Do Folks in Region Four Tend to Have a Tradition of Preparedness?

[Steve W]

Do Folks in Region Four Tend to Have a Tradition of Preparedness?

Growing up we always had family & friends who had small farmsteads and were 110% self sufficient.

People who know how to work the land, the woods and their garden.  They put up food for a rainy day and didn't depend on anyone else to take care of them.

One friend had lost the use of her arms to Polio and I would help her Garden - her with tools she could wear like shoes - and watch her type a weekly newspaper article with wooden dowels she held between her toes to push the keys on an old manual typewriter.

The sort of people who tell you "A Man is worth what his work and is word are, no more, no less."

The sort of people who built you a shotgun (bought barrels, but the rest back yard shop made) for a wedding present.

Or multi millionaires who would come and help you change storms to screens in spring and back again in fall, despite having sold their house years ago.

The sort of people who never leave someone broken down on the side of the road, at least not in Winter, lest the freeze to death.

Good Traditions, Good Folk,  Great Region!

[flagtag]

There is still some of that around here.  For the most part, it has died off with the previous generation.  But, it is still around.

[scoutmaster]

I think the biggest thing about the region is that we hardly ever have anything of any size that falls under the  need for  the readiness premies . So for the most part, every one treats it as a hobby and a fad rather than something really very serious.  Other than the Detroit unrest quite a few years ago, and there has been some flooding but for the most part nothing has happened in a long time. Those in the south have almost yearly problems and tend to stay on top of preparedness.

I can't speak for others in others states with in the region, But I have tried for years to get a loose group going with in Michigan to do some basic preparedness, group buys and a basic plan, to revert to or   at least have radio contact with others of the basic.  preparedness  and  mind set stuff and have had no luck at all.

So I guess to answer your question I would say Not very much and for sure not anything working together, every one is just too busy to be prepared.

[donaldj]

Here in Michigan, I have not seen evidence of a tradition of preparedness. I have seen, what I feel, is the exact opposite.

I used to go to college at MTU (way up in the Upper Peninsula) for engineering. I remember traveling for the holidays in my ancient 1978 Caprice Classic Land Barge Edition, and getting passed by huuuuge dually pick-up truck quad cabs, towing a trailer with 4-6 snowmobiles, going at least 80mph in snowy conditions with the 4 wheel drive on.  Invariably, there were UAW stickers on these rigs, as the workers went up north to play.

Now, with the auto industry tanked and plant shut downs everywhere, these same guys bemoan their missed mortgage payments on prime-time news, and how their family is starving. They've had to sell all their "trucks n toys" for pennies on the dollar (literally, in some cases!), and their $50k trucks were replaced with $3k Geo Metros.

While I realize my story infers some political stances and generalizations, it is a very typical story here in the Detroit area, and exemplarily describes what I have seen of the Preparedness mindset here.

D

[Steve W]

Maybe I should have said "Do Rural & Small Town Folks in Region Four Tend to Have a Tradition of Preparedness?"

We too see the Urbanites playing about - I was on the Badger Carferry suffering overhearing an Urbanite loudly tell his son that the city lights ahead were actually the Northern Lights...  What we're always told is that as long as their credit card swips good, or they have cash... hey isn't it better to have the cows come to you for milking?

The folk I had more in mind are the locals, the ones in places like MTU (Michigan Technological University in Houghton Michigan - base of the Keewana Peninsula in the U.P. - Upper Peninsula of Michigan) who think putting a half dozen cords of firewood up each year is so expected as to be not worth a comment.  The ones that make it so that very University has a 24/7 Open Armory for the Students & Staff and better shooting ranges than most gun clubs.

Or the ones who may do the Urbanite thing for their Day Job while farming on the side.  Might be just some fields planted, or perhaps 40 head of milkers.

The ones who know how to work - who stop & help a stranger.  The ones who's table is never empty.

Yes I forgot about Urbanite, perhaps because we've learned to ignore them for the most part.

Guess it must just be the company one keeps!

[donaldj]

The folk I had more in mind are the locals, the ones in places like MTU (Michigan Technological University in Houghton Michigan - base of the Keewana Peninsula in the U.P. - Upper Peninsula of Michigan) who think putting a half dozen cords of firewood up each year is so expected as to be not worth a comment.  The ones that make it so that very University has a 24/7 Open Armory for the Students & Staff and better shooting ranges than most gun clubs.

Being a student at MTU for 4 years, I can say it's an odd town. The locals don't like to mingle too much with the trolls (those from under the bridge!) and in most cases even refused to hire MTU students to work in their stores (it was taking a job away from a Yooper).  But, after 4 years, you kind of meet a few locals.

In those rare cases, they definitely had a large amount of wood on hand, as well as a couple propane tanks. The ones I knew had about a month's worth of food stored up, and were somewhat liberal about the state described "deer season" dates. I know being snowed in was a big concern.

I don't remember MTU having a gun range at all. I hope that's changed!

But, back then, I wasn't interested in prepping, just worryin about how much tail I could chase down, so didn't get into the inner workings of Yooper Preparedness.   

[Steve W]

Being a student at MTU for 4 years, I can say it's an odd town. The locals don't like to mingle too much with the trolls (those from under the bridge!) and in most cases even refused to hire MTU students to work in their stores (it was taking a job away from a Yooper).  But, after 4 years, you kind of meet a few locals.

In those rare cases, they definitely had a large amount of wood on hand, as well as a couple propane tanks. The ones I knew had about a month's worth of food stored up, and were somewhat liberal about the state described "deer season" dates. I know being snowed in was a big concern.

They definitely have a smidge more snow than seems natural!

I don't remember MTU having a gun range at all. I hope that's changed!

They have a wonderful indoor range in the the Sport Center Complex, and outdoor ranges.  Not certain when they were added.  The ROTC units do live fire at Baraga and I think there is a Reserve Unit range in Calumet.  They have active pistol, rifle and high power rifle clubs at MTU these days.

But, back then, I wasn't interested in prepping, just worryin about how much tail I could chase down, so didn't get into the inner workings of Yooper Preparedness.   

I don't know if the locals would even call it "Yooper Preparedness" being so ingrained into the way of life.

Nice part of the world though!