So I just finished watching NATGEO's "American Blackout". So not prepared....

superman2012
reply to post by GNOarmy

 

If you are in a small community you have an advantage. I live in a town of 650. I know many people in town and know what their jobs are and how they could help in an emergency.
Write a list of people that you know their jobs and what capacity they would be able to help and have a loose "emergency plan". If the time ever comes, they will welcome someone who can lead by example and help everyone come together. That's my plan. I just hope I never have to use my plan and that everything is good forever.

Nothing like insurance though right?

This is a great idea! I like the idea of forming a community around me. If we cooperate and pull together I think we would have far better odds of making it through. I'm going to compile an emergency contacts list. Maybe even start talking to people, see who's interested in sharing information.

I have started a couple of BOBs and have a small alternative energy source, but here in Canada warming our homes in the winter is a big concern. Hubby thinks I'm nuts but I want to put a small wood heater in the basement.

Like you, I think it's prudent to prepare, just like buying insurance. Hopefully you'll never need it, but if you do...

superman2012
reply to post by nugget1

 

I'm in the process of growing my own food, and fish in my basement. A small scale experiment. I even started with one of the hardest to grow veggies in aquaponics, cucumbers! I'm documenting it all and will write a thread about my success (or failure) in the future.

I am also really interested in hearing about your experiments. My husband and I have been watching a lot of videos on that very topic.

reply to post by GNOarmy


Start with some basics.

1. bug out bag

2. water and water purification

3. additional water, juice, Gatorade,

4. medical supplies

5. additional food

6. know your area and keep maps handy that show the back roads

7. sanitation needs for bugging in including plastic bags for waste

8. protection

9. have a family/close friend contact list and a solid plan for major emergencies

Back up heat for winter a biggie. Know what you are doing as people die from ignorance while trying to stay warm...


If you have a bit in savings consider hedging your $$ by making purchases of household items that will continue to rise in this coming year due to inflation , yes it is more out of pocket right now but will save you big $$ over the year. When buying canned goods consider things with lots of juice whether fruit of veggie as it is a liquid bank in an emergency. Also but extra can openers.

reply to post by antar


If communication fails, cell towers, no electric, and friends are miles away, too far for portable radios, what are my options for communicating?

GNOarmy
reply to post by antar

 

If communication fails, cell towers, no electric, and friends are miles away, too far for portable radios, what are my options for communicating?

Hopefully if you have friends who are also into prepping that you have a plan with, you would have already decided on a meeting place and there wouldn't be a need to communicate. You should all actually be together before whatever event it is even starts.

There are very few situations that will arise instantly that you need to be concerned about. Odds are that you will have some warning about anything that is going to put you in survival mode.

You need to figure out a budget first.
Compare what you have for food and water and how long will it last you (just what you have right now)
Do you have a means of self-defense?
Is your property defensible or vulnerable?
Any family/friends/neighbors you could count on if TSHTF?
How much can you afford to spend?
What is your closest source of water aside from your house?

You will need to address medical/personal needs first; anyone require medications? can you get extra? is there an herbal substitute?
Wear contacts or glasses? Get extra glasses forget contacts for long term emergencies.
First Aid book
Basic medical kit:
Tweezers, scissors, scalpel, thermometer, bandages, dressings, gauze, antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, antacid.

If there is no source of open water very close by:
What you don't store you will have to get by collecting rainwater or digging a well.
Solar stills are great but don't produce much water.
You'll need a water filter/purifier and bleach.
Get buckets/barrels to collect rainwater, clean your roof and gutters to prevent fires as well as make your water cleaner. Tie old pantyhose around the ends of the downspouts to filter grit.
Siphon pump and tubing

Figure on 2 gallons per day /per person for drinking, washing and cooking (bare minimum)
Then decide how long you're looking to be able to stay home with out leaving for anything.
There may be no food, fuel, medicines, batteries or potable water for miles.
Try to keep your supplies in balance and acquire a week's worth of each water and food.

Get your bulk food items first.
Rice
Wheat flour
Beans
pasta
salt
vinegar
cooking oil
honey
seasonings
sugar
coffee
tea
powdered milk
Sports drink or mixes
hot chocolate
without refrigeration you won't have butter or cheese, Red Feather makes a decent canned version of both.
Never throw out your cooking water - drink it or use it for grey water.

A shotgun is your cheapest, most versatile gun for self defense.
A ruger 10/22 would be my next choice at about $300 with ammo.

Sleeping bags (for indoors too)
Rain gear
Extra thermal underwear
Wool socks


Flashlight, lanterns, candles.
lamp oil
Batteries
Rain poncho shelter half
Propane stove
Lots of propane
Sheet plastic and duct tape, staple gun to attach to windows

Fire extinguisher
Shovel
Mattock
Bow saw
axe
hacksaw
blades
razor blades
hammer
long nails
boards to cover some windows
good knife (several) Swedish Mora $20
binoculars
2 way radios
night vision

If you're like most people a couple hundred $ is all about all you can spend right now.
Make a checklist for yourself and mark them off as you acquire what you need.

reply to post by Spookybelle

A close friend has already comitted to bringing his family here because of my location and surrounding resources. Great idea!

reply to post by Asktheanimals

Wow! Lots of info. Thanks

reply to post by Spookybelle

That is a great link Spookybelle-this man has lots of excellent advice,to me this basically came across as a 28Days Later scenario-only the" infected" would be capable of perfectly logical thought process and scheming and planning and desperately out for their own+their families' survival too.
May such a situation never befall any person who lays eyes on this post,or myself and family.
But a blessing+a fervent wish is not enough,so yes,articles like this man's story iis very helpful,very worth reading+taking notes from.I do not think it matters all that much where one is,unless it is Very far away from other people,in a Very secret location,and stocked up with enough supplies of the most necessary+practical items,you will be in for a hard time.

What he said about how much parents tell their children,was worth noting,and something I have mentioned in the survival forum before-loose lips sink ships,even if unintentionally.

Thanks again for this interesting+thought-provoking link,I would star you twice if I could.

reply to post by GNOarmy


Just remember that most survival situations will probably only last a few weeks at most and you will probably be stuck in your house.

Stock up on some basics....mostly water as others have said, and make sure you have first-aid stuff and especially necessary medication, especially prescription that anyone in your family may need. Things like inhalers for asthma are extremely important.

Easily stored food, and cheap, are things like a few bags of rice and beans. Planning for an extended survival situation is very expensive and time consuming and probably not required but everyone should prepare for a basic shutdown whether due to a natural disaster or even something like an outbreak of disease that sees your city quarantined for a couple of weeks.

reply to post by dawnann7


Sounds good, I will let you know as well. I'm next door to you but used to live in Beddington Heights.
Lots of pics taken already. I just transplanted the cucumbers to their watery home.

reply to post by dawnann7


You can also get hot water from a wood heater. Coils of copper tubing encased in plaster of paris against the stove body set to circulate into an old hot water tank. Don't do it yourself though unless you are a plumber! Living in Saskatchewan (go Riders!) the only thing I worry about are the winters.

I find it a bit disconcerting that over here in UK we too have also had a drama/documentary on what we should expect if the power grid went down here too. Would be interesting to know if there have been other similar programmes in other countries recently.
Just a thought.....why go to the expense of making such programmes in a documentary type style if there wasn't anything to it?

Is this the US series?



Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by angelchemuel

That is exactly it. Thanks

I enjoyed the show. My wife on the other hand had to quit watching. Which is really weird because she tends to like supernatural horror which I don't really care for.

It did reinforce a couple of things. First and foremost, get the hell out of population centers ASAP. Second, the importance of a group large enough to defend your bolt hole 24-7. The preppers were in a bad spot at the end because of keeping their group to just a family size.

I go to thinking about what I'd do in my neighborhood in such an event. There was a scene in day two where they mentioned all the meat in freezers defrosting. This would be a good time to have a neighborhood cookout. Luckily where I'm from, brunswick stew is pretty popular and lots of folks have a big cauldron like pot to cook it in. Grill the best and everything that is going to spoil throw it in the pot and slow cook it over the next couple of days. At least one neighbor has a smoker, go ahead and start smoking some meat so it doesn't spoil as well.

A scenario like this would truly suck, but I think here in the semi-rural inland South, we could survive for the period in the movie without civil society degrading too much. I don't think I'm in the best spot for long term survival, but I think we could tough it through this type of scenario without the need to go mongol at the two week mark. Some caught fish and maybe someone dropping a white tail or two, and we at least wouldn't be on the brink of starvation like so many in the movie after 10 days or so. Of my 5 closest neighbors myself and two others are veterans and the other neighbors are either experienced fishermen or hunters.

I think the most important thing in a situation where there is extended loss of power and other services is knowing your neighbor. Not a single person shown in the movie actually knew their neighbor. Pooling talents and resources, just makes sense.

reply to post by jefwane

Thats great advice. Thank you. I should probably read up on how to make jerky since refridgeration isn't neccessary.

Spookybelle
reply to post by GNOarmy

 

Bugging out and living in the wilderness really isn't going to be an option because a million other Joes are going to have the same plan and its going to come down to the largest gang with the most guns controlling everything. Unless you plan on getting to the most remote places on earth, this is not really a sensible option.

If you would like to separate what a real situation probably will be from the fictional idea many preppers have, I would suggest reading this interview with a man who survived Bosnia, living in a city with no absolutely no control, and every man out for themselves.

Odds are this is what you will face, because its actually happened.

learnhowtobeprepared.com...-Ul

Worth the read if you legitimately want a realistic scenario.

I read the Bosnian survivor and learned... to find the weak first (someone by themself unarmed probably female) and murder them as soon as possible and take everything they have worth of trade to bring back to your family. Stealth will keep you and your family alive.


I wonder how many cans of beans I could get for my girlfriend?

reply to post by GNOarmy


Walking. Bike. That and just stay in place until you figure out what is going on. A temporary power outage is really not that big of a deal, we were out for 10 days and just worked a bit harder during the day and went to bed earlier. We melted ice for the pets with no ill affect. I do suggest if that is the way you get water or any other for that matter like from your hot water heater or even back of toilet, just boil it for 5 minutes first. I am not sure where you are located so not sure what your weather will be like. In cold climates like in the Midwest or the north, it is more challenging but in mild climates it is pretty easy, just a waiting game. It is not like I say a really big deal to be without electronics, it gives you a chance to reflect and to prioritize the meaning of communication and entertainment, distractions. It does throw you back on your primal instincts, just remain calm and take each day as it comes. Try and maintain a good sense of humor and if you want write a journal or take notes of your day, make lists for what needs to be done daily. One thing for certain is that you are not alone in your tasks or survival. Everyone is in the same boat. I loved my hand crank radio, even listened to coasttocoast each night for alternative news and entertaining subject matter which quenched my need for outside stimuli.

If you can be the calm in the storm rather than a wild eyed fight or flight mode, it serves you so much better and you come out stronger and much more grounded and clear than freaking over the things you cannot change. People adapt, you will adapt, the question is how long will it take for the initial shock of the situation to subside and give way to common and practical sense?

So if nothing else go get some stuff on special/sale and store it back along with water and you will have at least that much security, that much assurance you did all you can. I see shows where people have millions in preps and I laugh because anything you have and the more you have can be taken from you, and so you are back at square one anyway with nothing but your good senses left. If God protects the birds in the sky, if each animal in the wild has adapted to survive anything nature or man throws his way dont you trust yourself to do the same? It is great to have a survival handbook , even a boyscout book on hand as a reminder of simple things to do in the event of a survival mode.

I heard of people who lost all of their food to the power outage, we simply placed our freezer outside. We had a back room we closed off which kept everything cold like a fridge.

I watched this show yesterday. I was cringing several times. I was amazed at how long people were in denial, saying things like "help will come soon". For DAYS they kept waiting for help to come! The people on the 46th floor who were making a video so they could sue? Jeez. Nifty little bicycle powered charger thing? Awesome! Using it to charge a cell phone? Ughh. Even the prepper family was a little ridiculous... Oh, twenty guys trying to steal my gas, let me go out there lone ranger style and stop them. *insert eye roll*.

I was embarassed not so much by how ill prepared most of those people were, but by their mentality! We are so conditioned to states of excess, that these people were more worried about keeping their cell phones charged than about developing practical awareness of the actual situation. I did so much sighing and eye rolling during that show, it's unreal. Unfortunately, it was probably a really good representation of how it actually would be for most people! Makes me sad and worried, and hopeful that something like that never happens, because most would be screwed before they even realized how severe the problem actually is.

Now that I've had my little rant, lol, my suggestion for the OP is to start reading, watching videos, and plan for those disasters that are most likely in your area. When you go grocery shopping, buy a couple extras of the foods you already eat. If you buy bottled water, by one extra every time you go shopping and store it. It will build up before you know it! Keep your eye out for good sales (but only sales on items that you already use!). For example, I use chicken broth for everything, and it's usually around $1.39 per can. I found some for .60 per can, so I snatched up several, some for my regular rotation, and some to store in the pantry.

My most important advice, don't buy things that you don't already use. If you don't like it now, you're especially not gonna like it in an "american blackout" type of situation.