The Preppers and Survivors Thread

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#3474123 26-Mar-2026 16:38

gzt: I think that's more in the realm of fantasy than the actual situation at the moment. You're talking about total collapse and adding in some magical element where all technologies instantly fail. I'm quite happy to argue the possibilities on that but we should probably start another thread for that one.

Hopefully we won’t need an Armageddon thread :) Will wait until Solar storm Carrington event plus earthquake hits in the midst of this crisis.

MikeB4

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#3474130 26-Mar-2026 16:52

The war (that's not a war) is a grift. The "cease fire" BS this week clearly shows this. The billionaire friends will close the grift when enough billions have been made. I say don't buy into this and spend just in case as this feeds the grift.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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#3474134 26-Mar-2026 17:04

Realistically, it's best to have supplies for a defined period, say one month; there's not much more you can do in today's highly interdependent world. That's the price we pay for having long since abandoned our Stone Age cave-dwelling ways. And you should have the right, reliable friends... no, not the followers of Facebook and Instagram.

In any case, the first thing I learned back then was to get my hunting and fishing licenses (and the relevant practical skills!). So, despite everything, I'm relaxed, though I do scratch my ear in bewilderment.

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#3474143 26-Mar-2026 17:36

MikeB4:

The war (that's not a war) is a grift. The "cease fire" BS this week clearly shows this. The billionaire friends will close the grift when enough billions have been made. I say don't buy into this and spend just in case as this feeds the grift.

Sure. But quite a few political leaders who weren't familiar with this will learn how it's done from that complete idiot. So there you have it. 😎

johno1234

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#3474146 26-Mar-2026 18:06

Senecio:

I believe the world will come to its senses before it gets that bad.

Finally someone making sense.

gzt

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#3474159 26-Mar-2026 19:52

Tinkerisk: Toilet paper will be the first thing to run out.

I observed many good sized leaves when I was out inspecting storm damage. Problems is exploitation of that resource could lead to a serious urban defoliation crisis.

Other than that, bidets will be in strong demand.

But more seriously I believe we continue to produce our own toilet paper here mostly from locally sourced radiata pulp. There have been some disruptions in the industry but I'm fairly sure the key parts required to save our proverbial in a national security crisis are still operating.

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#3474167 26-Mar-2026 20:37

Eva888:

In the current context, 'worst' is we run out of fuel. Does anyone thinks that’s impossible?

Impossible? No. Likely? Not really. I think you are worrying about things well before there is indication it's needed.

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#3474168 26-Mar-2026 21:02

Tinkerisk:

gzt: I think that's more in the realm of fantasy than the actual situation at the moment. You're talking about total collapse and adding in some magical element where all technologies instantly fail. I'm quite happy to argue the possibilities on that but we should probably start another thread for that one.

Yes, that sounds like it. But the subject of this thread is about „survival“ and „the worst.“

And COVID has mercilessly shown how quickly things can change. And we're „just“ one city of 2 million inhabitants surrounded by vast agricultural areas.

Toilet paper will be the first thing to run out. 😁

Toilet paper will be the first thing to be fought over.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

gzt

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#3474175 26-Mar-2026 21:32

Eva888: I have bought seeds and am starting a crop of silverbeet and perpetual spinach in egg cartons to plant out. Some in pots in case the wind kills off the garden. Maybe will plant carrots and beetroot as well. Have also bought seedlings but a packet of seeds has a few hundred potential plants whereas a punnet has six. It takes a couple months before you get results to eat, so now is the time to begin.

This is all good positive healthy stuff you can't go wrong with that. Worst case you'll lower the price of organic veges ; ).

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#3474178 26-Mar-2026 21:38

Rikkitic: Toilet paper will be the first thing to be fought over.

There's no need to start that now. Consider installing a bidet and a blow dryer if you must.

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#3474179 26-Mar-2026 21:41

Senecio:

I believe the world will come to its senses before it gets that bad.

Hopefully. But I've read too many memoirs from 1914 and the 1930s to be comfortable believing this is the inevitable conclusion.

Try Zweig's Die Welt von Gestern: Erinnerungen eines Europäers (The World of Yesterday: Memoires of a European) — there is a wonderful new translation by Anthea Bell.

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gzt

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#3474183 26-Mar-2026 22:12

Continuing the war and politics aspect above in the Iran War topic.

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#3474187 26-Mar-2026 22:53

I bought a portable lithium 240v power station thingo just over a year ago and it has had some practical use - so much so that I have now added a couple of solar panels (around 500w from memory). The battery has kept my camping fridge, phone, cameras etc running for several days on a 1200km road trip (while the car wasn't running and without flattening the car battery). I've also used it a few times to power my caravan in remote locations (the caravan only has an old lead acid deep cycle battery which doesn't last long).

The battery also kept some lights and the stereo running at home one night when we had a power cut for several hours while we were entertaining people. Without it, the party would have sucked lol. I've tested it and I know it can power my ONT, modem and laptop continuously for up to 36 hours - or pretty much indefinitely with the solar panels plugged in. Next test is how long it might be able to power fridge, freezer etc. I would consider getting another one as this one has been quite useful - probably far more-so than my petrol generator ever was.

My friends and I have had a few discussions over beers on how we might get through an armageddon type situation. Between us we have a couple of bugout locations (baches) that are both in very sparsely populated areas, but both have good access to endless fresh water, fishing and hunting grounds. One is within a 45 minute drive while the other is 3 hours away. We have 2 x butchers in the group, one of which is also a keen gardener with an exceptionally large vege garden (and handily he lives at one of these locations). The majority of us have firearm licenses and between us we have plenty of ammo, fishing rods, quad bikes, dinghies etc with much of this gear already stored at both these locations. Both locations are also very well stocked with split and stacked firewood which we already regularly harvest, cut & split via the "firewood club" we started amongst ourselves some years ago.

Do we need more prep for a mass interruption to normal daily life? Absolutely we do, but it's a decent start for a group of guys who already spend a lot of time outdoors together and have a lot of useful resources to pool. However, things like non perishable food stocks, ongoing fuel requirements, sanitation and preventative medications/first aid are likely the big ones to tackle - especially for an extended timeframe. And communication - how would we coordinate a bugout operation if conventional telecommunications are down.

For me, bugging out would very much be a last resort if things in the city go completely pear shaped - moving around in itself could be extremely difficult and risky. Staying put, laying low, conserving/rationing supplies, situational awareness, assessing risk and defending my castle would likely be the priority in the first hours and days of chaos.

I've gone down plenty of prepper rabbit holes on YouTube over the years but I'm certainly no expert (or tinfoil hat owner)...

ANglEAUT

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#3474196 27-Mar-2026 00:51

Another way to prepare: https://www.projectnomad.us/

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

Tinkerisk

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#3474201 27-Mar-2026 05:13

Rikkitic:

Tinkerisk: Toilet paper will be the first thing to run out. 😁

Toilet paper will be the first thing to be fought over.

Or, as our history professor explained Charles Darwin to us in school:

Gentlemen, to escape dangerous predators, you don't need to be able to run faster than the predator. It is quite enough to be alert and to be a little bit faster than your neighbor. 😉

(The 70-year-old man was fluent in 40 different languages, a charming, elderly gentleman, and would put us in our place with the English phrase, "Gentlemen, I'll kick you in your teeth!" Out of polite respect, we immediately fell silent. Even the most brutal verbal expression would have sounded respectful and polite coming from him. He loved his students, and they loved him.)

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