SHTF trial run

uscsoldier · Jan 20, 2015

So I am at use or loose on my vacation and I have to take next week off. I have nothing to do and dont wanna go anywhere so I cam up with this idea. Starting this friday the 23rd-sunday 2/1 I am gonna hold up at my Bug in location (my house) and test my SHTF plan. I will list what I'm gonna do and am open to ideas or sugestions from you all

1. disconect from power and natural gas and run off my Gen
2. turn off water and only use what I have on hand
3. not leave my house.
4. only eat from my SHTF food supply
5. only coms I will use will be my Amature radios
6. GIVE ME YOUR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS

Nwcid · Jan 20, 2015

Post on Facebook each day how it goes

I would go as close to what you expect your SHTF to be. You say not leave your house, well if I was in SHTF I know I would be outside getting things done. I would be finding extra ways to secure water, snow, rain catch, etc. Does your house need better securing like boarding up in a real SHTF? What other immediate preps would you be making? Do you have the materials on hand to do that?

Now if your goal is to test the items you have prepared then sounds good.

ZA_Survivalist · Jan 20, 2015

Another fun idea is having someone drop you off quite a ways from home and having to work your way back.

Of course ignoring modern amenities and perhaps people, Traveling by night.. Etc.

Id set an alarm, at that moment you have X-amount of time to fill bottles and your tub with water.. Perhaps 6-10 minutes.. Thats it, from there power is down..

Inwould test out any bug in/out equipment and make sure it works, and you know how to use it. Far too often people think they'll be able to do/use something and it fails. Id test all my equipment.

Id also do a full day run without the use of your dominant arm.. To practice for injury.. It sounds silly but until you try it you don't know how hard it can be. Right/left, perhaps no thumb, only one eye..
No joke.. Its darn tough and teaches you that when a partbof the body goes down you really have to adapt quick.
Its why I shoot right and left handed.

uscsoldier · Jan 20, 2015

My SHTF scenario is a civil unrest like hurricane Katrina. I do have 3/4 plywood already pre cut and drilled for all my windows and a few other things I wont mention to secure my house, all can be done in 30min.

Martini_Up · Jan 20, 2015

Pretend during the civil unrest someone threw a molotov cocktail (or 10) onto your house. Now use your backup plan without any gear from your 1st BOL (house)

Or just go camping/fishing for a week at the coast or mountains. It's what I would do for a low cost vacation.

uscsoldier · Jan 20, 2015

keep the ideas coming, I am totally gonna do the primary arm injury thing

notazombie · Jan 20, 2015

I really like ZA's suggestion to start the drill by first getting home. That would be the likely scenario anyway.

uscsoldier · Jan 20, 2015

I work from home

PigNorton91 · Jan 22, 2015

Eat however many calories per day that you would be eating during your shtf.

I see people doing their test runs while being fully fed and eating candy. Things get alot harder when true hunger sets in.

I'm not saying do anything dangerous, but it does add to the realism imo.

Riot · Jan 22, 2015

Any reason why you shut off the natural gas?

Joao01 · Jan 22, 2015

Maybe towards the end assume that you've decided to Bug Out and prep your Bug Out Vehicle (if not already loaded). At the end, drive a few miles or so. I know for me, just in normal trips, when I've left the home for a few blocks is when I think of all the stuff I forgot.

Might also be an opportunity to do some route reconnaissance or just recon around the neighborhood. Since you'll be home during the day (which I assume you normally aren't), you can figure out what is normal. Normal vehicles, normal dog barkings, etc. Might help you spot things that are out of place if you ever do it for real.

maxisback · Jan 22, 2015

Walk around your place and try to figure a way in. Play the bad guy.
Also, run a different SHTF scenario each day to keep it interesting.

uscsoldier · Jan 23, 2015

maxisback said:
Walk around your place and try to figure a way in. Play the bad guy.
Also, run a different SHTF scenario each day to keep it interesting.

I do this all the time

Legs · Jan 23, 2015

ZA_Survivalist said:
Another fun idea is having someone drop you off quite a ways from home and having to work your way back.

Have them drop you off late at night in a bad part of town for a realistic scenario!

ZA_Survivalist · Jan 23, 2015

Legs said:
Have them drop you off late at night in a bad part of town for a realistic scenario!

Haha!

Stomper · Jan 24, 2015

Hopefully you properly disconnect your house from the grid before you run your generator (with a proper transfer switch) through your electric service panel. It'd go real bad if your generator and (typically 200 amp) electric service went head to head!

Riot · Jan 24, 2015

I guess my original question (about why you shut off your gas) didn't merit a response...

Anyhoot...I'd go out at night and see how far your generator can be heard from your house (mind you your neighborhood will be quieter if the grid was down) and see if you need to block off your house from any ambient light, bury your generator deeper or secure it better from theft.

I'd also set a few alarms throughout the night to wake you up periodically (every couple of hours or so) to simulate you being alerted to things throughout the neighborhood, your generator running out of gas (or someone trying to steal it), or people just banging on your door at 3am begging for food or doing a "soft check" of your security and perimeter.

Do you have a pellet gun or sling shot? If so, see if you can kill a bird in your backyard without causing too much attention at like 6am on a Saturday (simulating supplementing protein).

Your injured arm is now becoming infected, do you have antibiotics to treat it? Do you know how much you're supposed to take (recommended to place dosage cheat cards like "take 4 pills every 6 hours" on your bottles to avoid confusion)? Most medicines are dossed out in Kilograms vs Milligrams (meaning how much you weigh versus how many MGs of that medicine you are supposed to take per day). Some drugs are fast acting but not good for long term, some are slow acting but good for long term...anyhoot, I'm not a doctor and I doubt you are either, but this is definitely some good stuff to know if you don't already...or at least have the documentation to figure it out.

Simulate the sewage suddenly backing up into your toilet and tub...you've got to place a shunt between your sewer run-off and the house to stop it (void this if on septic). You now have to disinfect your house and clothes.

Your closest neighbor suddenly is banging your door, he's frantic and stating his house is on fire...your house is close enough that if it spreads it will catch your house on fire as well (void if no trees and house is seperated by a couple hundred meters).

You have a family member stop by, found out about your preps and is asking for help- he brought his wife and child with him. Your food and water source is now being consumed three times higher than usual but you now can sleep more since he's taking watch as well.

You crack into some of your preps and find out they've been contaminated (vermin, bacteria, humidity, take your pick) and now have to suppliment them.

You come down with a diarrhea illness and don't know from what. You now have to consume more water than normal but don't know if it is from a water source that caused it. Do you have anti-diarrheal medicines? When will you decide to start taking antibiotics (right away to not dehydrate yourself or wait to conserve them)? Do you have an extra way to filter water (chemical, UV and/or filter)?

A crying woman, claiming to be pregnant, is banging on your door. She's asking for charity. She does not appear to be armed or from the neighborhood.