'Grid Down' Scenario: How Long Would You Last?

Loyalist

Loyalist

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This recent guest post on SurvivalBlog.com describing the aftermath of a worse-case 'grid down' scenario makes it clear just how bad things can get and underscores the challenges with defending your family and home against an armed mob:

How Long Can You Tread Water?

Anyone have any strategies to stay alive under such dire circumstances (all joking aside)?
 
Is there a list somewhere of good ideas for dried food that keeps almost indefinitely? Methods of storing large amounts of water cleanly and long term?

And by off grid, you mean everything? Like if your house had natural gas, even that is gone? Cause that would rule out gas generators.
 
Worst case scenarios are always daunting. For some of us, there is very little we can do other than provide the most/best we can. Should the barbarian horde come, as constantly mentioned, then they will be warmly received.
 
TEOTWAWKI as the article says will result in a scenario ending like the book and recent movie, "The Road." Few of us can plan for or survive this. I'm planning for more of an Argentina meltdown rather than the end game of civilization as we know it.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...val-Checklist-Based-on-the-Argentina-Meltdown

"Paranoia strikes deep. Into your mind it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid. You step out of line, the man come and take you away." - Buffalo Springfield singing "For What It's Worth"
 
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bfm said:
10, maybe 15 minutes, but if I have someone to help reload it will be one hell of a ride.
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This.

Alternatively, fleeing across the border to Canada where I have extended family might be a possibility depending on how widespread the disaster was. I'm assuming the border would be closed at some point so that would mean going early and fast or possibly crossing illegally.
 
rattletrap1970 said:
Is there a list somewhere of good ideas for dried food that keeps almost indefinitely? Methods of storing large amounts of water cleanly and long term?

And by off grid, you mean everything? Like if your house had natural gas, even that is gone? Cause that would rule out gas generators.
Click to expand...

This is where we got a lot of our food and supplies


http://www.thereadystore.com/?aid=4c02d4f894237
 
Knob Creek said:
I'm good for 6 months for two people.

You don't have to get into freeze dried food etc. Just stock up on canned goods, pasta, grains etc If you just buy more than you normally buy weekly, it will add up. Stock up on bottled water when its on sale and buy a water filtration system.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/hagan59.html

http://grandpappy.info/hfood1yr.htm

http://thesurvivalmom.com/
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I knew I liked you for some reason. Good sites and I check them out frequently. Too many people expect that our government will help them out or others who are better prepared if a disaster does happen. People need to learn to be more self sufficient. f'em I say. If they can't be bothered to look after their family's well being and future then they deserve to starve or be shot trying to steal. I love those who won't spend a few hundred to put aside some extra food and water but will spend that eating out in a month.
 
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Six months for six people is my goal.

We'd do better in summer than winter (keeping pipes from freezing and keeping comfortable is a LOT harder in the winter).

In the end, the length of time would depend on our success in defending against the marauding bands of zombies who never bothered to prepare for anything!
 
Personally I feel like staying in a house is a bad idea because most people in my opinion will be moving along roads looking in houses for usefull things. I think having things ready to move in the soon aftermath would be the best idea for those who hunt maybe a fortifyable hunting spot you like off the beaten trail near water. staying away from the gen pop is my plan because as long as I can hold up for my family and close friends then any group larger than that has alot more chance for panic and confrontation.
 
glockstones said:
Personally I feel like staying in a house is a bad idea because most people in my opinion will be moving along roads looking in houses for usefull things. I think having things ready to move in the soon aftermath would be the best idea ...
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Same here - I plan to drive as far and as fast as possible northwards.

Even the northwoods of Maine are (or will become) too populated for an after disaster stay.
Hudson Bay area in Canada seems to be a good spot. Plenty of freshwater around, cold temperatures - so food will stay fresh longer - and huge areas of unpopulated land.
 
I have 38 acres on a river in Bancroft maine I am working on building a cabin on (or camp as they call it). It is about 30 minutes from border of Canada. It would be great considering there is about 65 residents in the whole town and pretty secluded. Problem I foresee is making an 8 hour trip to get there...not too realistic. If it takes 8 now it would take much longer if the roads and highways are jammed up for any reason. I would likely stay put in good old rural Freetown here and help out the family and neighbors on the street.
 
Loyalist said:
This recent guest post on SurvivalBlog.com describing the aftermath of a worse-case 'grid down' scenario makes it clear just how bad things can get and underscores the challenges with defending your family and home against an armed mob:
Click to expand...

So in a clear cut case (comet, the moon falls into the ocean...), it is obvious that the world just changed. We're more likely to see a creeping disaster that sneaks up on us and nobody wakes one morning and says, Hey! Its TEOTWAWKI! How will we know its ok to start shooting at poachers?

Lucas McCain said:
Sometimes I think we need a good disaster to cull the heard a little.
Click to expand...

I think the planet might have 3 or 4 billion too many people... Nature will eventually take care of the problem.
 
I have immediate family with type 1 Diabetes. This is a big problem if there is a disruption of services. I can rig a 12v refrigerator with car batteries and solar recharging to keep insulin cold, but where will I get it? I'm assuming CVS will be out of business at that point... As for food, I'd do my best to hit the local supermarket and buy everything I can carry before its too late. Weapons are the least of my problems. Scary stuff.

Chris
 
Having just completed a solar powered fridge project of my own, I think you might find that even the fridge part is easier said than done.

I am using a very efficient fridge from Engel that uses about 30 amp hours daily. It's fed with 140 watts of solar panels and a 200AH battery bank. At this point the system won't recover from a couple cloudy days because one of the panels is shaded by 2 trees and looses about 4 hours of sun.

Solar power is something that I have always been interested in so i began scooping up good quality components on ebay (Xantrex) and cobbled this system together. It's easy to make it work for a week....months and months is harder as I have learned.

Executive said:
I have immediate family with type 1 Diabetes. This is a big problem if there is a disruption of services. I can rig a 12v refrigerator with car batteries and solar recharging to keep insulin cold, but where will I get it? I'm assuming CVS will be out of business at that point... As for food, I'd do my best to hit the local supermarket and buy everything I can carry before its too late. Weapons are the least of my problems. Scary stuff.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Executive said:
I have immediate family with type 1 Diabetes. This is a big problem if there is a disruption of services. I can rig a 12v refrigerator with car batteries and solar recharging to keep insulin cold, but where will I get it? I'm assuming CVS will be out of business at that point... As for food, I'd do my best to hit the local supermarket and buy everything I can carry before its too late. Weapons are the least of my problems. Scary stuff.

Chris
Click to expand...

Pray that insulin pills become practical soon: http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/medicine_health/report-8065.html

Don't count on the supermarket. When we had that MWRA water crisis, supermarket shelves were empty of bottled water in minutes. The same would be for food. See post #7 for a link to the Real Deal checklist and read ferfal's report from the Argentina meltdown. You need to stock some food now.
 
Heading to our place in Canada quickly and early. Fresh water pond on our property, along with a stream. Ocean across the street with great fishing. Lots of deer roaming the fields. Hundreds of wild apple trees. Acres of blueberries.

When the SHTF I am out.
 
cstockwell said:
I have 38 acres on a river in Bancroft maine I am working on building a cabin on (or camp as they call it). It is about 30 minutes from border of Canada. It would be great considering there is about 65 residents in the whole town and pretty secluded. Problem I foresee is making an 8 hour trip to get there...not too realistic. If it takes 8 now it would take much longer if the roads and highways are jammed up for any reason. I would likely stay put in good old rural Freetown here and help out the family and neighbors on the street.
Click to expand...

And once/if you do get there, it had better be well provisioned....because its "secluded", and its likely going to be "home" for quite a while. Think way ahead and plan accordingly.
 
Finalygotabeltfed said:
And once/if you do get there, it had better be well provisioned....because its "secluded", and its likely going to be "home" for quite a while. Think way ahead and plan accordingly.
Click to expand...

I hear you and not new to this. I have been planning for years to eventually live secluded and off the grid by choice even if an "event" of some sorts does not happen.
 

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