When the SHTF

SKS Ray

SKS Ray

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Not sure if this is where this subject belongs but does anyone here think some chaos and anarchy is heading our way? I've been hearing about a When the SHTF situation for a while now and what people are doing to prepare, etc. With the President's aproval rating worse than ever, the fuel crisis, the imigration thing, and over all general crap going on around us, it seems like now is as good a time as any to start taking precautions.
Some have even gone as far to say that the recent 7.62x39 ammo shortage is because the Govt. doesn't want Americans armed with AKs and military weapons that take this battle proven round. Theres rumblings of popular rounds like 223 and 308 becoming short in supply too. [thinking]
I don't wanna go Mel Gibson Conspiracy Theory here but ya gotta admit, things are a little weird right now. If you thought a biological or nuclear terrorist attack could send the country into turmoil a few years ago, imagine the rampant chaos if something bad happened now. I think its time to start thinking about the "Just in case" stuff.
Maybe i'll do some reading on the survival forum.
 
The time to start thinking about the "Just in case" stuff was yesterday.

The problems you mention are, to be sure, topics of concern, but perhaps not ass "doom and gloom" as you may think. We have had problems before and we will continue to have problems in the future.

One of the keys to preparedness is to understand that you will not always have clear warning of serious SHTF situations so you should maintain some level of preparedness at all times. Food, water, medical supplies, spare fuel, firearms and ammunition, and a plan. Think about what you would have to do to survive but don't let it ruin the rest of your life.
 
It was watching the fumbling in New Orleans that got me thinking about preparing better for disruptions of regular services.

Before that I hadn't really thought much about it, except to have some extra drinking water stored in the basement.

So I've been trying to make backup strategies for the things we require, keeping redundant supplies where possible.
 
This is something that I think about quite a bit. And like you said especially these past few months. I don't like to be a "dooms day" type, but our country is in a total crisis right now! We are being invaded from the south, and the illegal immigrants are now trying terrorist tactics on our country, with threatening to shut it down with their strikes as in today. No it won't be a success, but this shit has me at the edge of my seat when I listen to the news. Then you have the cluster f**k that we say in NOLA, and it makes you wonder, what would happen if something like that went down here.

Firearms and ammo aside, you have to be prepared to sustain yourself for how ever long it takes. Right now, I have been monitoring what it takes to keep me alive for a week. How much food, water, and incidental items I consume on a weekly basis. Ideally, I would like to have 1 month supply of essentials on hand to sustain my household. Am I there yet... NO. But just like building my ammo reserve, it is a slow process.

Even if someone isn't a "gunny" this is something that everyone should be considering. We saw society crumble in the wake of Katrina, and we have seen other society's that were currently in a normal state, seemingly crumble and end in a chaotic state for no "good" reason. You think it can't happen here, and maybe you're right. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. If I never need my emergency provisions (and trust me I don't want to need them) then I am only out a couple hundred bucks. If the time does come that I need them, I'm gonna be damn sure I have them ready.
 
Odds are my house isn't going to burn down anytime soon, but I still carry homeowner's insurance.

Preparedness steps are the same thing. There may not be a major natural or man-made disaster in the immidiate future, but it's still concievable. Therefore some level of preparedness, like insurance, is prudent. You go on with everyday life as usual, you just incorporate preparedness into it.
 
Truer words were never spoken, all. I've had this conversation with my non-gun, "stick your head in the sand while I drive my kids to soccer practice" friends, and the answer is invariably the same: "Ok Mr. Paranoid", "In America? Never!" etc etc. Then I tell them that if/when society breaks down here as it has in countless other places around the globe, and God knows who/what comes a-knockin' at MY door wanting to do me/mine harm, they're going to be met with my shotgun/carbine/pistol and whatever else I can find to protect what's mine. What will they use, harsh language? This sobers them up VERY quickly. I agree that dwelling on the potential for a societal breakdown is a bad idea, but being prepared is key! Ask the naysayers: When was the last time you were in a car accident that was YOUR fault? Most will say "never". Then ask them if they have comprehensive on their insurance...
 
Fooped said:
"In America? Never!"
Click to expand...
Ask them that their answer would have been 5 years ago if you predicted that:

- The US government would declare a crime so serious that they would assert the power to arrest an American citizen on US soil, and publicly state that this person was to be imprisoned indefinitely without a trial.

- Federal courts would maintain a separate "secret docket" of cases which would not be available for public view for trials that were held in secret.
 
I'm not of the doom and gloom,but yes we have made preps. We started 10 years ago when we first moved into our house. we had one of those lovely freak new england thunderstorms come through that also has some microbursts added in. We lost power for 4 days, and also had no phone.
I have learned from that incident and other power outages. From that I have kerosene lamps for every room in the house along with some wall ones. (Need a couple more though) We have a generator that since we have gotten we haven't needed it.
Since I live in the sticks I always have way more than a weeks worth of food.( I also need to step that up since we have a few more mouths now to take into concideration.)
If I am not able to cook I have several sources so I can. Also I live where we have a well,plus at one time the brook that runs next to my mother-in-laws was the water source for the town.
First aid Glenn and I both are EMT trained, and have an extensive first aid kit. That also came about because of the etreme 4-wheeling we would do with built up rigs. We knew if anyone ever had anything serious happen they would have to be lifeflighted out of where we were.
I would rather be prepared and have it that not.
 
Backup Power

After the rains last week and the past winter, I'm thinking of putting in a backup power supply. That should insure great weather for the rest of my life. I know once I spend almost three thousand on a generator, it will never rain, snow or get cold again.....[thinking]
 
Since we have gotten the generator we have not had any extended power outages to insure us having to use it.[laugh] Glenn also put our pellet stove on a UPS,which we will now also have to do to the pellet stove upstairs.
 
rscalzo said:
I know once I spend almost three thousand on a generator, it will never rain, snow or get cold again.....[thinking]
Click to expand...

I think you are over estimating what is NEEDED from a generator...

A backup generator, can literally be as small as to ONLY supply your heat, and maybe one light in the house. That being the case, you can find your generator needs, by adding the wattage used by your furnace, and a light bulb or 2, and adding 10% for slop.

In most furnaces, the blower motor is what's going to draw the most current, the controls for the furnace are generally minute in power consumption.

That being the case, you should (with a semi-new furnace) be able to stay well under $1000 for a portable generator, with enough output to give you heat, and light in a critical time.

Adam
 
Better to be ready.

I started preparing for natural disasters a long time ago. I used to live in New York, on Long Island and it seemed as if NO ONE prepared for hurricane of winter storms. If there was a hurricane or even just high winds there would be more than a few trees knocked down, blocking roads. The reaction from the sheeple would be to wait for the county DPW to come and clean things up, make the roads passable, etc.

Now I’ve seen less than an inch of snow paralyze traffic on Long Island and several inches could effectively shut down the Island for a day or two. The Blizzard of ‘78 was an eye opener for me. That was when I started stocking food for at least two weeks.

The Y2K issues found me being a lot more prepared than usual. What a lot of people who don’t make these kind of preparations seem to understand is being prepared has other benefits as well.
About eight years ago both my wife and I found ourselves unemployed for an extended period of time. We had enough money put away to pay the mortgage and most of the utilities, we ended up canceling non-essentials like cable, cell phones, gym memberships, ect . We also had several months worth of food, dry goods and a full freezer. Things became difficult but we pulled through. This also got my wife on board with the program big time. She used to think it wasn’t necessary, now she’ll come home from BJ’s with an extra case or two of whatever we need if she finds it on sale.

The whole New Orleans disaster mismanagement debacle got me to thinking about things like civil unrest. Now I’m thinking we need to be prepared for this as well. I haven’t bothered much with handguns because I’m primarily a hunter and plinker, but next month I’m taking the class I need to upgrade my licence to a LTC-A.

Unless I win the lottery we’ve got no place to bug out to, so we’re buggin’ in. It’s just a question of time until either a “Disruption of services” Natural disaster or Terrorist event. Best to be ready for it.
 
I think you are over estimating what is NEEDED from a generator...

A backup generator, can literally be as small as to ONLY supply your heat, and maybe one light in the house. That being the case, you can find your generator needs, by adding the wattage used by your furnace, and a light bulb or 2, and adding 10% for slop.
Click to expand...

Some of us have deep wells which require a bit more electrical 'horsepower' than others.
 
Pilgrim said:
Some of us have deep wells which require a bit more electrical 'horsepower' than others.
Click to expand...
That's of course one of the things you would have to calculate in... However, I have seen a generator that is rated at 8250W with a 10HP engine for $664.99.
 
You would think the New Orleans debacle would wake alot of people up. We knew from the 4 days without power and phones you were pretty much on your own. We live in a small town so it was neighbor helping neighbor. We also went to all the elderly in town a delivered bottled water to them and also making sure they were all right. The small generator we borrowed at the time Glenn and his mom went around with it keeping peoples refrigerators and freezers going for awhile so they wouldn't lose the contents.
It was a learning experience and I continually learn from different events.
 
rscalzo said:
After the rains last week and the past winter, I'm thinking of putting in a backup power supply. That should insure great weather for the rest of my life. I know once I spend almost three thousand on a generator, it will never rain, snow or get cold again.....[thinking]
Click to expand...

If you can guarantee we'll never have sh*thouse weather again by you buying a generator, I'll make a monetary contribution!
Would that also mean that Reading will have matches year round and we'll never have to shoot in the mud/rain?
 
Adam_MA said:
That's of course one of the things you would have to calculate in... However, I have seen a generator that is rated at 8250W with a 10HP engine for $664.99.
Click to expand...

Caveat Emptor when comparing generator statistics. Typically the advertised rating is a "peak" value sustainable for only a few seconds. The actual full load capability of that 8250 generator is probably closer to 6000 watts. At 240 volts, this provides only 25 amps. True, this is sufficient to power your furnace/boiler, refrigerator, and a light or two, but don't expect to run your whole house on it. Most importantly, hire a qualified, licensed electrician to install the necessary transfer equipment. A generator, improperly installed can cause injury or death to you or a utility worker on a pole down the street. You should also "exercise" your generator four to six times a year for about thirty minutes. This prevents the fuel from going bad, offers practice for emergency situations, and tests the equipment for proper function. When shopping for a generator, Honda, Yamaha, and Onan are good names to look for. They all will cost considerably more than $664.99. If anyone needs more info PM me and I'll be happy to help out.


Chris
 
Last edited:
FPrice said:
The time to start thinking about the "Just in case" stuff was yesterday.

The problems you mention are, to be sure, topics of concern, but perhaps not ass "doom and gloom" as you may think. We have had problems before and we will continue to have problems in the future.

One of the keys to preparedness is to understand that you will not always have clear warning of serious SHTF situations so you should maintain some level of preparedness at all times. Food, water, medical supplies, spare fuel, firearms and ammunition, and a plan. Think about what you would have to do to survive but don't let it ruin the rest of your life.
Click to expand...

Frosty,

You have it about covered, but I think the order needs revising. A plan should be 1st or rather a basic plan or guide. There are 3 levels to "THE PLAN", Lets call them high, medium, and low.
Low - Power outage or the like, short term, stay put.
Medium - Something bad has happened, but I will stay where I am longer term.
High - Something bad has happened and I need to leave.

Water is always first and foremost after basic planning. Medical supplies are next especially if a member of your party has existing health conditions. Food is next and then fuel. Ammunition and firearms is always last.

A person shouldn't be consummed by this either. A well stocked pantry, a couple gallons of water (depends on the number of people), a good med kit with a few extra prescription meds and you are good. I also think you should have a hundred or two on hand in cash if you can.

Firearms, a good concealable pistol (semi- auto possibly) and a few hundred rounds of ammo should be fine. I too have semi-auto centerfire rifles but I really question their need if I have to move. They attract alot of attention but to defend the home they have a place. Decide what firearms you would use and make sure everyone in your party can use them.

Remember SHTF is different for all of us. A hurrcane hitting the Cape won't bother me but if you live there your S has HTF. Finally, realize you can't prepare for everything but that doesn't mean having a little extra is a waste of time either. Comprmise on a level of prepareness you feel comfortable with and dont' worry. Bad things do happen but so do good.

My .02 okay it was more like .25
 
Last edited:
A plan should be 1st or rather a basic plan or guide.
Click to expand...

You are of course correct. In my defense tho I was listing things but not necessarily in order of importance.
 

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