The Colony

[The Stig]

Brother Izzy and TunnelRat asked me to post these questions to membership given some internet issues they are having....

* What do you, the member of shtfready.com, want from the Colony?

* What direction do you want to see the website go?

* What do you want to see more of?

* Should we keep on as is and quit worrying about it?

Here's what's brought up these questions....

We have a great core group of posters and a nice group of lurkers. We get good threads and everybody gets along both on the side, and in some cases, in real life.

But we seem to just keep limping along without any real growth. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we shouldn't change and thing and just enjoy what we have.

But with all that said, the staff doesn't want to miss any obvious changes/tweaks we could make to improve the website.

We've got a great staff, an advisory counsel and a good core group of members. But what we don't have is great participation. Is this because of a lack of content? A lack of a specific type of content?

So we, once again, want to touch base with the members and see what you think. Is the colony fine as is or do we need to make some changes?

[eagle326]

I tend to believe we are good the way we are. We may not be adding a lot of new members like other sites but we have a stable colony as it is now. We as a colony respect each member and actually think of each other as family and treat each other as such.
The information here is first rate and given out in a manner conducive to the betterment of every member. We don't berate people for their questions as some other sites do. We instead post links to past post that may help the person in their search. Some of us are just not as computer savvy as others in posting pictures or links or other things.

I believe it's better to have a quality group in the colony to help nurture each other and help where and when needed. Sure a larger membership would be nice but on the other hand a good quality group of steady members willing to do what it takes to grow in the ways of surviving everyday and or SHTF situation is invaluable in the long run.
The staff here is light years ahead of other sites I've been on. Our membership may grow slow ; but the turtle also moves slow yet still gets to it's destination in the end.

[helomech]

I have yet to find a large forum group that I like. I have been on many forums that start out great, then get to big and I end up leaving it. Bigger is not always better. I wish it was a little more active, but not so big problems start coming up.

[robsdak]

* What do you, the member of shtfready.com, want from the Colony?

just more participation. that said, we all get busy with life and so on. like me, i am here reading/lurking, but i don't always have something to say.


* What direction do you want to see the website go?

the direction it is going in is fine. we aren't growing by leaps and bounds, but is that a bad thing? like helomech said, i have seen the crash and burn.


* What do you want to see more of?

BOOBIES... no, wait not that kind of site. : ) a good question. refer back to question/answer #1


* Should we keep on as is and quit worrying about it?


i wouldn't not stop worrying about it, just don't make it a full time deal. you/we/us are doing fine. just my opinion. it and a $ 1 will get you a cup of coffee.


my thoughts....

i am a member over at BCUSA as well, which i am sure i am not the only 1 here. but it has a totally different vibe/feel to it. here just feels like 'home' there it's like i am 'guest' in someone's home.

[msomnipotent]

* What do you, the member of shtfready.com, want from the Colony?

I just want a place where I can learn from others without hearing, "Oh, you stupid, stupid woman!!". This site and the members have far exceeded my expectations.

* What direction do you want to see the website go?

I think it is fine as is.

* What do you want to see more of?

I would like to see more product reviews.

* Should we keep on as is and quit worrying about it?

YES.

The more people there are, the more weirdos we have to deal with, and not just weirdos like me but REAL weirdos that constantly cause trouble. I'm going to be very sad the day we get a member that just can't wait for TEOTWAWKI because it is going to be so awesome and they are going to be some sort of superhero. We all know better than that. We are definitely a case of quality over quantity.

[Possom]

I like the way this forum is set up. I am not as active as I should be but I enjoy reading the threads.

One thing I would like to see would be more conversation about sustainable food sources. Raising rabbits for meat to supplement your preps, chickens for eggs, a goat or two for milk/meat or a cow or two for the same.

Not necessarily homesteading, most homesteading sites I have been on are a bunch of city folk who bought a couple acres of land and a new tractor and think they are farmers.

I do think that most preppers would benefit from investing in some sort of livestock.

[Sniper-T]

Quality over quantity any day. The family feel and the diversity of experiences are what make this site great.

However, maybe it is exactly that that makes it difficult to get more lurkers to join in in conversations... feel like an outsider? Maybe we as a family should be more proactive with newbies, ask questions, find out what makes them tick, help them open up more. I belong to other sites as well, and felt awkward posting when I have 4 posts and most others are in the thousands. Or when there is a genuine rapport etween members in the thread.

Maybe as simple as spending a little more time in the welcome thread, getting to know them (assuming they wantto share, of course)

Or maybe I'm talking out of my ass?

Keep on, keeping on!

[robsdak]

* What do you, the member of shtfready.com, want from the Colony?

I just want a place where I can learn from others without hearing, "Oh, you stupid, stupid woman!!". This site and the members have far exceeded my expectations.

* What direction do you want to see the website go?

I think it is fine as is.

* What do you want to see more of?

I would like to see more product reviews.

* Should we keep on as is and quit worrying about it?

YES.

The more people there are, the more weirdos we have to deal with, and not just weirdos like me but REAL weirdos that constantly cause trouble. I'm going to be very sad the day we get a member that just can't wait for TEOTWAWKI because it is going to be so awesome and they are going to be some sort of superhero. We all know better than that. We are definitely a case of quality over quantity.


wait? what? you mean i got my Superhero duds out of storage for nothing? LMAO!!! couldn't resist.

[2die4]

Thank you guys for the input.

[ak474u]

Quality over quantity any day. The family feel and the diversity of experiences are what make this site great.

However, maybe it is exactly that that makes it difficult to get more lurkers to join in in conversations... feel like an outsider? Maybe we as a family should be more proactive with newbies, ask questions, find out what makes them tick, help them open up more. I belong to other sites as well, and felt awkward posting when I have 4 posts and most others are in the thousands. Or when there is a genuine rapport etween members in the thread.

Maybe as simple as spending a little more time in the welcome thread, getting to know them (assuming they wantto share, of course)

Or maybe I'm talking out of my ass?

Keep on, keeping on!

This. It would be nice to see more traffic, I've been one several times lately and there were no new threads or replies for hours at a time. I bounce from other sites (news mostly) back and forth to keep up to date on new posts, and sometimes there's not much to see. I do also blame myself as I don't post a great deal of content either. I've been trying to ignore really negative stuff, it pisses me off, and it makes me meaner than I already am which effects home life.

[ElevenBravo]

I think the forum is doing well as-is. Membership and activity is not real high, as we all know... but thats one of the attractions.

Im a member of another LARGE site and enjoy it also, but here there is a greater sense of closeness, honesty and so far devoid of mall ninjas and armchair rangers.

One thing I hope we never see, is advertisement. That kind of BS ruins the flow and typically, yields very little money that is "supposed" to go back into the forum.

As far as the person suggesting they would like to see more product reviews, please remember this is a member driven forum. The forum's mods and admins are not responsible for providing content, the members are. That being said, if I had more free time, Id do more product reviews myself.

EB

[robin48]

I haven't posted much but here I feel I could ask a question and not get slammed. I like this forum a lot.

[David Armstrong]

I like the forum much as it is. As others have said it would be nice to have more participation, but more participation brings with it the dangers of an overload of incompetence as a friend of mine calls it. Some of the big forums have great information but to find it you have to fight your way through dozens of posts that are of low quality. I also like the fact that a smaller forum allows more consistency among the moderators. I got kicked off one forum a while back by a mod for posts that another mod was encouraging and asking for more posts like them. So I'd rather have a small consistent forum with a higher level of expertise than a larger forum with lower standards.

My only complaint, and it is a complaint only because of my particular interests and posting style, is that it sometimes seems that there is a desire to not offend anyone to a degree that it interferes with good comparative discussions. Yes, all items "X" can be used for survival, but "X1" is not the same as "X2" and discussing relative strengths and weaknesses is important, IMO. I also realize that it is very easy for "X2 is better than X1" to become "anyone who uses X1 is a boob and has no idea what they are talking about" so it is a very fine line for mods to walk.

[Domeguy]

Me too.

[bacpacker]

I am a member of probably 15-20 forums (at least 6-8 being prep, bushcraft, survival types) that cover everything from prepping to vehicles, blacksmithing, chickens, woodworking, tractors, and a few others. IMO this site with the limited membership we have still has as many post daily as several of the others with many more members, and much better quality posts on the topics covered typically. Without a doubt this group of regular and semi regular posters has the best rapport on whatever is being covered of any I am on. The little bit of grief given anyone is almost always given in good fun and accepted as such. Most of the other sites have plenty of bickering that ends up detracting from what was otherwise good posts.

Another thing I really like is the friendships that have been formed, both on line and in person. There are a bunch of folks on here I have met in person, others just talked with on the phone from time to time, and others just via email or PM that I wouldn't hesitate to ask important questions of, or to seek help from or give it to if we happened to end up in the same AO. I have friends on other forums, but very few that has developed to the point they have here.

I personally don't mind having a small group. Yeah things are quite at times, but the quality of threads and post are worth the wait. Like others have mentioned, I am lacking in starting new threads, but I will try harder to find more topics to add to the discussion. As far as the mods go, It seems to me they try as hard as they can to let things take care of themselves, which I like. Very few issues have come up with arguments and such that haven't ended themselves with no intervention. I think that speaks volumes in itself of the quality of members we have. Even with a small membership, we still get some new folks in from time to time and some of them step right in and pick it up. Others probably lurk a lot. I tend to do that on some of the sites I am on.

Bottom line, I love this site as is.

[Taz Baby]

Life right now for most people is getting ready for the holidays I.m sure and that tends to take away time for things. I myself have not been here as due to life throwing 1000 curve balls and monkey wrenches in almost every day living. But One thing that I have not seen here, of course I have still not seen every post yet, or every thread, but Is there just a thread that is for links to any and everything that a prepper might need? I know they are all over the place in posts, but it would be nice to be able to click ! thread and see a catagory with a list of things with links to info you need.

Example:::::::::::::::
Where to buy/ Info links for a Preppers needs

topic
Solar power http://sunsolarenergy.co.uk/
wind power http://windenergy7.com/turbines/tag/wind-power-kits/
hydro power
Generator power
survival food source
ect

The site is great site and I think like everyone else has said this is a family but keep in mind that family members don't always talk to each other every day either. Just saying.

[Domeguy]

IMO this site with the limited membership we have still has as many post daily as several of the others with many more members, and much better quality posts on the topics covered typically. Without a doubt this group of regular and semi regular posters has the best rapport on whatever is being covered of any I am on. The little bit of grief given anyone is almost always given in good fun and accepted as such. Most of the other sites have plenty of bickering that ends up detracting from what was otherwise good posts.

Another thing I really like is the friendships that have been formed, both on line and in person. There are a bunch of folks on here I have met in person, others just talked with on the phone from time to time, and others just via email or PM that I wouldn't hesitate to ask important questions of, or to seek help from or give it to if we happened to end up in the same AO. I have friends on other forums, but very few that has developed to the point they have here.

I personally don't mind having a small group. Yeah things are quite at times, but the quality of threads and post are worth the wait. Like others have mentioned, I am lacking in starting new threads, but I will try harder to find more topics to add to the discussion. As far as the mods go, It seems to me they try as hard as they can to let things take care of themselves, which I like. Very few issues have come up with arguments and such that haven't ended themselves with no intervention. I think that speaks volumes in itself of the quality of members we have. Even with a small membership, we still get some new folks in from time to time and some of them step right in and pick it up. Others probably lurk a lot. I tend to do that on some of the sites I am on.
Bottom line, I love this site as is.


I was starting to write a post to this thread yesterday morning, when the phone rang. I was a friend I have known for only a short time. I met him and his wife when I was driving on a road I seldom use, when I noticed a dome was being built.i pulled into the driveway and introduced my self and showed them a picture of our dome. We seemed to click right away, I guess due to us both building and living in a dome. So yesterday morning, he called me and asked if I could come over and help him figure out a wiring problem he was stumped with. So I typed "Me too" and jump in the truck, and went over to help.
So where does all that come into play, and what does it have to do with the colony?

The same thing has happened in the colony. I have been able to help fellow ants that needed an extra pair of hand, and I have PM other ants whom I have never met, offering any help of any kind at any time. Some have accepted my help, and others have kindly declined.
At one time, I got into a bit of hot water on this site for posting " I feel this site teaches, not preaches", but I meant it as the best complement , fore I can ask any question to the colony, and know I won't be publicly ridiculed for being an idiot.
I also know my fondness for Glocks' and my Kel-Tek will only receive minor joking about having a gun made of plastic.

So, my statement still stands. This site teaches, not preaches.
And as the ancient Chinese great mystical traveling guru once said to a passing rickshaw mechanic "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Gunfixr]

A bunch of us came from another similar forum. It started out small also, and was much like it is here now. Then it grew, and pretty much exploded. When that happened, there was a lot of change, which much of it turned out not to be for the good.
I don't get on here as much as I did, but that is not to mean I don't like it here. I also am a member of a few sites, and I'm not getting on those as much either. I did used to spend every evening on the internet, now I try not to do that, and spend more time with my family. Plus, sometimes I just get tired of the whole internet thing. Mostly, I don't see much good on it, except the forums, and it just gets depressing. As if all that weren't enough, there's a lot that has changed at home, with a lot of added family illness. The economy affects us all.
Lots of times I read, but don't have much to say. My prepping has slowed quite a bit due to several things, so I don;t have much to report on there. You guys are a very knowledgeable bunch, so there's not a lot I need to say. I'd be doing a lot more probably if I lived at my BOL, or even had one, but I don't and do not.

I guess all that rambling is to say I think things are just fine the way they are.
A small group that gets along is better than a large one that doesn't. It's just a fact of nature, the larger the group, the more likely there will be serious disagreement.

[MegaCPC]

Lots of times I read, but don't have much to say.


You guys are a very knowledgeable bunch, so there's not a lot I need to say.

That pretty much sums it for me.

When I come here I'm often in awe of how much knowledge and information there is in such a small group. This small site is truly crammed full of smart people with tons of ideas and a friendly, yet no BS atmosphere.

I'm always learning here, and as of this moment, I don't know how I would change it.

[Marthony]

Another lurker comment, similar to the theme: I feel I can post 'stupid' questions here and get an honest, qualified answer without BS.

I may rarely post, but I visit almost every day to check on what's up. Like MegaCPC's summary, I don't often feel that I've much value to add to the already quality discussion. (that, and I'm not that outgoing unless I really have something to say)

[2die4]

Another lurker comment, similar to the theme: I feel I can post 'stupid' questions here and get an honest, qualified answer without BS.

I may rarely post, but I visit almost every day to check on what's up. Like MegaCPC's summary, I don't often feel that I've much value to add to the already quality discussion. (that, and I'm not that outgoing unless I really have something to say)

You and the other lurkers don't have to tell us how to start a fire with bubblegum, copper tubing, and a Swiss Army knife. Simply sharing and article you read and asking people's experience with the info from the article or even posting about a fire sale of emergency blankets or water filters is contributing.

[Metrocruiser]

I found this site 1 year ago to learn more about bugging out, bug out locations and bug out vehicles and have found it to be a good resourceful forum discussing many things I would like to learn but have not the time or means to tackle just yet. I lurk a lot because I do not have the knowledge or experience to contribute in a helpful manner. Many of the things I have recently learned, are things that many of the members here have been doing day to day for decades. Im a newb city dweller.

I like the people here and feel that this is a different place.. In a great way.. compared to other forums. I would not hide/protect myself from many members here the way I do in day to day life elsewhere online. I feel community, trust and good old fashioned hand shaking and my word means something here on this site.

I hope it remains this way if it does grow to the next level.

Id like to see more product reviews. How to's. The ability to post pics from smartphones. to name a few.

Im planning to post some product reviews shortly btw.

[The Stig]

You and the other lurkers don't have to tell us how to start a fire with bubblegum, copper tubing, and a Swiss Army knife. Simply sharing and article you read and asking people's experience with the info from the article or even posting about a fire sale of emergency blankets or water filters is contributing.

This is a very wise observation.

Not every thread has to be a 1 year time lapse study of an activity with pictures, charts and footnotes. As 2die4 pointed out, a nice link to an interesting prep related article somewhere, or a general observation that spurs discussion is awesome.

[mitunnelrat]

Thanks for the input everyone, and for getting the question out, Stig.

[Taz Baby]

For those of you that are new and think that you don't have anything to contribute to this site, let me say this. The only stupid question is a unasked question. Every question deserves an answer and here we give those answers in different ways. We do not ridicule anyone, bash anyone, or have ill will toward anyone. We give our advice when asked, give our knowledge on a question when asked and help in any way we can. We have people here that make things, do research for you, have been there, done that and will tell you from their experience how it worked or not, how they did it, info on what they found, but they never tell you that you were, are , stupid. This site is a tight nit family without the family squabbles. We laugh, joke, kid around, but in fun. If you want to take a picture of your grandchild nailing 2 boards together and post it go ahead. On other sites, you might get comments like that is silly and not prep related, but here it is prep related, that is the future prepper learning early how to be self sufficient . We would love to see that and you would get the comments that are positive not negative here. There is a reason you started looking at this site, then joining the site and now watching the site everyday. Why is that? Maybe because you can see that this site is a family that helps each other and goes all out and above the call of duty to provide as much as they can to help you, so ask those questions, post those pics, and join in we are here for you all.

[idahobob]

Leave the site alone.....It is good as is.

Bob
III

[greg48]

Only change I'd like to see is a muster page to log in let every one know each of us are still kicking, I get busy and don't get on here as I'm sure others do, if some zombies [ zombies that go with letters like ATF, DHS, HHS etc...] happen to take down a member of the colony or father time took them, it'd be nice to know. I myself have told my like minded buddies here that if the zombies raid my house, they'll have to first kill my dog, so if I text a message to all my peeps that my dog has been killed they'll know to dig in and get ready.

[Stormfeather]

I like the site the way it is, that being said, always the born critic and a infantry guy, I gotta bitch about something, its in my nature.

1- Izzy doesnt post any more videos. . . I was digging those vid's he did. Wazzup with dat yo? I may just end up doing my own if he doesnt start doing videos again, and you all will not want to see me in my underoo's doing prepper videos. I promise.
2- While we always have new content, its nice to see some sort of intro added into the first post besides a video/youtube link. Let me know what im clicking into folks, I may just not want to see it, or I may pass it up not knowing what it is exactly.
3- Its starting to get cold here.
4- I think more time should be spent cultivating the members we have here. Theres people in the first 100, who I have never EVER seen around here or seen them post. Theres newer members who sign up, lurk, and we see very little from them as well. Lets start reaching out to those guys and get them involved. While its great to lurk and absorb information, its also nice to get feedback and a different peoples view on who/what/where/when/why/how.

[izzyscout21]

By no means let my comments be the end here, i just wanted to jump in while i had a sec.






1- Izzy doesnt post any more videos. . . I was digging those vid's he did. Wazzup with dat yo? I may just end up doing my own if he doesnt start doing videos again, and you all will not want to see me in my underoo's doing prepper videos. I promise.


Ill see what i can do. Main reason I stopped was to just sit back, go hands off, and see just what out colony members would do.






I think more time should be spent cultivating the members we have here. Theres people in the first 100, who I have never EVER seen around here or seen them post. Theres newer members who sign up, lurk, and we see very little from them as well. Lets start reaching out to those guys and get them involved. While its great to lurk and absorb information,


Agreed. Im glad everyone has chimed in here. Ive seen more names in this thread in 2 daysthan on the open forum in a week.



You and the other lurkers don't have to tell us how to start a fire with bubblegum, copper tubing, and a Swiss Army knife. Simply sharing and article you read and asking people's experience with the info from the article or even posting about a fire sale of emergency blankets or water filters is contributing.


+1000


Guys, if you lurk alot, please jump in. Anywhere, anytime. Even if its something as simple as "i like that" or "cool idea". That lets us know that at least you're following along with us.






Im a member of another LARGE site and enjoy it also, but here there is a greater sense of closeness, honesty and so far devoid of mall ninjas and armchair rangers.


Im glad we've been able to maintain this.








As far as the person suggesting they would like to see more product reviews, please remember this is a member driven forum. The forum's mods and admins are not responsible for providing content, the members are. That being said, if I had more free time, Id do more product reviews myself.


EB


Golden ticket winner! EB is right on the money with this one. The staff here cannot drive all the content. We just can't physically or mentally do the task.


This is one of the reasons we're asking these questions. This forum belongs to the members, so we need you guys to step up and take ownership. Drive the content and the discussion. We have quality content here because you of you guys, not because of us. We're just the security guards.

[izzyscout21]

Just as an afterthought,

do you guys realize how much traffic and conversation would be had if each of our active members, not just our lurkers or inactive members, put up one or two threads a month?

that'd be nuts!

[Grumpy Old Man]

Folks, I come her as a place to chat with like-minded friends. We don't fight, we don't argue and we tolerate each other's foibles. Let us grow as the Good Lord wills it! We are fine as we are!

Helo, you are my friend and you will always be my friend, as will BWRR, Izzzy, Stig, Taz, Lady HK BP, Kodiak and LB and any I've left out (woops twitchy). I like it here!!!!! Be of good cheer my friends!!

[helomech]

Folks, I come her as a place to chat with like-minded friends. We don't fight, we don't argue and we tolerate each other's foibles. Let us grow as the Good Lord wills it! We are fine as we are!

Helo, you are my friend and you will always be my friend, as will BWRR, Izzzy, Stig, Taz, Lady HK BP, Kodiak and LB and any I've left out (woops twitchy). I like it here!!!!! Be of good cheer my friends!!

You too Grumpy, looking forward to meeting you in person one of these days. We are heading to San Antonio for my sons graduation from Basic Training on Wednesday. I can't wait.

[eagle326]

Folks, I come her as a place to chat with like-minded friends. We don't fight, we don't argue and we tolerate each other's foibles. Let us grow as the Good Lord wills it! We are fine as we are!

Helo, you are my friend and you will always be my friend, as will BWRR, Izzzy, Stig, Taz, Lady HK BP, Kodiak and LB and any I've left out (woops twitchy). I like it here!!!!! Be of good cheer my friends!!

Damn It Grumpy !!! I,m sending you a BRO. hug all the way from Ohio. It's coming sonic.
Brace for impact! :eek:

[Stormfeather]

Ill see what i can do. Main reason I stopped was to just sit back, go hands off, and see just what out colony members would do.

Ok, I just realized something the other day when I wrote my little blurb about you doing video reviews, so I thought, why is it always up to Izzy to do the video reviews? Hell, I wouldnt mind playing around with some of my gear and maybe doing some of that as well, so. . . no shit, just bought a GoPro camera, and I am waiting for delivery, once its here, Im going to give Izzy a run for his money when it comes to video product reviews! Stand by for the tactical elephant head banana hammock as my first gear & "equipment" review! :)

[Stormfeather]

Folks, I come her as a place to chat with like-minded friends. We don't fight, we don't argue and we tolerate each other's foibles. Let us grow as the Good Lord wills it! We are fine as we are!

Helo, you are my friend and you will always be my friend, as will BWRR, Izzzy, Stig, Taz, Lady HK BP, Kodiak and LB and any I've left out (woops twitchy). I like it here!!!!! Be of good cheer my friends!!

Man. . . No Grumpy Luv?

:)

[Sniper-T]

don't feel bad Stormy... I didn't make the cut either

:(

[bacpacker]

T after your battles at the bar n grill I didnt expect you would be. :)

[Sniper-T]

but... but... but... they were all in good fun BP. :rolleyes:

[bacpacker]

I enjoyed them. We gotta get back there sometime soon.

[Sniper-T]

if I get lucky hunting, I'll throw a bbq with all the trimmings!

[Stormfeather]

If I get lucky. . . im going to go out on the deck and have a cigarette! oh. . . wait. .. we arent talking about that type of "lucky" are we?

Sniper-T. . . he must have something against us northerners!

[Sniper-T]

not too sure about that Stormy... in my book, you're a Southerner!

[izzyscout21]

Ok, I just realized something the other day when I wrote my little blurb about you doing video reviews, so I thought, why is it always up to Izzy to do the video reviews? Hell, I wouldnt mind playing around with some of my gear and maybe doing some of that as well, so. . . no shit, just bought a GoPro camera, and I am waiting for delivery, once its here, Im going to give Izzy a run for his money when it comes to video product reviews! Stand by for the tactical elephant head banana hammock as my first gear & "equipment" review! :)

Lets do it!

[msomnipotent]

I think the forum is doing well as-is. Membership and activity is not real high, as we all know... but thats one of the attractions.

Im a member of another LARGE site and enjoy it also, but here there is a greater sense of closeness, honesty and so far devoid of mall ninjas and armchair rangers.

One thing I hope we never see, is advertisement. That kind of BS ruins the flow and typically, yields very little money that is "supposed" to go back into the forum.

As far as the person suggesting they would like to see more product reviews, please remember this is a member driven forum. The forum's mods and admins are not responsible for providing content, the members are. That being said, if I had more free time, Id do more product reviews myself.

EB

I was the person stating they would like to see more product reviews. I do a product review every time I try something new. Perhaps I should have said I would like to see more product reviews from everyone.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Oh man! Bro Stormy and Bro Sniper ya'll were there in spirit. I was typing during a commercial break. A belated inclusion to the Grumpy luv fest.

[Foulball]

Damn. Go freeze in a desert with a guy and he doesn't even include you in his luv fest.....It's cause I didn't share your truck and keep you warm isn't it Grumpy.....:p


Back to the OP, personally I think this site is awesome. I've been lurking more than posting because I don't have a computer at the moment and browse from work. Hopefully that will change soon and I can fill some void with my awesomeness...
:p

[Stormfeather]

Damn. Go freeze in a desert with a guy and he doesn't even include you in his luv fest.....It's cause I didn't share your truck and keep you warm isn't it Grumpy.....:p


Back to the OP, personally I think this site is awesome. I've been lurking more than posting because I don't have a computer at the moment and browse from work. Hopefully that will change soon and I can fill some void with my awesomeness...
:p

Sounds like there is a backstory that needs to be expounded on in the Bar & Grille section!

[Katrina]

I concur with lady. the other sites I've been on have made me stop before I post anything. Here I can ask the "dumb" questions and get honest answers without the snide comments I haven't posted as much like Taz it's a bit crazy here and I don't get onto computer downstairs as often right now. Knee is coming along but some days it gets "cranky"on me and I have to take it easy after being on my feet at work all day.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Damn. Go freeze in a desert with a guy and he doesn't even include you in his luv fest.....It's cause I didn't share your truck and keep you warm isn't it Grumpy.....:p


Back to the OP, personally I think this site is awesome. I've been lurking more than posting because I don't have a computer at the moment and browse from work. Hopefully that will change soon and I can fill some void with my awesomeness...
:p

Can ya'll feel the love? See my previous post. All here are included in the Grumpy luv fest. * Shakes head and says memory is the second thing to go* as he shambles away

[ladyhk13]

I have always believed quality trumps quantity. I was one of the many that came from that "other" site and if this site ever turns into anything like that I will leave. This is really the only site I ever go on anymore. The days of mega sites where I am member number 1,562,890 are over. I find no joy in spending hours scrolling through hundreds of threads where most of the content is filled with barbs flying in between the information I am trying to learn or research. I am intimidated by the 'experts' that seem to swarm those sites and they can really make me feel stupid with their snippy remarks if anyone at all bothers to answer a question.

I will never again have to worry that because I am a woman I will be ostracized, bashed, spied on in the Ladies Forum by the male Mods, called names or any number of other things that have happened to me on other sites because the ANTS here have respect for one another. Our members care about what each other think and feel. We have not grown so huge that we have lost our human touch and family values. I think that these qualities are invaluable and make us unique from all other sites out there.

I wish we could get more females involved. I know many of you guys are married but it seems like most of your spouses are not on tract with prepping or if they are, they haven't been willing to join the site. There are so few women preppers and we gals do try to keep ourselves busy here but it would be nice to have some more. I'm not sure how y'all can get your gals involved...heck, that would double our membership and they would already be vetted!

I love this place and all those who enter....especially Grumps since he fights my kitty battles against Sniper dude for me!

[ladyhk13]

I was the person stating they would like to see more product reviews. I do a product review every time I try something new. Perhaps I should have said I would like to see more product reviews from everyone.

MsO I would like to take your idea even further. There are all kinds of things out there that preppers supposedly do that work or are great that I (or many of us) don't know are feasible or worth the hassle that I would love to know more about.

Stuff like making our own laundry soap, cleaning supplies, candles, fire starters, fish antibiotics used on humans, etc. use your imagination. Some thing may work but are not worth the time needed to put together or the ingredients are too hard to find or too expensive and cheaper to just buy the finished product outright or the store bought item may work better. Those kinds of reviews are things I would really be interested in plus if they are positive reviews then the instructions to put it together as well.

For the guys who hunt, I would like to know how they skin their deer and if they tan the hides a tutorial would be great too. I have written instructions but pics or short videos would be wonderful breaking it down for a beginner.

[rentprop1]

my 2 cents thats only worth a penny...every good forum has been ruined by growth...think of it as a fraternity.... its great when its just the group of guys, but sooner or later you have a party and a lot more people show up.....then one day you realize that someone has eaten all your food, left a bunch of dirty dishes in the sink and a floater in the toilet....and you wish it was just the group of original guys

[izzyscout21]

While we're at it, i should probably mention 2 things:

Necroposting- honestly, if you have something to add to a long since dead conversation, say it. We dont mind. Sometimes zombies can be a good thing.

Multiple subjects- personally, i dont really mind this either. Sometimes we forget that we talked about something. Dont be afraid to post about it again. The discussion could go in a totally different direction than last time.

[Stormfeather]

MsO I would like to take your idea even further. There are all kinds of things out there that preppers supposedly do that work or are great that I (or many of us) don't know are feasible or worth the hassle that I would love to know more about.

Stuff like making our own laundry soap, cleaning supplies, candles, fire starters, fish antibiotics used on humans, etc. use your imagination. Some thing may work but are not worth the time needed to put together or the ingredients are too hard to find or too expensive and cheaper to just buy the finished product outright or the store bought item may work better. Those kinds of reviews are things I would really be interested in plus if they are positive reviews then the instructions to put it together as well.

For the guys who hunt, I would like to know how they skin their deer and if they tan the hides a tutorial would be great too. I have written instructions but pics or short videos would be wonderful breaking it down for a beginner.

I will actually do that this year for you, when/if I get a deer, I will do a full documentation on it, from Field Dressing to Frying Pan!

[helomech]

I will actually do that this year for you, when/if I get a deer, I will do a full documentation on it, from Field Dressing to Frying Pan!

If I am not mistaken I think I posted a video on cutting up the deer meat off the bone on here a long while back.

[Metrocruiser]

That will be awesome.

[Sniper-T]

I posted this one not too long ago about de-boning a deer:

http://www.shtfready.com/threads/3916-Deboning-a-deer

[ladyhk13]

I posted this one not too long ago about de-boning a deer:

http://www.shtfready.com/threads/3916-Deboning-a-deer

I went to it, thank you but the guy was like on speed or something. Was cool to watch just to see the amount of skill he has to cut so fast but as a practical video to learn from not so much. I did click on one of the other ones just to see if I could stomach it and it had some interesting tips (ok, since I have never butchered anything in my life it was interesting) so I thought I would share but pls keep them coming and I can't wait to see your video Sniper dude!
If BWRR decides to go out this year maybe I can watch him if he's nearby and not doing it in the dark again for someone else (ahem...Izzy), anyway here's the link.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tMFK4kgnQNA

[Sniper-T]

I'll see if I can find my wife's cam corder. if I get another one near home... I'll do a video of the process just for you LH.

Granted, he is on speed, and unless you know what you're watching it can be daunting. but for a quasi-experienced home butcher. or more... it is awesome!

[ladyhk13]

It was entertaining and I'm sure it took a long time to get to where he could cut it up in 8 mins! Amazing!

[izzyscout21]

If BWRR decides to go out this year maybe I can watch him if he's nearby and not doing it in the dark again for someone else (ahem...Izzy), anyway here's the link.
]

Hey now...... I was helping and following instructions. :) it just so happened he took lead because I had no idea WTF I was doing.

And I'll be down as soon as I get the "all clear" from your hubby!

[ladyhk13]

Get rid of the crud first ;)

[izzyscout21]

Get rid of the crud first ;)

Everyone but me is on Tamiflu.

[bacpacker]

Not good. DW is down right now to. Crap is on the loose.

[ladyhk13]

Hope she's feeling better BP.

[bacpacker]

Mostly other than coughing her head off. That always stick around a while. Thanks.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Elderberry Tonic Folks!

[bacpacker]

Thanks Grumpy. I'll try and find some berries.