Prepping with a Hippie

Sent to me by a reader, who we'll call Tom:

Tom:  "Urban, pay close attention now: I've been married for 6 years and never knew about one of my wife's relatives living close by until she wanted to re-establish contact. Apparently she was embarrassed of them but I guess her conscious got to her. This relative, now pay close attention, is the Uncle of my wife's mother's half sister. I know. I couldn't even draw that out on a piece of paper. Well, it turns out that this "uncle" and his wife, both now in their 70's live less than 2 hours away and live totally off the grid, except for electricity which apparently he (Uncle Ted) is still pissed off about, but he used it for light and I think a frig and his water well or pump."

Tom:  "Uncle Ted is an honest hippie from the 1970's that hasn't changed. He drives, seldom, but still has a running VW van. Ted and his wife have home solar panels which provide some electricity and some sort of manure heated hot water system. They have a small creek (about 12 feet wide and maybe 6 inches deep) running about 300 feet from the farmhouse. They have chickens, some milk goats and his farm borders a large plot where another farmer has cows and horses."

UrbanMan's note:  The VW van picture above is one I found. The van, to the best of my knowledge, does not belong to Tom's Uncle Ted.  

Tom:  "When we were visiting the second time, I noticed a big stack of buckets that Ted said the neighbor gave him and used to contain livestock supplements. Ted gave me six of them, with lids. I intend to use these for stocking foods items. I will take two of them and make a water filter system for Uncle Ted and Aunt Maureen." "Ted also fishes at nearby lake. But their primarily food comes from growing and canning their produce. They have a basement that is at least 16 feet by 20 feet with shelves floor to ceiling that are stocked with canned foods which they sometimes sell at a Farmer's Market during the Summer and Fall months to trade for whatever."

Tom:  "I asked Ted's wife if they were vegetarians and she said No, not really that the neighboring rancher has a wild pig problem and occasional traps these pigs, slaughters them and gives Ted and Maureen some of the meat."  

UrbanMan's note:  I read someplace that if you have wild pig problem, you can never get rid of it.  I also read something else that there are only two types of rural properties:  one that has a wild pig problem and one that will soon have a wild pig problem.  Well, that may be a decent problem to have if you could figure out a way to protect your survival crops. 

Tom:  "Here, lies the problem: I asked Ted if he hunts and he aid he doesn't believe in guns and he says guns have only one purpose - to kill people. He said he's not willing to kill another person so he doesn't own a gun." "Uncle Ted's farm and his lifestyle provide my wife and I with a legitmate place to bug out to if we have to. I haven't told anyone else about Uncle Ted (not his real name) because I it would freak Uncle Ted out if a couple of my friends showed up at his farm all gunned up, etc. But my wife knows my plans to Bug Out to Ted's if necessary, and I will be taking all my guns. She wants me to get some sort of acceptance from Ted."

Tom:  "With the buckets that Ted gave I fill one up every 7 to 10 days as it takes about two trips to the grocery store to get items that will fit the best and build a 4 to 6 day survival bucket. I put rice, pinto beans, bullion, dried soup mix, peanut butter, hand sanitizer, a butane lighter, a dozen tea bags and sugar packet's, several bags of assorted nuts and dried fruit. These give me a chance to continue my preps and do it on a budget. These smaller type buckets are great. They have wire handles and the lid secures well. I can throw them around or into the back of my SUV if in a hurry and they provide a small package without giving the store away for barter as well."

Tom:  "My plan is to make the bucket water filter, on bucket on top of the other, with ceramic filter in the top bucket and a spigot in the bottom bucket and give this to Ted and show him one of the other survival bucket I built and just come right out and tell him about my concerns about a total collapse where we will be left on our own."

 UrbanMan's note:  I the included the picture of what I envision the bucket water filter looks like.

Tom:  "It's not like I'm a gun freak or anything. I just know the value of having a gun. My doomsday arsenal is an M-1A1 with iron sights; a Remington 700 also in .308 with a scope (my deer rifle); a Springfield Armory M1911 .45 and a H&R .22 LR revolver."

UrbanMan replies: "Ask Uncle Ted if there is anything worth protecting? Ask him if he would be willing to point a gun and shoot someone who is going to rape and murder his wife."

I envy your potential bug out. If Uncle Ted doesn't like the gun business but is non-violent, then I guess there is nothing he can do abnout it if you show up and occupy his farmhouse if Bug Out was necessary. And I mean occupation in a nice way,...still his house, his rules, but you have guns - sort of like a disability, in fact you can tell him to think of guns as your disability.

Maybe you can leverage Uncle Ted's probable dislike or distrust of the Government as well.                              

By the way, nice selection of a survival firearms armory. You may want to consider a 12 gauge shotgun and maybe a good .22 rifle like a Ruger 10/22. Maybe another decent caliber handgun for your wife. Think of the two man rule and a two gun rule as well. Good luck.