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Less talk, more action: what to do now to prepare, THE COMPLETE MANUAL
I'm fairly new here, but have been tuned in for a couple years. My biggest beef with the site and CC is there's not enough info on preparation. I hope we can address that together- specific suggestion for action below.
For example, the What Should I do section mostly just addresses the importance of preparing. The "Planning Guides" just talk about paying debt down and buying gold. Am I missing something, or is there some good checklists, resources, etc. that can help people get going for real?
My wife and I started preparing 2 years ago. We sold our home in a larger city, and bought a home in a small town in a farming community two months ago. We paid down debt, just a small mortgage now.
Priorities, for me, are:
-Ramp up our garden, get some chickens, get lots of food storage and start canning our own food this year.
-Buy some hardware to help us prepare for energy shortages (wood pellet stove, generator, tools)
-Make more cash and diversify into gold and international via someone like Peter Schiff
-Self defense (currently attending jujitsu class with my brother and our sons- this has also been a lot of fun. looking into handguns)
-Set up my own local "network" for trade. My goal is to be the organizer of a barter website and monthly flea market/barter exchange.
I'm lucky in that my wife is also a little nutty about preparation, being thrify, etc. We're striking a good balance between having fun in life but also preparing for big changes.
Back to my beef- I value the info, it's a great summary of some of our biggest challenges, and I agree with most of it. But to be of real value, we need to do a lot more than just talk. We need action!
Here's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Maybe it exists on this site or elsewhere. Maybe a group of us can pool together and create something like the suggested "guides" below?
LIVE COMFORTABLY OFF THE GRID TODAY
-Solar/human-powered resources for charging batteries/flashlights for when the power goes down.
-Wood, wood-pellet stoves, and other ways to diversify how your home is heated/cooled.
-Battery/generator backup systems, solar/wind systems.
CHECKLIST FOR THE TOP TOOLS AND HARDWARD YOU NEED
Non-electrice hand tools, self defense and security, food preparation and storage
LIVING OFF THE LAND FOR THE AVERAGE JOE
Tips on how to get as much output as possible from the average yard.
Box gardening, raising honey, chickens, rabbits.
Canning, freezing, food prep.
I know, I know, this stuff could fill whole volumes. I guess what I'm really looking for are good checklists, good lists of resources for where to buy the stuff at wholesale cost where possible, etc.
Anyone been there done some serious preparation? Why not pool resources and knowledge and make it easy for the next guy? Or to swap knowledge so we're all a little smarter?
For us, much of this is a hobby that may save our lives someday, and we enjoy it. Status quo till you die? Well, maybe you lived 5 more years b/c you ate organic veggies you raise instead of eating more processed food.
Print
I'm with you Waldendad. In my preparations, the first step has been educating myself on the many aspects of a self-reliant lifestyle. My god there is a lot to learn. I guess I would start by recommending a few books that I have found valuable in my education:
Gardening:
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) by Steve Solomon
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway
Toolbox for Sustainable City Living: A do-it-Ourselves Guide by Scott Kellogg, Stacy Pettigrew, and Juan Martinez
Designing And Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourik and Rosalind Creasy
Edible Forest Gardens (2 volume set) by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier
Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles by Eric Toensmeier
Food Storage, Home Security, and Survival Preparations:
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival by Jack A. Spigarelli
The Complete Book of Home, Site and Office Security by Bill Phillips
X10 Home Security System by Michael Maikowski
The Secure Home by Joel Skousen and Joel, M. Skousen
I haven't got to researching alternative energy books yet, but I have owned many of the Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebooks and they have a lot of good info.
I'm not sure this is exactly what you were asking for, but I'm afraid this is all I have time to contribute at the present. I think it is a great idea to pool information and I will absolutely contribute more to this effort in the future.
Jeff
Captain Sheeple
Thanks Sam and Jeff... Nice to have all those links in one place. 
Cat
I'd also add to the list
Magazines:
http://www.homepower.com/home/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
Books
Frugal Living for Dummies http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Fru...
Simple Living Guide http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Living-Guid...
Hope this is of help to you.
Peter
Slightly OT but many options are closed to me for a variety of reasons. Anyone have any opinion on freezedried vs. dehydrated foods.? No wheat, rice, beans, in my future, I'm afraid.
SG
I bought a 90-day supply from this website, and this is a page where they compare freeze-dried vs. dehydrated. I have no financial interest in them. They just seem knowledgeable and their customer service was good.
http://survivalacres.com/productdifferen...
Happy hunting, Sager
"Show some !@#$%^ ADAPTABILITY!!" -- Sergeant Jack Shaftoe, USMC ("Cryptonomicon")
"It's all goin' *down*, man! Martha Stewart's polishing the brass on the Titanic!" -- Tyler Durden
"Have the courage to use your own understanding!' -- Immanuel Kant
"Dreams are the seedbed of the possible." -- William Greider
"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice." -- Mary Oliver
One more thought --
Add "spices and flavorings" to your pre-SHTF shopping list. Pretty much all the survival food I've seen is super-basic. A little som'n-som'n added to the pot will help the simple foods in question go down easier.
"Show some !@#$%^ ADAPTABILITY!!" -- Sergeant Jack Shaftoe, USMC ("Cryptonomicon")
"It's all goin' *down*, man! Martha Stewart's polishing the brass on the Titanic!" -- Tyler Durden
"Have the courage to use your own understanding!' -- Immanuel Kant
"Dreams are the seedbed of the possible." -- William Greider
"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice." -- Mary Oliver
Let me amplify on Mrs. Dogs' post:
Hurricane Store - best price I found for collapsible water storage jugs. Great selection of first aid kits and supplies.
Campmor: Camping gear and a good selection of clothing - look in the Hot Deal section for sale items. Usually very competitive prices in backpacks and tents.
Another site to add - Safe Castle - http://safecastleroyal.com/ Very durable Maxpedition backpacks, good selection of food supplies.
Will add more when I can track down the website addresses.
Peace - DIAP "Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away."
First Lady at Agriculture Department
By Marian Burros
Susan Walsh/Associated Press The
first lady, Michelle Obama, brought a seedling from the Jackson
magnolia tree at the White House to Agriculture Department employees.
The first lady, Michelle Obama, continued her rounds of government agency visits
today to say thank you to the employees and to get to know the District
of Columbia better. This time, Mrs. Obama brought a gift.
Before cheering throng of Agriculture Department employees, including 18 long-time employees who were singled out for their service, Mrs. Obama presented a seedling from the Jackson magnolia, which has been growing on the west side of the south portico of the White House for 180 years.
Andrew Jackson planted the tree in memory of his wife, Rachel, who died before he entered the White House.
Last week, the Agriculture Department started its own garden, one that will include fruits and vegetables to be donated to the city’s soup kitchens. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack jackhammered a spot in the black asphalt outside the Whitten building to prepare the ground. It is part of an effort by the Obama administration to get people to grow some of their own food.
Mrs. Obama said she was particularly pleased that the department’s facilities all over the world would be planting gardens. “I’m a big believer in community gardens,” she said, “both because of their beauty and for providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables to so many communities across the nation and the world.”
Peace on Terra http://damnthematrix.wordpress.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roeoz/
Search through all the forums. Much of what you are asking about has been discussed before.
Here is a very short list:
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/bakn...
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/bett...
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/heal...
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/medi...
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/perm...
[Edit]:
http://www.chrismartenson.com/forum/inte...
Sam....
{No matter how cynical you get, it’s impossible to keep up. - Lily Tomlin}
{Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician. - Colonel Jeff Cooper}