selfsufficientish survival guide

[Andy Hamilton]

As there are over 30 000 posts on here full of information I wondered, if there was a total breakdown of the infulscruture of society, you could survive using just the information on selfsufficientish?

[wulf]

Probably not, because how would you log on with no phones or power?!

Wulf

[Andy Hamilton]

Probably not, because how would you log on with no phones or power?!

Wulf

Fair comment, I should have added if you found my hard drive where it is all backed up or the server's hard drive.

[wulf]

You would still have to get round the power problem, and the hours it would take to assemble the vast range of ideas and opinions into a plan of action might be better spent on more practical activity. Now, if it were collected together and edited into a book, that would probably be somewhat more useful!

Wulf

[Millymollymandy]

Let's suppose he meant the info was available in a book, and you all had a copy.

No, I couldn't survive, because I don't understand all the technical and scientific stuff. So I wouldn't have any electricity to power my hairdryer!

[Shirley]

Yeah... the book is a great idea!!!

[Boots]

Um... er... which post has morse code and smoke signal commands so I could contact Muddy and ask him which wire is positive?

[Stonehead]

Could I survive using the info on Selfsufficientish, assuming I can access it? No, it doesn't cover enough areas, there aren't enough of the right sort of how tos and it doesn't have the mind set. There's a big difference between self sufficiency and survival, but the two can be mutually supportive.

Could I survive using my own knowledge, skills and tools? Moderately well with a couple of provisos - seed potatoes after two or three years, keeping reliable yeast populations going, finding enough salt, and finding enough sources of vegetable oil for my Lister generator set.

Would the info on Selfsufficientish my survival more comfortable and interesting? Definitely - it's better to learn from other people's examples and mistakes than to make mistakes yourself in a survival situation.


Oh, and as for holding the dykes against the rampaging hordes, would anylike like a how-to on building a crossbow using car leaf springs? Or how to built a trebuchet with a 44-gallon drum full of gravel as the counterweight? Or how to fletch an arrow?

[bazil]

quote
"Oh, and as for holding the dykes against the rampaging hordes, would anylike like a how-to on building a crossbow using car leaf springs? Or how to built a trebuchet with a 44-gallon drum full of gravel as the counterweight? Or how to fletch an arrow? "

you are one cool guy stonehead

do you really know how to make those thing?


if things did go tits up cities would be a mess and towns the same.....i like the security idea of living in the sticks

[Stonehead]

quote
"Oh, and as for holding the dykes against the rampaging hordes, would anylike like a how-to on building a crossbow using car leaf springs? Or how to built a trebuchet with a 44-gallon drum full of gravel as the counterweight? Or how to fletch an arrow? "

you are one cool guy stonehead

do you really know how to make those thing?

Yes, I'm a nutter!

I've built a crossbow, helped build a trebuchet and learned how to fletch an arrow. I have considered making an old-fashioned longbow, but finding the right wood is very difficult these days. Some sort of laminated, recurved bow would be more do-able.

The OH is constantly amazed, amused and bemused by the odd things I know.

It all comes down to mindset and attitude, though. I believe you can do almost anything and make almost anything if you set your mind to it. After that, you just get stuck in, see what works, what doesn't and what can be improved. Make notes, if only mentally, each time you do it and keep fine tuning.

The internet does make it easier as you can do the research faster and more efficiently, but I've been making and building stuff for years.

One of my favourite books was an 1890s publication, the title of which I forget, that was full of detailed instructions and plans for making contraptions, including miniature exploding torpedoes, Greek fire, mothball powered toy boats, crossbows, laminated recurve bows, mini-steam engines, torsion catapults, cranes, windlasses and much more. Unfortunately, I lent it someone who never returned it.

One of the few downsides of having the croft is that I don't have as much time to tinker as I'd like. Probably just as well or we'd be buried under a mountain of contraptions...

[baldowrie]

I should think that Insch is very glad the 'mad Aussie' up the hill doesn't have time to tinker

[Shirley]

Stoney - it's a shame we didn't know about you in 1999 when the Scottish Sculpture Workshop built a trebuchet out of old telegraph poles witha view to throwing molten iron into the sea at Portsoy....

It was built... and we had some interesting trial runs in the field at the back of the workshop.

Ahhh those were the days - not very eco friendly though eh!

[dibnah]

At school we had a teacher who had us all make crossbows and test them at a target he was abit mad too I loved it! Or possibly he was making an army of child warriors, 'battle royal' style.

[Andy Hamilton]

Yeah... the book is a great idea!!!

We will know more on that very soon and will keep you posted.

In the meantime look out for the ecologist in the next few months as there is a strong chance there will be a bit of a feature on us. Not been interviewed yet but will be soon.

[Shirley]

Funnily enough I've just taken out a one year online subscription to the Ecologist.