Common Sense & Being Prepared

Discussion in 'Survival Stories' started by GS AutoTech, Jul 29, 2017.

0/5, 0 votes

  1. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    I wouldn't call this story true survival but common sense readiness made all the difference.
    Couple years back we had a severe blizzard. Wet heavy snow fell very fast. Situational awareness kicked in. I quickly filled all our containers & the tubs with water. Pulled the oil lamps out. Organized supplies in case we needed to bug out. No sooner than that, the power went out. It was midnight & now the gas furnace was off without power. Me, the wife, 3 toddlers & 2 week old new baby. What to do? Not really safe to cut & run at midnight with a raging storm. I turned on the gas kitchen range burners & moved family to the center of the house near the kitchen. It stayed toasty warm. In the morning I moved all the fresh food on the porch where it wouldn't spoil. I quickly rigged car battery to power a breast pump. I could recharge any battery items with our 3 vehicles. We had food stocks in house for many weeks.
    The power was out for nearly 4 days, after which we learned many of our neighbors had split town, having no power, heat, water or supplies.
    We survived very comfortably with just a touch of common sense & preparedness. I believe this was my prepper inspiration situation.
     
    Caribou, PCH, AuntB and 1 other person like this.
  2. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    7
    Excellent story GS, & well done! First rate!
    Keith.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  3. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    unfortunately in the UK common sense seems to have gone out the window.
     
    GS AutoTech and Keith H. like this.
  4. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    7
    Is it a generation thing do you think or what?
    Keith.
     
    1. lonewolf
      yes I think it is, seems to be anyone under 50.
       
      lonewolf, Jul 30, 2017
  5. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    It is a cultural thing. Our governments have encouraged people to turn to them to solve every problem rather then handling things themselves. People have gotten lazy. It is easier to let others take care of you than for you to have to think ahead and do it for yourself.

    Now days, at least in the US, if you don't want to work, support your children or even feed yourself the government will jump in and provide for you. They get free food, free housing, free utilities and the more kids they have the more money they get. THEN they make the rounds to all the charity places and get clothes more food and often more money.

    There is no longer any penalty for making bad decisions or just plain laziness. In some ways the government seems to woek hard to encourage this sort of thing. We are broke and I honestly don't see any easy way to fix it. At this point trying to get these people to go to work and take responsibility would mean riots and civil war... sorry but...BRING IT ON!!!
     
    koolhandlinc and GS AutoTech like this.
  6. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    I remember learning self reliance at a very young age. My parents both worked very hard & never received any sort if hand out. They got an opportunity to buy their first home at a price they could afford out of hard earned savings. The house was in horrible, un-liveable condition. BUT they learned by trial & error how to do all the renovations from scratch. For a month, each day after work, my parents & I worked thru the night just to get the home to a state that could barely be habitable. It took many more months to reach a state of decent presentable condition. Even tho I was early grade school age, I worked by my parents side to raise this shell of a house into a home. It was nothing more than a can do attitude.
     
    Caribou and Keith H. like this.
  7. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    People want and expect INSTANT gratification now days. If you wanted something when I was a kid you saved rfor it until you had the money and could buy it. Now you just whip out the plastic card. That is why everyone is head over heals in debt. My Mom always was in what they called "The Christmas Club" at the bank where every week/month they moved a certain small amount to a special savings account. She also did a lot of lay away at the stores where she made a small down payment and then had a while to get it paid for while they stored it for you. (I think that some stores still do that at Christmas)

    I think that "common sense" is something that is forced on people over time through experiences that teach it. It is also something that you learn from observing others using it. Now, lets face it, we don't force kids or anyone to do much of anything and everyone has their noses stuck in their phone now and doesn't observe anything otherwise. People won't even put the darn things down so they can DRIVE their cars!!!

    Today common-sense has been replaced with NON-sense!
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2017
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  8. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    Some of us still have common sense. And we will use it.
    Unfortunately those who are lacking will be among the masses who do not survive. Some have the smarts & will quickly adapt. The rest will become the hordes of Zombies that will be a threat to those who have prepared.
     
    Keith H. and TexDanm like this.
  9. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    I like that. A zombie is a mindless dead person walking that wants to eat your brain. That actually is going to describe a lot of people when things get bad. They ARE mindless and refuse to think ahead. They because they have made no effort to prepare are indeed dead men walking. While they may not eat your brain, trying to talk to them now is mind blowing and makes me want to pull my hair out because they seem to glory in their prideful ignorance. That may not be exactly the same as trying to eat my brain but it is close enough for me. After TEOTWAWKI the sheeple might as well be Zombies for all they will be worth and what they will want to do to those of us that prepared.
     
    koolhandlinc and GS AutoTech like this.
  10. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    7
    That experience has no doubt held you in good stead.
    Keith.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  11. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    It sure has! As I grew up I found that anything I wanted to do- I read about, asked question & then just put my hands on it to get it done. That's also when I realized that while I wasn't afraid to do most anything, I actually could. Pile on that I found that most people I knew had no brains or motivation to do almost anything. So I've been able to make a solid honest living doing those things other can't or won't.
    Zombies........... Lol
     
    Keith H. likes this.
  12. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    One of the things that I don't understand about a lot of people these days is a hesitancy to try new things. When I was young my Dad always encouraged me to give nearly anything a try. I taught myself just about everything that I know. If my car wouldn't run right I went to the library and read up on it in a Chiltons Motor manual. I hadn't ever done a lot of things until I did them. I rebuilt the engine in my first car, a 56 Chevy with a book in hand and a minimal set of tools. I didn't know how to put a roof on a house until I got up on one and learned.

    When I was a kid if I asked my Dad how to do something if he didn't know we got a book and learned or asked someone that did know how to tell us. I guess that has been my mantra from my Dad for most of my life. Can't don't do nothing! If you don't know something then learn it. You won't know whether you can do it until you try.

    LOL, I LOVE the internet!! I used to have to either go to the library or save my money up for a book. Now you can get explicit instructions, usually including videos, on anything that you want to know...yet people seem to be less willing than ever to tackle anything. I guess part of it is that with both parents working people have more money and less time so they just pay for everything. I was poor and if I wanted something I either made it or bought a used one and repaired it.

    The biggest thing though is/was a willingness to TRY about anything.
     
  13. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    Love it!
    Whenever I had found something broke I endeavoured to take it apart. To see what made it work. My theory was if it was already broken & could not be repaired, I lost nothing but the time to take apart. I gained knowledge of how it was constructed & operated which was worth more than the time invested. I often found a way to repair the doo-dad or appliance.
    My wife does appreciate my handyman skills But is also a tad frustrated. When she is anticipating the purchase of a shiny new fancy something or other, I can often repair at a tiny fraction of the cost of new. The cost savings quickly dissipates her frustration. :)
     
    TexDanm likes this.
  14. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
      330/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    If it breaks i fix i was showed and taught how from a young age my shop now is well stocked with the tools to do so if part can not be gotten from a store i make it now
     
  15. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    LOL, When I was a kid my parents used babysitters to keep an eye on me until I was about 14 and got so interested in the babysitters they decided to stop it. They weren't worried about me so much as what I might try to take apart while they were out. When I was 14 I had a small business cleaning watches for neighbors and friends. I loved getting into things and my Dad and I took the TV apart several times and took the tubes to a tester and replaced the bad tubes to make it work again. We did the same with lawn mowers more times than I can count and I was terrible about taking things apart to see what made them go. Unfortunately I didn't always get them to go back together exactly right.

    To some extent I think that it is a natural "gift" just like some people can pick up languages and some can play all kinds of musical instruments. I've always had an interest in how things work and my Dad encouraged this. Now days I don't think that people encourage kids to explore the more mechanical trades. Plumbers and electricians make BIG money. I made a very good living most of my life off making other peoples machines work or building them in a machine shop. I never found a trade that I couldn't learn in a very short time and then do. It made for an interesting life.

    When I was a kid I had a dream but by the time I was older the dream was dead. I wanted to build space stations and go to space. We went and then turned away from it. I'm glad I went the way I did and didn't end up just another bored nerd or unemployed aerospace engineer. I would have made a just awful cubical worker!! I like the outdoors and not having a set in stone schedule. I've always been self-motivated and don't need someone pushing me.

    You know that old saying "Some people march to the beat of a different drummer."? I don't listen to a drum at all and have meandered through life instead of marching.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  16. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    I could never be chained to a desk or cubicle. I worked my A$$ off in a large dealer auto shop for years. I got fed up with the BS. I was already doing work at home to make extra for my family. Once I starting making more money after hours, I left the dealership & never looked back.
     
  17. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    First off your Filipino Dentist can't be a Hygienist in the US without a license. Secondly a Hygienist makes a lot better money that 30,000 bucks a year and never has to work nights, weekends or deal with sick puking people.

    There isn't as much money in making gun modifications and reloading ammo as you think. I've had the license and done the deed. MASSIVE pain in the butt and the government gestapo can invade your property at any time day or night. I bailed after they murdered all those people in Waco for doing the same totally legal business that I was doing.
     
    koolhandlinc likes this.
  18. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    Dude you are an ignorant NUT. The skill set of a dentist doesn't actually cover the same areas as a Hygienist. Dentists don't take x-rays or any of the other things a Hygienist does. This is like saying that an MD Doctor can do anything that any other medical professional can do. NOT!!

    Also there is no such critter as a Mobil federal firearms license or gunsmiths license. Even if you plan on only sell at gun shows you still have to have a permanent place of business from which the guns have to be logged into and out of. Also what kind of fool shoots lead out of a machine gun?? The barrel would lead in a heart beat. You ALWAYS load jacketed and never cast lead bullets for any full auto weapon. The last Machine gun type weapon that shot cast bullets was a Gatling gun.

    The stuff that you are spouting is going to get you killed if you try to take it into the real world. Anyone that takes most of your advice so far is going to be in serious trouble. Some of the stuff you are saying makes me wonder if you have ever fired a weapon.

    If you fill out your group with nothing but A class shooters you are going to starve to death and without a medical person you won't last long getting shot up all the time. Survival has very little to do with killing a lot of people. It will not be like the movies on which you base your ideas. Killers get killed that is the way it goes and it doesn't take an A class shooter to kill a fool that thinks fancy guns makes him invincible.

    I'm done. I won't ever read another of your posts and hope that the people that run this board won't let you destroy it.
     
  19. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    i fail to see what this has to do either with common sense or being prepared.
    please keep to the topic and not self advertising.
     
  20. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    One would think that after Nazi Germany caused so much destruction to England that
    more people would be in survival mode.
    I guess history means little. I always thought that if we don't learn from history we were
    bound to repeat it.
     
  21. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    its been over 70 years since WW2, people here have become complascent and we have generations who have never know war in their lifetimes, its just history to them, I think that is why there are so many snowflakes in society these days.
     
  22. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    It's the same here. Pearl Harbor is but a footnote in today's history classes.
     
  23. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    i wonder if people in a hundred years will treat 9/11 the same?
     
  24. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    H#ll they already do!
    Just as snowflakes treat Miami, Orlando, New York (stabbings), Manchester, and

    e2fa1cf55bf40bbefe820bb5b4204b83.jpeg

    http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/attacks/attacks.aspx?Yr=2015

    The only peaceful Muslim is one that ran out of ammo.
    They HATE us. I could list many reasons why they hate us but it makes no difference why.
    They just do and there are 109 verses in the Koran to KILL the infidel.
    'Nuff said.
    My 21 year old grand daughter ran off the Egypt to marry a Muslim young man.
    No one has heard from her since.
    We and Homeland security tried to talk sense to her but to no avail.
    Darwin. Survival of the fittest which includes a modicum of brains.
     
  25. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
      525/575

    Blog Posts:
    2
    I think that part of what we are seeing is a strange part of human nature. For some reason people seem to treat things like the bombing of Britain, Pearl Harbor and the destruction of the Twin Towers on 911 as almost natural disasters like Tsunamis or Big Earthquakes. The places that get invaded physically and experience the in your face door to door facts of war see it differently. Even in the case of Japan, the civilian experience of war wasn't anything like what say Germany went through or even France. One is sort of impersonal and the other is VERY personal.

    You often see this even in the armed services. Dropping bombs on faceless people from an airplane 10,000 feet above just isn't the same as looking a person in the face and shooting them with a rifle. Historically even guns made war less personal than the slash, chop and bludgeon of earlier wars.

    My Dad was a member of the Great Generation. He graduated at 15 and since he couldn't enlist that young he left home and went to work in a factory building airplanes until he turned 16. He enlisted in the Navy because you could join them at 16 but had to wait to 17 for the army. He wanted and was trained to fly the planes that he had built. These people of his generation, had a different world view and attitude, even before the war. They were not raised expecting anyone to give them anything and like my Dad he had worked most of his life. Back then kids were FREE labor on the farm.

    My generation was raised with war as the norm rather than an odd occurrence. There wasn't really a gap between people getting drafted and set to Korea and the Vietnam mess where we were fighting and dying for all of my younger years until well into my adult years. I grew up KNOWING that I could jolly well end up over there involved in that or maybe just sit at home and be vaporized by an atomic bomb. I remember atomic bomb drills in elementary school where we would go in the hall kneel with our heads between our knees with our mouths open so a concussion wouldn't rupture our lungs or bust our ears and basically kiss our little butts goodbye.

    TV was filled with war stories and our heroes were men that fought and didn't just stand by and let bad people do bad things. We ALL had toy guns and weapons and played at war and fighting constantly. All you older men, when was the last time you saw a kid point a plastic gun or even a finger at another kid and shout "BANG!! You're dead!" Now think of how this would be received on a school ground in this limp wristed weak minded era.

    Is it really any wonder that most people these days that are under 40 can't imagine having to fend for or fight for themselves. We in the West have neutered ourselves by making our children believe the false idea that they deserve and will get whatever they want JUST by sitting there and wanting it!

    A lot of people thought that I was mean because my daughter worked for me all summer and on the breaks from the time she was about 9 until she went to college. She paid for her own school clothes and paid her way. At 15 I opened a checking account for her and she started learning to handle that. I made her rotate the tires on my truck before I then gave it to her to drive. She went to college on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays and worked Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday AND Sunday most weeks. She paid for her own apartment. I furnished it, provided her car, gas and insurance. Mama made sure she had food and clothes. LOL we weren't THAT mean. The point is that my Daughter never expected life to just give everything to her. she graduated and is rapidly climbing the corporate ladder. She handles millions of dollars in both purchase and payments and makes a VERY nice living.

    I look at kids these days and honestly can't imagine what their parents were thinking!! These kids EXPECT to start life at about the same level that their parents are at after decades of work. They try to do it with credit cards and debt then can't understand when they flop. The kids of the Baby Boomers are called Boomerangs because they just keep coming back to their parents homes. I know a lot of people with kids living with them that are looking at 40 on the horizon!! Scary!!!

    Now days a kid gets forced into say playing soccer. They don't pay attention, never really get in shape and are a total waste when they are on the field. Another kid works hard is an asset to the team and learns a lot about the sport and the value of team work. At the end of the season they all get a pat on the back, a "Good JOB!" and a participation trophy. PEOPLE, life doesn't give you a participation trophy for just standing there and doing nothing!!!

    I often thing that the only hope for humanity...or at least the part in the Western Countries, is a total collapse that will offer a fresh start. If we don't get that I fear that the less "civilized" parts of the world and nations will eventually just knock us in the head because we have become too weak to offer any meaningful resistance to them.

    Those of us that are older here prepare because we were raised knowing that life wasn't fair and that if you wanted something you had to work for it. Preparing requires work, forethought and to some extent some sacrifices. None of this is taught to or encouraged in kids now.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2017
    PCH and GS AutoTech like this.
  26. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    "Those of us that are older here prepare because we were raised knowing that life wasn't fair and that if you wanted something you had to work for it. Preparing requires work, forethought and to some extent some sacrifices. None of this is taught to or encouraged in kids now."

    Sad and 100% fact! :confused:
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  27. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    couldn't agree more with the last 2 replies.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  28. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    I'm 71 now and my youngest, a son, just turned 18. He's as patriot as my WWII combat veteran
    father and as much an American as I am. I served over 2 decades as a police officer, seriously injured 13 times.
    Why is he patriotic? BECAUSE I TAUGHT HIM!
    I also taught him that little in the real world is "fair" that he must make his own way
    and be vigilant.
    He's going into nursing school for a FREE education. He earned that by working hard.

    "earn" and "work". Imagine that? Values.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  29. AuntB

    AuntB Expert Member
      163/173

    Blog Posts:
    0
    May I ask how you have solved the heating situation since then? We had an incident like yours, a snow storm that spurred us into getting a generator/ second panel installed. We were then prepared for the next time our furnace went out. When you have small children it is really difficult because often one partner is keeping the baby warm. We tried a tent in the living room because that is a way to keep from freezing but it sounds better then it is.

    I have read that people have quick install wood stoves. They have a smaller wood stove and pipes all ready for when the power goes out. I have never met anyone that actually has a set up like this but reading on line, some think it is the way to go instead of a generator.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  30. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    I have a generator but it's not tied into the electrical box I need have a pro do that.
    The head for the wood stove in the basement goes into my duct work though I have electric
    base board heat I do have duct work.
    I also live on 14 acres of woods. :D
    By the way. Common sense isn't so common these day.
    I think it's been bred out of people by snowflake parents.
     
  31. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    In that situation, our gas powered kitchen stove kept us warm.
    If your furnace is gas, you don't need a large generator to power it. It's just a blower fan & low power electronics. So even a modest little generator would handle that easily. A larger genny would give more power for other items & also use much more fuel. In basic survival, heat is primary. Hardly anything else, save food & water, is needed to stay alive.
     
    AuntB likes this.
  32. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    Water, food, shelter. Good sense there.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  33. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    shelter first, then fire, followed by water and food last.
     
    koolhandlinc, AuntB and GS AutoTech like this.
  34. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    It's possible to wire your gas furnace with a short lead of cord & a receptacle. So when power us out, you can start genny & plug cord direct to the furnace. Very fast in a pinch.
    I grew up with wood stoves. I Love'em!
    They are great as a primary & backup heat source, cooktop, family gathering center, clothes dryer, & general comfort. That heat from the stove, the fire you control, brings a sense of Comfort & Well being along with it. You can purchase a stove in whatever price range you like or even fashion a stove from salvage items.
     
    AuntB likes this.
  35. AuntB

    AuntB Expert Member
      163/173

    Blog Posts:
    0
    Our generator set up was a second panel that we could plug into. Our generator is portable so during a storm we could drag it out. If big snows were expected I would have it in position before the first snowflake fell. The only issue was that it was exposed to the road and the generator was loud.
     
  36. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
      272/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    Good post but I would think water first.
    Can't do much without water for every long.
    Just an opinion worth what all opinions are. Not a lot. :>)
    I have a well here at my house in the country but without electricity I'm screwed.
    Been thinking about two supplemental sources.
    Rain barrels with filters and a hand pump for the well, perhaps both.
    Rain barrels might freeze in a bad winter, the well won't.
    Winters aren't terrible in N.E. Ohio but I have seen 25 below and it ain't fun.
     
    GS AutoTech likes this.
  37. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
      510/575

    Blog Posts:
    0
    you need to get out of the weather first, then fire, we can live without water for about 3 days so that's next, food is last on the list as we can go for awhile without food.
     
    GS AutoTech and AuntB like this.
  38. AuntB

    AuntB Expert Member
      163/173

    Blog Posts:
    0
    You are very correct. Those are the rules I learned and have always stood by. Shelter is always the most important whether in the dessert or in a winter storm. You can work on the other three after.
     
  39. GS AutoTech

    GS AutoTech Expert Member
      232/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    If you get a genny big enough for the furnace & the well pump, your set.
    I am working on a hand pump rig that will hook right into your hose bib. You can hand pump from your existing well.
     
  40. koolhandlinc

    koolhandlinc Expert Member
      245/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    So you would run lead bullets through a machine gun? Not afraid of leading?
     
    jeager likes this.
  41. koolhandlinc

    koolhandlinc Expert Member
      245/345

    Blog Posts:
    0
    In a snow storm for sure!
     
Loading...
Similar Threads Forum Date
Common Sense Mental Preparedness Oct 22, 2016
Common Outdoor Injuries First Aid and Medicine Mar 12, 2021
Less Common Things For Your Bug-out Bags... Survival Kits Sep 29, 2017
Common Questions General Q&A Sep 24, 2017
Simple Common Methods Of Navigation. Navigation May 11, 2016
Average Power Consumption of Common Items Creating and Using Electricity Jan 24, 2016
It's Important To Know Common First Aid Knowledge First Aid Skills Jan 21, 2016
2 Common Ways to Build a Fire All Resources About Fire Jan 20, 2016
My Spidey Senses... News, Current Events, and Politics Jan 1, 2024
I Like This Woman...she Makes Sense..... News, Current Events, and Politics Oct 15, 2022

Share This Page