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"is your space defensible if necessary or can it be modified"
Okay, now that is merely one of many good points you've shared.. and that alone is a huge chunk to think about MTSilvertip.....and then of course, there's the : What do you want to do..
Will have to get a tall glass of tea, and start going through the threads on the subject .. My eyes are opening to a concept I had not yet tread upon.
This is quite fantastic, that people are focused on self sufficiency and preparedness.
Our home is brick 1920's .. does that make it fortress-like?
(but of course, we have windows)
Will have to get a tall glass of tea, and start going through the threads on the subject .. My eyes are opening to a concept I had not yet tread upon.
This is quite fantastic, that people are focused on self sufficiency and preparedness.
Our home is brick 1920's .. does that make it fortress-like?
(but of course, we have windows)
No. However, if you have stategically positioned landscape materials it may be a bit more difficult for someone to drive their truck through a front wall and literally smash and loot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by countryswan
lifelongMOgal
Thanks for the book title.. Something I'll look forward to buying.
Very nice of you to share that tid-bit.
No. However, if you have stategically positioned landscape materials it may be a bit more difficult for someone to drive their truck through a front wall and literally smash and loot.
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MO,
Just trying to wrap my head around this, ...
So are you banking on looters even if you already live
in a location that is vast, spread out, rural?
(Like a return of the wild west.. hmm like..buy a gun??)
Its one thing to have concern if you live two hours from
NYC as prior poster was concerned over, but if you are
already in the middle of nowhere... I ought to think my
locals will come wipe me out?
We have woods that shield our home from street view.
Old folks who have lived locally ALL OF THEIR LIVES will
tell me "they didn't know there was a house back there"
..(we had a tag sale 5 years ago).
Is that what you mean?? Or do you mean barricades??
Water is #1 on your list. Assume that public water supplies will be unavailable. Can you put down a well on your property? You can do without food or electricity or anything else longer than water.
Hi, countryswan. Welcome to the world of self-sufficiency.
Some of the advice you have received on here already is good, but remember one thing - everything is not applicable to you or your situation, because many people come on here from different places, all walks of life, and some even for their own self-promotion or to dissuade others from being prepared. With everything - YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary.
First, take stock of not only what you have, but what you are willing and able to do. 4 acres in VA is lovely - green most of the time, not a lot of harsh winters, and water availability. Are you able to raise a garden, can you can or dehydrate what you grow, what sort of things can you- or do you do already - that, with a little more attention, can make for a self-sustaining lifestyle? It doesn't cost a whole lot of money up front to get started; things can be done in common-sense steps; i.e. for your vegetable garden, plant as many heirloom seeds as you can, not hybrids, so that the seeds you get from your vegetables this summer can be dried, saved, and planted next spring. Does your home have a secondary source of heating and cooking, like a fireplace or woodstove? You may have to live without your current source of heat; either electricity or petro-based fuels, so this is a thing to consider. Solar and wind generation sounds all lovely and green, but are expensive - do you have kerosene lamps for light? Because those are ok for a start.
What might be helpful is to go room to room with a pen and paper, and think about "What if the power was out? What if I couldn't get to the store for a month? What would I need - and what could I live without?" Especially don't forget the bathrooms, bedrooms, and garage/workshops - do you have medical supplies in case there is no ambulance, do you have alternative means of plowing, planting, and harvesting, is your farmstead primarily dependent on a sewer or septic system, are there lots of interior and exterior plugs where things that you use regularly are plugged in, how can you reduce your dependence on these mechanized or electrified things?
Another thing that could be helpful is to look at your neighbors. Some of them may be prepping; it won't be very apparent, but it could be informative. Are their people who do things by hand near you? By horse? Instead of rolling their hay into huge netted bales, are they 'haystacking' it? Do they sell raw goat or cow milk, or farm-fresh eggs near you? Do you see honeybee hives out in the fields? Are there fruit orchards and u-pick-it farms near you? Every one of these could be a prepper - or at the very least could be a barter resource for you.
Once you have your list of the self-sufficient vs dependent resources you have, you can take that information and determine what is the most - and least - important as well as affordable. Don't be overwhelmed! Start out with small changes; this spring, can those collards instead of freezing them.
As for defense - it would depend on where you live as well as what you are surrounded by. If there are acres of farms around you, and between you and any major metro area, it is unlikely that your 4 acres will be targeted specifically - and it is also likely that your neighbors will be heavily armed as well, and can afford you some protection; if nothing else by frightening potential predators off or even banding together to create a protected and restricted area. Don't immediately think that you have to go out and buy lots of guns and ammo, especially if you are not experienced with firearms. Get someone you trust to show you how to shoot (turkeys, wild boars, deer) and target shoot; get comfortable with whatever - a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - and learn to shoot accurately and with confidence before you get another. A gun that you are afraid of or have no experience with is just as useless as a rusting 14-quart canner out in the shed - when you need it, you won't know how to use it and you'll likely be afraid to.
Remember, start small and learn what you have, project where you want to be, and plan for each step of self-sufficiency. This week we are putting in 125 fruit and nut trees we ordered (in bulk and on the cheap) from our local DNR last year. They won't fruit this or next year - but they are a hedge against what comes after.
Daydreamin 71 a few hours from NYC.. you know it wouldn't be a bad idea to post a new thread to New Yorkers to find out how far most think far out is
if they had to flee.. you'd find out right away if you are within the safety zone or not.
I'd really love to see the replies too.
Actually, how far someone thinks they needed to go, vs. how far they actually would in a disaster are two very different things.
Quote:
but if you are
already in the middle of nowhere... I ought to think my
locals will come wipe me out?
In a zombie apocolypse, if you already live in an extremely remote area it's unlikely the locals will wipe you out. Folks in very rural areas are already used to doing for themselves.
Defense is predicated on threat, so if you are worried about occasional thieves it is different from a full on frontal assult.
Most of it is common sense, being able to secure your buildings against people coming in easily, removing cover from a clear field of fire within a certain distance of the house that sort of thing.
I am not going to go into stratigic battle plans for a place I have never seen, but you have enough intelligence to do some research and see what you have and then you can ask more specific questions which I am sure folks on this board will be happy to expound upon, (some really get into that sort of thing )
Self sufficency is a great place to start, especially in Virginia where you have good soil, water and longer growing seasons.
One other option depending on your specific situation, is perhaps you can put in a pond and grow fish to stabilize your protien supply. Hunting is great, but not secure, so chickens or rabbits or fish can help to make sure you have a steady supply of meat.
4 acres isn't a large spread, so you will have to be smart in what you plant or raise to maximize the amount of food you can produce.
You noted you have some trees, that is good because you have a steady fuel supply already on hand. A small wood stove for cooking/heating may be all you would need to weather storms/power outages and to purify water.
As you noted you already have a well, perhaps a cistern that you could access with a hand pump or battery pump during power outages would be all that you would need to keep you going for a few days.
Self sufficency is somewhat different than prepping, but they do share common ideas, so perhaps you need to take stock and talk to your family about how much work you can or want to invest, as well as the money.
Providing for your families health and security is always a good thing, just make sure to use your energy and resources to get the most out of your labors.
Good Luck
PS, a 1920's brick house is an excellent place to start as you have solid walls and the windows can be shuttered, so it is not as hard to secure as a modern light construction stick built where folks can almost walk throught the walls.
Granny, Fred, Silvertip... It is apparent your hearts are in this for a purpose.
I am impressed and comforted by the camaraderie that comes with the subject.
If I haven't pressed my true thanks to you in a way that really
lets you know my gratitude then please at this moment.. know your time
in responses are truly appreciated and more than duly noted as I will go
off to do my reading and cultivate what will elevate my knowledge and
skills.
Yes, I know how to can veggies and fruits... but I don't know how to start a fire yet without a match..
..can't I just stock up on matches??
..............just kidding!!!
I have spent time ~ on again off..thinking about a modest concrete home
with thick walls ~ (that cannot be shot through).. [just in case].
The main purpose is reduce to a bottom line minimum the amount of fuel
needed [from whatever source], as I've read these very thick walls insulate
like nobody's business.
No doubt if it could be done inexpensively you'd hear a lot more about it.
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checkin' out the threads.. open to advice
...
like..buy a gun??)
)
