If it got REALLY bad

[bigugli]

The first staple you should get is salt, lots of it. Sugar isn't a necessity.

If it ever gets that bad (it wont) make sure you bring a shovel too. You will spend a lot of time burying the dead come spring.

 

Sugar is almost as important as salt for the preserving of food. Of course, in the right areas one can go sugaring off in late winter (there's another set of skills few still posess. I still own a small evaporator.), or over time one can set up hives. It is needed for canning, pickling, the production of bread, fermentation, etc....

 

I agree about the shovel. 100 years ago child mortality was around 10% and pushed to 30% or more during epidemics. Go into some of the back country areas in Ontario and seek out old settlement graves. See one family plot with 7 or more tombstones put up over the course of three years.

 

Yes life then was a whole lot simpler, but it was also a whole lot more brutal and cruel.

[cambo]

No body has mentioned starting a tribe or clan of some sort. More Skills and resources if you pool together,more hunters more fisherman,farmers,fighting off delious or dangerous animals,medical care, etc. In history not many would live on their own.I would be good, 800+acres tiled fields lots of game,access to fish,just continue to raise cattle and other domestic animals.

[OhioFisherman]

If you think crime is bad now? What until some thing bad happens, a different world today and I don`t picture people who never learned to do any thing constructive taking it lightly. Too many straw people in straw houses out there.

 

Once the trucks stop bringing food into the cities the crime wave would move outward.

 

Most economic experts here don`t think the economy will hit bottom this year, not a sunny forecast.

[nancur373]

I love armchair survivalists. "I can do it, I can do it" meanwhile they can't function without their Timmies or Starbucks. Now I know there are some of us here who have spent significant periods of time in the bush. All I'm trying to say is it's not as easy as one would think.

[Greencoachdog]

I love armchair survivalists. "I can do it, I can do it" meanwhile they can't function without their Timmies or Starbucks. Now I know there are some of us here who have spent significant periods of time in the bush. All I'm trying to say is it's not as easy as one would think.

 

 

I think most people would realize that when they had to drink their first cup of maggot soup to stay alive... yes, maggots are edible and nutritious!

[hammercarp]

I know this. If the bottom really fell out it would REALLY REALLY SUCK. You can keep your spruce needle tea and red squirrel stew.

[Zebco]

My Grandfather was poor when he grew up and lived along a river. They lived in tents and homemade shacks and all the children had a job. He used to catch bait and sell it, just to get some food for the family. He taught me how to catch helgramites(dobsons), like he did when he was a kid, go to the next pool and nail some smallies or rainbows. I would stay there every summer growing up with him learning to hunt and fish, shovel cow crap, milk the cows, chop wood, bail hay and anything needed fixing around the house. He would tell me stories of stealing coal from the railroad tracks to keep warm. He died about 5 years ago and was the biggest influence in my life today, not a day goes by I don't think about him. I imagine I could do it on my own, but would hate to try and raise a family in those conditions and I pray it never comes to that. As for the guy commenting on Armchair survivalist, what do you consider yourself or do you stand when you type on the forum?

[stasbrute]

"The Buzzards have to eat, just like the worms do!" I like the Clint Eastwood (Jose Wales) quote GCD.......I will learn to make my own beer, I would be ok for a while.

[lookinforwalleye]

I've always dreamed of just packing up our stuff, and heading into the woods to stay. Nothing would suit me better. I was brought up old school, from a family of survivors. My fathers family HAD to live off the land to survive, so its been passed onto me. If I had my choice, I'd go back to the old way of doing things.

 

I was watching an episode of Little house on the Prairie the other day with my wife, and even said to her how great it would be to live like that!

 

Sinker

 

 

I wonder how long it would be until you and especially your wife would be climbing the walls, no Bachelor,no Desparate Housewives,no Timmies,

no computer, no plumbing,no central air etc.etc

 

easier said than done.

[nancur373]

As for the guy commenting on Armchair survivalist, what do you consider yourself or do you stand when you type on the forum?

Dude. All I am saying is a lot of people watch Survivorman and other shows of that nature for an hour a week and think 'oh I can do that'. As for what I consider myself...able to get by if needed. As a kid my Grandfather and I would hike to their old logging shacks during the summer break from school. We'd hunt, fish, trap, snare and gather our food. We'd be gone for a few days to a month. With no phone, t.v. or radio. Just a deck of cards and a cribbage board. As I got older and my Grandfather got weaker he couldn't do it anymore. I tried many different friends but no one could do it for more than two days except one guy. So from then up untill I moved here to Ontario I'd go out alone or with my friend every chance we got. Just a backpack with basic gear. Knife, line and few hooks, snare wire, hatchet, magnesium stick, rope, watch, and a first-aid kit wich was not opened if not desperatly needed for first-aid. The longest I've been out alone was 5 weeks. Me and my buddy was almost 9 weeks. (no brokeback jokes please...lol). Also we never had a tent, we made our own shelters.

 

And of course I stand when I type on the forum. Too damned exciting here to sit.

 

Curt

[Zebco]

Touche. I hear ya tho, I don't drink timmies, but would be hurting for a Pepsi.

[Sinker]

I wonder how long it would be until you and especially your wife would be climbing the walls, no Bachelor,no Desparate Housewives,no Timmies,

no computer, no plumbing,no central air etc.etc

 

easier said than done.

 

 

If your living off the land........to survive.......there is no time for watching TV; and drinking coffee. Its life or death.......work hard or die. Pretty easy to keep busy don't ya think??

 

My dads family had 14 kids, just so they had enough man power to make it. One big crew if you will. Everyone had a job, and they all pulled together to get what needed done, done. No roads, no power, no running water. Could you imagine growing up with 13 brothers and sisters in this day and age?? Imagine having that many kids right now???

 

My grandfather had to go bird hunting on christmas morning to get dinner many, many times! I have it in me to do it, and I honestly think I could make it longer than a lot of others. I've always wanted to challenge myself just so I know whether or not I could. On my own, I'd be fine. With the family in tow......it would be MUCH harder, but doable!!

 

 

 

Sinker

[Greencoachdog]

If your living off the land........to survive.......there is no time for watching TV; and drinking coffee. Its life or death.......work hard or die. Pretty easy to keep busy don't ya think??

 

My dads family had 14 kids, just so they had enough man power to make it. One big crew if you will. Everyone had a job, and they all pulled together to get what needed done, done. No roads, no power, no running water. Could you imagine growing up with 13 brothers and sisters in this day and age?? Imagine having that many kids right now???

 

My grandfather had to go bird hunting on christmas morning to get dinner many, many times! I have it in me to do it, and I honestly think I could make it longer than a lot of others. I've always wanted to challenge myself just so I know whether or not I could. On my own, I'd be fine. With the family in tow......it would be MUCH harder, but doable!!

Sinker

 

Oh sure!

 

 

... but can you shuck an Armadillo?

[Northhunter]

I hear bonghitts has a nice little place up north. I'd befriend him, then steal his identity and have it all for myself. I'd be set

 

On the "survivor" type shows... Bear Grylls is a fraud. He himself may have skills, but the show's one big fake.

Ray mears is awesome.

 

"Survivorman" gets a lot of flack, but he's there to film a show more than he is to survive. Yes, he has a support crew that set up camp some distance away, but wouldn't you? I know I wouldn't want to die filming a freaking TV show... but I agree, the man can't hunt or fish!

 

I've spent enough time outdoors that I think I'd cope pretty well. But getting out there and doing something and realizing just how hard it is, and watching somebody else on TV do it and going "Hey, I can do that!" are two very, very different things. Bring a shovel indeed. There's lots of people with OLN in the GTA

Edited February 23, 2009 by Spiel

[nancur373]

Touche. I hear ya tho, I don't drink timmies, but would be hurting for a Pepsi.

Pepsi berries grow way up north eh. lol

[misfish]

I was watching an episode of Little house on the Prairie the other day with my wife, and even said to her how great it would be to live like that!

 

You too eh.

 

 

 

but can you shuck an Armadillo?

 

Sure,about 30 ft.

[POLLIWOGG]

You sound like the guys that experience their first Ontario economic slowdown after moving back from Alberta " Ohh My God.. Were All Gonna DIEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee........................."

 

 

 

 

Its never been this bad, almost as bad as it was the last time it was bad or the time before that..

 

 

Maggot soup or a job in Fort McMurry ........... What do maggots taste like?

[holdfast]

Id buy a cheap place in the Sticks and be more serious with the Army again. Hell,Id even jump out of planes at my age.

[JohnF]

Oh sure!

... but can you shuck an Armadillo?

 

The ones I've seen on yer roads are pre-shucked.

 

JF

[holdfast]

You sound like the guys that experience their first Ontario economic slowdown after moving back from Alberta " Ohh My God.. Were All Gonna DIEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee........................."

Its never been this bad, almost as bad as it was the last time it was bad or the time before that..

Maggot soup or a job in Fort McMurry ........... What do maggots taste like?

I hear where your coming from. What do you expect when Dear Jack makes it out that the people of Canada are lining up at the soup Kitchens and and jumping on Trains heading out West. Of course you got the pathetic Right Wing CBC Lapping it up every news Broadcast. Fact is sure people are loosing their jobs in Ontario, Take away the layoffs with the Terrible Domestic auto Industry, things would not be Bad. Yea I sure got criticised when I stated I wouldn't feel sorry for any-one who publicly cried on this forum that lost his job and didnt move. VACATIONS eh, BIG TRUCKS and Toys may have to be put on Hold, you know who I'm talking about. The worst you can do is getting a job at Timmie's, But I suppose whining and Social assistance is way easier than moving to where there are jobs. Be that way, more jobs here for the incompetent and Immigrants.

[JohnF]

A lot of you here already have a very marketable skill, or perhaps I should say barterable. Yer not too squeamish to gut a fish or butcher an animal. Lotsa folks out there would be a long time getting hungry enuf fer that and it should make you a valuable person in a subsistance community.

 

But heaven help us if it ever actually comes to that. I think the only order of the day would be anarchy and devil take the hindmost. There'd be very high attrition until we'd culled the herd pretty thoroughly. The safest place would probably be way way out in the boonies.

 

JF

[DRIFTER_016]

How many here actually spent a night in a tent in the winter?

 

Did it last month.

 

Winter Camping Report

[DRIFTER_016]

The large game would be a luxury, you would have to survive mainly on smaller game... rabbits, raccoons, possums, armadillos, coyotes, wild dogs and cats,ducks, geese, small birds, chipmunks and rat's BBQed on a stick!

 

Not a whole lot of armadillos in the Arctic.

Lots of bunnies and birds though.

[DRIFTER_016]

I love armchair survivalists. "I can do it, I can do it" meanwhile they can't function without their Timmies or Starbucks. Now I know there are some of us here who have spent significant periods of time in the bush. All I'm trying to say is it's not as easy as one would think.

 

 

No problem, got a solar powered expresso machine.

[gdelongchamp]

You know, there was a time when I was not working, (laid off) living alone and in a very small house on an Island, heated by wood and for two weeks in the fall had to hunt to put food on my table. The bush was at the end of my yard.

 

In two weeks of hunting six hours a day on old logging trails I saw and shot only one partridge. Never saw a rabbit, deer, moose. or any other varmint. This was in Northwestern Ontario. At any other time I would see all kinds of animals. In fact one year shot a moose 8:00 am on opening day.

 

For those who think they can turn into bushmen overnight, it's harder then it can seem. Luckily my 10 cords of wood was cut and split and in my basement. At least I could stay warm.