Interesting question for you all. If society as we know it was completely flipped upside down and the grid went down, forcing you to survive on your own, what would you need to know to stay alive? I'm talking the grid shuts down.....no power, no cell phones, NO modern conveniences of any kind. I'm talking, civilization starts over at square one.



The things i think you'd need to be proficient in are:



-how to gather and purify water

-start a fire

-identify plants w/ medicinal uses and food value

-how to grow "crops"

-how to build shelter

-how to tie misc knots

-how to field dress game/fish

-how to make tools from everyday stuff

-how to cook basic things

-how to make clothing

-first aid

-how to preserve food

-how to hunt/trap/fish..basics (firearms usage included)

-how to navigate using stars and/or compass



What are some other things you'd need to know how to do? And out of this list, how many of you could do it all with no problems?

 

It is a pretty solid list. That seems like a pretty comprehensive list, maybe I'd add 'environmental management' to that list, ie you have to know how to deal with hot weather, snow, dust, whatever is applicable.



Most of that list I'm fine with, but I'm pretty bad at these four points.



-identify plants w/ medicinal uses and food value

-how to grow "crops"

-how to tie misc knots

-how to field dress game/fish



Maybe its time to pull out my old cadet notes again

 

Yeah...I'd be screwed!

 

How to protect what you have.

 

Simple!

 

More like this....



Modifying shotgun shells

 

Forgive me for philosophizing for a little, but I feel like it this morning



If the grid completely shuts down, I seroiusly think it won't be for that long. There are so many backups, so many reserves, so many ways of getting around things, I think at most they'll be down for a couple weeks, a month top. Because of the huge wealth of information that's been spread around, and because our current way of life would be the definite goal, fixing and repairing and returning to that way of life would be a #1 priority by most everyone.



So next, probably 80% of Americans (and likely 99% of those living in big cities) haven't a clue how to live without power, water, and food. Besides the fact that getting out of Long Island (for example) would take forever on foot, trying to find worthwhile food and water would be nearly impossible because of the millions of other people trying to do the same thing. So mass looting, violence, burning, etc would likely break out in those areas.

 

You certainly hope. But it is better to be prepared than to be left helpless.



I just ordered 90 days of MREs.

 

When the earthquake got to Washington D.C., it was chaos for a couple of hours. Railways shut down, nobody can get home...etc. When the hurricane happened, there was no power and ice. Gangs literally took to the streets.



That was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and a tropical storm.



Imagine what would happen if those numbers doubled. It will happen. Maybe not in our lifetime, but it's just a matter of time. There will be humanitarian aid, but overpopulation will screw itself over.

 

We had a terrible ice storm about 5 years ago. Middle of winter and we lost power for three days. That's about the limit without some sort of preparation. The only good thing was it was cold but not terribly cold. We could keep the food refrigerated.



I have a generator but if you need gas the gas stations don't have power either. I can heat the house without power as I have propane vent free heaters, and a propane stove. I just need to get my generator converted to propane too. Then make sure the tanks are full.



My generator on gasoline took 5 gallons for 12 hours. But that was powering the whole house.