It Is Very Quiet In Here.

Just the usual suspects.

Many of the uk survival forums have closed. Has the concept run its race and now people are not interested or have people learnt all they need to know and the experienced have forgotten to enthuse newcomers?

Have people been persuaded that TPTB will look after them?

Perhaps there is just no surplus money or energy to spend on preparing. Many young people I know only have just enough for day to day living, nothing to spare for entertainment or savings/investment.

Oh well it was fun while it lasted.

Ian...I'm an old guy, and live in tropical storm prone Florida, so my perception of threat has been here since my first hurricane in 1962...when growing up took part in the "duck and cover" exercises by Civil Defense in case of a nuclear attack...my military service was targeted against Cold War targets as well as to support a conflict in South East Asia. With the Berlin Wall no longer a visible threat, and Soviet T62/72s pulled back from the Fulda Gap state supported external threats to the UK has diminished... I don't know how you perceive terrorist events however...when times are good, and the news is not that bad, perception of threat tends to diminish... regards

my maternal grandfather (a Robertson) was born in Edinborough Castle (sp)

There are periods of quiet here, but they do not last very long. Be patient, you will see something. Also, many of us travel and do not log in while doing so.

What is TPTB?

TPTB=the powers that be.

Avoids detailed and perhaps tedious talk as to which particular branch of government is being talked about.

FEMA ?
The police?
The military?
The mayors office?
Local government ?
State government ?
The department for the improbable?

Easier just to say TPTB.

In the case of this forum, TPTB is Doug Ritter and he just introduced an upgrade to the RSK Mk1 — Next Generation Doug Ritter RSK® Mk1-G2 ABLE™ Lock Folder Introduced — M390 steel, G10 scales, upgraded lock.

So yeah, TPTB is looking out for us.

We’re still getting new members applying and approved regularly, and it’s clear to me that there’s a lot to talk about.

Isn't there a saying... something about quiet just prior to the storm?

Hoping that "nothing" (whatever it may be) happens but 'tis still best to do the Boy Scout thing and 'Be Prepared' regardless.

One little thing I just did - well, after ordering that new flashlight - was take a bit of money that I unexpectedly came into and just put it away for the odd emergency. Cash on hand can be a vital part of a kit.

Actually, I like the occasional silences: it speaks to the rhythm of the seasons. Members are preparing for winter, in many locales. Houses and cars need preventative maintenance . Those who hunt are off in the woods; those who keep wood stoves are busy splitting and stacking; those who grow food are harvesting and storing. In short, people are out of doors while conditions permit, doing necessary and useful things, and the changing quality of the light compels them forward.

Unlike a Twitter account, there is no need to fill in the silences with idle chatter. Thought if it's too quiet for some, why, the solution is to post interesting stories and experiences.

As a member, you too have the ability to ask burning questions or contribute tidbits of information that you think others may find useful.

Yes, this forum is a quiet nowadays. However like many other forums of all genres, social media sites like Facebook have captured the masses. There on FB, you can find any conceivable group that you may ever want. And certainly, there is no shortage of special interest and sport / hobby groups, which includes many centered on outdoor / urban survival topics.

The problem with FB groups, is the sheer masses of people, where many of the climbing / hiking groups have in excess of 20k members. In fact, one of the local hiking and outdoor groups has 43k members which boasts a high amount of knowledge and experience, however the signal to noise ratio, is often very high - which is the extreme opposite of this forum.

It should be interesting to see how traditional internet forums hold out against the ever beating social media drum, especially quality forums such as ETS. There is beyond a wealth of knowledge here and would be a sad day for the internet if this forum ever turned off the lights for good.

In the meantime, any new or resurrected posts and threads here in regards to bears vs bear-spray vs guns or who should pay for SAR rescues, always seem to stir the masses and is a surefire way to liven up the ETS dance...

It's quality over quantity here.

An easy way to build up a cash reserve is to keep the same amount out of your paycheck every time. Any that is left over when the next check comes, put it up somewhere. I started doing this when I got tired of missing the bank on Friday afternoon and being broke until Monday. I was keeping just enough cash to make it from check to check and putting the rest in the bank.

There are still some, they shall remain nameless, who check ETS routinely every morning, at least....

I check every morning. Well, when I wake up at 7:00 it´s 21:00 in California.