How would you cope without electricity gas or running water?
Discussion
With the northern hemisphere deep cold currently threatening to dump more snow on the UK and in particular up to 16 inches in southern counties tonight, the threat of fallen power lines and burst water pipes is real. Gas usage is currently at an all time high, and major industrial consumers have already been limited.
That got me thinking how well I would cope without the essential things we all take for granted, heaters, lights, running water, supermarkets, cars, even clothes.
Then I wondered how our ancestors coped during say the recent little ice age.
Imagine being transported back in time just 500 years to 1510. How did they cope with the long winters that were colder than we're experiencing now? It must have been hell. I guess most people were peasants living on their lords land in small communities, in ramshackle huts. They must have had a permanent fire burning (outside?) trying to simply keep warm when the temperature was minus 10c and to cook meat and thaw ice to drink. I don't imagine they bothered with bathing water. Food must have been scarce and a poor harvest would have been devastating. Animal skins used for clothes and blankets would be a luxury. Trees must have been felled at a much greater rate than today, for essential fuel. The cold dense air must have been heavy with smog even in the countryside. Disease and premature death was normal.
Maybe life aint so bad in the 21st century after all
That got me thinking how well I would cope without the essential things we all take for granted, heaters, lights, running water, supermarkets, cars, even clothes.
Then I wondered how our ancestors coped during say the recent little ice age.
Imagine being transported back in time just 500 years to 1510. How did they cope with the long winters that were colder than we're experiencing now? It must have been hell. I guess most people were peasants living on their lords land in small communities, in ramshackle huts. They must have had a permanent fire burning (outside?) trying to simply keep warm when the temperature was minus 10c and to cook meat and thaw ice to drink. I don't imagine they bothered with bathing water. Food must have been scarce and a poor harvest would have been devastating. Animal skins used for clothes and blankets would be a luxury. Trees must have been felled at a much greater rate than today, for essential fuel. The cold dense air must have been heavy with smog even in the countryside. Disease and premature death was normal.
Maybe life aint so bad in the 21st century after all
I dnt mind being smelly, so i recon no showers would be ok. As for cooking, i live near a wood, and have enough knowhow to start a fire. As for food, im surrounded by old peoples houses, so plently of cats and fat little dogs to eat 
As for water, our garden has the old village water system that was abandoned in favour of the national water grid, so we have more water then we know what to do with, its just burried under about a foot of snow
Electricity, well erm we have a few board games, then i guess its a case of trying to borrow the neighbours daughter
As for water, our garden has the old village water system that was abandoned in favour of the national water grid, so we have more water then we know what to do with, its just burried under about a foot of snow
Electricity, well erm we have a few board games, then i guess its a case of trying to borrow the neighbours daughter
Go back even further to the caveman and it's hard to believe a civilisation survived through any winters. Sometimes staring out of the car window trying to imagine non of the modern surroundings and just frozen water, mud and countryside, with very little in the way of cover how the hell did man manage? Its said that a person's life span was very limited, but even so we must have been much more hardier then. I've often wondered if you took an average male from today and stuck him naked out in the countryside, with only what he would know, would he be able to survive?
No electricity and gas would mean no heating, hot water, cooking, refrigeration, tv or internet... hmmm.
I live next to a forest so wood isn't a problem, i dont have a wood burner though so the house would get cold very quickly. The forest has loads of deer and pheasants and there is a river 1/4 mile down the road so food and water could be replenished easily enough. I'd need a gun or bow and arrow though... Doesnt seem like such a bad investement now.
I live next to a forest so wood isn't a problem, i dont have a wood burner though so the house would get cold very quickly. The forest has loads of deer and pheasants and there is a river 1/4 mile down the road so food and water could be replenished easily enough. I'd need a gun or bow and arrow though... Doesnt seem like such a bad investement now.
ZR1cliff said:
Go back even further to the caveman and it's hard to believe a civilisation survived through any winters. Sometimes staring out of the car window trying to imagine non of the modern surroundings and just frozen water, mud and countryside, with very little in the way of cover how the hell did man manage? Its said that a person's life span was very limited, but even so we must have been much more hardier then.
Yep must have been a brutal short life many moons ago. One day it will return too for some unlucky b
ds.ZR1cliff said:
I've often wondered if you took an average male from today and stuck him naked out in the countryside, with only what he would know, would he be able to survive?
Let's hope he isn't a vegetarian lol, or if he is he'd have to lose his 20th century morals for a blast of reality quick sharp. The first thing he'd have to learn is how to make a weapon to kill a large animal and remove its skin for clothing, followed by a nice feast.deeps said:
ZR1cliff said:
I've often wondered if you took an average male from today and stuck him naked out in the countryside, with only what he would know, would he be able to survive?
Let's hope he isn't a vegetarian lol, or if he is he'd have to lose his 20th century morals for a blast of reality quick sharp. The first thing he'd have to learn is how to make a weapon to kill a large animal and remove its skin for clothing, followed by a nice feast.Having said that, I'd be dead in about 15 minutes.
deeps said:
Imagine being transported back in time just 500 years to 1510. How did they cope with the long winters that were colder than we're experiencing now? It must have been hell. I guess most people were peasants living on their lords land in small communities, in ramshackle huts. They must have had a permanent fire burning (outside?) trying to simply keep warm when the temperature was minus 10c and to cook meat and thaw ice to drink. I don't imagine they bothered with bathing water. Food must have been scarce and a poor harvest would have been devastating. Animal skins used for clothes and blankets would be a luxury. Trees must have been felled at a much greater rate than today, for essential fuel. The cold dense air must have been heavy with smog even in the countryside. Disease and premature death was normal.
I think you're confusing 1510 with cavemen! People didn't have fires outside or wear animal skins for clothes in 1510!The population were smaller and far tougher than we are. They were fully preoccupied with surviving (getting food, keeping warm), not Twittering or watching Big Brother. Life expectancy was maybe 50 years, so no faffing about with the sick and elderly, they died quickly and didn't take up resources. The population was far smaller, so the country was self-sufficient in food (although luxuries from Europe were imported via the Channel ports). There was no industry as such, so no smog.
And for all that, I think they lived in a more realistic, more practical, more sustainable world.
davido140 said:
deeps said:
ZR1cliff said:
I've often wondered if you took an average male from today and stuck him naked out in the countryside, with only what he would know, would he be able to survive?
Let's hope he isn't a vegetarian lol, or if he is he'd have to lose his 20th century morals for a blast of reality quick sharp. The first thing he'd have to learn is how to make a weapon to kill a large animal and remove its skin for clothing, followed by a nice feast.Having said that, I'd be dead in about 15 minutes.
ZR1cliff said:
davido140 said:
deeps said:
ZR1cliff said:
I've often wondered if you took an average male from today and stuck him naked out in the countryside, with only what he would know, would he be able to survive?
Let's hope he isn't a vegetarian lol, or if he is he'd have to lose his 20th century morals for a blast of reality quick sharp. The first thing he'd have to learn is how to make a weapon to kill a large animal and remove its skin for clothing, followed by a nice feast.Having said that, I'd be dead in about 15 minutes.
/watchingtoomanykidsmovies
We used to get several power cuts every winter, sometimes for as long as a couple of days, when I was a kid. Rayburn heated the kitchen, provided hot water and gave us 2 ovens and a couple of hotplates. An open fire in the lounge and huge wood burner in the hall provided the rest of the heat. On eyear it took the snow ploughs nearly a week to reach us after a heavy snow fall. This was in Hampshire in the 1980's not the wilds of Scotlad. Obviously got used to life's luxaries way to fast as without power I'd be down to half a dozen candles and 3 camping stoves 
. Mind you one will run on petrol or diesel so I've got about 100 litres of fuel for it kicking around the place.
. Mind you one will run on petrol or diesel so I've got about 100 litres of fuel for it kicking around the place.davido140 said:
Yeah, but you just need to make friends with a friendly wooly mamoth and a renegade sabre tooth and a comedy sidekick sloth (I think he's a sloth) and go on an epic journey and you're sorted!
/watchingtoomanykidsmovies
I think I'll stay in the Jungle with a dodgy snake and a freindly 'king of the swingers' bear./watchingtoomanykidsmovies
Edited to add - not that kind of swinger
Edited by ZR1cliff on Tuesday 5th January 18:54
ZR1cliff said:
davido140 said:
Yeah, but you just need to make friends with a friendly wooly mamoth and a renegade sabre tooth and a comedy sidekick sloth (I think he's a sloth) and go on an epic journey and you're sorted!
/watchingtoomanykidsmovies
I think I'll stay in the Jungle with a dodgy snake and a freindly 'king of the swingers' bear./watchingtoomanykidsmovies
Simpo Two said:
I think you're confusing 1510 with cavemen! People didn't have fires outside or wear animal skins for clothes in 1510!
The population were smaller and far tougher than we are. They were fully preoccupied with surviving (getting food, keeping warm), not Twittering or watching Big Brother. Life expectancy was maybe 50 years, so no faffing about with the sick and elderly, they died quickly and didn't take up resources. The population was far smaller, so the country was self-sufficient in food (although luxuries from Europe were imported via the Channel ports). There was no industry as such, so no smog.
And for all that, I think they lived in a more realistic, more practical, more sustainable world.
Sounds like a good plan for the future The population were smaller and far tougher than we are. They were fully preoccupied with surviving (getting food, keeping warm), not Twittering or watching Big Brother. Life expectancy was maybe 50 years, so no faffing about with the sick and elderly, they died quickly and didn't take up resources. The population was far smaller, so the country was self-sufficient in food (although luxuries from Europe were imported via the Channel ports). There was no industry as such, so no smog.
And for all that, I think they lived in a more realistic, more practical, more sustainable world.
, don't need all that Copenhagen stuff.
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