What are you doing to prepare for chaos?

[SassyLady]

We just bought two portable generators for back up power. We are also looking into getting a portable solar generator. We need electricity to run our well....

We are also working on getting enough food to sustain us through a month's emergency ... no power or water. Then we will expand it to six months and then to a year.

We are also increasing our fire/protection power to protect what we set up. We are also getting recertified as CPR aide. Training dogs to detect problems. Getting vacinatted. Buying a place to retreat to,

[NightTrain]

My cabin up the river is good to go. It's a lot of work to live out there full time off the grid, but nothing I haven't done before.

Strangely, the moose population plummets when that happens.

[darin]

I think the best place to start is here - FM21-76 Survival:


There is a psychology to survival. You will face many stressors in a survival environment that ultimately will affect your mind. These stressors can produce thoughts and emotions that, if poorly understood, can transform a confident, well-trained person into an indecisive, ineffective individual with questionable ability to survive.

http://www.equipped.com/FM3-05.70SURVIVALMANUAL.pdf



S—Size Up the Situation
1-2. If you are in a combat situation, find a place where you can conceal yourself from the enemy.
Remember, security takes priority. Use your senses of hearing, smell, and sight to get a feel for the
battlespace. Determine if the enemy is attacking, defending, or withdrawing. You will have to consider
what is developing on the battlespace when you make your survival plan.
Surroundings
1-3. Determine the pattern of the area. Get a feel for what is going on around you. Every environment,
whether forest, jungle, or desert, has a rhythm or pattern. This tempo includes animal and bird noises and
movements and insect sounds. It may also include enemy traffic and civilian movements.
Physical Condition
1-4. The pressure of the battle you were in or the trauma of being in a survival situation may have caused
you to overlook wounds you received. Check your wounds and give yourself first aid. Take care to
prevent further bodily harm. For instance, in any climate, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If
you are in a cold or wet climate, put on additional clothing to prevent hypothermia.
Equipment
1-5. Perhaps in the heat of battle, you lost or damaged some of your equipment. Check to see what
equipment you have and what condition it is in.
1-6. Now that you have sized up your situation, surroundings, physical condition, and equipment, you are
ready to make your survival plan. In doing so, keep in mind your basic physical needs—water, food, and
shelter.
U—Use All Your Senses, Undue Haste Makes Waste
1-7. You may make a wrong move when you react quickly without thinking or planning. That move may
result in your capture or death. Don't move just for the sake of taking action. Consider all aspects of your
situation before you make a decision and a move. If you act in haste, you may forget or lose some of your
equipment. In your haste you may also become disoriented so that you don't know which way to go. Plan
your moves. Be ready to move out quickly without endangering yourself if the enemy is near you. Use all
3
your senses to evaluate the situation. Note sounds and smells. Be sensitive to temperature changes.
Always be observant.
R—Remember Where You Are
1-8. Spot your location on your map and relate it to the surrounding terrain. This basic principle is one
that you must always follow. If there are other persons with you, make sure they also know their location.
Always know who in your group, vehicle, or aircraft has a map and compass. If that person is killed, you
will have to get the map and compass from him. Pay close attention to where you are and where you are
going. Do not rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself. Always try
to determine, as a minimum, how your location relates to the location of—
• Enemy units and controlled areas.
• Friendly units and controlled areas.
• Local water sources (especially important in the desert).
• Areas that will provide good cover and concealment.
1-9. This information will allow you to make intelligent decisions when you are in a survival and evasion
situation.
V—Vanquish Fear and Panic
1-10. The greatest enemies in a combat survival and evasion situation are fear and panic. If uncontrolled,
they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings
and imagination rather than to your situation. These emotions can drain your energy and thereby cause
other negative emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to
vanquish fear and panic.
I—Improvise
1-11. In the United States (U.S.), we have items available for all our needs. Many of these items are cheap
to replace when damaged. Our easy-come, easy-go, easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary for us to
improvise. This inexperience in "making do" can be an enemy in a survival situation. Learn to improvise.
Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it.
1-12. Learn to use natural objects around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a
hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out or wear out after a
while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out.
V—Value Living
1-13. All of us were born kicking and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have
become creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What happens when we are
faced with a survival situation with its stresses, inconveniences, and discomforts? This is when the will to
live—placing a high value on living—is vital. The experience and knowledge you have gained through
life and your Army training will have a bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to
problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.
A—Act Like the Natives
4
1-14. The natives and animals of a region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the area,
watch how the people go about their daily routine. When and what do they eat? When, where, and how do
they get their food? When and where do they go for water? What time do they usually go to bed and get
up? These actions are important to you when you are trying to avoid capture.
1-15. Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food, water,
and shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food.
WARNING
Animals cannot serve as an absolute guide to what you can eat and drink.
Many animals eat plants that are toxic to humans.
1-16. Keep in mind that the reaction of animals can reveal your presence to the enemy.
1-17. If in a friendly area, one way you can gain rapport with the natives is to show interest in their tools
and how they get food and water. By studying the people, you learn to respect them, you often make
valuable friends, and, most important, you learn how to adapt to their environment and increase your
chances of survival.
L—Live by Your Wits, But for Now, Learn Basic Skills
1-18. Without training in basic skills for surviving and evading on the battlespace, your chances of living
through a combat survival and evasion situation are slight.
1-19. Learn these basic skills now—not when you are headed for or are in the battle. How you decide to
equip yourself before deployment will affect whether or not you survive. You need to know about the
environment to which you are going, and you must practice basic skills geared to that environment. For
instance, if you are going to a desert, you need to know how to get water.
1-20. Practice basic survival skills during all training programs and exercises. Survival training reduces
fear of the unknown and gives you self-confidence. It teaches you to live by your wits.



We stockpile dried and canned foods - I believe we can feed and water our family for three days. I'd like 30 days worth of emergency food and water.

Couple of tips for folks:

If SHTF, or Zombies attack, and you want to remain in-place, try these things:

Fill the bathtub and every other container you can find with water while you still can.

Also - if you fear the water will be, or does become shut-off, check your water heater tank to ensure it doesn't vent anything. Shut off the heater.

While the water is running, secure and inventory your protection devices. Rifles aren't great home-defense weapons - I suggest a short barrel shotgun and a handgun. One option is the Taurus Judge - it's a revolver that can fire either and both shot gun shells and .45 pistol rounds. The 410-gauge shot shells probably won't kill anyone - but it's a find point-and-fire weapon to put lead down range. Also it'd work for squirrels, snakes, and other small game when you get hungry. Carry your firearms as you move, if you move around the house. A weapon cannot protect you if it's in the other room.

If you don't have a fireplace, find a place in the house to set up camp that is well insulated - which will help in winter or summer months. If you have a fireplace, I suggest setting up near your source of heat for climate control and cooking.

Secure containers for cooking - cast iron pans can be multi-taskers. Love 'em. Do NOT leave water in them, however, as they'll rust.

A good knife and small axe can be life-safers.

Find and keep duct-tape (100mph Green tape is less reflective), and 550 paracord. Google those - you can find them.

Ponchos, liners, water-proof stuff.

Wool can keep you warm even when it's wet.

Basic hand-tools are vital.

Gasoline will become a form of currency.

If I had a well on the property I'd absolutely look for solar solutions to the electric pump AND seek a manual option should the solar pump become broken or stolen.

[SassyLady]

My cabin up the river is good to go. It's a lot of work to live out there full time off the grid, but nothing I haven't done before.


Strangely, the moose population plummets when that happens.

Send me a map just in case!!! ;)

today will put away a least one month of meds.

[NightTrain]

Send me a map just in case!!! ;)

today will put away a least one month of meds.

It's easy to get there.

1) Drive to Talkeetna.

2) Head up the river in a jetboat for 20 miles.

3) Only place on the river.

4) Bring those legs with you! :coffee:

[SassyLady]

It's easy to get there.

1) Drive to Talkeetna.

2) Head up the river in a jetboat for 20 miles.

3) Only place on the river.

4) Bring those legs with you! :coffee:

OK ... is there room for my three doggies?

[LuvRPgrl]

Magnum '45


OK ... is there room for my three doggies?
Glad you approve

Bring the doggies, we may need food

[SassyLady]

Magnum '45


Glad you approve

Bring the doggies, we may need food

:laugh2::laugh2:

Touch my doggies and you might find yourself missing something that was formerly attached!!!

But seriously, they are great watchdogs....not guard dogs (won't attack....well, maybe the schnauzer will). One is trained to warn about people and the other to warn about animals (we go camping a lot). The third one .... well, we are working on her bark training. She's good at killing rats, though.


It's easy to get there.

1) Drive to Talkeetna.

2) Head up the river in a jetboat for 20 miles.

3) Only place on the river.

4) Bring those legs with you! :coffee:

60 hour road trip .... and I was going to bring my travel trailer (which means about two weeks to get there) but don't think it'll fit on the jetboat! :p

[darin]

hon - if SHTF you won't have time for your trailer. Grab your go-bag and git!

[Noir]

I won't even pretend i could survive such chaos, so its six foot under the sod for me ^_^

[darin]

Have you watched the UK programme "Survivors" - I'm one-episode from finished (thanks to NetFlix).

Couple things bother me - it's very anti-gun, yet because of that, people die. (sigh).

[Mr. P]

What are you doing to prepare for chaos?

Well I expect to be in transition soon but my first priority is to be as far away from as many major cities as possible. That's where (the cities) the chaos will be most severe. It will probably take a month for the hoards to kill each other off...those that wander away will be easy to deal with.
I'll team with someone too, being a lone cowboy wouldn't be prudent.

[BoogyMan]

Have you watched the UK programme "Survivors" - I'm one-episode from finished (thanks to NetFlix).

Couple things bother me - it's very anti-gun, yet because of that, people die. (sigh).

I have been watching that series as well. Interesting stuff.

[chloe]

I won't even pretend i could survive such chaos, so its six foot under the sod for me ^_^

Yeah I won't survive either:laugh:

[fj1200]

Chaos, schmaos... I do want a safe room in my basement though.

[LuvRPgrl]

Can you describe chaos? My mom was 17 when WWll ended. She survived that, she told me some pretty horrific stories. About people fighting for food, sometimes people killing others for it. She had to jump trains and fight full grown men for food

She told me she learned that they never expected her to be able to pose any problem, but they didnt realize she had already learned how to use a piece of wood, pipe or whatever to give them a good whack and beat the crap out of them, literally.
She wasnt a small woman, almost 6 ft, and I once did see her hurdle a white picket fence when the neighbor man had grabbed my older brother. After hurdling the fence she grabbed the guy by the throat and I saw fear in his eyes,,,,,,,,,she had a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry strong survival instinct.

She also told me how many dead bodies of cold and starvation, sometimes bodies that were obviously beaten because someone wanted something the person had.

I think there is a survival gene, my high school work guidence counseler, whom I spent alot of time in his office just shooting the crap, repeatedly called me a survivor,,,,,,,he always told me that, Ron, your a survivor, you will always make it through,,,,,,,,,so, I dont really worry about it too much,

Yea,I grew up without parents, literally, its a very weird story....but I survived, thats why my teach in high school was talking about it, cuz I had a job and was living in a VW van when I was a sophmore in high school.


We just bought two portable generators for back up power. We are also looking into getting a portable solar generator. We need electricity to run our well....

We are also working on getting enough food to sustain us through a month's emergency ... no power or water. Then we will expand it to six months and then to a year.

We are also increasing our fire/protection power to protect what we set up. We are also getting recertified as CPR aide. Training dogs to detect problems. Getting vacinatted. Buying a place to retreat to,

[SassyLady]

One of my girlfriends has a motorcycle and says that it will help her get through the traffic jams that will happen. I told her I knew how to ride a horse, but can't drive a cycle.

I don't think I'll be heading to Alaska (as enticing as it is NT and dmp, knowing you guys will be there) ... my instinct would be to try and get to my kids in Arizona. We are going to talk about a plan at Christmas...you know, where to meet, how long to stay there, etc.

Do you have a plan for how to reconnect with your family members if/when the SHTF?

[darin]

fwiw, the best plan would be a temperate climate, IMO. I've told mary if the zombies attack and I die, she and the kids should move south by about 700 miles.

[SassyLady]

fwiw, the best plan would be a temperate climate, IMO. I've told mary if the zombies attack and I die, she and the kids should move south by about 700 miles.

We talked a little more tonight about where to look....heard Texas economy is doing quite well. Might have to go back to my home state after all.

[darin]

The only thing that would keep me from picking Texas under normal circumstances is...State mandated vehicle inspections. It's a racket to raise money...it's another tax. :(

But - north texas - somewhere in there - would be a place one could raise crops, etc.

[NightTrain]

60 hour road trip .... and I was going to bring my travel trailer (which means about two weeks to get there) but don't think it'll fit on the jetboat! :p

I think it would take more than that.... we once drove from Wasilla to Rice Lake, Wisconsin (3500 miles) in 70 hours. That Blazer never stopped rolling unless we were taking on more gas or coffee, and that wasn't pulling anything.

[NightTrain]

Can you describe chaos? My mom was 17 when WWll ended. She survived that, she told me some pretty horrific stories. About people fighting for food, sometimes people killing others for it. She had to jump trains and fight full grown men for food

She told me she learned that they never expected her to be able to pose any problem, but they didnt realize she had already learned how to use a piece of wood, pipe or whatever to give them a good whack and beat the crap out of them, literally.
She wasnt a small woman, almost 6 ft, and I once did see her hurdle a white picket fence when the neighbor man had grabbed my older brother. After hurdling the fence she grabbed the guy by the throat and I saw fear in his eyes,,,,,,,,,she had a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry strong survival instinct.

She also told me how many dead bodies of cold and starvation, sometimes bodies that were obviously beaten because someone wanted something the person had.


Where was that, Ron?

[NightTrain]

fwiw, the best plan would be a temperate climate, IMO. I've told mary if the zombies attack and I die, she and the kids should move south by about 700 miles.

I would disagree because I think that if the shit really did hit the fan, there would be millions of people with that same idea.

Local resources would be wiped out and with a sudden local population surge toward the south, there would be a very large problem with gangs fighting over what's left - I think there'd be violence galore, nonstop.

There's only 600k people in AK with a land mass over 2.5 times the size of Texas, with more coast than the rest of the entire USA (better foraging for sea resources), and this area here is more temperate than the midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, etc.) and there's a LOT of resources, especially crude oil and several refineries. Lots of natural gas, too. Gasoline is really handy to have, and I'm not much interested in horse powered locomotion and using axes & handsaws for wood.

I suppose mostly, though, I'm familiar with my locale and I think that in itself is probably the most valuable thing for anyone in an extreme situation like that. If you're a desert person, then probably you'd be better off sticking with what you know intimately rather than packing up and trying to learn and adjust to a new region. Especially if there are others depending on you to lead and care for them.

[chloe]

We talked a little more tonight about where to look....heard Texas economy is doing quite well. Might have to go back to my home state after all.

Well I would pick Texas but I don't know anyone there, Kentucky is my first choice, I liked Tennessee too, but I suppose Texas would be awesome if I had my main squeeze there lol. My oldest kid is living at my ex in laws house she's in college now she started last summer at 16yrs old so she would be safe with them, So wherever I go it would just be me and my 14 yr old now and we aren't really prepared.

[chloe]

Can you describe chaos? My mom was 17 when WWll ended. She survived that, she told me some pretty horrific stories. About people fighting for food, sometimes people killing others for it. She had to jump trains and fight full grown men for food

She told me she learned that they never expected her to be able to pose any problem, but they didnt realize she had already learned how to use a piece of wood, pipe or whatever to give them a good whack and beat the crap out of them, literally.
She wasnt a small woman, almost 6 ft, and I once did see her hurdle a white picket fence when the neighbor man had grabbed my older brother. After hurdling the fence she grabbed the guy by the throat and I saw fear in his eyes,,,,,,,,,she had a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry strong survival instinct.

She also told me how many dead bodies of cold and starvation, sometimes bodies that were obviously beaten because someone wanted something the person had.

I think there is a survival gene, my high school work guidence counseler, whom I spent alot of time in his office just shooting the crap, repeatedly called me a survivor,,,,,,,he always told me that, Ron, your a survivor, you will always make it through,,,,,,,,,so, I dont really worry about it too much,

Yea,I grew up without parents, literally, its a very weird story....but I survived, thats why my teach in high school was talking about it, cuz I had a job and was living in a VW van when I was a sophmore in high school.

Your mom sounds like a strong lady !

[darin]

I get that...but Not having to ensure warmth to LIVE would be a huge benefit. I would strive to find the ideals. Western WA would be a decent choice for much of the same reasons you mentioned. Since YOU are familiar, though, with your area, I'd move up there and elect you president of our band of survivors. I'll bring my own guns. :)


I would disagree because I think that if the shit really did hit the fan, there would be millions of people with that same idea.

Local resources would be wiped out and with a sudden local population surge toward the south, there would be a very large problem with gangs fighting over what's left - I think there'd be violence galore, nonstop.

There's only 600k people in AK with a land mass over 2.5 times the size of Texas, with more coast than the rest of the entire USA (better foraging for sea resources), and this area here is more temperate than the midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, etc.) and there's a LOT of resources, especially crude oil and several refineries. Lots of natural gas, too. Gasoline is really handy to have, and I'm not much interested in horse powered locomotion and using axes & handsaws for wood.

I suppose mostly, though, I'm familiar with my locale and I think that in itself is probably the most valuable thing for anyone in an extreme situation like that. If you're a desert person, then probably you'd be better off sticking with what you know intimately rather than packing up and trying to learn and adjust to a new region. Especially if there are others depending on you to lead and care for them.

[fj1200]

I'd head to Augusta National to get in a round of golf.

[LuvRPgrl]

I'd head to Augusta National to get in a round of golf.

That is one advantaage of living in so cal,,,,my son is in the Marines, based at camp Pendelton, I'd tell him to grab all his buddies in his squad, or whatever he calls it, and a bunch of guns and we would all head up to disneyland......

As a little side note (I'm always happy to stick an elbow into the side of brain dead libs,,,,he is a few inches over 6', about 220 pounds and very athletic. He volunteered a few years ago and wanted to go into combat.

You would freaking think this is exactly the type of guy they would want for infantry (the guys who actually put their boots on the ground), BUT, infantry was all full with a LOOOOOOOOOOONNNG waiting list, so to speak.

But of course, now that OBAMA , liberal Dem is in office, its amazing how the hypocritical, lieing ass media and ALL other libs who SUPPOSEDLY oppoed the war and Bush, are not criticizing OBAMA and making a big stink of what is going on in AFGHANASTAN, and why the hell cant O bama catch Bin Laden?????