# Survival wisdom from the great depression.



## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Just seen this and I think it's really good advice to heed for today in case of shtf.

http://thesurvivalmom.com/survival-wisdom-great-depression/


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Flight1630 said:


> Just seen this and I think it's really good advice to heed for today in case of shtf.
> http://thesurvivalmom.com/survival-wisdom-great-depression/


Excellent advice....copied/pasted it to the external HDD. Lot to be learned on this Forum by an old dumbazz like me!! :wave:


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## Iafrate (Oct 9, 2013)

A most interesting list. People in those days had a leg up on our world in that there weren't cardboard pizzas, hamburger helper, frozen potatoes, packages of cheese slices and all the other "convenience" packaging foods. They knew how to bake their own bread and make their chicken soup from scratch. The average American gas no clue how to either. Just check out the shelves in the grocery store after a run to stock up for a blizzard. What's left? Flour, yeast, raw veggies, basic pasta, all the building blocks for many foods. People then knew how to cook on a wood stove. Today's population is essentially helpless due to the "progress" that our technological society has created. We are a dependent society, not so much on government but on the conveniences that our consumption society demands. Taking care of our basic needs has been supplanted by our wants. When ensuring a healthy diet and wholesome life takes a back seat to superfluous wants we have a helpless society and a major problem. It has nothing to do with political persuasion, religious belief or faith. It was a result of Madison Avenue who has told us that what we want is really what we need, and corporate America providing what Madison Avenue prescribes for us


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

My parents were both children of the Great Depression. Based on the principles they taught me, I'd say that the lessons learned from the time period may be one of the best guidelines from long-term emergency preparedness today. History may not exactly repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Thanks Flight1630 for the info very interesting. I have been doing a great deal of reading about the depression era days.

My grandmother was of the great depression era in Australia and she taught a great deal of what I know today. I was a late in life child to my parents and sort of grew up in a time warp really and I learnt to cook and do handicrafts from her.

Interesting to note too that those who grew food and owned animals were considered rich. I also read that people waited with great anticipation for the new designs to come out on the flour sacks. Some had flowers and very nice designs that could be made into clothing, tea towels and lots of other items.

Is this not really what we are doing with prepping, putting away useful items and extra food for such events such as these.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Great article and book recommendations. Drives home the point how screwed we are in todays society if something like this were to happen. Most of our society of today is simply too far removed from the skills necessary to adapt in a timely enough fashion. And with the attitude and expectation of a quality of life being provided not earned I believe widespread unrest would be prevalent in most areas. Especially heavily populated areas. We, at least, dont have to fall into the victim category.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I just realized that we are only 12 years away from 2029. 100 years after the depression "officially" began. Kind of scary how far we have come and simultaneously how much has stayed the same.


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

There are a lot of interesting items in that list that highlight differences between back in the dust bowl days and today. My grandparents were on the east coast where that particular event didn't affect people, but even so they taught me not to waste and how to make good from what little you have.

Modern conveniences are wonderful. But a lot of folks conflate conveniences with necessities and think that just as the sun rises in the east, so too shall some tasty meal be available for pick-up on the way home every day. The internet can never go dark. Being able to pay with a card (or even with cash!) could never, ever stop. Right?

*ahem*

How many of these folks will kick into gear when it matters? Too few, I'm afraid.


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

One major problem for people today is how far removed they are from a farm.
My kids are grown and they are 3 generations removed from the farmers in my family.
There hasn't been a real live off the land farmer in my family in 50 years.
My Grandparents were subsistence farmers.
In their earlier years if they didn't grow it or raise it they didn't eat.
Grandma would can 100s of quarts of fruits and vegetables and that's what they ate.
After they got older they had to buy more because they weren't physically able to farm. They still had a garden and raised animals so they wouldn't have starved if something happened to that.


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

thank you for the very good advice


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

backlash said:


> One major problem for people today is how far removed they are from a farm.
> My kids are grown and they are 3 generations removed from the farmers in my family.
> There hasn't been a real live off the land farmer in my family in 50 years.
> My Grandparents were subsistence farmers.
> ...


That's a big part of it but it's also what my husband calls "LOI". Lack of interest. My Uncle was a farmer and my Aunt always had a large garden and preserved everything. None of their kids were interested in any of it so even though the know where food comes from they can't grow or preserve any of it. They never learned because they don't think it's necessary.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

And it's hard work, too. Most people wouldn't go to all that bother when everything (right now) is available at the grocery store. All they have to do is swipe that EBT card. Even if it's windfall food...like someones excess fruit from their tree. It requires time and effort to put it up. So LOI and lack of the desire to work, too.


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