How I am prepping.

[Deep Thinker]

I have lived rural for most of my life ,Shetlend would be even more of a challenge.

[Arzosah]

Let's put it this way.. if I COULD get something like a Bothy, or a Croft, clear owned or at reasonable rent, I would! BUT as I said, funds are limited, and land costs rising out of all proportion. Most of them seem to be 'Holiday Cottages' now This seems to be a way around it to me.

I'd love to find a disused farm or cottage I could, with my skills, rebuild and end up living the life I want. I would, but everything is owned, often by people who don't know what's there! Landowners often have huge areas of land, in excess of 100,000 acres, yet they don't let any of it out to others.

When I've been up to various areas of Scotland on holiday, I've been tripping over disused cottages exactly like this. While I was waiting for a bus, I was asking a local woman why the stones weren't re-used at least, and she didn't know (I suspect didn't want to rabbit to a southerner, fair enough!).

I understand you want it out in the wilds, Skyy, but there's compromise, and there's timing - crofts are still there, a friend of mine has just bought one, actually, and is deep in the issues of what a hay bailer does, and renting fields etc, which is fascinating to me.

Do you have the skills? Have you been going on WWOOF weekends, at least? Courses on fencing and whatnot by the Conservation Volunteers lot? There's a lot you can do, if you really want to do it.

You mentioned your age too - it sounds like you're late 50s maybe? Do you have the strength to set it up still? I'm very slightly older than that, so I know whereof I speak

[SkyyFyre]

MortBlanc, from what I can see of your previous posts over the forums, consider this:

Your profile says you are 65 Yrs.. I am almost 63. You seem to think that a power outage is a major disaster.. what about candles? Great! you have an SUV.. not a lot of use in an area there's no roads! You've replied to me thinking I am a child, or to destroy my planned life ahead. Look at yourself! Barbed wire, On grid electricity, guns! Reality is this: If the worst happens, there'll be no fuel, no barbed wire, no ammunition, and nothing to kill!

Some of us are trying to find alternatives to all this. Indeed, some are not allowed by law (much as I disagree with the laws here, I try to abide by them).

Don't kill other's hopes, they may just turn out to be right!

[SkyyFyre]

Arzosah:
I am almost 63. Still in good health. I have gained skills over the years so I'll probably not really need too many more 'practical' courses. My partner also is experienced with the sort of life, and livestock. All in all, I think we have a fairly good chance.

Incidentally, on Crofts, do you realise that most are passed on within a family, subject to the Scottish Croft Association, and that you have to live within a certain distance, I think it's 20 miles, of the croft land?

Likewise, there are areas of forest for sale in England and Wales, BUT you have to run it as a managed woodland, and NOT build living accommodation there! On this, they require Qualifications (bits of paper) and a business plan to manage it!

[Arzosah]

Yes, Skyy, I do realise, absolutely. I just think you're looking at all the problems, not the solutions, and making out that others are doing that to you as well. In here, we're all about solutions SolutionsRUs, in fact I really hope you can make your dream into a reality.

All the best.

[SkyyFyre]

Ah, sorry if it came over that way. I know what I want to do, how to do it, and with what. My only trouble is getting around the rules, regulations, laws and to be honest, prejudice of other people to us being allowed to follow our own path. I know I have talked more of the problems than solutions, but very soon I will be posting MY solutions and ideas for others to use.

I'm not asking for it to be handed to me on a plate, free and gratis, but I would like to at least be given a chance to prove it without often petty and irritating barriers being put up in front of me.

[Mortblanc]

MortBlanc, from what I can see of your previous posts over the forums, consider this:

Your profile says you are 65 Yrs.. I am almost 63. You seem to think that a power outage is a major disaster.. what about candles? Great! you have an SUV.. not a lot of use in an area there's no roads! You've replied to me thinking I am a child, or to destroy my planned life ahead. Look at yourself! Barbed wire, On grid electricity, guns! Reality is this: If the worst happens, there'll be no fuel, no barbed wire, no ammunition, and nothing to kill!

Some of us are trying to find alternatives to all this. Indeed, some are not allowed by law (much as I disagree with the laws here, I try to abide by them).

Don't kill other's hopes, they may just turn out to be right!

Yes Mr. SkyyFyre, but my reality exists, yours is fantasy. At age 63 most have accepted their reality for what it is.

I have strictly avoided any mention of firearms and barbed wire on this forum. On other forums those are fantasy discussions of fantasy scenarios and should be left in the fantasy world of those forums.

The fact that I use on grid electricity as well as back up self contained sources is not pertinent to this discussion, and possession of a candle does not make one a self sustained small holder. I did not realize the disconnecting from grid power was necessary for being considered a "real prepper".

As far as power outages not being a major disaster, we have several million Americans without power today due to Storm Jonas who would say it is a great concern. In fact, we have as much area in a state of official weather emergency as the total land mass and total population of GB.

I really do not know what to say about the existence of the SUV, whether I am supposed to apologize for having it or not, since I use it as a daily driver and do not live on a two acre island but in the real world where I have to drive places and do things. Until your much anticipated TEOTWAWKI comes we still have to get around and right now there is a pile of snow on my roadways that requires 4wd for getting about. I have also noticed discussions on here about SUV usage and did not think I was insulting anyone by mentioning I had one in discussion since others present also own them.

I have also noted that this forum in general has a very realistic view of prepping, with the damage of natural disasters and short term problems of the real world being the focus. Most of the folk here hold real jobs, or are retired from paid work and know the reality of budgeting and living within their means inside the system we have. That is why I am here and not in other, less realistic, places at the moment.

[Deep Thinker]

Just my tupenceworth really ,great site ,great advice , support when it is tough and everyday is a learning day.I learn and reflect everytime I come on and will any of us ever stop seeking to better our prepping or stretching our limits?? I also try to give back when I can.

[BadgerSE]

To be honest people it doesn't matter how you prep or even why you prep. In my opinion prepping is prepping no matter what; whatever you are doing to prepare for a life changing or altering event. Or even if you are prepping for the short term it doesn't matter as the main thing is you are prepping in some for or other.

For me I consider it a hobby, a learning tool and hopefully a survival source if the world ever came to that! (which I hope it doesn't in all honesty). Find a reason why you prep and prep for that reason. It is always good to hear how other people prep.. You never know, you might learn something.

[Deep Thinker]

Spot on