Beginning of shtf/wrol/doomsday

[4excal]

I'd start going around syphoning all the gas out of every car that's abandoned and dead before the whole area tries to. Then I'd get my shit in order near the back door and wait and see what really happens for awhile...

 

[Catskillkid]

Assuming this is a true SHTF TEOWAWKI scenario, I'm making my stand where I am. Family farm with most of what me and my loved ones would need is right here. Problem is we're too close to NY Shitty for my liking. I could see an exodus of man-bun, jort wearing hipsters flocking up from Brooklyn trying to escape the carnage. I'm a good shot but even a lion can be taken down by a pack of jackals.

 

[4excal]

Assuming this is a true SHTF TEOWAWKI scenario, I'm making my stand where I am. Family farm with most of what me and my loved ones would need is right here. Problem is we're too close to NY Shitty for my liking. I could see an exodus of man-bun, jort wearing hipsters flocking up from Brooklyn trying to escape the carnage. I'm a good shot but even a lion can be taken down by a pack of jackals.

 

[C3D]

Assuming this is a true SHTF TEOWAWKI scenario, I'm making my stand where I am. Family farm with most of what me and my loved ones would need is right here. Problem is we're too close to NY Shitty for my liking. I could see an exodus of man-bun, jort wearing hipsters flocking up from Brooklyn trying to escape the carnage. I'm a good shot but even a lion can be taken down by a pack of jackals.

Like the guys?

 

[ArmedCorgi]

Like the guys?

Gawllee.....look at the size of the clipazine!

 

[99cummins]

You'd see a pretty wild realignment of who looked up to who, that's for sure. Celebrities wouldn't be of interest to anyone. Suddenly the local boys with the cows and diesel tractors sans electronics would be famous.

What a wild ride.

So you're telling me there's a chance I'll be famous? I'm looking forward to the zombie apocalypse even more now.

 

[capitalcrew]

Famous or a primary target. Same thing really

 

[99cummins]

Every time the power goes out I wonder, is this "the big one?" Short term-going to have to run a generator at least some to keep animals taken care of. Have a diesel bulk tank here that should last a while if I'm careful. Would like to add a second tank. And most everything we have is diesel including the truck. House is on municipal water but barns are all still on a 23ft, hand dug, stone lined well in the basement. Worse case could toss buckets on a rope down for water. For a while at least, I would run the well pump with a generator a couple times a day to fill tanks for animals and ourselves. If I needed other water there are multiple springs all over the property as well as a creek. Plenty of livestock to keep us fed if I can keep them fed. That will be my biggest problem long term. At any given time we have 2000-3000lbs of frozen meat so if I can keep it frozen and protected, we aren't starving. And plenty of eggs and a garden in the summer. Large deer population around as well if needed. Figure I could hopefully work something out with neighbors bartering food for labor or other skills they have. I'm always armed with a pistol or two so that would just continue. Maybe sling a rifle as well.

 

[99cummins]

Famous or a primary target. Same thing really

Yea. More likely a target. Optimistically I hope I look like more of an asset to people and I can recruit some help for protection. Most people don't have a clue how to grow anything or care for animals. I think that would be a useful skill post apocalypse.

 

[Celt]

break out the radio and find the emergency broadcast channel, listen for instructions and then decide what to do.

Exactly what i was thinking. But, id also get bugout bags ready, and start packing more long term items if time permitted. If cars worked id get the family moved to bugout location.

 

[Jackalope]

Interesting scenario. The first thing to do would be to gather information. What isn't working? Do watches function? Are vehicles running? If so, which vehicles run and which ones don't? Are there aircraft in the sky? Without electricity, your world gets much smaller. Solar panels are for the most point resistant to EMP and CME's, though the controllers can get blasted. The well prepared survivalists have spare panels and controllers stored in faraday cages.

I would be more interested in my immediate locale, so I'd fire up a scanner to check local police fire, and electrical company radio frequencies. I'd wait until evening to activate my HF radio, because propagation is typically better in the evening for the shortwave frequencies.

The information obtained would then help me decide how to proceed. If my Inreach satellite communicator is functioning, then I'd send a message to my list of contacts to get more information.

There's an excellent book called SHTF Intelligence by Samuel Culpepper which outlines how to gather information and how to use it to make effective decisions in SHTF situations.

I'm pretty well situated for food and water, so no need to go out and chase some down. If I need to take a dump, then I go out to my outhouse, which is there specifically for this type of situation. It's no fun to use an outhouse when it's -20 F, but it works.

 

[Marine Cpl]

If it's a power outage, you have to play that by ear. If it's an EMP, you need to react immediately.

 

[4excal]

It seems like a serious conversation can not be had here. I will not share my ideas!

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

If it's a power outage, you have to play that by ear. If it's an EMP, you need to react immediately.

I think that's a good point I had not thought of yet.

If I knew the cause to be an emp, vs say a cyber attack on the grid I think I would react differently. My hope would be with a destructive cyber attack things could be back to normal in days to weeks or worst case scenario months and would Try to hunker down and weather the storm so to speak.

If all signs point to some type of major long term grid damage grid down scenario I think I would react differently once I was sure if it.

 

[Pale Rider]

Head for the state line and dig up my standard capacity magazines.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I have a few months worth of dry beans and pasta along with instant oatmeal. If something like an EMP which is almost permanent, the first thing I will do is secure my loved ones and go buy as many canned goods as I can.

The stores are run by sheeple who will gladly sell you the cans thinking that the power will be back on tomorrow.

Checklist to add. A thousand dollars in small bills to the stash.

 

[GOPerfect]

I have a few months worth of dry beans and pasta along with instant oatmeal. If something like an EMP which is almost permanent, the first thing I will do is secure my loved ones and go buy as many canned goods as I can.

The stores are run by sheeple who will gladly sell you the cans thinking that the power will be back on tomorrow.

Checklist to add. A thousand dollars in small bills to the stash.

The cash on hand is an awesome thing. Stores will still be open for a couple of days. Many people have zero clue.

When gong to the store, be armed heavy!

 

[ArmedCorgi]

I don't know. I'd have a good mind to stay away from stores and popoluation centers all together. Just getting to the store could prove fatal. Imagine the road rage when traffic control devices are not working and people are starting to panic. Nevermind the dog eat dog shit show of people panic buying at the store.

 

[Marine Cpl]

The cash on hand is an awesome thing. Stores will still be open for a couple of days. Many people have zero clue.

When gong to the store, be armed heavy!

Yep. And go up to that guy behind you on line and offer him an astronomical amount to buy his cart from him. He'll take the worthless money.

 

[capitalcrew]

Store doesn't mean price chopper. Your local convenience / country store will have stuff. In the event of an emp remember, there won't be many cars out.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I don't know. I'd have a good mind to stay away from stores and popoluation centers all together. Just getting to the store could prove fatal. Imagine the road rage when traffic control devices are not working and people are starting to panic. Nevermind the dog eat dog shit show of people panic buying at the store.

Well hopefully you have enough. My goal is to accumulate enough to last me a year of having 2 meals a day. Going to the store on that first day would be worth it to me though.

 

[GOPerfect]

I don't know. I'd have a good mind to stay away from stores and popoluation centers all together. Just getting to the store could prove fatal. Imagine the road rage when traffic control devices are not working and people are starting to panic. Nevermind the dog eat dog shit show of people panic buying at the store.

I agree to a point. I'll go, on the way I will constantly assess the situation.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Store doesn't mean price chopper. Your local convenience / country store will have stuff. In the event of an emp remember, there won't be many cars out.

Yep. Slim Jim's, jerky, potatoes chips, energy bars, ect.

 

[GOPerfect]

Don't forget about stores like Gander and cabelas, if one is close enough

 

[Marine Cpl]

And PetSmart and Petco. If you have a dog that's great. If you don't, you can get food for yourself that'll last a long time. It's sounds funny but when your regular food runs out, you'll think differently.

You can also find antibiotics there that are the same as human grade.

 

[capitalcrew]

Yep. Slim Jim's, jerky, potatoes chips, energy bars, ect.

Most country stores carry plenty of canned goods. Gas stations too

 

[Airborneguy]

I'm convinced that absent an actual situation like in the movies: virus, zombies, aliens, rapture... people will not turn savage as quickly as doomsday people tend to think. Of those examples, only a crazy virus or aliens are in any way realistic (yes, I mean that about aliens, it can happen).

Everywhere in the world people have faced some sort of disaster situation in their lives. Depending on the location, geography, national issues, etc, populations have experienced different situations, but overall, most humans have dealt with some sort of short-term bad situation without resorting immediately to savagery. Especially if communication was limited, it would take a few days to a week even in what will soon become a long-term event for people to realize this and start getting desperate. And like I said before, if vehicles are working, that extends the amount of time before savagery because goods will still be delivered and people will still be able to move around independently.

Now, wake up to a zombie apocalypse, 85% of the local populace dead due to a crazy plague virus, or an alien ship hovering a city and more than likely people will react crazily pretty quickly due to sensory overload. I'm fine with that. In some ways, it is even preferable because then being armed up means not only has a lot of your competition already disappeared, but we few can make quite a bit more disappear easily without much repercussion. Any event that you survive while most of your competition for resources has already been killed off is much more preferable to a grid failure that leaves everyone alive but the means of production halted long term. That's way worse.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I'm convinced that absent an actual situation like in the movies: virus, zombies, aliens, rapture... people will not turn savage as quickly as doomsday people tend to think. Of those examples, only a crazy virus or aliens are in any way realistic (yes, I mean that about aliens, it can happen).

Everywhere in the world people have faced some sort of disaster situation in their lives. Depending on the location, geography, national issues, etc, populations have experienced different situations, but overall, most humans have dealt with some sort of short-term bad situation without resorting immediately to savagery. Especially if communication was limited, it would take a few days to a week even in what will soon become a long-term event for people to realize this and start getting desperate. And like I said before, if vehicles are working, that extends the amount of time before savagery because goods will still be delivered and people will still be able to move around independently.

Now, wake up to a zombie apocalypse, 85% of the local populace dead due to a crazy plague virus, or an alien ship hovering a city and more than likely people will react crazily pretty quickly due to sensory overload. I'm fine with that. In some ways, it is even preferable because then being armed up means not only has a lot of your competition already disappeared, but we few can make quite a bit more disappear easily without much repercussion. Any event that you survive while most of your competition for resources has already been killed off is much more preferable to a grid failure that leaves everyone alive but the means of production halted long term. That's way worse.

In my opinion....I Think people's civility depends on if the goods and food supply chain is still functioning and how quickly they realistically feel regular life, services, food etc will get back to normal.

If after awhile they have empty cupboards, no heat, no water and there is chaos around them and no end in sight that is when things start to go downhill and average people may consider desperate actions, and already bad people feel they can do what they want...

 

[Jackalope]

Yup, hunger will make people unpredictable. How many Americans have truly experienced hunger? How's that saying go? We're only nine meals from anarchy... And parents will resort to desperate measures in an effort to feed their children. I think weather/seasons would have a great impact as to fast the situation deteriorates. In the Summer, folks are more mobile. Winter tends to confine movements, especially if streets and sidewalks aren't cleared. Rural versus urban will also determine how quickly TSHTF.

 

[ArmedCorgi]

On one hand you have examples like the huge power outage in the north east after 911. I can remember how civil people in NYC were or at least appeared on the news. Then you have examples like every black Friday and then just how packed stores are before a storm. So I wouldn't really know what to expect. Those of you on here who are LEO's probably have a better grasp of human psychology and behavioral patterns. It probably does really depend on how things go down and what exactly the catalyst is. Maybe it's the hermit side of me, but I don't know that I'd want to venture out right away unless I had to or I was already out in the world when things started to happen.