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Living in England, I've never had the need to escape from a disaster or hunker down while chaos surrounds me: my emergency kit consists of an umbrella in case of rain on the way to afternoon tea and the number of a good tailor in case of a shirt emergency. I've always been curious about those of you who prepare for natural disaster, uprisings, invasion or judgement day. So, what do you have, why and have you ever used it?
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Sep 10, 2016 17:48
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The only person I know who has a legitimate bugout bag is also ignoring her therapists recommendation to go on meds.
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Sep 11, 2016 00:22
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I don't have a bag, but I have an easily accessible large file envelope (something like these) that contains important documents (passport, birth certificate, etc), a small amount of cash, and important contact info in case I don't have my phone. You don't need a full on survival kit, but its a good idea to have those things together and safe in case you need them. I have used it for last minute trips out of the country, but never because of zombie apocalypse. edit: If you can, store that stuff in a fire safe.
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Sep 11, 2016 01:33
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So long as I have the safety of my home to rely on, I feel that I'm adequately prepared to face any temporary emergency. There's more than enough canned foods, cereal, crackers, jams, peanut butter, and assorted junk food in the cupboards to last me through two months: probably far longer if I rationed. I also have 3 gallons of water in the fridge at any given time. Between that and all the canned juice, I think I'd be fine unless the emergency was seriously prolonged. Living in upstate NY, the biggest danger I face is snow, so I also keep two propane heaters about for an emergency. So far the longest I've ever been trapped (no power/no roads to travel on) is two days. We do have two nuclear plants in this county, so I guess it's not entirely impossible that something could happen that'd force me to evac, but unless some Chernobyl level disaster is going down, I couldn't imagine them forcing people as far away as I live out of town. However if such a disaster were to occur, I do have a camping bag full of useful crap (solar generator for phone, hand-cranked radio, water purifier, etc). Like swickles, I also keep my ss card and birth certificate in something I can grab on the run as well.
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Sep 11, 2016 02:05
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I keep our birth certificates, passports, etc plus $1k in small bills in a wall safe in the house. If ever there was a reason to go in a hurry, I could collect these things from the same place. The thousand bucks would allow me to buy food/supplies with cash for a while if we had some kind of massive banking failure. The everyday benefit is that if I need a hundred bucks to go out of town, or a hundred bucks to break a large bill, or buy something at a garage sale, or just to not have to go to the bank - I have that. We have a chest freezer that we keep food in (frozen chicken, beef, pizzas, pasta - stuff we eat on the regular). The everyday use is eating. The poo poo-hits-the-fan use is eating. I have a couple extra propane tanks that I've collected over the years that power both our BBQ grill and a camp stove we have. The everyday use is BBQ. The SHTF use is cooking. I have gallon jugs of water that we keep in the garage for camping trips and beach days. We rotate these through and keep a dozen or so on hand. I can isolate my hot water heater from the water system, which gives us another 50 gallons of water. I figure with what we have on hand (which isn't any kind of crazy prepper stash), we could live a week, maybe two, with no utilities and no assistance. I am not really concerned about a scenario where we would need to live weeks or months or years with no society. I don't have a gun and I'm sure I'd be killed by then anyway. I think that regardless of where you live, in the US where this seems to be popular, or anywhere else, that you would be well served to have food/water/heat that would last you several days and when I go to someone's house and open their fridge and see a bottle of ketchup and and empty container of pickles, I consider them underprepared, not just for a major incident, but even to get through a single night where the local grocery store had a fire or a regional blackout that lasted 12 hours.
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Sep 11, 2016 08:00
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A big out bag consists of essentials like food, water, if, something to sleep on, whatever. The idea being that you may need to evacuate due to a hurricane, sever blizzard or other natural disaster, and this cuts down on time needed to get out. There is of course the survivalist nut job gubment stealing my vital fluids kind, but they are silly and best ignored
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Sep 11, 2016 21:09
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I'll admit to having one, but its not terribly elaborate. I'm not a tinfoil hat type, it just grew out of habit from an old job where i would need to travel with sometimes just a few hours notice. I have two changes of clothing food for 3 days (MRE) a book/playing cards Blanket tarp rope Multitool/knife first aid kit $200 cash one ounce of gold three reloads worth of ammo for my .45 important paperwork Jxforema fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Sep 14, 2016 |
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Sep 14, 2016 17:39
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Jxforema posted:I'll admit to having one, but its not terribly elaborate. I'm not a tinfoil hat type, it just grew out of habit from an old job where i would need to travel with sometimes just a few hours notice. Your old job must have been interesting.
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Sep 14, 2016 18:38
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Lol, not quite. Most of the stuff was added after the fact. I just kept cloths, cash, snacks and a multi tool at the time.
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Sep 14, 2016 19:17
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Jxforema posted:one ounce of gold Why gold and not silver?
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Sep 14, 2016 22:54
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No particular reason, it's just what I had at the time I dropped it in. Also, gold always spends, and cash may not work.
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Sep 15, 2016 02:10
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I always love the idea of bartering with loving ounces or half ounces of gold in the apocalypse. Like you're a fourth generation walmart home depot shithead who has been fed a steady stream of disposable chinese garbage at slave wage pricing for so long it's become imprinted into your genetic memory and you base your entire tribe's survival around it. Watching you try to haggle with your peers of similar backgrounds as you debate the new worth of what used to be $160.36 of gold in this coin form and trying to decide if that is worth one or two week's of Debbie's insulin vs. one month of beans vs. a bag of seeds you have no idea how to grow would just be like watching a monkey try to jump into Calc 2. It doesn't loving matter how much gear or in what quantities you keep your precious metals, the existential crisis of the moment will deadlock your loving brain and you will probably fall over and die of a seizure long before you actually get to trade the metals for any good or services.
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Sep 15, 2016 02:55
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Except parallel economies form with unbelievable speed and consistency across all situations. That a workable economy will form in the wake of a cataclysmic event is easily the least far fetched part of a doomsday scenario. Gold is a decent guess as to a thing that will maintain some value, based on all of human history, too. I'd say loose tobacco and coffee would also be good things to keep as trade items, although they're more perishable.
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Sep 15, 2016 03:13
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If you want things to trade during a week/two week emergency you're best off stocking small inexpensive consumables. You'll have way more luck trading batteries, tampons, condoms, and hard liquor than trading a single solid ounce of gold to a bunch of people who can't even tell if it's real gold. If you're playing the long game where the emergency doesn't end you're forgetting about the part where the warlords pop up and just steal your ounce of gold anyway.
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Sep 15, 2016 03:52
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I keep meaning to put one together in case of earthquake, but it's just going to be a week's worth of medication, cat food, snacks, flashlight, and a change of clothes. I am not apocalypse-survivor material. My car always has a litre of water, jumper cables, a practical first-aid kit, multi-tool, wet wipes, a couple Clif bars, headlamp, road flares, $20, a lighter and a heavy sweatshirt. In winter, before I do any mountain driving, I add boots, a coat, sandbag, collapsible shovel, work gloves, hat, blanket. I also check the headlamp batteries and carry extra water/food. The intent is to make it through a night in the car if I go off the road in a -20c snow-storm, or dig someone (hopefully not me) out of a snow-drift in the day. If I'm heading up there, my regular luggage will have more warm clothes, medications, and food. The TransCanada gets shut down all the time for jack-knifed semis and multi-car collisions, so it's smart to plan on being bored shitless in your car until it gets cleared, or taking a detour adding hours onto the trip. Mostly my "emergency" stuff is handy for regularly scheduled off-road camp fires. If you want to role-play Walking Dead, that's cool too. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Sep 15, 2016 |
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Sep 15, 2016 07:09
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In order to trade gold during the end of the world, you'll need to have a lot of other people with some too. It's like walkie-talkies. It's no fun if you're the only one playing.
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Sep 15, 2016 07:47
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A GIANT PARSNIP posted:If you want things to trade during a week/two week emergency you're best off stocking small inexpensive consumables. Toilet paper. What exactly are we supposed to wipe our asses with in a post-apocalyptic society? I don't know and you don't know either, so I'll take 5 gallons of fuel off you for a single roll.
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Sep 15, 2016 09:19
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Beaten. an Ounce of Toilet Paper would be worth more than the gold.
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Sep 15, 2016 10:47
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OwlFancier posted:Your old job must have been interesting. I read that list and thought: this person used to be the Continental Op. No bug-out bags for me here in the UK, but I do have a travelling emergency kit that includes a Petzl headtorch and an E-lite mini backup, and a good multitool in situations where I'm allowed to carry one. Especially on overnight ferries. Because once, on a family ferry trip to Denmark when I was young, the engines stopped in the middle on the North Sea at night. Everyone started waking up, because there was a thump, and the background rumble was replaced by silence. None of the emergency lighting came on, and there were no announcements. My parents grabbed their torches and bundled me and my brother into coats and shoes. In the corridor we met a whole bunch of other people, some with lights, some without, and by agreement started making our way to a Muster Station. No announcements, and no light but what we had on us. This was all a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure we heard nothing from the Captain or crew for at least five minutes, maybe as long as ten. Eventually is was announced that yes, there had been an engine failure (no mention of why there was apparently no backup power) and that they were on the case. No deadly peril. Engine power was restored in maybe an hour, which is a long time to be at sea without full propulsion. Afterwards, I was impressed that my parents had been so prepared for this. And they told me about the Scandinavian Star arson attack of 1990: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Scandinavian_Star Nothing I've read about subsequent ferry disasters - especially 1994's Estonia sinking, and the Korean capsize of 2014 - has suggested any other sensible course than using your own initiative, and lighting if necessary, to reach upper decks as fast as you reasonably can, as soon as you seriously suspect something's amiss. Instructions given to passengers are often just 'stay calm, it'll be fine', or nothing much at all. Also, I would be fascinated to hear if anyone in Germany has followed recent government advice to stockpile enough food and water for 10 days.
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Sep 15, 2016 11:55
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It's not a bug-out bag per se, but this thread's a good reminder to toss my winter kit back in the Cherokee. It's more for if I get stranded by another 18" loving blizzard than for zombie apocalypses though. Contents : First aid kit Short-handled scoop shovel Camping axe (doubles as a sledgehammer for getting frozen-on wheels off) Spare folding knife Spare metal-bladed windshield scraper Headlamp, flashlight, and spare batteries Weather radio A box of Cliff bars I swap out every month or two. Couple MREs Spare set of wool gloves, scarf, knit cap, hooded sweatshirt, and heavy socks Mil-surp wool blanket because it was cheap Emergency tarp (day-glo orange canvas backed with foil, it's a more durable version of the space blanket) Couple hundred foot spool of reflective day-glo paracord Roll of day-glo flagging tape (this tied to a door handle or antenna is a universal symbol for cops going by to check on you and it's easy to spot against snow) Heavy grade jumper cables Basic car tools (screwdrivers, couple pair of vice grips, crescent wrench, socket set, breaker bar and lug wrench) Tow strap Metal water bottle Couple boxes of chemical hand warmers Couple of survival candles and matches All of the above fits in a rubbermaid tote I just chuck into the back of the Jeep where I can reach it from inside if I need to. I haven't had to use it yet, but I'll be glad of it if I do.
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Sep 15, 2016 12:54
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Pryor on Fire posted:I always love the idea of bartering with loving ounces or half ounces of gold in the apocalypse. Like you're a fourth generation walmart home depot shithead who has been fed a steady stream of disposable chinese garbage at slave wage pricing for so long it's become imprinted into your genetic memory and you base your entire tribe's survival around it. Watching you try to haggle with your peers of similar backgrounds as you debate the new worth of what used to be $160.36 of gold in this coin form and trying to decide if that is worth one or two week's of Debbie's insulin vs. one month of beans vs. a bag of seeds you have no idea how to grow would just be like watching a monkey try to jump into Calc 2. It doesn't loving matter how much gear or in what quantities you keep your precious metals, the existential crisis of the moment will deadlock your loving brain and you will probably fall over and die of a seizure long before you actually get to trade the metals for any good or services. I don't know if this is really applicable, but this kind of bartering occurred a lot during the holocaust. Jewish refugees and POWs would frequently barter gold, art, just about anything of value to get food or services. Then again, this relied on a group of people not being the target of the holocaust.
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Sep 15, 2016 13:02
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In the US, the government recommends having at least three days worth of food in your house at any given time. Two years ago, when that giant blizzard hit Buffalo, NY and dumped about eight feet of snow overnight, I was working for the local government there. I had to send so many sheriffs on snowmobiles out to people's houses who ran out of food after a day, it completely boggled my poo poo. Prepping in the "gubmint gonna come with the blue helmets, stockpile guns and ammo and build a nuclear bunker" is sorta dumb (everyone needs a hobby, I guess?), but everyone should look at the area they live in and have enough basic necessities to get through a few days there.
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Sep 15, 2016 13:20
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N. Senada posted:I don't know if this is really applicable, but this kind of bartering occurred a lot during the holocaust. Jewish refugees and POWs would frequently barter gold, art, just about anything of value to get food or services. Then again, this relied on a group of people not being the target of the holocaust. That's a rather key point. Imagine if you are a week into the apocalypse and someone wants to buy your only gun and ammo for 10kg of gold. Seems like a bad trade to me.
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Sep 15, 2016 13:37
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Namarrgon posted:That's a rather key point. Imagine if you are a week into the apocalypse and someone wants to buy your only gun and ammo for 10kg of gold. Seems like a bad trade to me. Yeah, it might be helpful like 2 years afterwards, but lol if you think anyones giving up anything important over something they cant use while things havent settled. It also assumes you dont get robbed in the meantime.
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Sep 15, 2016 14:07
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I think the point about gold or non-useful stuff is that it would indeed be useless if literally everyone was back to square 0 regarding social roles. That Cormac-esque case, that poo poo wouldn't matter. But it seems if it's natural disaster or man-made disaster that's localized (big rear end hurricane, global warming, war), you're going to have plenty of people that are on top trying to retain their station. And pretty baubles would be useful then if you were among the unlucky.
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Sep 15, 2016 17:14
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A gun and a bunch of loaded clips, to take whats yours. It'd really just be a multi tool and as much water as I can muster.
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Sep 15, 2016 17:36
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A gun is really just a mutlitool when you think about it
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Sep 15, 2016 18:01
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I volunteer for the local fire department. During hurricanes or blizzards I get solid shelter, a natural gas generator, access to 4x4 vehicles, and food for quite a while. In exchange I go out during the storm once in a while to rescue idiots who should've stayed at home.
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Sep 15, 2016 19:50
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N. Senada posted:A gun is really just a mutlitool when you think about it That's what I was getting at edit: The real question is, would you still want to live?
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Sep 15, 2016 20:19
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Now that I think about it, I did have proper emergency supplies when the Milennium came: There was a lot of talk about how everything probably would be okay, but if there was a problem, it would be somewhere unexpected, like a minor pump or switch somewhere that had been forgotten about. So, I got 2x50litre water drums and filled them up. Not as something to drink (I had plenty of gin), but I was determined that if water got shut off, I would be able to flush the toilet for the duration. My definition of 'civilisation' is a working, sit-down toilet with enough paper. Of course, it never came to that, but they proved handy when the fuel crisis continued: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_protests_in_the_United_Kingdom I was able to fill one of these with 50l of unleaded and keep it in the back of my van. The smugness wore off two days later when I discovered that the plastic in the drums was porous to leaded petrol.
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Sep 15, 2016 20:38
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spog posted:Now that I think about it, I did have proper emergency supplies when the Milennium came: This is why I love the internet. Any idiot who thinks the switch from 1999-2000 would be a problem can join. Even the freaks who drink gin.
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Sep 15, 2016 21:47
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Namarrgon posted:That's a rather key point. Imagine if you are a week into the apocalypse and someone wants to buy your only gun and ammo for 10kg of gold. Seems like a bad trade to me. Luckily I live near mentally ill Vietnam War veterans who will be trading guns and boxes of ammunition like candy if WWIII hits the US. They will accrue much gold, silver, fine jewelry and artwork in short order.
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Sep 15, 2016 22:24
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Liquid Communism posted:All of the above fits in a rubbermaid tote I just chuck into the back of the Jeep where I can reach it from inside if I need to. I haven't had to use it yet, but I'll be glad of it if I do. Stealing a couple ideas. The bright tarp is a good idea, so's tape or rope to use as a signal. There's always a scraper in my car because Canada. The worst case scenario that's plausible enough to prepare for, I think, is losing control in the mountains and getting stuck where I can't get back on the road and aren't visible. The cops patrol the route for exactly that, because it happens all the loving time, but mostly to people stupid enough to take that route on all-season tires. I only carry tools I know how to safely use, ditto with the contents of the first-aid kit. (It helped keep a stupid drunk biker from bleeding out before the ambulance arrived once. Lucky fucker went through all my gauze and I never got his name.) I think I also have duct tape back there, for no particular reason other than it being duct tape. The biggest one I forgot is extra windshield fluid--I'd put that pretty high on an essential list for winter. I don't carry a knife, except for the one in the multi-tool. I do carry EMT shears. I also have various lengths of bungee cords to help secure loads or rig the janky trunk latch. My summer kit fits in one milkcrate. The winter kit adds a second, plus the heap of outer-wear. It's not the Highway of Tears, but I'd 100% rather bundle down in my car for a night than flag down a stranger at night to get a ride. If it were safe to approach the road, I'd try to flag someone during the day, but only ask them to report my location to the cops when they reach cell coverage. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Sep 16, 2016 |
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Sep 16, 2016 01:48
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I have a little area with a bunch of gallon jugs of water and a bunch of canned food. Also a small general first aid kit and standard basic camping gear. Basically a holdover from when I lived in California and there was the potential for an earthquake to knock out water/power for several days (last time I remember that happening was 89). I live in NYC now where of course there's no earthquakes but we did get hit by a hurricane a few years after I moved here, luckily my neighborhood never lost water or power in that but it seems a good idea to keep that stuff around.
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Sep 16, 2016 02:23
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Oh, I shared this tip in the beer thread a long time ago. If you are a beer guy with a bunch of growlers, don't store them empty. Fill them with water, then you automatically have a decent collection of water basically ready at all times.
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Sep 16, 2016 02:56
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Zogo posted:Luckily I live near mentally ill Vietnam War veterans who will be trading guns and boxes of ammunition like candy if WWIII hits the US. They will accrue much gold, silver, fine jewelry and artwork in short order just before getting reduced to radioactive ash ftfy
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Sep 16, 2016 03:43
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Why not stock a few pounds of pyrite in your survival kit, surely there will be some survivalist dumb enough that they'll accept it as gold?
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Sep 16, 2016 06:35
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James Garfield posted:Why not stock a few pounds of pyrite in your survival kit, surely there will be some survivalist dumb enough that they'll accept it as gold? Because flakes of mica are easier to find.
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Sep 16, 2016 12:24
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Agean90 posted:ftfy I've seen fallout shelters under residential homes. You wouldn't believe how deep these things are buried. These guys are going to be renting rooms during the apocalypse.
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Sep 16, 2016 23:07
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Assuming they don't burn to death or suffocate as the fires raging above drain all the o2.
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Sep 17, 2016 01:36
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