From a very young age, I was taught about survival and prepping by my grandfather, my uncle, and my father. As I got older, I became a Boy Scout and learned more on these topics. Growing up and becoming an adult in the survival community meant that I got to see the advancements in the survival and prepping gear available. Recent technology has given us all kinds of gadgets we never dreamed of 30 years ago. However, even with all of these advancements I have learned that our most valuable bank of survival knowledge comes from people and times that are and have been simpler in many ways.
With all of the technology invented in the last few decades, most people have become soft. Technology has often focused on convenience so that the user has a more comfortable life. My grandparents and many people from their generation had to work the land from sunrise to sunset just to get by. My grandfather headed for the hog farm before 5 am and returned after dark, while my grandmother spent the day cooking and working in their huge garden.
Let’s look at the average family today. Many people spend their days sitting at a desk working on a computer for eight hours a day. When they get home, they watch TV and have dinner delivered to them. Even modern preppers and survivalists have typically had city utilities and modern appliances replace their fireplaces, wells, books, root cellars, and candles. For building projects, the old chisels, planes, and hand drills have been replaced by power tools. Technology has allowed almost everyone to physically work less. While this makes things easier right now, it can make life much toucher in a SHTF scenario.
So, what exactly will happen if the grid goes down? Keep in mind that most of these modern technologies that make our lives easier are dependent upon working utilities. If the power goes, so does the technology. It essentially puts us back in the dark ages. Many simulations have been run to consider this scenario, and it has been found that roughly 90% of Americans would not survive the first year without the grid. These people would simply not have the skills, knowledge, or tools needed to survive without power. It is vital that we learn to function without all of the gadgets.
One group of people in the US have continued to function without most of the modern-day conveniences we use. The Amish have chosen to live a simple, hard-working life as we all lived at one point. While the rest of us can’t wait to get the next iPhone or gaming system, the Amish prefer to enjoy working the fields and coming home to prayer and quality time with their families.
Typically, the Amish will not use most modern technologies and will not use power on a large scale. The exception would be that some have started using generators, wind turbines, or solar panels to generate just enough electricity to light their homes at night. Outside of this, the Amish live like the rest of America lived 150 years ago. These folks let us see how we can survive when the grid does go down. In addition to passing on their knowledge, they also sometimes pass on their tools.
I know grid failure may seem like a far-off possibility, but it is not. Most experts agree that the next major war will start by shutting down the US power grid. In addition, we have smaller examples of this right now. Just last winter we had people freezing to death without power in Texas. The folks hit by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana went without power for weeks or months, and those in Puerto Rico went more than a year without power. Heck, I had neighbors go a week without power just a few months ago. It can and will happen. The only question is if you will be able to adapt to the situation.
I had a unique opportunity to learn about the Amish as a child. We lived in Pennsylvania Dutch country for several years and often saw them in a buggy on the side of the road. They often sold their products at local shops and fairs, and we came to appreciate how happy and productive they were.
In this article, we will cover some of the ways the Amish get by without the grid. We will also specifically focus on items and supplies you can buy or trade for at the closest Amish store. These products could very well save your life when the grid goes down.
Lighting Resources
For most of us, we pay our electric bill and the lights turn on when we hit the switch. It is tough to light your home at night without power. You can use battery-powered light sources, but batteries run out quickly. You really want to have options that do not require any kind of power.
While a small percentage of the Amish population will use renewable energy sources to light their homes, they are not the norm. Most of the Amish will light their homes with their fireplaces, candles, and oil lamps. These would also be our best long-term options if the power went out in a SHTF scenario.
Oil lamps get harder and harder to find every year, but you can sometimes find them along with wicks and oil at Amish stores. There are several tools needed to properly use and clean a fireplace like a shovel, a brush, tongs, and a poker. You can often find cast iron versions of these tools that have been hand forged by the Amish. They may cost more than buying these tools online, but they will last much longer. You will often find homemade candles at Amish stores, and buying in bulk can save a bunch of cash. You can also find candle holders and other helpful accessories for candles. If you have a source of light, you can use mirrors and water jugs to project light and help better fill the room with light.
Water Gear
Again, most of us currently pay our water bill and the faucet gives us water when we turn it on. Clean drinking water is one of the most vital resources you can have in a scenario like this. However, without power your water pump for city or well water will not work. Most people without power would not be able to bathe, clean their clothes, clean dishes, or have a reliable source for drinking. You would also not be able to water your garden if you have one.
If you already have a well or are considering digging one, the Amish store can potentially provide the supplies you need. If you pick up a hand-powered water pump, you can easily hook that up to a well. You can also snag any fittings and pipes you could need to get the water where it needs to go.
Ideally, you want to have ways to collect rainwater, move water, and store water. Not all wells are going to provide enough water for all of your needs. You can build a rainwater catchment system on your home or on a separate structure to provide a secondary supply of water. Many of the supplies you need such as metal roofing, gutters, and downspouts could be found at an Amish store.
To store water, you can buy large reservoirs there as well. You should always have some smaller jugs and buckets for transporting water. You can also find supplies such as gravel, sand, tubing, and activated charcoal to build a filtration system. Finally, you can pick up tools for washing clothes such as washbasins, washboards, and clothing presses that you may never find elsewhere. There will also be tools for cleaning and drying dishes.
Heat and Cooking
Since I moved into my most recent home two years ago, I have had all kinds of electrical issues. There have been a half dozen times that our kitchen was useless because of the wiring problems. We attained some first-hand experience of cooking without electricity. Most people that have working gas or electricity have a stove, an oven, a microwave, a toaster, and any possibility of other appliances to help them cook with the flip of a switch. If the grid goes down, all of these options are out the window.
The Amish have been cooking without electricity for hundreds of years. Wood stoves are quite popular in the Amish community as they can heat your home, function as an oven, and also have burner plates on the top that function as a stovetop. It can be very difficult to find a good wood stove, but you might find one at the Amish store. On a big purchase like this, they may also be able to point you in the right direction if they don’t have one.
You can also cook inside over your fireplace and heat your home at the same time. The biggest difference is that most wood-burning fireplaces are not built for cooking. Sometimes you can find cast iron racks built to fit inside of your fireplace. These let you place pots and pans inside at different heights to cook.
If it is cold, you should always try to cook inside so that the fire also keeps the house warm. If it is hot, you should try to cook outside to keep it cooler inside. If you cook with smokers or charcoal grills, there are tools you can find to help work with the coals. You can also cook over a simple campfire if you have the right tools. As is with a fireplace, you need a rack of some kind to elevate pots and pans above the fire. You can find cast iron grates, rotisserie racks, and racks to elevate your pots and pans.
You will want to have some good cookware for cooking over a fire, and nothing beats cast iron. Aluminum and steel pots and pans create hotspots and char easily. Cast iron holds up to the flames and evenly distributes heat so your food will not burn on the bottom. They will also last your lifetime and probably a few more after that. I suggest having at least two pots, two pans, and a dutch oven with a lid. The dutch oven is actually the most versatile option as you can pile coals on top of the lid using it as an oven, or it can be used as a standard pot or pan. These items are fairly common at the Amish store. You should also look for some quality utensils. I often see hand-carved wooden spoons, spatulas, and cutting boards at these stores.
Finally, fire requires fuel and often that fuel is firewood. If you want to fuel your wood stove, fireplace, smoker, or fire pit you will need large amounts of split firewood drying at all times. You can sometimes find firewood racks at the Amish store that keep air circulating and keep your firewood drier. More importantly, you can pick up ax heads and handles, pry bars, hatchets, saws, and metal wedges for processing firewood.
Sewing
This may be the biggest change for some of us. I know plenty of people that have never picked up a needle and thread in their lives. They buy clothes, wear them until they rip or wear out, and then replace them. In many SHTF scenarios, heading to the mall would not be an option. The Amish typically tailor their own clothes so they are of higher quality from the start. They are built to last and designed to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also help protect you from the sun and help keep your skin protected from cuts and scrapes common during a day of hard work.
While you can find sewing and knitting supplies at the Amish store, you can also take it to the next level. My wife is actually an avid seamstress and likes her electric sewing machine. However, she has always wanted a foot-powered manual sewing machine. This would be common in an Amish household, and you might snag one at an Amish store. You also may find fabrics, yarns, or cloth finished products at these stores. If you plan to work with raw wool or cotton, you can find tools like sheep shears, looms, and knitting needles. There will also be leatherworking products such as awls and cutters.
Farming and Gardening
One of the resources that has changed the most with technology is food. We went from getting our food from gardens, livestock farms, and the wild to picking it up at the grocery store. Then things progressed to buying lots of our food prepared at restaurants and fast food shops. Now, we can pull up an app and have any food we want delivered to our door in less than an hour. As you can imagine, the Amish have avoided these ‘advancements’.
Of course, not everyone will have the property for an in-ground garden. If you have the land, you really should have a garden. The Amish consistently grow and preserve fruits and vegetables to feed themselves. Without electricity or access to fuel, you will be using hand tools to do your gardening. Even if you don’t have the land for a conventional garden, you can always do a hanging garden, a vertical garden, or a rooftop garden.
You may already have some of these tools, but the Amish store is a good place to buy anything you are missing. This includes rakes, hoes, shovels, post-hole diggers, pitchforks, trowels, pickaxes, shears, scythes, and pry bars. If you plan to work a large area, you can get horse or mule-drawn plows and discs. You can also pick up supplies like stakes, wire, fencing, tomato cages, hay bales, compost, and manure. You can get irrigation supplies like sprinklers, watering cans, drip systems, and hoses.
If you are raising animals on your property, there are all kinds of supplies you can get at the Amish store. Any type of hardware associated with horses can be found there including saddles, bridles, shoes, brushes, and blankets. You can get everything you need to put up fences, build pens, or construct a chicken coop. There are also some specialty tools designed for working with animals that can make your life much easier. For example, I have seen tools for holding the head of a rabbit in place while you break the neck and skin it. This is the kind of unique tool you may only find at an Amish store. You can also often buy feed at the Amish store.
Building, Carpentry, and Fencing
I recently had a small woodworking project I needed to complete. I dug around in my garage, found the supplies, plugged in my power tools, and the job was done less than an hour later. It doesn’t work that way if we are living off-grid. When we build, we build with our hands. When things break, we fix them instead of replacing them or hiring someone else to fix them. You will always need to repair your home and vehicles from time to time.
However, successful homesteads will need improvements from time to time. This often means building things. You might need to run irrigation from a hand pump to your garden. Maybe you need to expand your fencing for wildlife or construct a rainwater collection system. Perhaps you want to build a large smoker for meats or a bigger chicken coop. All of these building projects will require reliable hand tools. The Amish store is a good place to look.
As is with gardening tools, you will likely have many of these items. Keep an eye out for any you don’t have. These would include hammers, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, saws, hand drills, pry bars, pliers, vice grips, C clamps, files, awls, chisels, planes, tin snips, and wire cutters. Really, any tool with a blade you see in an Amish store will probably be high quality. This could be knives, saws, axes, hatchets, butchering tools, or even an old hand-powered lawnmower. Many Amish communities have at least one blacksmith, so you can even possibly find custom bladed tools like a billhook for cutting and limbing brush.
While some of us react to statistics about the death rate after a grid shutdown, others need a visual. This one is simple. Just imagine that you wake up tomorrow and your alarm clock didn’t go off. You try to turn on the lights and TV with no luck. You check the breaker, and nothing is tripped. What is going on?
You think perhaps this is just a temporary outage in your neighborhood. You go to get ready for work, and the water stops running. Now you are starting to get worried. You have some juice on your cell phone battery, but for some reason there is zero reception when you normally have four bars. After talking with the neighbors and letting a day or two pass, you realize you have been basically transported to an Amish way of life. Your food, water, warmth, lighting, and cooking all now rely upon the skills and tools you could have gotten from the Amish.
Is this a vivid enough visual for you? This is a serious possibility in our lifetimes, and we need to be prepared for it. The absolute best way to accomplish this is to borrow lessons and buy supplies from the Amish themselves. There is no need to go crazy and break the bank. Just try to find a few items you don’t already have each time you visit an Amish store. If you just spend a few dollars and pick up a few quality tools from time to time, you will be in much better shape when these basic tools are needed to survive.