Topic of the Month February 2015- Cabin Fever/Winter Hardships

February is a a time when winter seems to have no end. This month let's talk about how to combat and recognize cabin fever/winter doldrums. It is important that people be able to recognize when others are being affected. The hardships of winter can seem compounded when you are in a survival situation, then add cabin fever into the mix. The short days, the worries, lack of sun and weather can have a true mental effect.

 

learn a new hobby/craft... knitting Darning, making chain mail... knife making... guitar... write a book... something to keep your ,mind busy... set aside an hour or two and spend that time on your hobby... you will be amazed at how time flies...

 

clean your shop,polish you sockets,organize your bolt bin...
throw away whats in your shop thats not your but gets put there wen u r not home ....

 

Winter projects can also have so problems. I would love to spend the coldest winter parts, stripping down a motorcycle engine of mine, and starting the rebuild, but the wife's medical issues are breathing related, and any strong odors can put her back in the hospital. so I have to careful in what projects to tackle when I can't vent the smells out. With no out buildings suitable to working in, (just the metal shed) those kind of projects must happen in the open aired outdoors. And that is quite hard to do in the bitter cold, so they don't happen. Even cleaning projects like a shop can produce strong odors, and have to watched closely. So winter projects tend to be carpentry and organizational projects indoors, and whatever I can get done outdoors.
Books are good, when there is time, and I have several on here to read, still.

 

Boring winter months are dangerous! That's when I tend to buy lots of new stuff I don't really need! I need to make more effort to get out the gear I already have and find the joy in it again.

 

Living on top of a mountain where it took 20 minutes to drive to the mailbox alone, we were often shut in from November to March. Without electric, internet,...activities had to be planned. The school gave us the kids' work as they knew there would be no transportation to school in winter. Going stir crazy was a big fear. So, we made a boredom list; things to do. Board games (solo and with others), craft projects, books to read, make paracord snowshoes and get outside, canning and prepping tasks, splitting firewood (yes, by hand), writing, researching and learning new skills (now that we have Internet), or even honing survival and homesteading skills...Turns out there is a lot to do in winter.

 

A game of scrabble and cuppa hot coco eats up a long afternoon.

No "Batman" words allowed though.

 

It is easy now to alleviate boredom because society is functioning but I wonder if SHTF what could be done to get rid of the boredom. I read an article that there is actually a condition called SAD- seasonal affective disorder. Depression, irritability, lack of motivation are just some of the symptoms. With modern conveniences we have drugs, therapy lamps that help people combat SAD but I wonder what people would do if they were in "survival" mode.

May I ask if there was ever a severe year where supplies got tight? It sounds like you have had experience with long winters and having to make your own amusement. Making paracord snowshoes, I really like that idea, you can make it then use it to help pass the winter away.

 

I am not good at dealing with the bitter winters of South Alabama where it is often 10 below 50 degrees some nights, well at least a couple of nights,,,If it is too cool to ride motorcycles or go swimming, I usually cook out on the grill, warming myself with the charcoal fire while sipping a glass of Jack Daniels. I actually like winter weather because I can tun the air conditioning off most days.

 

I remeber the months after Katrina,
One 4 year old special needs child and a girlfriend from up north 7 months pregnant...
Supplies in store got low But we managed.
Going to get gas to keep the generators running was always an all day affair... but odly enuff the gas was always there but getting your hands on gas cans was a task in its self !!!!

Kiddy pool kept the us ocupied for the most part... movies ...


go out side play be kids get in trouble ....
And when all else fails and you are bored set something on fire!!!

 

Febuary= Rabbit hunting
Kill a couple skin and clean, cut up in quarters
Heat skillet and brown the meat in chopped up onions
Make roux add seasoning
Cook down until meat is falling off the bone
Serve over rice
That should about do it for the day!

 

I have an idea or two on that if you are interested....

 

Semi-heated barn/work shop, cleaning up, changing oil in small engines, repairing chainsaws. Lots of little projects that got put off because it was easier to work outside in the woods or sawmill when it wasn't so cold. Too cold to ride the motorcycle plus too dangerous with the sand the township and county throw on the roads to melt the ice. Getting ready to make out the seed orders. Going over the roto-tiller, rebuilding the carb on it. All the little maintenance things that get put off in the summer because I'm too busy with other things.

Oh, and spending to much time on the computer - forums.

 

I have been asking myself what if… an EMP, collapse or something rendered our current lifestyle to stop. If I no longer worked but was at home day after day, worried about the future and survival, I know I would go stir crazy. Winter would be the hardest because of the short days and gloom. From reading on cabin fever January and February seem to be the worst. First thing I would do was divide up the chores and responsibilities. Everyone would have a turn cooking meals. We have board games and puzzles but those would amuse for only so long.

It seems that cabin fever gets worse from lack of sunlight and fresh air. I would have everyone do something outside for at least 20 minutes a day, granted during the sub-zero temperatures that wouldn’t happen but on most days. One way to get the family outside would be to take turns checking on some of our elderly neighbors. The family would get fresh air and get some exercise and the neighbors would get some company that would help them break up the day.

I think that declaring a camping night every week or so would be fun. Setting the tent up in the living room and inventing something that looks like a camp fire would be fun. The kids can get creative and camping is always a time of stories, laughing and fun.

 

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. IMO if we thought SHTF would be for a week, we wouldn't be here. That being said, imagine dealing with all this during January and February:

HOMESTEADERS - HARDSHIPS experienced by the settlers

 

And when the snow is 6' deep, the wind has been howling for 2 weeks straight, you're running low on firewood and lighting stuff, everything your companions do will get under your skin! Do a Google on "Cabin Fever". from Wikipedia: Cabin fever - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tough stuff. Down here in SENM, we get wind during spring. Lots of wind. Day in and day out. It blows. Sometimes it howls. For weeks. We can come and go, but it still gets to you. I can't imaging what it would be like if you were totally trapped due to snow plus the wind. Deadly, prolly.

Kajun

 

I'd prefer to have a power source for our laptops for entertainment, but we do have lots of board games, and decks of cards, and books, and crafting supplies.