So, it's the middle of the day, on a workday, and the SHTF....what steps do you take?

reply to post by Gazrok


This is something we've talked about somewhat. Power not a problem -- we make most of our own. Martial law? Big problem -- they may decide to seize our alternative energy stuff. All in a nation that frowns on citizen possessing firearms.

To answer the question, if I'm away from home, I'll go home whatever manner is necessary. M'Darlin' will do the same. Cell phones out? TV out, radio silent, internet blocked?

Our plan would be to sit tight, see what develops. We've chose long ago to make our stand on this island nation -- not going to join the herds of people trying to leave. Plenty of supplies to fortify us for a long time, and the well water is good and we always keep at least one of two cisterns full. That's 1000 gallons of water, minimum. If we're driven out of our house but not arrested, we can live. Else, we're toast.

I guess I'd focus on trapping a few wild chickens and perhaps getting a few more gallons of fuel, as long as there's not a line. We keep some fuel stored for hurricane season, but more is better as long as it doesn't make a person exposed by being in line.

Short answer: go to ground. Wait. Eat. Make coffee. Sharpen bladed weapons. Fill both backpacks with minimally necessary tools and supplies. Get the cats inside and listen to them whine. Hope. Pray.

I have thought about this.

The jobsite is currently 65 miles from home. That poses a bit of a problem. Especially since its in e st louis.

My plan is to leave asap and drive like a bat out of hell as far as possible. Then im going to abandon the car and hoof it. Hopefully I get away from the city.

reply to post by liejunkie01


About the same as me. The one thing I'd suggest, a 30 mile Motorola radio. You have one, your spouse and/or home base has one. At least that way, about halfway there, you can establish communication even with no cell phones, etc.

My wife and I have a schedule of times to expect a call in such an event, and code words for locations (in case any are listening in)

reply to post by argentus


See who,s shooting ,pick up a rock stalk and clout a bad guy, take his weapon and kill the rest.
I can do that.

Great thread! Sorry I originally missed it.

I'm lucky. I'm only 6 miles from home, with two routes to get there. I would fill up my car with gas. Have the hubby fill up any empty gas cans we may have, pick up my sons, who live here in town, and just head home.

We do so much canning of everything, we would be fine for months for food. We already have a neighborhood "Plan"

We would be alright.

reply to post by Gazrok



Get home to my wife and daughter by any means necessary. Optimally I would have enough time to drive home (30 min away) and get my family and BOB.

Then its another 20 min drive to where we will stay and that is all I will say. Not posting specifics on the internet

My main concern would be basically trying to get my family and me together and to safety in around 1 hour or even less.

But no plan survives first contact...

I would rather it be the middle of the day, but a shtf will strike you in the middle of the night in your bed with your jammies (or birthday suit) on. It did me, a disaster contained to the structure I live, not a wide area, but more people than I were in the same boat, and luckily there was either your family member to call, or the Red Cross (which assisted) but I keep thinking every day (and prior to that problem/event) that I need to sleep with supportive shoes on, and day clothes. It would have helped a lot.

Get home.

I work 17 miles from home, my wife, son and mother live there and stay at home so they would be ready to go.

I have 1/3rd of my supplies stored at home in case that is all I can manage to get accomplished (food, water, water filtration, trash bags, formula, medicine, iodine pills, masks, sleeping bags, toiletries etc.)

The other 2/3rds of my supplies are in a duel fuel tank Ford F250 with 45 gallons of gas in it at all times (500 miles). Stored at a storage facility 3 miles from my home on the way out of the city.

If we decide to hunker down, I would go get the truck and bring it home to add the supplies to my home stock.

If we decide to flee the city, we would all go to the truck transfer vehicles and flee as far/quickly as we could towards any number of the half dozen or so potential locations I have pre-scouted and determined as viable.

The key is to be out of the city within 2 hours. The "deer in the headlights" reaction in most will buy you some time. You must act quickly if you are planning to flee.

Finally I will look to God for His guidance, for in a true SHTF scenario you mind/spirit is the most important resource to have prepared.

God Bless,

reply to post by Gazrok


OPSEC...I would be fine.

First thing is getting home. I'm about 45 minutes from home in regular traffic. Hubby should be there already. Once home see what is developing. We have talked with friends in the past about a survival group. My immediate neighbors are all the kind that would form mutual support. We have just under two acres so can garden when spring comes. Can manage until then. Have guns and ammo. Have a well and generator so just need to be sure we have fuel for the generator.

It's bad news for us. My son and husband are 50 miles north of our house. I'm 34 miles south of it.

Right now, both of us are agreed that we head to my parents' farm which is a good 3 hours west of where we live as best we can. He was originally set to come get me, but I told him to cut me loose and not even think about me in that event. We are too far apart with the bulk of a city, including its heart between us. With a child to think about, he needs to worry about them first.

I'm on my own to try to make it as best I can, however I can.

Once we get out of the city proper, we can't even try to meet up because there is a major interstate between us. It would be too risky for a long time with people jamming the highway. Safer to take lesser traveled back routes or go overland.

We have a family emergency plans, meeting places, options for multiple ways to get to where we need to go and multiple places to go for that matter, but I will point out that when SHTF situations happen they tend to be with little warning to totally unexpected so be mentally prepared to adapt, you may not end up where you think you will, with who you expect to be with and probably without any of your gear.

But of course you all know this, I'm speaking to the choir...

Well, I'd likely be home already, so all I'd do is haul the generator to the back yard and hook it up, make sure the wood stove had a load ready to fire up, and hope to hell there weren't any slugs in the hot tub and the BBQ had plenty of fuel. Then I'd get a bottle of wine out and just sit back and wait for the power to go out.

reply to post by Gazrok

So, it's the middle of the day, on a workday, and the SHTF....what steps do you take?
page: 1

First thing I'd do is get a new fan. Then find the person sling'n ####.

reply to post by Gazrok


Given the area that I am from...no worries, I would maybe stop and top off the vehicle if power is still on...if it's not, again no worries. I might stop at the store and grab a few basics, if I see that they are not crowded, and depending on the time of year it is...what I mean by that is if its winter ...then I can maybe grab some items that need to be frozen or in the refrigerator...due to using the garage and open coolers for storing said items because of temperatures outside.
All in all I would not NEED to do anything. The pantry stays well stocked, and I am from an area in the country that people are actually friendly and wave to each other as we drive down the roads...and everyone knows everyone. It is the type of area where we have power outages all the time from thunderstorms and snowstorms...so again, I would have no worries, and if say an EMP went off and vehicles stopped running, well I might have a 15-20 minute walk home.
Once home well OPSEC...but again the area I am from and the way people are there, I have no worries...

reply to post by Gazrok


Depends on how bad it is. If civilization is about to implode then the first thing I'd do is grab the prettiest girl in my immediate area, give her a kiss she'll never forget, and then i'd disappear.

I'm retired so most of my work is done at home now. I have every intention of staying right here. We've got what we need and we're not in a city. We're a small rural area where almost everyone knows their neighbors and we'd be pulling together, not worrying about looters and such---at least in the first few days. I say this because it is exactly what happened when we lost all power in the '09 IceMare. Those who hadn't prepared properly, mostly the younger generation---were taken in and given shelter, warmth and food. We had a great adventure but at the end those who hadn't prepared were admonished not to expect this again because they should have learned their lesson.
Another major circumstance not mentioned is the season---if it's summer, I'm more likely to be away from home doing some sort of volunteer work, probably on the banks of the Mississippi, an hour from home. Lots of bridges to cross and being in the New Madrid quake zone, those bridges have been my biggest fear since I began working an hour from home back in the late '80s. In summer, I could probably find ways to make it home but in winter---I suppose I'd have to rely on the kindness of strangers and my ability to make myself useful to someone in such a crisis.
So, as some others have said, I'll probably pop the cork on a bottle of wine and wait to see who shows up needing shelter.

This is a great post, I don't know how I overlooked it initially!

I'd be SOL within those SHTF parameters. I work nights in an emergency department, and that's where everyone usually heads if there's a problem anyway. Once I was at the point where I could leave, I would do whatever it takes to get home. If push comes to shove *I* will be going home versus some random "bad guy." I would probably stop at any pharmacy or animal clinics along the way (no lengthy side trips) and liberate some extra supplies, as long as I could safely do so.

I'm pretty lucky, I only have to worry about my mom (but she spent a lot of her childhood on a farm, and also shooting) who knows to shelter in place until I get there and we devise a plan based on whatever the problem is; and my youngest son (almost 18yo - who also would do whatever it took to get home, and is a crack shot.)

They've spent plenty of time listening to my ramblings and would already be triaging through our goods to meet our needs/scenario and gathering everything that would be worthy as an "alternative" weapon that wouldn't be so obvious/questionable.

Depending on what and how long the situation lasts, I'd also try to initiate contact with several of my friends/co-workers, because we have some pretty decent marketable skills that we could barter for things we need.

I thought about this a lot when I take the train to the city. I live 40 miles out from the city and it's not a route you would want to walk through even in the best conditions. I don't know what I would do except to try to get on one ASAP and not really worry if it goes to my exact station but just get out of the city. I would also see if I could grab a taxi if I heard the trains weren't running..



I not a survivalist but I survived a few situations ( My sister was downtown Chicago when 9/11 happened - I was in Houston after Katrina when the second hurricane was supposed to hit and I was in New York during the last major blackout.)
There are a few things I can point out:

1. Act early - it's amazing how many people will just sit there until something official is said. if you wait until the official clarification and/or evacuation it's going to be too late. That's how I got on a plane out of Houston - when I first heard rumors of a second hurricane I made a REFUNDABLE reservation on each day. Yes, the ticket will be insanely expensive (my company paid for mine) but it might be well worth it. The same with getting on a train, getting supplies ect.

2. Assume all cell phones, credit cards and gas stations will not be working. (this happened during the New York blackout). Have cash and a phone card with you and never let your gas get too low. (It's amazing how many phones now can not accept collect calls).

3.For all the women out there - if you insist on wearing three inch heals at least have a pair of flats in your desk at work. It's a very LONG slow walk down the 40 flights of stairs in heals.

Great question, a bit down im late for the party but better late than never!

If I had to I would walk home, this would be a huge pain thought I believe I could make it in 1 day. Roughly 30 miles 40 miles the long way. Both ways have bridges.

I would be unlucky if I was on assignment that day in a nearby Major city working in its downtown area.

At which point the 9mm that never leaves my laptop bag would come in handy, come hell or high water I would fight my way home bug in for 72 hours if possible, until everyone had arrived, we were all well rested and packed, and then we would take a long drive situation pending to OPSEC.

I also believe faith in yourself and your abilities is a huge necessity in any scenario, if you believe you won't make it, you won't.

The weak may not survive and the strong well one wrong move and they won't be strong anymore.

Great Thread