WHY “SELF-RELIANCE”?

 

            We put it this way. We don’t want to live “off the grid” we want to live when the grid goes off. That’s how we think the average Ann and Andy feel. They don’t want to fight zombies, climb mountains, live off the grid intentionally, wear camo outfits, wave around firearms or get into political movements.

            But when they try to check the net for basic information on keeping on, keeping on after a big storm or other disruption of the normal grid, they are met with a pile of BS labeled “survivalism” or “prepping” The worst of the articles on line call for some political stand or militia type action, while others are nothing more than a hustle to sell people high priced items they don’t really need.

            Because of this I decided to “rebrand” our views, ideas, tips and advice on preparing for emergencies as “Self-Reliance”. We will still hold to the basic principle we have in the six years we have been posting on line. Our goal is to help guide the “Average Ann and Andy” to have a fighting chance in case some natural or man-made emergency event disrupts their normal living for some period of time. We look for the options that cost the least in time, effort, space and money. We are for everyone, not just for the young and fit with money to spend.

            Our ideas are simple. Whatever the cause, something has left you and your family on their own for some period of time, be it a day, a week or more. We will generally stay away from the “end-of-the world” type events and stick to floods, hurricanes, pandemics and so on.

            A quick guideline here for those who get confused between survialism and prepping.

Prepping prepares you to keep things as “normal” as possible until the normal comes back.

Survivalism prepares you to keep things normal until a new normal can be established since the old one isn’t coming back.

            Self-reliance is just that. Imagine any situation where whatever is out there can’t get to you (electricity, water, fire, and police, medical, or any kind of home food delivery) and you can’t get out to it. (Stores, ATM’s) .  For the next day, week or whatever, you have to exist on what you have there at home. You have to rely on yourself.

 THE BASICS:  PART I

            If you are the Average Ann or Andy, you go to some kind of job, make some level of money (probably never enough LOL!) from which you pay for the means to live. (That is your water, food, shelter, etc.)

These “means” come to you by various providers (utility companies, grocery stores, etc.) who in turn are the end points on a long chain of those who grow, gather, or otherwise create what you need. This is assisted by a banking system to keep things running, medical systems to take care of health, and protection for it all from police and fire departments.

            In short, this is your “grid”. While some wish to willingly live “off the grid”, and I say more power to them, most folks, including us here, don’t. I like my a/c, heat, running water, etc. But while I don’t want to live “off the grid” I DO want to live when the grid goes off.

            That is what I see as the main goal of self-reliance, to be able to maintain some kind of average, normal life if all or some of the normal grid is gone for some period of time.

            While what knocks you off the grid is important, I feel TOO much emphasis has been placed on the more “doomsday” events and such things as “zombies”, or political beliefs and not enough on the more common and likely probabilities. After all , a tornado, hurricane or flood doesn’t care if you are a redneck, wear a white collar or in a blue state.

            Let’s start with a look around your world using what we call the “seven sisters of survival”.   These are water, food, shelter, medical, power, money and security.

To start off, you need water. How do you get it normally? In most cases, the average person gets their water from some water company through the faucet. This can be affected by water main breaks, or some kind of contamination. The entire area of Flint, Mich. had a contaminated water supply. This has also happened in a number of places caused by chemical spills or runoff into reservoirs. So what do you do if they announce you can’t drink the water for an unknown time?

Now let’s talk food. This is more complex because you not only need the food itself, but the means to keep it fresh and to cook it. That also means you have to be able to get to a store that has food and use money or cards to purchase what you need. Ever see a store stripped because of an oncoming storm?  How much food do you have right now? How much is non-perishable? How do you cook it?  Are you “married to the microwave” or even worse,  a “deliver to my door, Danny”?

Shelter can vary with each person, from an apartment in a complex in a major city to a house on land in the country. If your shelter is damaged, can you make it livable for the moment by use of tarps, ropes and other means?   Do you have temporary shelter you can set up, or another place to go? All it takes is a chemical spill, gas leak or major fire to cause you to leave your home. Are you ready to dash or dig in to stay?

Medical covers a host of areas, including basic sanitation. What do you do if you can’t use the toilet; wash your dishes, or clothes? What medications you need? What if you are injured by the event? Do you have a first aid kit? Do you know how to use it? Don’t count on EMT’s as there may be no way to reach them or them to get to you and they may be dealing with more serious cases. Can you handle your medical needs right now?

Power generally covers electricity but may in some cases include gas of some form. This is your light and refrigeration and probably your heating and a/c along with how you cook food. It is one of the most important and at the same time the most vulnerable. No, you don’t need some terrorist act to take the electrical grid down; simply a bad storm of some kind can do it. In some cases a car hitting a pole can knock out power for hours. Can you stay warm in winter, or protect your food in the freezer in summer if the power goes out?  Will you able to cook or even eat without it? Do you even have one working flashlight you can find?

Money makes the system work. It is a means of exchange. Today, however, most stores need card systems up and running to be able to sell you anything if you have no cash on hand, even if they have their registers operating off some emergency generator. Also small stores and shops may operate more on a cash basis. Many of us have little cash on hand however. What about you? What’s in your home, piggy bank, or pocket?

Security refers somewhat to the police, but also to your personal situation. Where do you live and work? Is it a good or bad area? How far are you from bad areas? How are your passive   (locks, doors, windows) security measures? What are you moral feelings about defending your home and family when the police can’t be called or may be too overwhelmed to help you? What could you do, or use to protect yourself? (This includes blocking doors with furniture, or having pepper spray)

So now, what will you do and how are you affected if you lose your power for an hour, your water for a day, your entire grid for a week?

While there are NO “one size fits all” answers, there are basic guidelines we will go over as we explore as many of the aspects we can. We will look at these subjects from the standpoint of the Average Ann and Andy, plain folks who don’t have a lot of money, land or time, people who go to work each day and may have to face events away from home.

It can seem overwhelming and it isn’t simple, but it’s nothing the average person can’t deal with. If you want to put an ace up your sleeve in case of an emergency, if you want to try to have a fighting chance if things go wrong, we will try to help you all we can with what we have learned and what others have shared with us.