Define SHTF?

garandman

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Everyone mentions "SHTF" like it's a known fact. Or makes whimsical "Zombie attack" references like that makes sense. It's childish.

But when someone mentions SHTF what are they talking about?

In 2003 Boston got a 27" snow storm. Other than stores running out of milk and bread, it was no big deal given the routine preparations we'd made.

After 9/11 the airport was shut down and some other transportation impacted, but no real consumer impact.

This region isn't prone to earthquakes, but we do get a lot of storms. So is it a natural disaster of some sort? I was impacted by the Blizzard of '78 [five days out of my house in Hampton, NH, car totaled, work shut down] and we've all seen what happened during/after Katrina, so that's what I use to make plans for. Or should I expect a total breakdown of civil society? Am I missing something?
 
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this is my thoughts on the subject from yesterday

there are really 2 main SHTF scenarios you need to worry about as each one is completely different they way you would pack for and act during said SHTF scenario

1: hurricane, blizzard, other natural disaster, terrorist attack

in this kind of scenario laws and government are still in place and this is a temporary situation

2: zombie apocolypse, alien invasion, nuclear attack, red dawn

this is a TRUE SHTF scenario... governments collapsed, were at war. electricity, gas, supply lines to your local wallmart and grocery store are cut and not coming back anytime soon... do what you need to do to survive
 
My opinion is that SHTF= No more food on shelves and no more coming in the forseeable future, No power, no heat, no more access to fuel, no more law and order, no access to medical treatment or prescription drugs, gunshots in the distance at frequent intervals.

Anything less than a combination of these is just an inconvience.
 
Real SHTF = Any scenario where the probability of LE/FF/EMS showing up to help you out for any reason is zero or hovering pretty close to that.

-Mike
 
Everyone mentions "SHTF" like it's a known fact. Or makes whimsical "Zombie attack" references like that makes sense. It's childish.

I very rarely do this but is it as childish as your avatar or is the joke just on me. All kidding aside if your not prepared for a Zombie Attack then URFKD. :p
 
An epidemic that goes regional (or wider) will cause the STHF.

Maybe it's the police, firefighters, and heath-care workers who get sick (die?) first.

Once enough people get sick, those who are still healthy won't venture out in order to keep from getting infected.

That means the people who run the sewage plant and keep the electrical grid going decide it's better not to go to work and stay healthy. Systems begin to shut down.

The truckers won't be inclined (or allowed) to drive into the area to deliver gas or food.

The unprepared masses start roaming around begging, looting, and then murdering to get what they need to survive.

You will need to have enough preps ready to last until the epidemic burns itself out and until the aftermath corrects itself.

The aftermath may be harder to survive than the epidemic.
 
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So is it a natural disaster of some sort? I was impacted by the Blizzard of '78 [five days out of my house in Hampton, NH, car totaled, work shut down] and we've all seen what happened during/after Katrina, so that's what I use to make plans for. Or should I expect a total breakdown of civil society? Am I missing something?

What do all of these different scenarios have in common? The cavalry isn't coming because they can't or because they no longer exist. Either way, you're on your own. That's when the sh*t has hit the fan.
 
If you don't know you have nothing to worry about.
Got it, one vote for Zombies.[rolleyes]

I very rarely do this but is it as childish as your avatar or is the joke just on me. All kidding aside if your not prepared for a Zombie Attack then URFKD. :p
Apparently you missed the whole Katy Perry Sesame Street cleavage controversy / Saturday Night Live response? Katy Perry had a clip removed from Sesame Street over concerns that too much cleavage was visible. She hosted SNL the next week and this was the skit.



An epidemic that goes regional (or wider) will cause the STHF.

Maybe it's the police, firefighters, and heath-care workers who get sick (die?) first.

Once enough people get sick, those who are still healthy won't venture out in order to keep from getting infected.//
That's good to plan for.




When money doesn't mean anything.
Something else to think about.
 
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Real SHTF = Any scenario where the probability of LE/FF/EMS showing up to help you out for any reason is zero or hovering pretty close to that.

-Mike
This. Complete breakdown of the organized social order. It can be 'short' term like Katrina or longer like Mog.
 

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Ah, the AK spray and pray. Though one of those guys looked like he was aiming.

OK just looked again, he isn't aiming.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
for me I don't think we will see a SHTF scenario that is a quick SHTF but more of a gradual, there is no sense in going to work today SHTF
 
No electricity and no running water for about a month would probably be all that it would take to get things started. No TV, no phones, no gasoline, no open stores. Whether this from a natural disasters (asteroid hits etc), a terrorist attack, or civil unrest, won't matter. All that matters is that it won't take long for the scum bags to start hunting for sheep.

I've always found the scenarios posed by Bracken fairly plausible.

http://enemiesforeignanddomestic.com/
 
No electricity and no running water for less than a week would probably be all that it would take to get things started. No TV, no phones, no gasoline, no open stores. Whether this from a natural disasters (asteroid hits etc), a terrorist attack, or civil unrest, won't matter. All that matters is that it won't take long for the scum bags to start hunting for sheep.

I've always found the scenarios posed by Bracken fairly plausible.

http://enemiesforeignanddomestic.com/

Fixed it for ya. The ol' saying "We are 4 meals away from anarchy" holds true... once the supply chain runs out and the utilities stop things will hit the fan REAL quick.
 
Anything involving FEMA, The Red Cross and The National Guard.

really?

[laugh]

Operation Rising Water
Operation Big Ice
Hurricane Earl

i'll stop there. no one came for your guns or forced you into an Armory or MEMA/FEMA camp. are you serious? [rofl]
 
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Keep watching Jersey shore and Dancing with the stars you'll be fine. Nothing to see here. SHTF doesn't exist. It's only a term those crazy, constitution loving, gun owning wacky people use to scare people.
 
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