So Are we paraniod?

[nickdutch]

If people think it's paranoid, they obviously haven't been 'tested' by life events yet....


Yep.
And the term "paranoia" refers to an irrational fear not a rational one based on knowledge, experience, education and the likes.

And if you are not actually afraid, then there is no fear and therefore no paranoia anyway.

[Hamradioop]

I grew up in the country, the nearest shops were miles away and the electrickery was always failing. We had one bus a week to town and a weekly mobile shop. As a consequence Mums larder was always stocked with loads of tins and dad grew a lot of veg, there was no central heating or double glazing, the warmest room was always the kitchen with the ray burn going 24/7 as it was the water heater cooker. Candles were always in stock. Were my Parents Paranoid no, just aware of what they needed when things went wrong. I am trying to be aware of what can go wrong and make sure we are prepared.

You can not think that the government will help, I honestly do not believe that they could. The Civil Defense corps was dis banded, Bunkers sold off, and have not heard of government food stores for years, so suspect there are none. Supermarkets operate on just in time deliveries and so do their distribution centers, so any disruption will lead to panic buying. We saw this recently with the snow.

I do not consider myself paranoid nor were my Parents.

[justsurviving]

Well said Hamradioop. Back in 63 when we lived in the sticks, there was no panic, my parents had a full larder because you just did. Gas fires coal etc was the done thing. My father chopped wood all year, not because he feared war etc, it was because his father did before him. HIs truck was serviced so was mums car, fluid levels checked daily, and a nice tartan blanket was allways in there, guess what every body in the village did the same. The 2 village shops had enough food for about a week. as kids we visited the old uns. The inside of my bedroom window had thick ice on it, just extra clothes in bed. I was taught to light a fire at about 7 yrs old use a kettle make hot drinks, so were my sisters, who also learnt to knit and crouche(?) I had a good knife, used an axe and at 10 was out ferreting. We just did it plain and simple, its not new. I grew up with the constant threat? of nuclear war, the cuban missile crisis, all we did was stock the larder even more. we had lots of candles and a tilly lamp.

I have allways kept about a weeks food in the larder, but now I have about 3 months worth, I have all my fathers tools, but have added extra due to the change in technology. Just a few thoughts from the slightly older ones on here.

[jansman]

Great posts! Being prepared in those simple ways, such as food and fuel, I was taught by my Dad. It has certainly helped my transition from full time employment to 3/4 employment. Having stores of goods( not mortars/tanks/million rounds of ammo/blah blah!) are a great insurance policy. All purchased when the money was there.

[tacticalprepper]

I don't think we are paranoid, to be honest, I think most of us view prepping as a hobby of some kind; an enjoyable and purposeful way to spend our spare time. I used to keep quiet about prepping, thinking that people would judge me because of it. But with the recent snow, I let it slip to one of my work colleagues who actually agreed with what I was doing. Truth is that if my car broke down and I was stranded for a week in the middle of no where - I could still live quite comfortably as opposed to the other 90% of the population who would have resorted to drinking their own urine by that point... and that kind of scenario isn't far-fetched

[Cocotte]

Truth is that if my car broke down and I was stranded for a week in the middle of no where - I could still live quite comfortably as opposed to the other 90% of the population who would have resorted to drinking their own urine by that point

I have lived in places where that would have been one of the first actions they'd have taken. Questionably even before giving the ignitions a few turns.

[TwoDo]

I have lived in places where that would have been one of the first actions they'd have taken. Questionably even before giving the ignitions a few turns.

... and there are always those who get stuck somewhere because their car breaks down and then sit freezing because they have no matches to start a fire. Of course, they completely forget about the cigarette lighter in the car.

[nickdutch]

I have lived in places where that would have been one of the first actions they'd have taken. Questionably even before giving the ignitions a few turns.

... and there are always those who get stuck somewhere because their car breaks down and then sit freezing because they have no matches to start a fire. Of course, they completely forget about the cigarette lighter in the car.

Yea, but you should hear them play the banjo . . . .