Gear Advice

[FullMoon]

Tim recently gave some useful advice about Geiger counters and which one's to consider. Thanks for that!
There's lots more gear we need to live a mostly self contained existence, and I'm finding it time consuming to figure it out. If anyone has experience with gear, specifically stuff on the market right now please chime in when you can. Thanks in advance

[spottybrowncow]

Tim recently gave some useful advice about Geiger counters and which one's to consider. Thanks for that!
There's lots more gear we need to live a mostly self contained existence, and I'm finding it time consuming to figure it out. If anyone has experience with gear, specifically stuff on the market right now please chime in when you can. Thanks in advance

I think these are really cool:

https://www.sunoven.com/

Use the sun to cook anything, even if it's cool, as long as you have some UV.
Only problem is, everyone will smell whatever is cooking (unless you live way out).

[Navigator]

Here is one that is significantly less expensive, though not as sturdy. For the budget minded.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074S ... 3240e894a8

One of the things that you may have to anticipate is the scarcity of fuel, not just gas, but anything that burns. This would allow you to boil water and cook under most conditions, so it is a great idea.

In post WW1 Vienna, the city stopped getting coal shipments. The locals chopped down and burned the famous Vienna Woods (the WienerWald) to heat their homes and cook. Soon there wasn't a tree left in the city.

[Guest]

Here is one that is significantly less expensive, though not as sturdy. For the budget minded.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074S ... 3240e894a8

One of the things that you may have to anticipate is the scarcity of fuel, not just gas, but anything that burns. This would allow you to boil water and cook under most conditions, so it is a great idea.

In post WW1 Vienna, the city stopped getting coal shipments. The locals chopped down and burned the famous Vienna Woods (the WienerWald) to heat their homes and cook. Soon there wasn't a tree left in the city.

So that's what happened. When I visted Vienna in the 1990s I was surpised how few trees there were. Vienna is filled with beautiful buildings, many decorated with gold leaf, but the city is almost light grey in appearence. The lack of greenery was still noticable in the 1990s.

[FullMoon]

Solar cooker is a great idea and I've never seen it before!

[Cool Breeze]

Yes, pretty cool. As someone who has been lucky to do well in his life, even though I'm in the "not totally sold" crowd regarding how awful things might be, I still am compiling such things because my cost is not that high (I can afford it) and the gain could be tremendous. Just having alcohol, batteries, food, weapons, etc gives you a tremendous leg up - and if you don't need them - all the better.

[El Cid M]

Here is one that is significantly less expensive, though not as sturdy. For the budget minded.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074S ... 3240e894a8

One of the things that you may have to anticipate is the scarcity of fuel, not just gas, but anything that burns. This would allow you to boil water and cook under most conditions, so it is a great idea.

In post WW1 Vienna, the city stopped getting coal shipments. The locals chopped down and burned the famous Vienna Woods (the WienerWald) to heat their homes and cook. Soon there wasn't a tree left in the city.

Sold out. Any other sites you would recommend?

[tim]

Invest in night vision.

Get a solar panel, deep cycle battery, and rechargeable batteries to keep the unit running long after the batteries are gone.

Night vision is a force multiplier. When the grid goes down you will be at the mercy of someone with night vision if you don't have it yourself.

[FullMoon]

Invest in night vision.

Get a solar panel, deep cycle battery, and rechargeable batteries to keep the unit running long after the batteries are gone.

Night vision is a force multiplier. When the grid goes down you will be at the mercy of someone with night vision if you don't have it yourself.

Thanks Tim. I was going to get one but haven't yet. So you have any specific recommendations of kinds?
Any other gear advice would be much appreciated by anyone. After shipping lanes are blocked, all this good stuff won't be readily available. Thanks in advance

[tim]

Invest in night vision.

Get a solar panel, deep cycle battery, and rechargeable batteries to keep the unit running long after the batteries are gone.

Night vision is a force multiplier. When the grid goes down you will be at the mercy of someone with night vision if you don't have it yourself.

Thanks Tim. I was going to get one but haven't yet. So you have any specific recommendations of kinds?
Any other gear advice would be much appreciated by anyone. After shipping lanes are blocked, all this good stuff won't be readily available. Thanks in advance

What you want is a PVS14. I would get one made by TNVC. It won't be cheap.

One great way to get ideas for gear would be to read the novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen.

https://www.amazon.com/Second-After-Joh ... 0765327252

John Matherson is a professor of history at the local Montreat Christian College. A retired U.S. Army colonel and Gulf War veteran, he had moved to Black Mountain with his family when his late wife Mary, a native of the town, was dying from cancer. He now is the widowed father of two daughters, Elizabeth and Jennifer.

At 4:50 p.m. (16:50) Eastern Daylight Time on the second Tuesday of May, the first day described in the book's narration, the phone lines in the town suddenly go dead, along with all the electrical appliances. Within hours it becomes clear that this is no ordinary blackout. Every modern electrical device is disabled, destroyed by what Matherson is beginning to suspect is an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States.

The United States has effectively been returned to the 19th century, with few 21st-century people able to deal with such conditions. Matherson later remarks that survivors have had to rely on the technology of the early 16th century. His immediate concern is his twelve-year-old daughter, who has Type 1 diabetes. Without a constant supply of insulin, which requires refrigeration, she will die.

The book explores how the whole community responds, as many others face similar crises. Matherson's experience and character help him with the town's residents. Hundreds of motorists are stranded when their vehicles stop. They get into town, making the residents feel threatened by the numbers of people needing help. An immediate concern is food. No refrigerators or freezers are running, nor are grocery stores receiving supplies.