beth,

i don't consider your form of "survivalism" to be paranoid at all. it can drive you nuts, because the more you get into it the more you realise that your small preparations aren't really suitable at all, but as long as you keep it in a realm of realism you'll be okay.

if you start retreating to a mountain cabin because the jews/muslims/nazis/feds/american kennel club are coming to get you, that's when i'll personally get worried.

anne, yeah, i haven't picked up the actual rag in ages, but i was recently looking for plans for a home improvised woodburning stove and found an excellent set of plans on their website someplace that was made from an old water heater. i went with another design, but there's tonnes of interesting stuff nonetheless.

Jamie, you and Gary would get along great. He is always on the lookout for ways to ...how do I say this .... find new uses for older stuff? Maybe you can help with a current challenge. We have two fireplaces - one gas (a new one, which would be useless without electric and/or gas service) and a wood burning one (which is decorative more than practical). He's looking for ways that the actual wood burning fireplace could be more useful if we *really* needed as much heat as possible from it.

I will avoid mentioning the wood stove plans he has proposed...

Beth

I can offer this, your water heater is a great source of drinking water if you are cut off from the city main, make sure it's strapped to the wall.
Make sure you refresh your emergency kit every so often, even sealed kits go bad.
Years of preparing for the “big one” earthquake talk.

beth,

i'm a bit of a dabbler, and yes, i'm always coming up with new uses for old crap. it drives my wife nuts, because if i can find even the most insane use for something i'll do my best not to throw it away. our house doesn't look like a trash heap yet, but without her to balance me out, i'm not sure how the place would look.

unfortunately while i've poured over a few different designs, as well as some articles on the theories behind chimneys and drafting, i've not tried building my own stove (i lack the tools). the best i've done is rebuilt the old open fireplace that was in this house originally - it was bricked up and made into some faux electric contraption.

i can tell you that in terms of putting out heat efficiently, an open fireplace is literally stoneage technology. i'm hoping sometime in the summber to put one of those stove inserts in, because at the moment i think most of the heat goes straight up the chimney.

well, due in no small part to my efforts, this part of the conversation has gotten a bit off topic, so maybe if you think i'd be useful to you guys in anyway i should pm or email.

Beth,

Your husband should read "Lucifer's Hammer", one of the best disaster/survivalist books ever. It may give him some great ideas...or it just may push him completely over the edge

Seriously, a good emergency backup power generator, while not cheap, is a very good home investment. I grew up in St. Louis (Mom is still there), and lived in Chicago, so I'm well acquainted with extreme Midwestern weather. Lots of people I know back home are considering getting one after going days without power.

Editing to add that I don't think you're paranoid either. If you have a Plan B you seldom need it.

I'm going with the homeland security plan times two. I keep enough food and fuel for two weeks. I got well water and a 6KW generator. some .22s, a sniper rifle and a couple of blackpowder rifles so I can jack any game if I need to. My eyes are going bad so I imagine we'll be eating a lot of cats and squirrels. Of course we have a first aid kit and some basic meds oh I almost fergot, duct tape, we got a case of duct tape

All I can remember about an earthquake , is when it hit in the Loma prieta area in 89 and other places, I got a good deal on a big property in Los gatos mountains
I remember after moving in, when we lost power at that specific property because of heavy rain and wind and mudslide that I was stuck with no power for 2 weeks with a 3 year old, not fun I have to say.I remember thinking to be prepared for such a thing but really never got to it. I think it's a good thing to plan for any disaster big or small.

My solution in case an outside event cuts me of power, water and food

Fuel

I have a biodiesel reactor and have a reserve of biodiesel of about 500l and an wvo reserve of over 3000l

Electrics
If electrics would fail i have a diesel power unit that runs on biodiesel

Water

I have a waterfilter capable of filtring 5000l befor the cartridge runs out

Food

Chickens/rabbits
Garden
stored dryfood

For the rest no planning

You don't live near Vegas do you? Just in case

Nope Belgium

What i described is not the result from planning but a few hobbies that came together.

Water filtring commes from my hiking past
Biodiesel is now my thing and the costs for the installation are less than 1000$ and i got it back realy quick 15 cents/liter biodiesel

greetings

Johan