What would you take?

ednemo said:
I would immediately go pick up some trail mix, water, spare gas, and any other food that I can get...If I couldn't get to my car...I would make my way to a Walmart as fast as possible and pick up what I need from there. Break in if you need to...any other gear I could get fast.
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Just to address one factor that most folks never consider due to a misguided belief that "What is, will be" status quo maintaining itself.

Any resources you don't already have, will have to be done without. Keep in mind is that store shelves will be emptied immediately!!! Anyone who lives in even semi-rural environments (never mind the cities & 'burbs) counting on finding any resources in stores or other usual locations will be likely be disappointed.

Even a semi-panicked populace will strip their environment of resources faster than a horde of locusts. The locusts are motivated only by their hunger, while the horde will be motivated by fear and possibly opportunistic greed, both of which never "get full".

Consider how many absolutely unprepared people there are around you to comprise that mob. Haven't we all gotten from some member of the general populace the quick side-long glance, raised eyebrow, disbelieving gape, or open questioning of our paranoia level when we mention survival or stock-up ideas or processes that most here on the forum would consider to be a MINIMUM effort?? Now extrapolate all those people who have NOTHING in reserve, either supplies or training/mindset, into a scenario where the usual supply systems & infrastructure have failed. They will all be hitting the streets/road at once in search of whatever they think will help keep them alive. Mass ignorance whipped into voracious acquisition by desperate fear. Hope you are living in the middle of nowhere's-ville when that happens so they won't be headed your way.

Folks who live in hurricane locations know how thin the "just in time" supply line really is. Now consider how much of our retail infrastructure has converted to this type of supply system.

Just prior to the Jan 1, 2000 (Y2K) I noted that the local Wally World was TOTALLY stripped of bottled water, Coleman fuel, DuraFlame fireplace logs, ALL common sizes of ammo (12 ga, 30-06, 9mm, .38, .308, even .22), much of the food aisle was empty, and lots of other items were in short stocking, especially in the camping/hunting section (no surprise). When a mob of people (and that Y2K crowd was a very orderly mob) all decide at the same time something bad is about to happen, resources absolutely evaporate from shelves instantly. In a true SHTF situation, you'd better have your resources on hand already, because the competition for life-support resources will be instantaneous, intense, comprehensive, and likely quite dangerous.
 
HMMM.

Back pick-up (BOTH tanks are full) under the spare bdrm window and toss.

I could get all our camping gear plus 72 hour and BOB stuff less a FEW things (BIG ice chest, spare three burner stove, spare bags, lantern, etc) in the basement into the truck in <10 minutes...
 
Remember Y2K? I wasn't quite rabid about it and didn't expect total meltdown but it got my butt in gear. I learned to prepare for even the minor inconvenience of tornados, ice storms, blackouts, floods and trespassers.
Anybody with any sense should have MINIMUM of 1 months supply of food, water and incidentals per person on-hand at all times and learn how to rotate and maintain the stock. Acquiring and maintaining tools (non-powered) and different weapon and food securing systems (firearms/bow&arrow/sling shots/ bb guns/fishing equipment).
I could go on and on with all the other aspects of daily living we tend to take for granted. Frankly the worst thing that happened with Y2K was that NOTHING really happened. Americans really needed that wake-up call.
 
I'm curious as to why anyone would leave a house and head for the hills?Traffic is bad enough on a regular work day. It would be at a standstill in a SHTF situation. What if marshall law is declared. How do you think LEO's and military would react to someone with weapons/survival gear. My initial reaction would be to get out as well, so I understand. But the more I think about it, I'd rather be holed up in my house where all my gear is and I have shelter from the whether and bullets. Maybe all of you are thinking Red Dawn situation. I'm thinking more like power outages, terrorist attack, riots, etc as the most likely SHTF scenarios.
 
I'm with NENOFURY. I and my wife would hunker down and "bug in," at home where all my "stuff" is. Having lived in Los Angeles for nearly 37 years, I've seen and experienced MANY times, total deadstill four lane traffic jams on the freeways over nothing more than a smashing good fender bender. So, factor into this everyday scenario, the pure fear, panic and unmitigated anger of those trying desparately to leave, and you could count on stand still traffic, both freeways and city streets, or even country roads... for DAYS!

Another realistic thing most never consider in these "bug out" scenarios, is that in fact, there are gonna need to be stoplights up in the mountains, woods, deserts, just to keep all the bugger outers from running into each other at trail crossings, camp sites, water crossings, ad infinitum. Too often it seems we think that we will virtually be the only ones up in the mountains, etc., but boys and girls, depending on the size of the city, town, suburb, etc., where you live, there will be hundreds of thousands of just as likeminded, desperate people, doing exactly what you're doing up in the mountains, deserts, etc.

Gonna live off wild game?? Better think again. Hunting ain't all that easy, anyway (I've been doing it for 55 years) and in addition, every deer, elk, moose, bear, antelope, goat, sheep, rabbit, squirrel, grouse and pheasant, are gonna be dead in a few days anyway, with most of the meat being wasted. Everyone will be blasting away at anything and everything that moves or flies. Fish? Same same. Ain't a'gonna be any game and fish laws, nor Game Wardens to enforce them.

Think you're gonna go shoot Rancher Jones' cows for a hamburger?? Odds are, he'll cap you long before you have a chance to use your Busse Battle Mistress to hack off a steak or two. Steal some potatoes from Farmer Smith's garden?? POW! He's already had the crosshairs of his ol' bolt action .30-06 on you, even before you crossed onto his property.

These "movie TEOTWAKI survival scenearios" are loads of fun to fantasize about, while eating popcorn and sucking down a Bud or two, but in real life, well .......

If anyone wants to know what it's like to really "live off the land" in a survival situation where there would be ADVERSARIES, I say again, ADVERSARIES, constantly about, just get a copy of "THE RIDGERUNNER, Elusive Loner Of The Wilderness," by Richard Ripley, Backeddy Books. It's the true story of Bill Moreland, who lived on the run up in the Idaho mountains for years. Survived? Yes. But as rough an existence as one could ever hope not to have to suffer. I have no desire to "survive" like that. So..........

...as I said, we'd just "bug in."

L.W.
 
We're in the "x-urbs." Home has food, gear of all sorts (enough to provide "trade goods"), and 100 gals of potable water in water heater and pressure tank, not counting toilet tanks and water otherwise being stored. We also have a stream to go with the water filters. I can't realistically think of a safer place within hundreds of miles -- dangerous miles in a severe, resource-testing emergency.

T.
 
Gosh. Ain't we just a couple of spoilsports... :grumpy:
I love bein' a curmudgeon!!!!
"Hey boy! Want some 'taters? Got any women to trade for one?"
 
elvenbladesmith07
Whenever you're done with your WSK, I'd like to see pics of it, if at all possible. Mine is on order from Roger Linger, but I'd like to see someone else's design/version. Thanks.
 
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