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"Ordinary" people, extraordinary circumstances...

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Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#1: Apr 17th 2011 at 4:30:24 PM

For my current work, I've tried to come up with a community that would have a chance of survival in the event of a global catastrophe (useful skills and resources) but still comes across as "believable" and representative of a real-life community. I've deliberately steered clear of full-on "Survivalists" but, in order to have some of the stuff you'd expect survivalists to have, I've had to spread a few hobbies and sports around - including hunting, target shooting (pistols, rifles and shotguns) and paintball.

I don't want to go the "survivalist" route as it becomes too easy - "oh, look, civilisation has collapsed, good thing we thought to stock up on firearms, ammunition, food, water...", "yes, and that combat training course we went on will be really handy for when the looters come..." but I still want the characters to be able to provide for themselves and have the potential to protect themselves (if need be).

It will also mean that, in order to survive, the whole community will have to work together and some people will have to learn new skills as they go along.

It's in a rural setting in the heart of New Zealand's prime crop/orchard/vineyard area: two "lifestyle blocks" and one mixed farm (sheep and cattle); four houses; four families giving a total of 12 adults, two teenagers and ten younger children who will be joined by a further 10 adults, one teenager, 4 children and one infant - quite a sizeable group.

Resources and skills: Food: vege gardens, fruit trees, crops, livestock, hunting, fishing, chickens + eggs, honey.

Drink: beer, wine.

Water: rainwater capture and storage.

Sewerage: septic tanks. One property has separate black water and grey water systems.

Energy: two of the houses have solar PV for electricity and solar thermal for hot water. Solar hot water can be easily be set up for the other houses using recycled scrap.

Firearms: hunting rifles, target rifles, semi-automatic pistols, shotguns, flintlock rifle, musket and pistol (member of black powder club). Also: compound bow and crossbow.

Ammunition: three of the people reload their own and have all necessary presses, dies etc.

Combat training: some are avid paintball players (in a club) - both pistols and rifle-sized markers - some have had a small amount of paintball or Laser-strike experience.

Other skills/hobbies include: shearing, skinning, tanning, butchering, preserving fruit, jam-making, bread-making, sewing, spinning, weaving (small loom), general DIY, welding, machining metal, woodworking, carpentry, hairdressing (bloody "townie"!), electronics, basic mechanics (cars, small engines)

Their only "medic" is a veterinary surgeon.

Thoughts on their ability to survive the collapse of civilisation as an autonomous group, please.

I've left out a number of things from my lists but feel free to mention anything you feel I've missed in case I haven't thought of it.

Edit: "Disaster Preparation", for those who have it, is geared towards natural disaster - torches, first aid kit, radio, small supplies of stored water, canned food as per Civil Defence guidelines - and presumes that you're making do until help arrives from outside or that there is a safe area to which to evacuate.

Some of the characters are avid campers and have the usual gear that campers use.

edited 17th Apr '11 4:40:28 PM by Wolf1066

SavageHeathen Pro-Freedom Fanatic from Somewhere Since: Feb, 2011
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
#2: Apr 17th 2011 at 4:38:12 PM

In a do or die situation, a surprisingly high percentage of people do.

They're in for a damn rough ride, but there's no reason why it wouldn't be survivable.

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#3: Apr 18th 2011 at 8:43:11 PM

Make sure to lob a lot of problems in their way, like some injuries, since they don't have a proper doctor.

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#4: Apr 19th 2011 at 1:32:28 AM

But, of course, Chihuahua.

"That's a nasty cut, we'll have to get Caitlyn to clean it up and put a couple of stitches in it." "Is she any good?" "None of her previous patients have complained..."

Also, they will have living space issues, energy shortages, food shortages, inclement weather and a host of other issues to test them.

RalphCrown Short Hair from Next Door to Nowhere Since: Oct, 2010
Short Hair
#5: Apr 19th 2011 at 5:20:52 AM

What you have sounds good. Don't forget about medical supplies, especially drugs. We tend to take antibiotics for granted. Infections can get nasty in a hurry.

Under World. It rocks!
Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#6: Apr 19th 2011 at 2:32:55 PM

@Ralph: Yep, had thought of that - and anaesthetic as well. You don't need to be shot to be in a situation where something has to be carefully removed from your body and the wound cleaned and sutured. Without anaesthetics, that could get "interesting" very quickly. Then there's the need for antibiotics to stave off infection.

Other thoughts I've had: dental issues, glasses (in a community that size, it would be unrealistic to assume that none of them wear glasses or that none would require glasses as they age), pregnancy (that infant I mentioned won't have arrived before all hell breaks loose so that's going to have to be delivered and one would presume that there would be subsequent pregnancies), broken bones and other misadventures.

This is rapidly turning into a "what shit can we throw at these bastards?" thread. That's good, actually. evil grin

While a number of them are rural dwellers and at least one family is "semi-self-sufficient" (supplementing their income with home produce, solar energy etc), most of those who join them are "townies" having to adjust to a) the collapse of everything that they are used to and b) rural life and duties.

There won't be a lot of scope for them to hastily stock up on things - a) rationing and b) lots of other people will be trying it, too - but they should be able to stock up on some things that are less commonly sought after but prove useful.

Who thinks of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as something to start stocking up on?

And back to drugs of some description or other:

Coffee can grown there but climate is not great for it and it would take quite a bit of intensive work to produce any decent quantity - expect a period of extreme crankiness from the die-hard coffee drinkers. Apparently coffee leaves also contain caffeine which might do in a pinch. Also tea should be very easy to grow in the local climate.

The smokers would be fine - tobacco grows very well in the area.

Alcohol - in the form of beers, wine, cider and mead - should be no problem, especially since one of the families has a couple of keen brewers. A still could be easily constructed if they desired something a bit stronger.

I think they should have enough of a workforce, to get through.

Temassasin Since: Dec, 1969
#7: Apr 19th 2011 at 5:08:56 PM

How many are kids, how many are adults?

edited 19th Apr '11 5:09:24 PM by Temassasin

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#8: Apr 19th 2011 at 9:51:58 PM

After everyone's turned up seeking sanctuary: 25 adults including teenagers, 15 children from infant up to 12.

Not a huge number, but it should be enough to share the load. The children should be able to help out as well - always plenty of kid-sized chores on the farm.

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#9: Apr 20th 2011 at 1:54:38 PM

It's tempting to have one of the houses catch fire and have them all attempt to put it out by bucket chain.

They are already in crowded conditions - all those people and only 4 houses - and their resources are limited, no chance of stuff being replaced by making an insurance claim and going shopping.

Even without injury or loss of life, the effects of a fire in one of the houses would be devastating.

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