James Wesley:
One subject that I think is under rated in preparedness discussions is spare parts. We all are focused on our armaments and basic survival materials to the detriment of being able to continue to use our tools and equipment when they inevitably break. Even in the best-case scenario of a sever depression spare parts will be often unavailable through normal channels. A good example of this is to be found in cars. When I was young in the ‘50s and early ‘60s there was an abundance of cars made in the late ‘20s and ‘30s in remarkably good shape that were shoved into barns because of breakdowns, often minor, for which parts were not available during the depression. These cars were hauled out by enterprising young men returning from WWII and Korea and turned into hot rods or just driven into the ground when parts again became available in the ‘50s. As our economic system becomes ever more complex and specialized, and as that built in disaster of “just in time” production and distribution is used more and more, the inevitability of interruptions in materials and basic goods becomes even more probable. Having spent a lifetime living on farms, and particularly here in the western Upper Peninsula (“U.P.“) of Michigan where the nearest farm supply stores are down in Wisconsin a day’s drive away, I have developed an acute appreciation of the necessity of having a good inventory of parts on hand. So combine a disruption in supply with a remote refuge location and the problem could become insurmountable and be very inconvenient if not life threatening. So think in terms of two different plans: parts and maintenance.
Spare Parts
In the parts department do you have spare wicks and globes for your oil lamps? And lots and lots of mantles for gas lights which I do not recommend for the reason that they are so fragile that bugs break them. Do you have extra leathers for your water pumps? And handles for your axes, splitting mauls, hammers and saws? These have a way of getting broke when used with regularity; particularly when you are tired or exhausted which we will be if we are in this situation. I heat with wood and do not own a wood splitter. I do it by hand and have never broken a maul handle except at the end of the day when I am tired and miss the block of wood with the head and hit it with the handle. So count on breaking things when you are tired or in a hurry. Do you have extra chains for your chain saw and blades for your bow saw. A good bow saw [or bucksaw] is definitely a tool to have if gasoline is scarce or unavailable, or if you want to cut wood without attracting attention. And do you have the files and sharpening stones to keep them sharp by hand and the teeth properly set? You might also want to practice these skills because they are skills. And boot laces, gloves, wool socks and other warm and durable clothing that you do not often use and replace but that will become something that you will use every day under adverse conditions. Anyway you get the point. Stock up on daily used items. For instance, last week the local hardware store had leather palmed work gloves on sale at two pairs for a buck so I bought 50 pairs. I’ll use them eventually even if nothing goes wrong, and if it does I’m covered and I’ll have some great bartering material. Buy what you know you will need and may be able to trade to those less provident.
Maintenance|
Maintenance is always a neglected area of planning. Most people are poor at maintenance as a matter of course and some cannot even seem to consider it. Look at your home, equipment and tools and determine what you need to do to keep it working, particularly under adverse conditions. Do you have the tools, manuals and knowledge to fix things. Is your shop supplied with lubricants and grease to keep the place running. My granddad liked to say “grease and oil are cheap and parts and labor are expensive”, During the 1980s I was a Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court and I handled most of the farm cases here in the U.P. because I knew the business and could milk cows. One of the things that struck me most was the almost universal lack of grease guns on these bankrupt farms. It changed my feelings about my fellow farmers plight to a great degree in many cases. A lack of daily maintenance is a precondition to disaster. I own a lot of old equipment that gets used hard, but it is well maintained and seldom breaks down because of grease, oil and general maintenance. And maintenance of the area around you is also important. Recently a most excellent article was posted in SurvivalBlog dealing with keeping the place neat and clean. It is well worth re-reading and considering. A neat environment helps keep you safe from injury and has an important psychological component. Which leads to another point about neatness. Keep your stored goods organized so you can find them. Plastic bins and totes with labels make things easy to find and protects them from vermin, dirt and corrosion and makes taking inventory a snap.
So get the spare parts you will need, and some to trade, and get them organized. And maintain your home, tools, equipment, mind, body, marriage and family and we will get through this time to come. And if we are wrong about the future we will still be the better for it. – Ken S.