Prepping And Bugging Out

[The Albatross]

Living in a hurricane zone, being prepared is a given. We have a smoker, a grill, some oil lamps, a hand crank radio, a small generator with extra spark plugs and such. We also have about 6, 5 gallon gas cans and ahead of a storm fill up... because a couple of times gasoline was short and it had to be barged in. I have a hand pump siphon if I need to take gas out of a car to use for the generator and we know how to use our marine battery to power up something if we need to.

Our camp is a bug out place if our home is destroyed for instance... though it is still in the hurricane zone it is well inland. We now have a second camp available but have never been there which is in the Indian River area (it was my mister's fathers) and it is natural (uncleared). I don't even know if there is road access to it. We haven't had the time to take a trip out there to find out.

We do keep bottled water, dehydrated and canned items, extra batteries, lamp oil and wicks in the pantry. It has become an every 6 month or so activity over the years. It is a given here in the south that 4-5 days of food and water should be on hand in the event of electricity disruption and to avoid the typical "runs" at grocery stores.

Like a good girl scout, I try to be well prepared and have enough to provide for our two mom's, a widow & a widower neighbor. I have access to a shelter if I need it.

This has not so much to do with an apocalyptic event, but is a more reasonable emergency plan. It though would serve but not for long I suppose.

I do put up food for leaner times. I have pumpkins to put up right now. We have venison. We usually have fish or scallops or oyster... but didn't go this season. In the off season months though it has more to do with cutting the grocery bill than it does being prepared for an unexpected event.

 

[Lucycat]

Water barrels.

No need for water barrels here - ever.

 

[Rumors]

No need for water barrels here - ever.

If the water were to become contaminated by a virus, say the Bird flu, etc., you will want the barrels! LOL!

 

[DMerish]

My eldest son has just told me that when people laugh at his prepping he tells them, 'you have house insurance but you don't expect your house to burn down. Prepping is just another form of insurance - you might not need it but you are prepared.'

For me and my family, it's more about lifestyle rather than being prepared for an apocalypse. I don't know if anyone could really prepare for one of those, they being of uncertain origin. But financial collapse has already been effecting us over the globe. In the US (where I am) I don't foresee the economy getting any better for the 99% of workers, and I am one of them.

I think I'm seeing things realistically. Heating and cooking with wood (if you can get your own), growing veggies, raising chickens, having a milk cow, and having access to well water on your own property is less expensive than having to buy electricity or gas and going to the grocery store. Sure, there's a bit more effort involved than sitting in one's car commuting for an hour or more each day going to and from one's job, but (IMHO) the lifestyle is less stressful overall and more satisfying. I'm not living the lifestyle myself, not at this time. But I have in the past and look forward to going back to it when I retire.

 

[Hashi]

Hey Rumour, weapons are indeed stocked. We cannot have guns in the UK but my sons have swords, bows etc. all legal.

He also said that people always assume you are talking about a zombie apocalypse but they don't understand that it could just be civil unrest or financial collapse. We have already had riots and looting in the UK, it wouldn't take much to push it further.

Quite seriously, I think it would take a lot to push it further. But if anything was going to, it would be people over-reacting with swords and bows.

I don't know if any of you experienced the riots first hand or if it was through the media. I saw the riots where I live and the reality was a bit different from how it was reported. Here, it turned out to be basically an opportunistic, organised "free shopping trip" by under fifteens - ie looting for trainers and electronics pre-arranged on Facebook. I'm not saying that's fine, and obviously property was damaged, but it wasn't the country on the brink of civil unrest that the media made out. I think that sort of alarmism is unrealistic and unhelpful.

Despite some reports, the police dealt with it really well. In particular they didn't escalate it by over-reacting and using weapons. That would have changed the atmosphere altogether.

I doubt me saying this will change your views, but I wanted to put an alternative view forward for balance. Living in a "deprived" London borough with a high crime rate and the scene of looting two years ago, I don't only have the media view of things but can see some of them for myself. I do see problems with crime, unemployment and poverty. I don't see a need for stockpiling weapons against civil unrest.

Maybe you've had different experiences. I don't know.

Storing food ahead of the expected snow makes a lot of sense though. I can very much believe the country might find itself in the middle of a nationwide road gritting crisis.

 

[CraftyCath]

I think I didn't make the above comment clear enough and for that I apologise. My son's are collectors of medieval/Viking weapons and history. Their weapons do not leave the house except for re-enactment. They make historically accurate shields and scabbards but never take their weapons beyond the house.

If push came to shove and anything did happen I have no doubt that they would defend themselves and me but they would only do it as a last resort. They would not like to ruin those swords unnecessarily and would only use them if we were attacked in our own home. The bows are for hunting purposes, for finding food, plenty of rabbit round here.

I grew up on a council estate, a rough one and it is rougher now. I still live on a council estate, just a safer one. My town has seen violence and there are often stabbings at a weekend. My sons do not go into town on an evening as they are part of an alternative sub culture and have had problems with those outside that group before. My eldest has had lit fireworks thrown at him and had many threats of violence - he has never retaliated. My nephew (also from an alternative sub culture) was severely beaten up by a group of young males and my son's friend was head butted while walking on his own through a local shopping mall just for the way he looks.

I live in an area that is slap bang between Toxteth and Moss Side and can clearly remember those riots. I have no doubt in my mind that, although my area is safe, my town isn't.

We would defend our home if anything was to happen and I'm glad we have methods of defence should we need them. I still believe that our country could see a very difficult and even violent time - just not quite yet. We have had times when the lads were small when we had to do without because we had no money for food, looking at my bills I can see that happening again.

So we prepare - just prepare and as the Scouts say, it is good to be prepared.

 

[CraftyCath]

but (IMHO) the lifestyle is less stressful overall and more satisfying. I'm not living the lifestyle myself, not at this time. But I have in the past and look forward to going back to it when I retire.

Ah, now that is exactly what is in my head!

 

[CraftyCath]

lame reality tv show to tell everyone just how prepared you are.

Yes, 'here we are in our hiding place and now everyone knows where we are!'

This has not so much to do with an apocalyptic event, but is a more reasonable emergency plan.

I believe this also Albatross. In the UK we don't usually get the extremes of weather that you get but last winter was hard. We have no shops locally and it is 5 miles to the nearest one on foot (we can't always afford to run the car). Prepping for bad weather, financial leanness etc. makes good sense to me.

 

[Privateer]

The so-called 'world economy' is pretty much a mangled wreck these days- what with the root causes of the last crash remaining unaddressed and the finance industry slipping back into its old habits- and some pretty bad times are on the cards when the Grand High Heedjins run out of slight-of-hand tricks to keep it ticking over.

We don't need extreme weather, zombies or flaming space rocks to completely change the game in the UK; we just need the government's Help-to-Buy scheme to overheat the mortgage market a little bit.

There's no more money left to bail out another bunch of failing banks without putting our economy in the same league as Zimbabwe. So they'd simply collapse. Then what happens? Lots of people who thought housing was a licence to print money find themselves bankrupt, millions of old grannies lose their life savings and pretty much every business with any level of debt goes to the wall.

Game over for the UK as we know it and not a zombie in sight. Prepping is the only sensible choice.

 

[Britt.f7]

I remember when even my overstock cupboards were full. With this economy in the US, that hasn't happened for awhile. I try to keep us well stocked, for weather or hardship, but it seems to be a losing battle.

 

[CraftyCath]

@Privateer The financial state in the UK is definitely getting worse. I heard on the news that the economy is up but our local news said it is in the south but the North is still suffering. where ever these financial geniuses get their facts it has hardly touched most people.

On the news it was saying that food banks are being used more than ever and the government should fund them and supply more. What has the UK come to when we have to have food banks? It seems like we are slipping into the past when we cannot afford food. And what about the NHS? I do not have a dentist because despite our NHS we still have to pay and I can't. Opticians fees are similar and my prescription costs are staggering. I know this is better than some countries but it shows how the UK is going.

@Britt.f7 It isn't easy to stock up when you can only just afford to eat for a week. We are trying but I forgot again this week as I was in a rush. I need to make it a habit. Storage is a real problem for us, we need to get a big shed.