# In an emergency, better to be young or old?



## flowerrosy (Feb 16, 2010)

My husband and I have been debating whether it is better to be young or old if the SHTF. There are pros and cons to both. Young people tend to adapt faster to changes, but older people don't rely as much on technology. Many of them know how to cook, sew and survive without all the extras. Just thinking about it...


----------



## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

flowerrosy said:


> My husband and I have been debating whether it is better to be young or old if the SHTF. There are pros and cons to both. Young people tend to adapt faster to changes, but older people don't rely as much on technology. Many of them know how to cook, sew and survive without all the extras. Just thinking about it...


I'm really old, and plan to get a lot older despite what may or may not transpire.:2thumb:
And if you think about it I have reached this age despite my 'many' past years, can the young say that.


----------



## truthfulwon (Jan 27, 2010)

I think it is better to be older than younger especially in this day in age. Many of the young people don't know how to cook, sew or do hard work. This generation was raised on cable television, cell phones, computer games etc. Many young people don't know the value of hard work. 

This generation is the me generation. The older generation respected their elders knew the value of work. Helping around the house, shoveling snow as well as hard work. We went outside to play and got to know our neighbors. 

We learned many valuable lessons from our parents. We learned how to cook, clean and make things from scratch. We learned how to go without and could entertain ourselves when the lights went out. We were not self absorbed like so many of these young people are today. We could have fun making a chinese jump rope out of rubberbands. Or make a slingshot using a hanger. 

I truly am afraid for this younger generation when the shtf. Many of our children won't know how to fend for themselves. In the depression the ones that seem to do better were the poor due to the fact that they already had it tough. The rich which had everything and lost were the ones who couldn't weather the storm. This generation has had everything given to them and many haven't learned the lessons from the past. So I truly believe we older folks will weather the storm far better.


----------



## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

It depends on how old or how young the people in question are. My grandfather is in his 90's and still gardens and walks everywhere and is healthier than most men 1/2 his age. My grandson is almost 5, has lots of energy and is excited about learning all kinds of stuff (in fact, I taught him how to cook up WelshCakes from scratch on the weekend).

I am sure that if something was to happen, my grandfather would be relatively fine and my grandson would be fine. My dad and daughter would probably be the worst off as my dad has decided that living off the grocery store is the best idea and my daughter is trying to prepare but the cash-flow isn't sufficient right now (yes, Wildmist and I are doing what we can to help).

Me? Well, I am right in the middle - I am hopin' that I'll be fine. :gaah:


----------



## TreeMUPKennel (Jan 29, 2010)

truthfulwon said:


> I think it is better to be older than younger especially in this day in age. Many of the young people don't know how to cook, sew or do hard work. This generation was raised on cable television, cell phones, computer games etc. Many young people don't know the value of hard work.
> 
> This generation is the me generation. The older generation respected their elders knew the value of work. Helping around the house, shoveling snow as well as hard work. We went outside to play and got to know our neighbors.
> 
> ...


You hit it on the bullseye there. Now I'm not that old "30" but I think the younger folks and this generation is addicted to the grocery store,malls,high tech gagets, and cant forget WallyWorld. They dont have what it would take to survive or last. Im stuck on the old ways strong family values. 
Most would fall out if they had to do a hard days work.


----------



## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Better to be young and prepared. The best of each world!

Too soon old...too late smart.


----------



## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

The way most of you look at the "kids" are the way I look at the baby boomers. I'm young, industrious, hard working (in a physical sense), good looking (thought I would slip that in). I can cook, clean, sew, and most other domestic duties with no issue. I know how to hunt fish and trap. I see a generation not allowed to learn the proper tools by a generation without them. For every kid that doesn't work hard I can show you a parent that never taught them to. Work ethic isn't instinctual. It's taught. Who's teaching the kids? They are the ones to blame. So to answer the question young or old. Whenever it happens I'm ready.


----------



## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Dean said:


> The way most of you look at the "kids" are the way I look at the baby boomers. I'm young, industrious, hard working (in a physical sense), good looking (thought I would slip that in). I can cook, clean, sew, and most other domestic duties with no issue. I know how to hunt fish and trap. I see a generation not allowed to learn the proper tools by a generation without them. For every kid that doesn't work hard I can show you a parent that never taught them to. Work ethic isn't instinctual. It's taught. Who's teaching the kids? They are the ones to blame. So to answer the question young or old. Whenever it happens I'm ready.


I agree with much of what you said but I know too many instances in which some kids in a family worked hard and others didn't. They were all reaised about the same. The biggest thing I see is the entitlement mentality. To many think others owe them something (everything?). I know some parents who tried the "tough love" approach with their adult children but it didn't take. The "kids" new about every freebie and handout available in the area.

Some people are raised to be lazy and some just become that way. Until society as a whole gets back to the don't work/dont eat ethic lazy people are just going to multiply. Another part of the problem is the "I'm okay, you're okay" mentality. Social expectatin used to be enforced by peer pressure. People have figured out that if they never say anything "judgmental" about anyone else then they feel it's okay to be a slimeball themselves.

Anyway, this could get to be a long post so I'm shutting up now. My wife and I have both said that maybe the best thing for the world today would be TEOTWAWKI.


----------



## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

mosquitomountainman said:


> I agree with much of what you said but I know too many instances in which some kids in a family worked hard and others didn't. They were all reaised about the same. The biggest thing I see is the entitlement mentality. To many think others owe them something (everything?). I know some parents who tried the "tough love" approach with their adult children but it didn't take. The "kids" new about every freebie and handout available in the area.
> 
> Some people are raised to be lazy and some just become that way. Until society as a whole gets back to the don't work/dont eat ethic lazy people are just going to multiply. Another part of the problem is the "I'm okay, you're okay" mentality. Social expectatin used to be enforced by peer pressure. People have figured out that if they never say anything "judgmental" about anyone else then they feel it's okay to be a slimeball themselves.
> 
> Anyway, this could get to be a long post so I'm shutting up now. My wife and I have both said that maybe the best thing for the world today would be TEOTWAWKI.


My only issue is the constant putting down of the "kids". What some see as an age issue I see as a people issue. Most everyone I meet is lazy. Regardless of age.


----------



## longtime (Nov 22, 2009)

I would vote for young. While I can run rings around most people my age, I can't do half what I could do just 10 years ago. Old age comes to fast. But I also want all my current knowledge.


----------



## WinOregon (Jan 12, 2010)

*Better to be young or old?*

I don't think age in and of itself matters one bit. Its all about having a preparedness mindset, the maturity to make good judgment calls and being able to think for yourself. I have seen wisdom in youth and stupidity in older folks (just look at most of our congress critters). Of course there are many morning when I roll out of bed and I wish I was 10 years younger


----------



## kyfarmer (Feb 22, 2009)

10 years i,d take last year if i could get it.  Better health i think would be the one to go with. Age will make some difference i suppose. Looking at todays teens and 20 something's and the masses that are use to the freebe generation of the world owes me and i want it now. If the shtf it's not going to be pretty that's for sure. Youth might save some but it will waste twice as many not knowing what to do and being coddled by today's easy life.


----------



## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

Well, as one of the few 'kids' on this forum, I feel compelled to reciprocate:

First of all, there are indeed people who are more lazy than others, we are all born with different degrees of lazyness built into us. It is up to the PARENTS to sand down the rough edges and teach their kids how to work, and how to appreciate work. 

Why this does not happen so much these days, is because society has changed alot these last 50 years. Instead of many small family businesses, where the children of the owners could help out (think family farms, retailers, craftsmen,...) there are now mostly big entreprises. This means the children cannot longer help out with mom and dad and therefore are thaught 'the easy life'.

The parents installing central heating on public gas, means no more wood chopping and hauling around for their children to do. Buying ready meals, means no more cooking for their children to be done. 

I will admit, I am myself not the handiest of people, and trimming down trees at my grandmother's place in the winter, so we can firewood, is not exactly what I would have in mind for a nice saturday. But although I might be grumbling a bit in the morning when I get up, I will be doing the work without complaining and even have 'fun' while doing it. Most people my age, just never have the opportunity to do such things. For them a day's work is trimming the 20 sq metre lawn. 

As others have said already, there are also older people who can be far lazier than the 'kids' of today. In fact, in the socialist state of Belgium, when one adds all the extra benefits (reductions on services like transportation, gas, electricity, housing) to what one receives as unemployment benefits, one will have more money left at the end of the month, than someone who works every day at some shitty job. I can see these 'older' people all around me. They are close to useless.

Not to strike a political point, but it is the democratic system, which allows minorities to impose rules over the rest (the poor demanding more unemployment benefits, at the expense of everyone else) 

OTOH, the age old paradigm of 'when I was young, everything was soooo much better' is repeated by generation after generation. This does not prove that the youngest among us are all truly rotten at heart. It always comes down to education. Parents trusting that the schools will provide all the education their children needs, are sadly mistaken. Raise your children well, you might be astonished by the results. 

btw I am 22

V.


----------



## flowerrosy (Feb 16, 2010)

To weigh in, I am 28 and I have a masters in IT. If something bad happened, my education would be next to useless. My dad was a printer for the local newspaper. He is almost 70, yet he would be in high demand if the computers go down and we have to go back to using printing presses. I am be happy to be young, yet I will need all my dad's help!


----------



## Heatherli (Feb 18, 2010)

I think it's best to be somewhere right in the middle.

The young (little kids and teens) sometimes don't realize or don't care and the very old can (but not always) be set in their ways and find it hard to adapt to drastic change.

Thirties to fifities might have the best chance, if any of us do.


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

It all depends on how/where folks were raised and what someone too the time to teach them or what they wanted to learn.

Examples: A 20 year old person raised in the city would be worthless on their own if a disaster strikes. They may be healthy and strong but they do not have the knowledge to survive, other than pillage.

A 20 YO raised in a more rural setting would probably know how to hunt, garden, generally fix things and would be able to survive.

A 50 YO city slicker is as good as dead.

A 50 YO farmer is going to be just fine.

I’m 52… or 53, something like that anyway. I was raised in a mid sized city and moved to the country when I graduated skool. I leaned through hard knocks and apprenticing how to use tools and grow food. I can build a home from clearing the land to checking off the punch list. I have lived w/out electricity or inside plumbing for a year in upstate PA. Folks like me will be fine. 

Back in my youth I went to a survival course that was 12 weeks long. We started out with tents, sleeping bags, tools and food. Week after week we left something behind until the last week was our ‘solo’ where we got dropped off at 1 mile intervals on a small creek and were told to be back at base camp in one week, on Sunday, as close to noon as we could. It was fall in upstate NY. I went out with shorts, hiking boots, a tee shirt, sheath knife, felt hat and a small bag of salt (yeah, yeah, yeah it was to spice up the bland crap I knew I was going to eat). Survival comes down to mindset. If you don’t think you can survive, chances you are doomed right from there. Start with the basics and go from there: Shelter, water, food, fire if it is cold as well as the feeling of security it gives you. Everything else is a luxury! And you’d be surprised at how little you actually NEED to survive.

Most people in the world today don’t look at life this way and will not be able to survive on their own. Heck, people freak out when they flip a switch and the lights do not go on!! These folks are doomed to take whatever handouts and rules anyone in charge gives them.


----------



## DocWard (Nov 10, 2008)

flowerrosy said:


> My husband and I have been debating whether it is better to be young or old if the SHTF. There are pros and cons to both. Young people tend to adapt faster to changes, but older people don't rely as much on technology. Many of them know how to cook, sew and survive without all the extras. Just thinking about it...


I'm going to say it is better to be healthy, fit, calm, and willing and able to learn.

Being able to avoid panic and having the drive and ability to continue on are vital, regardless of age. Just my opinion.

I'm not as young as I once was, but not as old as I hope to be!


----------



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I'll accept me right where I am and deal with whatever comes along.


----------



## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

I'm 34 and in the best shape of my life right now. 10 years ago, heck one year ago, I was fat and out of shape. Now I'm almost where I want to be as far as weight goes and I just need to build some muscle. We try to feed ourselves and our son right and my parents are for the most part healthy and in their early 60's. I guess we are all at the age we are and nothing can be done about it so we just have to make the best of what we have and hope for the best. For the OP, though, I'd agree with the earlier consensus of 30-50 being the ideal age bracket.


----------



## Ponce (May 3, 2009)

It depends in what you want to do WTSHTF.......if you are heading for the hills is then better to be young and in shape........ but........if you are almost 70, like I am, and are already in place it would then be ok.


----------



## Old Sarge (Oct 14, 2008)

Not much ya'll are going to do about it!!! No way to turn back the hands of time. Live with whatcha got, and be thankful, you are still alive and kickin.


----------

