Thread: Collapse......whats your first move?

Ok, the senario is that without warning a complete government collapse happens. We loss power,phones and water. You have a normally stocked house with standard arms collection (I.e. shotgun,10/22, hunting rifle and hand gun. You have a good relationship with your neighbors and live in a decent area of town. Your closest water source is about a 30 minute walk from your home and you can hunt and fish locally.

What are your very first moves?

Opinion: take in to consideration that about half of the people out there will panic and cause problems for everyone.

it's hard to fathom this situation because I am on well water, and everything is based on that...BUT in the situation you described it would be ALL ABOUT water....


So, water water water. bottled water. water bottles, water carrying devices, rain water collection devices, water purification devices etc.

Pray

Yes, water is the first thing. Of course, any sane person already has some water stored up as well as filter devices. But I am taking about right at the collapse. Hopefully you saved every food grade holder and can start filling them up with tap water before it gets cut off. If you have a spare bathtub you should already have a water bladder and that should be filled asap.

Prayer is useless, the only one that can save you is yourself. If it makes one 'feel better,' by all means pray away.

Well having lived in cities, in the country and been all around the U.S., I am going to base it on my current living situation (hope to be moving soon, away from the city). I have several elderly negihbors who cannot fend for themselves (nice people) but hey will a liability when I bug out if I take themand would want to go anyways.

I think it would depend on the severity of the situation, meaning has chaos erutped and looting immediately started, or are people trying to figure out what going on, remember most will be in shock for at least 3 days, at which time Wal-Mart and every other store will be depleted of everything in the stores.

Then people will start panicking and start expecting those with plenty of stores to start sharing (even though they never shared their wealth or splurging with you). At which time if I am still about I will have to fending off the hoards who have the UPS driver delivery food from honeyville, each and every person will think they have some kind of special entitlement to my goods (once again, even though they never shared they wealth with me) See food, fuel, ammo and meed's will become the new currency.

I guess the answer to your question is, if it is a complete and total collapse, I will acquire a couplelfo utility trailers, weld a hitch on the back of the first one (so I can piggy back the second trailer) pack up all of my goods and head to afriends in the mountains (this if i am still living on the outskirts of a big city). We will combine our assets and stores and begin to rebuild, repelling anyone whi trys to acquire wehat we have by whatever means necessary, we will some trading but very little, between the two of us we pretty much have everything we need.

I would get the heck of the city of city as quickly as possible you cannot be a hunter gatherer there.

Get out while everyone is still in shock and trying to figure what is going on, once they figure it out, all **** will break lose.

Originally Posted by bruzer

Pray

+1

On my knees.

On the water situation there's no excuse for people not to have drinking water for at least a month assuming everyone has a WATER HEATER. There's easily 40+ gallons. Next I'd load up any and all mags I had and pull all cash from any account immediately and try to buy supplies and get all the silver I could. Next I'd say fortify your home. After that I think everyone's situation could be similar or entirely different. Nobody knows what could happen. Interesting topic.

I think I would start by taking the day off from work, probably early on I would venture out to the truck and turn on the radio to see whats up, I would try to gather some more intel by hollering over to the neighbors and asking them whats up.

If after collecting as much intel as possible I would celebrate the collapse of the Govt. by drinking a beer or 2 while there still cold.

I would avoid the riot and looting of Walmart, I mean who needs another TV when there is no power.

I would form a pact with my neighbors to form a militia to protect our selves and pool resources, I would gather family and friends, search around for elderly an disabled folk, gather them into the fold.

Continue to monitor the radio and try to gather intel on the overall situation.

Maybe have a campfire cookout with my followers, have the kids put on a show of some sort, got to keep the clan entertained.

Maybe start a new business selling my well water to those out side of the clan in need, Maybe charge 1 cat for 5 US galons, for bulk sales probably charge a Saint Bernard for 55 gal.

Maybe paint my house that cool shade of blue that the home owners association nixed, tear all the smog control devices off my truck.

Light off fireworks that fly higher then 2 feet off the ground, smoke where ever I want, grow a beard and wear bike shorts every where.

Get rid of that awful maple tree along side the driveway that the County refuses to let me cut down.

Probably have to kill the crazy dude trying to weld my trailers together.

Declare myself king of my own home and live happily ever after.

Gather the neighbors together and assess the situation. Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing.

I would try to fill the bath tubs, buckets, sinks anything that holds water with water. When done, or if no water flow at all, I'd shut off the house main. There ought be a month, or two water in my house system. No one can be on full alert 24/7. So, unless you have a trustworthy tribe, with known skills and resources I doubt one will outlast the water. The more goods you got, the more of a target you are and the quicker some gang will come for your stuff. The bigger gang usually wins, even if most did not 'Properly' prepare and plan for the collapse. Maybe heading for the closest military base might be a plan.

Very first thing would be to consolidate me people and supplies at one location if possible. Depending on time of year, it's just not pratical to spread them out, and my mom's house doesn't have a fireplace. Mine has two, and would still not heat the house very efficiently (1965 construction, fireplaces were already becoming decorative luxuries.)

Hopefully by spring of 2013 I will not have this problem any more, as I am planning to buy my retreat this year and spend all of my income for the next year developing it. That home will be secure, passive solar heated supplemented by fireplaces and furnace on a well with septic system, and lots and lots of on-site storage, as well as surrounded by many acres of farm and orchard.

We're even planning on having some horses. I have a plan to integrate all of it into revenue producing business so even if the zombie apocalypse never happens, I'll be benefiting from all of my preps.

Originally Posted by gunnails

Light off fireworks that fly higher then 2 feet off the ground, smoke where ever I want, grow a beard and wear bike shorts every where.

haha!

Originally Posted by netsecsys

Gather the neighbors together and assess the situation. Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing.

This how I see it, at least in my neighborhood. The city mobs on the otherhand are a different story. Collecting livestock and meds would be high on the list. I have a freshwater source nearby so water (at least in the begining) will not be an issue.
making friends with your Doctor is a good idea. One of mine just happens to be a survivalist and gun builder.

I see 2 waves of city mobs rolling through. The first will be people heading for the hills. They won't stick around very long until they get to where they are going. The second wave will be the scary one. These will be people who have used up all resources in the citys and will be looking to take yours. These will be the ruthless and strong. A possible 3rd wave could happen from those who fled for the hills and couldn't make it.

This is just a theory,one of many I have.
Its all about learning to adjust to survive. If thousands of Afircan tribes people can do it everyday, I can learn to do it too.

Now if I change the scenario to my actual home with well water, and grid free options for accessing that well water; and adequate food and ammo preps....THEN my first order of business would be to actually hit up the fabric store....or maybe goodwill since it is closer and I might be in a hurry. I would buy thick dark fabric with which to make black out curtains. It has been on my to do list for a month, and I already got my measurements....I just need to get my butt down to the fabric store and drop about $50 on fabric....

I'd attempt to withdraw as much cash as possible, but it sounds like the ATMs won't be working if we've lost all power, and I doubt the bank would be open...if it is open it is probably understaffed with too many people trying to withdraw....so I'd just scope out the bank and if it didn't look too crazy, I'd attempt to take out some cash. Luckily we keep a fair amount of cash at home hidden in various secure locations....so we've got the basics taken care of. If there is no electricity then I doubt the gas pumps will be working; but I'd attempt to fill up both cars with gas. We already have a small amount of gasoline stored and rotated through at home....enough to run the generator and well pump for a few days...but more is better.

The good news is I wouldn't HAVE to do anything. Wouldn't HAVE to go anywhere. Just load up some magazines and start eating the fridge and freezer food and wait for people to show up. Hopefully friends show up before foes....

A lot of great ideas but needless to say they should be done *prior* to anything going down?

I actually just talked with my hubby about this last night. We have our cashe, but it wouldnt hurt to stock up the little bit more we could at the time. So the bank, gas station, grocery store/walmart, and the fabric store would be hit up depending on where we are at the time. We live in apartments and over half of our neighbors dont speak english, so I would get with some of the ones in our building that do and "check in" and see what they have and what they know and maybe have a "Last dinner" with the stuff in the fridge/freezer. Depending on how bad things get we will pack up and head for the hills... I have family that we have a pre-arranged plans with.

Wouldnt it be nice if we had a couple of days before the "masses" figure out what's going on?! I'm not betting on it, but wishfull thinking!

Originally Posted by Russianfist

Your closest water source is about a 30 minute walk from your home and you can hunt and fish locally.

What are your very first moves?

30 minute walk to water is not going to cut it. And that is what we would be up against sense we live in the middle of Portland. We are leaving!

Originally Posted by Noisycow

Prayer is useless, the only one that can save you is yourself. If it makes one 'feel better,' by all means pray away.

To each his on I guess.

Change the channel.

Originally Posted by Noisycow

Yes, water is the first thing. Of course, any sane person already has some water stored up as well as filter devices. But I am taking about right at the collapse. Hopefully you saved every food grade holder and can start filling them up with tap water before it gets cut off. If you have a spare bathtub you should already have a water bladder and that should be filled asap.

Prayer is useless, the only one that can save you is yourself.

Yup.