I was wondering what you guys have planned for when it is announced that the bird flu is being transmitted between humans easily and has turned into a full blown pandemic?.

I don't really have a plan so I am curious to what other people, who are aware of the pandemic threat, have planned.

Matt

I never really thought about it.

I guess I would stay locked up with my family in our home.

Being in earthquake country we have a comprehensive disaster kit that will support our immediate family and lone grandparent for 14 (After the Katrina debacle im building to 21) and Im confident that the first aid kit I have set up would allow me to perform minor surgury if needed. We also have gear for NBC protection for a very limited time. and the most interior room in the house can be shielded off with a HEPA filter to bring air inside the room and provide some radiation protection especially If I have a few hours notice I can upgrade that capacity quite a bit.

Wow, good for you FredT. That is awesome.
In my neck of the woods there isn't many disasters to worry about but I've been meaning to be prepared if we ever lost power for a week. I really got to stop procrastinating and get it done before winter comes.

Most likely I would play some guitar, eat some chips etc. Just another day.

I live in the middle of nowhere, and while that doesnt mean I would be safe, it doesnt mean I wouldnt be at a high risk either.

I wouldnt be worried.


Living on a farm, we could produce all of our food, actually we already do produce most of our own.

It would be daily life.

I'm a suburbanite so if it were to hit home in all likelihood it would hit our neighborhood.
I have already purchased enough Tamiflu to cover my family 3 fold. I have stockpiled water and non perishable goods as well as extra propane for cooking. Of course the stockpiling and propane really isn't in the event of flu but more of an emergency back up. I'm a just in case kind of gal.

In addition to the Tamiflu, I also have many bottles of Collodial Silver on stock and masks. This may be extreme but I have a 3 yr old at home, I would go to any lengths if it called for it.

Well, since I have the worlds suckiest immune system and catch everything that goes around - I am stocking up so I don't have to go out much if at all if anything happens. I have been slowly getting extras when I shop and just ordered my dehydrator so I can get more put up that doesn't need to go in a fridge or freezer. In addition I have many books and ebooks on my laptop, making sure we have plenty of wood for the winter, getting extra bottled water (which we drink anyway) and have lantern oil for my hurricane lanterns. I will use a lot of this if there is a regular flu outbreak also or if the power goes out etc. so it won't go to waste. I also made sure I have plenty of coffee -- cause I can face anything with coffee!!

FredT what would be a good air filter to get (we have baseboard heat and mainly use a wood stove so it would have to be a portable unit) or what should we look for that would help keep the air in the house safer. And what is NBC protection you referred to??

I'm going to go my cottage along Ontario Canada's Lake Huron shoreline. The cottage sits well back from the road is, conservatively speaking, isolated. I will then keep my body germ free by consuming copious amounts of Jack Daniels while keeping a keen on my windows. If anyone approaches, a few warning shots should make them aware of the fact that I've gone into "reverse quarantine". No one from the outside world is going to get closer than a hundred yards. My kill zone starts at the 125 yd line.

Oh sure, I might still catch the Avian Flu but noone will be able to say that I didn't do everything to keep from becoming infected.

An Urban Perspective

Usually when discussing survival in an emergency sitution people tend to discuss stocking up on goods, protection, ammo, etc, etc. I have never understood this as right now more people live in cities than at any other point in history. Sure in case of an emergency, if in the right position, stocking up would prove to be a wise investment. From the personal shelters of the cold war era, to the survivalist training of the 90's, it would seem that Americans always are training for that big "what if". This of course is always limited to the rural and suburban resident though.

What about those that do not have somewhere to sit and wait? What about those that do not have the luxury of acres of land isolating them from the nearest human? What about those in the suburbs, who, unbeknownst to them are about one step away from the chaos that is expected to ravage the innercities in case of any emergency, natural or manmade?What do they do? Stock up and wait in their apartments for the troops to come around, only to be quarantined and herded to god knows where?

For these people mere stocking up is not going to be enough, for those in the cities supplies are the least of their worries. For those in the city who would care to survive such an event, I suggest a few extra measures to be considered. I for one have no intention of waiting around for quarantine orders to be enforced.


Supplies

First off only the minimum will be necessary if one is planning on leaving any metropolitan area. Take only what you need to survive for a few days. If a car is available, only enough to fill the car, if a car is not available, then a large backpack would be best, of course with a motorcycle you can probably carry somewhere between the two.

There is always time to get more supplies, never time to get another life. I suggest lots of Ammo, and H2O, these items will probably be the most valuable for trade, and even if one is not willing to trade, then at least you always have plenty of ammo to try and convince him otherwise. H2O is of course heavy (8 odd lbs per gl) So if one is on foot, then don't plan on carrying much water. Invest in a small camping filter, or even brita. If one is smart enough to leave before the shiz hits the fan, then tap should still be widely available, and fairly safe.

If a vehiclce is not an option then weight must be considered. Think light. Beef jerkey, nuts, granola. Things that do not need to be refrigerated, yet don't weigh a ton. Screw camping supplies like burners, lamps and what not, if one has a destination, then a backpack full of jerkey, nuts and granola is more than enough to get you there.

One should have an extra supply of medicines, in the event that you can not get to the pharmacy on time. Besides, not all of our prescriptions are available at the pharmacy either, so procure what you need.

Heavy clothes are a must. Heavy jeans, Boots, jacket, etc.

Small sleeping mat, and blanket.

Guns, and ammo. I can not stress this enough, especially if you live in california. If something like this were to happen, one would be foolish to go outdoors unarmed.

Viable Seeds

Whatever your favourite fruit vegetable or herb, in the event that 30-40% of humanity is wiped out, I think it safe to say there will be a siginfigant disruption in trade and commerce for a while. Seeds aer light, and if thigs progressively get worse, then starting to plant your own food might eventually be your only option. When one compares what they weigh, and how much space they take to their production potential, they appear to be worth it in the long run, Hey after all this is a what if scenario, yeah, what if things get real bad then? Then what?

Exiting
Have a destination

First and foremost you should have a destination. I do not plan on leaving in such an event only to fulfill childhood mad max fantasies. I for one plan on leaving to be safe, and to make sure my loved ones are safe. I have no intention of camping in the wilderness waiting for things to breeze by either, unless of course it's absolutely necesarry.

Any family members, or friends on the outskirts of town, county, etc. Those would be the first places to go, maybe to check on loved ones, maybe to see if more supplies can be had, or are needed. I personally have family roughly 90 minutes outside the city, and in fairly empty country. I also have a few family members stretched along the way in various suburbs, that I can stop and visit along the way.

Know your area

Know the area you live in. In most major cities, neighborhoods, or burroughs stretch out to others, and sometimes are surrounded by suburbs for hundreds of miles in each direction. Knowing your immediate, and general area will give you a better understanding of how to get out of town without using the major highways. One look at the evacuations of N.O, and Huston, and one need not ask why one should avoid all major highways. Not only will they be filled with frightened sheeple, they also make citizens sitting ducks for federal forces. In the event of a quarantine you think they are just going to let the people on the freeway leave? I don't think so.

Plan Multiple Routes

Anything other than a major highway is your best bet for travel. Surface streets often stretch for miles, and if one travels at night this betters the chance of not running into traffic or congestion. Have multiple routes down just in case you find that one route has already been blocked, or is about to be (via HH Radio).

One possibility I have researched that will do for anyone out west, or south west are the "washes". You know the giant serpentine concrete aquaducts that run all throughout the SW? These are perfectly viable avenues of escape that most people are never in anyways. They are large enough for a car, pass underground at many points, and are a straight shoot to many places far away from the city and suburbs. In the event of a quarantine, the streets will probably be the first priority, in all honesty this is how I plan on getting out. So, even if you are a skeptic and wait to see the troops on the streets, you still might have a chance.

Of course this all depends on if one is a survivor or not. In the case of an outbreak, quarantine measures will probably be strictly enforced. Travel at night when you can, take all means other than major highways, know what you are doing and CYA. If caught breaking quarrantine orders, one could very easily end up in the very situation he was trying to avoid, so be careful.


If you live in a city you might want to think about some of the above.

I hope this is all hype though...if not, good luck everyone.

[edit on 26-9-2005 by phoenixhasrisin]

I don't know, but I suppose it's not good to be living in a dorm if something like that hit. I would just let things happen as they do. No reason to run from death, it will always catch up with you in the end.

Ideally though, I'd like to be around another few years before I check out...at least a bird flu would be a logical/natural way to die, as opposed to something like a nuclear war, which I think is more likely than ever right now...who knows what will happen, but if it does, I'm not wasting my short time here preparing for it.

Those are all good points Phoenix but the problem is is that everyone is going to have the idea of getting out of town and that's where the problem is going to start.
Martial Law may be declared and the best case scenerio with the flu is that everyone will get quarantined to their homes. They won't move people to an isolated area if they aren't already infected with the flu because it would potentially cause more contaimination.
Why move perfectly healthy people to facitilites when those facilities would be better used for the sick as the hospitals will be jammed?
I do agree with stockpiling in the event a quarantine is declared you won't be able to grocery shop. What you have on hand at home is going to have to do.

Originally posted by Shoktek
No reason to run from death, it will always catch up with you in the end.

Something tells me that if your dorm caught on fire, and you were inside, you probably wouldn't pull up a meditation mat and start breathing excercises. I wager your ass would run out of the building. No?

Originally posted by phoenixhasrisin
Something tells me that if your dorm caught on fire, and you were inside, you probably wouldn't pull up a meditation mat and start breathing excercises. I wager your ass would run out of the building. No?

That's a simple scenario, with a simple escape route, as opposed to a possible bird flu, which could kill pretty much anyone if it started hitting large cities...what would be the equivalent of "running out of the building" in that scenario? Either you would get it, or you don't...unless you just left town altogether. If you have the means to do so that is, which I do not. So all I/we could do is sit around and let it run its course.

I do agree Phoenix. In the event of say a nuclear disaster or terrorism or even natural calamities. In the case of the flu however, anyone that moves will be hunted because the key goal will be to neutralize the virus. This would mean that anyone caught relocating after a quarantine would be detained. Helicopters will be flying over these remote areas because whether you believe this or not this is actually the most obvious move not main highways as a mode of escape.

Also consider this: A quarantine is going to come at a surprise. It isn't going to something they are going to warn about say a week prior. That would only create panic.

Originally posted by Shoktek
.what would be the equivalent of "running out of the building" in that scenario?

The equivalent to "running out of the building" in the event of a pandemic is what I described above...getting the hell out of dodge before things get bad, and going somewhere where human population is scarce at best.

Don't get me wrong, as I said at the end of my post such a course of action is only for those who wish to survive, and do not trust what the government will do in such a circumstance.

If such a course of action is beyind your means, financially, physically, emotionally or spiritually, then you must do what you have to do. I just wanted to give some suggestions that I never see people mention when discussing survival, and that is an urban approach on how to survive. Unfortunately many people in urban areas have the mindset similar to yours, and just assume "I'm in the city, if anything happens, I'm screwed" Well I am here to tell you that need not be the case, you can do more than sit in your room and wait to die.

I don't know about you, but I would rather my last moments here on earth be a fight for survival in the great outdoors, as opposed to sitting in my living coffin just waiting to move into the next one.

Originally posted by DDay
Also consider this: A quarantine is going to come at a surprise. It isn't going to something they are going to warn about say a week prior. That would only create panic.

I would have to agree, then again I am not going to wait until I see someone on T.V telling me the sitch. I have been and will continue to pay close attention to this issue, for this very reason. I have no intention of waiting for the word from government. I am a big fan of intuition, and it has never steered me wrong, and I will rely on that, and my close attention to guide me through

Besides you act as if once a quarantine is ordered then automatically the streets are not safe for travel. Take one look at federal response to the recent hurricane disasters, and there should be no question in your mind as to how quick, and effectively the U.S government can blockade a major area. Now if they couldn't handle New Orleans, then they sure as hell can't handle Los Angeles. You would have forces on the streets to match the national guard, and probably better armed.

This is what I do not understand about Urban survival. People have it solidified in their heads that nothing can be done, which is rediculous. Something can always be done, and if not then one can die trying. It's almost as if people want the cities to die off.

Well, I'd love to say I would isolate and if I were single, I likely would as I have a naturally introverted nature. My wife however, is very socially oriented and no matter how bad things got, I'm sure her parents would draw her out for some stupid reason or another. They are the type of people who don't pay heed to warnings like these. Kind of like the Grasshopper versus the ant. No, if it comes about the only hope I have is that we're all strong enough to survive.

I just hope it doesn't get too far out of control before the government locks things down. The only way to stop it is to mandate a quarantine. The weather will be huge factor. Winter is when most things like that hit in the US.

Originally posted by phoenixhasrisin
I don't know about you, but I would rather my last moments here on earth be a fight for survival in the great outdoors, as opposed to sitting in my living coffin just waiting to move into the next one.

Heh, that's exactly how I feel, and I hate cities...would love to get out of here and live out in the country somewhere, and maybe that will happen before something like this goes down. But if not, then there really isn't anything to be done...if you need proof of this, look at the hurricane situation. If you have no transportation out of town, you just have to wait it out. And with something like a flu, your odds of surviving would be much better to just stay inside a room, and not head out to the streets with lots of other people spreading it around.

[edit on 26-9-2005 by Shoktek]

When the bird flu hits I will probably get a stomach ache...have diarrhea for a couple of days then return to normal life. In the majority of cases Avian influenza is not fatal so would rarely require the kind of precautions that many of the above posters are going to.

Mass public-overreaction to things like avian influenza can be much more dangerous than the virus itself. Just some food for thought as you stockpile food and plan escape routes.

Lukefj