I’m online hours and hours during the day. I’m online far more than the average person actually. The internet is incorporated into so many facets of my life, that honestly my computer is ON 24/7. This doesn’t mean I sit at my computer 24/7 LOL. That’s a whole different level of addiction than what I have.
I live in the middle of No Where NY. I don’t subscribe to cable TV of any kind. I have a 54 inch flat screen TV that to be honest gets turn on for only 2 reasons.. the Grand baby is here and it’s dark and we can’t play outside or.. maybe once a month I might watch a DVD on my own. I get my news INSTANTLY delivered when *I* want it, no waiting for the mainstream media’s set programming times. My “TV” time is 90% You Tube Prepper channels (which I picked out for myself), and the rest a mix of various things that interest ME, not programming someone ELSE wants to force on me.
Similar with the cell phone. I do OWN 1.. actually I OWN 2. 1 I have time on.. it’s old as dirt, no internet access, no qwerty keyboard, no camera.. no bells bings or whistles. It does get text messages, but I will read but not send texts. I rarely receive incomming calls. It’s more for emergency purposes. My other cell phone currently has no time on it. However it has internet ability, a camera and a qwerty keyboard. I live in one of the rare “no service” areas that are left, so both phones are turned off unless I’m out someplace. I don’t see myself ever needing to own a “smart phone”.
Power tool technology.. whew.. Not my area of expertise. I am currently in the process of clearing out my 3 bay garage for several reason, one of them is a work shop. I have unopened boxes of power tools LOL. Most are fairly easy to use items, drills, drill press, miter saw, scroll saw etc. I have many SMALL projects I want to do, so getting the shop set up is kind of important on my list, other things on the list depend on me getting that done first.
Most of my technology is … small items. My ebook reader (I’m an avid reader), Sanyo MP3 player, JVC Everio Camcorder, Kodak EZshare camera.. that kind of stuff. These are things that a small portable solar panel could recharge/run. I do DESPERATELY need to get a portable DVD player. I have been thinking about SHTF and all the stuff I DO NOT know how to do…and really, right now my life is very chaotic so finding extra time to learn these skills is not an option. For example, currently I DO NOT know how to make soap from potash and animal fat, I also do not have the time RIGHT NOW to learn this skill. I MAY need it in the future. A few GOOD instructonal step by step videos tucked away for my own personal use in a DVD library, and should something happen where technology goes down.. I will still have ACCESS to these and the ABILITY to learn that skill. Think about all the instructional videos you’ve watched. Would you remember everything? What about measurements? Times? Tips and Tricks? I have a small paper library, but I am also working on a huge instructional video library. I consider it the same as not having all your food storage items tucked into one place.. Technically. I fell that for every place you stash rations you should also have a set of books.
Solar power. I want to go totally off grid. Keeping my current level of power consumption AND being “Off Grid” …. really not an option. I just don’t have $25,000 – $40,000 for that. HOWEVER, I can do a “mini” off grid set up for a couple HUNDRED dollars instead of THOUSANDS. I’d like to be able to run my fridge and 2 freezers. That’s it for NECESSITY. Technically I could break down to just the house fridge/freezer if I had to. I’m not stressed over my well pump, I’ll be putting a hand pump for that asap, however I live in an area where underground springs within 2 minutes walking distance are ABUNDANT and the water from them is potable. I also live a few hundred feet from a creek that has no “dry season” for water for anything I don’t need to worry about potability with (laundry, toilet flushing etc.. ). I’m not stressed over lighting… I have candles, solar yard walk lights, etc etc etc. SO my power consumption TRUE necessity is very low.
One technology I DO need to work on is HEAT. Not getting MORE technology, getting LESS.. I need to go retro in this area and install a wood stove. Truely I’d like to do a combination of wood and bio fuel stoves. Corn, seems to me at least, to be the most sustainable of the choices. I live in NY, I usually don’t turn my furnace on until November 1st. I use Kero until then if we need heat, however, passive solar heat panels can replace Kero. Passive solar heat pannels will also reduce the amount of bio fuel you’d need even during a January Freeze. Passive Solar panels use zero power. They are solar ovens to cook the air for your house 🙂
Do YOU have a SELECTIVE technology addiction? Or are you thinking you need every single thing you currently use for the rest of your life?
Self Sustained Living Today 