Emotionally Prepared for Disaster. Recession-proof jobs.

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some longer e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Reader Joe M. wrote to ask:

“I’ve been a reader of your blog for at least 10 years. Thank you for all the knowledge and advice you’ve given us all over the years.

Assuming we are indeed headed into a recession, what advice would you give the average prepper to prepare for it and mitigate its impact? Personally, I am not interested in anything related to investing in stocks, bonds, crypto, etc. My question is more direct-action oriented. What would you physically DO to prepare: purchase tangibles, land, equipment, etc.? Learn certain skills? I’m not familiar with what a recession would look like for our country and communities, so anything you could advise would no doubt be of immense help to me and your regular readers.”

JWR’s Reply: To be ready for a deep and protracted recession or depression, I believe the most important thing that you can do is to make yourself recession-proof. Two of the best ways to do so are: A.) Position yourself in a recession-proof job, and B.) Start a home-based business that will do well in a recession. The latter will be your fallback revenue stream, in case you lose your primary employment.

I’ve addressed this issue in several SurvivalBlog, starting back in 2009. See:

The last one of those linked articles is certainly dated, wherein I recommended a DVD rental or sales business. With the advent of online movie streaming technology, DVDs are essentially dinosaurs.

These days, I’d recommend pursuing anything related to RV or camping trailer repair or refurbishing. One lucrative niche is doing RV phototovoltaic power system installation. There is a multi-billion dollar backlog of orders for new RVs and camping trailers from companies such as Winnebago and Airstream. That seemingly unquenchable demand, in turn, has created greater interest in getting used RVs and camping trailers roadworthy.

And, needless to say, also having savings and a deep larder will provide a cushion, in the event of unemployment or illness. Food storage is for more than just disasters! It can be relied upon, when a family’s breadwinner is out of work.

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Several readers sent this news link: Michigan Couple Says Town Seized Their Building and Offered To Return It if They Bought Two Cars for Police. JWR’s Comment: When I read things like this, it leads me to an axiomatic conclusion: The only difference between the institutions of “government” and “mafia” is the presence or absence of badges.

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Destroying farms, golf courses, lawns – feral pigs causing $115 Million in damages each year in South Carolina, and it’s only going to get worse. (Our thanks to H.L. for sending that link.)

SaraSue sent this update from her farm:

“The garden: full of wild rabbits in the evening, so the first section I planted was scarfed up (lettuce, cabbage, radishes, broccoli, kale). Will have to wrap the garden fence in chicken wire/deer fencing to keep the critters out. The potato plants are big and flowering, but something has attacked all the leaves. The corn, okra, and squash all coming up. I planted hundreds of various colors of sunflower seeds, and variety of melons including watermelon this past week.

Critters: New layer chics (green and blue eggers) all went out to the main chicken yard in a protected space. The big rooster has stopped attacking me – he got the message. The meat bird chickens are growing fast and just moved outside. The dwarf goats can’t keep up with the pasture grass this time of year, so it has to be mowed. The cows have their own pastures, which will be mowed on rotation. The breeding rabbits are huge but haven’t bred any yet.

Dairy cows: Even with all my fumbling about, the electric milker is working well, and Daisy stands patiently now without putting up a fight, giving 2 gallons a day while having the calf on her full time. I have to get the calf dehorned/disbudded soon and not looking forward to it. I made “farmers cheese” last week. Simple recipe: Bring the milk to almost a boil, slowly stir in white vinegar (ratio of 1/2-1c of vinegar to 1 gallon of milk), let sit and cool, gently stir, strain, refrigerate. The cheese is like the kind you’d smear on a bagel and it’s delicious. I’ve always been afraid to drink raw milk because of my compromised immune system, but I can tell you, other than being fastidious about keeping things clean, it’s incredibly delicious with no negative effects on me.

Farmhouse & Family: In the rush to get the farm up and running I completely neglected the inside of the house. I went to buy paint and was shocked that it was $41/gallon!! I purchased a lot of furniture at the thrift store and am in process of refinishing it. My daughter has decided to birth her fourth baby here on the Farm with the assistance of a local midwife. I’m over the moon happy about it and it’s spurred me to get going on the inside of the house. Keep prepping y’all. Hard times are coming.”

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I heard about a blacksmithing forge company in Vancouver, British Columbia that offers classes open to the public: Fraser River Forge.

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Owen wrote:

“I love SurvivalBlog and read it everyday. Without any doubt, it is the best prepping and freedom-loving site in the world. I wanted to add my two cents to a two-part article published yesterday and today on mental health. I think the writer is right on in his thoughts.

After I retired from the Army, I went to grad school and became a licensed professional counselor (LPC). My practice consists of tough guys and man’s man (firefighters, first responders, law enforcement, and military). These guys have all grown being taught and believing that ‘big boys don’t cry’ or to ‘keep a tight upper lip’. After living in this paradigm for a few years they find themselves with broken marriages, and broken relationships with their children, family, community, God, and themselves. In addition, they suffer the physical symptoms associated with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Many try to cope by abusing alcohol or drugs. Some even ‘solve’ the problem by eating their gun. If it can happen to them, then it can happen to you.

If these guys had just practiced the self-care techniques advocated in this article or seen a professional counselor earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. To be on your game, especially when the SHTF, you need to take care of yourself mentally, physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually or you are useless to yourself, your family, and others who depend on you. This is what the enemy wants. Don’t let them win! You better start practicing self-care today.”

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Reader T.O.F. wrote:

“I want to comment on BEYOND BEANS BULLETS AND BAND-AIDS, PARTS 1 & 2, BY TODD ALBERTSON. These articles spoke to me. I was born in China to parents who were missionaries with the China Inland Mission. I was a very young boy on December 13, 1937 when the Japanese advanced to Nanking. This began six weeks of what has been called the “Nanking Massacre”. It was in my opinion, the most brutal war crime in the twentieth century.

My father was prepared and made each of us pack “camping bags’ or what we would call “go bags” today several months in advance. We had a few changes of clothes, some British money, food, toiletries, and a Bible. One morning when Dad knew the end was near, he woke us, calmly told us to dress, bring our camping bag, and get in the car (which he always kept fully gassed). He rousted our neighbor and her son. Her husband was on outreach somewhere. Dad explained that the Japs had broke through and we had to go now. The mother became hysterically and kept screaming “no, no. no” and walking in circles just shaking and incapacitated by fear. Dad and mom physically dragged her to the car. She broke loose and ran away just yelling “no, no, no”. Time was of the essence as there was just one flight out and it was leaving soon. So they grabbed her boy, put him in the car, and brought him with us. No one ever heard from his mother again. Presumably she was raped and killed by the Japanese soldiers. My folks subsequently adopted him and raised him as my brother. We barely made the last flight out before the city fell completely and then began the long journey back to America. The moral of this story is: If my dad wan’t prepared materially and emotionally, we never would have made it out alive. Those who weren’t didn’t. It it that simple: YOU’D BETTER BE MATERIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY PREPARED OR YOU WON’T SURVIVE.

Also, at the end of this article you link to the author’s weblog. On his weblog he has a section init on a variety of world religions. I am a Christian but even here in Southern Idaho we are getting a lot of non-Christian immigrants in recent years. His articles appear to be an easy way to learn about these different beliefs so that I can hopefully understand and witness to these people better.”

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US Government Orders Additional Smallpox-Monkeypox Vaccines.

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Reader A.K. wrote:

“My stepson delivers fuel to the bulk plant called to tell me a shutdown is coming in the next week or two and he will be off work, per Cenex. If this happens then I’m going to have to decide if we cut hay this year, and save the fuel for other uses. There is concern about home heating oil for the winter too. We did not plant any grain for this year. We farm and ranch in both Washington and Idaho.”

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And, lastly, some news from Alaska: JBER soldier killed in bear attack on base. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)