Becoming prepared

[cbzdel]

Something the wife and I just talked about was having cash in hand which I actually got her to agree on, I am working it and getting her to think something can and will happen someday. You know an emergency fund, but not the i need to pay the water bill kinda of emergency the disaster has striked and this guy wants $100 for half a bottle of water.

Good idea or pointless? And if its a good idea, what a good amount of cash to have on hand?? I was thinking $1000 in $10s or $20s.. Thoughts?

 

[Silver Fox]

Screw cash. Get Silver. If not Silver something that can be bartered like .22 Lr ammo

SF-

 

[powersbj]

I think some cash is good idea. If the power goes down for a few days the ATMs and the debit card readers are out you're still in bussiness. I dont think .22LR is gonna get you much at Topfood. Once you get passed the midterm crisis I think the barter system might kick in but in that 3days to a week I think you'll be able to get some stuff with the cash.

 

[cbzdel]

how about some silver look alike.. a person could hand me polished stainless steel bar and I wouldn't know the difference haha!

I have seen the thread on it, but what makes everyone believe that gold/silver will trade so easily? When the majority of people, in my opinion, have no idea between the real deal and the fake stuff.

I have a fake Rolex but it looks real, it has a solid weight to it, it doesnt feel or look fake but it is. Then I have a REAL Rolex that was my Grandpas, it was the only thing worth any value he ever owned, he worked his whole life and never spent a dime on himself until he retired and it was the first thing he bought. I put the two side by side and I cant tell the difference until I open them up and look at the gears.

 

[matt_w]

...I dont think .22LR is gonna get you much at Topfood.

Have you tried to buy .22LR recently? I had to go to 3 stores berfore I could find some. I would have rather traded some canned food straight up for a brick of it!

 

[powersbj]

Have you tried to buy .22LR recently? I had to go to 3 stores berfore I could find some. I would have rather traded some canned food straight up for a brick of it!

HA! Got me!

 

[Arkarayne]

I saw some bricks of .22 and seriously thought about buying some.. darn influences. haha.
Iunno i kinda wanna focus on my main ammo stores but i guess 15 bucks every couple weeks isn't too terrible, for potential bargaining chips.

 

[EZLivin]

Good idea or pointless...Thoughts?

"Good" idea. If the grid goes down for x period of time physical cash will be the only means of doing transactions, so why not keep some on hand. Yes, an occasional enterprising merchant will accept silver and gold in payment, but the majority will not. Gold and silver come into play during a currency crisis, and even then the vast majority of transactions will be done in the official "coin of the realm," or in a foreign currency (CA$ for example). What generally happens is gold and silver is sold/exchanged for paper currency, and the currency is used for transactions.

 

[cbzdel]

CA$ huh.. So maybe keep $1000us and $500CA? Living in WA its possible to run to Canada as well, not the best choice but it is possible.

just thinking ahead but dont want to over do it at the same time hah

 

[jdub75]

One thing I've seen recommended for a BoB is credit/debit cards. I was reminded of that today when I overheard someone going on how their 'only' debit card was suspended for fraud & they were without money on a holiday weekend.
I am not pushing credit cards, but I can tell you in the field I work in, I have seen people in VERY tough spots b/c they 'don't believe' in credit & only own 1 card. Well, that is great financial policy in one aspect, but when you are vacationing in NY & your 1 card is suspended due to irregular transactions, what then? I've dealt w/ folks like this, and its not fun.
My point being, get more than 1 credit card, and keep more than 1 bank & have debit cards for them. Even if its only $25, $50, in a semi-emergency, it could be the difference in a tank of gas or a bus ticket home, or dinner for the family.

 

[Riot]

Hi all first post here.. Been lurking for a while and had to register because something in the FS section took my eye

I am 25 and newly married, I talk to my wife about becoming prepared for SHTF moments and such but she doesn't take it seriously, she says nothing like that will never happen here. That being said I am on my own for our ability to survive in the SHTF moment.

So my question if what are the minimums??

I dont have alot of storage space so I cant store huge amounts or stuff, I would really like just a small duffel bag. Is this considered a BOB??

What should go in there though..

I currently have things like this:
Guns - Dont know if they are necessary but I have them, my ammo supply looks like (400) rounds 9mm, (2000) rounds 22lr, (60) rounds 30.06, and I will be getting into 5.56/.223 here soon.

Water Purifier - I have a small backpacking pump action water purifier, it has worked great in the past, I have purified things as dirty as a mud puddle just to see if it would work hah!

and well, that's about it for the SHTF moments, I may have other key items but they are just not coming to mind.

First of all...WELCOME TO NWFA FORUMS!

Secondly....do some googleing on Bug-Out-Bags. We can all sit here and tell you what we have in ours, but you may need more or less depending on where you are and how many people you have in your family.

Next, you will probably be surprised to find that you probably own many of the items you will need for a survival situation. For example, how about a pot or steel can to boil water in? I bet you've got one lurking around somewhere in your kitchen. Do you really need to hop online and buy the one named "survival pot"? No, not really...

The first thing you need to do is cover the basics...food, water, shelter. Then comes a good knife, something to light a fire with (flint/steel), something for self-defense (like a gun), cold-weather gear, ect, ect. Just doing a little bit at a time will help you be that much more prepared...

Just think of it this way...if your power and water were shut off right now, could you survive for a week without going to the store? How about two weeks? What about a month?

Uh-oh...now people are starting to loot and looking for supplies from people more prepared than they were....time to bug out!

You get the idea...start small, think, plan, then prepare then start the process over and plan and prepare some more.

You can never be too prepared!

 

[EZLivin]

CA$ huh.. So maybe keep $1000us and $500CA? Living in WA its possible to run to Canada as well, not the best choice but it is possible.

just thinking ahead but dont want to over do it at the same time hah

My point was that during a currency crisis people will often use foreign currencies in addition to their own. If we had a serious currency crisis here in the US, with the US$ rapidly losing value, more and more people would begin to look for alternatives that would provide a better store of value. In my opinion the best alternative here in the States, as far as currencies are concerned, is the CA$. If it is emergency cash you are talking about, then there would be nothing at all wrong with holding a bit of CA$ along with your US$ (as long as you are not bothered by fluctuating exchange rates).

It really all depends upon what scenario(s) you are preparing for.

 

[dave]

I think cash is a great thing to have on hand or in your BOB. If you are buggin out, you will likely want to purchase fuel for your vehicle(s) and fill what cans you might have. In a dire situation, fuel prices might be inflated due to a situation. And who wants to wait in another line for the ATM.

 

[Riot]

I think cash is a great thing to have on hand or in your BOB. If you are buggin out, you will likely want to purchase fuel for your vehicle(s) and fill what cans you might have. In a dire situation, fuel prices might be inflated due to a situation. And who wants to wait in another line for the ATM.

What line? At that point people will be breaking the ATM open...having Canadian currency on hand is a great idea, but you will probably get more from bartering other things (like ammo, food, and gas) than you will from money, jewlery or other items that are thought to be of value. Running to Canada is always an option...but how many other people are thinking the same thing? What if the problems we're having is worse than just here in Washington- Idaho and even Oregon residents are probably thinking the same thing.

Oh Canada, Oh Canada!

During Katrina, people were selling bottled water at the Superdome for $100 a bottle. At that point, people felt that water was more important than money. Sure, if you had a stack of hundreds you would be okay...but wouldn't it just be better to have a water purifier? Maybe something to boil water in and a canteen?

 

[EZLivin]

Sure, if you had a stack of hundreds you would be okay...but wouldn't it just be better to have a water purifier? Maybe something to boil water in and a canteen?

Unless one has limited means I think it is absolutely crucial to cover yourself for any likely emergency situation since one never knows how things will play out. A certain amount of food, water, cash, arms, etc., is always prudent. We're not the only ones thinking that way these days. I'm hearing (from a very reliable source) that the boys over at Goldman (and many of the other investment banks) are arming themselves in increasing numbers. Guess with them it was "gold" first, then "guns" second.

 

[Riot]

Unless one has limited means I think it is absolutely crucial to cover yourself for any likely emergency situation since one never knows how things will play out. A certain amount of food, water, cash, arms, etc., is always prudent. We're not the only ones thinking that way these days. I'm hearing (from a very reliable source) that the boys over at Goldman (and many of the other investment banks) are arming themselves in increasing numbers. Guess with them it was "gold" first, then "guns" second.

We're going to have to agree to dissagree on this one...I would rather spend the money I have on more supplies than collecting a stack of bills to shove in a bug-out-bag. Because when you really need that bag, all the money in the world wont save you from the crap headed your way.

 

[dave]

What line? At that point people will be breaking the ATM open...having Canadian currency on hand is a great idea, but you will probably get more from bartering other things (like ammo, food, and gas) than you will from money, jewlery or other items that are thought to be of value. Running to Canada is always an option...but how many other people are thinking the same thing? What if the problems we're having is worse than just here in Washington- Idaho and even Oregon residents are probably thinking the same thing.

Oh Canada, Oh Canada!

During Katrina, people were selling bottled water at the Superdome for $100 a bottle. At that point, people felt that water was more important than money. Sure, if you had a stack of hundreds you would be okay...but wouldn't it just be better to have a water purifier? Maybe something to boil water in and a canteen?

You must be on a different timeline? I was certain we were discussing buggin out bags. I commented on having cash to pickup last minute fuel and what nots on ones way out of town. If you think batering will take place even soon, you will get shot advertising whatever Canadian crap you are trying to pedal. Again, Im speaking of a "bug out bag". Not carrying cans of gasoline on my back?
Or heading to Canada. So add me to the disagree list.

 

[Silver Fox]

We're going to have to agree to dissagree on this one...I would rather spend the money I have on more supplies than collecting a stack of bills to shove in a bug-out-bag. Because when you really need that bag, all the money in the world wont save you from the crap headed your way.

I would/have spent my money on tangible items but the idea of having a few greenbacks in the BOB would be a good idea. I might implement it down the road but right now I need to round out my required items. I guess depending on the circumstances I may not want to pull over and get anything, but if an oppurtunity presents itself I may pull over at a truck stop and shop till I have no more cash. At this point I will have my BOB, a few extra firearms from the safe, what ammo I have here, clothes, tools and selected family momentous and that is it. Everything else is prestaged at the ranch that I will need for SHTF scenrio.

SF-

 

[EZLivin]

We're going to have to agree to dissagree on this one...I would rather spend the money I have on more supplies than collecting a stack of bills to shove in a bug-out-bag. Because when you really need that bag, all the money in the world wont save you from the crap headed your way.

Definitely depends upon the situation. In a Katrina-style event supplies (fuel, etc.) would get you out of Dodge, and cash would get you the rest of the way (to wherever). In an all out SHTF event I think cash would get you pretty far in the beginning, but as the event progressed cash would become increasingly less desirable (maybe to the point of becoming useless). So many variables that won't be known until the nature of the event(s) occur.

Now that I think about it, my "bug-out bag"might consist of enough gasoline to get me over the hill to TCGC and back (a few times). Maybe for those of us who are "bugging-in," places like TCGC would become the "meet up" place for like-minded individuals. Ya, that's it - if anyone suddenly finds themselves at the dinner table night after night making models of TCGC with mashed potatoes please let me know!

 

[Gunner3456]

I see a lot of people preparing for a temporary and regional shtf thing such as Katrina. It could be earthquake or...?? In that case eventually help would come so a few week's supplies would do it.

I'm thinking more of a collapse of the national system - the whole thing. An international crisis with a collapse of the dollar, a total breakdown of the supply chain, anarchy - you name it. The thing is, preparation for that is also preparation for a temporary regional disaster.

I'm thinking of a minimum of two years of supplies, even if very basic. Wheat, rice, meds, water, shelter, fuel, defense.

THAT requires bugging in, but you could still pick up part of it and bug out. I have no intention of bugging out no matter. I can't dream up a scenario where I would bug out. We have an inexhaustible supply of water and all of our other preps are right here. I've planned how to defend it with other local family members joining us.

I don't see a national or international breakdown also having an earthquake which collapses the house. It's one or the other. The earthquake leaves the rest of the country intact and help will come eventually. SHTF nationally and internationally and help won't come but the house should stand.

If things are so bad that you have to bug out you will be a target for predatory gangs, and for local residents who don't want you around. You won't be able to buy gas for a vehicle and besides, roads will be blocked by accidents, people out of gas and by local residents who don't want you. You will be on foot.

For any who believe there could be a collapse of the economy and the government, you'll need enough supplies of so many types that I believe you need to figure out how to stay home, harden a couple of areas of the house for defense and stay put. You can't carry what you'll need.

$.02