How can our electronic hobby and skills help in survival situations?

JohnVladEasternTiger · #1 03-09-2010, 05:39 PM

Hi everyone. First let me thank the maker and Contributers to this website articles and forums, they are a great help to people like myself. Im into my bushcraft and survival activities even thoe again Im learning more in this area, topics like "off the grid living" and self sufficient lifestyle. I like the idea of living "off the grid" not totally but its good to have a option to reduce our dependance on the electricity grid, I like to be self sufficient in food and other things, im not against all technology and things we use but im wondering if electricity disappeared tomorrow what devices could we use and how can our electronic hobby come into play to help us survive? If you get what im saying, when we think of electronics people assume televisions and plastations and ipod. I know electronics is more than that like the medical field and space exploration, wind up radio and torch lights. But I dont know if you know ways we can use what we know to help in a survival situation where we need water, shelter, food and communicate and generate power? I seen one video someone that build power batteries and a generator from wind/sun solar to his home, surley they is more than only this idea and where do the circuit boards, components and stuff come into play here?

beenthere · #2 03-09-2010, 05:56 PM

I moved this back here, as the topic is pretty speculative.

When you mention "survival situations", I think of the tens of thousands of years people and civilization has existed with no knowledge of electricity or electronics. If that is what you mean by "electricity disappeared", then I would be at a loss to see how any electrical knowledge would be useful.

One author, S. M. Stirling, as a set of novels out that imagines such a situation. It turns out that the members of the Society for Creative Anachronism come out on top, as they all had handy suits of armor and swords in the hall closet, and can beat up on the forces of evil/the less well prepared.

JohnVladEasternTiger · #3 03-09-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

I moved this back here, as the topic is pretty speculative.

When you mention "survival situations", I think of the tens of thousands of years people and civilization has existed with no knowledge of electricity or electronics. If that is what you mean by "electricity disappeared", then I would be at a loss to see how any electrical knowledge would be useful.

One author, S. M. Stirling, as a set of novels out that imagines such a situation. It turns out that the members of the Society for Creative Anachronism come out on top, as they all had handy suits of armor and swords in the hall closet, and can beat up on the forces of evil/the less well prepared.

Thanks for the reply, sure I agree but in those days we had a less population, we are heavily dense look at the large cities off the world all electricity dependant, New York, London Toyko etc. So how would our skills come in handy dealing with a situation in the present world?
Thank you

beenthere · #4 03-09-2010, 07:52 PM

Let's zero in on "electricity disappeared". Do you mean a situation in which electricity no longer functions at all?

ELECTRONERD · #5 03-09-2010, 08:04 PM

A good thing to make would be a UV electronic device. Then, you could scan it over water to eliminate all the bacteria so you have clean water to drink.

Austin

beenthere · #6 03-09-2010, 08:10 PM

We're still waiting to find out if there is still electricity possible.

ELECTRONERD · #7 03-09-2010, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

We're still waiting to find out if there is still electricity possible.

I think batteries would be an exception, not to mention solar panels too.

Austin

loosewire · #8 03-09-2010, 09:03 PM

I think that thru solar electric source,less heat can make
us live longer and a better live.The less heat diet there are so
choices to make.Enough light to read to nourish the mind
and soul. The weather has to be mind over matter thing,should you
cover or use the breeze. These are personal things that you don't
pay enough attention to because we are given easy choices that
we pay for,take one room with power meter and start thinging about
choices and mean to things different. So If you don't own a house
you could start to have a better life.Some one compute a power
budget electric cost per month to communicate by computer and
I-phone. After a small microwave oven for small meals and hot coffee.
If every one take a part of Mathematics house and reduce It to more
healthly living. Take part in ways and means of good electronic
health,sort a like fastasy baseball select a team or thing.If you are
food person,heating precooked lobster for 20 seconds. Thinks and
post solar sources that you could live by,I will start a list for
budget electronics,light,heat,communications,food,warmth, cooling
measuring these Items for a single room,or like conditions.
Thingmaker could use your Information In his life choice to live in forest
and communicate by laptop when comes across wifi area which is
free from the forest service in remote locations,I am sure most of you
will not get the point of this post. Put your self in a minimal condition
and pick a subject that you would survive with. Loosewire
Unramble,the rambleing,eat less and live longer,while posting
eat peanuts.

Bill_Marsden · #9 03-09-2010, 10:18 PM

Fact is, unless it was a true dark age, I doubt electricity will every completely fade from our civilization. It would take something like the movie 2012, where every library in the world was destroyed all at once. I tend to think more in terms of the scenario of the book 1632, where you went back to a low tech base. It is important to note that even then a lot of stuff could be fabricated by artisans back then, the sticking points would be things like insulation on wires. Knowing something can be done is more than half the battle though.

If we went through a modern Armageddon, where 90% of the population died, we would be scavenging for a long time, but eventually (with libraries) the ball would get rolling again. A lot of components are measured in millions of hours between failures, that is long enough to keep people aware of the advantages.

Mountain men are the exception, people being social animals. City states could come back, but they would be a lot larger than anything Rome ever had with a city.

JohnVladEasternTiger · #10 03-09-2010, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

Let's zero in on "electricity disappeared". Do you mean a situation in which electricity no longer functions at all?

Yes I mean if electricity just dissappeared omorrow, forgive my imagination, Im trying to think all our Electronic Engineering knowledge would it go down the toilet or would it be useful in some way to help the chasos that would unfold due to the lack of electricity