# Would we benefit to study the Armish lifestyle



## coates776 (Sep 4, 2015)

When I think about it, post shtf we will probably be living like the Amish. Of the land, no tv or internet home grown everything.

As they have basically nailed this lifestyle do you think it's worth researching their daily rituals to meal preparation and hygiene and basically how not to go stark crazy.

In our house if the internet goes down for 10 minutes it is the end of the world as we new it. Have we become to engrossed by our tablets and television.

However their passive attitude to weapons would make the Amish easy prey.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

I thought that this was going to be a thread on living the "armish" or armed lifestyle? Lol. I would think that living an Amish lifestyle would simply things.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

The Amish have it going on. And their wood working skills are next to none. They are living truely off the grid, and thriving. I never got this whole 'if I don't have the latest iPhone I'm not modern' kind of mentality. All the gadgets and gizmos in the world can't beat a good blade, a good axe and a fire steel when the lights go out. More importantly, how to use it.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

That's the way of life we all need to look into if we want to be ready for when SHTF ,, I have been doing a little reading on there life style it's not hard ,, you just have to want to do it and if the SHTF you will have to do it ,, just go back to the 1800's and your there .


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

coates776 said:


> However their passive attitude to weapons would make the Amish easy prey.


I wonder if they'll give that up in an SHTF situation.

Edit to add: it's very nice to be a pacifist when others are protecting your freedom, but in a total collapse, who's going to protect the Amish? Nobody. They may have to barter with others in order to protect themselves.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

I've lived around both Amish and Mennonite communities. I actually employ some of the gardening techniques they use. And they work well. The Amish have often been mistreated and misunderstood in several areas also. A very fascinating people and culture. But they have their generational problems also.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

coates776 said:


> When I think about it, post shtf we will probably be living like the Amish. Of the land, no tv or internet home grown everything.
> 
> As they have basically nailed this lifestyle do you think it's worth researching their daily rituals to meal preparation and hygiene and basically how not to go stark crazy.
> 
> ...


Yes, technology is worshiped entirely too much in this country.
We have always lived simply here at Answered Prayers Farm. In fact, it was my wife who got ME interested in the "simple" lifestyle 30 years ago. We wuz preppin' when preppin' wasn't cool.layful:
Yes, we use power tools, after all we are in our late sixties, but we have back up plans already in place. For instance, having lived in Florida all our lives we are ready if a hurricane knocks out the electricity for several weeks. When we bought our new house we got rid of the electric range that came with it and bought a gas stove. We also have hurricane lamps, the old fashioned kerosene burning glass chimney style. And much, much more.
My experiences in living in the field as a Soldier in Colorado and Vietnam have proved invaluable, and if we ever have to go back to primitive living I've got that pretty well covered. :armata_PDT_34:

Unless a person lives in an HOA controlled town house/condo in the middle of a concrete city, I suggest trying your hand at growing some food. Research, learn, try. :watermelon:

Now, I will admit that a number of years ago, when The Wife announced we could no longer afford the monthly bills on the satellite tv dish (cable does not come this far out), I went through a rugged period of withdrawal that lasted several weeks. But after even a short period without the 24 hour news cycle, and especially Fox News, controlling my life my stress levels dropped dramatically. After several years I invested in a deep fringe outdoor antenna and signal booster and can now get all the channels that come out of the big city. Even now, the only TV I watch is the 6 o'clock local news, the evening world news, the NASCAR races that are actually broadcast over-the-air, and the baseball World Series. 

Amish living? Good thing. Here are some websites to peruse
http://www.lehmans.com/ After you make a couple purchases, you will automatically get their latest catalogs in the mail.

Backwoodsman Magazine Want to learn how to do things without fancy technology? This magazine is a MUST for serious preppers. It is not some slick publication full of fluffy prose designed simply to sell you products. It is written by the readers themselves.

Old style crop gardening and don't have a mule? http://hosstools.com/


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## screwedby (Oct 21, 2015)

Once again relegion has eaten away their brain.

After the SHTF it should be a simple matter for a handful of dope heads to wipe out the Amish and take every thing for themselves.

Aside from the fact the Amish do not have a fan for the S to Hit.

Goofy looking hats for everybody.
And a home-made broom and clean bibs that smell like an April day.


screwedbygoogle
original username modified by google


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## DARK1 (Oct 4, 2014)

They piss me off around here hiding behind their religion to avoid taxes and such. I live around a lot of them and most own "small businesses" and make a killing, and yes they use skid steers, tractors, generators, air compressors, nail guns, cell phones and cruze around in a four door dulley diesels. Every time I go into Cabelas they have carts hay stacked with the latest and greatest Gortex clothing, best of boots and newest AR's to hit the shelves, so don't kid yourself, their not all tuff'in it. All in this area (large dairy farms) average 2 - 4 hundred acres tracts of land and it's the epicenter for the Utica shell gas and oil fracking and that equates into 2.5 million to just sign a contract with a oil co. , then 3-4K per month per acre for royalties, so their doin pretty good round here. Problem is they discovered heroin, and it is just eating them up, that is the sad part. But I could respect them a lot more if they paid taxes like the rest of us stiffs do. However I'm sure there are still some that run around in horse and buggy, but not in my neck of the woods.


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## I'd_last_a_day (May 12, 2015)

Targetshooter said:


> That's the way of life we all need to look into if we want to be ready for when SHTF ,, I have been doing a little reading on there life style it's not hard ,, you just have to want to do it and if the SHTF you will have to do it ,, just go back to the 1800's and your there .


Nah i'm ok, we have freeze dried food now lol


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

Dark1, you hit on what I hinted at about generational problems.


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## reartinetiller (Feb 26, 2015)

I too live in an area with Amish. Their farms can't support their large families, so most of them have small business or work a full time job in town. They have their drinking and drug problems too. They are also well armed. Roy


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

They do know how to get by if need be .


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

They live like my grandparents, and their parents lived.
I learned a lot from my grandparents.
We could, and should learn from the Amish.
Make a trip to an Amish community and store.
They are impressive.


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)




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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)




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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

DARK1 said:


> They piss me off around here hiding behind their religion to avoid taxes and such. I live around a lot of them and most own "small businesses" and make a killing, and yes they use skid steers, tractors, generators, air compressors, nail guns, cell phones and cruze around in a four door dulley diesels. Every time I go into Cabelas they have carts hay stacked with the latest and greatest Gortex clothing, best of boots and newest AR's to hit the shelves, so don't kid yourself, their not all tuff'in it. All in this area (large dairy farms) average 2 - 4 hundred acres tracts of land and it's the epicenter for the Utica shell gas and oil fracking and that equates into 2.5 million to just sign a contract with a oil co. , then 3-4K per month per acre for royalties, so their doin pretty good round here. Problem is they discovered heroin, and it is just eating them up, that is the sad part. But I could respect them a lot more if they paid taxes like the rest of us stiffs do. However I'm sure there are still some that run around in horse and buggy, but not in my neck of the woods.


don't some own flying J truck stops or some thing?


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

There are different orders of Amish.
The most rigid are the Old Order, and there are less than 300,000 of those, according to some sources.
Not all Amish are that strict. The least strict are the Mennonites. Mennonites even own and drive cars.

Just like there are different sects and levels of Christianity. Some Christian churches even allow gays to be ordained ministers. My wife and I left the United Church of Christ over just this issue.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

DARK1 said:


> They piss me off around here hiding behind their religion to avoid taxes and such. I live around a lot of them and most own "small businesses" and make a killing, and yes they use skid steers, tractors, generators, air compressors, nail guns, cell phones and cruze around in a four door dulley diesels. Every time I go into Cabelas they have carts hay stacked with the latest and greatest Gortex clothing, best of boots and newest AR's to hit the shelves, so don't kid yourself, their not all tuff'in it. All in this area (large dairy farms) average 2 - 4 hundred acres tracts of land and it's the epicenter for the Utica shell gas and oil fracking and that equates into 2.5 million to just sign a contract with a oil co. , then 3-4K per month per acre for royalties, so their doin pretty good round here. Problem is they discovered heroin, and it is just eating them up, that is the sad part. But I could respect them a lot more if they paid taxes like the rest of us stiffs do. However I'm sure there are still some that run around in horse and buggy, but not in my neck of the woods.


They shop at Walmart, too!


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## DARK1 (Oct 4, 2014)

Annie said:


> They shop at Walmart, too!


Yes I see them shopping at a lot of places, no sin there, but the fact of their tax evasion by means of a religion that claims to use no modernized ways of life is what I find troubling. My buck would go a lot further if half wasn't going to federal, state and ssi . I also had a problem with them logging a property adjacent to mine. They did approach me about selling timber however I declined but they still crossed the clearly marked property line by as much as 75' and took 23 hardwood trees ranging in size from 21'' to 36''. I did call the sheriff and he came out to file a report and take pictures however nothing came of it because of there being 17 lumber co's. called Miller lumber co. in the town of Millersburg. Although the sheriff was sympathetic with my all to common problem he told me it is not by accident that they only use like three names. He said they have this problem all the time and if I could identify the co. he would be more than glad to prosecute and that he was no fan. After spending two days looking for the company with no success and out 2 tanks of fuel, I cut my losses.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Regardless of what individuals do contrary to their beliefs, the Amish lifestyle is a good one to make note of and emulate, leaving the religious aspect aside. 
They are closer to the realities of a primitive life style than the rest of us. They will suffer less impact when SHTF.
They are an example of the lifestyle working.

A lot of their day to day supplies are available from Lehman's.

I like RPD, would suffer little from the loss of the net and cell phones not having grown up with them.
All my survival data is on hard copy, no electronic storage, books and folder work great.
That time will be needed to do work for day to day survival.

I don't know why some complain about their political and religious beliefs in this thread, it's about a method of living to focus on.
I don't give a tinker's damn about those beliefs, just how they make the living style work.
Now if we want to pick on the ragheaded bastards that is different.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

They have lots of good old time knowledge. We have a small community of them and Mennonite out here. They mostly seem to just leave everyone alone. There is even a few stores where they sell their homemade goods and furniture. Top quality stuff.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

All the amish I know own guns and hunt

the all still shop at walmart and the grocery store.

I can say that the Amish around here would have lots of assistance from the non-amish when it came to protection

overall as far as preps go.. they would be hurting a bit themselves until they got back to how they use to do things...


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

DARK1 said:


> They piss me off around here hiding behind their religion to avoid taxes and such. I live around a lot of them and most own "small businesses" and make a killing, and yes they use skid steers, tractors, generators, air compressors, nail guns, cell phones and cruze around in a four door dulley diesels. Every time I go into Cabelas they have carts hay stacked with the latest and greatest Gortex clothing, best of boots and newest AR's to hit the shelves, so don't kid yourself, their not all tuff'in it. All in this area (large dairy farms) average 2 - 4 hundred acres tracts of land and it's the epicenter for the Utica shell gas and oil fracking and that equates into 2.5 million to just sign a contract with a oil co. , then 3-4K per month per acre for royalties, so their doin pretty good round here. Problem is they discovered heroin, and it is just eating them up, that is the sad part. But I could respect them a lot more if they paid taxes like the rest of us stiffs do. However I'm sure there are still some that run around in horse and buggy, but not in my neck of the woods.


They pay taxes..sounds to me like you do not like their success ... are you against capitalism??

they are exempt from social security... I wish i was also. all other taxes they pay

And remember here in PA there are lots of people doing better after oil.

I think you are bitter for no reason... each amish community is a little different..here they do not own power tools but they will use them, they do not own cars but will ride in them...

frankly - I think good for them.. the ones i know are honest, hard working, and kind.... ...


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Those near us. Bother no one, they take great care of their land and property .They live simple but ordered lives. They clearly know how to live without many of the things we use everyday, but have knowledge of the things we have at hand. They consume little in the way of government services. They take care of their own .
Not a life I would choose, but one I can respect. can you dig up dirt, sure you can on any group of people. You can learn a lot just by watching them, in daily task.
I will not judge their relationship with god that is not for me to rule on.


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## DARK1 (Oct 4, 2014)

Maine-Marine said:


> They pay taxes..sounds to me like you do not like their success ... are you against capitalism??
> 
> they are exempt from social security... I wish i was also. all other taxes they pay
> 
> ...


 Reading comprehension may be eluding you, I did not say ALL , I said the ones around me. Personally they stole several thousands of dollars worth of timber from me, I don't like thieves. As far as capitalism I'm fine with that, I also own 240 acres and I am in no way bitter toward anybody doing well for themselves through hard work, the grace of God or both, so you are totally misreading me. I'm simply saying the Amish I am around do not seem to be pillars of the prepping community that some may think and their farms and livestock are in deplorable condition. I do know of a few that Animal Control actually loaded up their livestock and took them and issued citations. But what do I know.


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## BuckB (Jan 14, 2016)

To answer the OP's question: Would we benefit to study the Amish lifestyle? Yes and no. Outwardly, they avoid technology and we would benefit from some of that. But behind the scenes, they are no different than the rest of us. If there is an easier way of doing something they will do it.

About 10 years ago I had a business trip to Harrisburg, PA. I brought my wife along and we extended the trip a few days to bang around Lancaster County, PA to see what the Amish had to offer. I have been a hardcore woodworker for the last 25-30 years and I wanted to see what their shops looked like and the product they created. I will say straight up, about 20% of the furniture shops we visited, the stuff they were turning out was magnificent. It was definitely heirloom quality furniture, but you did pay for it. A chest of drawers for $3500 was not uncommon in those shops. About 40% of their shops the quality was marginal. They were cheaper prices, but the quality was definitely not the same. The remaining 40% were absolute Jack Pine Savages that I would not have bought for any price, even as firewood.

We got to talking to a couple of the higher end guys and even got 2 of them to take me on a tour of their wood shops. They use the exact same tools as the rest of us. They were not doing all of this with hand tools. They had the latest Porter-Cable routers and the Powermatic Mortising Machines. Their wood shops were as modern as mine. There is nothing wrong with that, but to assume their culture creates some kind woodworking gods is just not accurate.

I was impressed that they raised most of their own food. But their beliefs of educating their kids really bothered me. They give their kids a pretty good education until the 8th grade. That is when their education ends. At that point, the kid gets a couple years to go crazy and live the life outside the Amish community and if they come back they are expected to live Amish for life. If they leave, they are treated like an outsider (even by their kin) forever. I cannot groove to that.

I was also REALLY turned off by their ambivalence towards America. They do not hate the United States, but they do not love her either. Only in America are they free to practice their beliefs. Not even their beloved native Holland gave them that right. I would have thought a bit more gratitude might be in order. But they do not have it.

In short, after our short time amongst them, I came away underimpressed.


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## coates776 (Sep 4, 2015)

Thanks for the interesting responses, I did see them in some reality tv shows here in Australia but that was about it.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

DARK1 said:


> Reading comprehension may be eluding you, I did not say ALL , I said the ones around me. Personally they stole several thousands of dollars worth of timber from me, I don't like thieves. As far as capitalism I'm fine with that, I also own 240 acres and I am in no way bitter toward anybody doing well for themselves through hard work, the grace of God or both, so you are totally misreading me. I'm simply saying the Amish I am around do not seem to be pillars of the prepping community that some may think and their farms and livestock are in deplorable condition. I do know of a few that Animal Control actually loaded up their livestock and took them and issued citations. But what do I know.


My reading comprehension is fine.. you memory might be off... I will re-reply to your first post later and look at it point by point


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

since you think I am having reading comprehension problems becuase i thought your post a little bitter...lets go point by point



DARK1 said:


> They piss me off around here hiding behind their religion to avoid taxes and such.


Well we have shown that they pay taxes except Social Security... so you are wrong here... do you have an issue with their religion??? Do you even know what it is



DARK1 said:


> I live around a lot of them and most own "small businesses" and make a killing


 they are successful at business and that makes you mad???



DARK1 said:


> they use skid steers, tractors, generators, air compressors, nail guns, cell phones and cruze around in a four door dulley diesels


 and this matters WHY.... are you bothered by them using that equipment



DARK1 said:


> Every time I go into Cabelas they have carts hay stacked with the latest and greatest Gortex clothing, best of boots and newest AR's to hit the shelves, so don't kid yourself, their not all tuff'in it.


 they buy nice stuff and this is wrong why??? sounds like sour grapes to me



DARK1 said:


> All in this area (large dairy farms) average 2 - 4 hundred acres tracts of land and it's the epicenter for the Utica shell gas and oil fracking and that equates into 2.5 million to just sign a contract with a oil co. , then 3-4K per month per acre for royalties, so their doin pretty good round here.


 they have big farms and now they have gas contracts.. and that is wrong how??



DARK1 said:


> Problem is they discovered heroin, and it is just eating them up, that is the sad part.


 do you really feel bad???



DARK1 said:


> But I could respect them a lot more if they paid taxes like the rest of us stiffs do.


they do pay taxes...



DARK1 said:


> However I'm sure there are still some that run around in horse and buggy, but not in my neck of the woods


 yep they sure do


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## DARK1 (Oct 4, 2014)

Maine-Marine you should work for MSM the way you will pick apart a post to spin it to work for your personal agenda, whatever that may be. I really don't care about your likes or dislikes, you can exercise your rights anyway you deem fit, as will I. You can have your personal opinion and I will have mine. You don't see me harassing you about every sentence you post, weather I agree or disagree with you, so I will assume this is more of a personal thing. However I don't consider the old inter-webs as being very personal, I could have much more respect for you if you looked down the bar and said to yourself "I'm going to go f**k with this guy" but I'm fairly confident that wouldn't happen. I won't be posting in this thread again so I will consider this to be a case of we will have to agree to disagree. However you strike me as someone who must get the last word in but I will not roll in the cyber mud with you anymore, have a nice day !


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

DARK1 said:


> Maine-Marine you should work for MSM the way you will pick apart a post to spin it to work for your personal agenda, whatever that may be. I really don't care about your likes or dislikes, you can exercise your rights anyway you deem fit, as will I. You can have your personal opinion and I will have mine. You don't see me harassing you about every sentence you post, weather I agree or disagree with you, so I will assume this is more of a personal thing. However I don't consider the old inter-webs as being very personal, I could have much more respect for you if you looked down the bar and said to yourself "I'm going to go f**k with this guy" but I'm fairly confident that wouldn't happen. I won't be posting in this thread again so I will consider this to be a case of we will have to agree to disagree. However you strike me as someone who must get the last word in but I will not roll in the cyber mud with you anymore, have a nice day !


You posted some comments, I made a reply to those comments.. you posted that I had some form of reading impairment, I posted again going point by point on your original post... highlighting the incorrected and silly statements

frankly, I do not care if you like or dislike the amish.... but do not lie about them or act all highbrow because they are not the weak little wall flowers you would like them to be or are not acting how you think they should act

AND - if you do not consider these post personal why attack my reading skills, wrongly


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## Novis (Nov 15, 2015)

DARK1 said:


> Reading comprehension may be eluding you, I did not say ALL , I said the ones around me. Personally they stole several thousands of dollars worth of timber from me, I don't like thieves. As far as capitalism I'm fine with that, I also own 240 acres and I am in no way bitter toward anybody doing well for themselves through hard work, the grace of God or both, so you are totally misreading me. I'm simply saying the Amish I am around do not seem to be pillars of the prepping community that some may think and their farms and livestock are in deplorable condition. I do know of a few that Animal Control actually loaded up their livestock and took them and issued citations. But what do I know.


I am sorry that you were robbed. Sure we can learn something from the Amish from a prepping standpoint. Dark1 may not be bitter. But, I must admit that I am. I have been burned too many times by religious hypocrites that it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I am not saying that all Amish are like this. But, I have met so many religious hypocrites from Catholics to Baptists to Muslims. They talk all of that peace and love stuff unless you agree 100% with them and do 100% what they want you to do. If not, then the fangs come out! They are quick to justify their own "sin" but even quicker to judge someone else's.

But, speaking of prepping, Lehman's has good high quality merchandise that they stand behind. They have a nice portable washer machine that I wanted to get.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

coates776 said:


> When I think about it, post shtf we will probably be living like the Amish. Of the land, no tv or internet home grown everything.
> 
> As they have basically nailed this lifestyle do you think it's worth researching their daily rituals to meal preparation and hygiene and basically how not to go stark crazy.
> 
> ...


I have an old chum who lives around some up in Ohiya. He says they are are nasty..beat their wives and abuse their animals. Now I never seen one except on TV so I am just passing on what he said.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> I have an old chum who lives around some up in Ohiya. He says they are are nasty..beat their wives and abuse their animals. Now I never seen one except on TV so I am just passing on what he said.


you can hear just about anything if you listen long enough


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Well me and that old yankee go back a long way. He aint prone to tell many fibs. The cops came to his house one night and he gave them a burst of AR 15 over the head. They never did come back


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

and that makes him creadable bigwheel? why were the cops there? I seen drug dealers do the same thing just saying.
the question should we study the Amish? why are we going to write a book about them?
unless your willing to do the hard work with out modern amenities on a regular basis I see no reason to go there.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I feel that learning anything about being self sufficient is worth my time. The Amish are well known for their baking, canning and gardening techniques. I am not interested in their religious beliefs or their antics. We can learn things from so many places and so many people, isn't that why most of us are on this forum. 

I learned about bread making from a woman who was a horrible human being, however, she sure could bake some great bread.


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