Can You be HONEST, at least to yourself only.

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Sourdough

"Eleutheromaniac"
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
6,171
Location
In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
Not any of your possessions. Just you standing there, what exactly do you offer a group post SHTF.....??? Assume there is only humans, no supplies or tools available.

If any tools are found, they will be basic dirt related tools (shovel, pick, etc.)

Why would you NOT be culled in the first culling of humans from the group who expected food, water, shelter, other ultra basic genuine survival needs to be available to them, for no reason other than you are a breathing human.
 
Sourdough said:
Not any of your possessions. Just you standing there, what exactly do you offer a group post SHTF.....??? Assume there is only humans, no supplies or tools available.

If any tools are found, they will be basic dirt related tools (shovel, pick, etc.)

Why would you NOT be culled in the first culling of humans from the group who expected food, water, shelter, other ultra basic genuine survival needs to be available to them, for no reason other than you are a breathing human.
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Good question.
In my case I can find eatable food, and pretty decent at growing food. Good with my hands fixing and making things.
On the down side, I'm in my 60s with a back that gives me fits at times.
 
A related thing to think about is the massive millions (of nice, pleasant people, who subscribe to your religious beliefs. Who have nothing to offer that justifies continued feeding them. Even what we consider a valuable skill would not be of any value, unless you could also do manual labor.
 
I would build something into a hammer, and have a forge set up pretty quick, he who can make tools would be of a lot of value.
 
I am good at a lot of things and despite being older I am not decrepid yet. At the very least I can cook them some decent food, milk the goats or cows and produce the food to cook. Plus if it is a really bad SHTF I can help ( husband also) rebuild the infrastructure. It would be stupid to kill former professionals or farmers with skills. I am in both categories so is husband. I am also good with animals.
 
After using/exhibiting those skills to benefit the group I think your value to the group would have been teaching your skills to others. Then when your value is now everyone's knowledge. Now what......???

Not trying to question your early value to the group. The goal is that "some" of the group survive as long as possible, that might be 6 or 8 or 14.

(Note: My skills would also only have very short-term value)

If we started with 250 humans, with-in a few days it would be clear 75 need to be gone, they are skilled at eating and bitching. Surely ten days after that clearly another 40 or 50 need to be gone. Everyone must produce abundance, to compensate for others. It is not "personal".........Would be surprised if after 50 or 60 days the was not culled to around 60 humans.

Ozarks hillbilly said:
Survival school and annual refreshers throughout the last 20+ years. Able to procure food and garden.
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Hardcalibres said:
Mindset.
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Yep. Although it has been a while since I have been in the military (and I very much enjoy my soft, comfortable, civilian, suburban lifestyle), I can turn on the military mindset if needed: Do what must be done...know that you can do far more than you think you can do, so just do it...never give up.
 
I think points would go to very strong (physically and mentally) males 43 y/o or younger and females 15 to 40 y/o. producing children would be of value, "but" only if they had other physical manual labor type skills.
 
Being able to figure out and build things from scratch, or junk or repurposing would make folks like myself priceless. The ability to not only think and work outside the box but to be able to craft whatever whenever however is not exactly a teachable skill it's the way the brain works and far to few have that ability these days! Plus the variance of knowledge someone who has been doing it for their entire life has gained would be super worthwhile.
 
Cabin Fever said:
I look at it this way. If a group happens to be composed of a bunch of millennials, Gen-Xers, and Gen-Zers, any baby boomer will have the upper hand.
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We like to think that. But manual physical labor will be a very high priority. Pretty much everything that we know skill wise, can be taught to others who also physical abilities in under 30 days.
 
I would try to find a few like minded people and splinter off from the group anyway too many people in one area use up the available resources too quickly. I don't really want to be part of a group of very many anyway. Manual labor is only useful if their is knowledge to make it count
 
Sourdough said:
Not any of your possessions. Just you standing there, what exactly do you offer a group post SHTF.....??? Assume there is only humans, no supplies or tools available.

If any tools are found, they will be basic dirt related tools (shovel, pick, etc.)

Why would you NOT be culled in the first culling of humans from the group who expected food, water, shelter, other ultra basic genuine survival needs to be available to them, for no reason other than you are a breathing human.
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That quite restrictive. Only a prostitute would qualify.

If you do allow shovels and picks then we look to people that know how to farm. If one knows how to find and develop a spring which would be quite a valuable skill.

So that provides food and water.

Will you permit a knife and an axe? That would allow processing meat. But a knife and axe are of limited use without a file and sharpening stones to keep them functional. Being able to sharpen things would be a useful skill.

A knife and axe would be useful in creating bellows for use by someone with black smithing skills. A smith could create hammers, chisels, saws, scythes.

With hammers chisels saws patterns can be made to allow casting metal for more tools. Someone that could cast metal would be an asset.

Woodworking skills would be able to fashion combs, spinning wheels, and looms to allow those with expertise in textiles to produce clothing to protect from the elements.

I could go on but...

I have made a significant investment of both time and money to have on hand the tools required to establish a viable society and knowledge how to use them. My outstanding goal is to finish a steam powered machine shop capable of creating more machine shops. Boot-strapping.

Mankind has done it before WITHOUT knowing how it is done. It will be easier knowing how it can be done. It all depends on how civil people will be. In the city? Bad mojo.

Ben
 
Plant medicine and the ability to find them, a rare skill set. Technical skills, ability to repair catscans, mri's and missile systems. Most importantly, the ability to think outside the box, to repair equipment without the proper parts, create tools and equipment from just about anything. Then there is the whole farming thing, especially livestock. The trick will be staying alive long enough for others to discover my usefulness.
 
Biggkidd said:
Being able to figure out and build things from scratch, or junk or repurposing would make folks like myself priceless. The ability to not only think and work outside the box but to be able to craft whatever whenever however is not exactly a teachable skill it's the way the brain works and far to few have that ability these days! Plus the variance of knowledge someone who has been doing it for their entire life has gained would be super worthwhile.
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But the group will have to decide "constantly" if what you actually produce justifies the food and water & shelter you consume.

Instant value will be the ability to "Consistently" produce large quantities of food.

Everyone thinks they have value for the group, but value is measured by what is needed urgently for the group. Which will for a long period be the basics of survival.
 
Tirediron said:
I would try to find a few like minded people and splinter off from the group anyway too many people in one area use up the available resources too quickly.
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I agree 100%.

Which is why I want zero to do with a group.
 
Sourdough said:
But the group will have to decide "constantly" if what you actually produce justifies the food and water & shelter you consume.

Instant value will be the ability to "Consistently" produce large quantities of food.

Everyone thinks they have value for the group, but value is measured by what is needed urgently for the group. Which will for a long period be the basics of survival.
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True but I know how to find water, dowsing I know how to develop a spring or well. I can make tools to work the ground I can make simple cast metal items. I can spot and use natural herbs (weeds) I've made black powder the list just goes on and on. I've had a love of learning all my life and usually jump from learning one thing to the next as soon as I learn the last.....
 
Peanut said:
Plant medicine and the ability to find them, a rare skill set. Technical skills, ability to repair catscans, mri's and missile systems. Most importantly, the ability to think outside the box, to repair equipment without the proper parts, create tools and equipment from just about anything. Then there is the whole farming thing, especially livestock. The trick will be staying alive long enough for others to discover my usefulness.
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The "GOAL" is that some "unknown" part of the group survive. To do that each person producing food, water, heat, etc. needs urgently each day produce what the others need. Each food consumer needs to from day one justifies their existence.

Most of us are simply not needed.
 
Biggkidd said:
True but I know how to find water, dowsing I know how to develop a spring or well. I can make tools to work the ground I can make simple cast metal items. I can spot and use natural herbs (weeds) I've made black powder the list just goes on and on. I've had a love of learning all my life and usually jump from learning one thing to the next as soon as I learn the last.....
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What we forget is in the "Real" reality, of group survival everyone must justify their being alive tomorrow. From day one in the very beginning nearly, everyone will need to find food........and food for the entire group.

Otherwise, everyone dies off.
 
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