Tag Archives: games

What We Did This Week To Prep 8/24/12

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We are now truck owners! Sorta. We have a friend who attends the car dealer auctions in Colorado and we recently arranged with him to find us a truck. Yesterday he found one and bought it. Of course, we still need to pay him and pick up the truck from Colorado, but we’re much closer than we were. It’s a ’04 Ford F350 Diesel, 4×4, crew cab, long bed — exactly what we asked for. Originally we were going to Colorado to pick it up over Columbus Day weekend in October, but now we’re looking at going sooner (I try to be patient, but it’d be hard to wait that long). I’ve wanted a truck for years, but had never been able to really justify one. But since we’ve been so involved in our prepping, gardening, and building projects there have been more times we’ve needed one; I get tired of asking a friend to either use theirs or to help me out. It’s kind of a big deal too because we’ve been saving for it for over a year (so we could pay cash for it), it was also one of our goals for 2012. If we decide to go forward with the purchase of a 5th wheel travel trailer we now have the truck to pull it. And, if we ever have to bug-out, we have the space to bring a lot more stuff, and a vehicle that’ll have the best chance of getting us there safely.

In the garden, the cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes are finally producing and the other plants continue doing well. If the sun lasts a few more weeks I think we’ll be able to call it a successful gardening year. Either way, we’ve learned a lot and continue to improve.

Under the category of: There’s Not An App For That, this week we played a game of bocce ball with the kids and their friends. When I was young, playing outside was nothing worth mentioning–everyone did it–not so much now. We’re very informal with our bocce ball game, we don’t have a court, we just roll it through the grass. We played a mini-three way tournament; it was good to see the kids having fun with an activity that didn’t involve any electricity. If we ever do have a collapse–big or small–or even a power outage that lasts several days, lack of a normal routine and activities can cause additional anxiety. Plan ahead and incorporate board games, card games, and outdoor games into your daily life. This may sound trivial now, but in the future, creating a feeling of normalcy, unity, and just fun may be very important.

What did you do?

(Monday: What I Learned From Charlie In The Prepper Next Door)

Living Without Electric Entertainment

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There’s Not An App For That

Spoiler Alert: We are getting a pool table for Christmas.

Sarah and I both like pool, we have room for a table, and found a great deal on a good used one. And a pool table, despite what Harold Hill says, is good family entertainment. It’s an enjoyable game, that can be played with up to four people either casually or competitively. Also, once purchased–if you take good care of it–there is very little additional cost, it doesn’t require any electricity or internet connection, and it will last for years. You could say it’s a sustainable game.

This led me to thinking about sustainable entertainment in general. We discuss our five basic needs a lot, but how much do we discuss the topic of ‘boredom avoidance’? In an emergency once you know that you’ll have food to eat, clean water, comfortable shelter,  light and warmth, and feel safe; at that point what will you do with your family for fun? This could be a short-term power outage or a long-term collapse. What kind of entertainment do you have that doesn’t have to be plugged in or recharged? This means no computers, smart phones, internet, video games, iPods, television, movies, or even radio – at least not for entertainment purposes.

I don’t see TEOTWAWKI as being a Hollywood-esque struggle full of fear and desperation to survive against the elements and mutant zombie bikers* (MZBs). In reality there will be a lot of boredom periodically interrupted by unforeseen challenges and scary moments. During those times, I believe that having activities which provide fun and laughter will be even more important.

Early on I taught my kids to play a variety of board and card games. When you have four kids during the long, wet northwest winters playing an organized game is a good way to keep everyone entertained and involved together.

Our family tends to play less traditional games. For example, our favorites include: Killer Bunnies, Munchkins, Carcassonne, pirates dice, Apples to Apples, Qwirkle, and cribbage. These types of games encourage thinking outside the box; they are also able to entertain a number of people of varying ages. A pool table, though different, will complement our stock of games nicely.

The games themselves don’t matter. What matters–after you’re fed, warm, and secure–when you’re stuck inside for days at a time without power, is having something to do. Something to keep the kids interested and involved; something to take your mind off the serious (and yes, scary) world outside your door; something to pull you together as a family. Remember, family is the reason we’re doing this.

*Mutant Zombie Bikers (MZBs) is a term used in David Crawford’s’ book, Lights Out. It’s describes the bad guys, who prey on the good guys, in a collapse world.