buggin in

[Bob P]

If we're talking about a major disaster - hurricain, earthquake etc - where you're sheltering in place for a period of time until services/order is restored then you may have some serious overkill here.

If you're talking about TEOTWAWKI you're deluding yourself that you can shelter in place in an urban or suburban area and survive. Do you know HOW many people live in the North East Corridor? (Boston to Washington). What are all of these people going to do once the food runs out - which would be in about a week or less. How are YOU going to get food?

For anything longer then a temp situation this seems a bit ill advised.

 

[bigmanfugitive]

I know how to fish and hunt, I'm not half bad at stalking game, the area is near privately owned and state owned land thats something like 200 plus acres if you combine the 2 and I have permission to be on property of private land now anyhow. And there is a decent size pond within 20 mins walk. IF it were the EOTWAWKI I'mnot sure I'd want to be around for long if you know what I mean. But if its social breakdown and chaos I'm protecting those that I care about, and just about all of the people that would be there have skills that would make it adventageous to be friendly with.

 

[Bob P]

I know how to fish and hunt, I'm not half bad at stalking game, the area is near privately owned and state owned land thats something like 200 plus acres if you combine the 2 and I have permission to be on property of private land now anyhow. And there is a decent size pond within 20 mins walk. IF it were the EOTWAWKI I'mnot sure I'd want to be around for long if you know what I mean. But if its social breakdown and chaos I'm protecting those that I care about, and just about all of the people that would be there have skills that would make it adventageous to be friendly with.

You live between Worcester and Springfield. Worc County has just under 800,000 people living in it. Hampden County has just under 500,000. You've got over a million people living in a 30 mile radius of your house. How long will that many people take to strip that area bare of food?

 

[Admin]

You live between Worcester and Springfield. Worc County has just under 800,000 people living in it. Hampden County has just under 500,000. You've got over a million people living in a 30 mile radius of your house. How long will that many people take to strip that area bare of food?

I can tell you. It will look like the surface of the moon in about two months...
If you're seriously thinking you can hunt for enough food when the SHTF you better re-think you're plan.

 

[ShadeWPI]

bigman,

Down is much better than up. I would still recommend constructing a rope or chain ladder, even if you keep it at your house, something that would allow you to easily use the ledge as a egress route in an emergency.

 

[RI_John]

My brother-in-law was visiting a few weeks ago and he was marveling at my basement, guns, ammo, food stocks, water barrels, generator, etc. etc. etc. He said I would be the last man standing in a SHTF situation and he was saying how he wasn't 1/10th as prepared.

I told him he was 100x more likely to survive than I was in a real SHTF situation because I live 100 yards from a major highway less than 20 miles from Providence whereas he lived in rural Maine, nowhere near anything. It wouldn't matter whether I spend $100,000 fortifying my house with steel shutters, 5 inch bulletproof doors, or even digging a effing moat. If hundreds of thousands of starving, desparate and violent people are passing your house, YOU are what's for dinner.

You can prepare to hang tough with no power from an ice storm, but if you're truly concerned about SHTF and staying off the menu, you have no choice but to move somewhere much, much more rural.

 

[Harleynut]

One of the worst things to face is your friends and family that will all show up in need of what they know you have and they disperately need.

 

[cekim]

I can tell you. It will look like the surface of the moon in about two months...
If you're seriously thinking you can hunt for enough food when the SHTF you better re-think you're plan.

You have to define "food" pretty broadly...

It will need to include the new white meat...

I told him he was 100x more likely to survive than I was in a real SHTF situation because I live 100 yards from a major highway less than 20 miles from Providence whereas he lived in rural Maine, nowhere near anything. It wouldn't matter whether I spend $100,000 fortifying my house with steel shutters, 5 inch bulletproof doors, or even digging a effing moat. If hundreds of thousands of starving, desparate and violent people are passing your house, YOU are what's for dinner.

This...

Logic and history show that the zombies will be surprisingly organized ("na, na, na, leader!" -Simpsons) in their chaos within a short span the sheep and goats will scavenge the country side and no amount of table manners on your part are going to save you from them...

Make friends, learn things, forget about having the A-team pimp your house.

At least so long as your house in NewEngland... A nice missile silo with no above ground markings is a different story...

p.s. if people spent 1/2 the time on local/regional politics as they do planning their "bug in" and "bug out", we'd have much less to worry about...

 

[ChevyGuy91]

p.s. if people spent 1/2 the time on local/regional politics as they do planning their "bug in" and "bug out", we'd have much less to worry about...

+1 on that.

 

[bigmanfugitive]

If I had a location in a more rural area, dont you think I would use it? I would LOVE to get out of worcester county believe me. And if I had relatives in a more rural area that would be my location to be at in case SHTF but it is what it is and I am where I am and with that being said I gotta make do with what I got. Like I said Im not trying to survive the appacolypse Im just trying to make it harder for people that dont take anything seriously and choose to rely on everyone else to just go and take what they want or need.

"The Strong Will Survive and The Weak Shall Inherit....NOTHING"

 

[Chris]

One interesting thing that FerFAL notes in his articles is that the people who are "out in the sticks" get hit far harder than those who are in a small community when they are attacked. One of the very reasons that towns were first settled was the 'safety in numbers' thing.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Not saying that you want to be in a downtown high rise, but a neighborhood that has some means of controlled access might actually be a much better situation. You'd have more help, more cultivatable land, and more resources than going alone.

The downside is of course how many of those neighbors are helpful and how many are going to be just leeches off others?

Do you even know your neighbors?

Whatever you do, remain vague on your level of prep. Lead the conversations as "I'm thinking about having some stuff on hand if the next ice storm hits, or if the financial situation causes things to get ugly like down in Argentina. What do you think?"

Last thing you want is the neighbors thinking "Charlie is stockpiling, we'll just call on him if we need anything."

You might even want to split your storage. Keep the bulk in a less visual place and 'some' in a place where you can show it if asked.

"Yea, Frank, take a look - I've got a case of soup here, that box has some Bisquick, sugar, and flour, and those little buckets over there are rice and beans. I figure we have enough to survive the next ice storm. Oh, and I got my gun license - I'll be taking a defense class next month. Have you been setting anything aside?"

My neighbors know I have a generator. I've actually rebuilt my backfeed cable to a longer length so that if things get desperate, I can actually connect to their homes and offer some assistance. (using their fuel of course)

 

[Jose]

Any neighbor who thinks he can help himself to my preparations will end up taking on a big helping of 5.56.

Just sayin........