Urban Challenge Discussion thread

Ok, I have put some thought of this before. One of the biggest problems is that I will quickly turn into one of the "less than legal" types. Case in point, I can tell you who in my building has guns, what kinds they have, where they keep them, and what their general schedule is. Is this a legitimate thing or should we really keep more in line with the law?
 
Lets leave homicide off the list.

Its an exercise in observation. That's a good observation, so, just list it as something like,

"For guns that I don't have, I would seek the resources of my neighbor."

Hows that sound?

Laws of man mean little, and you can deal with whatever you need to, AFTER, staying alive is primary goal here, some folks moral compass just don't point North, that's up to the individual.

Marauder or Marksman?

Moose
 
That sounds like a fair enough compromise. I wouldn't kill anyone for a gun anyway. I'd much rather intimidate someone to take what I need than actually do harm.
 
I was thinking along the lines of teaming up with those that I know who have resources, guns, etc; like with the retired Special Forces guy who lives across the street from me, or my best friend and hunting buddy. Seems like the mutual support of a wingman would increase the odds of survival exponentially. Need to keep that on a small scale, though!
 
*Looks at door*



*Turns 180 degrees*



Guess I'll be sitting this one out :p
Won’t be back at my city apartment for another 2 months. The challenge is probably just for Beckerheads anyway, and I still need to start another thread in order to apply. So I guess it doesn’t matter.

Looking forward to seeing peoples entries :D
 
reserved for when I get out of jail photos-
bug in for sure - bugging out with a child requires a pack mule
plenty of toys to keep zombies away RRA, Savage 10FP, BKT's & Busse's
neighbor is class III dealer so plenty of ammo available
have enough of a generator to run my office for AC in summer - heat in winter and enough fuel for a week - will sux sitting all of us in an 8x12 room, but it is better than the 80 degree heat at night
groceries- have enough in house between freezers and pantry to make 2 weeks NP and can limit on dove in backyard in an hour- enough wood or propane to grill for a month with ease-
water - always 4 cases inside the house - large stock tank from golf course just behind the fence, 1/4 mile walk

I believe alot depends on the size and age of the family. We all talk tough and have no issues fending for ourselves, but the family is a different story. Seriously, try and "bug out" with a 3 year old little girl in 95+ degree heat and see how long the fun last. I believe "bug in" is the best scenario as all my resources are here and I don't have to pack anything. I am also curious how often anyone actually puts on their "bug out pack" and takes off on a hike. From what I see most set ups are geared for leaving in the car and not well prepared for an actual hike. Mine is set up for a vehcile excursion even though it is a backpack. More than 5 miles with any backpack over 30lbs without a good hip belt and 90% of us will be looking for a 7-11 and a slushie. Ask yourself - how far does 5 miles get me from the problem? Also consider 20 miles a day with a pack and family in tow is an accomplishment. So how far does the 20 miles get you?

That being said, I think for me a more interesting scenario is " how do I get home from a national event". I travel often enough that I will likely be stuck in some post in D.C., North Carolina or Florida when it hits the fan so I have two scenarios to consider. (at least I'll be on post and near the PX) First, how do I get home to the family from across the country with no air flights and no supplies. ( I see the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles and me camping out on Mooses porch on the way home. Hey those are not pillows!) Second, how do I keep the family safe and tight until I get there. I'll explore those discussions later.


Edit - after completing my morning PT I realized there are 1000 head of cattle within 5 miles of the house. As long as my BK16 stays sharp I am not going hungry.
Also, after thinking about this and based on last years fire's in our area. (we had to get out the sprayers and disc up the fields around my buddies mothers house as we could see flames from her barn) I prepared a bug out box in case of a fire for the family. Basically more hotel staying oriented in the event we need to evac the house due to a fire. Enough clothes for 2 days, meds for a week, HD back up for the computer, the Will's and personal items. Just a thought and it reminds me I have to go through it and the computer was due for a back up this being the first week of the month.
 
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When thinking of an environmental emergency, my first thought comes to “how will I get home”.
I work in downtown Phoenix and live in Goodyear. My 37 mile commute takes me past some of the rougher parts of the city via the freeway. If something catastrophic were to happen, I’m sure that the freeways and side streets would fill up fast! I’ve lived in Phoenix all my life and grew up near the areas I would need to pass through, but I’m sure that environment would change drastically with thousands of panicked people filling the streets.
Bug out bags are great and are fun to put together, but I’ve been thinking about a “Get home bag”. Something that can help me get from the office back home to my family if I couldn’t use the roads to get home.
 
Here are some important considerations involved in bugging out.

This is not directed at anyone here, but I have seen an attitude in other places on the web that troubles me. This rant has been building in my mind for some time and now I have a place to put it.

Bugging out with no definite destination is immensley foolish.

There seems to be a belief among internet survival types that "When the s*** hits the fans, I'm gonna grab my bug out and my rifle and head for the hills." This is stupid.

"The Hills" do not exist. "The Hills" are actually some ol boy's pasture or back timber. Someone else already owns "The Hills." If you show up there, you are trespassing. If you eat their livestock, you are stealing. You are also taking resources that, in a societal collapse situation, the landowner will be relying on for his own survival, and his family's. The landowner has the right to protect his property with lethal force.

There are few true wilderness areas left, and the vast majority of land is privately owned. State or federally owned lands might be a possibility, but how many other people will be headed there too.

Yes, there will be a lot of abandoned property in such a situation, and if your survival depends on it, then of course, use it. But you most likely will not know in advance what will be abandoned, and hoping to find an empty cabin out in the woods does not count as a plan.

The only reasonable possibility is to have a rural property that you own to bug out to, or go to family or friends that will take you in. Also, have multiple safe routes planned.

Keep all of this in mind, because no matter how badass your AR is, you don't want to go up against some rural farmer armed with a .30-30 on his property that he has been deer hunting on his entire life.
 
Crewdawg said:
I was thinking along the lines of teaming up with those that I know who have resources, guns, etc; like with the retired Special Forces guy who lives across the street from me, or my best friend and hunting buddy. Seems like the mutual support of a wingman would increase the odds of survival exponentially. Need to keep that on a small scale, though!
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Definitely strength in numbers. Just make sure you have something to bring to the table: supplies, skills, abilities, training, something.

Case in point. One day, about 15 years ago, a close friend and I were cleaning up the fire arms after a day at the range setting scopes and target practice. We were doing this in my driveway on the tail gate of my truck. A not so well liked neighbor...one that really has no clue he is a total self centered jerk...came up the driveway looking for another neighbor. He saw what we were doing and made the statement of "cool, I don't have to buy anything. If the shit hits the fan I can just run to your house and join up with you guys." Then he rambled on about some other crap, I really don't even remember what, and then went on. My friend who also knew this neighbor pretty well had remained quiet the whole time until the guy left. After the neighbor reached the bottom of my driveway my friend looked over his shoulder at him, spat tobacco juice into the weeds beside the driveway and very calmly said..."note to self: if the shit does hit the fan, shoot ____ as he runs up the driveway. Like really need his dead-weight ass to deal with." and went back to cleaning as I about drowned in the tea I was drinking laughing at the calmness with which he made the statement.
 
mistwalker said:
Definitely strength in numbers. Just make sure you have something to bring to the table: supplies, skills, abilities, training, something.

Case in point. One day, about 15 years ago, a close friend and I were cleaning up the fire arms after a day at the range setting scopes and target practice. We were doing this in my driveway on the tail gate of my truck. A not so well liked neighbor...one that really has no clue he is a total self centered jerk...came up the driveway looking for another neighbor. He saw what we were doing and made the statement of "cool, I don't have to buy anything. If the shit hits the fan I can just run to your house and join up with you guys." Then he rambled on about some other crap, I really don't even remember what, and then went on. My friend who also knew this neighbor pretty well had remained quiet the whole time until the guy left. After the neighbor reached the bottom of my driveway my friend looked over his shoulder at him, spat tobacco juice into the weeds beside the driveway and very calmly said..."note to self: if the shit does hit the fan, shoot ____ as he runs up the driveway. Like really need his dead-weight ass to deal with." and went back to cleaning as I about drowned in the tea I was drinking laughing at the calmness with which he made the statement.
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You mean a case of beer and a bottle of Jack won't be enough to bring? :D

Seriously, though; good point, and an extension of what i meant; if you can team up with 1-2 other people (keeping it small) and each bring a unique set of skills and supplies, the effect is synergestic. My hunting buddy and I are like that when we go on a hunting trip. We each try to outdo each other with gadgets and gear, bringing enough foodand supplies for not only ourself but each other and the result is if some piece of kit/equipment gets left behind, breaks, whatever, we are always able to cover for each other. We also dont run out of Brats and beer. :-) It always evens out, also. I left my GPS in the truck, but have spare batteries for his GPS which just died. Shoot a large critter like an elk; with 2 of you, you can watch each others' backs, transport the meat at once, etc. Substitute roaming gangs of hungry sheeple for the wolf/bear threat, and there ya have it. Too many in the group starts to be a crowd, though. The most I've hunted with without getting in each other's way was 3. Even that was iffy if the 3rd was a tool like the neighbor you describe above. The 4th always added more stress to the woods than benefits, inmy limited experience, and then we end up splitting into two 2-ships anyway.
 
SaturatedShadow said:
Here are some important considerations involved in bugging out.

This is not directed at anyone here, but I have seen an attitude in other places on the web that troubles me. This rant has been building in my mind for some time and now I have a place to put it.

Bugging out with no definite destination is immensley foolish.

There seems to be a belief among internet survival types that "When the s*** hits the fans, I'm gonna grab my bug out and my rifle and head for the hills." This is stupid.

"The Hills" do not exist. "The Hills" are actually some ol boy's pasture or back timber. Someone else already owns "The Hills." If you show up there, you are trespassing. If you eat their livestock, you are stealing. You are also taking resources that, in a societal collapse situation, the landowner will be relying on for his own survival, and his family's. The landowner has the right to protect his property with lethal force.

There are few true wilderness areas left, and the vast majority of land is privately owned. State or federally owned lands might be a possibility, but how many other people will be headed there too.

Yes, there will be a lot of abandoned property in such a situation, and if your survival depends on it, then of course, use it. But you most likely will not know in advance what will be abandoned, and hoping to find an empty cabin out in the woods does not count as a plan.

The only reasonable possibility is to have a rural property that you own to bug out to, or go to family or friends that will take you in. Also, have multiple safe routes planned.

Keep all of this in mind, because no matter how badass your AR is, you don't want to go up against some rural farmer armed with a .30-30 on his property that he has been deer hunting on his entire life.
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This is about where i stand on things as well. i'll just add to the folks who think their just gonna walk in or break in and take stuff from others, they need to think about a couple things. One of those being the mindset of a prepperationist (sp), They ,we, I have been thinking of and actively getting ready for such events for years, some for decades, what make these Marauders think their internal sonar is gonna ping faster than someone who is keeping their finger on the pulse regarding an emergency, riot or similiar event. The second thing is we, I , They are very aware of folks who don't prepare but plan on taking our stuff, that plan is not gonna work out too well for them, as we'll be looking to make an example of them.
This wasn't directed at any of you folks, more of an observation really.

Regarding the contest, I am very much looking forward to reading all your entries.
 
I scouted a possible route out of town tonight.

My biggest obstacle is getting across this.

The Missouri River

USC7.jpg
 
Well, i am screwed for sure. If i am at work, thats where i will stay. There is no leaving, period, even if you wanted to. This is # 1 on the list of the joy of working in a prison. :rolleyes:
 
I was actually talking to one of my best friends today about this subject. We had already decided that we were going to rendezvous at his parent's house. So today on my way home from work I stopped by and took some pictures of the area... :D Nothing amazing just as I was driving with my cell phone but they shall be added to the thread...
 
Just mostly thinking out loud here, So I know where I live and can pick any one of a number of locations to bug out to. I, by myself can cover quite a bit of ground and pretty easily get the 20 ish miles where I want to go in two days on foot. However I'll be taking the family, 3 boys ages 4,6 & 8 along with wifey and that changes everything. Just on a guess I'd say probably 4 or 5 days to go that far, which brings up major food issues and water, there will be water the whole way but making it drinkable, hmmmm. Then there's operational security, when to travel, night/day. I mean i could just drive there, unless someone puts up a roadblock of armed individuals or just lays a tree across the road and I didn't happed to bring a chainsaw. My friggin' brain is gonna hurt.

I think first picking a type of crisis you'll be hypothetically in would help a person decide a course of action. Will it be a natural disaster like an earthquake, Riot like the 92 LA riots (rodney king) or some kind of economic collapse?

I will say this, though, damn good contest idea.
 
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OREGON FAL'ER said:
Just mostly thinking out loud here, So I know where I live and can pick any one of a number of locations to bug out to. I, by myself can cover quite a bit of ground and pretty easily get the 20 ish miles where I want to go in two days on foot. However I'll be taking the family, 3 boys ages 4,6 & 8 along with wifey and that changes everything. Just on a guess I'd say probably 4 or 5 days to go that far, which brings up major food issues and water, there will be water the whole way but making it drinkable, hmmmm. Then there's operational security, when to travel, night/day. I mean i could just drive there, unless someone puts up a roadblock of armed individuals or just lays a tree across the road and I didn't happed to bring a chainsaw. My friggin' brain is gonna hurt.

I think first picking a type of crisis you'll be hypothetically in would help a person decide a course of action. Will it be a natural disaster like an earthquake, Riot like the 92 LA riots (rodney king) or some kind of economic collapse?

I will say this, though, damn good contest idea.
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Even though I won’t participate in the contest I have still been thinking about it. And this one point really bugs me. I can easily think of different routes to get out of the city, but I simply can’t think of a reason why I should get out of the city in the first place. People always say "When shit hits the fan", but what does that really mean? The only rapid developing catastrophe I can think of that would force me to leave the city in a hurry is either war or a zombie apocalypse. If war breaks out I’ll simply have to report to the nearest military base, so bugging out isn’t that much of an option unless I want to suffer the consequences for desertion later. And a zombie apocalypse isn’t a very likely event.

What other scenarios are you guys thinking about? Could you make a list?
 
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