Hypothetical Doomsday Scenario

[toppop52]

Preppers, UFOligists, spirit talkers, etc... at least the ones that consume an inordinate amount of time and resources on these things that can best be described in most of them as obsessions, have an emotional disconnect from reality. I say this from experience, my oldest brother living in NC has a room full of non perishables, his reasons are the SHTF du jour. It could be the one button push or another, military coup, swine flu epidemic, whatever he sees as the reason. He used colloidal silver until his teeth turned gray, he was on the vitamin of the month deal for years, low carb diet, etc... All the while smoking 2 packs a day, which he finally quit at 67 or so. He's not crazy, retired as a floating rig operator on nearly $90k a year retirement, mows for commercial property owners, has an 18 year old daughter and 50 year old wife, rides his Harley, etc... But to prove the emotional disconnect, he voted for Obama! :laughing:

 

[Car Doc]

Rural people tend to be more prepared than city folks its a way of life a lot more so than city folks deal with having stores close by. City folks usually get the power back on quicker then we do out in the country. We are just more in tuned with the necessity to fend for our self's and most of us do so.

I agree some of the preppers on TV have radical ideas I learn from the practical ones but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around some of the far fetched ideas.

But hey good for them its a free country for now. I am prepared for a lot but not any more than I am physically able to do we are not going anywhere in an event we will be staying at home. I haven't spread my stuff all over the place like some do haha.

 

[ozley]

Check out the news in NEW DELHI 300 million without power.

 

[RoyJackson]

Check out the news in NEW DELHI 300 million without power.

Yeah...most of 'em probably didn't notice...

 

[MasseyWV]

City folks usually get the power back on quicker then we do out in the country.

Ain't that the truth. It takes forever for them to get the power back on in some rural areas.

 

[BobRip]

Ain't that the truth. It takes forever for them to get the power back on in some rural areas.

Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

 

[newbury]

Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

I thought my power company had that!

 

[MasseyWV]

Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

Where I live, the power is usually out for at least a week each year, or at least that's the way it's been for the last few years. We quickly learned to be prepared...

 

[toppop52]

Before most of the area lines went underground we lost power every time a dark cloud came by. Now it's far more intermittent but still fairly regularly and the ones we do get last longer.

 

[dave1949]

Preppers, UFOligists, spirit talkers, etc... at least the ones that consume an inordinate amount of time and resources on these things that can best be described in most of them as obsessions, have an emotional disconnect from reality. I say this from experience, my oldest brother living in NC has a room full of non perishables, his reasons are the SHTF du jour. It could be the one button push or another, military coup, swine flu epidemic, whatever he sees as the reason. He used colloidal silver until his teeth turned gray, he was on the vitamin of the month deal for years, low carb diet, etc... All the while smoking 2 packs a day, which he finally quit at 67 or so. He's not crazy, retired as a floating rig operator on nearly $90k a year retirement, mows for commercial property owners, has an 18 year old daughter and 50 year old wife, rides his Harley, etc... But to prove the emotional disconnect, he voted for Obama! :laughing:

Well, one of my brother's rides a Yamaha and voted for McCain. My other brother owns two copies of one of Glen Beck's books, I'll do a two-fer-one swap on brothers with you :laughing:

Seriously though, inordinate prepping for events that are extremely unlikely to occur is obsessive behavior, although for some it may be more like a hobby, and hobbies can get expensive too.

Surely some tribe of primitives off in the middle of nowhere has a much better chance of surviving than any prepper and they don't have to prepare, it's what they do everyday. If survival is the ultimate goal, and disaster is a given, then clearly your best chance is to buy your one-way tickets to nowhere and leave today. Why mess with stuffing food under your bed?

Staying in civilization among the most dangerous critters on earth -- humans -- is like trying to have your cake and eat it too.

 

[brin]

Well, one of my brother's rides a Yamaha and voted for McCain. My other brother owns two copies of one of Glen Beck's books, I'll do a two-fer-one swap on brothers with you :laughing:

Seriously though, inordinate prepping for events that are extremely unlikely to occur is obsessive behavior, although for some it may be more like a hobby, and hobbies can get expensive too.



Surely some tribe of primitives off in the middle of nowhere has a much better chance of surviving than any prepper and they don't have to prepare, it's what they do everyday. If survival is the ultimate goal, and disaster is a given, then clearly your best chance is to buy your one-way tickets to nowhere and leave today. Why mess with stuffing food under your bed?

Staying in civilization among the most dangerous critters on earth -- humans -- is like trying to have your cake and eat it too.

I agree with pretty much all of what you posted...except...anything can happen anytime but that is part of life...If you spend all your time consumed with worry and prepping for some disaster then life is not worth much...on the other hand having 6 months supplies on hand is not a bad idea...but I think prudent for any eventuality ....at the end of 6 mos. we will either be in complete chaos or things will have fallen into some form of normality...Just my guess....

 

[ozley]

Yeah...most of 'em probably didn't notice...

Yeah 400 million don't have power at all.

 

[dave1949]

I agree with pretty much all of what you posted...except...anything can happen anytime but that is part of life...If you spend all your time consumed with worry and prepping for some disaster then life is not worth much...on the other hand having 6 months supplies on hand is not a bad idea...but I think prudent for any eventuality ....at the end of 6 mos. we will either be in complete chaos or things will have fallen into some form of normality...Just my guess....

I wouldn't call having basic supplies for 6-12 months on hand an obsession. That sounds prudent. I was playing Devil's Advocate a bit to show that extreme prepping is about more than just survival, because it isn't the best way to ensure your survival.

 

[BobRip]

I wouldn't call having basic supplies for 6-12 months on hand an obsession. That sounds prudent. I was playing Devil's Advocate a bit to show that extreme prepping is about more than just survival, because it isn't the best way to ensure your survival.

I thing it is good that some people be prepared. It is not for everybody of course. I wish we had more supplies. My wife thinks 3 days is enough.

 

[newbury]

I thing it is good that some people be prepared. It is not for everybody of course. I wish we had more supplies. My wife thinks 3 days is enough.

A LOT depends on what you are talking about for "supplies". I've one son that would have multiplied the number of days by 3 and stock up on frozen pizzas. (Let's see - 180 days, 540 pizzas and a toothbrush.) But he changed his ways and now it would be 540 "Lean Cuisines".

I tend to focus on a freezer full of turkeys, fish and meat plus lots of canned vegetables and grains. Always attempting to "rotate" them so I'm using something often bought months ago.

Others think of "supplies" as boxed MRE's or the equivalent, and once put away never use the supplies.

Also once you get in the "habit" and set aside storage room for the food it's easier to buy in bulk at low prices. Except for this year, because we are moving, I used to buy about a dozen turkeys at Thanksgiving at 70 cents or less a pound and they would last a year. We'd buy a case or three of canned vegetables when the coupons and sales indicated it was time. But it does take storage space, especially the toilet paper.

 

[Car Doc]

We had a small mom and pop military surplus store here and I traded out work on his vehicles for mre's and I bought a bunch also @ $15-20 a case. I ended up with 50 cases of mid 90's dates with heaters and several cases of bread that is excellent also.

Even after 10+ years past the expiration dates the cheese and chocolates are messed up the food value is still there the ham slice is my favorite and cheesy potatoes and ham second they are perfect condition. I think I still have around 45 cases give or take for 2 of us to live on. yumm

 

[Car Doc]

I agree there is probably quite a few buttons its my belief also. I am almost 100% sure we detonated EMP bombs over Iraq could be mistaken but I believe thats what I read about. You probably know what I am talking about better than I do?

Its definitely something a person can prepare for but it takes metal containers for all your electronic stuff at least that is the general consensus whether it really works I have no idea.