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Question Of The Month. (January 2020) (Survival Duration)

carbinemike

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Howdy,
This is a monthly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the questions may have a poll, and some will not. Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer and vote in the polls...

What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation (no power, no police/government support etc) and how long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow?
 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation
Never happened

How long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow?

10 Days ( my prepper plan goal is 30 days isolation in my flat/apartment )
 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation
Never happened... although we did lose the internet for 6 hrs once.. :)

How long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow?
Not long.... we did the weekly shop today, but that included a lot of frozen food which would be useless without power...
I suppose I could last as long as my ammo supply..:sniper:
 
Not very long. I have tried several prepper long term storage foods and it sucks for flavor. It is way out of my dietary budget as far as carbs are concerned. Too high in carbs for my diabetes, and considering that, how long will my medicines last? Whatever is in the fridge and in bottles...most on hand is a 3 month supply. I can stagger doses and last 4 and a half months. Heart meds I can stagger those doses too. But when the food funs out which it will, I will have to scrounge. I have about 10000 rds of various ammo. But if I have to carry it, I would need a wagon to carry it and the guns. With my back and hip, I am unable to walk faster than a slow limp and stagger. I think a rooftop standoff would probably be stupid but I would hate to be cornered here at home. I need a ladder to get to the roof...3 stories up. That'll never work.

I did last 6 years homeless. I learned to scavenge and beg. Hardees and Carl's Jr's fed me well.
 
Winter of 04 or 05, I was only 19 or so, living with my parents at the time as I had just finished tech school, and moved back from that. I think we went a week or so without power during an ice storm. They had always heated with a wood stove, so that wasnt an issue. We dipped water from the pond to fill the toilet tank to flush. I still got up and went to work everyday, could charge cell phones in the vehicles, or use it as a good excuse to go visit family that had generators. I do remember how eerie it was driving in the dark, and not seeing ambient light in all the usual places


As far as preparedness now, it's a lot different situation having a wife, and 5 kids, one being infant, and one being toddler. No doubt we have enough food supplies to get 2-3 weeks easily. I have a generator that can do 220, so I could still run the well pump when necessary. Only real issue would be heat, if it was a winter situation. We would have to seek refuge as we are all electric. I do have a woodstove in the barn, and plenty of firewood, but the barn is not insulated, and only keeps an area warm.

In a true widespread emergency situation, where there was no refuge, I wouldnt hesitate to take the stove piping from the barn and hastily fit it into the house. And wrestle the wood burner in. In that situation I would probably have bigger issues though. As I'm surrounded by urban implants, that probably dont understand survival. My only hope would be that they attempt to flee, and hopefully not return.


As far as ammo......

So long as I'm not in a firefight on a daily basis, I think I will be fine for a while.

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In 2004 we lost power for 2 x 7days during two separate hurricanes. We managed OK without a generator which were unobtainable as was the fuel to run them the first few days. A gas station without power cannot pump gas. I had plenty of fuel for the chainsaw and it got used quite a bit. We had plenty of canned and dry food and feasted on anything frozen/refrigerated so it wouldn't go to waste.
 
The worst I ever had to deal with was when I was a kid. In 1972 Pennsylvania was hit by Hurricane Agnes with up to 19" of rain in some areas. Basics like water were out for about almost a week. Electricity was intermittent. The Guardsmen were activated. We did well as my dad was big into gardening and mom froze vegetables and canned a lot.

As an adult we have had several State Declared Emergencies. The worst lasted about 3 days with little or no power. The most concerning for me was an ice storm and I was in Florida for work. I learned my wife panicked and couldn't remember how to light the Coleman lantern. Fortunately my 12 year old son was actually very calm into it. He stepped up and handled the lantern, cooking supper on a fire with a dutch oven and breaking a hole in the ice on top of the pool to get toilet flushing water. He is graduating the year and his one goal is to hike the Appalachian Trail.

We could go a few months if we really had to although two legged predators would be a big issue long before we ran out of supplies. If the timing worked that a growing season occured while we were using up supplies I could go quite a long time with canning and trading with the Amish.
 
First part of the question, a few days. Several times during blizzards and tornadoes in Nebraska.

2nd part, a good while, but not where I am located. I would not stay here, but I have a place to go. I have ammo, canned goods, and a place to replenish my food supplies. I might have to survive on fish, rabbits and squirrels for a while. Like Hombre, my biggest concerns would be meds for the long term. Then again maybe without electricity I might get more exercise due to lack of TV and actually be better off.
 
I am not a prepper, but things would actually be just fine for quite a while.

Without power I believe we could hold out for many days and lack for nothing. A week easy. Probably two. I have a dual-fuel generator big enough to run everything but the oven and A/C (it could probably run A/C if it got hot enough in the house). Or run ceiling fans and stand fans that pull maybe 2000 watts if we get too warm.

We have lots of frozen food and canned food. The refrigerator is always full. I could run the gen every 4-6 hours to keep food cold. I have many alternate cooking methods without ever putting the kitchen into play. I probably have a dozen or more bags of charcoal, and firewood, and a griddle that uses 2-lb propane bottles and I think I have five of those on hand.

Heat (if needed) would be from a kerosene heater and we could keep things warm "enough" at night. Or heat the house with the griddle while cooking <multitask>!!!

We have a pond about 150-yards from the house for toilet flushing if water pressure failed. We have 20 gallons of fresh spring water for drinking water.

After two weeks I would need to drive somewhere to get more propane and gasoline and water (hours away probably).

Food could easily last six weeks or more because of dry goods (flour for bread baking etc.)

I own two chainsaws that are nearly brand new, with extra chains for each plus files for sharpening. Engineered fuel for both with an almost indefinite shelf life. A gallon of bar oil.

I'm not worried about having enough guns and ammo. Needing them would almost certainly not be required other than be a comforting factor.

Liquor would last a few months thru smart rationing <grin>
 
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Hereabouts, the level of preparedness is a cut above....

t-10.jpg
LOL . . .No, seriously we'd either be mass shooters or be dead after a month without power. Obese people would start to cook each other.

Worst disaster of my life was the blizzard of 1967 or 68, and it was mostly an adventure for the kids. We were only snowed in for a couple days.
We have earthquakes but they happen in parts of California much closer to the ocean than I am.

For us, the big one would be drought. So far they have been survivable. Sending out for water gets expensive. Fighting fires is no joke either.
 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation :

1992...I was on the island of Kauai when Hurricane Iniki hit.
Initially it was rated a Cat 5 then after the fact they said it was a Cat 4 Hurricane.
After it passed we were without services for quite a while. Damages to the airport and downed power lines stopped all transportation. No power, no phones, no water.
The house we were renting had it's own water supply and propane gas to supply hot water and cooking. Way better off than friends who's homes were all electrical powered. Damages to homes and businesses was extensive.
There was one payphone (before cellphones) that worked and you had to wait in line to use it. Bicycles were the easiest way to get around. Took a while before gas was readily available so driving was limited.
The debris was also an issue on the roads.
We stayed on island for a month. When we left they still had not restored power to our area where we were living.
We went to Oahu and stayed with my bother for a week...A whole different survival story....The first night on Oahu we ate our first real meal in thirty days. My GF and I ate a whole family meal that should have fed six..LOL.
I've been back to visit once. I'm part Hawaiian but I hate being stuck on that rock in the middle of the ocean. At heart I'm a Mainlander.

how long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow:

Right now, My wife and I could probably hold out for at least a week. Longer if we rationed out things.
First priority is keeping insulin at a safe temperature. Wife is insulin dependent so we would start assessing the situation right away.
We would be well armed with enough ammo to hold off the mongrels as long as there are no firefights. More than likely we would load up the 4x4 with supplies and the dogs and bug out across the desert if need be.
 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation :
First priority is keeping insulin at a safe temperature. Wife is insulin dependent so we would start assessing the situation right away.

For those that mentioned insulin needs it seems that a small dorm refrigerator and some deployable solar panels/batteries are in order.
 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation :

1992...I was on the island of Kauai when Hurricane Iniki hit. ...
We stayed on island for a month. ...
We went to Oahu and stayed with my bother for a week...
The first night on Oahu we ate our first real meal in thirty days.
My GF and I ate a whole family ...

Well I have never been that hungry.
My longest "disaster" was the Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973.

how long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow?

I'd say about a week.
I'll repeat from my answer in the June 2018 Question of the Month:
In a crisis situation, how long should a household be prepared to survive?

After I run out and it gets critical I'd try to get to a non-crisis area where my money is still good. Otherwise I guess I'd have to be a thief and steal your supplies. Actually, I'd try to work for your instead.

I will probably die of old age or stupidity before such a crisis hits here.​

 
What is the longest that you ever had to survive in a disaster situation :

1992...I was on the island of Kauai when Hurricane Iniki hit.
Initially it was rated a Cat 5 then after the fact they said it was a Cat 4 Hurricane.
After it passed we were without services for quite a while. Damages to the airport and downed power lines stopped all transportation. No power, no phones, no water.
The house we were renting had it's own water supply and propane gas to supply hot water and cooking. Way better off than friends who's homes were all electrical powered. Damages to homes and businesses was extensive.
There was one payphone (before cellphones) that worked and you had to wait in line to use it. Bicycles were the easiest way to get around. Took a while before gas was readily available so driving was limited.
The debris was also an issue on the roads.
We stayed on island for a month. When we left they still had not restored power to our area where we were living.
We went to Oahu and stayed with my bother for a week...A whole different survival story....The first night on Oahu we ate our first real meal in thirty days. My GF and I ate a whole family meal that should have fed six..LOL.
I've been back to visit once. I'm part Hawaiian but I hate being stuck on that rock in the middle of the ocean. At heart I'm a Mainlander.

how long could you hold out if one happened tomorrow:

Right now, My wife and I could probably hold out for at least a week. Longer if we rationed out things.
First priority is keeping insulin at a safe temperature. Wife is insulin dependent so we would start assessing the situation right away.
We would be well armed with enough ammo to hold off the mongrels as long as there are no firefights. More than likely we would load up the 4x4 with supplies and the dogs and bug out across the desert if need be.
Glad you mentioned this, my wife is T1D, I dont know how I overlooked that originally. Depending on time of year it could be stored outside, at least for us here in Indiana, after that we would have to store underground, at 52 degrees. Or better yet in the well. Insulin is shelf stable at 50°for a year. After that supply is the next issue.

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