The Preppers and Survivors Thread

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#3474202 27-Mar-2026 05:32

ANglEAUT:

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

„Education“ sounds funny, compared to what I once had to do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_commando_course

(The completed basic course alone was enough for me and yes, you can eat preparedi earthworms that have been grilled on a folding shovel during the „Hungerweek“, but seafood definitely tastes better. 😁)

Going hungry for a while is no problem at all. However, it becomes a problem when full physical and mental resources are simultaneously required in a state of alert.

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coffeebaron

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#3474209 27-Mar-2026 07:42

I will store coffee beans and trade them for fuel :)

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#3474267 27-Mar-2026 09:07

coffeebaron:

I will store coffee beans and trade them for fuel :)

If you control the national Armageddon coffee stockpile you will be king and want for nothing.

MikeB4

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#3474285 27-Mar-2026 10:40

If it comes to nuclear Armageddon the best thing to do is go up the nearest hill with a great view. Find a good spot, stick your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye.

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

MikeAqua

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#3474288 27-Mar-2026 10:47

MikeB4:

If it comes to nuclear Armageddon the best thing to do is go up the nearest hill with a great view. Find a good spot, stick your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye.

What do I do if I'm not that flexible?

Mike

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#3474337 27-Mar-2026 10:54

MikeAqua:

What do I do if I'm not that flexible?

I am in the same boat. You could blow it a kiss or ask a friend😀

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

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Lias

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#3474380 27-Mar-2026 13:30

I always had the desire but never the money to be a prepper.. then I got older and now I have to take meds every day or I'll die, so I no longer really see the point.

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MikeB4

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#3474403 27-Mar-2026 13:49

@Lias yep, I am in a similar situation where the medication that keeps me on this rock comes from the USA

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

Tinkerisk

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#3474410 27-Mar-2026 14:01

Lias:

I always had the desire but never the money to be a prepper.. then I got older and now I have to take meds every day or I'll die, so I no longer really see the point.

That's what I meant. We're all interdependent in some way and should make sure things don't get to that point. It's roughly the same as wanting to go to Mars to ensure the survival of humanity. We should concentrate all our efforts on this Earth to keep it habitable.

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet. - He who knows nothing must believe everything.
Firewalls do NOT stop dragons. Really not!
I avoid Big Tech. They try hard to dictate technology and „culture“ across borders.
In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who „someone“ is.

Eva888

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#3474514 27-Mar-2026 17:37

When Covid ended I bought a carton of toilet paper online. 48 tightly rolled x850 sheets per very long roll. One ply but sufficient for the end of times.
Paid $64. It’s great not having to think about if panic buying happens. It was named recycled paper…didn’t question from what.

Alas without ripping out the entire bathroom and rearranging it for a zillion$ there’s no room for a bidet.

Guests still get the 'luxury' 2 ply stuff if they visit.

Eva888

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#3474518 27-Mar-2026 17:44

Wheelbarrow01:

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)...

Can you share a link to your very useful sounding lithium power station? Looked some up and the price range is huge. Powering the ONT for that long is pretty useful.

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gzt

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#3474524 27-Mar-2026 18:04

Japan experienced an unnecessary toilet paper panic during the oil crisis of 1973.

As part of normal business a supermarket had a particularly good special on toilet paper and it sold out that day. A newspaper then incorrectly reported something like "Oil Crisis! - Toilet Paper is gone!" - and started a mass panic buying of toilet paper...

Tinkerisk

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#3474534 27-Mar-2026 20:10

We had that for two weeks during the COVID era. People hoarded it unnecessarily for quarantine, and suddenly there was no toilet paper or disposable diapers on the supermarket shelves. I saw young mothers crying there. Some really „clever“ people filled their living rooms hoping to sell the toilet paper at a high price. That backfired; I think they won't need to buy anything else until the end of time. 😁

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet. - He who knows nothing must believe everything.
Firewalls do NOT stop dragons. Really not!
I avoid Big Tech. They try hard to dictate technology and „culture“ across borders.
In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who „someone“ is.

MichaelNZ

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#3474536 27-Mar-2026 20:16

I have been at this "thing" for awhile and there are a few groups (with considerable overlap) who I don't hold much hope for:

The unprepared. Better have something to put on the table.
Those who think their preps are better then they are and it will be all right and fine for them.
Conspiracy theorists. Lots of opinions and usually don't do much.
The unbalanced (aka. gun nut). You only need one rifle to get a meat animal. If you can't get it with one rifle and one round that's on you. Do yourself a favour and go spend more time at the range.

If you live in a city and don't have land its a good time to make friends with those who live in rural areas. I mean this is a prescription. If things go further south this year you don't have time to get prepared.

Wheelbarrow01:

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.

Amateur Radio is the best option but I know of some coordinating with PRS.

Wheelbarrow01

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#3474537 27-Mar-2026 22:00

Eva888:

Can you share a link to your very useful sounding lithium power station? Looked some up and the price range is huge. Powering the ONT for that long is pretty useful.

Yes it's the Bluetti AC70P. I paid just over $1000 when the average price was around $1200, but I can see they can be bought for as little as $850ish now.

It's small and light enough to be portable while big enough (capacity wise) to be useful. Battery technology is evolving quickly - I see Bluetti has already released a range of sodium-ion power stations - lighter, fast charging and cold proof (use down to -25 celcius, recharge from -15). Not sure if those are available in NZ yet...

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