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Realistic SHTF scenarios - what would you do?

2

Posts

  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Horde whatever resource becomes most important for survival, steal it from others by force, rule like a bandit king.

    That, or have some other dude with similar ambitions kill me first.

    Inquisitor on
  • OctoparrotOctoparrot Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I'm assuming these scenarios include economic collapse to the extent that looting is somewhat common (but not rampant), and people like bill collectors for mortgages will just say "screw it"

    Immediately move towards self sufficiency. Acquire location nobody will bother me, unless things get really screwy. Get to planting, goal being at the minimum, subsistance. Rally as many trustable and useful acquaintances as possible who can help, living as a collective.

    "Begin building defensive perimiter", I don't know. Definitely depends how bad it starts to get.

    Octoparrot on
  • IreneDAdlerIreneDAdler Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Inquisitor wrote: »
    Horde whatever resource becomes most important for survival, steal it from others by force, rule like a bandit king.

    That, or have some other dude with similar ambitions kill me first.

    I had really hoped that we've learned enough from history to not immediately regress to a feudal war-lord society :P

    IreneDAdler on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • reignofevilreignofevil Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I've been spending my entire life getting an education towards a PhD in Psychology, but even if I were to get it before this Apocalypse, it's not what I'd be practicing (even though psychologists were the only ones whose business was doing well during Great Depression).
    No I'd turn to my other skill, fine-tuned in WoW (ironic, right?), but requring no education. Simple economics and trading. Buy low, sell high. I have a really good knack for that kind of stuff, providing I find relatively un-regulated un-sophisticated markets. Video game markets are ideal because I can buy and sell at near-whatever-prices I want, since few people know what the average price for the item is, like they would for a stock, and even fewer people know when to buy/sell items based on when prices go up/down. In the real world, my plans wouldn't work but in a destroyed economy, I'd quickly become a local God.
    I'd deal in all sorts of things, trade supplies, canned foods, clothing, etc. I'd slowly but surely build up more and more fortune, cunningly convincing people they're getting good deals when in fact they're getting ripped off but have no way to know it.
    I mean ultimately I wouldn't be as bad of a guy as I make it sound. I'd be making profit off all this, enough to live comfortably, but truthfully I wouldn't be taking much money out of the economy with my ventures, and in return I'll have spread a lot of commodities to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't have gotten it. So I'm not really a bad guy, it's just fun to think of it that way.
    So basically you are going to be Tom Nook?

    reignofevil on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Being in the NY Metro area

    I'm fucked

    nexuscrawler on
  • maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Living and working in the New Orleans area proved to me that, judging by Katrina, we'd all be fucked in a true shit hitting the fan moment.

    maximumzero on
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  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I'll just seal myself up in one of Cincinnati's abandoned subways with all the water chips from the Vault factory I work at. Can't be running out of water, and who else will need them?

    TL DR on
  • tallgeezetallgeeze Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    1. You still have your home, family, etc.
    2. You may still have a job, but your money is worth a lot less now due to runaway inflation. Your job is not that secure, however, and unemployment is rampant.
    3. Public services have ceased due to lack of funds. This means that formerly safe areas are dangerous, as desperate people turn to crime to support themselves, and there are no police to stop them. There's very little sanitation, electricity is unreliable, hospitals are overcrowded, etc.
    4. Basic necessities become difficult to obtain (i.e. gas, food, medicine) either due to short supply, or out of control price gauging

    I live by myself, so no family to worry about. I would factor in my parents, siblings, etc. but arguement sake I will stick to just me.

    1) Stock up on water. I would use those 2-liter bottles. I would have 3-4 of those
    2) Stock up on foods that last a long time without the refrigerator
    3) Travel light. Since everyone is gonna get crazy being able to move at a moment's notice is key
    4) Buy/steal a motorcycle. I hear motorcycles have a good milage.
    5) Obtain weaponary that is easy to conceal. Sure having big rifle/machine gun is cool, but that may add too much weight which hinders your moblility. I haven't held a gun in my life, so I may be off on this.
    6) Stock up on the basic medical supplies.
    7) Find a living arrangement that is easily defended as can be. Take advantage of the terrain and all that stuff.
    8) Have a radio for possible communication.
    9) Bring a couple of books so I don't go crazy. One for entertainment and one of those "here is how you survive the Apocolypse" type books.
    10) Stay away from crazy people.

    tallgeeze on
  • King Boo HooKing Boo Hoo Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    1. You still have your home, family, etc.
    2. You may still have a job, but your money is worth a lot less now due to runaway inflation. Your job is not that secure, however, and unemployment is rampant.
    3. Public services have ceased due to lack of funds. This means that formerly safe areas are dangerous, as desperate people turn to crime to support themselves, and there are no police to stop them. There's very little sanitation, electricity is unreliable, hospitals are overcrowded, etc.
    4. Basic necessities become difficult to obtain (i.e. gas, food, medicine) either due to short supply, or out of control price gauging

    You know, I got so caught up in all this post-apocalyptic hubbub that you guys have been posting about living alone and guns and everyone stabbing eachother out of desperation that I didn't really realize the OP's environment is pretty... okay.

    I was in Russia for a month a few weeks ago, and although Moscow may be the richest city in the world, some of the other places I spent my time will take decades to ever even reach the status you have listed above. In one of the areas, I took an 80km (50 mile) bike ride with some other people and we rode past like 10 or more villages, and saw a grand total of 1 store. 0 police, a few cars, 1 gas station, 1 abandoned used-to-be-a-gas-station, a couple dozen people, a few cows and such. The people live in the kind of shacks you see photos of in Africa and South America, except they're usually somewhat supported by lumber as well and not just random construction objects. Everyone is self-sufficient because you'd need to drive like 250 miles to the nearest real city, and although anyone who could get the hell out naturally does, there was still a decent number of people there and it didn't seem like total chaotic hell there at all.

    King Boo Hoo on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    1. You still have your home, family, etc.
    2. You may still have a job, but your money is worth a lot less now due to runaway inflation. Your job is not that secure, however, and unemployment is rampant.
    3. Public services have ceased due to lack of funds. This means that formerly safe areas are dangerous, as desperate people turn to crime to support themselves, and there are no police to stop them. There's very little sanitation, electricity is unreliable, hospitals are overcrowded, etc.
    4. Basic necessities become difficult to obtain (i.e. gas, food, medicine) either due to short supply, or out of control price gauging

    You know, I got so caught up in all this post-apocalyptic hubbub that you guys have been posting about living alone and guns and everyone stabbing eachother out of desperation that I didn't really realize the OP's environment is pretty... okay.

    I was in Russia for a month a few weeks ago, and although Moscow may be the richest city in the world, some of the other places I spent my time will take decades to ever even reach the status you have listed above. In one of the areas, I took an 80km (50 mile) bike ride with some other people and we rode past like 10 or more villages, and saw a grand total of 1 store. 0 police, a few cars, 1 gas station, 1 abandoned used-to-be-a-gas-station, a couple dozen people, a few cows and such. The people live in the kind of shacks you see photos of in Africa and South America, except they're usually somewhat supported by lumber as well and not just random construction objects. Everyone is self-sufficient because you'd need to drive like 250 miles to the nearest real city, and although anyone who could get the hell out naturally does, there was still a decent number of people there and it didn't seem like total chaotic hell there at all.

    But did these people enjoy a relatively upper-class lifestyle, used to having amenities like cars and electricity, only to have it suddenly taken away? I think Katrina might be a good idea of how Americans act when they're suddenly disenfranchised.

    TL DR on
  • King Boo HooKing Boo Hoo Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    1. You still have your home, family, etc.
    2. You may still have a job, but your money is worth a lot less now due to runaway inflation. Your job is not that secure, however, and unemployment is rampant.
    3. Public services have ceased due to lack of funds. This means that formerly safe areas are dangerous, as desperate people turn to crime to support themselves, and there are no police to stop them. There's very little sanitation, electricity is unreliable, hospitals are overcrowded, etc.
    4. Basic necessities become difficult to obtain (i.e. gas, food, medicine) either due to short supply, or out of control price gauging

    You know, I got so caught up in all this post-apocalyptic hubbub that you guys have been posting about living alone and guns and everyone stabbing eachother out of desperation that I didn't really realize the OP's environment is pretty... okay.

    I was in Russia for a month a few weeks ago, and although Moscow may be the richest city in the world, some of the other places I spent my time will take decades to ever even reach the status you have listed above. In one of the areas, I took an 80km (50 mile) bike ride with some other people and we rode past like 10 or more villages, and saw a grand total of 1 store. 0 police, a few cars, 1 gas station, 1 abandoned used-to-be-a-gas-station, a couple dozen people, a few cows and such. The people live in the kind of shacks you see photos of in Africa and South America, except they're usually somewhat supported by lumber as well and not just random construction objects. Everyone is self-sufficient because you'd need to drive like 250 miles to the nearest real city, and although anyone who could get the hell out naturally does, there was still a decent number of people there and it didn't seem like total chaotic hell there at all.

    But did these people enjoy a relatively upper-class lifestyle, used to having amenities like cars and electricity, only to have it suddenly taken away? I think Katrina might be a good idea of how Americans act when they're suddenly disenfranchised.

    I wouldn't call New Orleans a particularly good example... you let all the rich White folk run off and only leave the poor inner-city crowd? That's no surprise when they start vandalizing and getting violent.
    If anything I'd say my point is even more accurate when we think about people who just got out of a upper-middle-class environment. They're wimps. They're not prepared to take out a shotgun and start killing their neigbors. They're reliant on a community and community benefits and will most likely do what they can to continue that. Sure there'd be somewhat of a crime increase but for the most part I don't think the fabric of society would break down over it.

    King Boo Hoo on
  • IreneDAdlerIreneDAdler Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I wouldn't call New Orleans a particularly good example... you let all the rich White folk run off and only leave the poor inner-city crowd? That's no surprise when they start vandalizing and getting violent.

    Um, you probably don't mean it this way, but this sounds perilously close to racism, and, at the very best, severe classism. Maybe you want to clarify your reasoning?

    IreneDAdler on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    To anyone who hasn't already done so: read the essays linked in the OP. Yes, they're long, but you'll probably learn something.

    James on
  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Dude, think about it!

    TP is no longer available! This isnt something you can sit around and wait out. When you have a few million people around you, all desperate for water and food, then your only hope is to get out of there. That is, get out of there a year or more in advance.

    Casually Hardcore on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    James wrote: »
    To anyone who hasn't already done so: read the essays linked in the OP. Yes, they're long, but you'll probably learn something.

    Thanks for this post. Lots of good info, especially the long-term SHTF scenario. It's tough balancing your current activities, budget, etc. with the unlikely necessity for long-term self reliance. My car gets good mileage, but is a 2-seater with limited cargo space and rides low to the ground. My apartment is convenient for school, but in an area densely populated with lots of less-savory characters. I guess there's no reason not to keep a stock of canned goods though, which I'm currently lacking.

    It would also be nice to have a hand- or foot- crank generator connected to a battery that you could use to power a radio or lamp.

    TL DR on
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Actually, to expand on the trader idea: it's not bad, but you can't just be a trader. You'd do a lot better to use the idea of securing trade to try and stabilize society - which has the benefit of getting the guys with guns on your side.

    The most important thing you could do would be to make sure that regions that were previously highly specialized were allowed to continue to remain so in exchange for the basic supplies other places can do easily - basically, if you want to survive you need to make sure people don't get desperate in the first place and that is consistently entirely contrary to the mentality of "build myself a fortress with everything I need and lock other people out".

    electricitylikesme on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Actually, to expand on the trader idea: it's not bad, but you can't just be a trader. You'd do a lot better to use the idea of securing trade to try and stabilize society - which has the benefit of getting the guys with guns on your side.

    The most important thing you could do would be to make sure that regions that were previously highly specialized were allowed to continue to remain so in exchange for the basic supplies other places can do easily - basically, if you want to survive you need to make sure people don't get desperate in the first place and that is consistently entirely contrary to the mentality of "build myself a fortress with everything I need and lock other people out".

    Interesting. It would certainly be advantageous to have a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker rather than three dudes each scavenging for their own meat, bread, and candles.

    TL DR on
  • GrombarGrombar Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Living and working in the New Orleans area proved to me that, judging by Katrina, we'd all be fucked in a true shit hitting the fan moment.

    San Diego seemed to do all right.

    Granted, San Diego had more competent help than New Orleans did, but still.

    Grombar on
  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Grombar wrote: »
    Living and working in the New Orleans area proved to me that, judging by Katrina, we'd all be fucked in a true shit hitting the fan moment.

    San Diego seemed to do all right.

    Granted, San Diego had more competent help than New Orleans did, but still.

    California has plenty of experience with fires. How often does the levy break? Also FEMAlol

    TL DR on
  • GooeyGooey (\/)┌¶─¶┐(\/) pinch pinchRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I'm somewhat prepared for a major disaster. I have a place to go in case I need to leave the city, and supplies/equipment ready. I have a lot of experience camping/hiking/other survival-type activities. Some people see stocking food/water as strange or paranoid, but this I don't really understand. There's nothing wrong with being prepared for the worst. It's only strange or paranoid if that's what you want to happen.


    Realistically, in a true SHTF-type situation, you should be avoiding contact with other people as much as possible. Other people can't be trusted.

    Gooey on
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  • TL DRTL DR Not at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    James on
  • illigillig Registered User regular
    edited August 2008

    You know, I got so caught up in all this post-apocalyptic hubbub that you guys have been posting about living alone and guns and everyone stabbing eachother out of desperation that I didn't really realize the OP's environment is pretty... okay

    That's kind of what I was trying to get at... I know that people automatically assume worst case scenario and bug out for the hills with their trusty rifle and 2 gallons of water, however I really wanted to see what you think you would do if society continued... albeit in a considerably different (worse) direction than before.

    For example, I doubt my own survival in such a situation. I work a white collar job in the financial industry, which would basically disappear. I don't really have "real life" skills such as carpentry, etc. to fall back on. I'm not sure if I could continue to support myself after the disappearance of "credit" and devaluation of cash... I don't even have that many items to barter. Similarly, I've never fired a gun. And I live in NYC....

    What do you guys think? Do you have skills that would be usable in a post white-collar world?


    Interestingly, after I made the original post, I read up on a game I've been playing recently: "Frontlines: Fuel of War". This is an Xbox360 FPS with OK gameplay, innovation, etc... but I really loved the storyline. Basically, oil finally begins to run out, and with no viable energy source, the world superpowers begin to fight over the remnants. Democracy is replaced with permanent martial law, and formerly rich populations are reduced to near-starvation while the poor countries basically die-off.

    I also found the overall name for this event very fitting "The Long Emergency"

    Full details on the story of the game are here:
    http://www.frontlineswar.com/?page=timeline

    illig on
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    This:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4s0nzsU1Wg

    Though if I had my dad around, I'd be 1000x better at surviving, because I would just absorb the hell out of his knowledge. That crazy bastard was literally trained to survive the apocalypse and fight the devil and used to just go out for a weekend and come back with a week's worth of game for a large family.

    Combine that with my general knowledge of practical science, my absurdly good immune system (quasi-farm-living is great for the immune system), sturdy body, forestry and carpentry skills, and twisted mind, and I'm honestly more concerned about the difficulties of surviving in the modern world than one where you don't need to pay a fee to go and get something delicious out of the forest.

    Incenjucar on
  • ilmmadilmmad Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Take the Zombie Survival Guide with me, it actually has some good advice.

    ilmmad on
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  • King Boo HooKing Boo Hoo Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    illig wrote: »

    You know, I got so caught up in all this post-apocalyptic hubbub that you guys have been posting about living alone and guns and everyone stabbing eachother out of desperation that I didn't really realize the OP's environment is pretty... okay

    That's kind of what I was trying to get at... I know that people automatically assume worst case scenario and bug out for the hills with their trusty rifle and 2 gallons of water, however I really wanted to see what you think you would do if society continued... albeit in a considerably different (worse) direction than before.

    For example, I doubt my own survival in such a situation. I work a white collar job in the financial industry, which would basically disappear. I don't really have "real life" skills such as carpentry, etc. to fall back on. I'm not sure if I could continue to support myself after the disappearance of "credit" and devaluation of cash... I don't even have that many items to barter. Similarly, I've never fired a gun. And I live in NYC....

    What do you guys think? Do you have skills that would be usable in a post white-collar world?


    Interestingly, after I made the original post, I read up on a game I've been playing recently: "Frontlines: Fuel of War". This is an Xbox360 FPS with OK gameplay, innovation, etc... but I really loved the storyline. Basically, oil finally begins to run out, and with no viable energy source, the world superpowers begin to fight over the remnants. Democracy is replaced with permanent martial law, and formerly rich populations are reduced to near-starvation while the poor countries basically die-off.

    I also found the overall name for this event very fitting "The Long Emergency"

    Full details on the story of the game are here:
    http://www.frontlineswar.com/?page=timeline

    White-collar job and never fired a gun? No carpentry skills? Don't worry about it. No, really, that shit isn't tough. That's why idiots can do it. I know you've been in schools for decades in order to get to the position of Financial Analyst or whatnot, and I respect that. That takes a lot of education, worldly knowledge, complicated numbers, etc. But the vast majority of people don't spend that long learning, and get enough skills to get by relatively quickly (even the dumb ones, and you should be able to learn 2x faster than them).

    Things like carpentry? If you have enough brainpower to make it to white-collar, I'm thinking you could teach yourself enough carpentry within a day of fiddling around to be able to get by. Same thing goes for most simple tradeskills. I'm not talking about making beautiful crafted spiral staircases, but shit like "bookshelf" is really pretty easy if you're willing to try.

    Will most people try though? No. People have this retarded stupid thought process that says they can't do ANYTHING they haven't been specifically trained to do. This is why it's so frustrating to talk to computer illiterate people. Even if you take into account that they aren't good with computers and start telling them by phone to click the icon that looks like _____ and then you'll see a window pop up and the words 'Advanced' will be in the top right corner, they'll panic, tell you they don't know how to do these kinds of things, and quit trying. When in fact, they seriously can do these things. They're wading in territory they don't know, sure, but very lightly and in steps elementarily simple that they can very very very well do.

    Again, I'm not saying you should act offended when people who only use computers for email can't reset their own IP, but if they already do things like typing and clicking icons, and you tell them precisely exactly what to type and click and where to find it, they shouldn't panic and give up, but most people do.

    So yeah, if you don't act like a whining pussy and actually try to survive, you will almost certainly do so. There's really nothing in this world we're describing that you shouldn't be able to pick up fairly fast if you don't freeze up in the face of change, panic in the face of learning, or quit in the face of experimentation and the possibility of making a mistake. Too bad most of our population isn't like that.

    "Make a bookshelf?! I cant!!!"
    You just take a few planks of wood, a few nails, and a hammer, and start hammering wood together in the shape of a bookshelf. That's it. I understand it won't be perfect, but it's better than huddling in the corner crying to yourself because it's so unfair that you have to live like this, you wish it were how it used to be, and you shouldn't be expected to do stuff you don't know how to.

    In short, pussies beware.

    King Boo Hoo on
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Well, if the economic collapse is local to your area or country, immigrating illegally to somewhere that isn't a shitty place to live is probably not the worst plan.
    Personally I would probably try to setup a co-op type situation and work together with the people in my apartment and the nearby apartments. Send a couple guys out to the bulk stores and bring back a shit ton of stuff and split it up. We'd have a nice car pool group to save on gas. If things got really bad we'd setup our own militia/security guarding out apartments 24/7.

    I'm thinking the people talking about toting their guns are assuming the worst. A gun is a handy thing in that situation, from a survival perspective.

    Dman on
  • minigunwielderminigunwielder __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2008
    My dad left me a fucking stockpile of rifles and ammunition, as well as training me from youth how to use them. I've been anti-gun my entire life. Some shit like this happens? I'm loading myself up with as many guns, MREs, and as much ammunition as I can carry. I'm getting on my Harley and making for the safest border available.

    This, a thousand times, I`m going to Isolated lake, blowing the dam partly and using the bitss formerly under the lake as farmland.

    minigunwielder on
  • RaynagaRaynaga Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    From a link in the OP:

    A forensic doctor that used to live in my neighborhood got killed last year. He was ambushed when he exited a restaurant by 5 or 6 men. Even though they did kill him he managed to kill 4 of them and severely injure another. He shot regularly and carried a Glock .40. I’m sure he was lucky but I also think that his choice of weapon was also important in the outcome. If anyone is wondering, people in my country that are serious about self defense carry Glocks. Those that don’t have the money for a Glock carry Bersas, FM High Powers or 1911 surplus .45s. At first I wasn’t sure about the Bersa, but once I tried them I saw that they are very descent guns. I now own two Bersas and am pleased with they performance.

    First time I had laughed out loud at a web site in awhile. This kind of thing just doesn't happen in the US. Maybe it would if and when TSHTF, but it certainly doesn't now.

    Raynaga on
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Raynaga wrote: »
    From a link in the OP:

    A forensic doctor that used to live in my neighborhood got killed last year. He was ambushed when he exited a restaurant by 5 or 6 men. Even though they did kill him he managed to kill 4 of them and severely injure another. He shot regularly and carried a Glock .40. I’m sure he was lucky but I also think that his choice of weapon was also important in the outcome. If anyone is wondering, people in my country that are serious about self defense carry Glocks. Those that don’t have the money for a Glock carry Bersas, FM High Powers or 1911 surplus .45s. At first I wasn’t sure about the Bersa, but once I tried them I saw that they are very descent guns. I now own two Bersas and am pleased with they performance.

    First time I had laughed out loud at a web site in awhile. This kind of thing just doesn't happen in the US. Maybe it would if and when TSHTF, but it certainly doesn't now.

    Well it's a good thing we all live in the US.

    James on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I am in the Navy, so presumably take all your guys' stuff.

    Quid on
  • Fatty McBeardoFatty McBeardo Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Katrina was a SHTF scenario for quite a few people, though anyone who may have had a shelter most likely immediately lost their supplies to the flooding.

    The reality is that we're only a couple of days without electricity away from Lord of the Flies. The veneer of our civilization is so very thin.

    I am by no means a survivalist. In fact considering I'm in the heart of earthquake country, I'm woefully unprepared. Where i live (middle of Los Angeles) I honestly have no real shot at extended survival. There are no water sources, no hunting or fishing, etc. Canned supplies will only last so long. And the competition here for the remaining supplies will be... fierce. Epically fierce.

    Where I'm at my best option is to make a run for it, if that's a possibility. I would run north in an attempt to make it to northernmost California and into Oregon or Washington. I would take whatever cash I could find - it may be worthless but old habits die hard, and there will probably be people still taking money in exchange for things in the belief that society will right itself in short order.

    As far as defense goes, ideally speaking I would want 3 guns: A .22 caliber rifle, a .22 caliber handgun, and a 12 gauge shotgun. If I only could have one, it would be the .22 rifle. It's a very small caliber, but I can carry literally thousands of rounds of ammunition very easily. And it's such a common caliber that finding more ammo won't be too difficult. It's enough gun to easily kill most small animals and people. The shotgun would be for anything deer sized or larger.

    If I managed to get into the wilderness I'd look for an unused cabin and set up. My biggest fear wouldn't be animals, it would be other people looking to take my stuff.

    Fatty McBeardo on
  • MazzyxMazzyx Comedy Gold Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    In general TSHTF scenario I find boils down to the first year. If you survive the initial pogroms, riots, looting and migrations you probably have at that point the skills and know how to survive. Doesn't mean it will be an easy life or a good life but you will be alive. Funny thing is that the poorer less developed countries will probably actually do better in this since it will not change their life styles so much.

    In my case I a mix of unprepared and having a few of the basic skills. I can shoot a gun and a bow and arrow. I learned to shoot on .22s and if I had to have a gun I would probably take one of those. I am or was a pretty good shot with a bow and I would try to collect one of this since the ammunition is reusable and an arrow in the chest can kill a man just as well as a gun. I also know how to backpack, hike in rugged terrain to a point (grew up hiking the Rocky Mountains), and set up a camp. I can navigate without a compass and with one as well. In general my goal though would be finding a group of people with similar skills to live out the first year and hopefully set up a community near a fresh water supply (creek or river) and maybe plant some basic substance crops such as corn or potatoes or both. In general move back to a mix of hunter gatherer society and an early substance farming society.

    But like I said its that first year or so you have to survive and you do have a better chance of surviving if you make a small group than by yourself.

    Mazzyx on
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  • GraelynGraelyn Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Man, I'd go work for Hruka. :mrgreen:

    Graelyn on
  • Gabriel_PittGabriel_Pitt (effective against Russian warships) Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I'd be out in the hills, with the sheep.
    I'm a diabetic, and once my stockpile runs out, I'm going to need to be getting it from somewhere - lets hope I don't have animal protein allergies. Also, mutton for trade.

    Gabriel_Pitt on
  • YourFatAuntSusanYourFatAuntSusan Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    It all depends if it's a slow crash or a fast crash. An economic collapse can happen seemingly overnight which would literally cause everything to grind to a halt.

    I hear a lot of people mention travelling to these far off remote communities to start a farm.

    First, good luck travelling farther than the distance a car or truck can get on a tank of gas, unless you're carrying extra. Everyone will be filling vehicles and gerry cans. Fuel stations will have "no gas" signs within days, if not sooner. Someone metioned he heard motorcycles get good mileage. They sure do, as long as you can get gas.

    Second, have you ever grown a vegetable in your life? Do you know how to can your own food? Do you know how to store seeds for next season? Can you smoke the meat of a deer you shot? Can you shoot? Do you know how to clean a wild animal carcass? Do you have the physical ability to cut firewood by hand if your chainsaw runs out of fuel, bar oil or if your chain breaks? How do you move your firewood from where you cut it to where you need it? Can you lead a team of oxen? Where do you get your chickens? Cows? Pigs? What plants are safe to eat in the area you're moving to?

    etc etc

    People would be simply unprepared for this kind of life.

    /glass half-full

    YourFatAuntSusan on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • zipidideezipididee Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Play violin as I watched everything burn.

    zipididee on
    *ching ching* Just my two cents
  • Matt_SMatt_S Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    A cousin of mine has always been a bit of a conspiracy nut (even though he's a radtacular dude) and he thinks about this sort of situation a lot. He's been wanting to take organic agriculture classes at a local community college.

    So, based on the assumption that there is enough fuel available, I would drive back to my parents house and pick up my 12 gauge shotgun along with a few of my dad's gun along with some ammo. I would then drive up to my friend's house and pick her up, mostly because I have feelings for her and would want her to be safe (think Shaun of the Dead). I would then drive to my cousin's house, pick up him and his girlfriend and then we would all drive out to Wyoming. Both my great-grandfather and great-grandmother owned a ranch before they died and through their will, both he and I receive fifty acres of land each. There is a reservoir on the land, as well as good soil and a lot of wildlife. He can grow food, I can hunt animals, and hopefully we can wait it out there in Wyoming until things become a little bit more stable.

    Realistically, however, I am woefully unprepared to live like this. I know how to shoot, but I normally only shoot at gun ranges and the prey is usually made of clay. I've only been hunting once, and that was when I killed a rabbit, started to cry and decided not to hunt afterwards. I imagine I could suck it up if faced with a dystopic situation like the one presented, but I still don't know how to clean a carcass, let alone bring what parts I need back to the home, let alone know when and how to hunt so I don't kill off whatever population of animal is native to the region. And that's only hunting. I don't know how to properly clean a serious wound or set a broken bone or do a lot of stuff that would be required in the absence of emergency personnel.

    So chances are I would be fucked, perhaps along with all the people I care about and would bring with me.

    Or we could always drive one hundred miles north to Canada.

    Matt_S on
  • SlainbylichSlainbylich Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Inquisitor wrote: »
    Horde whatever resource becomes most important for survival, steal it from others by force, rule like a bandit king.

    That, or have some other dude with similar ambitions kill me first.

    I had really hoped that we've learned enough from history to not immediately regress to a feudal war-lord society :P

    When things get bad, you'd be surprised at how fast people eat each other.

    Me though, I guess I'd head south, or towards the ocean. Get put down in a hail of gunfire. Just as planned.

    Slainbylich on
  • LacroixLacroix Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I get my girlfriend and try to find a safe place. Being the weakest link and not the most useful provider, I volunteer to let her eat me when the food stockpile becomes low.

    Lacroix on
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