Unchained Preppers
Off Topic/ B.S. => General Off Topic => Topic started by: thedigininja on June 30, 2014, 06:56:39 AM
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South Africa tries to portray itself as this wonderful melting pot of cultures but the truth is that it's not. It's actually more like a pressure cooker that's run dry and waiting to pop. There are too many people with too many cultures sucking up too few resources. We are well known for the racial tension that has existed here since the arrival of the European settlers but it's really not as simple as black on white ( although there's a lot of that ). In a sense it's civil war. The Afrikaans people ( Dutch descendants ) hate everyone, regardless of race. The indigenous people fight off the immigrants from the rest of Africa. The systematic genocide of our farmers enticed by members of certain political parties and then the English speakers and all the other races are stuck in the middle trying to find a spot for themselves.
We are a warring nation. From before the settlers arrived until the early 90s there was constant warfare within and around our borders. The only thing that has changed in the last 20 odd years is that it's not open warfare anymore, it's all done under the radar.
That is probably why survival and prepping isn't really focused on or identified in our country. It's not something that most of us plan for, it's something that is bred into us. (With the possible exception of the most recent generation) Most of us are raised with a number of survival skills because it's always in the back of everybody's mind that the shit could hit the fan at any minute. Even in my household (growing up in an upper middle class suburban home) we were taught to defend ourselves and to go on the offensive if need be. With a frequently failing infrastructure everyone is accustomed to storing water, making do without electricity for extended periods, having at least a few days storage of food and some kind of security.
With that said there are also the extremists with completely segregated, paramilitary communities and those of us who, although we are functioning members of civilian life, go a little bit further ensuring that we have the means to survive or escape should it all go to hell.
South African preppers have a number of difficulties that we face, as I'm sure is the case everywhere.
Having one of the highest rates of unemployment and expenses raising almost daily many of us struggle just to make it from day to day let alone stockpile supplies and with crime being what it is you can never be sure that what you stockpiled will still be there when you get home. Gun control makes it ridiculously difficult and expensive to build up a reserve of weapons.
Most people you speak to wouldn't be surprised if the shit hit the fan here. With tensions being high and constantly being aggravated by politicians and community leaders it's most often left to the public to put out the fires.
Sorry for the long post but I didn't even get to a number of the points that I could have made.
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Digi, we love long, informative posts. Please continue! :-)
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Oh please keep going... this type of context isn't available to us here in the US. :thumbsup:
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I think a lot of what plagues us is global. A failing economy, over population, a horribly corrupt political system. But on the topic of politics and politicians I have to say that our president is probably the world's greatest prepper. While more than half of his public is living below the poverty line he has built himself a R24billion, heavily fortified, completely self sustainable compound for himself, his 10 wifes and all their children and all their personal guards.
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LOL is easy to prep with others people money... The Argentinian presidential couple multiplied their fortune 1000 times in the 10 years they have been "governing" this country. Governing between quotes because is a disaster what they did.
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As has been posted, great start thedigininja!
IMO, we here in America are actually fighting a "Civil War" of words not unlike what South Africa is fighting and you allude to. This is why (wrong or right) I try to extend my hand across all sides of the debate. In the USofA we may not be down the road of the civil war of words as South Africa; however, we as a civilization are quicker to grab for firearms and react. I suspect the SHTF will happen here sooner than later.
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Once again I am posting in the dark and we have received warning that it will only be getting worse to the extent that if it isn't managed properly we will be plunged into complete darkness on a national level for a number of weeks. What we are currently experiencing could just be temporary or it could be the beginning of the end for us. Already we have seen an increase in crime with the syndicates having the schedules for the power cuts they lay in wait for the cover of darkness and others, less organised, merely being opportunistic. Panic has already begun, as I mentioned on a different thread many common preps are becoming hard to come by, alternative power sources being at the top of the list. As we head into a new week we all sit with baited breath to see what awaits us so if I become silent know that we have lost contact and are possibly preparing to grab our BoBs or hold the Alamo 'til the end.
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Holy crap thedigininja! Our prayers are with you.
This is where short wave communication either via morse code and/or voice is so important for us all.
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Communication is a field where I am completely at a loss. However, it has been on our minds and come what may we will be spending the holidays at our BOL with my uncle who was a comms specialist and spent his civilian life in broadcasting so learning what he knows about shortwave and seeing what we can set up is definitely on the cards.
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Other than shipping you things we would be locked up for a long time for shipping, any assistance we could offer?
Do you have ham radio capabilities? I know some here do so keeping us a bit posted would be truly appreciated if possible.
Nemo
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Remeber, you can build a AR from scratch starting with a 80% lower.
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Even if you tried to ship something, Nemo, it would most likely just be tossed on the endless pile of undelivered parcels that has been accumulating since our postal service folded.
No HAM yet, unfortunately. Definitely something that we need to invest in. I'm completely retarded when it comes to ham/shortwave radio but I know like any radio communication it works by connecting on frequencies (this is the extent of my understanding). It might be worthwhile to set up a "network" if any of the UP guys are using ham.
I actually wonder what the implications would be behind buying AR parts and keeping it unassembled, Jmac.
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The power cuts seem to have calmed down for now but it has been suggested that this is just because December and early January are our main tourist season which would mean that the power stations are actually running at a higher capacity than what we should expect from them, leading to even more damage than they've already suffered.
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Hi guys, also from SA been searching the net to see if anyone in SA was prepping and found this site. I agree with Digi lol next year when everyone comes back from holidays and the power usage goes up again will be very interesting to see what happens. JohnnyMac the 80% receiver here doesnt work that great parts are a pain to get but the biggest hurdle is the barrel, you cant just get one without applying for it which is abit difficult. I have heard rumors that next year the government wants to make getting a semi auto rifle even more difficult they want you to belong to an association for min 3 years even if you have dedicated status before you can apply for a semi auto rifle. kind of sucks as the prices of these rifles are damn expensive here and i was hopping to get something better than a norinco. Will have to cope with my glock and roni for now ;D
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Welcome Deimos!
Why does the "powers to be" do not want folks to own a semi auto? Is it because they fear that it may get stolen and then fall into the general citizenry ranks?
Don't for get to intro yourself on the intro board ;-)
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Welcome aboard.
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Howdy and Welcome!
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Our gun laws have changed drastically since the Apartheid days, before you could a firearm license in a few days im talking 15 to 20 years ago. Now a days it it takes about 2 months. For the guys that dont know in South Africa you are allowed 1 firearm for self defense either a handgun or a shotgun but if you choose a shotgun then obviously thats for home defense, you not going to go do your shopping with it slung over your shoulder lol. So 1 handgun for selfdefense then 1 shotgun and 2 rifles. If you join a club which is not very difficult you can get a dedicated status 1 for hunting and 1 for sport shooting then you can apply for how ever many firearms your heart desires the problem comes in that they still have to approve it and you need to motivate the need for that firearm really well. Johnny if any of your firearms intended for hunting or sport shooting gets used for self defense boy oh boy are you going to have some major answering to do. There is no such thing as having an AR for selfdense lol and to answer your question they are worried about your semi auto getting into the wrong hand the funny thing is that the people that own these for sportshooting rarely have their weapons stolen yet the criminals get their hands on semi autos anyway ???
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Ahoy, Deimos. Glad to have another Saffer aboard. Where about are you from, if I may ask.
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Bummer Deimos. :'(
Thanks for the explanation.
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Hi Digi
I live in the South of Joburg.
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Ah. I'm also Jozi born n bred but set up camp in the Cape a few years back. If I'm gonna be in this country it's going to be in a DA province.
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Yip you lucky the Cape is really cool, my wife has some family in Greyton very nice quite place.
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Not far from our BOL. Great location for building a sustainable lifestyle.
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Got a few questions for you guys hope its ok if i ask it here. First let me start by giving you guys some info on myself maybe it will help to answer some questions. I have recently become a dad of a little girl and watching some doomsday preppers with the situation of our country got me thinking on how to keep my family safe. Im 31 years old weighing 110kg not fat lol, i have experience in martial arts and boxing so i can take care of myself in hand to hand combat not to brag. I am in good shape but havent been working out for the last few months as we have been getting our house sorted out for the baby. I have allways been interested in guns i guess it comes from my family allways being armed. I can shoot relatively well with my glock need to practice more at speed shooting so joining the steel challenge this year to see if i can get some tips and practice. With my 30-06 which i reload for it i can shoot easily at 300 meters havent been to any range to shoot further but want to try its fun. The firearms i own are smith and wesson 357 mag , smith and wesson 38special snub nose, remington 1911, berreta 71 22lr , mossberg 500 pumpaction, berreta A301 its the old 4 shot semi auto, Stevens 12 gauge single barrel, glock 26, ruger american 30-06.
The ammo i currently own now dont laugh its not much i have only just started 1500 rounds 22lr, 300 rounds 9mm, i have 300 rounds of 9mm not reloaded, 100 rounds 357mag, 100 rounds 38special, about 500 rounds of not loaded 30-06(no time to reload recently) 60 rounds buckshot, 30 rounds slugs, 1000 rounds clay shooting not sure the size, .45 zip just bought the gun. I have also convinced my wife to start shooting with me and got her a .22lr lama pistol not great i know but she is tiny and doesnt like the recoil on my glock. Now i am not worried about tornados we dont have any here or tsunamis i live inland so not a problem or even volcanoes. My concern is like Digi that the current state of our country is not looking good and we have been having many power cuts. Im concerned that next this year the power cuts gets worse and the grid goes down.
Without mentioning all of my supplies i have a gas stove in case of emergency, torches led battery operated lights, candles, camping equipment. Have a swimming pool so water is sorted lol.
So here goes
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1. Do i have sufficient ammo? (i cant afford a million rounds so realistically?)
2. I plan to buy an AR but not sure if i should concentrate on some other prep first.
3. Where should i start medicine ?
Any other input is greatly appreciated
Money is a problem so have to go at this slow
Thank in advance
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Short answer is No, because your looking at a social unrest situation in what amounts to a 2nd world country on a third world continent.. there will never be enough ammo, community or opportunity to use any of it..
That said you're doing a lot better than a lot of folks on the ammo/weapons side.
No need to tip your hand but how about food and daily consumable like paper towels and toilet paper? It's pretty standard practice in the preping community to advise a person to stock 2 months of all essentials for the family as a first step before really stocking up on guns and ammo. I would share that advice with you as all the bullets in the world won't mean a thing if you're starving to death..
As to medicens
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Deimos, I agree with TG. Guns are great but you can't eat bullets. And food preps don't need to cost an arm and a leg. I personally put a few Rand into my initial stock and now I just make sure that every time I get groceries I throw in a few long life items. Also growing your own can not only help you out in a SHTF fan scenario but it will help to supplement your current food supply leaving more cash for preps.
As for meds they could do more harm than good if you don't know what you're doing. If you or your family have any specific needs make sure you get those first, next look into doing some first aid training and basic first aid supplies. In your training you'll learn what you need. I would recommend getting an empty first aid bag from Dischem and then adding to it as you have cash.
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I hope you have some level of food stored. If not, work on that prior to anything else in the closet or cabinet. After that and probably more important is to find back up. That is an extremely important thing. You can have all the food and ammo you can imagine but if 20 gentlemen want to take it from you, you will lose out. You may take out 17 on their approach but the other 3 will in all likelihood be in a position to wait you out. As in you do not see or hear from them for 9 days and take a peek outside. Nothing. A walk around the yard and 2 rounds from a rifle on their side comes out from over there somewhere. Leaving the rest of the clan somewhat weak on defense.
That idea needs some serious consideration.
Nemo
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Deimos,
you have received some good advice so far.
I was coaching a couple last year who were starting on the long road to prepping. I explained to them that you needed to chip away at the challenge - Rome wasn't built in a day.
Keep in mind the three B's to prepping: Beans, Band-aides and Bullets.
First you and your wife need to agree in advance of what you are going to put away as insurance against in an uncertain future. Will the future bring a minor local collapse that will last two to three months or a TEOTWAWKI scenario, where no help will be coming in the foreseeable future.
Once that is determined then come up with a list of what you will need for each scenario. I have an excel file that I have given out to new preppers as a starting point. If you would like me to email it to you, let me know. If others here on the forum would like me to post it, I will do so and sticky it. AGAIN...IT IS A STARTING POINT ONLY!
Next to last you put aside a set amount of money each payday to work on buying your 3B's in equal amounts: 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. Again you chip away at your goal. Someone asked me once, "how do your eat an elephant?"Show content
"One bite at a time."
Last, once you reach your goal reevaluate your current and future situation. You and your wife may want to increase your insurance past your initial assessment - We did.
With all that written, I highly recommend that you put away one months worth of cash for household expenses for when the ATM machine does not work or the bank is on holiday. Then maybe a second months worth of expenses in barter form. .22LR's are always a good barter item along with vice items, e.g. tobacco, cigarettes, chocolate...You get the idea.
I also recommend that you do some surfing in UP's archives. There are some true gems just sitting there waiting to be discovered written and shared by forum members.
Have fun...
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Post that excel. I have read some of those things and they all made me think, evaluate and consider what I had, what I needed, what was not so good and what was great.
Another new list to compare is always great.
Nemo
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Your idea of using your pool as a water reserve could come in handy and using resources that are already at your disposal is always good thinking but you would need a good purifier. There are thousands out there to choose from but speaking from a limited budget point of view I can recommend the Sunbeam mineral pot. Not top of the range by a long shot but you can pick one up at Game for R250. It's a 6 stage gravity feed (so you can even use it when Eskom is being a little bitch) filter with a mineral deposit to replace lost nutrients. It has an 8 litre capacity in it's main reservoir and 4 litres in the prefeed (don't believe the packaging that says 15 litres, I don't know where they find the other 3). I've been using mine for several months and it works great, I'm actually looking at buying a second just I'm case something happens to it and we'll be getting another for our BOL.
I only now see that you're considering an AR and even though they're a preppers staple and I would love one myself I know what they cost and in my opinion you could do so much more with that kind of money.
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Good work gang!
I was gonna type, 'as to medicines keep it real simple at first, band aids, gauze, tape and OTCs simply because without further training you're not going to be rewarded by owning IV fluids and the like.'
But doing this on a smart phone ain't always easy :P
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Some great advice being given. Beans, Band-aids, and Bullets, isn't that how it went? :thumbsup:
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crudos you have 3 of the important 4. Beans, Bullets, Band-aids. But you must add Backup to the plan. That is IMHO serious important also.
Nemo
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Thanks for all the info guys, digi the water purifier is clever i was just planing on boiling the water but if its just a plain purifier no electricity then thats the way to go i reckon. As for food we buy for the month so we are usually stocked really well for the month but not for any longer, have done some research and seen some really clever ideas. Just not sure where you could possibly get oxygen absorber for when i start to put some food away in buckets. I work about 1 kilometer away from where i work which happens to be a filling station and a fast food outlet, so i am pretty much covered for fuel and some quick food items if there was a problem. The toilet paper got me laughing not something that you really think about untill you need it. The spreadsheet would be great if you could send it to me i would really appreciate it my email is kalkoen@telkomsa.net
My family members all live close by so in case something does go wrong we have the numbers and the guys are good shooters but they only have handguns better than nothing i guess.
Thanks for the suggestions
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For oxygen absorbers check out www.rosenmeyer.co.za (http://www.rosenmeyer.co.za) they have the best prices I've found locally but only do seriously bulk orders so maybe find a few other people to go into a purchase with you.
The old school survivalists will usually scoff at any mention of stocking up on bog rolls and personally in my group we have several hundred baby wipes instead as they are also useful for waterless "bathing" and a number of other uses even once they dry out but if you've spent any amount of time at communal camping grounds or festivals you would have heard someone refer to bog rolls as "white gold". I have found that many people are willing to trade just about anything for some when the need arises.
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Something for all who read this to consider would be another item as valuable as "white gold". I have been informed by persons who would know such things (women) is tampons and pads. Ask your wife about such things. If not for her they are amazing barter items. Cost is low, necessity is high and storage size and requirement are almost minimal.
Nemo
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Something for all who read this to consider would be another item as valuable as "white gold". I have been informed by persons who would know such things (women) is tampons and pads. Ask your wife about such things. If not for her they are amazing barter items. Cost is low, necessity is high and storage size and requirement are almost minimal.
Nemo
Good idea - make great emergency bandages too.
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And diapers.. dudes got a baby girl
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Something for all who read this to consider would be another item as valuable as "white gold". I have been informed by persons who would know such things (women) is tampons and pads. Ask your wife about such things. If not for her they are amazing barter items. Cost is low, necessity is high and storage size and requirement are almost minimal.
Nemo
Good idea - make great emergency bandages too.
Don't forget tinder, they're awesome for getting a fire started and even come in individual waterproof wrappers. And as Nemo mentioned storage requirements are minimal, once they're out of the box you can fit them anywhere.
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I have never, ever heard a group of people cheering on the awesome and varied qualities of feminine hygiene products before.
what else did we miss?
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You can stuff a tampon into a gunshot wound or any other deep wound if you don't have a proper packing material. Sanitary napkins make great throw away sweat bands for helmets and bump caps and could probably be used to dress a wound in a pinch..
And all your 'all natural organic' douches are great on a salad.. :P
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Can also be used as the final stage of a makeshift water filter.
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Thanks for the help guys i really appreciate it. Been thinking of the about my plan firstly to either leave the city or bunker down and there are lots of ideas on this. I think that i have decided to bunker down which means i have lots to do. I think the first place to start is with a generator that can power my fridge and freezer that way i can have some meat frozen and power always helps i guess. I need to win the lotto lol. I hear people saying that its never too late to start prepping well i hope so for my family's sake. Going to get some buckets this month end for some food storage :thumbsUp:
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And all your 'all natural organic' douches are great on a salad.. :P
You are not serious about this are you?
But like I noted, white gold for their purpose should the atmospheric oscillator be impacted with fecal matter. So I have been told by several female preppers on other forums.
Nemo
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Hi Nemo yip im serious. Given my current situation that i have a newborn baby. If it was just me and my wife i would get out as quickly as possible and head to some remote part and make a go of living in the bush. My problem is that can you imagine trying to run around with a baby the endless shit that could go wrong, a storm and you in a tent the baby is screaming and you need to heat water to feed her ? I have a 70 000 litre swimming pool so water shouldnt be a problem for awhile. I have gas bottles which i use for my fire place that i can use for cooking plus i plan on getting fire wood and charcoal so as too have a good supply to cook and boil water with. Staying at home gives me shelter my bed and high walls around my house. Our homes here are made of bricks so bullets are not going to go through them and yes windows are a problem will have to close them somehow if something does happen. a generator would keep the freezer running for a good while keeping meat frozen and i get the fact that i wont have an endless supply of fuel or if the generator packs up but it will help for awhile at least and definately help now as im sure the power cuts are coming as people come back from holidays and consumption goes up. I need to stock up on food rice beans and that type of stuff. So food and water will be ok for awhile hopefully by then the major chaos is behind us our baby should be on solids and i can make a plan to get away. I read an interesting article about heading for the bush if something goes wrong and it made alot of sense. I cant find it now flip, but it said something like this that after the power goes out most people will head for the bush, now if you are not the first one there and some one has setup a perimeter do you think that they are going to welcome you with open arms to share their water that they have found. There was alot to it and i think that the best plan might be to wait it out for as long as possible then head out as many people that head for the bush will have no experience and will probably be dead hopefully we dont get shot while trying to find some place to setup and farm. I could write a crap load on what the guy said but i think the idea comes across. There are pros and cons to both senarios staying and leaving but if you are just leaving because everyone says so without a place to go or know for sure that you are going to bump into others that are scared and think that you are trying to steal their stuff ? Its better the devil you know then the Devil you dont know. I know the area that i live in the streets the closest place to find food, water and so on but im not sticking my nose out if chaos is running rampant. Just my thought
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No, Deimos, I understand exactly where you are coming from and a good idea (better now) of you situation.
I meant thatGuy's idea of organic douches as salad dressing. Tough to wrap my brain around.
Nemo
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Deimos, just keep in mind that generators are NOISY! Now I can't say that I know the purchase and running costs of a generator off by heart but I do know that the price has come down considerably in the last 3 years. However, have you considered solar? The initial outlay is likely to be more expensive but keep in mind that you'll never need to pay for fuel and it's not a massive audio beacon screaming to all those for miles around saying "listen here, I have power. why don't you come check what other supplies I have stashed away!"
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Deimos, I understand your situation. Here are some thoughts for you and others who may be following this discussion.
> Like what thedigininja wrote, "The initial outlay [solar]is likely to be more expensive but keep in mind that you'll
never need to pay for fuel and it's not a massive audio beacon screaming to all those for miles around saying
"listen here,..." Again there is a lot of great stuff on this site. Just check the archives. Here (http://unchainedpreppers.com/forum/d-i-y/solar-power-johnymac%27s-bol/msg45285/#msg45285) is a article I wrote
awhile back on how I brought solar to our BOL.
Once I get a bit more money I am going to add one more solar panel and another bank of batteries. This will
give us enough juice to run most of what we need in the cabin, e.g. radio's, ceiling fan, TV, a few lights, etc.
With that written, I would also suggest a fuel powered generator to use in an emergency, e.g. charge up your
solar batteries IF there isn't enough sun to do so, use electric tools, etc. If you can do this in SA get a propane carburetor (https://www.propanecarbs.com/) for your generator.
Then you will have multiple methods to feed it.
> The days of using your dwelling as a castle is over. It has been over for about 150 years now. If I wanted your
dwelling I would just sit outside with a scoped rifle and wait you out. It may take awhile but I would win. The
same outcome would happen no matter how many folks are in the castle.
To have a half way descent chance of you and your family surviving you will need to send patrols out beyond
your 24/7 manned LP/OP's which watch approaches to your BOL. Your patrols will hopefully intercept any
threat before that threat reaches your LP/OP's and ultimately your BOL.
This will all be happening while other people are farming, gathering water & fuel, making meals, taking care of
the kids and sick, etc, etc, etc.
I hope I have painted a picture that clearly illustrates that unless you have a lot of people involved you and
your family will not last if it is a true TEOTWAWKI situation. Now is the time to make alliances with your
neighbors, family and friends. To plan out what will be done of A, B or C happens to your world (s).
Just some food for though :-)
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Welcome Mark-Eran!
With your permission I am going to copy & paste this intro you wrote and move over to Introductions. I will leave this up here too so other like minded S.African preppers can see it. OK?
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Mark, why don't you emigrate to the US. You are exactly the type of guy needed (history, skills, training) in my neck of the woods here.
Nemo
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Hi JohnnyMac
No problem! Spread my message to other posts as much as you wish ^-^!! Thanks!
Nemo,
Thanks for your comments : much appreciated. Would love to move over to the States but unfortunately a green card these days is not an easy thing to come by!
And who knows? You guys might want to move over here one of these days : the way things are going in the Northern Hemisphere between Iran, the Middle East, Ukraine, Putin's Russia and the mad islamists, you might end-up in a fireworks against which our coming social unrest will looks like peanuts!
Still, I envy all of you and God knows if I had emigrated earlier to the US I would have become bunk from all the goodies, weapons, dried food and the like we might only dream about here to own.
All the Best to all.
Mark
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Claim you have African blood, sell out over there, wire me your cash, get a 6 month visa and get here. Forget that 6 month thing. The native African blood will let you stay. You were seeking asylum. obummer will let you stay. I have a spot you can put up a tent or such.
Minimal charge for handling your funds too. Or just ship a bunch of Krugerrands. I have a great spot we can bury them.
Nemo 8)
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Hey, Mark. Welcome. I don't know any preppers in Natal but I'll find out if my sensei does, he spent some time there.
Setting up a network would be priceless. I'm glad that you're opting to avoid Suidlanders, I had a run in with them a few years back and I have to say that I am no fan.
I look forward to reading some of your posts in the future and to learning from each other.
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Hi…Thedigininja…
Actually would love to know your first name to make it easier ;D
Nice to hear from you too! I must admit Natal is rather bland about many other things than prepping! All the shows from Joburg are passing us by on their way directly to CT so as many other things…
So indeed I might be the only prepping guy in Natal and this is a sad state of affairs hence my interest in setting up a serious kind of network, more in a "club-like" spirit than a military one.
The important thing for me is not to play a game as I am dead serious about prepping and I don't need a master-sergeant to remind me everyday that it is for us, here in SA, a survival necessity to organise ourselves when the mob runs amok, a question of time looking at the insidious disintegration of the country.
The question indeed is "where do we take it from here"? I am open to ideas!!
Keep well - Mark
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I wondered what the Suidlanders were so did a (dayum) little bit of research on them. Seems they are about like most of the hardcore preparedness advocates in the US. More than most, less than a notable percentage.
I kinda stay a bit less hardcore than those folks also.
Nemo
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Mark, the first name is Digi ;D
Well what is your experience with HAM radio? I'm thinking that the best way for us to build up a network and community is for us to use a form of comms that would be operational even when the grid goes down (and it will be going down, even Eskom is prepping now) and that we would be able to use to connect people from all corners.
I've gotten my uncle to educate me in the ways of the radio, he was the obvious choice seeing as he was involved with the comms on the border (installing ours, intercepting theirs etc etc).
Nemo. Suidlanders are essentially a blend between paramilitary preppers, "prophets" and soapbox preachers.
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HHHMMMM, other than the military experience I can go the prepper, prophet and preacher right up there with the best of them. Lawyering will teach you that.
Nemo :dancingBanana:
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So tomorrow afternoon I will be having an hour long conversation on cliffcentral.com about prepping. I don't know what to say about it other than that. I'm crawling out of my skin right now because it's completely out of my nature to do something like this but I think that it will, at very least, be interesting to see what comes up.
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Focus on the three basics:
Beans,
Band-aides, and
Bullets.
The basics in each like:
Beans, rice, clean water (Filtration and containers to contain water), seeds, bartering items for food, matches or
lighters, etc
Basic medical supplies, extra prescription items if the family needs them, feminine supplies, books like "Where
there is no Doctor, etc
Actual bullets for barter, weapons do not have to be a firearm, 2 way communication, short wave receivers,
batteries, cross bow, etc.
The secret is to leave them wanting more, e.g. getting invited back to talk about each category in more depth. ;)
The most important thing...Is to have fun :dancingBanana:
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Hey man, good luck with that.
I'm just worried about who is going to interview you, be extremely careful with OPSEC and also don't let them show you like a crazy mofo like in "doomsday preppers".
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Apx. Those were my 2 primary concerns when they 1st approached me. I have decided to go against certain OPSEC protocols for 1 I decided not to remain anonymous (which they offered to let me do), partly because I feel that by waiving my anonymity I humanize myself and debunk that overly paranoid, tinfoil hat wearing nut stereotype but obviously I won't be giving full disclosure. I also made it known that if they're looking for a sideshow they got the wrong person. Part of why I agreed to do it was to show people that we're not all like Graynomad ;D
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It didn't end up happening. I think they wanted a side show after all.
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It didn't happened? The presenter mentioned the forum's Twitter account on his.
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I had about 30 seconds of airtime, right after I was involved in an incident which left me on the war path, and I may have come off sounding a bit like a domestic terrorist. :gasMask:
I did mention to the one presenter, off air, that UP has the best collection of members that I've come across and there really isn't anywhere else that I can recommend for an active prepper. I guess they decided to punt the forum a bit. I wasn't even aware that UP had a twitter account. I don't get Twitter.
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Thanks for the shout out man, at what point of the audio you appear?
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I honestly don't know, I've been avoiding it, but it would probably be in the last 10 minutes. I was busy on the other line when the call came through. I stopped listening after I realized who they were interviewing. They also cut me off before I could elaborate on my statement or promote a sustainable lifestyle or pretty much anything that I actually wanted to mention. I'll probably download the podcast tomorrow and listen how bad I managed to make myself sound.
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...Part of why I agreed to do it was to show people that we're not all like Graynomad ;D
I'm normal, no really, they even gave me a certificate to say I'd been cured. :)
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...Part of why I agreed to do it was to show people that we're not all like Graynomad ;D
I'm normal, no really, they even gave me a certificate to say I'd been cured. :)
If it's from an Australian doctor, I don't trust it.
On a side note, I only recently stumbled upon your website. That truck of yours is a beast!
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Yeah it's a bit of a weapon eh? Kind of Mad max meets Winnebago :)
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I'm guessing fuel isn't as expensive in OZ as it is in SA then ;) I can barely keep my little Japanese sedan on the road.
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Great post's Digi,
This world of ours is more complicated that many think.
I is also loosing some of it's required simplicity.
You see? This world always has, is and will be a place of survival. The issue we have is that for some REALLY STUPID reason. Cultures in the Human race consistently reach a point where they believe that the natural order of things MUST be Utopian. THEN the SHTF for them and the Gene Pool is cleansed of the idiots that have forgotten how to survive and unfortunately a bunch of collateral damage of good genetic stock. Thus the cycle is never ending.
Yet that is only my view and some that know me understand that I am Mad as the Hatter.
:tinfoil: :tinfoil: :tinfoil: :tinfoil: :tinfoil:
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I don't know you very well but would agree with those who do.
Nemo :fuckYeah:
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I don't know you very well but would agree with those who do.
Nemo :fuckYeah:
:lmfao:
Gadget, I can't say that I completely disagree with your sentiments.
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thedigininja, thx for the shout out :bravo:
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I don't know you very well but would agree with those who do.
Nemo :fuckYeah:
:lmfao:
Gadget, I can't say that I completely disagree with your sentiments.
Damn.... Digi... I just re-read my post and it was a bit left of field.
Sorry for that dude....
I am a bit frustrated with the world at the moment and that came out in my post.
I find myself as an ex-US Army troop living in the UK. Looking at the mess of the world and trying to figure out what I need to do to take care of mine and my own. Not an easy task in the least.
I Ain't got an answer yet.
WELL.... if I won the freaking lottery then I know what I would do, yet I am a poor person like most.
So still trying to find the answer.
I will however say that I am glad we are not in SA. Mainly due to the fact that I would probably have succumbed to my soldier tendencies and offed any threats by now.
Peace All....
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You're not alone, gadget. I think that most preppers have a "catalyst". That 1 thing (or maybe several) that "set them off" and lead them to begin preparing for the future and that makes things easier because you have a focus, something that you can tie your preps to and something to motivate you and by going at it like that you still end up covering all your bases because, let's face it, we're obsessive and we don't like leaving any holes. The problem at the moment is that there is so much going on that it's hard to know where to look because there could be a shit storm coming in from any side, or it could just fizzle out. For the last 2 weeks I have almost completely blocked out the news because it started to become distracting. Now every 2 days or so I check out the financials and some local events and that is it because it will drive you crazy.
I feel you on the lottery side. I've always preached "sustainable living" but unfortunately it is a bit difficult to fully practice when you're in a small, rental apartment. There is only that many beans and tomatoes you can grow on a balcony. If you do have the space though growing your own is always, in my opinion, priority. A penny saved is a penny earned, so anything that you can generate that you don't need to spend money on leaves resources for other preps.
As for the SA thing, I guarantee you that many are on the edge of such actions and it can be terrifying because you often have this sense that just one guys stupid decision could be catastrophic for all.
Jmac and apx, it's a pleasure. It wasn't a hollow sentiment, UP is a part of me now. It really is the best forum I've found (and I searched for a good while) and honestly I probably have more contact with you guys than my own blood.
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Hi Mark
Im also living in SA in Joburg. Not to be rude or funny but i dont think most people will be giving out names or numbers. Most preppers are paranoid Now before anyone goes off hear me out lol we all have to be a bit paranoid and smart to prepare if we see that things are deteriorating in our country, i dont mean loony. The best thing you can do at this stage is research the internet as much as possible you will find fantastic survival info and prepping ideas. Meeting like minded people is great i would get people and family that you know to prep with you as someone mentioned to me.
As for your question where do we take it from here? i think you should make a game plan, are you planing on staying and bunking down where you live or are you going to travel to the bundus and live off the land? how far are you going? do you have alternative routes if there are problems? keep in mind that there are benefits to both arguments (bunker down or leave in a hurry) most movies you watch have the same scenes highways full of cars leaving the city in a stand still.
You probably wont be the first to leave and even if you are there will be hundreds with the same idea, i would suggest having supplies bunkering down waiting for the worst to pass then when things get less crazy and you can get away then good.
lol im going on and on abouth things that im sure you already know. Get friends and family involved at this stage as they are the ones that you are trying to protect.
Good luck
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I decided to post this here to give you guys a brief idea of how things are liking at the moment, exactly as I've been predicting since March. It's definitely a global event in the making.
Max du Preez
The South African middle classes will have to take note of the imminent economic crisis that could cause much hardship, even destabilisation.
Ordinary citizens aren’t normally much interested in economic analysis and projections, but in this case it is in their own interest to at least understand the basic trends and developments so that they can prepare for the coming storm.
China’s economic growth has been weakening significantly in recent months. This has a direct impact on South Africa, especially because this is driving commodity prices lower – China is the world’s biggest consumer of raw materials. The country is also South Africa’s biggest single trading partner.
The indirect impact of China’s economic woes is that it has a negative influence on the global economy. Already there are predictions of a chain reaction and even a new global recession if China can’t quickly revive its economy.
China is the second biggest economy in the world.
Emerging markets such as South Africa usually get hurt most by global economic glitches. Our currency is already weakening to record lows.
Job losses
Lower commodity prices and competition between trade unions that are destablising the labour market can in the months ahead result in about a hundred thousand job losses in the mining, steel and manufacturing sectors.
In the South African reality this could mean that around a million people will be affected, because the typical worker in these industries have up to ten dependents.
The hardship of these people will affect everyone in South Africa, including business.
Analyst and commentator Moeletsi Mbeki famously warned four years ago that South Africa will face its “Tunisia Day” (the beginning of the Arab Spring) when China concluded its minerals-intensive industrialisation phase that had forced up the price of South Africa’s minerals.
We can’t blame China for all our problems, though. South Africa’s economic growth had already faded to less than one percent in 2015 as a result of the severe energy crisis, labour problems, investor reluctance, corruption, maladministration and wrong policies.
If these trends continue, the growth in the economy could decrease to close to zero by the end of next year.
Simmering anger
This economic decline couldn’t have come at a worse time for South Africa. There is a simmering anger among the unemployed, the workers and even the black middle class that poverty and inequality have persisted and that the pace of economic transformation has been painfully slow.
This manifests in increasing aggression, confrontation and even distabilisation.
The state simply can’t afford the plasters any longer that had so far been put on these sores.
We’re not the only country facing an economic crisis, but our government seems to be less able and willing than most others to navigate through the storm.
The discussion documents released by the ANC last week indeed warn against weak economic growth and raised expectations. But they are low on real solutions, mostly arguing for faster “radical economic transformation” and a stronger role for the state in the economy.
At least it appears that some state departments realise the importance of talking with the business and mining sector about ways to ameliorate the impacts of mass lay-offs by providing soft landings, training and alternative job opportunities.
It is high time the private sector tried much harder to get through to government and to play a more pro-active role in dealing with our serious challenges.
Time for cool heads
How should you and I, the ordinary middle class citizens, prepare for the tough times ahead?
It’s definitely not a time to live extravagantly or to get deeper into debt. It is time for consolidation and to get one’s house in order, financially and otherwise.
At the same time, paralysing negativity and wild prophecies of doom won’t help even a little bit. It is time for cool heads and a good understanding of the prevailing dynamics and undercurrents in South Africa’s politics and economy.
Unhappiness in one’s personal life undermines one’s ability to survive trying times. If the boat you’re sailing in is without leaks and has a reliable engine, your chances of getting to the other side of the storm in one piece is much greater.
I think people should start paying extra attention to their personal relationships, family life and friendships; they should ponder the ways they relate with their communities and the rest of society; and they should care about their own physical and spiritual health
here's a link to the source for citation purposes.
www.suburbanguns.co.za/index.php (http://www.suburbanguns.co.za/index.php)
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:lmfao: oops. wrong link
m.news24.com/news24/Columnists/MaxduPreez/Prepare-for-the-coming-economic-storm-20150825
Edit by JMc:You will have to copy & then paste onto your browser to read. https/: will not work