Sunday, October 18, 2009

GET IT ON!

So here it comes. The biggest crime wave and panic ever to hit this country. Police are swamped and can't keep up with the looters and arsonists. They decide to cordon off a four block square around City Hall. Fire fighters have refused to fight fires because of snipers. Troops and national guard have been called up but the personnel are just spread too thin. Gangs are starting to get into the suburbs and steal what they wish, food, weapons and ammo, women, etc. Homes are stormed and dwellers killed on the spot. Stores are emptied. Nothing is moving in the cities and towns. What the hell you gonna do? By the time this situation is created it will be too late to bug out. Every bridge out of a city will be a check point for either troops or gangs. If you have to cross a river you are screwed. I wonder if it will cross your mind that I told you to get the hell out BEFORE the shit hit the fan. There are too many people in the cities and towns who will steal from you, rat you out, murder you, etc. in the name of keeping their own miserable asses alive. AVOID THIS SCENARIO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. And put yourselves in the shoes of those who are doing this crap. They are just dumb bastards who are trying to stay alive! Ignorant assholes who haven't had a clue and probably never will have a clue. Life has gotten too damned confusing for them and they are freaking out. Not that you shouldn't ventilate them at every opportunity, but you can at least try to fathom their mentality.

Have you scouted your way out of town? Do you know every back road and alley that will take you away from the bullshit? Can you avoid gangs and FEMA monsters? Can you break free of the melee and get out where the air is cleaner and the terrain is friendlier? Mighty important things to know. Your freedom and maybe your life depend on it. I still remember reading the stories of people fleeing the wrath of Katrina and having to show weapons to get away from rip-offs. Yessir! Your friends and neighbors can become complete assholes and rob, rape, and maim you. It does not matter if you are just trying to get to safety. Your meager resources mean safety to them! If you decide to stay in town you had better have your act together. Better than the forces opposing you. Chances are you will be out numbered and you had better be prepared to deal with that. A few REAL friends would not be a bad thing to have at this point. And just because you know people and talk to them occasionally does not make them a friend. Talk to people about current conditions and the economy and see how they react. See how they feel about the fedgov and Obama and the collapsing economy. DON'T TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR PREPS! Publius has a couple of horror stories about "friends" who freaked out on him over trivial bullshit. They are good Americans and don't like preppers. And there are a lot of people out there who don't like preppers. And it looks like there are a lot of them who feel that if you have preps and they don't, then you are obligated to share with them. Could be more ventilating work!

Food can become a very valuable commodity in the case of social breakdown. You can get your throat cut for some of it. Not a pretty thought but then again, social breakdown isn't pretty either. If you live at a retreat in the country you have a step up on the populace in the city. All you have to do is be prepared to defend it should you be approached by hostiles. And if you are fairly secluded then you won't have to worry about hostiles for a while. They will be occupied with more pertinent matters, such as avoiding jail and jail camps and getting shot by people like you who did not leave the city. But no matter what befalls you, you still need to eat. And a wife and kids need to eat also. If you are unfortunate to have to try to walk out of town you will be required to take your food with you. That can kick your ass. And the asses of those going with you. You will also need to carry some type of defense weapon. And that will add weight to your burden. It is so difficult to get OUT of a city when it is falling apart. Pray that you be found out of harms way and in the country when it all goes up.

I know, I know, there are plans to rebuild the collapsed cities and start trade back up and all that good stuff. That can take years! I am not saying that you should not be working toward this goal, but do not stay in the city with that in mind. Send a scouting party into the city to investigate their progress and help if you think it is advisable. But that is no excuse to be a "donor" for a system that is essentially broken by ignorance and greed. Enlightened self interest has to come into play here and your best self interest is to be away from those people. Build up your own trade and barter system and let the cities build theirs. When things calm down you can always trade with them, especially if you have food for trade. And don't forget to look for circling buzzards as you approach any settlement. It's a sign of something. Stay alive.

Michael

mboone@rtccom.net

13 comments:

Jacob Gittes said...

Good post. Good advice all around!
I won't belabor why some of us are city-bound. Luckily, our city is fairly small by American standards. I'd never chance it in LA or New York City...
The city is where some of us are employed right now. We're working on a way to make a living elsewhere, but in this economy, that is quite a daunting task! I'm having some success, however...

Regarding urban defense, I picked myself up a nice Winchester pump. However, it has a nice long barrel with 3 chokes that you can change out, depending on the spread/pattern you want. I have found a really short "defender" 18-inch barrel. But at $130 or so, I need to know if it's even worth it.
Is a short barrel really that much of an advantage in a home-defense situation? My thinking is, get 'em before they get through the front door, so the short barrel might not really add that much.
We're starting to go to a local church a few blocks away, too... incredibly nice people. Trying to build up a community of like-minded folk. It will be a few weeks before I start nosing around into people's thoughts on the economy and collapse, though. One step at a time.
I can't wait to start my urban squirrel hunting and fishing. I'll let you know how this goes.

Dr. Richard said...

Just remember M.O.V.E.

Motionless Operators Ventilate Easily

vlad said...

During Katrin he invited two friends to his home away from the coast. They told their frirnds :-|
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153978

excerpt
3. Plan on needing a LOT more supplies than you think. I found myself with over 30 people on hand, many of whom were not well supplied: and the stores were swamped with literally thousands of refugees, buying up everything in sight. I had enough supplies to keep myself going for 30 days. Guess what? Those supplies ended up keeping 30-odd people going for two days. I now know that I must plan on providing for not just myself, but others in need. I could have been selfish and said "No, these are mine" - but what good would that do in a real disaster? Someone would just try to take them, and then we'd have all the resulting unpleasantness. Far better to have extra supplies to share with others, whilst keeping your own core reserve intact (and, preferably, hidden from prying eyes!).

there's more .............

Andrea said...

So I've heard a lot about both having an evacuation plan AND bugging out at home. If one were to create an evacuation plan, how would one decide WHERE to evacuate to??? All my family lives very close except my dad...and that's the last place in the whole world I'd go. I honestly don't know what would be worse...the Apocalypse or my dad and his wife. ((SHudders))

Has everyone chosen an evacuation site? How did you decide?

Mayberry said...

I got 3 different routes, taken all 3. Got a Mossberg for removing any "impediments to progress", though I will be long gone before any roadblocks or general chaos. Eyes open, ear to the ground, trust your instincts. Keep your bugout stuff packed and ready, I think we're close to needing it. Watch the cities, they're the "crash barometer". They'll go up first, and draw first response from the dot govs....

ErinAndBrad said...

Amen! i will stay in the country - thanks! I like it here. I do not like the city - feels like you live in a fish bowl and everybody watches you and knows what you do. Yuck. Great post Michael!

Jacob Gittes said...

I wouldn't mind starting a good debate here.
Andrea (and others): one thing that reading Ragnar Benson is good for is learning from what has worked in other urban collapses/disasters around the globe over the past century. And one of his primary rules is never EVER become a refugee. That's the way to become a starving victim real fast. Refugees are homeless, you have no shelter. No food (you can't really carry that much). No protection from the elements, thugs, and the gov't.

If you are going to stay in the city, then you'd better plan on sticking it out there, except in a very few situations, such as a nuclear incident or flood, etc.

Benson has also convinced me that surviving collapse in an urban environment is very possible. It's been done. I agree that the country, in the right setup, would be preferable. But as he points out, you have to live where you have your job. If I quit my job right now, we'd be refugees early, before collapse!
City-folk ain't all dumb. We can kick some ass.

Although we city preppers get all the warnings and pity, you country brothers had better watch out, too: for one thing, marauders will find it easier to pick you off one by one, if you aren't careful. Just a few years ago, one psycho broke into a farmhouse in Minnesota. He found the family shotgun in the basement, and killed all but one of them with it. There was nobody around to help them.
Our goal here is the same, whether we are country preppers or city preppers. "Stay alive!" as Michael says. Some country preppers are gonna have a false sense of security, and get raided in the middle of the night by real nasty people. So wherever you are, KEEP YOUR EARS TO THE GROUND. Keep watch. Sleep lightly, but soundly, knowing you have defenses. Be generous to those who might be of help, and don't forget charity when you can afford it.
When this baby goes down, we're all going to need to help each other. The barter networks will form. We will stand against oppression and tyranny and lawlessness wherever we find it, city or country.

Jacob Gittes said...

Mayberry:
One note: the Winchesters are pretty darn good "defenders", too...
Any advice on whether to go with the short barrel or not?
Also, is it a good idea to alternate buck shot and slugs, or just go with the 00? Ideas? Suggestions?
Also, my Winchester can take 3" magnums. Any advantage to those, versus 2.75 inch standard shells?
I'm a clueless but learning city dweller, so any advice is appreciated. I'm going up north to do a lot of practice next weekend with a fellow country prepper who is far more experienced with fire sticks than I am.

cj428 said...

Early last summer while doing my daily power walk, 14-15 year old punk on A $1000 mountain bike hit me from behind( he was sending a tex mesage at the time on his $400 CELLPHONE)My knee healed but my back didn't. With events coming to A head it's A bad time to be injured. The scenario you discribed is what I'm facing. Not only do I have my injuries to deal with My father is adament about not leaving the home he's lived in for 52 years and my mother died in. We live 3.5 miles from detroit. Last night my son and his friend were jumped by three negros for no apparent reason.(I saw the survailance tape from the store where it happened. I've kown the brothers that own the store for over thrity years.)My dauther was acosted A few weeks ago while walking to the cornner to mail A letter. These type of things happen on A daily basis now. I know whats coming and I have no illusions about the probable out come.

Pete Smith said...

Very good post, it's the full truth on whats down the road. I live in the country/city, we are on the edge of the city. It is a small city and the biggest is 25 miles away. I do feel safe here but I know that overflow from the big city will come this way. I am ready, well I think I'm ready. I have a plan that will put my house in safe mode in about an hour if I work alone and less than 1/2 an hour if I have help. We live off a dead end road that is rual and country. So I think I have a little of both worlds a little bit city and a little bit country.
I still have a bug out plan with four ways to get out.

HermitJim said...

Good post, Michael! I will be getting out of the city pretty soon, that's for sure! Here in Houston, some Mexican drug cartel murders and revenge killings are happening on a regular basis! So much for border safety!

Staying Alive said...

Well, you don't have to leave home in the city, but it sure does look like it would help a lot. Too much you can't control in a city. Too many chiefs. We can make it out in a rural area, I think. The cities will be the magnets for the trouble makers and the anti-trouble makers. Let 'em have at it, I say.

Michael

Shy Wolf said...

Great idea, getting your bunns outta town before the shit flies. Well before it flies. The trouble is finding work in a new locale, after convincing Other Half (sometimes Better Half) that getting the hell outta Dodge is a G.O.O.D. (pun intended, natch) idea.
Too, making new relationships on short notice is going to be a bugger of a problem- but not as bad as being in a crowded spot when 'it' comes.
How does one 'know' where to move to? Any place that has a small population. Smaller is better, to a point- not to mention fewer people to convince you're 'on their side'. Also fewer for what may need doing- OPs, security, etc. Also, when you move (if you do), don't be overly concerned with how pretty the place is compared to how defensible it is. A house on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley is nice, but a bit too obvious. Look for something on the 'military crest'- slightly downhill and not so obvious. Eve burried i the swamp is better than the middle of an open field if you're looking at hidden.
Weapons? A 12 is a 12, regardless of barrel length. With today's modern ammo, there is little difference between long and short balistically speaking. But the longer is a better sight radius, which is primo for accuracy. But at shotgun distances, for self defense, there won't be a whole lot of need for long, hard to control and manuever barrels. That's one reason the combat shotguns have such short barrels: easy to get around a corner. My idea for SHTF is to take the 28" barrel on my 12 and hacksaw it to 16" or less- just in front of the mag tube. I won't be worrying about how many laws I'm breaking when I need to defend myself or others, especially if I love them.
Choice of ammo is a personal thing, but for the 12 I'll stick with most 00 just because it's a good hunting/bird round as well as people. If I need a single projectile, I'll use the pistol at shotgun ranges and rifle at longer.
Oh, well- another corner heard from.
Shy III
Interesting... the verification word is 'hypered' :)