Guide to surviving the apocalypse.

[Glocksin]

You can't stock enough ammo to stave off the hordes

Wanna bet?

Best bet is to band with other trusted neighbors if you live in a rural area.

So true.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[AlexHassin]

Umm, if the problems confined to the US or North America what about ditching of to Europe or Asia? I’m shore that many of the countries will be flooded by refuges so I imagine one would have to settle for eastern Europe but still better then being in riots and apocalyptic scenario.

[PAcanis]

That's a very interesting thought Alex.

[Hopyard]

Umm, if the problems confined to the US or North America what about ditching of to Europe or Asia? I’m shore that many of the countries will be flooded by refuges so I imagine one would have to settle for eastern Europe but still better then being in riots and apocalyptic scenario.

Uh, what makes you think there will be transportation available? What makes you think there will be host countries willing to admit you?

If the problem is confined to a large segment of the US, maybe if you get really lucky your neighbors in the closest states will throw you a bone--- remember Katrina? Remember how everyone kept referring to the residents as "refugees." And then, remember how more and more towns and cities started to limit the number they would allow to seek shelter therein?

Fleeing to Europe or anywhere outside of North America will not be viable except for a very tiny number of people. Countries have a funny way of closing borders when they most need to be open. Remember all the howls about the Cuban or the Vietnamese Boat People?

[AlexHassin]

Uh, what makes you think there will be transportation available? What makes you think there will be host countries willing to admit you?

If the problem is confined to a large segment of the US, maybe if you get really lucky your neighbors in the closest states will throw you a bone--- remember Katrina? Remember how everyone kept referring to the residents as "refugees." And then, remember how more and more towns and cities started to limit the number they would allow to seek shelter therein?

Fleeing to Europe or anywhere outside of North America will not be viable except for a very tiny number of people. Countries have a funny way of closing borders when they most need to be open. Remember all the howls about the Cuban or the Vietnamese Boat People?

Trying to offer an angle no one else thought of. Plus it looks like it would be a good time as any to try taking the gulf stream up and over to north Europe. Then down or where ever you wanted/ needed to head from there. i know that refugee life is not nice, but doing that and taking the odds to try to get assimilated into another country sounds much better to me. maybe there will be a nice "little america" section of london to go to.

[Guantes]

"Recently, more and more survivalist leaders have come to the conclusion that the easiest way to insure the continuity of essential goods and services is to move to a small rural community. They say that an agricultural town which produces most of its own food (or could do so) has a good probability of avoiding starvation. It can devote attention to essential projects, such as community defense. It has a proper balance of skilled people and a full assortment of tools, equipment, and supplies. All things considered there is no possible way for an individual or family to duplicate the self-sufficiency of a town."
Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D. Life After Doomsday
A concept also subscribed to by Mel Tappan.

[Frogbones]

Well been doing this sort of "preperation" for the last 10yrs. Not just stocking materials, but getting the "know how" down.

My family have things worked out so we can live "lavishly" for six months give or take. I feel we as a country, we could be pretty much be getting back to "normality" within six months of economy breakdown.

We also have resources to where we can also last six years with out running out of fuel (propane) or other resources...before hitting "just surviving" stage. We have our own well, and have a manual pump if the propane generator dies.

We have a nice sized garden with raised beds etc. that could produce veggies year round. Also have a nice fresh stock of Heirloom seeds of various food producing plants and medicinal herbs.

We are in the process of saving for and installing solar panels to lighten the load on our electric intake and propane stores. We also know folks that have a propane well, and other resources on thier land that we could barter for....we produce some stuff they need, they produce stuff we need..bartering is the fail safe.

we have also been stocking slowly up on gold and silver for years for when the paper fed. reserve note is no longer of value or backed up.

Well, gone on and rambled to much....

[Janq]

Agreed with Hopyard on every point among every post he has made thus far.
Very much agreed, especially on the item of travel to other countries.

I'd just read like a month ago somewhere .GOV based that the number of US citizens with a valid works right now passport is in the sub tenth percentile.
Good luck with entering a foreign anywhere through normal diplomatic means without a passport.
And as Hopyard mentioned border suspension/closure is not at all unheard of AND contries can and do to this day deny entry to whom ever they please for any given reason; See Lindsay Lohan trying to enter Japan and IIRC Paris Hilton was denied entry to the UK in Oct. or so due to her not being deemed not a suitable person.

Heck entry/exit at the state level under a national crisis of such magnitude would likely be sketchy; And to that I myself have seen first hand same _twice_ as related to state of emergency conditions both due to weather storms; DC and new England (PA, NY and CT) shutting down lawful use of all highways and streets (DC) by vehicle traffic. Those who continued on were doing so in defiance of law, as in the case with DC being enforced by called in National Guard.
No I am not kidding.

As Hopyard noted if it gets bad like that then most nowhere but the remotest of locations would be a safe stronghold, and those places by location alone cannot support (food stores and water) but a handful of people at best. Maybe a family of four and even then just being short term on a scale of weeks to a few months before supplies run into the red.

All others good luck with holing up in and defending the so called 'family farm' or whatever such other places you might have in mind long term...Against roving lawless mad (off their meds & desperate) people as well as hateful abutters who will fee you are doing better off than they are.

- Janq

[Frogbones]

All others good luck with holing up in and defending the so called 'family farm' or whatever such other places you might have in mind long term...Against roving lawless mad (off their meds & desperate) people as well as hateful abutters who will fee you are doing better off than they are.

- Janq

I'll take that good luck 'cause I sure am not going to kill myself....just give up. Or try to leave and wander/hope for a better place.

heck where we live the more the marrier. you invited too Janq and hopy.

[Hopyard]

Agreed with Hopyard on every point among every post he has made thus far.
Very much agreed, especially on the item of travel to other countries.

I'd just read like a month ago somewhere .GOV based that the number of US citizens with a valid works right now passport is in the sub tenth percentile.
Good luck with entering a foreign anywhere through normal diplomatic means without a passport.

The Canadians still remember The French and Indian War. Good luck trying for Quebec.

[1 old 0311]

Food, water, LOTS of ammo. Firearms almost never break, and will last 100 years. Keep it simple in the number of calibers you need to shoot. I am down to three, and happy with my choices. Two pump 12 gauge shotguns, a few .38/.357 handguns and a lever action .357, one .22 rifle and two .22 pistols.

[AlexHassin]

I'd just read like a month ago somewhere .GOV based that the number of US citizens with a valid works right now passport is in the sub tenth percentile.
Good luck with entering a foreign anywhere through normal diplomatic means without a passport.
And as Hopyard mentioned border suspension/closure is not at all unheard of AND contries can and do to this day deny entry to whom ever they please for any given reason;- Janq

true but why would i not grab my passport if i left? hell in might grab both becuse running our of visas spots is looking like a real threat. i am part of the sub tenth precentile, and alwase plan to be.

[Der Alte]

May I suggest a Katadyn Vario Microfilter. They cost around $70 and can filter about 500 gallons of water. All you need is a pond, river or lake for a water supply. You can also buy an additional carbon filter that would cover another 500 gallons. Easy to use - lightweight and well made. They are also good for camping and hunting.
Also needed to let you know that you can use the filter for water out of a mudpuddle - filter just won't last as long.

[farronwolf]

For water I will stick with the well that is in the back yard for the grass. If I had to drink it I would, (probably boil it first), or get water out of the pool and boil it. If you keep enough propane bottles around the house you have enough fuel for a grill for quite a while.

I keep 90 gallons of fuel in the motor home which has a 6500 watt generator to go along with the 3500 watt, and 850 watt generators that are in the storage building, and I think I will just stick around the house for a while. Freezer full of meat and vegtables, and a good air rifle for the squirels that run around all the oak trees, should be a pretty good supplement. Plenty of candles and some oil lamps for lighting at night, a couple of dogs to let you know if folks are creeping around, and some good neighbors that are armed as well, makes me want to stay put more so than head off along the highways with everyone else.

Living in an area that doesn't have extremely cold climate also helps. As winter is getting near folks who live in areas that are subject to freezing often have lots more planning to do just to stay alive much less be comfortable.

Lots to plan for, very few will be totally prepared, but that is when you need items that are good to barter with to supplement the gaps that show themselves if it ever happens. Oh, and those Faraday flashlights come in pretty handy when the batteries all fail.

[glockman10mm]

Somebody let me know when it happens so I can saddle up and go to the top of the highest point around, take me a dip of Copenhagen, and enjoy the show.