This author’s note originally appeared in the December 19th edition of my author newsletter. To subscribe to my newsletter, click here.
I’ve been thinking a lot about self-reliance recently. I just finished reading One Second After by William R. Forstchen, and while it’s a good book—perhaps even an important book—I have to say that is not the sort of thing that is fun to read when you’re newly married and expecting your first child. It really makes you think about the things you take for granted, and just how fragile our world really is.
If you know the basic premise of the book, you’re probably nodding along sagely right now. If not, then you probably haven’t read much prepper fiction yet. One Second After is actually a pretty good book to start with, if you’re interested in the genre. In the next couple of weeks, I’ll write a proper review.
I don’t consider myself a “prepper” in the common sense of the word. I don’t have a stockpile of guns or ammo, I don’t really go for all the “tacti-cool” stuff that’s popular in prepper circles, and I don’t obsess over SHTF scenarios. That said, I’m not ignorant of the many ways our society could (or is) falling apart, and I do have contingency plans if/when that happens.
Probably the best prepper blog/resource that I’ve found is Listening To Katrina, which was written by a guy who lived through Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Lots of really fascinating stuff there, and he does a fantastic job of boiling his experience down into lessons for the rest of us. I discovered this blog just as I was starting to get more interested in self-reliance and emergency preparedness, and it did a lot to develop my thoughts on the subject.
Another big influence on me were the Forgotten Skills books by Caleb Warnock. A lot of really fascinating stuff there. He hits on things from the self-reliance angle more than the prepper angle, which is how I like to come at it too. It’s not about having two years of freeze-dried food in your basement that you never eat or use, it’s about living in such a way that you can provide for your own needs whether or not a disaster strikes, and produce more than you consume.
About a year ago, I took what I’d learned from these and other resources and mapped out something that I call my Path to Self-Sufficiency:
- Learn how to store and use oats, beans, and wheat.
- Learn how to make bread and maintain a sourdough culture.
- Start an herb garden and learn how to garden.
- Develop a storage system for canned and dry goods.
- Learn how to make kraut and fermented vegetables.
- Learn how to make yogurt and cheese.
- Keep a garden for greens, tomatoes, peas, and peppers.
- Learn how to can and pickle.
- Finalize the garden plan (including compost).
- Build a rainwater reclamation system.
- Develop a source of off-grid power.
- Build a wood-fired oven and learn how to make bread with it.
- Learn how to hunt and process game meat.
- Develop a plan for livestock.
- Secure a source for eggs and milk.
- Learn how to make clothing and work with textiles.
- Build a shop and learn how to work with wood and metals.
- Build a foundry and learn how to cast metals.
- Build a greywater reclamation system.
- Secure a source for homespun textiles.
- Acquire productive land and improve it.
- Build an off-grid cabin.
The items are listed in rough order, though I’ve jumped around a little bit since making the list. For example, Mrs. Vasicek and I have solar panels on our house (11), and we’re looking seriously into keeping bees (14). But it’s a pretty good reference point for answering the question “okay, what’s next?” Currently, I’m working on step 6, and when spring comes around I’ll dive into steps 7, 8, and 9.
A lot of this hearkens back to a blog series that I started several years ago, called “the self-sufficient writer.” At the time, I was exploring ways that I could incorporate what I was learning into my writing career and lifestyle. The goal, I suppose, was to show how it’s possible not only to make a living as a writer, but to achieve a healthy degree of self-reliance at the same time.
Would you be interested in reading that blog series if I brought it back? I’ve learned a few things since then, and would have to start it over from the beginning, but it’s an interesting subject that I enjoy exploring. And now that I’ve finally got some land to work with, there’s so much more to do.
The Path to Self-Sufficiency is very much a work in progress, and I doubt I’ll get to everything on it. A lot depends on Mrs. Vasicek and what she wants to do. With a child on the way, other projects will no doubt take priority, but with everything going on in the world, this is not a ball I think we can afford to drop. If you have any suggestions or stories of your own, I’d love to hear from you.
