COMMUNAL LIVING
Now, relax, Birkenstock wearing Volvo driving, tree hugging Hippies. I'm going to describe post collapse communal living, so don't get overly excited. This won't be like the good old days, smoking dope, waiting for the Food Stamps to come in so you can buy a five cent candy bar and get change for a dollar and go pay off your supplier, flirting with all the girls as they braid their armpit hair and talk about taking a vacation on some other astral plain, as if you need any more escape from reality than you already enjoy. No, this is going to be more along the lines of communal cooking so the one rabbit you caught will stretch out the stew for everyone and sharing a collective fire to make the captured shipping pallet warm everyone.
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I think most of us are envisioning a pioneer existence after the collapse. We farm and enjoy our land and band together for common defense as Super Ninja Motorcycle Hoodlums threaten our tranquil and idyllic universe. Our model seems to be our own propaganda model of the savage redmen threatening us as we try to force them off the land. This could very well happen, criminals will evolve to fit circumstances. But I don't know if the solitary homestead model is all that realistic. We are so blind to distance anymore since we are spoiled rotten by the pervasive automobile. And think nothing of energy use, having it in abundance all our lives. But, this will not be the case in the near future. Wood will become scarce, building supplies will be in short supply. Wood will be needed for cooking and heating as oil becomes unavailable and almost all buildings are unsuitable for post-oil habitation. Rebuilding dwellings suitable for limited wood heat will lead to shortages in populated areas. Salvaging existing building might not be sufficient. Also, for a time, horses and mules will not be available. As the cars run out of fuel, and bicycles mostly prove to be unusable after being stored in the garage for several years, other transportation will be needed. But horses need food. And to get a local farming community going quick enough to feed everyone as trade collapses with the outside, food for animals will need to wait for the time being.
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For most people transportation and warmth will be problems. So it follows that banding together will solve these problems. Help is right there, for work and for defense. Communal living will be a viable solution. We all turn our nose up at it, envisioning the above Hippy or a house stuffed to the rafters with Third World immigrants and their extended family, coping with insane rental costs the only way they know how. So, to help you out, here's a much more pleasing mental picture. Viking or Indian long houses. Several families live together. Each building uses less material and requires less fuel to warm than if each family had separate places. Work, chores and defense are shared to lessen the burden. Also, the shared resources are an insurance policy against one family going without. I'm not saying this shared living arrangement is preferable over individual homesteads, only that we might not have a lot of choice in the matter.
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26 comments:
First off I really love your opening Paragraph. Made me chuckle.
I kinda think after some period of time this type of communal living will become the norm, but it is going to take time and massive die off of Volvo and BMW drivers for it to evolve this way.
I think you may be already seeing some of it as grown children and parents move in together.
Good post James
Old Fart
Good thoughts, Jim. I'm sure it will happen naturally. And, as Old Fart pointed out, already has to an extent. It might not hurt to even do some pre-planning along these lines. However, it might be best to keep the communal housing limited to mostly family members. Then the families could co-op with other families within the clan for farming, the ocasional B-B-Q, and such. Just as some of the North American and Northern European clans have done.
Loneleo
I think a lot of people have enough family to put together a viable community. Blood relatives are probably best. I would not want to many people living together and I would not want family that made fun of me during my prep years while they blew there funds on cocktails and operas.
I'd rather face the Mutant Zombie Bikers alone than live with my family.
Be safer, too.
Yessir, I'm also not too eager to live with the blood relatives. After all, mom was one of twelve and I've got about 25 or so cousins, most married or were and all have kids. Last time I went to a reunion, there were a lot more people I didn't know than folks I knew. Just way too many of these people, spouses and shirt-tail relatives, not to mention how many of them are trying to one-up all the rest. They consider me a bit looney and without ambition. My sib has two acres and raises mostly grass.
perhaps I should point out that my wife and I have no siblings or parents alive to live with us. Only our Senior Chief Petty Officer Son and his two teenaged kids (no Wife). I would welcome them.. The others I have to agree with 2:42
Old Fart
After talking with a Hare Krishna woman during lunch today, I was thinking along these exact lines. There are a number of off-grid communities already functioning in the US that have considerable experience in low-impact farming and energy production. If one is serious about living off-grid, it makes sense to either join such a community or at least spend a couple of months learning the ropes and how to not wash.
Piers Anthony...he, and likely many other authors wrote extensively on the subject: What do YOU have to contribute that admits you in to our 'society'? And I agree, for no man lives in a vacuum.
Barter will be ( or should prove) the coin of the day.
A community is a loose definition, as it should be. My "neighbor", whom I trade chiken eggs for goatmilk cheese, may noy be a 'neighbor' as modern sheep envision... she may be half a 'mile' away.
AND?
I got chicken eggs in excess, and a lack of dairy...
LOL, Mockum- if you wanna learn to not wash, come join me... 30's+ below zero the last week and another week coming- minus 45 forecast tonight- and my septic is frozen...just got the h2o lines thawed yesterday... brand new problems for me and I'm living off-grid now. Dang, it's a pisser but what else you gonna do?
Grin and bear it is the usual expression.
Matthew 10:36
International Standard Version (©2008)...
"A person's enemies will include members of his own family."
That is to say, being in the family should not be the only criteria for inclusion in the long house.
Ok all you family haters out there. If you feel better going it alone or with your friends then so be it. I understand that not everyone one comes from a Walton's style family but unless you have complete and utter distain for your family you will be thinking about their well being while you are living it up survival style.
I think going it alone could be really tough security wise. Even a half dozen adults would allow for a much more secure homestead and more freedom to leave with out worrying as much about theft.
Signed,
Anon 2:40pm
"Hey man. What's your sign?" It seems like the image of communal practices was established in this country during the 60's and up into the 70's and it has become a caricature for the whole process. And if that is all you know and have learned, then I suggest that you stay away from it.
Michael
A small crossroad town would be a good place. One where each house had a good sized lot, there own wells & septic system. Together with surrounding farms could help each other.
In my mind's eye, I'm seeing four or more cargo containers placed together with overhead cover 'dogtrot' porch cover between them. Hay bales stacked up on exposed sides and tops for insulation, maybe tarp covered for longer life.
Allows for more privacy then common building, yet still efforts can be shared.
Sounds great to me. I'm gonna move in with my mom and we can braid each other's armpit hair;)
-Dirty hippie in LA
Thinking of Mockum's comment, I can see where even some church groups would become communal entities, and this would include entire families. Rather makes sense to me: common bond being their religious beliefs, not the J.Jones types et-al, though they will pop up as well. They'd already have a built in, voted upon 'elder' system of government and variety of skills to be shared.
It'd sure be better than going it alone or having family at each others' throats.
In my case, I wonder who I'd want with me- I like people but prefer being alone. Tough situation to say the least. Still, I think if my brother came and asked to move in, I'd probably say yes. And we'd fight like cats and dogs.
UGH!
Shy
http://tinyurl.com/3kwnoa
excerpt
Dear Sir,
Three observations on shipping containers. According to the tags on the doors, the timber component (the floor to most people) almost invariably is treated with serious pesticide. There are multiple purposes to the pesticide treatments - a) to prevent transplantation of harmful insects around the world, b) to protect the structure of the floor, and c) to protect the contents from infestation
and damage. The treatments are serious both in quantity, being roughly in the range of 1 to 10 pounds of pesticide in the wood, and serious in quality. Even 5 lbs is enough to kill a staggering number of insects. As often as not, these pesticides have been banned in the US (and frequently Europe too). Some cause cancer (e.g.., DDT) while others cause testicular atrophy (e.g., Phoxim). Some take hours of diligent searching to track down on the internet either because of trade names or cryptic abbreviations. Pesticides are at least somewhat volatile and almost certainly will permeate the contents
over time, especially if the can gets hot. Note that the contents can include occupants; caution with food storage in containers also advised, unless strong measures are
taken (e.g., remove and replace the floor with untreated wood). Please note that lacquers, varnishes, paints and plastic sheets are highly permeable to organic vapors.
Wow, sounds like the pallet would be more valuable kept for protection against insects. Better live someplace where there are other sources of wood to burn.
Does anyone else remember the scenario in Kate Wilhelm's "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang"? The extended family populated a valley, with critical facilities in or near a large cave system. When things started looking seriously bad, family from farther away relocated to be with the rest of them, bringing their store merchandise with them.
Well, I live in the current version of this (Hippy 2.0). Works well enough. However folks have to be somewhat like minded to pull it off. For us its simple economics, PHD owns the house but his retirement is not enough, and even though I make a good living, in the DC area prices have not dropped enough to afford a house in a "livable" area yet. Call it a economic commune among like minded people.
Consider also a central "main house" with smaller "cottages" around where central has main kitchen/winter dining hall, and folks semi freeze in private bedrooms (been there, done that, it works). It is in essence a re-creation of the something in between a extended family compound and a small village. But for sustainability it will require a 10-15 acre wood lot and 5 acres per person farming (figuring grain production and small animal raising mostly for milk)
A group may adapt a "religious" cover, while being united by a series of common ideas, rather than a absolute belief system.
And my sign is "If you can read this, you are in range"
Delta Echo
Family Man here:
I suggested the family option in yesterdays 2:40pm comment. It appears that most of Jim's readers prefer the go it alone route
If your plans are to exclude family from seeking refuge at your retreat then I would suggest that none of them know where the retreat is. Because if they know they will come. I would hate to have my brothers, sister, mother or father show up when SHTF and have to tell them to move along.
The more I think about it the more I think the majority may be right. I guess if some family is allowed to come then more would follow and that could get ugly fast.
It may be to late for me to choose the family exclusion option since most of my immediate family already know where my cabin is. I guess I could tell them I sold it and hope my wife and young boys keep there mouth shut(yeah right). I could always hope that things would get so bad so quickly that they couldn't get to the cabin. Sounds cold doesn't it.
I would like to hear from those that are planning on turning the family away and how you will do that?
Great thoughts. At minimum a multi generation household would almost surely be reality.
ATTN ANON 757AM
As often as not, these pesticides have been banned in the US (and frequently Europe too). Some cause cancer (e.g.., DDT) while others cause testicular atrophy (e.g., Phoxim).
TESTICULAR ATROPHY MEANS YOUR BALLS SHRINK
Being of the female persuasion, I don't have balls (although I've been told I have a lot of them ;-)). I would probably use a pallet (or pieces of one) in a non-food storage area, or maybe just in a crawl space.
7:57 AM
A very good view of things to come. Banding together is the only way we will survive. A variety of skills within the group will be a true assest as well. Really insightful post.
Thanks Vlad - great link to cargo containers, I had forgotten that. Probably saved someone's hair falling out or leg getting shorter.
Pretty nice site you've got here. Thanx for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. BTW, why don't you change design :).
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