how prepared are you for a SHTF scenario

The doomsday clock is closer to midnight than ever.

The world is running out of resources, we've reached peak oil and the population is way too large. Vaccines are quickly lowering that through reducing fertility and adverse effects. This year we will see the global population declining. But that doesn't stop regional wars, and the plan to force everyone into 15 minute cities and be slaves.

originally posted by: v1rtu0s0
The doomsday clock is closer to midnight than ever.

I picture you hiding under your bed while you are writing this. You better run for your life, boy! XD

a reply to: offensive

Never too old to start learning.

Get a book on foraging, or joing a club.
Learn to garden small, even in just a few pots.

originally posted by: whyamIhere
My neighbor has a pretty good stock.

I plan on shooting him first.

I hope you're joking. Because if not, you're the first type of people I'm taking out of the picture. For the good of humanity. Or what's left of it.

Checks pockets:

2 bandanas
2 pocket knives
1 Bic lighter
1 ferro rod

On and in desk:

1 SS single wall water bottle
250’ spool paracord.
10’ 3/8” rope
Several Bic lighters
2 multitools

Next to bed:
Duffel bag with tent, cot, blankets, cookware weighing about 15 lbs
Sling pack with various lengths of paracord, change of clothes, wind proof shirt, assorted bags, 2 ponchos, a poncho liner, a tarp weighing about 10 lbs.
Various other bits of need not to be named gear very nearby.

Overstocked, I’d say.

I can get by on a Swiss Army Knife, a 50’ hank of paracord, a lighter, a poncho and liner, coat and clothes on me, and a pot/cup combo for a very long time. Or none of that, if I had to. It would just take longer to get comfortable. Weaving natural cordage into “cloth” to make clothes is no picnic nor comfortable. Itchy too.

originally posted by: whyamIhere
My neighbor has a pretty good stock.

I plan on shooting him first.

First rule of survival...set traps for those with a similar mind to you.

originally posted by: Ahabstar
Checks pockets:

2 bandanas
2 pocket knives
1 Bic lighter
1 ferro rod

On and in desk:

1 SS single wall water bottle
250’ spool paracord.
10’ 3/8” rope
Several Bic lighters
2 multitools

Next to bed:
Duffel bag with tent, cot, blankets, cookware weighing about 15 lbs
Sling pack with various lengths of paracord, change of clothes, wind proof shirt, assorted bags, 2 ponchos, a poncho liner, a tarp weighing about 10 lbs.
Various other bits of need not to be named gear very nearby.

Overstocked, I’d say.

I can get by on a Swiss Army Knife, a 50’ hank of paracord, a lighter, a poncho and liner, coat and clothes on me, and a pot/cup combo for a very long time. Or none of that, if I had to. It would just take longer to get comfortable. Weaving natural cordage into “cloth” to make clothes is no picnic nor comfortable. Itchy too.

The wife and I are always stocked similarly. We each have bug out packs ready to go whenever necessary.

Staying put probably won't be an option for anybody.

The key is survival on the fly, with as little conflict as possible IMO.

One of these days one of us on ATS should do a survival mega thread.

Well....
Enough food to last 10 people 1 year.
Propane, Kerosene and wood cookstoves.
Garden and chickens.
Lots of 1st Aid. Redundant water sources.
Those 10 people are relatives and I have a sidearm and carbine for everyone.
Poleshift safe position in the Appalachian Mtns.

We are pretty well stocked up, we could go for months without needing to go to the store. But if things get rough, we will keep buying when we can to keep our stocks up for a longer time in case it gets worse.

We went a week without shopping to do a test of deficiencies in our stores. The only thing we ran out of was milk....so we bought a couple of packages of powdered milk. I do need to put a three way cut off for the well pump. A way of quickly switching over to a generator to pump water every so often. I have three generators, two work well, started every year to make sure they run. The third runs, but I have not started it in over seven years. I should probably take apart the carb and put fuel in it and start it this summer. The pump is 220 volt, so the big generator is needed to run that.

I keep enough fuel in stock to run generators intermittantly for about a month to keep the freezers froze. Placing a frozen roast in the fridge will keep it cold all day, or I could just freeze ice in the freezer and use that for the fridge. I have a full fridge...no freezer....but the whole fridge also has controls to turn it into a freezer. The other three freezers are all running now, hopefully my stock in them will get low enough to get down to two freezers in a month. Those are all sixteen to seventeen foot upright freezers so we are somewhat dependent on electricity.

Kitchen woodstove will heat the whole house, if it gets real cold, there is a airtight fireplace I can move into place in the basement too, but it isn't really necessary to do. Enough wood in stock to heat and cook for three months and we have wood standing on our property and I have some good chainsaws.

I have guns and ammo, and lots of fishing gear to help supply foods of different kinds if needed. But I hope we never need to start shooting animals for food anymore, I like the little button bucks and does coming for lunch on the deck, they are friends.....the wife would rather starve than to eat one of those.

Their are levels, of course. Few people are self-sufficient enough to survive a wholesale SHTF scenario, and even if you are, an asteroid or a-bomb can ruin your whole day no matter how well prepared you are. The issue is to what level can you reasonably prepare yourself and how likely is that to happen? I think Covid has taught us that supply disruption is the most likely issue, so it's probably a good idea to have a few extra rolls of TP stored away. Beyond that it depends on how much effort you are willing to put in, including where you reside. If you are in an apartment in the Big City, well, it was nice knowing you.

We have a generator and a wood pile and enough gas to last a couple of weeks with no issues if the power went out. Water isn't a problem. We could probably double or triple that if we only were interested in keeping the refrigerators going and not much else. Food would last a little longer though we would have to change some serious habits. There's enough wine and beer for a year, though this would be good for barter. At a certain point you would have to form alliances with neighbors to pool your resources. And, of course, there is the firearm issue. There are lots of deer an coyote around and 10,000 rounds would last you awhile.

I think the real issue is for you to do what you need to feel comfortable. Whatever you do will probably run out in the end, but that's kind of how life is anyway. There are no guarantees.

Guess I'm outta luck.

Shot all my ammo and on the way back from the range, all my guns were lost in a houseboat fire. Burned up and sank to the bottom. I ate all my food in despair over losing them.

Never. EVER. tell people what you have.

a reply to: MykeNukem

Unless a fire comes here and burns down our house, the wife and I are going to stay here, neither of us wants to be bugging out. She may like to go for a couple of weeks with the daughter and her family if things get bad...to vacation....but I am just going to stay here and maybe I will actually get some stuff done on the house if everyone is gone. Especially if there is no electricity to watch tv or be on the internet with. I bet I could cut and split and pile a single and a half of wood a day if there was no technology other than my chainsaws and tractor.

originally posted by: DAVID64
Guess I'm outta luck.

Shot all my ammo and on the way back from the range, all my guns were lost in a houseboat fire. Burned up and sank to the bottom. I ate all my food in despair over losing them.

Never. EVER. tell people what you have.

If something does happen, I will be splitting up my food stores with both daughters and their families, and brother. Keeping enough here to make sure we can survive for a while. That will happen within a few days.

originally posted by: rickymouse
a reply to: MykeNukem

Unless a fire comes here and burns down our house, the wife and I are going to stay here, neither of us wants to be bugging out. She may like to go for a couple of weeks with the daughter and her family if things get bad...to vacation....but I am just going to stay here and maybe I will actually get some stuff done on the house if everyone is gone. Especially if there is no electricity to watch tv or be on the internet with. I bet I could cut and split and pile a single and a half of wood a day if there was no technology other than my chainsaws and tractor.

We're pretty much the same, we'll only bug-out if absolutely necessary.

If we're able to stay on the farm, no problem, we're home free. We can go months if we had to, without leaving the property.

I do have to do down some more veggies and stuff for the cellar, but I could even do that during the SHTF scenario.

Like many others have said, depending what it is, you just do what you do to survive. Everyone will have their own version of that, but as long as they make it through, is all that counts.

I'm not sure if you watched any of my Freedom Convoy videos, but we had EVERY able bodied person come out to the highway and support them, from miles around, thousands of us (population of the nearest little town is like 600, lol). We have lots of patriots and freedom lovers around here and we'd help each other, as well.

Sounds like you'll be fine, rick

I need to go through all my preps and see how prepared I actually am. I use the rule of threes if bugging out, three hours, three days, three weeks. After that you're digging in and it becomes three months and beyond.

So I should have a small three hour bag to carry at all times, a three day bug out pack, and a three week "camping trip" bug out kit to toss in the trunk of a vehicle or what have you. The longer haul bug in preps are pretty much in house. All that stuff needs to get put together properly and kept ready for use though.

My biggest fear is how do I fetch my children and my woman in the midst of some mass casualty event or even a soft event such as an EMP.

Any event that demands an immediate response isn't going to be determined by what you do or do not have. It's going to be determined by how quickly you can get your immediate family members to safety and mobilize those around you to deal with it.

If everyone in your family lives/works/learns within walking distance or rides a bicycle (or similar) you might be ok. But that isn't the case for most of us. In this day and age folks with money to blow on necessities and gear have enough money to send their kids to any school they want...that school may well be across town...well across town.

My priority is getting to my loved ones.

How far are you willing to walk to retrieve your children? Do they go to the same school? How far apart are those schools? Are they old enough to find their way home? Is your spouse able to keep up? Can she (big assumption these days) secure the other kid(s)? And who is protecting your stuff while you collect your tribe? Is there some highly skilled and perpetually unemployed person just suddenly available and guarding your things while you are out among the immediate chaos that will likely happen at the most inconvenient time?

Skills and comms trump stuff always.

Is your survival mentality so advanced that you can leave those you love behind?

So many questions...

a reply to: offensive

The other thing to think about, sometimes when tshtf it’s nothing like we’d ever imagine.

Look at Ukraine, it didn’t matter how prepped people were if their town was bombed.
Look at Turkey, it didn’t matter how prepped people were if their building collapsed.

Sometimes the best prepping is the one you can do in your head.

Keep motivated.
Follow your instincts.
Don’t follow the crowd if you instincts tell you otherwise.
Learn on the go survival, foraging.

I consider myself very highly skilled when it comes to survival. My dad was a survivalist and taught me from a young age. That being said I am still learning new things. There are so many ways to start a fire it’s crazy. I love leaning new ways with new materials. That doesn’t mean you can’t use a lighter, or matches, or other fire starting materials if you have them!

Start watching survival shows. One thing you will notice is how much weight everyone drops.
They are expending all kinds of calories for little calories in.

"I am not afraid of death, slow, surprise, or otherwise." - ATS user "BeNotAfraid"

originally posted by: DAVID64

Never. EVER. tell people what you have.

I understand the sentiment, particularly at a local level. However, I doubt seriously that anyone on ATS would have their interest sufficiently aroused to put me in danger. It would be a foolish waste of effort even to attempt to find out where I lived, much more to travel far enough to steal my stuff. But what we impart to each other here may help someone focus their energies to do what is reasonable for them. That could be useful. That's why I share, and I may pick up some useful tidbits as well.

But the bottom line here is that most of us do not act as hermits and live completely apart from our fellow man. If you do have that attitude, then turn around that sentiment and realize that no one is required to have anything to do with you either. You can isolate yourself to the point that in a SHTF scenario you may be completely alone, which lessens your chances for survival. I quite realize there are people who think like the grasshopper and figure they don't need to do anything because if something happens all they have to do is steal from me. That's why I am armed. So Bring it on, Fat Boy.* Let's see how long you survive.

* Fat Boy: Nobody in particular. Don't take it personal.

originally posted by: MykeNukem

originally posted by: Ahabstar
Checks pockets:

2 bandanas
2 pocket knives
1 Bic lighter
1 ferro rod

On and in desk:

1 SS single wall water bottle
250’ spool paracord.
10’ 3/8” rope
Several Bic lighters
2 multitools

Next to bed:
Duffel bag with tent, cot, blankets, cookware weighing about 15 lbs
Sling pack with various lengths of paracord, change of clothes, wind proof shirt, assorted bags, 2 ponchos, a poncho liner, a tarp weighing about 10 lbs.
Various other bits of need not to be named gear very nearby.

Overstocked, I’d say.

I can get by on a Swiss Army Knife, a 50’ hank of paracord, a lighter, a poncho and liner, coat and clothes on me, and a pot/cup combo for a very long time. Or none of that, if I had to. It would just take longer to get comfortable. Weaving natural cordage into “cloth” to make clothes is no picnic nor comfortable. Itchy too.

The wife and I are always stocked similarly. We each have bug out packs ready to go whenever necessary.

Staying put probably won't be an option for anybody.

The key is survival on the fly, with as little conflict as possible IMO.

One of these days one of us on ATS should do a survival mega thread.

there's been loads of them over the years... Ive got where I try and search ATS on topics and see what we were saying 10 years ago.


I found this one but there are loads of other ones, with good info

www.abovetopsecret.com...

This is close to what I probably need to create, just in case. Probably too much in some areas but Id add the water straw filter/pump. Or just make a run to Ahabstar's

Bug out Bag- remington camo pack (internal frame)
bug out pack- remington camo "fanny pack"
sleeping bag/ thin warm blanket
small section of tarp 6'x 8'
2 gallons of fresh water
vitamins, carbs in a can.
5 MREs, lots of mac n cheese, some canned fruit, top ramen, dried food etc.- enough for 1.5 weeks 3 meals a day.
full field surgeon kit- neccessities for critical first aid/ minor surgery
mess kit- pan,pot,cups, fork,spoon,knife etc.
collapsible fishing pole, hooks, line, sinkers, slamon eggs, artifical bate
full camo fatigues/ ghilly suit/ good boots/ tennis shoes
2x extra change of clothes
5x socks
hand crank radio
machette, small axe,small shovel, demolishing hammer (good for all purposes)
Winchester 1200 12 ga shotgun- 50 rds #7 bird shot, 100 rds 00 buckshot, 100 rds .70 cal rifled slugs (heaviest things in bug out bag)
fiancee carries the ruger 10/22, extended mags, 1500 rds of various .22LR
flashlights/ LED lantern
firestarting fluid
water purification tabs
extra batteries
100ft of rope
binoculars
50 extra nails (never know what youll need to build)
good sharp knifes- boowie, filet, swiss army, leatherman tool, steak knife, and a butter knife are all in my BOB.
sewing kit, some aluminum foil, plastic bags (large trash bags), and a couple rain ponchos

this is pretty much EVERYTHING i have in my BOB. i know im forgetting stuff. my bag weighs 58lbs exactly, fully loaded (not icluding firearms).