Emergency Preparedness

[lxskllr]

The biggest thing to remember is that your plan probably won't work. The irony of the universe dictates that Rick's house would be destroyed ina disaster and all of his supplies lost lol. What if a tornado comes and blows it away or a flood or earthquake? The reality is that in a real disaster, many of us are going to find ourselves starting with little more than the shirt on our backs.


Real preparedness is knowing how to survive if you are thrown outside naked with no tools. In a real disaster, we don't know what will be left or what we will have time to bring with us. A knife and a zippo will get you a long way in a real apocolypse I would imagine, assuming you were cutthroat enough to use it. Keep in mind that most people's preparedness plan is essentially the same as PP's minus the preparedness... they pretty much just plan on taking it from someone else. Due to financial limitations, I am probably going to have to acquire things that way as well if the disaster lasted more than a few days.

Knowledge is the best way to prepare. Things come and go, but knowledge is with you forever. I prepare very little for anything. Even routine plans change too much from day to day. I lay out a rough guideline of what I want to accomplish, and adjust as necessary.

For you guys in disaster areas. A SMALL pack can go a long way. You don't need much in it. The important thing is it's quick to grab, and light to carry. I'll second sgreger1's suggestion of a gasoline stove. They work great, and fuel's cheap. Even at $10 per gallon, you get a lot of heating time out of one of those stoves.

[Roo]

Here's what I've done to prepare for the inevitable Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake that happens every 300 years (we are 20+ years overdue). I got myself a job in a 122 year old brick building that sits on 1 of 3 blocks of artificial land, reclaimed from Elliot Bay in the 1920s using sawdust. The building also sits about 40 feet from the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the crumbling double-deck freeway that was designed by the same guy who designed the one in SFO that crumbled in the 1989 quake. I am quite literally in one of the worst locations I can think of for a major quake. These buildings suffer exterior damage in 6.0 quakes; a 9.0 would reduce them to rubble in seconds.

[Premium Parrots]

The biggest thing to remember is that your plan probably won't work. The irony of the universe dictates that Rick's house would be destroyed ina disaster and all of his supplies lost lol. What if a tornado comes and blows it away or a flood or earthquake? The reality is that in a real disaster, many of us are going to find ourselves starting with little more than the shirt on our backs.


Real preparedness is knowing how to survive if you are thrown outside naked with no tools. In a real disaster, we don't know what will be left or what we will have time to bring with us. A knife and a zippo will get you a long way in a real apocolypse I would imagine, assuming you were cutthroat enough to use it. Keep in mind that most people's preparedness plan is essentially the same as PP's minus the preparedness... they pretty much just plan on taking it from someone else. Due to financial limitations, I am probably going to have to acquire things that way as well if the disaster lasted more than a few days.

being well armed has a two fold accomplishment.

If you are not prepared for a disaster in other ways, being well armed, you can take what you need

If you are already properly prepared for disaster, being well armed, you can keep what you have

I don't plan on taking but I'm sure as hell going to keep what I have.

[sgreger1]

Knowledge is the best way to prepare. Things come and go, but knowledge is with you forever. I prepare very little for anything. Even routine plans change too much from day to day. I lay out a rough guideline of what I want to accomplish, and adjust as necessary.

For you guys in disaster areas. A SMALL pack can go a long way. You don't need much in it. The important thing is it's quick to grab, and light to carry. I'll second sgreger1's suggestion of a gasoline stove. They work great, and fuel's cheap. Even at $10 per gallon, you get a lot of heating time out of one of those stoves.

EVERYONE in CA needs to have a bug-out-bag. A backpack loaded with shit that you can grab and make a quick exit with (for whatever reason). In it I have my stove, some MRE type food, a leatherman multi-purpose tool, some zippos and a few waters + a couple of ponchos and some first aid. This is also known as a 3 day bag. Everyone who lives in earthquake country needs to have a bag like this that can keep you and another person fed/safe for 3 days. 3 days will usually give time for the authorities to straighten things out, and it will give you peace of mind that food is covered for a minute while you handle more important things.

I've lived through the Rodney King riots where they burned down LA, I lived through the Northridge earthquake that devestated the whole San Fernando Valley, and ive lived through about 3 or 4 other large earthquakes that resulted in power outtages or some other distruption of my daily life. In my mind, no one can ever convince me that being prepared is a foolish endeavor. The end of the world or the collapse of government are unlikely events, but where I live, an earthquake or a riot is almost a certainty. It's not if but when.



3 day bag. Survive any natural disaster. 3 days gives you time to plan and figure out how to get more food. Have one if you live in CA, it's not about 2012 or revolution, it's about earthquakes and tsunamis. Do not think the west coast is somehow tsunami proof, we just don't get hit often, which means we aren't prepared for a real one if it came.

[sgreger1]

being well armed has a two fold accomplishment.

If you are not prepared for a disaster in other ways, being well armed, you can take what you need

If you are already properly prepared for disaster, being well armed, you can keep what you have

I don't plan on taking but I'm sure as hell going to keep what I have.

I agree entirely, I just think that some people put too much emphasis on stockpiling an arsenal with thousands of dollars. I tell you who is the first guy to get shut the **** down in civil unrest, the guy walking down the street with a rifle. Having a firearm for protection or (if necessary) to take things is ALWAYS a good idea, but do not be under the impression that in a real disaster the gov won't come take it from you. If anything, get easily concealable weapons. The first guy to get shut the **** down by the cops is the one walking around post-apocalypse with a rifle slung over his shoulder.




Best perparation podcast on the internets right here, guy is not a wingnut and his philosophie is to prepare for if time get worse (or even if they don't), because it's just always good to have a plan. www.thesurvivalpodcast.com

[Premium Parrots]

I agree entirely, I just think that some people put too much emphasis on stockpiling an arsenal with thousands of dollars. I tell you who is the first guy to get shut the **** down in civil unrest, the guy walking down the street with a rifle. Having a firearm for protection or (if necessary) to take things is ALWAYS a good idea, but do not be under the impression that in a real disaster the gov won't come take it from you. If anything, get easily concealable weapons. The first guy to get shut the **** down by the cops is the one walking around post-apocalypse with a rifle slung over his shoulder.




Best perparation podcast on the internets right here, guy is not a wingnut and his philosophie is to prepare for if time get worse (or even if they don't), because it's just always good to have a plan. www.thesurvivalpodcast.com

Although you only need one gun its smart to have a shitload of ammo. I have alot of guns because I kind of collect them. I have a lot of ammo because everyday its getting harder to get and more expensive. Its an investment....in the future......if you will.

I've already sold a bunch of ammo that I had invested in when I had a certain caliber of rifle. I sold that gun for twice what I paid. I didn't need that ammo anymore so I sold the 3000 rounds of ammo for that gun for 1 1/2 times what I paid.

its all about the bullets. you can have all the guns in the world but they are useless unless you have bulllets. If you only have a few bullets make them count and you can get more bullets and then get just about anything else you need.

[devilock76]

Best perparation podcast on the internets right here, guy is not a wingnut and his philosophie is to prepare for if time get worse (or even if they don't), because it's just always good to have a plan. www.thesurvivalpodcast.com

The best plan is to know how to adapt. It is like the old boxing adage, "everyone has a plan until they get hit."

The other thing that people miss, especially those preparing for some massive apocalyptic event, is they are assuming they will be among the minority of the survivors to put these plans into place as opposed to the majority of people in the wrong place at a the wrong time when it all hits the fan.

Ken

[sgreger1]

Although you only need one gun its smart to have a shitload of ammo. I have alot of guns because I kind of collect them. I have a lot of ammo because everyday its getting harder to get and more expensive. Its an investment....in the future......if you will.

I've already sold a bunch of ammo that I had invested in when I had a certain caliber of rifle. I sold that gun for twice what I paid. I didn't need that ammo anymore so I sold the 3000 rounds of ammo for that gun for 1 1/2 times what I paid.

its all about the bullets. you can have all the guns in the world but they are useless unless you have bulllets. If you only have a few bullets make them count and you can get more bullets and then get just about anything else you need.

That is all very relative, and that survival strategy won't work for most people. To maintain your plan you would have to bury the ammunition discretely in a weapons cache and then find a way to be able to get back there and re-supply every so often. You can't just load your house with ammunition because the very first day the police are going to come in and take it from you. Don't make an investment out of the items which are sure to be confiscated from your first.


Now if you have the money than by all means stock up, since if the cops are toobusy than you will be fine. But if something non-world ending happens like it did in Katrina, they may go door to door collecting your guns.


Having lots of ammo won't help much either. Ammo is heavy and to carry enough of it you have to visibly reveal that you have it on your person. I can carry a few hundred rounds discretely if I duct-taped it to the inside of my legs and stuff but to carry a full combat load of readily-accessable ammunition around with you would make you stand out, and you would become the first target of the police and of criminals. And if I see you hauling around all of that hardware, I will likely pick you off from a snipers nest at a distance and then go collect your items like this was a Fallout3.

For those who plan on being armed like rambo in the event of a natural disaster, PROTIP: Keep it to yourself, don't walk around looking like a badass because you will just get targeted by smarter people.

[EricHill78]

Good stockpiles guys.. don't forget to add toilet paper as well, tooth paste etc. Little things make a difference.

[AtreyuKun]

I have a bottle of vodka and some dry socks. I'll be ok.

[Kstolen23]

Someone mentioned before about Gov taking your weapons. If you have more than one, leave some of them where they normally are and cover and burry the rest in your backyard, for emergencies. If Governement takes your weapons that are reasonably well hidden, they probs wont look in your garden. Just dont burry them under your marijuana tree! Odds are, maybe they are looking at this post and will be prepared for this but hey, I want to help.

Getting firearms in Perth is close to impossible, but a long stick with a knife on the end (like a scythe) and a sledge hammer could always help. I'm hoping I wouldn't have to use them in a post apocalyptic Perth but I guess it's like Murphy's Law. Whatever can happen, will happen. And by god it WILL happen. Yes, and I will also start distilling alcohol as well as grow tobacco (like, now), all I need is potatoes and some general knowledge of how a small distillery works and I will have more commodities to trade with.

Considering the type of goods I want to produce I will definitely need some sort of security. . .

[Premium Parrots]

That is all very relative, and that survival strategy won't work for most people. To maintain your plan you would have to bury the ammunition discretely in a weapons cache and then find a way to be able to get back there and re-supply every so often. You can't just load your house with ammunition because the very first day the police are going to come in and take it from you. Don't make an investment out of the items which are sure to be confiscated from your first.


Now if you have the money than by all means stock up, since if the cops are toobusy than you will be fine. But if something non-world ending happens like it did in Katrina, they may go door to door collecting your guns.


Having lots of ammo won't help much either. Ammo is heavy and to carry enough of it you have to visibly reveal that you have it on your person. I can carry a few hundred rounds discretely if I duct-taped it to the inside of my legs and stuff but to carry a full combat load of readily-accessable ammunition around with you would make you stand out, and you would become the first target of the police and of criminals. And if I see you hauling around all of that hardware, I will likely pick you off from a snipers nest at a distance and then go collect your items like this was a Fallout3.

For those who plan on being armed like rambo in the event of a natural disaster, PROTIP: Keep it to yourself, don't walk around looking like a badass because you will just get targeted by smarter people.

I've taken all that into consideration and am pretty well prepared for any senario. I started preparing about 40 years ago and have had military recommendations and a lot of time to think about it. I plan on being the one to reach out and touch someone. If I need to go mobile so be it.

[rickcharles606]

That is all very relative, and that survival strategy won't work for most people. To maintain your plan you would have to bury the ammunition discretely in a weapons cache and then find a way to be able to get back there and re-supply every so often. You can't just load your house with ammunition because the very first day the police are going to come in and take it from you. Don't make an investment out of the items which are sure to be confiscated from your first.


Now if you have the money than by all means stock up, since if the cops are toobusy than you will be fine. But if something non-world ending happens like it did in Katrina, they may go door to door collecting your guns.


Having lots of ammo won't help much either. Ammo is heavy and to carry enough of it you have to visibly reveal that you have it on your person. I can carry a few hundred rounds discretely if I duct-taped it to the inside of my legs and stuff but to carry a full combat load of readily-accessable ammunition around with you would make you stand out, and you would become the first target of the police and of criminals. And if I see you hauling around all of that hardware, I will likely pick you off from a snipers nest at a distance and then go collect your items like this was a Fallout3.

For those who plan on being armed like rambo in the event of a natural disaster, PROTIP: Keep it to yourself, don't walk around looking like a badass because you will just get targeted by smarter people.

^^^This^^^

The real problem with having a lot of great supplies, is the logistics of moving it in the event that you need to relocate your camp/home. Burying supplies like ammo and guns is a great idea, but one must make certain that they are properly protected from the elements, or your stash could be rendered useless when you need it most. In a situation like the one we're discussing, normal morality will disappear....so keep your mouth shut and don't let outsiders know what you have or they will try and take it. Wouldn't you, if your family was starving?

[lxskllr]

I'd like to have one of those old Air Force survival rifles. They were an over/under with a .22, and .410. It broke down, and fit inside the stock, which I believe was waterproof. That and a good revolver should be all you need for weaponry. They'd be light to carry, with ammo plentiful and cheap, and functional for hunting and defense.

[sgreger1]

As someone who has been througha few earthquakes here, everyone should remember that in an emergency, even a short one, water is the hugest most important thing. A) because you can survive on water alone for a week or two if you really needed to, and B) because you need to flush the toilet, otherwise without water you are stuck with buckets.

Those with jacoozi's should use the jacuzzi water for things like cleaning and flushing the toilet, and then drag it outside for when it rains, those things hold a lot of water and they can insulate it if you would like to keep it warm or cold.

Also like most people are aware, your water heater holds quite a few gallons of water. In an emergency, use that water for drinking or for cleaning/toilet. If you have a cut-off valve than close it down because you don't know if the water coming in through the pipe will get contaminated. If something happens upstream, you own't know about it untill it has already contaminated your water. Once all the water is used up than you can open the valve back up and see if the water is safe.

Water is the most important thing on planet earth to have by your side, but as an american you rarely realize this until you are caught without it.