Hey Y'all, just wondering how prepared for bad things are you ? Like if there were a snowstorm and the semis could not get through and the grocery store had no food to sell you ? What if you had no electricity for a month or two ? What if you couldn't buy gasoline for a month ? Because my wife is thoughtful, I think I could eat for at least 3 months without going to the store. I might not eat what I like but I would not go hungry. I have a hand pump on a well in my basement (Y2K leftover) so I can get water without electricity. And we have about 500 gallons of diesel fuel, so I could travel in the diesel escort if needed. What about the rest of you ? DF

 

You really wanna know?
Okay, I've got 11 cords of wood for heat, and cooking
Enough food (canned) for 6 for 1 month,
Enough ammo to hunt for more that a year,
Enough weapons to hold off the FBI for a week,
We've lived without power for a week at a time, so
a month would be no problem...
We live on the edge of the earth, if someone hits a pole
in Hoquium, we lose power, so it's something we are used
to...

Steve & the Rockette

 

when I drove semi I was the only one the dispatcher would send out west in the winter since i grew up in WY and when i knew winter was coming out west I packed my extreme cold military sleeping bag and I would pack 2 big cooler size boxes of MRE military food if I would get stranded like I did one time for 3 days in WY during a snow storm on the side of I-80 after the state troopers closed the gates and shut the freeway down. one thing I learned in Airborne Ranger training is always be prepared for the worst and make do with what you have to survive. ;-)

 

Oh boy,
I must live on the edge,I don't prepare for nothing like that,I'd be S**t out of luck...


Gina

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Jan-02 AT 08:01 PM (EST)]Enough moldy food in the frige to throw up for weeks on... Dishwasher leaks so we got pleanty of water saved up in the subfloor... In fact i think the only thing i would have trouble with would be not haveing any gas to go cruise around with!

 

I guess I would be S**T out of luck along with gin, since I never look further ahead than today.I still have this thing about livin for today- tomorrow might not come :-staun

 

Why do I have to be prepared? I drive a FORD

That and enough firepower/wood/and will to live to make sure my family is taken care of

 

Food for a month, maybe two if we're real careful, ammo for 6 mo to a year, 4 freshwater streams on our property (I've never seen anyone of them go dry), whatever gas is left in the tank.

The Law

 

One of the things I've wondered about is meat processing or butchering or whatever you call it. Both my home and my vaction spot have have plenty of whitetails around, up north there are even moose. But most of the guys I know that hunt field dress the deer they shoot, and then they take it in to a processer. The meat company then gives you steaks or hamburger or sausage or what have you. Is meat processing something an average guy can learn to do himself ? If I went and shot a deer and field dressed it Then what ? Seems like I would still be aways away from have supper..........DF

 

when we went hunting in WY it was easier to pack out the meat already cut up into chunks. yes you can do it by yourself it isn't very hard to do. It is just the bone that makes it hard to process in the field
but get yourself one of those folding tree limb saws and they work just fine on bone.

 

If I had to run out the door right now, I'd take my compound bow, my tent, some small fish tackle, a knife, and some blankets.

Anything else besides canned stuff would be a blessing

 

DF, prossecing is one of those things that if it were easy to do there wouldnt be prossesors to do it in the first place. if you went out and shot a deer right now and feild dressed it the next thing you would want to do would be take it back to your house, hope fully it is cold out side. you hang it from a tree with the head towards the ground and start pumping water in it, if it is cold enough out side just let what you have inside it freeze and you will be fine if it isnt cold enough just keep putting water into it, this is for two thing, 1 to get all the blood out and 2 to keep everything else out. and as soon as you are happy you got everything out that you want out you can check it in and then take it to the prossesor, or at least thats what i would do.

 

In addition to things already mentioned, one reason I have an older truck ('69 4x4 SWB 390) is the simplicity / dependability. And since it's not new & pretty I think I'll have less need to discourage someone who may think they have an excuse/opportunity to take it when things get tough.

I've got yer typical "Bug-out" kit in the bottom of the tool box, yada-yada.

But I've wanted to ask everyones opinion on something else for awhile now:
What about "EMP" and how can I keep my truck going when the going gets really tough.

EMP is the "ElectroMagnetic Pulse" from a nuclear device or a possibly a new weapon designed to produce only the pulse. It burns out unshielded light guage wiring and semiconductors with the obvious result that 99% (at least) of vehicles, power distribution, phones, you name it, will be toast.

I'm planning on a Pertronix (?) ignition in my rebuild, but I'll keep the old points & condenser (wraped in foil then plastic then foil again) handy to replace the electronics.

I've even thought about replacing my alternator / electronic voltage regulator with a pre-'64 (I think) 12v generator and mechnical voltage regulator to do away with diodes etc.

Any thoughts on this conversion or other things to consider on that "escape vehicle".

MB

 

How about an old diesel with a mechanical injector pump instead?

 

I am not certain that there is much you can do to prepare for a EMP. That is very serious. Even if you had the electronics protected you still need a battery to start it. So unless you happen to park it on a hill you could face a tough battle. I assume that your distance to the EMP burst will have an impact on the level of your readiness. Your zeal is commendable but having all the right stuff at the right time is going to be tough.