Prepper “What If” scenarios

[carhugger_prep]

I was just curious if anyone has done this to see if their preps were up to different things or if I am the only one.

What I mean by “Prepper ‘What If’ scenarios” is like “What if there is a economic collapse?” or “What if the US was invaded by an enemy force?”

 

[lonewolf]

I don't prep for just one event or one scenario, my preps are "all encompassing" or as much as I can make them.

 

[carhugger_prep]

I am the same way and that is why I do ‘what if’ scenarios so I can create lists of supplies that I would need in each scenario and cross off what I have and know what I need.

 

[jimLE]

yeah,i've asked my self,what if? many times..and in different ways..from economic collapse to EMP'S,to military comeing through.to what ever that includes other ppl.also what if a tornado touchs down and starts heading my direction?..i've also looked at a wall or what ever.and asked my self what if i did this?.or what if i did that? what if i add this to this?and with winter moving in.i ask my self..what if the pipes freeze? what if i don't have any water?what if the electric goes out? and we don't have propane to heat the house?

 

[jontte]

I'll usually do the what if's while going to work and from it...look at where I'm at the moment and what to do to get home asap...but as bigpaul said it's quite good to plan for many different scenarios...

 

[jimLE]

what if i had $1.00 for every time asked,what if? lol

 

[lonewolf]

I don't believe in great stocks of stuff, for one I haven't got the cash and two at some point it'll all get used up post SHTF, I don't plan on having enough stuff for the next 30 years, I havent got the space for it, I don't live in a huge mansion, its a little 2 bed semi. so I stock what I think might come in useful, I've pretty much stopped buying stuff now..got no more room, everywhere is full up, now concentrating on skills and knowledge-things I can keep in my head-they'll last a lot longer than any box of stuff. only thing I'm still buying is my food stocks.

 

[jontte]

space is limited,know that for sure,seeds is something that usually stick in my hands when I go for my weekly shopping,they don't cost that much and will come to use.

 

[Gazrok]

I definitely ask the "what if" questions a lot. To be honest, it's really just a thinking exercise. Prepping is something I consider to be my hobby, but a useful one...especially as from time to time, my SHTF preps have helped us in very real ways....

Mostly, I approach it from prepping for a zombie attack. Sounds silly, but if you think of it, zombie prep includes darn near every other SHTF scenario. Losing the grid, pandemic, marauders, etc. So, we jokingly refer to it as zombie prep. (I think the likelihood of an actual zombie apocalypse is about the same as me hitting the lotto, but still.....it's an all encompassing event).

No matter what the scenario, I still think our biggest challenge is going to be other survivors who are hostile. So, I try to include this "what if" in all of my planning.

The "stockpile" mentality is not really one I embrace. I believe in stocking up on some things, don't get me wrong:
Ammo, Guns, Building Supplies, Powdered Dairy Products (so they keep), Dry Goods (like pasta, beans, cereals, flour, sugar, etc.), and Cleaning and Medical Supplies. But for the most part, I'm more into replenishing sources of food and water.

Stockpiles have to be rotated, and constantly replenished. So, I try and limit this to the following criteria:
1. Can't make it easily myself.
2. Won't be available post SHTF.
3. Can be had at a relatively reasonable price.
4. Can be used even if a SHTF event never happens.

But, with a well and rain catchment, no need to store water (though I still do anyhow as well, can never hurt to have backups).

With a garden, fruit trees, and other grown edibles, no need to store these (though still nice to store home-canned excess).

With chickens, goats, and rabbits, no need to store protein (which is tricky anyhow), as you can always have fresh sources.

So, my approach is really more towards replenishment sources first, stockpiling second. In addition, it all assumes that if a SHTF event occurs, 1. We will lose the grid, 2. The government will not be there to bail us out, and 3. Fellow survivors are going to be a big threat.

 

[jimLE]

im else where on the internet.and this subject came up there.in which some very good points have been made,when it comes to any event of any kind should happen.and the people that wont survive it past a certain leanth of time.be it one day,or be it 6 months,to somewhere in between..what if a EMP or pandemic happened? i think that at least 75 - 95% of the people in the hospitals won't survive.mainly the ones with chronic diseases and/or serious injuries,and dependent on the people there to do at least most of everything for them..and when will the medical staff at the hospitals,nursing homes and other medical facilities come to the realization of what's going on,then leave? then there's the elderly that still live at home,and can barely do for themselves.then there's the people who can't or won't cook for themselves?then there's my mom.she's in bad health.i've asked myself,i dont know how many times.WHAT IF SHE can't make it to a safer/bug out location..? what if i have to bug out without her?can i do that when it comes to her? to be honest.i truly dont know if i can or not.at least not untill the time comes where i have to choose one way or another.

 

[jontte]

don't think this belongs here,but as I went for my saturday sauna yesterday,I couldn't help seeing that the door to our shelter in our house was open and as I'm curios to see what kind of gear they store for an emergency I took a peak....what I saw left me silent,a few hardhats,two gasmasks,something to meassure perhaps toxins in the air and a first-aid bag (small,very small) and it's supposed to be for around 300 people...those supplies wouldn't last an hour,I have far supperior gera for first-aid here,have spare filters for my gas-mask,so for me going to that shelter is out of the question,I would be trapped down there...so in this apartment complex no one in chrge is doing this "what if" thinking..

 

[jimLE]

i agree.that shelter is not a option for anyone.prepper or not..id be better off where i am.compared to that.and now you have me wondering,does the small city i live outside of,have any thing of the sort at all?

 

[jontte]

ask quietly around,there might be...or has been..

 

[jimLE]

looks like i might have to ask around..on account,i got into the cities web site..and couldn't find anything..

 

[Maverick]

They don't really use shelters here anymore Jim, most of the shelters back in the 50s 60s and 70s were costly too costly for a 'feel good' psych, the government today recommends 'shelter in place' removing most if not all 'shelter' 'fallout shelter' signs with that said most older shelters are used for administrative or archive use today and what isn't used are probably deemed unsafe thus not open to the public, you can always go ask the city administrators office and ask or the city engineer

 

[Gazrok]

I often get asked (by those who know I prep), "How do I prep on a budget? I don't have land, what can I do?"

Here's the answer I give:

In this scenario, it's important to focus on the TOOLS and KNOWLEDGE that allow you to OBTAIN (vs. stockpile) the items you need. None of these items are expensive (except the handgun, of course, but see suggestion there), and even at minimum wage, you should be able to obtain these with no problem.

WATER - you NEED two things. 1) A metal water bottle you can boil water in. 2) A water filter straw for quick water on the go. Knowledge wise, know where to find water in your area (even if a city).

FOOD - 1) A small can opener (will keep you from injury when opening found cans), 2) A small camping mess kit (something to eat out of, cook in), 3) Leakproof bags (to carry food in). Knowledge wise, know local plants that are edible, where you can find fish, game, etc. (even if just squirrel or pigeon, etc.). Don't be picky, even bugs, etc. Seeds are great, but only if you find a safe place for them, and know how to get them going/producing.

KNIFE - both protection and as a tool, a good fixed blade knife is essential

MULTI-TOOL - really handy, so many uses.

LIGHTER - you need fire, and these work fast. Other firestarter methods are great, but this one is essential.

FLASHLIGHT - LED one, just good to have.

PONCHO - not one of the $1 ones (though those are good to have as well), but something that will really keep you dry, or can be used in a makeshift shelter.

RADIO, HANDCRANK - get one that also has a light, and cell phone charger outlet. You can keep a TON of pdfs on a smart phone, and use this to keep it charged enough to read the docs. This is great for the Knowledge portion here. Not to mention, a radio can let you know what SHTF crap is going down.

HANDGUN - of course, if you have one, or can get one, this is essential (as well as ammo). If you don't have one, this should be one of the first goals (to loot one), as without it, you may not be able to KEEP any of the above items. That said, I also warn against trying to OBTAIN from preppers. First off, they will shoot you dead (softer targets await, each move should be a risk assessment). Second, it's just bad form.

Lastly, if you KNOW a prepper, maybe have a conversation. Preppers need PEOPLE, and there are plenty of things a non-prepper can do to earn his/her keep with them.

 

[Maverick]

Back to the original year old OP. Don't prep for a specific scenario, prep for the basic needs then add and refine. Water Shelter Fire Food and knowledge is paramount everything else is a matter of convenience. Gazrok already laid out a fairly basic list to start from.

The more you know the less you need!

 

[jontte]

been wondering for some time already,it's x-mas time and when I was young (ages ago) they used to send perky x-mas movies and that sort,now they send a whole bunch of apoc movies instead,doesn't really put you in the x-mas spirit watching doomsday movies...

 

[Maverick]

Then they wonder why everyone is on psych meds and paranoid Hmm, government instituted psyops program?

 

[Maverick]

looks like i might have to ask around..on account,i got into the cities web site..and couldn't find anything..

We have them here though not used, here's some of my pictures printed information of local and semi local (couple of counties over) shelters and printed material. I remember when these shelters were all active fond memories. Still having a lot of my Dad CD papers and equipment... Ironically I miss them times, it just feels like everyone had a purpose in those days

 

[Dani]

Mav is right about government wanting us to shelter in place now days, but if it came down to it, I would think some cities would open up the schools or churches for shelters if need be, like cases of tornado aftermath.

 

[Maverick]

FYI,

Federal regulation e-cfr part 576 sets the standard on what qualifies as an emergency shelter under the jurisdiction of HUD

If HUD didn't approve the building as an emergency shelter or if the bldg doesn't meet HUD requirement than the bldg can't be used.

Most modern schools are already HUD approved, before a bldg is occupied a representative from the American red cross must be on the premises that has direct communications with FEMA, also the bldg must be certified by the Fire Marshal with a set limit of occupants, Church's must follow Fire Marshal guidelines

In an immediate crisis such as tornadoes I think those regs are thrown out the window

 

[lonewolf]

I've never understood people that prep for one or maybe two specific scenario's but not for others, I try to make my preps all inclusive, what works for one works for all-or most of them.

 

[Gazrok]

I know. Back when I was a kid, we lived every day knowing we could see mushroom clouds on the horizon, and even though that possibility is just as real today, if a little less likely, now we are woefully unprepared for it, were it to actually happen. The rub is, nuclear war is even MORE survivable now, than it was then, IF we just had shelter from the radiation for a couple of weeks....yet the shelters are basically no more.

 

[Silent Earth]

Gazrok in right, back in the 70s and 80s when ICBMs were not as accurate as todays missiles everyone made their nukes in the tens of MEGAtons, up to 50 Megatons in some cases of both AIR and GROUND burst devices to ensure the target was destroyed, but after the Salt talks and fall of the Iron Curtain plus improved missile guidance systems most modern nukes are sub kiloton AIR burst devices so more EMP but little fallout and much smaller blast zones. Still to many bloody nukes about though even the UKs tiny fleet of Four MIRV equipped boomers we could turn Russia and the US to rubble, so imagine the damage the big fleets the US and Russia still have .

 

[Gazrok]

That's what I mean by MORE survivable now....