Ok, you're saying that if he tries to go and save his sister after SHTF he/she will likely be dead. The way you posted, it kinda came across as an "It doesn't matter you'll both be dead anyway" kind of attitude.
-
ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
My Prepping Conundrum
- Thread starter RexProcer
- Start date
I think you are looking at things in the wrong order. Assuming it's even possible to link up with your family following a SHTF event, how is that going to benefit any of you? Do you have a defensible location with replenish-able sources of food and water? While it's great to be with family in the event of a disaster, I believe travelling to Cali to pick her up and trying to return home (with Cali's huge population and proximity to the Mexican border, its going to be a bloodbath there almost assuredly) or meeting her halfway (so that you all end up in an unfamiliar area without resources?) are both terrible plans tbh, bordering on suicidal.
This all depends on the event, how fast it comes on, and how quickly you recognize this event compared to the general populace. As a prepper starting out, I feel like you should focus on securing skills and resources for your own survival, while trying to educate your family about why they should be doing the same.
This all depends on the event, how fast it comes on, and how quickly you recognize this event compared to the general populace. As a prepper starting out, I feel like you should focus on securing skills and resources for your own survival, while trying to educate your family about why they should be doing the same.
You may not like the comments, but they ring true. Listen to the wisdom offered here on the ODT.
My personal SHTF scenario hit me during Hurricane Katrina. My family is from a rural area in S. Mississippi (pretty far inland...not on the coast). I knew it was bad almost immediately and had loaded up enough gasoline, chain saw, tools, water, food, etc. to make the 950 mile round trip to go grab some family members. They had no power, water, telephone, and little food, so it made the most sense to bring them back to Atlanta until infrastructure was restored. I work for a government agency that had emergency teams active in the area, so I had intel on conditions on an hourly basis. It turned out that I couldn't get into the area because all highways and backroads were blocked (either by trees, debris, or the National Guard). No gas stations were open because of the power failures, and in fact, several instances of hijackings and highway robberies were reported.
I ended up having to back down because my hands were tied. Family were taken care of by friends who were well-provisioned, but life wasn't easy for 3 weeks. No A/C in 100 degree weather. Water, ice, and food ended up being ultimately provided by the Red Cross & Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief teams (among others). Oh, and communications were almost nonexistent. I was able to send or receive a single text message to my Mom every 3-4 days, but that was it. No voice coms (other than Ham radio) and the systems were so congested that text messages barely worked. Landlines didn't work at all.
In the end, I learned that I could only provide for myself and my immediate family. A hard lesson, as I've always been very independent-minded, but a lesson that made me a bit more pragmatic. If your family isn't willing to prepare, I dare say they're on their own...you can't do it for them.
Buy a sailboat....
^This. get shooting with a pistol down pat and also get your bush craft and improvization skills in order
Next: get a 3 month food, water, fuel supply squared away
Get all your finances in order and have all normal life priorities covered (get a check up at the doctor, address any car issue you might have, pay off XYZ credit card).
Financial and job security are majorily important for ROL times.
Then understand prepping IS NOT A HOBBY! Its a lifestyle. It is about being able to take care of yourself when things get bad and being able to protect yourself from bad people during WROL
Keep doing research
Last edited:
At least you and your family will be right there with me.
Anyway, for the couple of folks that offered non-troll answers such as Johnny, I do appreciate it. I will continue to work on some answers for myself.
Last edited:
Hookers, rum, coke, what could go wrong?
They need to make the trip to you, since you have the bug out spot that needs to be prepped and defended in a SHTF event. Driving is the worst idea bc, you'll most likely get ambushed in a designed road block and you're now in a box not designed to stop bullets.
No way I'm risking my life going across the country. I love my family, but I have my wife to protect as well. I can't risk getting us both killed for maybe a 10% chance of success.
