves of the Neanderthal. The need is apparent and urgent action is required. And it starts with implementation of National Economic Reform’s Ten Articles of Confederation.
It’s one or two years after an EMP attack and you are safely tucked away in your retreat somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Your storage foods have mostly been used and your high tech electronics is useless. The really bad stuff is mostly past. Now it’s try to stay fed and alive and pray that civilization as you know it is coming back. You’re going to have to work your environment to live. Ever wonder what life might be like? What would it really be like to have no running water, electricity, sewer, newspaper or Internet? No supermarket or fire department close at hand?
I have a good imagination but I decided to talk to someone who would know first hand what it was like: my mother. She grew up on a homestead in the middle of Montana during the 1920s and 1930s. It was a two room Cottonwood cabin with the nearest neighbor three miles away. She was oldest at 9, so she was in charge of her brother and sister. This was her reality; I feel there are lessons here for the rest of us.
There was a Majestic stove that used wood and coal. The first person up at four thirty A.M., usually her father, would start the fire for breakfast. It was a comforting start to the day but your feet would get cold when you got out of bed.
A crosscut saw and axe was used to cut wood for the stove and after that experience, you got pretty stingy with the firewood because you know what it takes to replace it. The old timers say that it warms you when you cut it, when you split it, and again when you burn it. The homes that were typical on homesteads and ranches of the era were smaller with lower ceilings than modern houses just so they could be heated easier. The saw and axe were not tools to try hurrying with. You set a steady pace and maintained it. A man in a hurry with an axe may loose some toes or worse. One side effect of the saw and axe use is that you are continuously hungry and will consume a huge amount of food. Lights in the cabin were old fashioned kerosene lamps. It was the kid’s job to trim the wicks, clean the chimneys and refill the reservoirs.
The privy was downhill from the house next to the corral and there was no toilet paper. Old newspaper, catalogs or magazines were used and in the summer a pan of barely warm water was there for hygiene. During a dark night, blizzard, or brown out from a dust storm, you followed the corral poles-no flashlights.
There were two springs close to the house that ran clear, clean, and cold water. The one right next to it was a “soft” water spring. It was great for washing clothes and felt smooth, almost slick, on your skin. If you drank from it, it would clean you out just as effectively as it cleaned clothes. Not all clean water is equal.
The second spring was a half mile from the cabin and it was cold, clear, and tasted wonderful. The spring itself was deep – an eight foot corral pole never hit bottom- and flowed through the year. It was from here that the kids would fill two barrels on a heavy duty sled with water for the house and the animals. They would lead the old white horse that was hitched to the sledge back to the buildings and distribute the water for people and animals. In the summer, they made two trips in the morning and maybe a third in the evening. In the winter, one trip in the morning and one in the evening. They did this alone.
Breakfast was a big meal because they’re going to be working hard. Usually there would be homemade sausage, eggs and either cornmeal mush or oatmeal. More food was prepared than what was going to be eaten right then. The extra food was left on the table under a dish towel and eaten as wanted during the day. When evening meal was cooked, any leftovers were reheated. The oatmeal or the mush was sliced and fried for supper. It was served with butter, syrup, honey or molasses.
The homemade sausage was from a quarter or half a hog. The grinder was a small kitchen grinder that clamped on the edge of a table and everybody took turns cranking. When all the hog had been ground, the sausage mix was added and kneaded in by hand. Then it was immediately fried into patties. The patties were placed, layer by layer, into a stone crock and covered with the rendered sausage grease. The patties were reheated as needed. The grease was used for gravies as well as re-cooking the patties. Occasionally a fresh slice of bread would be slathered with a layer of sausage grease and a large slice of fresh onion would top it off for quick sandwich. Nothing was wasted.
Some of their protein came from dried fish or beef. Usually this had to be soaked to remove the excess salt or lye. Then it was boiled. Leftovers would go into hash, fish patties, or potato cakes.
The kitchen garden ran mostly to root crops. Onion, turnip, rutabaga, potato and radishes grew under chicken wire. Rhubarb was canned for use as a winter tonic to stave off scurvy. Lettuce, corn, and other above ground crops suffered from deer, rats, and gumbo clay soil. Surprisingly, cabbage did well. The winter squash didn’t do much, only 2 or 3 gourds. Grasshoppers were controlled by the chickens and turkeys. There was endless hoeing.
Washing clothes required heating water on the stove, pouring it into three galvanized wash tubs-one for the homemade lye soap and scrub board, the other two for rinsing. Clothes were rinsed and wrung out by hand, then hung on a wire to dry in the air. Your hands became red and raw, your arms and shoulders sore beyond belief by the end of the wash. Wet clothing, especially wool, is heavy and the gray scum from the soap was hard to get out of the clothes.
Personal baths were in a galvanized wash tub screened by a sheet. In the winter it was difficult to haul, heat and handle the water so baths weren’t done often. Most people would do sponge baths.Everybody worked including the kids. There were always more chores to be done than time in the day. It wasn’t just this one family; it was the neighbors as well. You were judged first and foremost by your work ethic and then your honesty. This was critical because if you were found wanting in either department, the extra jobs that might pay cash money, a quarter of beef, hog or mutton would not be available. Further, the cooperation with your neighbors was the only assurance that if you needed help, you would get help. Nobody in the community could get by strictly on their own. A few tried. When they left, nobody missed them. You didn’t have to like someone to cooperate and work with him or her.
Several times a year people would get together for organized activities: barn raising, butcher bee, harvest, roofing, dance, or picnics. There were lots of picnics, usually in a creek bottom with cottonwoods for shade or sometimes at the church. Always, the women would have tables groaning with food, full coffee pots and, if they were lucky, maybe some lemonade. (Lemons were expensive and scarce) After the work (even for picnics, there was usually a project to be done first) came the socializing. Many times people would bring bedding and sleep out overnight, returning home the next day.
A half dozen families would get together for a butcher bee in the cold days of late fall. Cows were slaughtered first, then pigs, mutton, and finally chickens. Blood from some of the animals was collected in milk pails, kept warm on a stove to halt coagulation and salt added. Then it was canned for later use in blood dumplings, sausage or pudding. The hides were salted for later tanning; the feathers from the fowl were held for cleaning and used in pillows or mattresses. The skinned quarters of the animals would be dipped into cold salt brine and hung to finish cooling out so they could be taken home safely for processing. Nothing went to waste.
The most feared occurrence in the area was fire. If it got started, it wasn’t going out until it burned itself out. People could and did loose everything. The most used weapon was the .22 single shot Winchester with .22 shorts. It was used to take the heads off pheasant, quail, rabbit and ducks. If you held low, the low powered round didn’t tear up the meat. The shooters, usually the kids, quickly learned sight picture and trigger control although they never heard those terms. If you took five rounds of ammunition, you better bring back the ammunition or a critter for the pot for each round expended. It was also a lot quieter and less expensive [in those days] than the .22 Long Rifle cartridges.
If you are trying to maintain a low profile, the odor of freshly baked bread can be detected in excess of three miles on a calm day. Especially by kids.
Twice a year the cabin was emptied of everything. The walls, floors, and ceilings were scrubbed with lye soap and a bristle brush. All the belongings were also cleaned before they came back into the house. This was pest control and it was needed until DDT became available. Bedbugs, lice, ticks and other creepy crawlies were a fact of life and were controlled by brute force. Failure to do so left you in misery and maybe ill.
Foods were stored in bug proof containers. The most popular was fifteen pound metal coffee cans with tight lids. These were for day to day use in the kitchen. (I still have one. It’s a family heirloom.) The next were barrels to hold the bulk foods like flour, sugar, corn meal, and rice. Everything was sealed or the vermin would get to it. There was always at least one, preferably two, months of food on hand. If the fall cash allowed, they would stock up for the entire winter before the first snowfall.
The closest thing to a cooler was a metal box in the kitchen floor. It had a very tight lid and was used to store milk, eggs and butter for a day or two. Butter was heavily salted on the outside to keep it from going rancid or melting. Buttermilk, cottage cheese and regular cheese was made from raw milk after collecting for a day or two. The box was relatively cool in the summer and did not freeze in the winter.
Mice and rats love humanity because we keep our environment warm and tend to be sloppy with food they like. Snakes love rats and mice so they were always around. If the kids were going to play outside, they would police the area with a hoe and a shovel. After killing and disposing of the rattlesnakes- there was always at least one-then they could play for a while in reasonable safety.
The mice and rats were controlled by traps, rocks from sling shots, cats and coyotes. The cats had a hard and usually short life because of the coyotes. The coyotes were barely controlled and seemed to be able to smell firearms at a distance. There were people who hunted the never-ending numbers for the bounty.
After chores were done, kid’s active imagination was used in their play. They didn’t have a lot of toys. There were a couple of dolls for the girls, a pocket knife and some marbles for the boy, and a whole lot of empty to fill. Their father’s beef calves were pretty gentle by the time they were sold at market – the kids rode them regularly. (Not a much fat on those calves but a lot of muscle.) They would look for arrow heads, lizards, and wild flowers. Chokecherry, buffalo berry, gooseberry and currants were picked for jelly and syrups. Sometimes the kids made chokecherry wine.
On a hot summer day in the afternoon, the shade on the east side of the house was treasured and the east wind, if it came, even more so. Adults hated hailstorms because of the destruction, kids loved them because they could collect the hail and make ice cream.
Childbirth was usually handled at a neighbor’s house with a midwife if you were lucky. If you got sick you were treated with ginger tea, honey, chicken soup or sulphur and molasses. Castor oil was used regularly as well. Wounds were cleaned with soap and disinfected with whisky. Mustard based poultices were often used for a variety of ills. Turpentine, mustard and lard was one that was applied to the chest for pneumonia or a hacking cough.
Contact with the outside world was an occasional trip to town for supplies using a wagon and team. A battery operated radio was used very sparingly in the evenings. A rechargeable car battery was used for power. School was a six mile walk one way and you brought your own lunch. One school teacher regularly put potatoes on the stove to bake and shared them with the kids. She was very well thought of by the kids and the parents.
These people were used to a limited amount of social interaction. They were used to no television, radio, or outside entertainment. They were used to having only three or four books. A fiddler or guitar player for a picnic or a dance was a wonderful thing to be enjoyed. Church was a social occasion as well as religious. The church ladies and their butter and egg money allowed most rural churches to be built and to prosper.
The men were required to do the heavy work but the ladies made it come together. The civilizing of the west sprang from these roots. Some of those ladies had spines of steel. They needed it. That’s a partial story of the homestead years. People were very independent, stubborn and strong but still needed the community and access to the technology of the outside world for salt, sugar, flour, spices, chicken feed, cloth, kerosene for the lights and of course, coffee. There are many more things I could list. Could they have found an alternative if something was unavailable? Maybe. How would you get salt or nitrates in Montana without importing? Does anyone know how to make kerosene? Coffee would be valued like gold. Roasted grain or chicory just didn’t cut it.
I don’t want to discourage people trying to prepare but rather to point out that generalized and practical knowledge along with a cooperative community is still needed for long term survival. Whatever shortcomings you may have, if you are part of a community, it is much more likely to be covered. The described community in this article was at least twenty to thirty miles across and included many farms and ranches as well as the town. Who your neighbors are, what type of people they are, and your relationship to them is one of the more important things to consider.
Were there fights, disagreements and other unpleasantness? Absolutely. Some of it was handled by neighbors, a minister or the sheriff. Some bad feelings lasted a lifetime. There were some people that were really bad by any standard and they were either the sheriff’s problem or they got sorted out by one of their prospective victims. These homesteaders had a rough life but they felt they had a great life and their way of life was shared by everyone they knew. They never went hungry, had great daylong picnics with the neighbors, and knew everyone personally within twenty miles. Every bit of pleasure or joy was treasured like a jewel since it was usually found in a sea of hard work. They worked hard, played hard and loved well. In our cushy life, we have many more “things” and “conveniences” than they ever did, but we lack the connection they had with their environment and community.
The biggest concern for our future: What happens if an event such as a solar flare, EMP, or a plague takes our society farther back than the early 1900s by wiping out our technology base. Consider the relatively bucolic scene just described and then add in some true post-apocalyptic hard cases. Some of the science fiction stories suddenly get much more realistic and scary. A comment out of a Star Trek scene comes to mind “In the fight between good and evil, good must be very, very good.”
Consider what kind of supplies might not be available at any cost just because there is no longer a manufacturing base or because there is no supply chain. In the 1900s they had the railroads as a lifeline from the industrial east.
One of the greatest advantages we have is access to a huge amount of information about our world, how things work and everything in our lives. We need to be smart enough to learn/understand as much as possible and store references for all the rest. Some of us don’t sleep well at night as we are well aware of how fragile our society and technological infrastructure is. Trying to live the homesteader’s life would be very painful for most of us. I would prefer not to. I hope and pray it doesn’t ever come to that.How long would it take us to rebuild the tools for recovery to the early 1900 levels? Beans? There was almost always a pot of beans on the stove in the winter time. Chickens and a couple of milk cows provided needed food to balance the larder. They could not have supported a growing family without these two resources.
The hard-frozen December morning silence was shattered by a reverberating howl. The ground seemed to come rushing towards him as equilibrium flew away like his misty breath. The spinning snowbank softened the body-blow but filled his eyes and mouth with dirty, re-plowed ice and gravel.
One second he was absent-mindedly shoveling the old, frozen-over snow fall from several days past, and the next he was thrown to the ground as the world spun and bucked like a rodeo mustang underneath him.
He was flailing his arms trying to hold onto something, anything, as the ground humped and twisted, shrieking in it’s agony beneath him. His thoughts and perhaps his screams were drowned out by the howling roar of a million freight trains filling the otherwise subdued winter morning air.
His mind was screaming, “Earthquake! earthquake!” Then the profanity came streaming out like a full on fire hose. Or maybe it wasn’t his mind screaming, he couldn’t tell.
Gasping for the breath stolen by the body slam to the snowbank, the burning hoarseness of his breathing belied the fact that he was the one screaming, unnoticed in that roaring, howling insanity totally filling the world around him.
As the world stopped spinning and the howling died down, he was able to hear other sounds, very much non-typical sounds for a cold winter’s day in December. The howling of dogs, and the excited clatter of chickens was first and foremost, the deep rumbling of the earth taking second stage to the excited animal world.
An odd crackling noise interspersed with pops and fizzles propelled him off his bruised side looking for the fire. The first tendrils of smoke coming from a shattered window made it clear what to do next.
Fire! fire! Someone shouted, but he couldn’t tell where it came from.
Running the thirty yards to the cabin was not easy in winter gear and Packs but adrenaline gave him the ability to reach the door in seconds, pushing aside the heavy oak and wrought-iron monster to survey the scene inside.
Because of preparedness training and planning, the damage was not as severe as it could have been. Sure, the windows were all broken or at least cracked but the double and triple panes had kept most of them at least weather proof.
The smoke was coming from the huge, black iron stove in the middle of the room. The pipe had burst loose from the top of the stove which was rapidly filling the room with the smell of burning pine. The acrid, stinging vapors burned his eyes as he jammed the stovepipe back into place.
Starting to turn, he was again slammed hard but this time the cause was obvious and licking his face. “Down!” Once was all it took but the big Labrador couldn’t control his shivering and querulous whining.
Bending at the knees and wrapping his arms around his big brown friend, he calmed the shaking, whining animal and himself as well. ” ‘s okay, Buddy, ‘s okay.” “It’s all over, Buddy,” “Let’s go see what happened.”
He had the strangest feeling at that moment, kind of a tingle or maybe a little buzz in his mind. Sort of like the after-affects of a heavy mushroom trip when reality isn’t quite screwed back into place yet. He brushed it off, and got up, sliding his hands one more time over the panting dog.
This time the feeling was way more pronounced, almost like an electric shock, (we okay?). “Huh?” He looked around the room searching for another person. (okay now?) He automatically replied to the question, “Sure, everything is okay now,” and stopped dead in his tracks.
He looked down into the pleading eyes of his Labrador friend and companion for over five years. “Uh, uh, uh” he couldn’t bring himself to say what he wanted to, just stuttered with the shocking realization of what had just taken place.
He knelt again, holding the big dog’s head cupped in his hands, staring into the large, liquid brown eyes. “Buddy, was that you?” The answer, tickling his mind like a tiny feather, was the last thing he heard as waves of blackness engulfed him, (me!)
Those that are aware of the EMP commissions report have probably also heard the statement that this type of event would suddenly transport everyone involved back to the 1800’s almost instantly. It is also possible that up to 90% of the population could die within 2 years due to the sudden lack of modern technology. It does not matter if it is an EMP, CME, cyber attack or terrorist attack on the grid, the results will be largely the same.
This is a sobering notion that you can either believe or disbelieve. If you think it is all hype you need only to go back to your daily activities and hope it never happens and leave your survival to someone who will do something if it ever happens. For those hardy souls that take responsibility for their own fate and that of their family, it falls to you to determine what this type of event will mean for you. An event of this magnitude will affect different people in different locations in different ways.
It is important to first realize what changes you will likely see following this event. To understand this you must look at what a 19th century lifestyle would look like to you. Understanding these differences will help you to determine what plans you need to make ahead of time to adjust to these changes in a way that will allow you to survive. Here are some of the things you will face with a collapse in modern technology and this does not even take into account problems you will face from the ill prepared.
Watch this video below to find out the great secrets hidden by the government.
19th Century support systems included the following
Sailing ships for cargo and human transport Steamships for cargo and human transport Steam locomotives for cargo and human transport Horses and wagons for cargo and human transport
Horses, mules and oxen for cultivation and harvesting Root cellars for common storage Ice houses to store ice cut in winter Open pollinated seeds for planting Livestock manure for fertilizer Local mills for processing grains Shallow dug water wells for fresh water Manual tools for building and repairs
Developed systems for kerosene, whale oil and candle making for lighting Mechanical power systems for factories and machinery Telegraph lines for communication Local craftsmen to build and repair items Human and animal means to produce coal
Wood stoves for cooking and heating Outhouses for sanitation needs Buildings designed for natural ventilation
Limited clean water systems Limited hospitals and doctors Limited drugs, medications and medical equipment Limited firefighting capabilities Limited law enforcement capabilities
Physical currency of silver and gold Banks utilizing paper records
Many of these systems exist today only in museums or historical sites and in insufficient quantities to support the population we now have. So simply going back to 19th century living standards would be impossible for the vast majority of people even under the best of circumstances. This brings to light the conclusion that 90% of the population would not survive long term under these conditions.
Assuming this type of event did occur, what would you need in advance to insure your survival? That is a question many people need to ask but most will not simply because their belief system would be shattered if they acknowledged potential threats and that they need to be responsible for their own lives.
There is the potential for many types of catastrophic events that we may never see but the potential should be enough to cause reflection on the individuals part to at least ask the important questions for their own survival. To prepare mentally as well as physically is important to survive the worst of the potential events we could face. You may not find yourself living in the 19th Century tomorrow, but what if?
Economic collapse can lead to a breakdown of society and mass food shortages. Severe drought or weather, natural disasters, or a man-made catastrophe like an EMP can also bring on food shortages, and famine, followed by starvation. Millions go hungry. Countless people to die.Most Americans have only experienced the consequences of massive famine on their television screens. In 1981, in the movie The Road Warrior (played by Mel Gibson), this survivor in the apocalyptic wasteland of Australia experienced the results of widespread famine first hand. His way to survive: Dog food. Canned dog food.
I can’t remember the brand name. Alpo maybe. But does it even matter? The point is this: In a time of mass famine following nuclear war or some catastrophic disaster that takes place, people who survive may find themselves eating things they would never imagine themselves ever capable of eating. Or you simply starve to death.
Famine – A social and economic crisis that is often accompanied by widespread malnutrition and starvation which leads to epidemic and significantly increased mortality.
Here are a few good tips for preparing for a famine of Biblical proportions, a famine that experts believe could be a direct consequence of a widespread disaster, economic collapse, or even a nuclear terrorist attack, which is a growing risk today to the U.S.
Famine from EMP
The much talked about and feared EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) could also lead to famine, at least in the nation affected by the EMP. It’s not that an EMP will cause food to stop growing: Instead, a famine will take place when transportation comes to a halt and food out in counties and states where farming is plenty suddenly have no way to transport seasonal harvest to several million people out in distant cities.
Mass starvation on a widespread scale is a very real threat and can threaten your very survival. That includes your family and friends.
It also include your neighbors, yes that couple that seems so well put together. When pets start disappearing from around your neighborhood, it might be your neighbors behind the disappearances. After about 1 day without food your neighbors may resort to asking other neighbors for food, and then begging if no one is willing to hand over much.
Hungry People Group Up
What happens if you have a few neighbors that are unprepared? Those without may band together, and go after those who have. Guess what? If your neighbors don’t see you out looking for food, begging for food, and instead simply locking yourself inside your home, in their minds they’re going to suspect you’re sitting on a bunch of food.
If enough hungry people band together, they may decide to take it from you by force.
Finally, after about three days of your neighbors going hungry it’s possible that someone will mention “pets”; when day five rolls around, and still no food, there’s a good chance that it’s going to be open season on pets, I’m talking cats and dogs.
Watch this video below to find out the great secrets hidden by the government.
Have Stocks of Food, Water to Combat Famine
Do you understand now why it’s important to have at least a few weeks of extra food and water on hand? A famine resulting from any number of disasters has the potential to wreck havoc fast on Western nations. Having not experienced true hunger before, it is likely to affect Westerners more than it does say people in third world countries.
It may not happen right away, in the first few days of food shortages. But after several weeks food may start becoming sparse around the neighborhood; local church pantries may start running dry (outside of a miraculous provision from God, which is always a possibility, looking at the Bible). And then the day is going to come when there is simply no more food around the neighborhood.
Knowing how a few of your neighbors may act, you might want to buy yourself a ton of cheap bulk food like rice and beans, in addition to your typical emergency food stocks. That way you can at least have something to give to your neighbors, and hopefully keep them from turning on you, should they suspect that indeed you actually have quite a bit of food.
The End of the Old Kingdom- In the mid 22nd century B.C., Egypt was a hot bed of activity with a large population of people, which translated into a lot of mouths to feed; farming in the region provided food and the Nile River was a chief provider of water. Out of nowhere a brief change took place in the local climate that impacted Egypt’s food supply during the time of Unas (2381-2345). No one really understands what caused the weather problems; however, the results of this climate change seem clear.
Lake Moeris dried out, the Nile lowered, and bad harvests followed. Unfortunately for ancient Egypt, that spurred on a great famine throughout their lands. All of these factors also led to civil unrest and that meant crime and revolts.
The Old Kingdom never fully recovered.
Famine, Modern Day
The Causes of Famine and Mass Starvation
Famine can be caused by any number of factors. One of the most common reasons behind famine is climate change (as previously noted). When that happens drought, crop issues, and pestilence are often culprits.
Famine can also be brought on by war and political problems.
Politically, at different times in history, choices have been made by governments that have resulted in famines. Many times those in power have literally deprived the middle income and poor. In fact, many believe that the North Korean famine of the 1990s was a direct result of government actions forced on the people.
There are many who believe that almost all famine is — in essence — truly compelled more by politics than nature (in other words, problems that cause issues in the food supply can be handled by a pro-active government; one that is adequately prepared for a disaster and any food shortages that may arise).
Regardless, with the natural changes occurring all around us — some say climate change or global warming, others say the hand of God and the Bible “end times” of the modern world — the possibility of widespread famine due to climate change or widespread disaster is becoming more and more plausible, even in the United States of America.
What Does It Take To Survive A Famine?
Historically, the United States — unlike countries such as North Korea, for example — tries to make decisions that are in the best interests of its people.That’s the hope anyway; hope coming from the American people.
However, you shouldn’t assume that the United States will be able to come through for you. After all, if it wasn’t completely clear to you after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, we are not in charge of nature.
Still, political policies will play a huge role in determining whether or not we survive a famine. However, since that is in essence outside of our control (with the exception, of course, of the voting process) let’s talk about three other things that could help during a famine. Namely, these are growing food, storing food, and hunting, trapping and fishing.
Growing Food During A Famine
This one is tough to talk about simply because the task of growing food may be why the famine you’re dealing with is even happening. That said, consider that there may still be ways to grow food, at least on a small scale.
The Green Revolution — Okay, the Green Revolution basically refers to the spread of technologies for subsistence agriculture to countries that needed them: Things like pesticides, irrigation projects, and nitrogen fertilizer. These concepts and materials first spread to Mexico in 1943.
Now you’re probably asking what this has to do with surviving a famine on your own. Well, simply follow suit. In other words, you’ll need some know how, strong seeds (when shopping for seeds, ask for seeds that have the best chances to grow in sub-prime conditions), land, and pesticides / fertilizers.
If you’re worried about a famine in your neck of the woods, call a garden center and ask them what crops, pesticides, and fertilizers would work best in your area.
Regardless, during a famine growing food will almost certainly be a tough prospect. After all, if it were easy, then the famine wouldn’t be occurring, right?
Becoming A Survivor: Hunting, Trapping, And Fishing
In the CBS television show, Jericho, the story unfolds around a small Kansas town and its challenges trying to survive following a nuclear attack that has decimated the United States of America. As a result, the town of Jericho, Kansas begins to starve as a result of food shortages; at the same time, there isn’t an abundance of wildlife in the area, to provide food.
In other words, there’s not much to hunt. Even if there was, several towns and cities have too many people; there would just be too much competition between hunters in the early days and weeks of a disaster and famine; hunting in an area would be short lived and for most people unsuccessful. Those who went after big game (deer, elk, etc.) first would likely face the most challenges as a sudden increase in hunting would drive many of these animals out of the area.
Small Mammals, Birds, Snakes, And Insects On The Menu
Those willing to forgo big game instead for small animals like rabbit, duck, turkey, squirrels, cats and dogs (in a worst case scenario), stand to have the best chances of bringing home a meal in a time like this. In most communities, there are a number of small mammals and even reptiles like snakes that make a tasty meal in a time of need. You just have to be willing to look outside the traditional Western diet and you’ll find a number of foods, even things like insects and earthworms, to get you by on days when there’s simply nothing to eat.
If you learn to think like a survivor, you’ll find that these things are actually a lot easier to eat than you might believe today.
With small mammals, birds, snakes and insects on the menu, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any big game out there; as covered in a previous article on hunting big game, you’re going to need to go to remote areas — the more remote the better.
That’s because experienced hunters will target prime areas (which will be semi-remote) first; because they know how to hunt, and they understand the dynamic of “hunting pressure” and how it drives big game quickly out of an area. As a rule of thumb, if you want to hunt in a time like this, seek out wilderness areas that are deep in the wilderness and beyond those semi-remote areas. Now you’ll have the best chances of finding big game that hasn’t been spooked by a drastic increase in “hunting pressure”.
Finally, when it comes to hunting, those with experience and knowledge of the land stand to do best. Those without experience or basic knowledge, stand to fail miserably.
For all of you non-hunters, there’s one thing you need to know right now.
You’re going to need hunting gear and weapons.
Tools Of The Trade
If you believe there is a chance in the coming months and years that a famine might occur in your neck of the woods, then seriously consider purchasing a gun. As back-up, get yourself a crossbow with a good scope. After all, both a rifle and crossbow are proven tools when it comes to hunting. A crossbow is relatively easy to shoot and you can do quite a bit of urban hunting without alarming local town folk with sounds of gun fire.
Of course, you may need a gun to defend yourself. Count on a firearm first, before a crossbow, in purposes of self defense.
Squeamish about guns? The good thing is that there are alternatives (like crossbows, long bows, and compound bows, for example). Though, to be frank, nothing works better for hunting than a firearm.
What else should you have on hand for surviving a time of mass famine? Here’s a list:
1. Fishing pole and nets, or just strong line and plenty of hooks (know the water sources you’re likely to fish and then have the proper gear on hand to give yourself the best chances of success). 2. Traps and snare wire 3. Bait for whatever small mammals are most common in your area and most palatable 4. Crabbing gear (if you live in an area where crabbing is possible) 5. Camouflaged clothing (choose colors that best blend with the wilderness areas you’re likely to hunt). 6. Hunting knife
And there are a host of other things that might come in handy depending on what you’re hunting for and the area of the world you live in. Talk to experienced hunting guides in your region or the region you plan to relocate to in a time of disaster. Discuss everything from big game and small mammals to wild birds and even predators.
Then talk to some fishing guides. Discuss everything from lakes and rivers, to even streams (crawdads, crayfish), and finally the coast, if you live near the ocean.
Storing Food
Preparation is the key to everything from coaching a football team to rallying your friends and family to survive during a famine or mass starvation. Thus, if you’re worried — and if you look around, you’ll probably realize that you should be — you might want to start buying non-perishable food items with a shelf-life of several years. At the same time, keep a revolving supply of non-perishable food items with a shelf life of just a few months. You can eat that food first, and then turn to foods like freeze-dried food after you’ve gone through the good stuff.
After all, growing food and hunting when the demand is high will probably not always go your way. Most people are going to be unprepared and just unable to make growing and hunting food a tool to count on in a time of disaster.
Along with this, it would be prudent to get your hands on foods like white and brown rice, wheat, and beans. When appropriately packaged and stored, these foods can sometimes last for decades. Speaking of storing dry foods appropriately, here are some things to consider:
1. Have #10 cans on hand (so you can do your own canning).
2. Have foil pouches (made multi layer laminated plastic and aluminum).
3. Buy a number of bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE bottles). These are used for long term dry food storage.
Further, dry foods should be stored at a temperature of 75 degrees F/ 24 degrees C or lower (recommended). If this prerequisite cannot be met, the foods should be rotated. Beyond that, moisture should be kept to a minimum (one way to help this along is to keep containers off the floor).
Also, keep things like cooking oil and long term storage items (oftentimes in PETE bottles) out of the light. And, of course, keep all foods protected in pouches or bottles (as this will serve many functions, one of which is to protect from insects / rodents).
Finally, to help reduce the threat of moisture, include oxygen absorbing packets in food storage containers.
There are several ways you can use these, so read the directions carefully. In fact, teach yourself the proper ways of using oxygen absorbing packets. Serious problems can occur when directions aren’t followed correctly (this is true for food storage in general, not just oxygen absorbing packets).
When in doubt, check with professionals in the field.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s the perishable items. Obviously, meats will need to be stored frozen. Further, it would be prudent to consume these first. The same can be said for fresh vegetables and fruit. Don’t go into your dry food stash until it’s needed.
Famine is a broad topic that can come about for a host of reasons. The way to combat famine can change depending on the situation.
Famine Caused By Natural Disaster Or Nuclear Attack
If your area is hit by a devastating natural disaster, such as an earthquake or tsunami — or worse even an asteroid or massive volcano eruption in the region — or if multiple cities are destroyed in a nuclear attack, access to food can shut down across the country overnight.
In a situation like this, you can find yourself quickly without food (and without drinking water, depending on the severity of the disaster). Seriously consider a back-up supply of food and water to support you and your family for up to 90 days or longer.
Just in case things get really chaotic in the world, you may want to have a back-up supply of food and water that can last you and your family six months or more, and then plans for resupplying your food and water as it runs low.
With disaster and probable famine looming on the horizon, due to the number of threats all seemingly lining up with the times we’re living in, stocking up on non-perishable foods , large jugs of water, and cash — if your bank is closed indefinitely or there is no power for an extended period, credit and debit cards will be useless — as well as things to barter with like ammunition, water filtration devices, and bulk coffee may be a smart move.
Over decades, if not centuries, the US dollar has been the world’s leading currency. The central banks all over the world hold an enormous part of their investments in the US currency, while some private companies use it for international transactions. With this, the trade in US treasury has boosts the American economy and greases the wheels to the global financial system.
But, many experts predicted a tipping point will come that would cause the dollar to collapse, thus lead to a global economic problem. In this scenario, many investors would rush to other currencies to run off further losses. This would mean a breakdown of the national economy. The aftermath of this scenario could likely lead to a dollar collapse.
What is Dollar Collapse?
Full of sudden currency collapses have happened in history. A dollar collapse is characterized to a long-term depression in economic activity, increased poverty and a disruption of the social order. One of the primary roots of any collapse is the lack of confidence in the stability or efficacy of money to serve as an effective store of value or medium of exchange.
The main sign of a dollar collapse is when the value of US dollar drops. There are some conceivable scenarios that could cause a sudden crisis for the dollar. When there is a great threat of high inflation and high debt, in which rising consumer prices force the government to raise interest rates.
If the US entered a steep recession without dragging the rest of the world with it, anyone who holds dollar-denominated assets might sell them at any cost that includes foreign governments and no one wants to buy them, worst would leave the dollar. Thus, anytime, everyone should prepare for the worst, but you can prepare for a dollar collapse through these economic indicators.
Will the U.S. Dollar Collapse?
The collapse of the US dollar remains ambiguous until now. Several articles and websites urge us to prepare for the coming recession, but are the preconditions of a dollar collapse have been occurring? Foreign exporters do not want a dollar collapse because it would likely create a worldwide panic that frets the global economy.
Even if the United States had to default some debt obligations, there is a little indication that the world would let the dollar collapse and risk possible depression. But the collapse on Wall Street has been alarming and the US government must have a choice whether to default on the national debt or destroy the dollar.
If US dollar collapse happens, it might come to pass. No one would predict it. That’s because the signs of forthcoming failure are difficult to see. It is imperative for the government to take a necessary intervention to bring an economy back from collapse. Yet, this can often be slow to remedy the problem.
Three Triggers of a Dollar Collapse
US Currency is weakening
When US dollar weakens, it suggests an adverse financial effect. A weaker currency would encourage exports and make imports inflated. This would mean decreasing a nation’s trade deficit over time. Every business will have a certain degree of effect depending on the increased price of goods and services.
A weak dollar can boost the gross domestic product during an economic recession. Because exported goods cost less, foreign buyers buy them in greater amounts. It can also result in higher inflation expectations and higher commodity prices. Furthermore, it could lead the Federal Reserve to react and tighten monetary policy.
The emergence of China and Europe Economy
China ranks first among the major foreign holders of treasury securities in the US. If China’s economy continues to grow at the current rates, they will surpass the United States as the largest global market by 2020. The largest world economy drives the most investor interest. In this scenario, there would be a massive demand for Chinese Yuan currency. Investors would sell US dollars to buy the Yuan, causing a big sell-off.
The next most popular currency after the dollar is the euro, base from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) data. But it comprises less than 30% of central bank reserves. The Eurozone debt crisis weakened the euro as a practical global currency.
The emergence of major foreign holders of US treasuries is a potential factor to a dollar collapse. Nonetheless, the US dollar must be quite resilient to bar this kind of occurrence.
The Risk of Growing Government Debt & Central Banks
Base from the data, the outstanding US public debt from March 2017 to March 2018 is rising. The debt stood at around 21.09 trillion U.S. dollars as of March 2018 and forecast the gross federal debt of the United States for fiscal years until 2028 . Public debt, also known as national and governmental debt, is the debt owed by the nations’ central government. A government debt is an indirect debt of the countries’ taxpayers which the US government budget continues to run at a deficit and is increasing at alarming rates.
According to the Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of Treasury,
foreign countries costs over trillion dollars of debts like China (about $1.17 trillion) and Japan (about $ 1.06 trillion) held the highest percentages as of January 2018. It appears that central banks will do its power to save the situation, but remember that central banks can also lose control. This situation would be very demanding for the government with high debt loads.
Six Ways That Will Prepare and Protect You from a Dollar Collapse
A dollar collapse suggests an economic plight. It is akin to deep recession that scarcity and shortage of resources would occur. One must prepare for the worst scenario and to respond to this kind of uncertainty, you must be mobile. Here are few ways to prepare and protect yourself and survive a dollar collapse.
1. Prepare your Finances and Start being Smart with your Money Now.
One of the most important things you can do when it comes to financial preparedness is to put together a smart savings plan . If things go bad, having a plan of action will help increase your chances of surviving the chaos.
· You start with cutting all unnecessary expenses and spend that money to pay down your debt. The possibility of losing your home to debt collectors is a very real prospect.
· An Emergency Fund is a potential aid to prepare for financial troubles. It will give you stress-free during hard times. It can provide you with a fund to buy last minute supplies once things start to go bad.
· Remember to always have a cash on hand. When things go wrong, there is a very real possibility that the banks may freeze your accounts. It’s important to have cash that is accessible, either from a savings account or a cash box in your home. This can drift you over in an emergency until you can access money in your emergency fund.
2. Create a stockpile of Survival Essentials
Now is the perfect time to buy long-term supplies that you will need to survive in the future.
· Start stockpiling food and long-term supplies. In any type of crisis, especially during a collapse, food, water and long-lasting consumables are essential and indispensable. You will likely see main supply chain shortages and problems, making these types of supplies one of your most important pre-collapse concerns.
· Put together a supply of first-aid & medical supplies on hand. Once you create a kit, in the event of a collapse, you may not be able to shop for these supplies, so t’s important to have them on hand.
· Make sure you have all of the necessary supplies for survival . Include personal items such as medications for yourself and members of your family. Check the kit to make sure nobody has used any of the supplies. Also, check the end dates and replace expired items.
3. Secure your Home
· To prepare for a dollar collapse is to choose your shelter type. A separate shelter is designed to survive from natural disasters or man-made weapons or attacks. During this kind of crisis, power systems may fail and robbers and scavengers may threaten your home. Take precautions to protect yourself and your home.
· Another thing is to create two sources of electricity. One source could be solar. Hook it up to your home and then run the system underground. The second source might be an underground generator. You will use this in the event of a total loss of power. Keep your energy sources hidden underground to protect them.
· Consider purchasing self-defense tools . Self-defense tools are generally harmless. They are used to prevent an attack by rendering the invader futile. You can use everyday objects, such as baseball bats or gears. Other tools you may buy like pepper spray, hand-held stun guns, Taser devices or Sonic alarms.
· Set an alarm system in your home. Home alert alarm systems are easy and inexpensive to install and maintain. Wireless security systems notify you if a trespasser is approaching your home. Hidden cameras allow you to see internal and exterior areas in your home where a trespasser may be present.
One of the prevalent risks you’re going to face during dollar collapse is the threat posed by people. Learn everything you can about self-defense. When things go bad, you are going to need a way to protect yourself and those you love, your home.
4. Prepare your Family
· Make sure that every member of the family is mindful of the situation. To prepare for a dollar collapse, you need have to guarantee that your whole family is ready with your preparations. This means informing them in honest terms what is about to happen and telling them what they should be doing. It is important that everyone takes the situation . Otherwise, they will not be mentally prepared in the event that collapse happens.
· Each family member must be informed of the steps you have taken to prepare your finances, essential supplies, food, and shelter. Instruct them on doing the same.
· Every member should understand the relationship between inflation and economic growth. Explain to them the adverse impact of a dollar collapse on your family’s socio-economic life.
· Consider including other family members, neighbors, or a community group in your preparations. Make sure that these are people who are reliable and will put to work for the benefit of the group.
5. Equip your Mind
Even more important than supplies, is survival knowledge and awareness. Knowledge is the key to your survival, and now is the time to get plenty. During any kind of crisis and survival, including a dollar collapse, knowledge is going to be your most powerful ally.
· Read books on survival and preparedness, then start collecting information on how to live a more independent lifestyle.
· Do your own research and don’t rely on government spun stories, or crafted in the media; you need to do your own research too. Check the reliability of the information you get to prepare for the collapse.
6. Expect a Financial Crisis
The major risk you are going to face in a dollar collapse is the downturn of your finances. It is important to be ready beforehand on what to do and what not to do on your financial systems.
· Check and track the price of commercial commodities. Changes in the prices of commodities affect the country’s economy and the value of the US dollar. An increase in commodity prices is associated with an increase in inflation. Increased inflation correlates with economic growth. But, if commodity prices drop, inflation slows, which indicates an economic decline.
· Take note of the financial markets. Big ups and downs in the markets are a red flag signaling a general decline.
· Watch the oil prices. When oil prices increase, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes up too. Remember that the fluctuation of oil prices has a macroeconomic impact. If it is increasing, then the value of goods and services also increases.
What Life Will Be Like After A Dollar Collapse?
Everybody else could tell that a dollar collapse would be coming. A sudden dollar collapse would create global economic depression. It would allow the US government to come up with a currency system and a kind of economic strategies to avoid grave consequences.
· Demand for Treasury’s would drop, and interest rates would go up. US import prices would skyrocket, causing inflation.
· Irregular public services like school system experience frequent strikes that shut them down, power issues and outages become more frequent.
· Unemployment would worsen and more people will experience job loss or layoffs. More people are displaced and finding a job will become almost impossible.
· An increase in criminal activity will definitely happen. People will become desperate to feed themselves and their families and more people will be more willing to cross the line into criminal activity to get what they need.
· Lots of people will lose access to their healthcare when they lose their jobs. Healthcare appointments may become more difficult to schedule and it may take longer to get in to see a doctor because more people are getting sick and need care.
· You can expect increased incidents of domestic violence as family relationships are strained and crack under the stress of poor living conditions.
A dollar collapse is a real threat with far-reaching repercussions. While it is inevitable, there are advance preparations that individuals and their families can make, at the very least, protect themselves from the event triggers. Stay informed on top of the global economy. You can be safe in a dollar collapse if you follow the ways that protect you from an economic crisis.
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