...for when the shit hits the fan?
http://whenshtf.com/ (http://whenshtf.com/)
[laugh]
My parents found it funny when I bought a generator, fuel, and started stocking food. Then they went through Katrina in Pearl River Co, MS. Two weeks before the Nat'l Guard got to their house, and 6 weeks before power was restored. They had very little food, and were 20 miles from a town of only 1000 people. Luckily they had a hand pump on the wellhouse.
Not all people who prepare for this type of thing are crazies.
I don't think it's crazy at all. Just ask some of the victims of Katrina. Or hurricane Andrew back in '92.
When gas was all but gone here in Nashville over the fall, things started getting ugly at many gas stations that did have limited fuel.
If just a few resources are taken away from us (gas, oil, food, water, etc.), or a natural disaster occurs, things could get ugly just because there are people that will need to survive, and others that will have the excuse for anarchy.
It isn't a huge stretch for such a thing to happen.
For me: Extra water, rice, canned goods and ammo. Why not?
all it takes is being without electricity for more than three days for the masses to start getting ancy . . .
Quote from: Drjones on December 16, 2008, 03:57:45 PM
all it takes is being without electricity for more than three days for the masses to start getting ancy . . .
and i'll be at work... lol.
i don't have to worry about preparing for these type things -- if shit goes down, i'll get called in...
Hey now... I'm a member there.
Learned a lot of cool sh!t on that site.
I just read "The Postman"
They Hung all those survivalist types in the book.
Quote from: MendoDave on December 16, 2008, 06:29:49 PM
I just read "The Postman"
They Hung all those survivalist types in the book.
I haven't read that in years. Now I'm going to have to dig that one out.
I guess the survivalists in the book didn't have enough ammunition stockpiled.
Everything I need to know I learned from
(http://www.infinitas.com.au/ProductImages/9781400049622.jpg)
you know...the mean st. bernard kept us from needing the firearm during 911. We lived in the city and people were literally beating on the window and door (hard) on the house because they knew we had a working phone (rough area of town then).
Out away from town years later the ten foot storm surge from Isabelle wiped out some neighbors' houses and we lost power for quite some time. Water sources not safe for a bit. generator and stocked water made a big difference.
Everything in moderation, including paranoia. Moderate paranoia is just good preparation and part of any person's responsibility to be able to meet the needs of themselves and their family..financial stability, safety, etc.
admittedly the web forum cited is a bit on the edge...but that doesn't mean you can't take a glimmer of good ideas from it.
I just bought 50 more 00 Buck shells today
[thumbsup]
The house we're buying is up in the woods. We're buying a generator (it's already wired for one). We have our own well and wood burning fireplaces. Maybe just a 50 callon drum of beans and we'll be all set :P
You'll be your own biofuel source. [thumbsup]
Quote from: MrIncredible on December 16, 2008, 07:21:55 PM
Maybe just a 50 callon drum of beans and we'll be all set :P
pm monsterlover ;) [laugh]
we also live in the woods, and have a well.
we also said we would buy a generator when we bought the house,
we haven't gotten around to it yet :-\
i realized while in nyc a few weeks ago, how dependent i am on having a cell phone.
long story short, i got separated from my group in a large crowd and could not see over the masses to find everyone...
we used to determine a meeting spot prior to getting separated, and i still think this is a very good idea.
My parents live in the woods with a well for water supply. They do have a generator hidden in the back of the garage. Down side is they only keep enough fuel on hand to run it for a couple days. I think it's time to keep the 500-gallon tank at my grandmother's place (inactive farm) stocked. Maybe the diesel one too ~
JM
just to be clear:
nothing wrong with being prepared....but some of the stuff on that forum is what I would call overboard.
Quote from: Le Pirate on December 17, 2008, 08:22:02 AM
just to be clear:
nothing wrong with being prepared....but some of the stuff on that forum is what I would call overboard.
I think that's an automatic feature of forums in general. ;)
No kidding.
I'm in NH, where ice storms knocked out approx. 350k homes from the power grid last week. I live right next to the highway - not in one of the completely ravaged areas - in a good sized down on a major road, and have not had power since last Thursday. Allegedly I'll have it back online today or tomorrow, but so far PSNH crews have spent more time looking at the single line that's down, and going to the Dunkin Donuts across the street, than fixing it. Yes, I know damage assessment takes time :)
When your heat, hot water, etc. All run off of electricity and it goes down for a week ... Yeah, it's not a fun time. Especially in a condo complex where the architecture isn't designed for optimal sunlight. If we don't get power within the next couple of days, things are going to get really interesting with the radiant heating tubes once it dips below freezing!
When I get my own place next year, there will be a generator and more than one source of heat. All set dealing with this fiasco again.
Adam
Our power was out from Sunday through Tuesday night. That sucked in the heat. Luckily the Honda eu2000i that I purchased several years ago ran perfectly (and quietly) compared to some of the automatic whole house generators in my hood.
For people with generators: Do they run on unicorn tears or something? I thought generators need gas/diesel. Those are perishable products. Do you empty and refill your generator every three months or so? I mean I know farmers who have gas tanks refilled for their equipment and trucks so they generally have a stock of gas on hand for generators if all power is lost. Do you guys have something similar? I mean, it has been my experience that gas stations can't dispense during power outages.
sac
I keep 4 five gallon cans of gas in the garage with Stabil in each. Glad I did because the stations that were open had lines out the wazzoo not to mention all the intersection blowing yahoos that forget a dead stop light by law turns into a 4 way stop sign. I saw at least 4 accidents from Sunday-Tuesday.
I rotate the gas every 3-4 months or so.
Man I want to move out to the country.....
Quote from: rgramjet on July 29, 2010, 10:49:51 AM
Man I want to move out to the country.....
Wife and I are going back to Costa Rica in 6 months to scout a move.
Wanna come?
How long will gas/diesel last with stabil in it before it goes "bad" or does it never really go bad?
One cool simple thing to have on hand as far as water goes is a British Berkefield style water filter. They have been around forever and are pretty much standard gear for missionaries and other people living in areas where the water might not be the best. It consists of a top and bottom chamber - suspect water in the top goes through some ceramic "candle" filters and ends up in the bottom. Each filter is good for about 2500 gallons of water or so and they have a silver compound layer that kills most bacteria. No moving parts, not tremendously expensive and a 2 filter unit will produce at least 5-10 gallons of potable water a day.
I use one for all our drinking water as our well water while safe, just doesn't taste the best. It cleans up the taste and odor and is super simple and on hand if a more serious need arises.
I didn't have running water or indoor plumbing till I was a teenager so most of this "survival" stuff was just business as usual for me growing up.
They claim 12 months. Ive surpassed that in my boat by a lot and it still fires right up.
make the beast with two backs yeah Ill go to Costa Rica! But what about Tizzy?? Is he done with ya?
[evil]
Quote from: rgramjet on July 29, 2010, 11:13:31 AM
They claim 12 months. Ive surpassed that in my boat by a lot and it still fires right up.
make the beast with two backs yeah Ill go to Costa Rica! But what about Tizzy?? Is he done with ya?
[evil]
I bet if you threw some octane booster or something of the like in there it might rejuvenate it???
I want to open a bar or buy one; wife wants to own a small hotel or bed and breakfast.
I got the financial aspect of the business handled, just need the financial backing :-\
'Tizz has two small children; he is WAYYYYY TOOO metro to move to a developing nation.
Quote from: SacDuc on July 29, 2010, 10:41:43 AM
For people with generators: Do they run on unicorn tears or something? I thought generators need gas/diesel. Those are perishable products.... I mean, it has been my experience that gas stations can't dispense during power outages.
sac
I have about 15 gallons of gas for my 4500W portable generator. If we don't run the washer and dryer, we get 24-36 hours for every five gallons. The next storm system that looks like it is going to head into the Gulf, I will surely buy a couple more cans. But it is possible to stock up gas for enough generator time between hurricane landfall, and resumption of normal(-ish) gasoline supply.
I bought my generator on about day 10 of 12 without power after Ike turned the greater Houston population into campers. If I had to do it all over again, I would:
- probably not live in Houston :P
- evacuate for any Cat 3 or above hurricane, not because of wind or water damage, but power outages, gas/food/ice shortages. And, uh, people not being panic-y asshole shortages too.
- buy a pedestal multi-fuel generator and tie it into our breaker. Natural gas flows when power is out, and the generators are supposed to be quieter.
Lessons learned. On my to-do list for the next storm is to buy a digital TV tuner card for my laptop (less power draw on than my TV, which can't decode over-the-air digital broadcasts anyways), set up tethering on our phones, and get a big ol box of MREs, which are surprisingly tasty. Keeping food cold is a pain in the ass, cooking generates heat, and hand-washing dishes by candlelight is not nearly as fun as it sounds. I would just as soon throw out everything in my fridge. I am going to research the water filter WarrenJ recommended, too - thanks for the tip [thumbsup]
Got my chain saw and my gun and my dog and a big old knife. Don't need nutten else.
Oh, forgot.
My boots!!
Quote from: akmnstr on July 29, 2010, 11:51:26 AM
Oh, forgot.
My boots!!
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
How much ammo do you guys keep on hand?
I personally keep more 5.56mm and shotgun slugs then 00 buck and handgun ammo.
I made my wife a bouillabaisse for her birthday, by candlelight, midway through a week long power outtage. Washing the dishes was the worst part.
My neighbor came by to borrow some gas. I gave him 5 gallons but told him to seriously, next time be prepared.
His wife brought us cupcakes after power was restored and he bought a Honda generator just like mine. It amazed me how many people left their houses after 48 hours. My street was like a ghost town.
Quote from: rgramjet on July 29, 2010, 11:57:38 AM
My neighbor came by to borrow some gas. I gave him 5 gallons but told him to seriously, next time be prepared.
His wife brought us cupcakes after power was restored and he bought a Honda generator just like mine. It amazed me how many people left their houses after 48 hours. My street was like a ghost town.
How do you borrow gas?
It's not like you are returning it.
It's like people go "Can I borrow a cigarette?"
No way would I leave my house in the event of a massive power outage.
that is prime time to get robbed.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on July 29, 2010, 12:12:14 PM
How do you borrow gas?
It's not like you are returning it.
It's like people go "Can I borrow a cigarette?"
No way would I leave my house in the event of a massive power outage.
that is prime time to get robbed.
Sometimes when the power is out it is because there is a hurricane just outside the door. That might be a good time to be somewhere else when the power is out. [cheeky]
Quote from: akmnstr on July 29, 2010, 12:19:28 PM
Sometimes when the power is out it is because there is a hurricane just outside the door. That might be a good time to be somewhere else when the power is out. [cheeky]
I still wouldn't leave my house for very long.
Sure, maybe during the height of the storm, but not after it moves out.
My brother stayed in Cayman during Ivan the Terrible. If you have ever been to GC, he lived by the Turtle Farm.
All the turtles got washed out to sea that night [thumbsup]
I'm all set. ;D
My wife and I had our honeymoon in Grand Cayman just 13 months after Ivan kicked it's ass. We stepped off the plane and everyone in the airport was talking about the tropical depression to the south. Tropical depression? What tropical depression? Our wedding was outside so we were totally focused on the weather in our home town, not the weather near GC. Boom! It went from a tropical depression to Cat 5 hurricane in like two days!! I'm drawing a damn blank on the name of it now! [bang] It was mid-October 2005. We got hammered by the outer bands but the main surge went straight into the Cozumel/Cancun, Mexico area. It kicked their butt big time!
Lots of HARD rain, 50+mph wind gusts and I have never seen a place shut down so damn fast. All the boats moved out, the beaches were shut down as well as the airport (we were stuck for good!!) and most all the restaurants closed. We spent our honeymoon in our room (with pina coladas from the bar) watching TV (on one of the few stations we could get) trying to see where the hurricane was going. We'd call friends at home and have them pull up stuff about it on their computers.
The locals were totally freaked out and I don't blame them after what Ivan did to them! Half the windows on GC were still covered with plywood over a year later. We even saw copies of coffee table books for sale in gift shops that documented the damage. Scary shit but it all passed us by with very little damage. Like my wife says, we are owed a beach honeymoon do over! Next time I'm watching the damn weather. I had no idea the hurricane season runs through October! Don't get many hurricanes here in North Texas! [laugh]
My brother won't even really speak of his 3 days after the hurricane passed and even very little during the mass of the storm.
They were fortunate to have stocked up on canned goods and water, so they were fine on that, but the destruction and general disorder is not something he will even begin to talk about. I don't even think he took any pictures.
He was more pissed off that when he drove his Rocky to the airport, someone stole the car battery (they aren't cheap down there).
They finally got a flight out and a local friend got his vehicle back to his apartment for him.
The dumbass thing about him is.........the med school arranged a charter jet for all students to get back to the states and he declined, as well as his roommates as they thought it would "miss."
they were sure wrong.
They finished that semester in Maine. I can't remember the town, but he said the weather sucked and it was expensive.
Can't imagine it would be more expensive than GC..........
Sorry about your honeymoon.
I hope you took a second one
Naw, we're still waiting on the do-over. Went to Panama City Beach, FL in August 2007 but I had four crushed neck vertebrae and was in a neck brace. You can imagaine how much fun I had. :P Besides, it was a terrible heat and humidity wave at the time. The heat index was over 115-116 during the day. Hell, it was 105+ heat index at 8:30 in the morning! Did I mention the 30 yards of seaweed in the water? Locals say something stirred the shit up in the Gulf and just like the current oil slick it heads for the beach! If you wanted to swim you had to fight through 30 yards of seaweed to get to the clear water. It wasn't the kind of do-over we were looking for. She's still looking at beach vacations... I say screw it and that's why we head for the family cabin in the mountains of New Mexico. Mule deer, black bear, trout fishing, pine trees, 40 degree lows, 70 degree highs... make the beast with two backs the beach! Just bad juju for us. [thumbsup]
Dude, I hope your marriage is going better than your vacations together!!!!
A hurricane and then a neck brace in 110 degree weather?
The party never stops. [bang] And yes the marriage is surviving vacations and broken necks quite nicely. I'm just avoiding coastal areas for a few years.
Quote from: fastwin on July 30, 2010, 12:21:30 PM
I'm just avoiding coastal areas for a few years.
Your picking the wrong time of the year to visit such areas!!!
Caribbean vacations from late July - October can be hit/miss in an awful way.
Gotta go further south to Aruba or somewhere.
i.e. we got lured into a family vacation last year in hilton head, SC in make the beast with two backsing may.
1. It rained for 8 straight days
2. I was stuck inside with my Mom (she just found out I got two more tattoos. That was a nasty VM she left me)
3. It was 55 degrees
4. My wife and I had to sleep in separate beds (my parents vacation home has a master bedroom, one with a "den" and queen bed which middle brother/wife and daughter got, and then the other two bedrooms have twin beds which my eldest brother and his wife, along with Tiff and I got)
I could go on and on about how awful that was.
Ugh, the only missing from that nightmare was me and my bad beach vacation juju. :P
We've had good luck with the NM mountain cabin thing. Even the stiches in the head of my 13 year old step son's friend that went with us (not 2 hours after we got there, after driving 12 hours straight) didn't even faze us. Classic dumb kid shit. He threw a dictionary sized rock in the air to hit a football my step son had thrown to him. Ahhh, he got a first hand lesson in gravity. It came back down just as fast as it went up and he was too goofy and slow to get out of it's way. Bingo! Direct hit in the head. Bleed like someone turned on a faucet. Head dings do that. Trip into town to the med clinic, painful "pain killer" shots to the head and four stitches... priceless. [laugh] Even the pesky black bears hanging out in the driveway on the last night was kinda cool. Wife and kiddos were freaked out a little. All the jokes I made about rubbing honey in their hair and locking them outside if they didn't behave was starting to take effect!! [laugh] Had to drive the bears away a couple of times banging pots and pans. Got up at 4:00am to hit the bathroom... yep, they were still there. I think they were trying to break into my Suburban and steal the stereo. ;D Made loading up the next morning an exercise in watching my 6:00! Didn't need any bear surprises the last hour we were there.
Yep, cabin trips good, beach trips bad. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Dude, possibly the worst week of marriage I have ever encountered. My wife can't stand my Mom and I together as she nitpicks everything about my life. Why aren't you a doctor like brother #2, why aren't you a lawyer like brother #1, blah blah blah. I could go on.
That's a great story about your cabin trip.
At least they gave him a numbing shot, last time my Dad stitched me, he just cleaned the wound and stitched away. It make the beast with two backsing was awful.
bwaaaaaaaaaa
I didn't know bears were in the car audio theft business.
So in the topic of the thread.........how could you have been ready for said bear encounter trying to jack your stock Delco stereo?
Quote from: cyrus buelton on July 30, 2010, 04:11:06 PM
Dude, possibly the worst week of marriage I have ever encountered. My wife can't stand my Mom and I together as she nitpicks everything about my life. Why aren't you a doctor like brother #2, why aren't you a lawyer like brother #1, blah blah blah. I could go on.
That's a great story about your cabin trip.
At least they gave him a numbing shot, last time my Dad stitched me, he just cleaned the wound and stitched away. It make the beast with two backsing was awful.
bwaaaaaaaaaa
I didn't know bears were in the car audio theft business.
So in the topic of the thread.........how could you have been ready for said bear encounter trying to jack your stock Delco stereo?
bears are very ticklish, if you tickle the bear it will run away
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sW65ilskOC8/SnS1BSlTcZI/AAAAAAAAZCc/adWFG58yVQQ/s400/PolarBearCubKnut.jpg)
i don't know though.. scary night...
(http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime/bear.jpg)
Quote from: cokey on July 30, 2010, 05:02:24 PM
i don't know though.. scary night...
(http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime/bear.jpg)
the demonic ones are the most ticklish
Quote from: cyrus buelton on July 30, 2010, 04:11:06 PM
So in the topic of the thread.........how could you have been ready for said bear encounter trying to jack your stock Delco stereo?
OK, so in the spirit of the thread and your bear encounter question here's my solution. This is one of the few times my wife wants me armed like a C-130 Spectre gunship. [laugh] While we are out and about fishing and away from people and the Suburban I have a 5" 1911 .45acp (this time a hopped up Springfield Armory) with three 8 round Wilson mags with 230 grn Cor-Bon in a good sized fanny bag. At the cabin I had a class III 14" barrel 12 gauge Mossberg 590 (w/factory ghost rings) with a Surefire lighted forearm loaded with Federal H-132 low recoil/tactical 2 3/4" 00 buck and 1oz Brenneke slugs in the receiver mounted side shell holder. The whole rig fits nicely in the bottom of my big ass LL Bean duffel. It and and it's paperwork were never even taken out. Thankfully. On a non lethal level (much more preferred!) if pots and pans/yelling doesn't run them off out comes the wrist rocket slingshot and the bag of cheap dime store marbles. Hit me in the ass with that across the drive and I would damn sure leave!! [laugh] Lastly I gave the kiddos and wife those small compressed air horns that people deafen you with at sporting events! They are the smaller ones that could fit in your cargo pants pocket and they are loud as shit! It hopefully would scare the bear off and alert me to possible trouble and where they were. No one ever gets too far out of view... ever.
Thankfully none of this has ever been needed and the last thing I want to do is shoot a black bear who really only wanted a picknic basket full of goodies. But there has been trouble before and after our trips. The bears have ripped off the door to an outdoor storage bldg. to get to some deer corn someone foolishly left inside it. There are awesome claw marks through the back screen door where a bear obviously stood on his hind legs with his front paws on the door while looking in through the door window. He lowered himself down leaving the great claw marks in the screen. Pretty cool, we'll never fix it... it's too cool looking. And a good reminder not to make the beast with two backs around and forget they might be out there.
A year or two ago some family friends were there the week before we went. The little kids were watching a DVD on TV in the front room right next to the big plate glass window with the door open to the front porch. Dad heard them scream and ran in only to see a 250lb black bear on the front porch and only a closed screen door between him, his kids and the bear! In the middle of the day no less! He quickly slammed the front door in the bear's face and that apparently scared him off the porch. Dad followed up with lots of pan banging once he saw the bear was clear of the driveway area. They never saw it again.
We are right on the edge of the Philmont Boy Scout ranch and they always have some interesting stories and bear problems. So much so that my wife is worried about her son ever going! He's a Scout in DC right now at Jamboree and he really wants to do Philmont. Mom will probably pack the .45 in his backpack when he's not looking!! [laugh]
Funny you mention Philmont...
A coworker of mine is there now, hopefully the bears won't fine him tasty.
Tell him to leave the marshmellows at home. ;D We are actually watching a live feed on channel 374 (I think!) on Directv of the Boy Scout Jamboree in the DC area. My wife keeps hoping to see our son. [bang] Apparently that umbilical chord goes half way across the country! [laugh]
Just finished watching the Jamboree feed on Directv and it ended with a great short set from Switchfoot. Really cool that a popular well known band closed the Scout show. Apparently the lead singer and his younger brother in the band were once Boy Scouts in the Boston area. What a neat way to give back to Scouting on it's 100th anniversary at the Jamboree. Cool shit for the kids for sure! [thumbsup] Makes me appraicate the band even more! Sweeeeet! [clap]