I’ve had a very frustrating three weeks. My laptop crashed and as I couldn’t get back the files, it had to go to the computer doctor.
I know that I’m not alone and that this has happened to many people but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it.
What really made me irritable though was that it is only three or four years old. I was told that three years is “old” for a computer. Pardon me?
Fortunately the computer doctor was able to recover my files, but I’ve had to buy a new laptop.
It’s not hard to tell from the above that I’m of the generation who when an item was bought, expected it to last practically forever. So I find it difficult to accept the built in obsolescence that is encouraging consumerism and debt.
So what has that to do with preparedness? The more that you have to, or choose to spend on replacing items, the less you have for beans, Band-Aids and bullets and important survival items.
When the SHTF in one or more of its forms, you won’t be able to replace the gadget anyway. A ‘fixer-upper’ is and will be an excellent occupation for a handy person. Someone who can make one workable item using parts from several other items will be of great use to their community.
How many times have you had the repairman or shop assistant tell you “It’s not worth repairing; it’s cheaper to buy a new one”? If you then decide to buy a new toaster, what parts can you salvage off the old one? And that is the ideal time too, to buy a couple of the long-handled toasting forks used by campers. If you are a handy person, start saving bits and pieces now while they are still easy to come by.
Always have two or three backups and know how to use them. For convenience sake, I currently make my bread in an electric bread maker. But I know how to make bread by hand and have several different sized bread tins and other bits and pieces in the cupboard ‘just in case’. Back in the 1960s I didn’t have a clue about how to make bread so I enrolled in a night class and learned how. That was also pre-bread machine days too so I had a good grounding in ‘how to’. If you have the luxury of having an institution near by that offers night classes, take advantage of enrolling in as many practical courses as possible to expand your skills. Alternatively, ask around and find someone who can help you learn what you want/need to know. Quite often a retired person will be pleased to teach you in exchange for home-grown veggies.
Returning to the topic of my computer (and I know it’s been said before) but make hard copies of important documents and files and store them safely. In a grid-down situation you may not have the luxury of taking the machine to the computer doctor.
The throw-away mentality often applies to clothes too. I have several pairs of pants and a couple of jackets that were once upon a time fleecy and warm. This year they have seen their last winter. I’m going to cut them up, sew the best bits together, line it with wadding, back the whole thing and it will become another layer of warmth on a bed. And no, I’m not going to worry too much about ‘style’, just warmth. A cold person won’t worry about glamour. The same thing can be done with flannelette shirts too.
I’ve just had my antique wind-up clock serviced and repaired. The first time it stopped, I took it to the local jewelers who kept it for months. When I got it home it kept stopping again so I found a watch/clockmaker in a different town who has it working like a charm. The three points I’m making here is that no matter how many batteries you have, they may not be sufficient or they may die; the importance of finding a ‘proper’ watch/clockmaker instead of a retailer and the chance for you to start a repair business and/or learn the business while there is still time and there are still people around who can teach you.
Another useful skill to have is boot/shoe repairing and making. I know many people wear sneakers these days but these can’t be re-soled like boots. I have two pairs of custom made desert boots – one for best and one for every-day use. And I certainly don’t want to end up wearing shoes made from car tires. (By the way, do you have shoe polish in your survival gear? Polish helps to preserve the leather so the boots last longer.) When the boots need repair – which is very seldom, I take them back to the people from whom I bought them and I get another couple of years wear out of them. Admittedly I don’t go on 20 mile hikes so I can get away with my two pairs. But having the equipment and skills to make and repair boots and shoes will enable you to make a living. That equipment can also be used to repair tents, backpacks and a wide range of material too tough for a darning needle and cotton thread.
Even though I started this article grumbling about built-in obsolescence, I would like you all to think about the every day things you use that may not be available in the future. Think too about the skills that our fore-fathers (and mothers) had that you still have a chance to learn I’ve only touched on a few of them; you can probably think of a lot more.
Start gathering items and skills that will enable you to make a living, support your family and be a useful member of your community – while there is still time.