If you lived in an Apartment with 2Months of Food/Water Would UHelp Neighbors if NoWater/Food 3+Days

I have worked in the aftermath of many a disaster where the infrastructure has totally collapsed. People are in distress and usually totally unprepared. We move into the area usually aboard our vessels with enough food, fuel, supplies to cope until we can arrange more supplies flown in. I have had crew stealing food and supplies to share with people they met that were not doing well. I have had many a conversation with our crew that the vessel supplies cannot be distributed to the community because if we run out of supplies, we become part of the problem rather than a solution. There is ample room for moral debate, but pragmatism has to win out, if we are able to assist to provide any long-term recovery. My objective will always be to assist my community in weathering a difficult time. I will feed some, treat as many medically as I can, and try to help establish autonomy. You are just a blink away from being a victim yourself, no matter how well prepared you are. God Bless.

 

I can tell you for sure, MOVING AFTER is not an option, it is a last act of desperation, and requires a lot of luck. If you have 2 months of supplies, your butt had best hunker down for at least a month and a half.

Have you considered a slingshot or blowgun for city "pests"/game? They make ammo for both you can practice with indoors. Would also recommend a cold steel spear, bill, or sergeants halberd for holding your neighbors off you door/apartment defense.

 

Was the food you have given to you ?
if so then you are sharing what you did not earn/invest .
If the reserves are something you had invested , it was intended for your survival ,if you wish to jeopardies your survival that's is up to you.
Others that had the same opportunity did not invest in their survival you are not indebted to feed them, they invested their resources in other things more important to them. and chances are they will take what you provide them for granted giving it to them for free.
Would you give them gold if they did not have any ?
Secondly you do not want to announce that you have any thing ,word travels fast especially amongst the homeless and hungry looking for a "free" meal. People do not keep secrets not even your own children . Kids are liberals not working for their sustenance and assume their friends should be fed as well.
Remember Venezuela is still on going.

 

Sounds like you need to store it somewhere else. I truly think in your situation you need a bug out plan. I was in La Jolla last week at a job site. Truly beautiful area, but it reminded me on the high population density in SoCal and how fragile resources like water are outside the rain forest I live in. Had any kind of "bump" happened while I was down there it would have been mass riots and violence within a few days due to that recipe. It's just human nature. My strategy is to bug in, but I just don't see that as a tenable solution where you are located.

A BOL someplace safe, perhaps a relative's location that you have made an agreement with and keep stocked. Some parts of CA could be OK,but my guess is you need to look to Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Any relatives there that are of a like mind about preparedness? As a bonus you could buy effective firearms outside of CA. Next a Jeep Cherokee (the original ones with the straight 6) packed and ready to go with you favorite solution for hauling PLENTY of gas cans.

 

Given your situation, Ed, I would have to agree with Mysterymet. Get yourself a storage unit, stock it, and buy a bicycle to have as backup to get to it. When the time comes, throw on your BOB and get to the storage unit, obviously drive there if possible. But, you REALLY need a safe location to run to afterwards you get there and THAT should be your immediate and primary focus right now. You're in a hell'va situation but at least you see the problem and can start working a solution - it might not be a 100% solution but even a partial solution is better than what you got now.

 

Might be just the thing fer ya Ed!

 

A container on a friends property legally acquired and placed might be a good alternative, but I would not make it a distance you may not be able to hike to. in short order .

 

That you ED?

 

Unfortunately you can't reason with my sister but I will bring this up when I see her this weekend when she makes me her usual supply of Herbrew National Hot Dogs and a Baked Potato for which she charges me $10 each time, unfortunately. LOL

I am!

You're assuming this is TEOTWAWKI and I'm not!

No I'm stuck in this area till my mother finally keels over. Some of us do have families

Bravo! A Masterpiece!

You and I share a very similar philosophy! What gets me on the food and water is, its not like this won't be eventually eaten and drank anyway and it doesn't cost a fortune to have on hand. Only reason I can see not to have resources is lack of space.

 

Scenario: 1. You live in an apartment building with 70 units. 2. Food and water are no longer available to anyone else. 3. You have some food and water. 4. Everyone else knows you have some food and water.

Four facts. That's enough to know exactly how the scenario will play out.

The first thing you have to understand is that your food and water is actually their food and water, and you can't have it.

If you leave your apartment unguarded for an instant, they will kick your door open and take everything you have. They'll leave you nothing because you can't make them leave you anything.

If you don't leave your apartment unguarded, they will try to beg food and water from you. They will showcase their suffering children to guilt food and water from you. They will present their finest orators to cajole food and water out of you. They'll bring in a priest to explain that God wants you to give your food and water to them--and to threaten you with Hell if you don't. They'll line up a Citizen's Committee and try to confiscate your food and water for a fair and equal sharing-out. (The sharing-out would be neither fair nor equal.)

If you're male, Suzy Slut will soon arrive in a cloud of perfume to sex you up for all your food and water. She'll unlock your door as soon as you fall asleep. Right after she runs a knife across your throat.

If Suzy Slut can't do the trick, just wait five more minutes. All the respectable housewives and young mothers will be right along to offer themselves, and/or their virgin (or almost-virgin) daughters in trade. They, too, will bring their knives, just like Suzy Slut--and their men will be waiting in the hall with pillowcases, laundry baskets, gym bags, and anything else they can carry your food and water away in.

And all of this will probably happen by no later than Day 2.

Thirst will turn them into wolves, and hunger will only drive them harder.

Forget about hunkering down: if you have water you'll be dead in less than three days.

After Day One, they probably won;t even let you leave if you try to take anything with you.

There won't be any month or month and a half to wait the situation out. Thirst doesn't wait well.

To anyone who thinks I may be exaggerating, paranoid, or simply jerking chains, I humbly say this: you have to have experienced desperate thirst before you can really understand what it will drive you to do.

What it will drive anyone to do.

Try sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of your own home from Saturday morning to Monday morning without drinking a drop of water--or anything else. Do it with a 2-liter bottle of water sitting on the table in front of you.

See how long you last. See what excuses you give yourself, as the clock slowly ticks.

The longer you hold out the more your world-view will change.

The best survival option in the above scenario is to take what you can carry the instant the water goes off and get out of Dodge.

Those who truly understand the scenario will already have cached supplies in locations unknown to others.

 

You have sat down to eat and handed your daughter the last of the rice and some one comes to the door demanding it what are you going to do.? honestly . Are you going to show preference to the one that DELIBERATELY failed to prepare, or your own kin for whom you had prepared.?

 

Storage units are a BAD idea! Even off site in a dense urban jungle is going to be very tricky!

Lets walk through this!
Most common deal, Earth quake, or large wild fire! Both serious enough, and combined ( likely) will seriously impede you!

Roads will likely be impassable, even to a good 4X4, so it's foot, bike, motorcycle, or stay!
The further away from your stash you are, the harder it will be for you to reach it, and then have to haul it!
Can you even access a locked storage unit, not just open the roll door, but access the secure property?
Once you do, how do you haul out your stuff?
Once you have that figured out, how far can you go with it, given all the above about roads?
Where you plan to go, what will the conditions be like when you get there, Any better, or worse?
Then you have to figure out how to defend your self and your stash!
Are you skilled at fire and maneuver?
Are you skilled at cover and concealment?
Can you move through at night unimpeded?
Are you willing and able to kill to protect your self?
Are you able to hunt?

There is a lot more to walk through, but these things are the biggies to think about!

Having your stash in an apartment isn't the greatest idea, but if it's all you got, then you gotta figure out how to make it work.
How secure it your living space?
How about fire?
once the water, power, gas, ect is off, how safe are you?
What is the plan when the hordes of feral people come looking for food and water and any thing else of value?
Once they find out where you are, can you defend your self?
can you effectively remain in place when they set the place on fire to smoke/burn you out?
Can you repel any attempt to enter?


I cannot answer these things FOR YOU, but I can at least point out the fallacies of much of these things, and hopefully YOU can arrive a a workable plan, other wise, your toast!

 

Thanks, I needed that! Totally Agree. Watch the first or maybe its the second episode of "Black Summer" on Netflix and there's a scene with a car that plays out exactly as you say.

What gets me about all of this is these people can easily afford to buy 2 months of dry food and water and consume it normally instead of buying once a week or so but they are too stupid and lazy to do it. The one thing I've gotten from all these comments is that I've got to move my water and supplies within 3 or so days to another more secure location,

 

If you go that route take a long look at the Jeep Cherokee XJ series: Jeep Cherokee (XJ) - Wikipedia

They made these almost unchanged for 18 years and were designed to be rugged, maneuverable, and most importantly serviceable. With an 18 year US production run parts are everywhere and they are also inexpensive. The straight 6 engine just doesn't quit and you would need to get a diesel to find an engine that lasts linger. It's still loved by the off road community and after market parts like roof racks, winches,etc., are easily available. In addition they are inexpensive enough that you can find one in decent shape and get it in excellent mechanical condition for a lot less than many other options. All parts you normally have to service can be accessed without taking half the vehicle apart. No special tools are required, either.

There are many really good options out there that are also just big enough to carry what you need and still be small enough to be nimble, but I always keep coming back to these for capability, durability,and expense. They were so good that when Jeep introduced the Grand Cherokee in an attempt to kill off the line they were still their number 1 sales model years later. I believe they were number 1 or 2 when Jeep finally pulled the plug and they still took a lot of heat from their customers. The latter Cherokees are unibody abominations designed for urban shopping and not offroad adventure.

 

No

No

No, I would kill every single one who breached my doorway until
1) I killed everyone.
2)Ran out of ammo and could no longer wield a knife/Tomahawk.
3) "Neighbors" walked over my deadass body.

99.5% of my shit would already be stored in another location.

 

ED bugging out!

 

Giving away a small portion of your supplies would be ok if it ended there. But it won't end there. They will come back for more. They will tell everyone else that you have provisions and those people will come-a-callin'. What started as a small gesture of neighborly kindness will result in your pantry being raided in a matter of hours.

So my answer is no way! Don't share with anyone outside your circle, don't tell anyone anything, and keep your OPSEC up at all times. The meal you give away today is the meal you won't have for yourself tomorrow.

 

I think you mean well, but you can't save the world.

 

I hauled 170 gallons of gasoline + other goodies after Rita to a family member that took a HIT
Wasn't there 30 minutes before the neighbors eased on over and laid out a very generous offer that we could come sit in front of their AC and cool off for 5 gallons of gas in exchange...
I politely informed them I had carried in a 5000 btu unit in addition to a generator....Sent them home empty-handed....