# Your worst shtf event.



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Has anybody been in a event that has really affected your way of living for a while that has make you used your tools to fix damage property that has left you stranded in the middle of the winter somewhere, real survival situation.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Blizzard of 93 and the 100 year flood.both left us in the dark for days.


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## KaiWinters (Jan 4, 2013)

Living most of my life on the southern coast of Massachusetts I've lived through quite a few hurricanes and the blizzard of '78.
The hurricanes just caused power losses for a few days but it always seemed more of an adventure than a problem...I was just a kid then.

We were newly married when '78 hit and the roads were closed for 2 weeks with no one allowed to drive. We never lost power and walked to stores pulling a sled so again it was more of an adventure.

We did, even as a child, always have oil lamps and candles for light, natural gas for cooking and heat...gas heaters always worked during a power outage...my grandparents owned a 1/2 acre plot that was mostly garden and a chicken coop so there was always mason jar stored foods, fresh eggs and chicken.

When I married, my wife is from Northern NY and we married after their Blizzard of '77, we always had flashlights, oil lamps, candles and plenty of food just in case.

I was once stranded for many hours in the middle of the night on the NY thruway mid winter when my car's engine blew. I had nothing but some clothes for the weekend and froze my arse off waiting for help. Since then my car is an emergency shelter and I can easily live in it quite comfortably for days.

That is the worst I've been through...and glad of it...I don't envy people that have been through much much worse.


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

Mine wasn't a weather-related event, my husband effectively lost his job the day we got married. He was out of work for over a year and my tiny income barely carried us through. Luckily, we had already been doing some food prep and as we didn't know how long it might last, I tried to only shop sales for things we needed.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

Nothing life threatening, but my 1st major event was Hurricane Betsy back in '65. I was a youngster, but the month with no power and using a boat to get around for a week or so, made me appreciate being prepared for what ever may come. 

More recently, we went two weeks with no power following an ice storm. We hardly missed a beat, as we heat with wood and maintain a decent water and food supply.


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## 8thDayStranger (Jan 30, 2013)

Tornados on April 27, 2011. Power was out for over a week. Massive damages in my area. Nothing of mine damaged thank God. This was before I started prepping but luckily I had everything I needed to get by comfortably. Went through I few bad ice storms as a kid where we lost power for a week or two at a time. Nothing major though.


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## seanallen (Nov 13, 2012)

Hurricane Frederic on Gulf Coast. 21/2 weeks w/o power. Massive cleanups and damage repair


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## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

A large tornado that went through our county. The power was out for about a week I think. In a way, we benefited because I got a lot of overtime on the ambulance. On the other hand, when a natural disaster strikes it is hard for me because I usually must leave home immediately. That is why I am now focusing on more automated preps for the family. I'm currently looking at standby generators.

Great to read all your stories!


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> Has anybody been in a event that has really affected your way of living


I have been through a few nasty winter storms that left us without power for days but the worst event I have been through only lasted a few hours. And it did affect my way of living.

About 18 years ago a female officer responded to a call of a disorderly male arguing with a female outside of a small bar on the very edge of a nearby community. She arrived and the male (who was hiding in a parking lot) threw a full can of beer at her hitting her in the face. He then ran up and began to kick her unconscious body until I pulled into the lot along with another officer. I chased the male on foot into the woods as the other officer rendered aid to the injured officer. Somewhere during the lengthy chase my shoulder mic had caught on a branch and tore out of my radio. So none of my radio calls were going through. Deep into the woods I caught up to the male and tackled him. We rolled around for a while when I got the upper hand and was on top of him. He was grabbing at my gun so I was using one hand to keep it secure in the holster and the other hand holding him down. Just then I felt a sharp pain in my side; he had stabbed me with a folding knife in the gab between body armor panels. I got a hold of his hand and held it down while I repeatedly punched him in the face with destructive intent. At some point I stopped hitting him after he was no longer conscious. I took the knife, flipped him over, handcuffed him, tried to call out on the radio with no luck and then tried to get my cell phone out. I was having great difficulty getting it out of my pocket when I realized that I had broken 3 fingers on my hand from punching the male so many times (adrenalin is a wonderful thing). I got out my cell phone and dialed 911, advised that the male was in custody but we both needed medical attention. A supervisor got on and told me to stay put and they would come to us. I sat down on a fallen tree and waited for what seemed like days for another person to arrive. I took out a hankie and held it to my stab wound as I enjoyed a mangled granola bar that I had in my cargo pocket. I also remember talking to the unconscious male while time passed. I told him that the next time I would just shoot the fleeing male in the back and use this experience as my justification. I learned a lot of lessons that night.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Early 70's, blizzard. Snowed fer 3 days solid. When it were done not even the plows could move it. It all had ta be done with rotary's. Ifin ya didn't have a snowmobile ya weren't goin knowere. We picked up family with ours an got em home then started ridin the roads an takin folks ta hotels, motels an anyplace what were warm. Some folk were outa food by the time they could getta store.

'91 ice storm. Power was down fer a week. Again, lotta folks was outa food before it came back on. Generators sold like hot cakes. Next year ya could buy a slightly used generator fer cheap.

'08 flood. No water er sewer fer the town. Minor inconvienince fer us. We had plenty a water an food on hand. Took the motorhome ta a nearby town, filled up the water tanks. Got home fired up the lp water heater an the fridge. Home away from home fer us. Anybody else what had a rv was perty well off. Others was gettin there water from FEMA an usin porta pots. Some showered outdoors when it rained.

Snow storm would be our biggest issue anymore, ain't had a doozy in years. I don't own a snowmobile no more. Ifin the weather be gettin that bad, the flock is all brought home an we stay put!


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

readytogo said:


> Has anybody been in a event that has really affected your way of living for a while that has make you used your tools to fix damage property that has left you stranded in the middle of the winter somewhere, real survival situation.


My life changing event was '98-'02. Without a (too) lengthy life story: had a preemie in NICU and became immediately unemployed since it was a temporary service job, scraping by paycheck to paycheck- lost babysitter/job/rental housing in that quick order and was homeless for 5 months with a one year old, next job the plant announced it was closing but I managed financially to keep us in an apartment until I found another job, only to have a flood with no rental insurance, and lived in an off-grid camper. I think that about covers those years.
Don't get me wrong, I have had a blessed life and for the most part a comfortable one. I know the difference between a 'hand up' and a 'hand out'. And I have experienced what happens when you fall between the cracks in that line between qualifying for public assistance and making just enough to survive. I have dealt with pride issues: rebuilt burnt bridges, created new family/friend support systems and struggled with being told I'm over-qualified for job after friggin' job when all I wanted was a paycheck to keep us off the damn street.
I know we have discussed in other threads the dangers/pitfalls of urban prepping, but another thing that got me going back in the right direction was moving to another county and working in a city where daycares were open longer hours and there were more job openings for my work experience/education.
Maybe that's not what the OP was looking for, but that's my life changing event that left me stranded to use what tools I had to survive. The domino effect of a personal shtf can be hard to stop, but not impossible. It's been a decade now, and life is good. Built a house with a good guy, have 2 kids, and doing what we can to ensure that we not just survive, but thrive. Sorry for the lengthy post.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

To Sentry: I recently got into a foot pursuit in a fairly secluded area...turned out okay but it could've easily been worse. I need to remember your story for the future. 

Back to the thread...I've been through a few winter storms that caused power to be sketchy and travel to be next to impossible...2011 we got snowed in for a few days but it was not a big deal. When I was about 14 we had a tornado come through and narrowly miss our place. Neighbors a mile or so away had some damage to their home and lost several head of beefalo.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

We've been flooded in a few times and the roads washed out. Could have walked out but no need to. Longest time was 3 weeks without being able to leave, pretty normal for us to go longer than that without leaving the farm anyway.
Wasn't a natural disaster that made the SHTF for me big time though, it was my health. Running my own business doing really well, had just put on a manager as I knew my health was deteriorating, picked the wrong guy, lol. Lost everything I had, 20 years of hard slog gone. Only things I had left were a few items of furniture, my clothes and a few tools and some kitchen equipment.
I've worked hard all my life, worked hard as a teenager and paid cash for my first home when I was 18. I'd moved around a bit selling one property and buying another, ran plant nurseries from home, occasionally moving into a small shop to boost sales. I knew my health was getting worse so I sold the small farm I had and started another business (didn't want to end up on social security). I knew I'd have to find a manager to help during my down times but as I said I got that bit wrong, he wasn't a very honest man and I was too ill to do much about it until it was too late...
I'm in a good place now though, met my new hubby, we live on his little farm and I've accepted that my health is never going to be what it was. We have a great life, still work hard, like it that way.


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## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I learned a lot of lessons that night.


Tell ya what. As an EMT, triage principles would say the bad guy should have been treated first. Had I responded, you would have been well taken care of before I even checked for a pulse on that POS. Anybody with a radio on their hip is priority #1 in my book.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

A couple of days from Afghanistan come to mind but I could always count on eventual resupply and backup. I was in northern Zimbabwe when ebola broke out in Zaire. Although it didnt come that far down the panic sure came right along with the refuges illegally crossing the Zambezi. Definitely taught me some lessons. I was there when the gov went even more oppressive and began athe land grab and distribution for voting objectives. A LOT of my family had their land that had been in the family for generations stolen. I was also there for the resulting hyperinflation. I spent some time in Mozambique where the after effects of a decade of civil war was still very apparent in the form of land mines and absolute abject poverty. For a lot of this I fell in the first hand observer category but the lessons were learned and internalized. A lot of the reason why I prep and visit this site daily to learn new stuff.


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## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

Just waiting for the shtf, Always picking up supplies...Have home with 5 ac. but picked up 56ac. about 12 miles from home...hope to make it bugout zone..maybe try to find like minded to make good compound..


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## VaKota (Mar 17, 2013)

Katrina! That bi*$H took Everything!
Used Black 50 gallon trash buckets to heat water.


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

Lived under a bridge for 8+ months.


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

My adventurist youngest daughter after graduating from Uni. went abroad to teach English with friends in Taiwan and travel for a bit. They ended up quarantined to the town they worked in during the SARS epidemic - as in not allowed to leave the country and return home. She and her roomies did well - daily disinfecting there home and selves, taking all possible precautions, and did not contract the disease. 

However, while the travel restrictions for her to return home were still in effect, she and two friends were in a serious traffic accident, and although my daughter sustained virtually no injury (few scratches and bruises), one of her friends sustained serious injuries. 

Needless to say us parents here scrambled with our consulate to manage a timely intercession re: restrictions that would allow for one of the parents of the seriously injured young woman to join her and ensure for her care and eventually (after jumping through hoops) safe evacuation to a hospital here. 

Long story short - throughout the entirety of both scenarios (SARS and accident) playing themselves out, the best that I could do was remain as calm and as positive as possible with my daughter, encouraging her to remain the same in applying those practical safeguarding steps she needed to ensure her safety, and she did thank God. 

Scary stuff though when your hands are mostly tied. There was a sense of helplessness that could have run amuck if my focus had been there instead of a forward mindset focused on problem solving, encouragement, and a lively hope. 

That’s the worst SHTF scenario I’ve had to deal with. Had a few, but that was the worst of it given the lack of opportunity to be present with hands on to help.

Endnote: While my daughter was going through that experience she taught her Taiwanese students to say “Better Safe than SARSY” in english as their hand washing mantra - which is something I say with relish today to promote good hand washing with my grandchildren.


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## debbluu (Dec 16, 2012)

Hurricane FREDERICK 1979. 17 days without power. Lived out in the county on well water. Had to haul water from someone who had a hand pump or go into town. Downed trees everywhere. Chain saws going for weeks. Went to bed at dark. Got up at daylight. Mother in law had gas stove so cooked stuff from freezer for a few days. This was before we all had generators. Learned what a " cat bath " was. Used a washboard for the first time too. Not a fun time but learned a lot .


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Mine is the reason I started prepping.

I had just moved to this area, December of 1999. A friend had been trying to get me to move here for years and I finally did. He offered me a job as asst mgr of a pizza place so I’d have something while looking for other work. Working at a pizza place every day, long days too, there was not a lot of need to go grocery shopping. Heck, they have all manner of meat and vegetables and we made dough fresh every day! I was also trying to save money to put down on a place so was living as frugal as I could.

January comes and the area gets hit with 24” of snow. Everything shut down, there is not a lot of snow removal equipment here. I was renting a place that was pretty far out in the country, I like it like that. Having been down here for only a few weeks I didn’t know the distant neighbors or if there was even anyone closer the other way down the road. We did not lose electric so I was good there.

I took stock of what food there was in the house, not looking good. I had a few things but the biggest was a gift pack from my brother in Seattle with cans of salmon and some crackers. I brought out everything and figured it would be a week before I could get out. My buddy told me that here when it snows they don’t plow because it melts the next day. This was a lot of snow so I was looking at at least a few days, a week at the outside. I do not remember the rations exactly but remember it was meager. Two or three crackers and a quarter can of salmon with a few ounces of wine for a meal. I even counted out the noodles in a bag and calculated how many for each meal. Yeah, I had a lot of time on my hands also, no cable TV yet, only what could be pulled in with the antenna.

So divvied it all up and crawled out a window to use a board to clear snow from the doors. The house was drifted in on the door sides wouldn’t you know.

It got cold and stayed cold, crunchy snow cold in the daytime. A week goes by and the snow was still here, at least by me. The towns were cleared and stores were back open so I decided to hike the 7 or 8 miles into a small town. Bought some much welcomed groceries and hoofed it back home. It was another 3 days before I could drive out.

That is when I started keeping a solid 30 day’s supply of EVERYTHING I would need to sustain myself. And not just the basics to survive but that included booze, wine and other nonessential luxuries. Now, of course, I am better prepared and can hold out a much, much longer time!


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Winter 2009, snowed in for a week, no power, feeding 10 on what was in the house (not much). 

Now, we've expanded our preps due to the economy, my husband becoming disabled, and the current world events.


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## BobGrover (Oct 9, 2012)

Ice storm 1998. No power for several days, the entire area a sheet of ice, thousands of fallen trees blocking the roads.

I was fine with my woodstove, lanterns, and full pantry. Neighbors not so lucky => they relied upon a furnace that required electricity to run. Gets cold in this neck of the woods!


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## rrussell250 (Jan 31, 2013)

Hurricane Isaac in Baton Rouge. 2weeks without power in the majority of the city gas stations on generator power with long lines and fights at the pumps. Grocery stores had nothing in them. We had a 3 yr old and our baby was 18 months at the time. We were set up pretty well with no worries about food or water. Gave my generator to our elderly neighbors so they could run an A/C unit. Phone lines were out and cell overage was sketchy. Families just stayed together and helped neighbors if you could.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Been through Horrific blizzards in North Dakota.

Been near Horrific hurricanes in Texas.

Very happy to not be living next to a fertilizer plant.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

I like to thanks everybody for sharing their survival experiences, I never expected it, for those out there this forum is a survival school. Born in the center of the Caribbean the island of Cuba is always been hit by hurricanes,
in 1963 hurricane flora hit, my home in the city had 4 feet of water, no electricity in the area, no water. Our family home in the country(mountains) was really damage, the kitchen/dinning area where a separate building it survived, our food storage shed was ok,so did the 4 wells round the house, we never had electricity there so food preservation was a must for all,shtf preparations was an everyday chord, the only thing never made was bread/biscuits/cakes from flour, we used the root of a plant to make flat Indian bread,(Yucca),everything else came from animals and land. Ham ,Butter, Cheese, Sausages, Salted Fish from the coast ,Drying fruits in the Sun, Honey from our bee hives,Salted Beef, fresh eggs,etc. I loved my summers. Here in this country many tornados in Tornado Alley, Snow Storms, two days stuck in a lonely road under heavy snow in TX. Survival training in the DMZ,Korea, winter survival training, Winter Motor Vehicle Training/Recovery in Ft Dix,NJ,6 years total US Army, that was another school for me.I mix my Cuban survival skills with my American and now my daughters learn how to make SOS on toast, bread in a Dutch oven out doors with nothing but wood, is also time to stock-up on supplies for the coming storm season here in Miami. A good foresight on survival will almost guaranty your life.
You`ll have a good night.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

The worst SHTF event

When I got married at eighteen !

That was 46 years ago and I am still recovering from that one.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

I've fought a forest fire next door to our farm, 3 day blizzards with 30" + of snow, flooded roads/washed out bridges on the road home, loss of job, had to walk home in an ice storm, and I got married once. But the worst was 10 1/2 years in the federal joint for something I did NOT do. I saw things there I hoped to never see, had nothing but my wits to depend on, and no chance of righting the wrong done to me. But I lived through it and have a life again. I learned a lot, mostly how to assess people--who is a punk and who is the serious guy with the thousand yard stare--and how to deal with them. I learned when to talk and when to shut the hell up. I learned to be respectful to all. It doesn't matter the size of the man, only what is in his mind and in his hand. You learn fast, or you don't make it to see the world again. I didn't get in any fights, so I won them all and came out with a whole skin. 

Something tells me that this will apply to life in a SHTF situation. Learn to get along with people. If you carry a grudge or a weapon, you'll end up using them and live to regret it. I saw a lot of that.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

BillM said:


> The worst SHTF event
> 
> When I got married at eighteen !
> 
> That was 46 years ago and I am still recovering from that one.


Just a youngster! lol I was nineteen, married 46 years ago.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Tornado hitting place of business in 2011. Shitty insurance : trying to keep 15 people employed while cash flowing replacing necessary items, husband staying at business over 12 hours a day, no power at home with kids and mother in law and my own parents leaving because of no power. 

Not to mention: husband was inside the building and it was on the edge of an EF5 tornado. 

Probably just now healing physically (stress and depression can hurt) and mentally.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

I remember 1993, ice storms. No power for a couple of days. Also, 1996. Then there was the 9/11 attacks. Living not too far from DC made things really tough for a while. Scared people doing stupid things. Runs on the markets and it felt like a police state for a while.
I've always grown a bit of food every year, after that we grew more, and put more away. Then the next shtf even was a personal one with the loss of my job. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to return to college. The things I've put away and seeds saved, have allowed for me to cheaply plant the garden this year, and feed my family pretty well last year. Hunting provided a majority of the meat, and what my wife brings home from her check helps with the rest. 
So, the biggest thing I've prepped for, has been personal financial loss. Given that in a SHTF world, our JIT system of goods will be dry in about 3 days in most areas, everyone will be out of work outside of farming, trapping etc.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Illness in my late twenties put me out of work for several months. I had my home paid for and a few months of groceries in the cupboard. This allowed me to get by but only by the skin on my teeth. I keep more food and "stuff" stocked ahead now. While my preps may tend towards a societal collapse it is the personal and regional disasters, reported every news cycle, that keep me inspired.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

High wind (a microburst) knocked 4 trees on my house, neighbors lost roofs, power out for us for 6 weeks. We just fired up the kero lamps, the neighbor brought over a 50 gal drum with spigot attached for flushing water (we had a septic leach system) and we put dry ice in the freezer. AFter that, just used an ice chest for a fridge and heated foods on the propane heater (which heated the whole house) in the living room. Kind of like camping-in. We even had a battery operated TV! When FEMA came by to urge us to go live in a hotel we laughed with him over it (fortunately he was a neighbor and didn't push the issue) and offered him another cup of coffee.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*We have created a real survival book*

Everyone here by telling their experiences and or events involved, have created a most read book on survival, the new members should read our words, not stories, because is all real. I again thank you all for your contributions.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

March 8 of this year my DH lost his battle with cancer. He always took care of everything outdoors. All these years I never had to worry with the yard or the garden or the chickens or the 30' x 50' greenhouse. I would lend a hand when needed but all those decisions were his. He knew the end was near and sold all of his tools and garden equipment, the lawn mower, tiller, etc. When I asked how was I suppose to keep up the place he said his brothers or neighbors would take care of it. That plan is not working out too well. 
I have since bought a self propelled push button start push mower and a battery operated weed eater. I did salvage some of the hand tools and have purchased drill bits and drill. It's the little things that get me. I do not have a lot of physical strength, so there are a lot of challenges.
I am back at work now and I know God has plans for me beyond this heartbreak so I just keep the faith and pray a lot.

P.S. If anyone needs a greenhouse it is for sale.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Clarice, sure sorry bout yalls loss. That be why I try an teach momma as much as I can an right thins down in a note book. I ain't gonna be here fer ever, an some a that stuff just can't be found in a book no more.

Yall, keep on keepin on, you'll do fine. I sometimes thin when we really ain't sure how ta do sumtin, it helps ta just sit down a thin how someone what we knew did it er how maybe they would do it. 

Good luck.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

Clarice said:


> March 8 of this year my DH lost his battle with cancer. ..


I'm sorry to hear this Clarice. My prayers are with you.

This is precisely why I've been working so hard in recent years to get things set up for my wife. My health is such that I know I could go any time, but I'm lucky in that I can still work to get her ready. We've been working on getting thirty raised beds completed, in addition to the plowed garden, to make her gardening easier. The garage, sheds, and chicken coop have been remodeled for her height (4'11"). We've purchased new power equipment and firearms that are a better fit for her. She's out there with me trying to learn every step of the way, and she's doing well.

Sorry to get a bit off the topic on the thread, guys. It's just the Clarice's experience brought up a very good point about the need to remember to teach and prepare things to help our SO's for when we are not here anymore.


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## cqp33 (Apr 2, 2012)

My life changing event was 2000-2003! I was stationed in Bahrain with my wife and 2 boys, boys were 9 months old and 3 years old upon arrival. While there we witnessed the USS Cole incident (in the region we were in) in which I immediately left for 30 days, 9-11 where they were burning US flags in the streets and we were locked down in our house for 2 weeks, me I had to go to work on the ship every day but was allowed to travel from the ship to the house! Our house was right next to a mosque too so that was fun. Then when we decided to move closer to the base, I learned that the entire floor above me was rented out by the Iraqi embassy, 5 months later we went into Iraq! Imagine seeing your neighbors who worked at the embassy of the country you just invaded, weird I tell ya, a little uncomfortable when you are in an elevator together going to the 8th and 9th floors! 
These few years taught us that we need to prepared for anything at any time! We always had food/water stocked up there, even before these events took place. We were prepared because I was aware of the environment we were in and I knew that things could change in an instant! I am glad that my wife and kids got to experience that though, it was a good life lesson for them and it has served us well since!


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

In 1978 the temp dropped to below 5 degrees average at night and 20 degrees in the day and stayed there for a month.

It snowed constantly and we had two ice storms in one month.

All the roads were snow covered and many were impassable.

Snow chains were required to even get into my road.

I had to drive a 60 mile round trip every day to work six days a week.

The electricity was off for three weeks along with the water.

The kids were home because the schools were closed.

I hauled water in a thirty gallon drum to our home from work and stopped for grocerys on the way home each day.

We heated the house with a wood stove We cooked on the wood stove and on a Coleman gas stove . I had a Coleman gas lantern and two kerosene lamps.

Baths were taken in the tub with a pan of hot water, (heated on the wood stove.

Entertainment consisted of reading and puzzles on the kitchen table.

Meals were mostly soup and sandwiches.

My uniforms were cleaned and picked up and dropped off at work but everyone elses clothes were washed in the tub and hung all over the house to dry. 

The travel was a reoccuring nightmare and took up at least four to five hours per day.

The refrigerator / freezer combination was a stack of milk crates on the porch.

No, it was not fun. We did not find it quaint and if it happened again many people in my neck of the woods would have to leave home or die. They just do not know how to live in a hostle weather condition with no electricity or running water. In the country most of us already heated with wood and many of my neighbors had no indoor bathrooms or running water in the house so it wasn't that big of a change for them excepting the travel on bad roads.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BillM said:


> No, it was not fun. We did not find it quaint and if it happened again many people .. just do not know how to live... with no electricity or running water.


This... about sums it up for 95%+ of the population of the Unites States.


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## ricepaddydaddy (Aug 3, 2011)

I spent a year on an infantry basecamp deep in Indian Country in Vietnam.
No running water, only electricity was for the HQ bunker, bad food, short of everything but the enemy.

We had a saying:

"We, the unwilling,
Led by the unknowing,
In the name of the ungrateful,
Have done so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing."


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## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

go online and check out a book series called foxfire, it has tons of great information


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## 8thDayStranger (Jan 30, 2013)

MDsapper said:


> go online and check out a book series called foxfire, it has tons of great information


Awesome books. I'm trying to get the whole set. I get lost for hours in one.


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## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

my buddy evan told me about them when i was in ft hood, we used to try out all sorts of stuff when we would go camping at our bol


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Ricepaddydaddy,Thanks for all that you and others have done for us!Tuff way to learn about anything!


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## ricepaddydaddy (Aug 3, 2011)

gabbyj310 said:


> Ricepaddydaddy,Thanks for all that you and others have done for us!Tuff way to learn about anything!


Looking back on it now, I consider it a Blessing from God that he let me experience it and return home. I believe... no, I KNOW it made me a better person. I'm truly grateful.


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## ranran4 (Aug 9, 2012)

Magus said:


> Blizzard of 93 and the 100 year flood.both left us in the dark for days.


+1 for that


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Hello RPD. Glad to see you here. THANK YOU for all you did for us all.

My worst SHTF was 22 years ago. The wife was hit head on by a lady who had ran into the ditch and overcorrected and came across into my wife. Caddy vs a Civic. She got a broken neck out of it and took 3+ years of surgery, PT, and relearning many things. It was a rough time, but we both learned a lot about ourselves thru it.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

MDsapper said:


> go online and check out a book series called foxfire, it has tons of great information


These need to be available on .pdf somewhere....


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## 8thDayStranger (Jan 30, 2013)

LincTex said:


> These need to be available on .pdf somewhere....


Agreed. I've searched and searched for downloadable copies for free. Gonna have to suck up and buy em


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## Chickensittin (Jul 25, 2012)

I found my copies here.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?7503-Foxfire-Books-Available-for-Download

Not sure if they are still available.


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## 8thDayStranger (Jan 30, 2013)

Awesome. Thanks!


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## HoboPoe (Mar 13, 2013)

Worst SHTF? Had to be massive flooding in our area in the 90s. Woke up due to a crashing sound in the basement... there was already 3ft of water in the basement. We got as much furniture out as we could (dumb when you think about the plugged in lamps, but this was before prepping). In another hour... the water was up all 12 stairs. Entire dip in the street was filled. Not bad when you compare it to New Orleans or such... but still. We gutted the entire basement after we pumped it out, stripped the wiring and replaced it. Took weeks. Threw away massive amounts of personal items. Worse yet, it was all sewage water.
The tools we used were all for the repairation of the basement and garage electronics, and soon to prevent more flooding. Oddly enough, it only took a few materials over a drain to prevent water from coming up through it. Sealed up a few cracks in the foundation to prevent leaks. When the next flood hit, the entire neighborhood was ready. Minor amounts of moisture in basement (took fans and those helped evaporate it), and anyone who got hit bad were new to the neighborhood, who got help from the rest of us.


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## ricepaddydaddy (Aug 3, 2011)

bacpacker said:


> Hello RPD. Glad to see you here. THANK YOU for all you did for us all.


Hello, my friend!


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

We bought the Foxfire books as they were first published and devoured them all. Well, we have up through #8. I don't know if there are any more of them. 

The best tale of all in them, IMHO, was about an old lady cleaning the meat off a hog's head somebody gave her when they butchered. She was poor and needed the meat. It was funny as all get out, and very instructive, too. The old gal was very determined to make head cheese out of it, and had no compunction whatever about doing the work. She drew the line at using the eyeballs for anything, but popped them out and gave them a fling outside. One caught by a stringy bit of tissue on her clothesline and that kinda grossed her out, but she was pretty game about it all. 

I loved all the tales about how to build a log cabin, a water wheel, and much more. Great stuff!

I read that these books came about as an effort to get some reluctant students to get interested in studying English, of all things. This was a poorly funded backwoods school in Appalachia. The teacher was a city guy who was creative enough to get the kids to go interview the old timers they knew, and write their stories. He helped the students compile the stories into books that they got published and I think the funds from the books went back to the school for their benefit.

The folks in areas like that LIVED with TS hitting TF their whole lives. Unbelievably poor, and living by their wits with whatever resources they had at hand. Many of the sort of things we discuss on here were everyday occurrences for them. If they wanted to play an instrument, say a banjo, they MADE it. Learned the kind of woods to use for bending to make the round part, used ground hog skin for the "head", and catgut for the strings. Horsetail hair for fiddle bows, and dried sap from local pine trees to rosin that bow.

It's pretty hard to starve out a bunch like that.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

machinist said:


> We bought the Foxfire books as they were first published and devoured them all. Well, we have up through #8. I don't know if there are any more of them.
> 
> The best tale of all in them, IMHO, was about an old lady cleaning the meat off a hog's head somebody gave her when they butchered. She was poor and needed the meat. It was funny as all get out, and very instructive, too. The old gal was very determined to make head cheese out of it, and had no compunction whatever about doing the work. She drew the line at using the eyeballs for anything, but popped them out and gave them a fling outside. One caught by a stringy bit of tissue on her clothesline and that kinda grossed her out, but she was pretty game about it all.
> 
> ...


There are 14 books in the series. I believe I have all of them ;-)


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## ricepaddydaddy (Aug 3, 2011)

Startingout-Blair said:


> There are 14 books in the series. I believe I have all of them ;-)


In one of the books was a story about a family in Blairsville, Georgia who made chairs. The boy in the pictures helping his father work the wood, was a co-worker of mine after he grew up.


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## Hawkeye3030 (May 5, 2013)

Hey Ricepaddydaddy, We appreciate your sacrifice and service. As my old DI once said, "suck it up and Charlie Mike!"


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## simpleguy (Sep 3, 2012)

I am fortunate enough to have the entire foxFire set. My parents got me one every year for Christmas, they are a great read and they have incredible amounts of info in them


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

machinist said:


> The folks in areas like that LIVED with TS hitting TF their whole lives. Unbelievably poor, and living by their wits with whatever resources they had at hand. Many of the sort of things we discuss on here were everyday occurrences for them.


It's a good thing a lot of it actually got documented before it got lost forever.


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