Our friends from Oklahoma are here for a week long visit. The husband didn't come, just the wife and six kids. No dogs this time! The grand kids are thrilled they are here since that family was our "best friend" when they lived five miles from us.
As I was making dinner last night for nine rather than three I got to thinking about our preps. We travel a lot and many of our friends do as well. Most types of collapses will come on gradually so even if the friends were here they'd leave to head home if things started getting out of control. But what if it was an EMP or something where they couldn't leave? How well would we do if all of a sudden we had seven additional people who brought nothing with them other than a weeks worth of clothes and a sleeping bag? It's not like these people are friends or relatives who would decide to come to our house so we could take care of them. They would have gotten stuck here and although they would be very comfortable here would really prefer to be at their own place. How would you deal with something like that? Are you prepared enough?
I would instantly have to take charge and have a group meeting to discuss expectations from everyone and divy up the chores. Did they bring any weapons? I know the mother knows how to shoot but I don't think any of the children have ever been taught. I think I will discuss that with her now. They try to be as self sufficient as possible but I don't think they really believe that their world will change in any way.
Having these houseguests would make our food last less than six months, maybe less than four. I don't have shoes or other supplies that children need as they grow up. I have those types of supplies for my grand kids but not an extra six kids. At least this group lives on a farm and knows how to do chores. We'd instantly expand the garden and hopefully expand the chicken flock. I'd be kicking myself right now for having sold 8 sheep last Sunday!
I have to go to Costco this weekend, or sometime soon since we have very low on shredded cheese. I think I will pick up a couple more bags of rice and sugar. Both will last forever. Rice mixed with garden vegetables will provide a filling dinner. I know since that was dinner last night. Zucchini curry over rice. I used zucchini, onions, garlic, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, a cup of water, a little oil, and turmeric, mustard seed, cumin, cayenne, and salt. It was fantastic although some of the kids thought I went a little overboard with the cayenne. It's good for the digestion so eat it. Sugar adds calories and makes food taste good. Don't knock it.
That would be a really tough situation. Having more bodies for work is great, but that's a lot of food going away in a hurry.
ReplyDeletePlanning for extra people is hard, I've never had anyone chip in money or seriously get cracking at food storage. One made an attempt, 1 time, and didn't buy the things I suggested.
The question is, at what point do you put your family over everyone else in a shtf scenario.
True you have to put your family first. There's a difference in having worthless people show up at your door versus people who you've invited into your home and the disaster happens and you know they won't make it home alive. At our place we can become self sufficient within a year or two so it's just a year or so that we need to rely on our food supplies. That's a lot different than someone in town who knows their food supply will not last and they can't produce enough to support themselves.
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