# Rule of Thumb



## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

How about sharing your "Rule of Thumb" standards here? 

For example, "Corn should be knee-high by the 4th of July" or "Each knot cuts a rope's strength by half."

These could be handy when the SHTF.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Hazardous material spill rule of thumb.

Go upwind, close one eye, hold your hand at arms length with the thumb up and covering the site. If you can see any of the affected area you are too close.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

2 in the chest, 1 in the head
always watch your 6
never underestimate the inhumanity of people, because you will be disappointed 
when you wake up in the morning and see a military helicopter off your shore and know who it belongs to, you live in America
no good deed goes unpunished


And on a more positive note:

people (especially children) aren't dead (from drowning) until they are WARM and DEAD, COLD and DEAD = still alive!


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

My father always said:

Wish in one hand and $hit in the other; see which one fills faster


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## labotomi (Feb 14, 2010)

If you're not wasted, the day is.

I kid, I kid... :beercheer:


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Startingout-Blair said:


> My father always said:
> 
> Wish in one hand and $hit in the other; see which one fills faster


Mine did too and still does.


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## BadgerPeak (Sep 25, 2012)

"Spend twice as much on ammo as you do on the gun."
That thousand dollar AR-15 becomes a paper weight the day you run out of ammo.

"Buy cheap, buy twice."
Being cheap and being a prepper are at 180 degree odds with each-other. Cheap stuff breaks and quality stuff lasts, and you aren't a prepper if you're counting on stores to be open to sell you replacements.

"Two is one. One is none."
Have backups for your most important/most used items.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

If someone gives you advice on something they themselves are not doing, stack it with the rest of the TP.


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## Ravensoracle (Oct 4, 2010)

Everytime I hear Rule of thumb the scene from the movie "The Saints" immediately comes to mind.

I still tell my kids the one about wishing in one hand and crapping in the other.... They know the answer to it too.


Another my grandma taught me was "Function, function, function then form" which translates to;
If you are paying more for a product than the cheapest price make sure you are paying more for function (the ability to reliably get the job done.) rather tham form (the item is the next big thing and it looks good.)

ANother of hers was "Don't buy cheap crap or an expensive sparkling turd. Go for the moderately priced one that can get the job done reliably. Then buy another one so two people can do the job instead of just one."

Needless to say the stuff I got out of her estate was stuff many would have thrown away because it may not have been pretty but it got the job done for the last several decades. And it will probably still be working when I hand it down to my kids one day.


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## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

From my dad " there is no such thing as a free lunch" and "there is always someone with a cuter as&"

From the web " if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But without sugar your lemonade will suck":brickwall:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

As a Rule of Thumb, cook poultry 20 minutes per pound.

As a Rule of Thumb, you get 5 eggs per week per hen.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

As a Rule of Thumb, plant 6 peppers per person.
As a Rule of Thumb, plant 5 tomatoes per person.
As a Rule of Thumb, plant 20 bean plants per person.
As a Rule of Thumb, plant 4 cucumber plants per person.
As a Rule of Thumb, plant 30 potato plants per person.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

As a Rule of Thumb, you need 1 bull for every 25 cows. 
As a Rule of Thumb, you half a cow's live weight will be finished beef.
As a Rule of Thumb, one cow eats as much as eleven sheep.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I'm talking about Rules of Thumb, NOT clever sayings. Rules of thumb are standards you can go by on your farm. 

I posted more examples since no one seems to know what I'm talking about.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

kejmack said:


> I'm talking about Rules of Thumb, NOT clever sayings. Rules of thumb are standards you can go by on your farm.
> 
> I posted more examples since no one seems to know what I'm talking about.


I knew.....


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## old_anorak (Nov 27, 2012)

If you're lost while riding, give a good horse his head, he'll take you home. 
Also works when you're a wee bit too potted to think straight.


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## old_anorak (Nov 27, 2012)

If by chance you need to eat a dead critter you found (roadkill) and you aren't sure how fresh it is, you can use the following. If the fleas are still on the carcass, you are good to go.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

kejmack said:


> I'm talking about Rules of Thumb, NOT clever sayings. Rules of thumb are standards you can go by on your farm.
> 
> I posted more examples since no one seems to know what I'm talking about.


What makes ya think we don't know what you are talking about?

I'm going over these with my husband right now, we are talking about them, makes sense and it is good information. Thank you.


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## old_anorak (Nov 27, 2012)

Bright, defined ring around the moon, bad weather is on the way within the next 48 hours. If there are moondogs in the ring, weather's going to be really bad. You see this more during winter months, in the summer, you have a ring around the sun as well to foretell bad weather.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Ravensoracle said:


> Everytime I hear Rule of thumb the scene from the movie "The Saints" immediately comes to mind.


Are you referring to the 'rule of thumb' scene from Boondock Saints?

"A man could beat his wife with a stick no wider than his thumb."
"Should be 'rule of wrist' then!"


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

kejmack said:


> I'm talking about Rules of Thumb, NOT clever sayings. Rules of thumb are standards you can go by on your farm.
> 
> I posted more examples since no one seems to know what I'm talking about.


"Rule of thumb" is a Victorian law that a man could beat his wife with a switch no thicker than his thumb without recourse.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

As a Rule when using a hammer you should NOT hit your thUmb  Sorry couldn't help myself.


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## cedarguy (Nov 19, 2012)

My grandma always said "If wishes were horses beggers would ride"


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