Proper preparedness purchasing procedure

[OH58D]

That's probably also zip code dependent.

Your entire post with that statement is so correct. And the difference by zip code is whether your control your area of operation, or you are part of the herd.

Hunkering down in an urban or suburban area is real tenuous. Water and power are controlled by the community, not you. Eventually you don't have it. Then you have to consider movement if you're not hunkering down, but trying to "bug out". I see fuel shortages, traffic congestion and road blocks if using a vehicle, but if you're on foot, your range is limited and your're exposed to others who see your pack of survival items and guns and may want to challenge you for ownership. For my situation, I have no need to "bug out", but I would be concerned with people from the cities looking for refuge in rural locales they don't own.

I actually think something bad could be set off in the U.S. by a massive financial system hack. Imagine overnight the bank accounts of say 50 million Americans being drained of funds - all of it? Suddenly people are getting low bank account e-mails and overdraft messages. We've already seen little hits where $.10 or $.50 get pulled as a test, then put back in. Imagine 50 million Americans suddenly can't put gas in their cars, can't buy groceries, etc. The FDIC people would be spending weeks or months trying to handle the situation while you have chaos during that time. Things could get a little hot.

[John W]

Fitness / PT / Training (whatever your flavor) should be a no brainer. But reality dictates its not. Even on this forum.

Here is one that is interesting, and almost worthy of its own thread. Nearly half of Americans did not recreate outside in 2017.

https://coloradosun.com/2020/01/29/f...or-recreation/

When I worked in that industry we joked that most Goretex sold was to keep people dry as they walked to/from their home/car/business. Unfortunately, this is no longer a joke, its reality.

[drsal]

[QUOTE=SteyrAUG;2809731]That's probably also zip code dependent. THIS IS KEY !

Hurricanes, fires, tornadoes and the like can always produce an extreme example that can cripple locations for WEEKS.

That is the kind of event most of us should be thinking about. If you know what is likely, you are likely to be better prepared.

And honestly if the government goes rogue or we get some kind of actual Red Dawn scenario:HIGHLY UNLIKELY,

This post reiterates my comments that most untoward events are local, and one must have the necessary means to handle the aftermath of hurricanes and assorted weather events. As mentioned, such events can cause havoc for WEEKS, not months or years. One should be able to have the means necessary to withstand weeks of 'inconvenience' without electricity or running water for anywhere from 2-8, maybe 10-12 weeks in an urban /suburban environment; longer than that could be somewhat challenging, and other methods of procurement may be required.

[SteyrAUG]

This post reiterates my comments that most untoward events are local, and one must have the necessary means to handle the aftermath of hurricanes and assorted weather events. As mentioned, such events can cause havoc for WEEKS, not months or years. One should be able to have the means necessary to withstand weeks of 'inconvenience' without electricity or running water for anywhere from 2-8, maybe 10-12 weeks in an urban /suburban environment; longer than that could be somewhat challenging, and other methods of procurement may be required.

One of the reasons I left Florida is I was sick and tired of being the ONLY person who had a month worth of food and supplies. Hurricane Wilma had power out for about 3 weeks.

I had the grill set up in the driveway and my neighbors and I would grill hotdogs and stuff so the kids wouldn't freak out and it was more like camping.

By day THREE people had the nerve to walk about the driveway and ask for shit like it was some kind of community outreach program. Even worse were the assholes who would send their kids to ask if they could have a hot dog. Some kids got a freebie, some kids were reminded that their parents are the ones who never let their dog in at night and it barks non stop from 2am to 5am and that on weekends their parents play music so loud I can hear it inside MY living room 5 houses away and when I'm walking my dogs I can also smell their skunky weed from 5 houses away.

I told them to tell their parents that I left a whole bunch of food for them at the grocery store.

By week TWO I had people trying to BUY food from me. Hey, isn't your kid the one who dropped out of school and has been arrested twice for breaking into neighborhood houses to fund his drug problem? Yeah, I'm actually hoping you guys starve and die, should take about 3 weeks.

Anyone decent knew my disaster plans and also knew what they needed to bring to the table. We also knew people who were on their own and would need help, we made sure they got invited to the driveway party and would even go and get them because old folks are sometimes too polite to want to impose.

But that is all years in the rear view window. Of course in 2018 my small Iowa town took an F3 tornado down main street. I didn't get a scratch but a lot of people got their clocks cleaned and that last time anyone around here took a direct hit was 60 odd years ago. I knew most people wouldn't even know what they are going to need with half a roof gone, no electricity and in some cases no running water. I probably spent close to $5 grand on basic "this is what you are going to need" boxes of supplies for the people I felt a responsibility to.

At one point I think I had 16 people bunked down at my house. And I did it all with a smile because I didn't have to put up with any of the bullshit I used to deal with in Florida. We camped out a few nights at houses that were wide open and vulnerable, grilling on the front porch as per the drill. It amazed me how many neighbors walked around the block making sure other people "had everything they need like food, water and a dry, warm place to sleep." We handed out lots of free hotdogs those nights.

Guys who spent the night on the front deck "keeping an eye on things" not only watched their stuff but kept an eye on every house they could see. Bought the worst thing that happened from my LE friends was them catching kids going through cars at night.

The difference between my current zip code and the one I left in Florida was dramatic.

[drsal]

SteyrAUG,
I can understand your frustration with your Florida neighbors, during hurricane Wilma, we lost power for only 4 days in Parkland, no issues whatsoever with neighbors as 90% had generators, what else what you expect in a Parkland development. My wife and I could have been fine for at least 3 months, no generator, but running water; the backup security alarm battery went out after 72 hours but the dogs were a better alarm system and deterrent to any would be miscreants. No neighborhood grilling as no one really associated with each other except for an occasional nod if they were noticed during the course of the week.