Help Me Prepare

I live in the American South West. I would like to prepare for when the SHTF. I have a Wife, 2 little kids, and a dog. I have some survival knowledge and have spent quite a bit of time outdoors. I don’t want to give out to much information about myself but I have also been very well trained in the use of firearms and some non-lethal weapons. I have a 4X4 and know of a place that is very secluded where there is water flowing year round. I know of three separate routes to reach this location, one being completely off road. Winter temps in this location drop below freezing and it does ice over/snow.

My questions are:

What is the most likely SHTF situation to occur within in the next decade?

What can I do to best prepare based on where I live, having a family, and this most likely situation?

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately nobody can really know exactly what is likely to happen in the next decade, if we did i suspect we would be filthy rich by exploiting such knowledge. Besides being prepared is about preparing for all eventualities (and hoping to never have to activate any of your plans). The closest threat that comes to mind for me is a financial collapse that dwarfs the Great Depression, however its entirely possible that some financial miracle could pull our fat out of the fire.

I'm no expert but I think that having the basics such as enough Food, Water, Fire making material should be in everyones interest. I think water purification tablets, seeds to grow fruits and vegetables, hunting equipment are also good things to have stockpiled. (enough for a year at least).

reply to post by SailorinAZ


Make friends with all of the people that live within your general vicinity.

Our elitist leaders are betting that when the SHTF we won't know what to do and will be plunged into chaos.

Unless we decide to work together, either way it is our decision.

"The future is our responsibility, if we fail to accept this responsibility, others will do our thinking for us."
-The Venus Project

double post- sorry



[edit on 16/2/09 by MajesticJax]

reply to post by SailorinAZ


Another ATS'er (intelliside451) posted a thread that includes the new Army field manual for help on all types of needs: food, shelter, weapons, etc. VERY comprehensive. Here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...'



[edit on 16/2/09 by MajesticJax]

Originally posted by SailorinAZ

My questions are:

What is the most likely SHTF situation to occur within in the next decade?

What can I do to best prepare based on where I live, having a family, and this most likely situation?

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Well, for starters, let me say that you are farther along than most people. Have the basics going for you, have a plan, and judging by other posts of yours Ive seen, you arent some lunatic looking to shoot up malls or riot when TSHTF, so kudos for you on that allready.

To occur in the next 10 years? Some will point to 2012, but thats an issue I dont want to get into, others will say the US will be part of NWO and we will have a one world government, imposed socialism, etc... Planning for either of these or a million other CT theories are fine, but in all honesty, one of two things is coming our way.

1. Natural disaster. Not sure what that would be down by you, but something big, such as massive climate change, volcanos, etc... would seriously disrupt your supply lines, so I would consider that a big problem in your area.

2. Complete global economic collapse. I can actually see this happening. The euro, dollar, pound, etc... being completely worthless. They are based on trust, and lets face facts, not a whole lot of that going around these days.

How to get ready for either or both? Keep doing what you are doing. Keep learning, stocking food, guns, ammo, etc... Try living for a week without any creature comforts. No going to the store, no TV, no AC, just to see how you fair, what you dont know and what you can easily live without. When its time for you to go, the kinks will be somewhat worked out.

Keep your kids educated. If they go to public schools, de-brainwash them. Teach them simple things about readyness and prepardness. Make sure your entire family knows where to go should something happen. Take more camping trips, get being away from society at large something fun to do.

After WW2 the US Gov had on hand for every man woman and child approx 600 lbs of food, over the years that number has dropped to less than 10 lbs why? I know why...

I have been slowly storing long term food for about 2 years, I have on hand enough for my wife my daughter and I to last us for about 3 years without the need to go to a super market. On top of that I have been taking a queue from the doomsday seed vault, I have on hand sealed and in deep freeze just about every non hybrid vegetable seed I could get my hands on.

I am in the process of turning 3/4 of our back yard into a garden, making my mistakes now while I can afford to make them. I am not a farmer but I am searching the internet and archiving everything I can find to disk.

I tried to purchase dehydrated veggies online last year but it took over 4 months to have one 6 gal bucket of sweet peas filled, since then I purchased an "Excalibur food dehydrator", I have been running the machine pretty much nonstop since I got it, the quality of the dried food is excellent, and everything I get from my garden is going to go into it for long term storage.

I am in touch with likeminded people in my area, so in a Sit X scenario we can link up our resources for our mutual survival, remember no one can go it alone find people you can trust your life with because you will need them and they will need you.

Along with researching agriculture I am archiving all information I can download on power generation/fuel production. Right now I am working on building a Wood gasification device to power a 5 kw generator again I want to work out bugs now not when my family needs power. Ultimately I plan on having combination solar / wind / biomass setup for electricity with perhaps alcohol distillation and methane production as well, anyone can do these things on a small scale and be able to meet all their energy needs.

Weapons, you will need them, you probably have that covered but also think of unconventional weapons, a good bow could mean the difference between life and death. I have a Bushmaster M4A3 with about 2500 rounds , a 10/22 with about 7000 rounds, a compound bow + 100 arrows, I want to get more ammo and a crossbow but not sure if I will be able to before everything goes to hell. I am researching basic chemistry so I will be able to manufacture a number of energetic materials with items I can buy off the shelf, Potassium Nitrate is a handy chemical to have, get it at home depot.

If I can say anything that can help you it is this, use the internet while you can and save as much information as possible, hook up with likeminded people in your area, maybe even form small survivor groups, because in the end, it seems we will need each other after all.

Sailor

I agree. Other then a natural disaster, It seems to me that, that is the most likely situation for the near future.

reply to post by Mr_D1021


One thing I am definitely lacking skills at is how to skin/gut/prepare game.

reply to post by dalan.


Not a bad idea, but I think I would like to stick to family only in a survival situation. Probably a bad idea, but I am just to paranoid about other people.

reply to post by MajesticJax


Very cool, I picked up a copy of the old manual. It really is an excellent guide. I also have a couple of Tom Brown Jr's books. Any ideas of another book or manual I should have?

reply to post by salchanra


Thanks, really good info. I know it would be really rough, but what do you think of surviving in a quality tent for up to a year?

They are easy to store and transport.

OK, I will bite on this one.

The most probable situation in my opinion for SHTF scenerios almost ALL have the same plan.

Risk Assessment, you cannot cover all scenarios but judge the most probable.

My Assessment, Numerous things can disrupt electricity and transportation period which will cause the same SHTF scenario. Examples such as catastrophic EMP (natural or manmade), Natural disaster (quakes, super volcano), Pandemic, Nuke War, etc. almost all have the identical plan.

Pre-set underground location with food / water, hidden and hopefully withing walking / bike riding distance from your home.

Point Blank, in any scenerio that impacts the electrical grid and or transportation for long periods of time we will have chaos, same with a pandemic. Get the hell out of the populated areas.

Food will run out quick causing mass panic. Authorities will have to go door to door to confiscate food for the public "food lines" (and themselves) let alone the probable chaos and riots caused in any high population area.

If transportation is out for longer than 2 weeks, desperation will set in and armed bands will form out of necessity to protect their food or steal others food erupting in continued chaos.

As stated before, Authorities if still in charge will have no choice but confiscate food from "Hoarders" to feed the many which means your years worth of food becomes one meal for the masses then you all can starve or the authorities will stash it themselves as they will know that all bets are off if there is no relief in sight and they will cart off anything they can take to their base camp while still in charge of the situation as they plan to abandon their duties as continued attempts at "order" will be futile. (I hate to say that and hope to God that this does not happen).

Worse case.... event continues past the 2-3 week interval nationwide.

After a month.... or 2..... or 3, you get the idea... human bbq, gangs of lawless thugs, etc.


Stealth is the essence of survival, if nobody knows your "there", nobody is going to come looking for you or your stuff. Hole up a couple of months and try to keep in contact


Underground house / bunker in a remote area, 12v deep cycle battery or batteries, solar and or wind charger (for radios, etc.). Wood stove to burn wood (if you have to) otherwise a bit of ventilation with kerosene / alcohol space heaters if it is winter and Must burn something to survive over the chance of someone seeing the smoke.






[edit on 16-2-2009 by infolurker]

reply to post by MajesticJax


Wow.
Great.
Thanks!

I think everyone should download -
print a hard copy and add to survival bag.
Wrap in plastic. : )

[edit on 16-2-2009 by spinkyboo]

SailorinAZ,
I have the same circumstances as you, other than I'm quite a bit North of you. The best advice I can give, will probably be a bit boring.
I hope you find it useful.

Make a list, starting with the most probable occurence, according to your individual situation.
In my case, I may envision a great battle with the hordes of hoodlums running reckless in the streets, but the more probable occurence would be something closer to a blizzard or freezing ice cutting off power, and stranding me and my family for days or weeks.

Once you have a list of the 3-5 most probable occurences, look at each situation, and write down what effect it would have.
In the case I mentioned above, firewood, food, batteries, candles, etc. top the list, however, since I have my own well, with a generator backup, I do need extra gasoline and some parts in case the generator peters out, but loading up on water for this specific occurence is lower on the list.

Do the same for each situation on your list, and according to the likelihood each will happen. As you work from one situation to the next, you will start to see where certain items continually become necessary.

Start aquiring these items based on the probability that you will need them.

Roving bands of armed thugs may be possible, but a home invasion is more likely. Similar steps cover both possibilities. (ATS Thread

Be prepared for the most likely, not the most "glorious" scenarios.

reply to post by SailorinAZ


I would think that the most logical attack would come in the form of some kind of biological warfare.

Nothing to shoot at. Able to deliver safely from a distance and able to fairly control the immediate area of contamination.


Our numbers are too large to mange successfully and the amount of manpower they would need to control the masses would be staggering.

Americans are too unpredictable. So they would have to render us helpless to successfully control us.

A sick person will not be able to offer much resistance and a dead one will offer none at all.

I think that it will not take long to round up the survivors when they see all the people dying around them and they are offering a cure.

Just open the doors to the vans and cattle cars; we will place ourselves into the cells.

Not putting myself above the fray; after all dying under those circumstances plays nicely into their hands and proves nothing.

True courage would come with surviving and passing on the knowledge and the desire for freedom.

A mighty elephant is often controlled and held hostage with a tiny chain around his ankle.

Once the battle for your mind is won the war is over.

reply to post by infolurker



I agree with your assessment.

Sailor

Have to throw my 2 cents in here. The bug in, bug out debate can go on all day long. The what if Sit-X which will happen first can do the same. That being said, water, shelter, food are the prioritys. Not everyone can afford to buy the retreat in the woods somewhere. Even if they did, I'd be willing to bet someone else has thier eye on it too. It would be a real shame to have a survival shelter all stocked up and get there to find everything you had is gone. On the other side of the coin, if you have a ton of food stashed away and the powers that be go door to door to feed the masses you are again lost. Keepin this in mind, I offer the following.

Educate yourself. Learn how to find food water in your area. Learn to build shelter. Not only will the knowledge help to keep you alive, but will make YOU a valuable commodity. You will have the ability to help others. I suggest investing in self sufficiency books. How to manuals, how our forefathers did it type stuff. Practice these things you learn. Everyone has watched survivorman, but how many have actually tried to build a fire? Make sure your wife and kids have the same knowledge you do. If you are the only one that knows how to build a fire and are somehow incapacitated the outlook is bleak for the family.

Tools would be high on my list also. Do you own a saw that does not require a powersource? A drill, a plane, etc.? Is the equipment you have of high quality, will it last? Cheap is nice if you only go camping once or twice a year, but if you may never be able to attain another one, will it last? Most everything in a store bought "Survival" bag / kit is a one use item. After its initial use it is pretty much worthless. Your weapon is also a tool. One that we all hope we will never need to use.

Clothing is something you will also need to keep in mind. Spend the money on some quality boots, not the mega-store cheapos. You said you have children, what will you do for them, what will they use next year if there is no clothing store? My family and I have discussed this, in a bug out scenario most would be carrying clothes that fit me. The reason being I am the largest in the family. It may be like wearing a tent to the wife and kids, but it will still be usuable by all.

My #! advice, learn to enhance your inner peace. Remain calm. NOTHING good comes from panic. Doom and gloom is everywhere nowdays. Do not rush head long into anything.

Thats all for now from me, I hope it helps.

Spiritowl

Originally posted by SailorinAZ
reply to post by salchanra

 

Thanks, really good info. I know it would be really rough, but what do you think of surviving in a quality tent for up to a year?

They are easy to store and transport.

Define quality. A good wall tent with cots and a stove of some sort would be your best bet, but cost factors in. With a wall tent you can get up and move around, keep seperate areas for cooking, eating, sleeping. When the weather turns foul you can actually do something. I could see myself in a wall tent for an extended period of time, a year? I think so.

If you go with a modern "family style" tent, with the little seperate rooms and the built in floor, youre going to have a rough year. Cant really move around in those things, the floor gets dirty and slippery fast and there is never enough headroom. Besides, you put a stove in it and your shelter burns to the ground around you.

However, should you go with the wall tent/stove idea, its going to eat up some serious room in a car or truck, mainly the stove, so you may want to think about a teepee. All you need in the canvas shell, which is about the same size and weight of a wall tent and you dont need a stove. When you get to your retreat, cut your trees and erect your structure. I lived in a teepee for about 2 months one fall, was actually rather comfortable. Key is getting yourself off of the ground.