Y’know, just because I’m a survivalist with a closet full of guns, a basement full of food, and a winners attitude doesn’t mean that I actually want the Bad Things to happen.
I’m really curious to see how all this…mess…shakes out. I can’t see a way where any of these nagging things like inflation, ‘supply chain issues’, threats of war, pandemic, etc, come to a close any time soon. A year? Maybe. Two years? Maybe. Three months? Not gonna happen. But…I’ve been wrong before.
I have the worst record at the predicting the future, but I just cannot fathom a scenario where prices do not continue to rise, driven by higher fuel prices, absurd spending, and organic/manufactured logisitics issues. Heck, I just bought a set of tires the other day that I really didn’t want to buy because I knew, with the same level of certainty I know the sun will rise tomorrow, that they would just cost more later assuming they were even available. Sometimes it feels like LARPing the Weimar Germany days.
One thing I’m not doing these days is buying guns and ammo (although I may have just bought another case of Pmags). I settled the gun and ammo thing quite a while back. Which means right now my focus is on pretty much everything else because I think it’s a fait accompli that everything is only going to get more expensive and decrease in availability.
Like what? Geez, man,…everything. What am I buying more of? Every consumable I can think of…soap, toilet paper, laundry detergent, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, socks, shoes, q-tips, sponges, dish soap, batteries, etc, etc. Im actually reviewing the Preponomicon to see if maybe I should bump up my ‘ideal amount’ on a few things. And I was hoping that I was past the expensive part of tings, but nope. And, couple that with Bidenflation, and it’s an even harder kick to the fiscal jimmies.
But…I am at a level of resilience that makes me feel more confident….not about the future, but rather my ability to get through better than most.
I’m watching how things are shaking out globally. Some countries like Sri Lanka are on the edge. In Europe things are shaky for reasons we all know. In South America, Venezuela is still the poster child for problems. You hear all the gloom and doom talk for Africa on food shortages.
Prepping is a construct of the white male patriarchy.
Your provisions will be redistributed.
Gulag for kulak hoarders.
Come get it, pinko.
That sounds… unhealthy…
Steelheart
When has CZ ever said he was white?
He’s making a racist assumption.
My 90 year old mother recently commented, “Well, I was born in a great depression, and it looks like I’m going to die in one, too”.
I’ve been going through my version of the “Preponomicon” the past year+ examining categories and quantities for exactly the same reason. ~10 months ago the tip of the iceberg broke through the surface and became visible, now the edges of it are sinking ships and it’s only going to get worse.
Every day I come up with something I hadn’t considered. Like shoelaces; sounds dumb, but they’re now in short supply everywhere. The name of the game is buy extras of everything and spare parts for everything else NOW because they won’t be there tomorrow and if they are they’ll be unaffordable; I already have 2 refrigerators and an extra (empty) freezer, if I didn’t I would have bought a second one of each 10 months ago.
I’m quietly going crazy trying to figure out what holes I have in the supplies and plugging them ASAP.
Paracord makes great shoelaces.
I think there is an important distinction though on the things you’re buying as a way of storing value vs. the things you’re buying to avoid shortages.
Tires, you and many others are catching on to that “big picture” strategic – macro thinking beyond “Muh guns and Ammo” herd thinking. Your inventory review and a long game assessment of consumables commodities is the right approach as well. Those budget minded folks should research the out of the way thrift shop charity type stores. Obtain multiples or back ups of used but good shape kitchen appliances or such devices. The chicom supply line for another toaster, microwave, crackpot, coffee maker, etc etc will dry up totally. Venturing out on a foray for replacement items exposes one to hazards and risk at that point as well. Think of the movie “Jericho” plot lines where the shop lady transitioned to barter system, and how everyone became scavenger salvagers and had to adapt to things being unobtainable. Stay frosty.
Need to start streaming those Old Reruns.
Stack it tall and stack it deep, we just put 100 pounds of oatmeal, I would rather have too much than not enough, starvation is a terrible way to die.
To Mr. Algonquin Cameroon’s comment about shoelaces, take a look at Ironlace shoelaces (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AK9EWLO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I am on my second pair of boots and the laces are still going strong. Thank you, good Sir, for pointing out shoelaces as a missing item in my lists.
I’m sure people in the late 60’s with the Cuban missile crisis and in the 70’s with sustained high inflation felt this way and the world did not end so doom porn people are touching themselves right now declaring this is really it but as you say, nothing is certain. I agree we won’t get out of this quickly, but we don’t end up full Mad Max.
No, we did not think like that.
The problem you overlook is that most of the things we buy are NOT MADE HERE ANYMORE. That is a huge difference in our situation. We used to have the ability, both manufacturing wise, and skill wise, to build anything in the US. Now, not so much. The skill level of the average person is very much lacking. That is a combination of physical use of your hands, and the knowledge of what to do. I’ve watched that ability drain away over the last 40+ years, and it has been quite disturbing to encounter. This was obvious both in the automotive world, and especially in high tech in Silicon Valley, and it became noticeable in the early 80’s, and it’s been downhill ever since.
thinking about the world starting to circle the bowl was making me depressed, so I bought a Winchester lever action to make me feel better. It worked!
I think we all consider ourselves “well prepared” until some black swan event and we all know the black swan does not honk before arriving. Right now we’re in a storm and see it getting worse.
That shoes use shoelaces is an observation to focus on. What other things depend on something else? Pac boots need spare liners. Furnace needs spare igniter. Air handler needs spare belt. Vacuum cleaners need bags. Chainsaw needs spare chain(s).
Rope start engines need spare recoil spring. Those little plastic primer bulbs get brittle over time and without them won’t run. (Amazon and ebay sell packs of them…get the right size). Drill bits need a sharpener. (As do saw chains). Some tools need tools to keep them working properly. I replace heater and radiator hoses every few years and keep the old ones as my “emergency replacement”. (Mark it with a silver sharpie). Ditto for brake pads.
Look around at what what you have that depends on something else either to work or be repaired. I’m sure I have gaps. I want to close mine too.
Well prepared sounds good but can stuff replace trusted friends when things get bad? Don’t get me wrong stuff is good. Far better than knocking rocks together for sparks to make fire.
It took my well prepared lone wolf buddy one serious injury while chopping firewood and myself and several of our friends covering for him to get him to “GET IT” you NEED trusted friends. It was about a YEAR before he was fully back online working the homestead. Please THINK About that.
When things get spicy we are not going to all live apart in our undefendable American homes and rally to the bat signal to sally forth and defeat without casualties the BLM-Antifa horde.
In the slow SHTF event we are “enjoying” right now you can find yourself in the slammer for self defense. Having trusted friends who can “vouch’ you were nowhere near that horrific accident that claimed the troublemakers health isn’t a bad thing. Not to mention IF you “Happen” to fall short in the Social Credit System less loudmouthed friends can find you fuel and food that tyrants love to control.
Who fed Annie Frank if your wondering?
If a old flame from way back decides turning you in for a Red Flag vengeance (OR Reward) and your home happens to be uninhabitable due to fire damage (yes, I’ve seen SWAT visits that turned flammable) it’s nice to have trusted friends to find you a bunk and maybe a squirrel tool.
When you need a replacement tire, when you need help putting up firewood, when the harvest is NOW but weather is getting bad, trusted friends are you best asset.