Not sure this is the right thread for this...

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VenomJockey

Ancient AH Pilot, Retired CWO W4.
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Dec 31, 2017
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Due to health concerns my "bug out" days are over. But I have an 8' cyclone fence around the property, motion detectors on the fence, live security cameras with a 360 degree coverage, two unfriendly dogs, several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo, along with enough stored food to last up to a year for two people. Backup generator and 1,000 gallons of fuel. Anything else I should add? My location is rural, not exactly out in the boonies, but not much population, either...maybe 20 homes in 10-15 sq. miles. Any suggestions are welcome.
 
If you are out numbered by a determine enemy you can and will be over ran. Like The Alamo. That said it will always be better to have as many dependable comrades as possible. Finding dependable, trustworthy people is the problem.
About the best way to survive is stealth. If nobody knows you are there then they won't try to take what you have.
With your setup you will probably do better than 99% of the rest.
 
If you property line and home are rectangles, you'll need at least two active guns to cover the perimeter. If the zombies are gone or never materialize, so that your isolation is long term, you need both tools and the knowhow to replace them. Aside from that, your needs will not be endless - it will only seem that way.
 
I'm not likely to go anywhere either, unless absolutely necessary. This thread could go on forever. LOL! There's just so many things to consider that it gets overwhelming at times. I just try to think of the things we use on a daily, then weekly, then monthly, then seasonal basis and try to cover it all from there. For example, what do we use every day? Toothpaste, toothbrushes, TP, coffee, water, clothes, shoes, hand soap, electricity, shampoo, razors, etc. I mentally go through a typical day and make sure I'm stocked of anything getting me through day 1. I try to keep plenty of those things on hand since I use them every day. Then I move on to other family members including the critters as far as what they need daily. Then I move on to the things we all require on a weekly basis and on and on and on. Hit the basics such as food, water, shelter, heat, safety, hygiene, etc. and then move on from there to other needs or comforts.

I'd love to take some of the folks on this board with me who know lots about herbs/plants/etc. for providing your own medicine. I have just dabbled in making tinctures and I have much much more to learn, but I have a nice stock of 100% vodka for tincture making. I have lots of books to back me up, but I really need more first hand knowledge on what plants are in my back yard and how to utilize them. In the meantime, I have a supply of OTC meds, fish antibiotics, collodial silver, etc. to rely on for common ailments. Plus, I'm not a vodka drinker, but hey.....I'm sure some of those days may require a cocktail and vodka beats nothing. However, that vodka can be used for many things.:confused:

If you have a well on that property, maybe consider getting a manual backup system in which to get water. I finally bought one a while ago. I've never had it out of the box and if all goes well, I probably never will. However, I do feel better knowing it's there should I ever need it. I don't like purchasing something I doubt I will ever use, but considering how important fresh and clean water is, I thought it was worth it for the peace of mind it gives me.

Maybe consider planting some fruit trees or berry bushes this spring as well as stocking up on some good seeds and gardening supplies. If you think you'd hunker down, it'd be nice to have a grocery store in your back yard. Perhaps a nice supply of jars and lids as well as a canner and canning salts/sugars would also be a good idea. I'd also get a ball canning book or something similar to help guide you along the canning process if you're not familiar with it. I store my canning book in my canner. As a nice bonus, good clean food from your backyard will be more healthy than anything else you can ingest......so even if you just use it for that reason, it'd be a nice bonus.

Books! I just love books of all kinds. I even like books on subjects that I am proficient in b/c even if I know a subject well, others may not, and would likely find my library an asset. I especially like the books of things I need to learn. Typically I just skim them when I get them and then put them on the shelf. Someday I may be relying on them for valuable information......or maybe just to keep myself entertained. I have a book addiction and have loved them since I was a kid, so perhaps you don't need as many books as I have, but I would suggest getting them on subjects you wish you knew more about, even though you may not have the time to read it right now. I have found many of mine at garage sales and secondhand stores for pennies on the dollar. Buying them off Amazon can get pricey. Our local library has monthly book sales as well (to get rid of underutilized inventory) and those book prices are usually pretty good too.
 
Due to health concerns my "bug out" days are over. But I have an 8' cyclone fence around the property, motion detectors on the fence, live security cameras with a 360 degree coverage, two unfriendly dogs, several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo, along with enough stored food to last up to a year for two people. Backup generator and 1,000 gallons of fuel. Anything else I should add? My location is rural, not exactly out in the boonies, but not much population, either...maybe 20 homes in 10-15 sq. miles. Any suggestions are welcome.
Your post has been on my mind.
I think that many of us think our "bug out" days are over. I think there is an expected way of looking at bugging out: walking, carrying a heavy bag, living out of the bag for the rest of our lives or until we arrive at our BOL, or not, if we don't have one. I do believe that fortifying and preparing our home and property are as important as having a BOB, food storage, preps, warm clothing, alternative heating.

At some time, an early prepper decided that we would all be walking the earth with our BOB's for the rest of our lives. I have long questioned that scenario. It is possible that we will leave home on foot with our BOB and that will be all that we will ever have. But, there are many other possibilities. It is possible that many will be wandering the earth until they die, while some never leave their own homes or property.

We could have a forced evacuation of our home and neighborhood, due to a disaster, such as a wildfire, environmental problems, toxic spills, flood. It is possible that we will lose everything we own in some disaster. It is possible we will be evicted from our home due to a financial disaster.

I think of the fires in California. People had moments to evacuate. Some did not have enough time and lost their lives. I know a family in Colorado who had to evacuate due to a fire in their area. They left in their RV. Fortunately, they did not lose their home and were able to return after days of being gone in their RV.

I see the possibility of being forced to leave our homes. I see the possibility of being prepared to load up and get out of Dodge in a short period of time, with no choice! It can happen. As a result of that, I see the possibility of getting into a vehicle and driving until we get to a place that we have pre-planned to be a safe place for bugging out. If we are prepared to evacuate, we can have food, water, warm clothing, gear, tarps, portable home (tent or) and more, all packed up, stacked up, ready to load and go. We could have an RV or a travel trailer, or even just a trailer.

We just have no idea how things will play out in the future.
 
Your post has been on my mind.
I think that many of us think our "bug out" days are over. I think there is an expected way of looking at bugging out: walking, carrying a heavy bag, living out of the bag for the rest of our lives or until we arrive at our BOL, or not, if we don't have one. I do believe that fortifying and preparing our home and property are as important as having a BOB, food storage, preps, warm clothing, alternative heating.

At some time, an early prepper decided that we would all be walking the earth with our BOB's for the rest of our lives. I have long questioned that scenario. It is possible that we will leave home on foot with our BOB and that will be all that we will ever have. But, there are many other possibilities. It is possible that many will be wandering the earth until they die, while some never leave their own homes or property.

We could have a forced evacuation of our home and neighborhood, due to a disaster, such as a wildfire, environmental problems, toxic spills, flood. It is possible that we will lose everything we own in some disaster. It is possible we will be evicted from our home due to a financial disaster.

I think of the fires in California. People had moments to evacuate. Some did not have enough time and lost their lives. I know a family in Colorado who had to evacuate due to a fire in their area. They left in their RV. Fortunately, they did not lose their home and were able to return after days of being gone in their RV.

I see the possibility of being forced to leave our homes. I see the possibility of being prepared to load up and get out of Dodge in a short period of time, with no choice! It can happen. As a result of that, I see the possibility of getting into a vehicle and driving until we get to a place that we have pre-planned to be a safe place for bugging out. If we are prepared to evacuate, we can have food, water, warm clothing, gear, tarps, portable home (tent or) and more, all packed up, stacked up, ready to load and go. We could have an RV or a travel trailer, or even just a trailer.

We just have no idea how things will play out in the future.
Good thinking, Weedy. All we have is some maybe possible scenarios. My notion is to prepare for a life in the boonies, it's 1740, the Injuns are not friendly. Um, I ain't going to do much of anything, 'cause I'm sure I couldn't cut the mustard anymore. Just sayin'.
 
I too think water is one of, if not the top priority for either bugging out, or bugging in. Either stored water, which is bulky and heavy. Or a small amount on hand and a method purifying more. I try to do both. I even have a cooler I keep in the vehicles with 10-20 bottles of water and a Sawyer water purifier in my GHB's. I drink a lot of water every day just in my normal routine. If I ever had to walk home (35 miles) I'll need a way to obtain more than I want to carry.
 
On water.. I have a Big Berkey it holds about 1.5 gallons of water, We discovered after the move we needed to filter the water at the house because we had not tested the water. It turned out that it had a high Coliform bacteria count not dangerous but pointed to a potential problem with ground water infiltration into the well with algae growth and high iron content. In a survival situation this system would work great but to even supply water for drinking,ice. and cooking it was a constant challenge to keep it filled and the filter cones cleaned. If you buy a filter system like the Berkey get the largest they make. They work superb but are not designed to supply whole homestead filtered water supply.
 
We have a Berkey light that the 2 of us have used daily for years. I chose it because it was light and flexible in case it got squished. But bigger is probably better.
 
Our well is around 180 feet deep but the water table is around 40 feet so I should be able to get water even if the pump isn't working.

I've been thinking about that and in a EMP/ grid down situation I think some of these solutions would be awesome...

http://waterbuckpump.com/buckettripod-order-form/4-inch-well-bucket/

Suspended particulates or turbidity cuts down on the effectiveness of water filters.
Some of the old military ways of pre-filtering water works best.
Millbank bags don't use electricity and are a low tech solution.
http://www.millbankbagsusa.com/

I have links to solar stills that distil fresh clean water from any source even seawater if anyone is interested.
 

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