Hi Henry,

I suppose it really depends on what you are Prepping for? To some it might be for a three week power outage, to others it might be for Armageddon...

I would encourage anyone to be a little bit more prepared for the unexpected than they were yesterday Every little bit helps. Not everyone has the ability or desire to prepare themselves for total self-sufficiency. I try not to judge anyone's motives, nor do I pass judgment on their choices.

Personally at this point, I'm not totally self-sufficient, I may never be. If the grid went down permanently today, I'd have to think outside of the box. As an old warrior with 'special skills,' I would likely end-up targeting small sized groups of marauders that prey on others. In this way, I'd hope to acquire the supplies I needed for my family. In any event, I wouldn't have much of a choice, as I'd be hard pressed to watch my family die for lack of provisions.

I don't agree with you that Bugging-out is a fantasy. In my situation, a forest fire could require me to evacuate my home. I'd be in a bug-out situation that would be far from fantasy.

Sometimes bugging out is having the means to drive to and rent a hotel room.

First off great post and everyone is right so far based on their point of view which in itself shows the diversity in prepper goals. When I started prepping I was very fearful of EMP/ financial collapse and pandemics. Now I'm a student of Jack Spirko (tspc.co) and am a modern survivalist. A term he coined that means: Preparing for the most likely scenarios while simultaneously improving. Liberty and self sufficiency. Everyone preps. A thief brings a knife "in case" My mum has a federal government pension to take care of her in her old age. A modern survivalist takes a more complete view of himself/ his family/ friends and community as he knows he needs all of them to survive and life a healthy/ happy/ productive life that makes him/ his circle of influence freer everyday.

My main enemies now are financial worries/ health of family and food and what's the point of this life? Are we like the Croods and fear everything and never live? Only survive! Sometimes I do feel a little like that mostly because of financial obligations that make me work when all I want to do is raise my family and satisfy my curiosity. I think prepping is the answer for us and future generations. Legging them financial wealth through insurance and land. Educating your circle that bad debt kills what you want most. Paul wheaton talks about Gert. Someone that is so content. Wouldn't change their life even if you gave them a million dollars. I would love my circle to become Gerts. Be that happy and therfore ready for the future. The old saying says ensure you put a roof over your head and food on the table; or Maslow's law of basic needs. If you have a paid off house with land to feed/ hydrate your family and a surplus to ensure revenue to keep it then you would be a long way to being happy.old Houses with 100 acres are $50,000 here in Northern Quebec! Less than a fancy car and about 200 a month! Taxes are $1000 a year! No excuses I have five years left to pay on my homestead and I have a garden so big my neighbor's think I'm bat shit crazy! Nothing will ever grow. To far north; too much work. Never mind the families that turned my area from forest into farmland and ate and lived longer lives than we will today. I want my family eating real chemical free food. To me were like salmon that have a lead build up every time we have a meal. To to mention food prices double every 10 yrs and this processed food is killing us slowly everyday. Anyways always improve your freedom! Henry seems to be farther along than most and that's why he doesn't understand the typical buy prepping food/ gear on your credit card and be an employee or modern slave. Work for others or die. That food you save will only last so long and the cycle repeats. Perennial agriculture/ foraging is key to being free/ happy and the ultimate prepper!

Protector,

It sounds like you have a clear path toward what you wish to accomplish. I hope it all works out for you and your family.

Just to clarify. Living remotely I am ready for a small disaster to bug out for a week or so. I am talking about living your residence for a very very long time or for ever. (world wide catastrophe) How many could really survive in the middle of bush with very basics.? I went to work to Asia and Africa for a while and saw that people always get in a group in order to survive. As a kid I also experience that kind of life.
After being in Canada for 20 yrs I saw what going on in the world I decided for the independent self sufficient life. I bought 100 acr. (solid rock) Just
small area good for a house and garden.I bought small saw mill to cut my own wood for the whole house and outbuildings. bought small old concrete mixer and all the concrete we mixed with my wife. We frame the whole house, did the electrical,plumbing,heating and the finishing all our self's.
(Some people call it slavery ,I call it pride.)It takes very hard labor and time, but it can be done.The reward is debt free and free good living with very little income. (nothing is free). I used to spend lots of weekends at the auction sales buying tools and small machinery I knew I will need in the future.
Now I am very confident, because I have every basic hand tool and machinery needed for self sufficiency. DO NOT GIVE UP!
Henry

Henry,

If the northern Quebec bush is anything like the northern bush of many Provinces, you have enough Deer Flies, Black Flies and Mosquitos for harvest to gain weight. You don't have to grow anything... 🙂

Henry; I live on agricultural land that's been returned mostly to forest. I have over 2600sq ft of raised garden beds chickens/ rabbits and quail. I also have three farmers with about 150 beef cattle between them to trade with. We have wood to stay warm forever. I have trapping supplies as well. That along with rice and flour for over a year usually were pretty much set to help a lot of Ppl a long time. My goal is to be ready for 10ppl for a bad agricultural year. That means we would usually be paying off our taxes with the extras. We're still a long way off but anyone that's a normal hard working human being would be welcome for two weeks maybe longer; Much longer if you preposition supplies/ and or help/ fund the homestead. We're still at the beginning stages of medical and hunting supplies. You're right Wayne. We get all 3 fly stages. Small/ mosquitoes/. Black flies. That's the worst part of living here

Your really good being able to do all those trades. We lived in pmq's as a kid on army bases. My dad never learned or showed me anything about construction. I have learned how to process wood/ small animal husbandry and some gardening/ some trapping and a little pheasant hunting. Things are getting better every year. I guess what I need most is another homesteader/ prepper to bounce ideas off. Trade time.

Start in with the used book store, this way you can have most of the info on hand. I've gone and picked up many books that seen to hold many answers. Mix that with a few hours of youtube'in and you can start practicing. Start slow and go from there WITHOUT burning yourself out. What sort of info are you looking for

One of the best shows on TV on self sufficiency is HOMESTEAD RESCUE . It shows the biggest mistakes people make to buy land and try to be self sufficient. Many times they say that they saw lot"s of videos and read tons of books on self sufficiency and they were ready.
I grew up as little kid where family's were 100% self sufficient , no stores just trading and exchange. Than when I was getting ready to make the move I watched tons of videos, movies,read books , talk to people and still many times get very frustrated and do stupid thinks .
Just warning be ready for lot of mistakes, disappointments a very hard but fulfilling life.
Henry