It's probably not a good idea to be at the store when the SHTF

In the case of mass hysteria, the first thing that will be on most unprepared persons' minds are to... you guessed it, go to the store.. And if you read what goes on in the forums, then you know that going anywhere where there's a large gathering of people could end up with you in a detainment camp or worse, dead. So what are your options?

There aren't too many, really. Either you prepare now, or risk the chance of fighting off your neighbors and policing officials/soldiers to get anything you can grab at the nearest shopping center.

The dollar is going down, buy while the money still holds somewhat of a value.

reply to post by leira7


The idea is sound.
You can prepare all you like, however, eventually the supplies will run out, and one might find themselves on the other side of the coin.
That is where knowledge comes in.
The more you know about how to provide for yourself, the better off you will be.
Listen to the old folks. They lived through the SHTF and they know what's up.
I listened to all the old stories my grandparents used to tell about how they made due.
From picking up coal from the train tracks to heat their homes, to picking gardoon from the woods.
Back in their time, survival was an everyday thing, a necessity.
Today, we entertain the ideas of being prepared but are ill equipped for the psychological ramifications of trying to handle survival.
Survival is not just about surviving in the wilderness, it's about surviving anywhere you find yourself. Urban environmets have their own unique set of challenges.

Peace be with..........



[edit on 9/28/2009 by reticledc]

near me there is a canned food distribution center, i'd probably head there IF I was unprepared.

reply to post by leira7


Very true..... and if a family chooses to stock up, rotate those stocks, the worst case is that they save a little money. If a SHTF does occur, that gives them a little breathing room away from the [mindless] crowds, some time to plan and react.

I remember the Loma Prieta earthquake in California -- happened during the World Series. I was in an Alpha Beta supermarket, and was the only one who stayed inside the supermarket. The fiberglass ceiling tiles were falling down, and that panicked everyone -- myself included, but I deemed that huge metal warehouse a better place that the glass storefront and the parking lot beyond.

After the rumbling had stopped, I saw suits coming back into the store to grab booze and other supplies, and I was hell-bent on getting away from the marauding hordes. The cars were knocked together and I ended up driving my Honda over a grass hill and then railroad tracks to get to a piece of road that wasn't jumbled, then jogged 2 miles to home.

I was a first responder and had occasion to observe how groups of citizens formed (in some cases) who exploited the situation to loot and terrorize. Other groups formed, of course, to help. Entire areas were dangerous and those that could stay home and watch or group together with others to protect their neighborhood were better off by far.

reply to post by reticledc


Agree with your statements -- It is the psychological ramifications of the necessity to rapidly adapt that is often not anticipated when considering a SHTF situation. The more we can simplify our lives and the more we can learn to incorporate knowledge of our elders as a way of life, the more adaptable a person will be.

People here on this island -- many of the young ones, anyway -- have forgotten what their ancestors did to survive. There is also a big difference between hearing the stories, and actually using those old systems. Ask people here how to make coconut oil and find out how few actually have a clear idea of this simple process. That oil used to be vital for cooking, as well as soap manufacture; these days it's somewhat of a novelty.

That's one of the great things about living out in the so-called uncivilized areas of northern Arkansas. We had our own shtf scenario this past winter during an icestorm. I lived in a fairly large town at the time and we were without electricity for a week; in the rural areas, it was close to two months in some places. But here's the thing: for four or five days, none of the businesses had power, either. During that period, you couldn't buy food, gas, go to the bank or anything...and this wasn't localized, it was regional. Even the places like McDonalds and Walmart were out, as were the local factories (most couldn't even go to work). It also knocked out most of the area radio stations and cell towers, severely limiting communications.

People were surprisingly calm. The closest thing we had to a 'riot' happened when one of the local gas stations opened several days later and a few idiots in the lines got into a fight. It lasted about 15 minutes. Otherwise, people were irritable but civilized. Even though we have enough guns to fight WW3 down here, I don't think there was even a single shooting. Go figure. The only crime wave was the theft of generators.

That's not the only time something similar has happened, but it was the worst of the bunch. The point is, you sometimes can trust your neighbors in a short term crisis. Granted, things were getting back to normal after a couple of weeks, but in the intervening period, people didn't go nuts even though a good portion of them were undoubtedly cold and hungry by that fourth or fifth day when a handful of stores finally started opening.

None of this is to say that you shouldn't prepare, but that your neighbors aren't necessarily your enemy.

I live in a small community accessed by a dirt track - which got iced up for nearly 2 weeks last winter. Hello - ice age?
We were stuck in our homes or struggling on foot. It was good to see how a couple of people with 4 wheel drives helped out the rest of us.