This SHTF of which you speak

Id say I am in the " Anytime Things aren't Normal " camp. If you don't make it through the more common disasters, you won't around for the big one.

 

Examples of SHTF, the shamanic vision:

Localized SHTF: Hurricane Ike in 2008 was a SHTF event for us. Not only did Cincinnati have the hurricane winds for several hours, but Duke Energy had sent all their trucks to Texas. The power was off and stayed off for days. The guns came out. We stayed home. When the supermarkets re-opened, the shelves were bare. I used my trolling motor battery to keep my laptop running an hour a day. Mostly, we listened to the crank radio. This was a BUG-IN event for us. As it was, I was at the farm when it hit and did not realize the severity of the situation until I hit town. I do not regret the decision to drive back, but if I'd known how bad it was I might have hunkered down at the farm until the winds stopped.

Regional: If something ever disrupted the food deliveries to Cincinnati for any length of time, I'd board up the house and withdraw to our farm 63 miles from the center of town, and wait it out. My guess is that we'd have looting, and insurance would cover it.

National: If there was any sort of National emergency, where martial law was declared in the cities, I'd just leave and go to the farm. I'm not going to wait around for the world to cave in around me. My hope is that even though national and even state governments would break down, there would be enough resiliency in the system that local and county governments would be able to stay functioning.

Global: If that happens, I'm gone from the city and I ain't coming back.

 

all of the above. Meteors and viruses will come, but there's no way to predict when. The other stuff will continue to happen on a regular basis. Odds are you will be involved in some of them in your life, and if you're not prepared you'll be in a serious situation, assuming first of all that you survive the initial onset. You can't do much to prepare for tsunami and volcanoes and such, other than be somewhere else, but every place has things that can happen.

 

I have been through several events that required my own special skills and reserves through out my lifetime.
Being prepared is not a one shot thing but LIFE. because life is unpredictable. though we try to predict it any way.
I like movies and speculations and stories , because I see their mistakes made, and take action to see that I'm prepared in the event I face similar events .
Events are not isolated to a single thing but most often a series of things that can and do go wrong at the worst time.
An earth quake happens expect a fire in some areas a tsunami, and do inspections to prevent further damage from happening to you or your neighbors if possible .
What happens to your neighbors has an effect on you some how , it's best to be vigilant ,not ignorant.

 

Funny you asked this DL, I called and asked @Falcon15 during his show what he thought the signs of SHTF were.

This is one question I mull over as to when I would officially declare that S has HTF. If it is a slow bleeding then that would be a had thing to determine. When society is slowly falling apart, one area after another, I do not think one could actually say this is it. Take Venezuela for example- one issue after another. The regular grocery transports have stopped and people now stand in line for 5 hours hoping for a roll of toilet paper. Has SHTF for them? My concern is if it is a slow strangling of the country, then when does one know this is it and start to feel okay about starting to tap into your preps.You do not want to deplete but you also need to sustain. IMO SHTF is when my life as I know it will no longer be the same, gone forever.

 

wasn't it right here in these pages where FerFAL gave his account from Argentina? That was a classic.

 

Someone's SHTF could be as mundane as losing their job.
It may not be SHTF for anyone else except them and their dependents. It will be seriously real for them.

 

I see thee types of SHTF scenarios...

1. Personal SHTF... generally les than a year.. Loss of a Job, potential Loss of house, Major Medical event... ETC should be corrected within one year..
2. Regional SHTF: another Floyd type hurricane, Earthquake (localized) regional economic collapse
3. National/Global: If it's national it will probably become global most riki tick I figure this will be a 3-4 month run up to a long term event...

 

IMO ,
Compared to the tons of junk one is forced to learn in school, and never use in a lifetime, skills and techniques learned in survival have more value.
Learning how to can food and process game and build one's shelter /home among ore things, provides one more hope for the future than art or history . no one learns from to begin with .
Stupid people do not learn from their mistakes.
I would venture to say that most survivalists choose entertainment that will possibly challenge their mind an skills .
Even if that entertainment is not historically accurate, the value of lessons learned is not easily forgotten.
Of course there are unrealistic expectations in both directions , Those whom think nothing can be done about a problem live in fear and denial, and those whom have lived through many problems successfully, respecting what may happen next ,but not entirely afraid of it.
If there is fire, I got water and the capacity to fight it,
If there's a flood, I have a boat and enough floatation to cary the necessities to safety.
If there is a storm I have a structure that most likely with stand it.
I have a reasonable knowledge of medicine and first aid to endure most pandemic.
When I leave the house I consider the possibility of walking home ,be it 5 miles or 50 miles or 500+ miles.
My preps for each distance are considered with each trip.
"IF" an EMP or Carrington event occur while I am away I know or at least i think I know what moves I need to take first .
One of the things in my EDC computer bag is collapsed water bags and a filter. Empty they take very little space and weigh near nothing. but the moment said disaster occurs they are immediately filled and hung outside the bag.
Any electronics that I have on me will likely be toast,and tossed , that's fine , my life does not revolve around them, they are only handy for the moment.
I can cast off dead weight and the water is more precious for getting home.
I built a break down 2 wheel kart kit that is with me on the motorcycle in the event I need it ,can handle what ever gear I don't want to leave behind, or might use as barter for the journey .
It is important to consider the assets you vehicle can provide, if you know what they are worth rather than leaving them behind.
Worst comes to worst having a cart provides the capacity to transport some one injured, or too weak to travel on their own.
Have you thought about getting home , and the path ahead . I always do.

 

Contrary to Kellory and his advocacy for modernity, I agree with you Arleigh. By the way...

ISIS attacks in California and Paris may be just the beginning of an unprecedented plot to bring America to its knees by targeting our nation's scandalously vulnerable electric grid, warn officials at the Pentagon and FBI.

Why? Because terrorist groups like ISIS realize they can't beat us with brute military force on the conventional battlefield. We're way too strong for that.

But when the electric grid fails, it will be like watching America have a heart attack right before your eyes.

It's like when the heart stops pumping... everything shuts down and the patient flat lines.

Our great country would be crippled in a matter of minutes, without our enemies having to fire a single bullet.

It's a frightening idea... and worst of all, it may already have begun to unfold:

ISIS terrorists are already inside our country. Former CIA official Dr. Peter Pry warns, "There is an imminent threat from ISIS to the national electric grid and not just to a single U.S. city." Dr. Pry says that attacks on just 9 of the nation's 55,000 electrical substations could result in nationwide blackouts for up to 18 months.

The government is woefully unprepared. It seems like the government has been fixated on taking more & more away from people who worked hard to earn it, while doing virtually nothing to secure our nation's infrastructure. They've ignored dire warnings from experts about the grid's vulnerability to physical, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and cyber-attack by ISIS and other terrorist groups.

"Our death toll would be staggering" reports FOXNews. We've all been fine when the power goes out for a few hours and even days, but an extended blackout would be devastating. Frank Gaffney, founder of the Center for Security Policy predicts that "... should the power go out and stay out for over a year, 9 out of 10 Americans would likely perish."

Imagine a blackout lasting not days, but weeks or months. Your life would be frozen in time right at the moment the power fails. Lights all over the country would go out, throwing people into total darkness.

Without access to a generator, your fridge, electric range and microwave would be dead. All the food in your fridge and freezer would spoil.

Your well couldn't pump any fresh water into your house. And even if you don't have a well, a total grid failure means no fresh water to drink, cook, or clean with.

You wouldn't be able to operate your radio or TV, or charge your cell phone, so you'd feel isolated and cut off from your friends and family.

Sadly, this is NOT science fiction or some crazy doomsday theory...

Veteran news anchor Ted Koppel just wrote a book called Lights Out that details this exact scenario. And CENTCOM General Lloyd Austin says, "It's not a question of if, it's a question of when."

That's why many Americans are taking matters into their own hands and are securing their own solar powered generator.

Solar generators are a smart choice because they produce an endless supply of life-saving electricity when you need it most - and without gas, fumes or noise.

Our top recommendation in portable solar generators is the new Patriot Power Generator 1500.

The Patriot Power Generator 1500 is a breakthrough device that generates up to 1,500 continuous watts of clean, quiet, and free renewable power.

That's enough to power lights for safety and comfort, your computer, TV, cell phone, and even small appliances like a small freezer or critical medical device that will sustain your family during a power outage.

ETA: To save the reader some time scrolling, the PPG1500 is a portable solar device - ghrit

 

Total darkness? Well, maybe for 12 hrs a day depending on your latitude.

Right now it's easier to use modern technology / devices / labor multipliers to earn a living.
I'd not want to be a farmer trying to earn a living plowing a field with a couple oxen vs a combine.

Having knowledge and skills from a previous era are great, but not using today's modern conveniences because it will make you "frail" or "susceptible". I for one will use electricity / dino fuels as a replacement for calories

 

Right, but my point is society as a whole is so used to modernity and simplicity/ease of access, that is people do not live traditional or atleast have traditional/old world/medieval skills now, that a vast majority will die in SHTF or WROL. There are only a handful of needs. Food, Water, Shelter, Defense/Security. Anything else is not needed. It really comes down to do you need it or want it now or can you wait? Any schmuck or fool can walk or drive to Burger King, a grocery store, Walmart or any other store. Modernity is not really always a good thing. It is better to be able to adapt to it, than rely solely on it. When your life depends on it, cheap, stamped or milled item or hand made? Think about it.

 

I'll go with a milled receiver, then stamped and finally hand-made with a hacksaw and a file.
Lot to be said about that division of labor / assembly line production system they created before the industrial revolution. Geez a fella could spend months building an entire labor saving device that the "Line" could make in minutes/hours.

Granted, if TSHTF, there will be a bump in the road, production will become local and those areas w/o intellectual resources on how to support their community they will wither away.

food, water, shelter, security aren't all. You'll need community. No man is an island for long.

 

Community is something I have yet to see, my experience on forums like these has not been all that great yet. I mean, no one can form a group nor community if the chance is not given to meet in person and enough time passes between the initial meeting and SHTF to establish trust in advance. Main issue I have had so far. You are correct though, the Rambo type is not realistic.

 

I'm not talking internet community. I'm talking about in our own backyards.
Local farmers market, barbershop, feed store, hardware and if you have kids .. at school functions.

This is your community. Like it or not, if TSHTF, these are the folks you'll be counting on and they on you to be a good part of their community.

Don't like what your community looks like now? Time to move somewhere more agreeable.

 

It's all how you want to live your life. Build "your" paradise and live happy. You need few things in life to survive. For most it's food, water, shelter and for me God. (Some people may need to add medications) Once you have the basics everything else is like being on vacation.

It's Springbreak, The Keys is booming and all I hear is music LOL Hence the Vacation blurt

 

Did you know A. John Rambo was a real person?

Silver Star Citation
Silver Star Awarded posthumously for actions during the Vietnam War The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant Arthur John Rambo, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 26 November 1969 while serving as an artilleryman with the Howitzer Battery, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date he was located at the squadron command post when it suddenly came under an intense mortar and ground attack from a North Vietnamese Army force. In the initial moments of the firefight, a rocket propelled grenade slammed into a cargo vehicle next to him, and the vehicle erupted in explosions and fire. Sergeant Rambo immediately began alerting the personnel in the area and directing them away from the area. He then crawled to the fiercely burning vehicle and attempted to drive it out of the area. Suddenly another grenade hit the vehicle and he was thrown to the ground. Undaunted, he crawled to a self-propelled howitzer and started the engine. As he began driving out of the area, the vehicle was hit by yet another rocket propelled grenade and he was fatally injured in the ensuing fire and explosions. Sergeant Rambo's heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. General Orders: Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam, General Orders No. 4896 (December 23, 1969) Action Date: November 26, 1969 Service: Army Rank: Sergeant
Nov 26, 2012

 

Yes, but I do not think the Vietnam veteran went in enemy territory alone, with just an M60, Bow and knife. The Rambo type is the unrealistic mentality that you can handle an entire platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division, corps, field army, army group or region theater by yourself. Now, you are wrong, ghrit. Keep assuming if you wish. I cannot magically appear in your area, it takes time.