Very good point. My son has Celiac disease and would be much much worse off if he ate something with with even a minuscule amount of wheat gluten in it. That is one of the main reasons why I started getting equipped since it is highly unlikely that his dietary needs could be safely met without some extra planning on my part.

-Eric

It all comes down th the actual persons. Skills and ingenuity isn't restricted to carpenters or preppers. Some people won't be able to make emergency repairs even with the most well stocked set of tools and materials. Others will do whatever it takes with whatever at hand, surprising everyone including themselves with their ingenuity and creativity.

The way I see it, preparedness is all about taking some elements of chance out of the equation. So you don't just "happen" to have a cord lying around - you deliberately stock lots of it because it is so highly useful.

Same thing with skills and mental preparation. You don't wait until SHTF for occasions to practice your skills and ingenuity, raising the odds that you have what it takes when you need it.

In a SHTF situation you must work with what you have, including the particular members of your community. Some non-preppers will surprise you in a positive way, others will be a huge disappointment. You may not know which is which in advance - but it is a safe bet that at least SOME will be able to make good use of whatever tools and materials at hand.

Anything that you have and don't know how to use becomes a trade item.

Sue

"...there is nothing wrong with cheap foods like rice, beans, spaghetti and sauces, spices, etc. If people turn up their noses at these things, they obviously aren't hungry enough."



I wasn't talking food allergies and health issues, I was talking about people wanting to pick and choose during a survival situation, when they didn't have the sense or foresight to store the foods that they're complaining you aren't providing for them.

Anyone who requires certain types of foods and doesn't keep enough of them on hand to survive for a week or two would seem to indicate a serious lack of survival instincts.

Sue

Or they have not read my entire post.


Jeanette Isabelle

There is interesting psychology surrounding people and food. Allergies aside. You need look no further than the vast array of eating disorders in western society, and top that off with people wanting to try and exert some form of control (choice of food) when a stressful situation, and I suspect there will be some interesting outcomes.

To draw from TV experiences, often in the first day or two people can be a little relaxed, even fussy, about food, but when hunger kicks in and food runs out the situation does change. For example in The Colony(s) they start to catch rats, eat cat food (at least one person anyway), and cockroaches … something which could not have happened on day two no matter what the situation was.

I always remember seeing an interview with a bushman (in Africa) and he was asked what was the most important skill for a hunter, his one word reply “Hunger”.
When the food runs out and we get hungry, we slowly realize that anything edible becomes fair game and even the inedible can be an option. I refer you to some of the early Arctic explorers like USS Jeannette where the crew boiled and ate leather, and even more grim: the fate of The Whale-Ship Essex (on which Moby Disk is loosely based) where the crew were drift in lifeboats for many weeks …

Hey I’m not advocating anything here, just pointing out that being fussy about food is a luxury which most of us can afford; given limited options we can all adapt (allergies permitting); given desperation, anything is possible.

Thanks for the information. I've learned something new today. I share a name with a ship.

Jeanette Isabelle

Why not think of the possible here, instead the impossible?
How I help my neighbore already:
Wildfire burned down her house last summer, she got away with the cloth she wore, her purse and the car.
Everything alse went up in flames.
We took her in, she lives in our daughter's room and now we build her a house on her property.
Having an unexpected house guest for nearly one year is a strain on everything, including relationship.
The moral of the story: get insurance!!
It DOES pay!!

If anyone has had their curiosity piqued by the Essex reference one of the better books on the subject is:

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-...m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Worth the $13, I bought mine when it was closer to $24, many libraries have it as loaner for free.

One interesting aspect is that misconceptions about island tribes, and fear of cannibalism, played a big part in making their situation much worse. Which supported my idea that a lot of survival is mental, you are controlled by your fears and assumptions, and knowledge base.