hu lowery
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surviving emergencies
Well, the original topic was of great interest to me, I have a huge pecan in my front yard near the house that is a problem tree. Too dangerous to even climb. Hoping a bucket comes along I can make use of, otherwise that rope saw and a partner sounds real tempting.
Now about bug out bags and being prepared. Been there, and you learn a lot in a hurry. For example, two cases of water isn't nearly enough if you shelter in place. Without taking in much fluid from the food you eat and other drinks besides water, you need a lot of water.
How realistic is the wild west scenario in the aftermath of a disaster? My brother and I were in his home after a hurricane, no power for several weeks, no fire, no police service. Tens of thousands of empty homes, a bare handful had any sort of emergency lighting indicating they were occupied, literally one or two more as far as we could see. The first or second night someone tried our door without knocking. I shined a light at a window over the door and they took the hint and went away. Fifteen minutes later they tried the door again. Fortunately for them they didn't try to force entry, anyone forcing their way in would have never knew what hit them with two more than adequately armed master class shooters well armed and under cover.
Many years later the area flooded. The waters rose over five feet in less than three hours. Few people are prepared for something like that! Most everything was lost, what was saved was mostly the old clothes and shoes that were in the tops of closets to be out the way. Without thought, we tried to raise the freezer and refrigerator to keep them operational and too late realized we had lost the irreplaceable family items stored down low. From the wood turners perspective, I lost all of my exotic wood I had been carefully keeping in climate control for five to seven years because I had moved it to my house for safe keeping while I was moving my shop! Lost over a gross of quality cue shaft blanks too which are harder to find than the exotic stuff.
Almost 24 years in the area without a flood, even going through a handful of major hurricanes including Katrina. Lost count of named tropical storms. Having been through a handful of times without any official support I can tell you 99% of us aren't prepared. You need more ice, more water, more food, more clothes, more of everything than you think. Also medical supplies. We were forced into the attic during the flood, my brother, his wife, and myself. We were on a little platform intended for storage but it was so crowded I was mostly off of it on a piece of plywood laying across ceiling joists. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning I mistepped and went through the ceiling to my chest. Did some ugly things to a lower leg, no clean break and no x-rays available for days. By the time I could get x-rays it seemed silly. A couple ribs across a ceiling joist broke my fall, they weren't too happy either! No bloody froth so I figured I was good to go. Still have a dent there and on my shin.
Stuart's bug out bag is an excellent start. Some basic food items and three or four times that much water are needed for even very short term. Knives, an ax, maybe a good saw or gas chain saw handy, GAS, and yes the ability to defend yourself and your possessions, are all needed. Cell phones last a few hours until the emergency batteries powering the towers die. Even the emergency services thought they would use cell phones for communications. Big Mistake! (Side note to Stuart, I understand the culture you are in. Many things are a weapon when needed including many working tools. Working late one night someone was trying to force entry through my back wall. New shop I was remodeling and unusual for me I was buck naked, well 'cept my clothes. I hid behind a corner with a three feet long length of 1" diameter steel bar. It wasn't much but sure beat nothing!)
Like Jonathan, many of you, and Hank Jr, I can skin a buck and run a trotline. I may not be thrilled with what I eat but in an emergency I and my family will eat. Don't think there won't be people ready to take what you have while you watch though. Scavenging starts within hours and some of the people scavenging quickly turn to looting. High end electronics and alcohol are some of the first things taken, not exactly emergency supplies!
Long post as usual but everyone needs a "bug out bag" both in your home and in each vehicle. A gallon of water in your vehicle may mean the difference between living and dying right in the middle of people when something happens. You get ran off the road at seventy miles an hour and the vehicle can be hidden only yards off the road. If you can't get out and have no supplies at all you can die with thousands of people passing by a few yards away. Water comes in handy for the vehicle sometimes too.
No big deal to be prepared and never need it. It surely isn't fun to need things and not have them. Fuel and water are the big things and in a disaster may not be available for weeks. My brother was working in the only surviving hospital in the area after Katrina. When the storm hit his "shift" lasted three weeks with the occasional short nap before personel could be rotated! Weeks after the storm I got through to the hospital with enough gasoline that people could check on their homes and families. Every shipment of diesel to the hospital to run their generators was hi-jacked by emergency teams that figured they needed it worse than all the people that would die in a heart hospital now operating as the only trauma center in the area also. They finally started getting diesel through in tankers with MILK signs painted on them.
Some fantastic people in emergencies. However emergencies bring out the best and worst in people and even good people often resort to a me and mine first attitude. Being prepared physically and mentally to look after yourself and your family is a must.
A very long post but I have been there a handful of times when all support structures failed. We are all woefully underprepared!
Hu
Well, the original topic was of great interest to me, I have a huge pecan in my front yard near the house that is a problem tree. Too dangerous to even climb. Hoping a bucket comes along I can make use of, otherwise that rope saw and a partner sounds real tempting.
Now about bug out bags and being prepared. Been there, and you learn a lot in a hurry. For example, two cases of water isn't nearly enough if you shelter in place. Without taking in much fluid from the food you eat and other drinks besides water, you need a lot of water.
How realistic is the wild west scenario in the aftermath of a disaster? My brother and I were in his home after a hurricane, no power for several weeks, no fire, no police service. Tens of thousands of empty homes, a bare handful had any sort of emergency lighting indicating they were occupied, literally one or two more as far as we could see. The first or second night someone tried our door without knocking. I shined a light at a window over the door and they took the hint and went away. Fifteen minutes later they tried the door again. Fortunately for them they didn't try to force entry, anyone forcing their way in would have never knew what hit them with two more than adequately armed master class shooters well armed and under cover.
Many years later the area flooded. The waters rose over five feet in less than three hours. Few people are prepared for something like that! Most everything was lost, what was saved was mostly the old clothes and shoes that were in the tops of closets to be out the way. Without thought, we tried to raise the freezer and refrigerator to keep them operational and too late realized we had lost the irreplaceable family items stored down low. From the wood turners perspective, I lost all of my exotic wood I had been carefully keeping in climate control for five to seven years because I had moved it to my house for safe keeping while I was moving my shop! Lost over a gross of quality cue shaft blanks too which are harder to find than the exotic stuff.
Almost 24 years in the area without a flood, even going through a handful of major hurricanes including Katrina. Lost count of named tropical storms. Having been through a handful of times without any official support I can tell you 99% of us aren't prepared. You need more ice, more water, more food, more clothes, more of everything than you think. Also medical supplies. We were forced into the attic during the flood, my brother, his wife, and myself. We were on a little platform intended for storage but it was so crowded I was mostly off of it on a piece of plywood laying across ceiling joists. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning I mistepped and went through the ceiling to my chest. Did some ugly things to a lower leg, no clean break and no x-rays available for days. By the time I could get x-rays it seemed silly. A couple ribs across a ceiling joist broke my fall, they weren't too happy either! No bloody froth so I figured I was good to go. Still have a dent there and on my shin.
Stuart's bug out bag is an excellent start. Some basic food items and three or four times that much water are needed for even very short term. Knives, an ax, maybe a good saw or gas chain saw handy, GAS, and yes the ability to defend yourself and your possessions, are all needed. Cell phones last a few hours until the emergency batteries powering the towers die. Even the emergency services thought they would use cell phones for communications. Big Mistake! (Side note to Stuart, I understand the culture you are in. Many things are a weapon when needed including many working tools. Working late one night someone was trying to force entry through my back wall. New shop I was remodeling and unusual for me I was buck naked, well 'cept my clothes. I hid behind a corner with a three feet long length of 1" diameter steel bar. It wasn't much but sure beat nothing!)
Like Jonathan, many of you, and Hank Jr, I can skin a buck and run a trotline. I may not be thrilled with what I eat but in an emergency I and my family will eat. Don't think there won't be people ready to take what you have while you watch though. Scavenging starts within hours and some of the people scavenging quickly turn to looting. High end electronics and alcohol are some of the first things taken, not exactly emergency supplies!
Long post as usual but everyone needs a "bug out bag" both in your home and in each vehicle. A gallon of water in your vehicle may mean the difference between living and dying right in the middle of people when something happens. You get ran off the road at seventy miles an hour and the vehicle can be hidden only yards off the road. If you can't get out and have no supplies at all you can die with thousands of people passing by a few yards away. Water comes in handy for the vehicle sometimes too.
No big deal to be prepared and never need it. It surely isn't fun to need things and not have them. Fuel and water are the big things and in a disaster may not be available for weeks. My brother was working in the only surviving hospital in the area after Katrina. When the storm hit his "shift" lasted three weeks with the occasional short nap before personel could be rotated! Weeks after the storm I got through to the hospital with enough gasoline that people could check on their homes and families. Every shipment of diesel to the hospital to run their generators was hi-jacked by emergency teams that figured they needed it worse than all the people that would die in a heart hospital now operating as the only trauma center in the area also. They finally started getting diesel through in tankers with MILK signs painted on them.
Some fantastic people in emergencies. However emergencies bring out the best and worst in people and even good people often resort to a me and mine first attitude. Being prepared physically and mentally to look after yourself and your family is a must.
A very long post but I have been there a handful of times when all support structures failed. We are all woefully underprepared!
Hu
......just guessing.
