I found this forum while doing some research on solar energy and really liked it so signed up. I'm retired, been involved with survivalism since I was a kid as Dad was a WWII combat veteran and had me out humping my own ruck in the boonies ever since I was big enough to stuff my teddie bear into it. He believed in being able to pack his car in 10 minutes with everything needed for a long term wilderness stay, could do it, and that was back in the 50's. Grew up kind of poor and learned how to fix all kinds of broken stuff, or make do with raw materials and make it myself for a lot of things I wanted but couldn't afford. I am an experienced hunter, fisher, wild food gatherer, reloader, bullet caster, gardener, bowyer, fletcher, archer, slingshotter, blacksmith, welder, tracker, carpenter, plumber, electrician, emergency medic, hiker, camper, auto and bicycle mechanic, primitive skills teacher, brewer, vintner, tobacco grower and processor as I smoke a pipe, and bla, bla, bla, pretty much do everything myself. I retired 2 years ago and moved onto 3 acres with 2 springs and a seep in TN adjacent to a huge State Park in a 40 year old run down double wide that I made habitable. Looked for this place in earnest for 2 years before I found it. Been working on this rock infested soil and finally got a method worked out to produce a substantial part of my own food. I'm mostly a vegetarian but will consume meat if I harvest it from the wild. I hardly ever watch TV, and then only to watch a DVD, no broadcast or cable. Working on getting off the grid, and being totally self sufficient. Here's a pic of my place as I found it a couple of years ago.
When it comes to staying alive, you never can know enough. I've already gleaned a few nuggets from some of the posts and am happy to find a vibrant and imaginative group of people that seems way ahead of most the forums dealing with the problems associated with being self sufficient and successful in various challenging situations.
@Oltymer welcome to Survival Monkey. Glad that you found us. Nice place you have. Q: is that a river in front of your home? Can you drink from it? Fish? Flooding issue?
That's a creek that comes from a spring that is about 900 feet in elevation above me on the mountain behind my place. It runs from about October through April., but excepting for heavy rains in summer it is dry from May through September. Amazingly, small fish do appear when it is running, also snakes, already killed 2 copperheads in it this spring while it was running. People here tell me it is safe to drink, but I use my springs for that and making my beer. It will flood over the driveway in winter with heavy rains, even has white water looking rapids then. Pic is of the creek in March 2014, first time I saw it and I was told that it never ran dry by the seller - Buyer Beware!!
I just have experiences to share, successful and failed experiments in self sufficient living. I also have tons of questions, so brace yourself and prepare to be bored to tears by strange stories, and I will be asking a lot of questions on various aspects of the lifestyle very soon, and will appreciate anything members can share with me.