Grid-Down Collapse: Hard Assets Soar In Value

by | Nov 5, 2012 | Emergency Preparedness | 186 comments

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    By all accounts, the residents of many hurricane stricken areas of the north east are in the midst of a collapse. While FEMA, the National Guard and private relief organizations are in place and providing some level of assistance, the fact of the matter is that for tens of thousands of Americans, the world as they knew it has completely collapsed around them.

    What we are witnessing are the immediate after-effects of what is referred to as a grid-down scenario, where utility infrastructure like water and electricity, transportation infrastructure like food and gas delivery, and commerce infrastructure like electronic banking and brick & mortar trade are no longer functioning.

    In some areas there has been a total breakdown in emergency response. Without communications it has become impossible for emergency responders to be contacted. For all intents and purposes, law and order broke down within just a few hours of Hurricane Sandy passing over the east coast. Likewise, medical response was unavailable due to overwhelming demand put on the system by hundreds of people reporting simultaneous emergencies.

    Almost immediately after the worst of the storm passed, people in the hardest hit areas began to realize how bad things were. Within 72 hours we had complete chaos. People were fighting for gas, digging through trashcans and standing in FEMA supply lines for hours at a time just for a bottle of water and an emergency ration kit.

    The hunt for resources had begun.

    Looters were hitting grocery and convenience stores, thieves and armed robbers were breaking into personal residences, and tempers flared.

    With essential supplies running low and government support lacking, black markets have sprung up to fill the gap.

    What has been theorized in previous commentary about what becomes money when the system collapses, became a reality over the last week.

    When it hits the fan the only things of value will be the hard assets in your physical possession. 

     In one report, the cost of a bag of potatoes jumped to $7, up from $3 before the storm hit. The cost of the box of matches appears more than three times the usual cost, and the loaf of bread is more than double the usual cost. (NBC)

    I waited in line for 2 hours to fill up a 5 Gallon gas container. I’m willing to sell it for the right price and will deliver! $25 per Gallon OR Shoot us your best offer!! (The Daily Sheeple)

    Just got back from trying to deliver 2 generators to Long Island. 220 mile drive one way. Deal was brokered, $7000 cash, for a business owner to open his shop. (SHTF plan)

    This is crazy, it’s like post-apocalyptic scenarios, you know with this gas. It’s as important as food and water to people. It’s a dogfight out here (CS Monitor)

    Residents in the Queens neighborhood of the Rockaways are using anything they can get their hands on to protect their homes after Sandy devastated their area, including bows and arrows… Locals say they are arming themselves with guns, baseball bats, booby traps — even a bow and arrow — to defend against looters. (Liberty Blitzkrieg)

    The largest number of complaints are related to increased gasoline prices, he said in a statement, but consumers also have reported possible gouging for emergency supplies like generators and hotels raising rates due to “high demand,” as well as increased prices for food and water. (Huffpost)

    [Editor’s Note: During the first economic and financial panic to hit Greece in 2010, citizens of the country scrambled to convert their currency to gold when they thought the system was about to go under… A large portion of Greek commerce has since moved into underground markets.]

    Prices at which the Greek Central Bank is selling one ounce gold equivalents are as high as $1,700 (40% over spot), and prices on the black markets are even higher. (Zero Hedge)

    Arguing the right and wrong of “price gouging” is off no consequence. What matters is that prices for key supplies will rise exponentially as their supply dwindles. This is a natural effect of rising demand, especially if that demand is driven by panic buying.

    Food, gas, clean water, batteries, self defense armaments, shelter, clothing, ammo, precious metals and related preparedness supplies are a must-have in any grid-down scenario. First and foremost you can use these and other supplies to survive or at the very least, remain comfortable. Second, you can use these items for trade as their value soars.

    The north east will recover in due time, just as New Orleans did after Hurricane Katrina. This emergency is limited in scope and the government was already actively employing emergency response plans prior to the disaster. However, as we have seen over the week since Sandy struck, there is simply no way for government to be able to manage a crisis that is spread over a wide area and involves tens of thousands of ‘victims.’

    What we’ve learned is that when it comes down to it, those in areas affected by a disaster will have no one else to rely on but themselves.

    Having key supplies and tools prepared  in advance of an emergency is absolutely critical to your well-being and survival.

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      186 Comments

      1. I honestly can’t think of any more commodities I need to purchase.

        • Glad to see others are set up for the worst. If you are not prepping , you are inepting…

        • It is a very good feeling to know you are prepared. Supplies, Land, ability to defend, and debt free. What is better than that.

        • How about WATERPROOF books? I lived in Okinawa several years and most of my books rotted.

          • They make waterproof books I like to call them ZIPLOC bags.

          • That would be called a PDF!

            • PDF doesn’t work without power. EMP, unless you have the reader and a crank charger in a Faraday cage, will fry the electronics and erase the pdf files on it.

        • What about the type of mega disaster that doesn’t have the ability to recover? Everyone in the disaster zone has the confidence that someone from the outside will help them to recover and times will be back to “nomral” soon enough. This is the dangerous notion that so many fall into that no matter how bad it is that someone will be there sooner or later to rescue them and their neighbors. Bad approach. They can call the good people that are preppers/survivalists kooks and out of touch, yet those that think ahead and prepare and that means thinking about the danger zone they live in and either leave, have a bug out plan, or prepare enough to survive what comes about.

          What if there is no one coming to aid of anyone? What if there is no one working together and it is survival of the most vicous? What if someone’s area is totally cut off from any help for long enough that someone starves to death? What if disaster after disaster continues to weaken and make life more and more dangerous? Look at this nor’easter coming in, AccuWeather says the gusts of winds will reach 60-70 mph and in some case higher. Trees won’t be able to take this and weaken structures. I wonder if people that can still prepare are doing so. Or people will once again be caught off guard and suffer or die in magnitudes of numbers that did not have to. I wonder.

          • That is when we take over and run a sound country…

            • Sounds like a great plan, except the chaos will last a long time. Then the scum will try to run things. There will be warfare with no UN or ‘rules of engagement’.

              Hopefully us preppers will stick together and then start over with the same country our founding fathers fought for.

              • arco, I too believe it’ll bee a long trip to recovery. It isn’t just the unlawful I am concerned about. It is the rogue law enforcement. Heard a few stories about them in N.O. after Katrina. I think the feds are the ones to watch, some have been itching for more authority; i.e. ATF, Homeland security, Border Patrol, and the many agencies that received the numerous amounts of ammo. It makes sense now, why the Social Security Office will need the ammo. When the deposits stop then they’ll have hordes of people demanding answers and their are those who will get loud and violent.

              • Arco: And the ‘new country’ everyone dreams of will go the same way this one went as long as we have a powerful federal/national government. What we need is something more along the lines of our original government with the Articles of Confederation with a few extras. The power would be from the bottom up: cities and towns would have the most power, followed by the counties, then the states, and finally the federal government as arbiter of last resort rather than the main director of power that is what we have today. There would be a limited standing army based only on U.S. soil augmented by a much larger group of militia/guard units from all states of regular citizens. Our navy and air forces would only be allowed to patrol a couple hundred miles away from our borders. Addtional amendments would prohibit our military from ever engageing our forces in other counties wars. Another one would limit all spending to match revenue=no deficit spending. We would then have a much smaller but more stable and manageble government like Switzerland has had since the 13th century where locals control their own destiny and keep a tight rein on the feds. Switzerland is a small, healthy, wealthy, and well educated country that hasn’t had a war in centuries. Every man has an automatic weapon at home until 55 or 60 as part of the national guard/militia and the crime rate there is to envied by everyone. Read both the Federalist Papers and Constitution along with the Anti-Federalist Papers and the Articles of Confederation to see where we went wrong. I say “No More Federalists, if you want to be free”!

              • BRAVO!! Back to an actual Constitutional government. No greed, no power hunger, no corruption without the penalty of public hanging. The way it was meant to be. The key words are “STICK TOGETHER”.

          • People starve to death every day. That is nothing new. Some disasters are not survivable. I never worry about things I can do nothing about. It would be hard for sure, but have done or am doing everything I can and have peace that I have provided for my family for seven years before we have to rely on a harvest.

            High winds are nothing new to me. I’ve been in hurricanes, and tornadoes, and other natural disasters. When you are prepared, you can sleep when the wind blows.

            • Really? I would bet alot of those people whose houses washed away were prepared. Not much good when the preps get destroyed. You sound like a smug self satisfied little man who has a high regard for himself based on nothing. Maybe some of those high winds you survived launched some debris against your head. I bet the whistling sound it made as it blew in one ear and out the other was imprssive.

              • They prepared by living in wood frame houses next to the ocean.

              • I do get tired of hearing PP boast. No matter what the topic is he’s always boasting about how well he’s done for himself. I, for one, wish he would say something constructive, or just hush.

                • So you do what to know you can do it. Its called hearing a success story.

              • That is why the FIRST thing that you create is a BOB. The people that CHOOSE to stay, CHOOSE to screw themselves. I highly doubt that those that remained are preppers.

              • They chose to pay large sums of money to live in flimsy stick-built houses at the edge of the ocean.

                It’s not like this is the first hurricane to hit NYC.

                They put convenience and pretty views and social status over their families’ well-being and even survival. So why should anyone shed any tears for their bad decisions?

            • My dad said the same thing right up until hurricane hugo destroyed his home in 1989. He was a little smug even after my mom dreamed that the big oak would smash the house. Of course they were 250 miles from the coast, but that didn’t stop the storm. Needless to say he isn’t as arrogant as he once was.

            • I interpret Prepared Pastor as meaning he is not afraid. There is no smugness — just no fear. Life is and death is — no change to that.

            • P.P. and other readers: OK if those who prepped weren’t washed away living in danger zones. We left Fla. over 30 years, moved inland; tired of evacuating to shelters. Anyone living near or on the ocean/gulf or other flood zones are really not prepared..move to safety, you can always travel to beaches, etc. Living in danger zones and prepping is not consistent with common sense. Those N.J. barrier islands and other low spots in NY are danger zones for housing ditto for the gulf states. Tornadoes you can’t do much about; thankfully I’ve had near misses with only tree/fence damage.

              • I hear you can get a good lot cheap…In Breezy Point NY. And on it goes.

            • That’s right, people starve to death everyday.

              How many American’s know that between 30,000 & 50,000 children die every single day of the week.
              The majority of them live in Africa.
              The major cause of death is starvation.

          • What if… Just what if it were an earthquake or volcano or tsunami? No “one week” for FEMA and the labtards to prepare at all. Then what?

            • @ disector284. A long time ago a wise little man from Japan was the major or leader of a city that in the past had been destroyed by tsunamis. This person never wanted this to happen ever again and did not take the advice of most engineers that a 30 foot or even a 50 foot sea wall was enough. He wanted it built almost a 100 feet high. For years he worked to get the city counsil to approve his request for the wall because he said it was coming again. Finally it was constructed over many years and very much cost.

              This man died a couple of decades ago but during the 2011 super tsunami his dream of protecting his city paid off a hundred times over. Sure enough a wave almost 80 foot tall came roaring ashore, and the city did not even suffer any flooding, just a bit of water ran over the top. A city slightly to the north was completely obliterated by the tsunami. One person’s insight saved about 10000 lives and showed that yes you can prepare for natural disasters.

              I see preppers all the time using tried and true methods of protecting their homes from what is coming. many people for example in tornado prone areas store all or part of their survival supplies underground in cellars. many preppers in fire prone areas plant vegetation that is very fire resistent. Down in southern california for example people planet what is called ice plants on the hillside to slow down fires. These plants are loaded with fluid and will not burn. People have to be aware of what can happen in their area on top of stocking up and try to prepare accordingly. It can be done and is done all the time. It costs money, but this insurance is more than worth it to those the can afford it.

            • Just what I fear most where I live in Alaska . My well prepared home would have to be left behind . My evac totes are well prepared but pale when compared to a well stocked home . A tidal wave would kick my ass way more than economic collaps

              • Apparently people in PNG kno to run over and loosely put their arms around a coconut tree when the big waves come in. They then ride along the trunk with the force of the wave as the tree bends with the tide – and then end up at the top after it recedes. No shit – apparently some big fat ladies were found after a Tsunami sitting in the tops of the trees. So if you live down the beach – you can prep by planting a coconut tree.

        • If you are wanting to stock up on baking materials, (flour, spices, cake mixes, etc.), many stores have them on sale between now and Christmas. Check the sale papers in your local stores.

          Many stores also have canned vegetables on sale. Walmart has 4pk of corn, green beans and peas on sale for $2.

          • Cool KY, thanks for the heads up!

          • If a ten foot storm surge hits your house you better be somewhere else. All the preps in the world are not going to help. Anyone inland who did not prepare was a fool and should not be expecting sympathy.

            • @ John W. Part of being a prepper is not just prepping with what you need, but also case disaster awareness. No one should be sitting on an earthquake fault, or at the base of an erupting volcano like many have so done in Hawaii. Granted some people cannot move, but they can shore up their homes for example from an earthquake with little expenses and some work. By connecting additional brackets and support to the beams in the house they can help avoid a collapse. Many people build their homes up on stilts far above the ground. this one home in Florida the Weather Channel person rode out in Hurricane Charlie or Ike was made to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and did just fine during the hurricane.

              Really people can do things to protect their homes, if they have the money and resources. To those that can’t, just hope for them that they will be able to survive it.

          • Agree with KY Mom. This time of year Thanksgiving/Christmas is the best time to find deals on baking supplies and canned veggies.

            Plus: And if you happen to live in an area with a Harris Teeter like I do, they’re offering triple coupon up to $1.00 through end of today (Tuesday).

            • KY mom: I am loading up on spices like ginger, sage, tumeric, etc. mix in smoothies too, not just for baking. Some are anti oxidants. Also am stocking up on olive oil, salt, sugar, etc.

          • KY Mom,

            I also find good deals around Thanksgiving on veggies that I dehydrate. Look for good deals on sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, and other fall crops.

          • Good suggestions! Dehydrating vegetables is an great (and easy) way to save money on produce. I plan to dehydrate celery this year. The price they are asking for little containers of celery flakes is outrageous!

            If your local grocery store has an item you use on sale and is out of stock, be sure to ask for a ‘rain check’.

            Walmart will match the price of any item in another local store sale paper. Bring the store sale paper with you to get the matching price. Combine sale with a coupon and your food budget gets better. 🙂

            Walmart has 4pk of corn, green beans and peas on sale for $2 … Libby’s brand.

          • You must be big as a house ? Why dont you splurg today and after the kids get home from school, takem to Sonic or McNasties instead of refried leftt over freeze dried jerky dated March 09 you’ve saved up ? Lord knows even though it’s election day you could be nice and not make them eat “DOOMER FOOD” unless it’s knockin at yur door. C’mon……..take one for the team, Kilo IndIa Mike !!!

            • Your comment is both rude and irrelevant. Instead of purposely throwing insults, maybe you should focus on adding something helpful to the discussion.

              Baking bread and other meals from “scratch” is both more healthy and less expensive than buying store bought or eating out.

              Thankfully, my weight has never been a problem. Maybe eating healthy and exercising has something to do with it.

        • I’d like to see the list of everything you have so I know what I’m missing. :o)

          Seems every time I think I’m closer I realize how much I missed.

        • Hey PP and to everyone else out there,

          States are already talking about how they can be more prepared incase of a natural disaster, one of the ideas floating is how they will confiscate others items for a centralized collection facility! If you have any word of a community event, I advise going to state some common sense, because the have nots will want to take the ones that do have food, water, medicine, etc,.

          B Aware, B Awake, B Alive

          • soapdish: The confiscation from preppers to dole out to slackers will be hard to do and dangerous for those knocking on doors. Best not to mention preps to anyone, even co workers or close friends as they someday may be lacking in food during a disaster and remember friends that talked about their preps..

        • Shoelaces? Mine always snap… It is very irritating to walk around with snapped shoelaces

          • Use 550 cord instead

          • brooms…they will be invaluable WTSHTF, ya think??

        • One can always use another 12 cases of toilet paper 🙂

      2. should also point out the value of a good bugout plan and supplies for that, if you lived on the coast there and were told to evacuate, then you should evacuate,,, but if you bug out you need to be able to take whatever you value the most and supplies to sustain you, bugging out doesnt only come into play if there is a mass collapse, it can also be to save life and limb from a natural dizaster like this one,,, mother nature is pretty strong, best to load the guns and kids and food up and whatever else you can and beat it out of her way because man is no match for mother nature period. Go to a friends place far from the coast, lights out is one thing, storm surge and flooding and high winds is a whole nother monster to deal with and should not be taken lightly,,,

        • I am quite resistant to the idea of being TOLD to evacuate. I don’t need Bloomturd to tell me what to do. that said, one must have sense enough to decide on their own. Let’s see.. I live in a wood frame house a block from the ocean at an elevation of two feet, a 1000 mile wide storm with an expected surge of 15 feet is bearing down on my area. What to do…..?

          • Take it like a man, you made your choice.

      3. Mac

        Your site has now become more relevant than ever!…

        As the shtf has occurred more than we ever thought could happen in the last few years and more likely to occur exponentially..given all the excellent contributors and their insights to what is unfolding to keep us abreast….

        Be it geo poltical,economic,pandemic, weather and geo physical anomalies or what ever comes our way..

        Kudos to all those here who contribute their respective thoughts and expertise..

        We shall all learn a bit more and then some..

        No matter what ensues after tomorrows election..life will continue as it did today..and all the reason to prepare even more..

        and learn even more thanks to you and all concerned..

        kudos Mac

        Job well done

        possee

        • @ possee. Isn’t Mac doing an excellent job? Iwas looking at AccuWeather and I came upon something that I have been warning for a long time now about the Caribbean Fault, and a bad tsunami that will kill many that are totally unaware of the danger. God, I wish these states would put in an early warning tsunami system. Anyway it mentions the 10 top U.S. Natural Disasters. The Caribbean Plate breaking is number 9. I thin the los angeles tsunami is extremely possible as around 1925 a 7 pointer only caused a tsunami around santa barbara, cause was likely un underese landslide. Check this out: http://www.livescience.com/11327-natural-disasters-top-10-threats.html

        • Kudos to you as well Possee —

          Bottom line: this web site wouldn’t have anywhere close to the resources it has if it were not for people like you taking the time to share their thoughts.

          Thanks!

          Mac

        • Splitting hairs here, but I would enter that Mac’s website has always been this relevant, it’s just now that what he has been preaching for years is occurring.

          Great job Mac!

          • Hi Norse Prepper,

            Did you get your previous wuestions about the ‘electrical’ aspects answered? We here in the midwest got a ‘real’ bootcamp several years ago during the ice storms we had. If not then post-out and I’ll ‘pop-in’.
            Per Mac’s recent post we’ll have some type of ‘PM’ system here soon, DETAILED info could readily be given via such. Later all.

            • @ JustOneGuy

              Mac is working on getting chat rooms or the equivalent up and running soon. Additionally we should be able to message each other…like you said. LOL!!

              From what I have figured out, I think I’m going to go with a Honda. From what I understand their EU series is the quietest and they do it right. Did some research and it was suggested. I went out and looked at them today and it looks like the name on the front almost doubles the price. I’m trying to decide between $1K for the 2000 or $2K for the 3000. The running is 2800 Watts on the 3000 so that would provide to keep refridgerator and freezer running. I have a wood fireplace for heat.

              Any further suggestions would be great!

              Also, thank you for remembering in the first place that I was asking on a previous forum. Another benefit of this site is the closeness of the loose knit group we have.

              God Bless!
              NP

              • Hola guys. We’re working on the forum side now… I think we may have finally found a solution to integrate well with our existing system. My hope is we launch a beta version this week.

                I think a Private Message system will be an invaluable asset for many here, so this is in the works as well.

                Thanks and have a good one!

                Mac

                • JOJ, quick note: I saw your comment the other day regarding errant processes taking up resources. I sent an email to the addy attached to your username.

                  Thanks for the heads up on that.

              • norse prepper – as a contractor i have had a honda 5000 for 10 years and havent even changed the spark plug.
                this thing must have a million hrs on it !
                it has literaly run constant for two weeks after an ice storm hit my home, and i ran everything, well, furnace and freezers,etc. it worked hard but did the job.
                you may want to have an electrician disable the on board curcuit breakers , they are junk and constantly trip as loads go up and down in your home.
                and be safe and get a generator switch installed on your home !

              • Bear in mind the current requirements for your fridge & freezer are RUNNING numbers; start-up draw is higher.
                Also, if the fridge & freezer are already filled with stuff at the desired temp, it’s much “easier” for the appliance to hold something at a temp than it is to get it there in the first place.
                Huge advantage to the Honda gennies is the low sound level. There are MUCH cheaper alternatives, but it seems the noise level is inversely proportional to the price.
                I don’t care if the genny is loud, I’m not taking it to a campsite with neighbors.
                For power-fail emergency lights, I have a BUNCH of the little “solar path lights”; got them at Walmart in September for $0.75 each! (they’re out of stock now, I wanted another dozen or so)
                Single LED makes a decent bit of light, all things considered. And, what a GREAT barter item after the fall.

                • Loud generators in an electricity deprived environment make the owner a prime target. Generators are the first thing to be stolen during a major power outage. I can hear any of my neighbors’ generators inside of my house with the windows closed–the sound carries for blocks. My Honda Eu 2000 can’t really be detected until you get close to the back yard where it resides during emergency use. Just saying.

                • Can I jump in here??
                  I found the most awesome LED lights-had never considered them- for $3 at TSC..I bought one for the shed first.
                  Great move–it is almost as good as an overhead light.
                  Now, I used on in the closet and it was the best idea I’ve had lately.
                  Ended buying 2 for the vehicles, 2 for the nightstands, 1 for the shed.
                  No more bothers with lanterns, matches, etc, until waaay into the SHTF after a long time.
                  Now, my thing is the AAA batteries; I have a lot stored.
                  Just not knowing how long these LED will burn is a question, but man, I can’t read with a lantern, I can with these LEDs.
                  Hope this helps others, cause I was impressed with the LED light/flashlight from TSC.
                  Good luck. jayjay (s)

              • I have the Honda EU 2000. It easily runs two refrigerators or one fridge and the sump pump simultaneously. The units are expensive, very reliable, and quiet. Just saying.

                • I was at the library recently and recall Consumer Reports had an review article on Generators – this might be a place to start. On line accessable if you or someone you know has a subcription. Regards.

      4. My friends STILL have the mentality of “it wont happen to me”! We are descendants of a loooong line of survivors but within 3 generations we have become apethetic to preparing for the worst!? i am shocked that people still dont get it and that I (you all included) am a zealot for prepping. I agree with the article 100% in every aspect. Shocked.

        • I don’t get how we are somehow “strange” for not wanting to rely on empty promises from clueless politicians. But hey, whatever: they can do what they do, and we’ll do what we do. If nothing ever goes wrong ever again — yeahhh, right! — then we have warm safe homes full of food and we know how to cook, can, hunt and garden, while they have credit cards and takeout. If something does go wrong, we’ll be sitting safe at home while they stand in line for gas or go dumpster diving for food. If something goes really wrong, we will live and they will die.

          Like I say, we both get to live the way we want

          • Yep.

      5. It is a great feeling, knowing that you are miles ahead of the masses. Thanks mac for all you have provided in info for those who think ahead. May we preppers be the survivors to lead in times to come.

      6. And just think, this was on a small scale. One can only imagine when the SHTF simultaneously around the country from an economic collapse and the world economies collapse with it.

        Scary

        • That is when the informed (us) shine in knowing what, when and how to do what is needed to do to survive…

        • Has anyone here heard as yet info on weather all them Hati quake victims from several years ago has come to NJ and NY to help out the same americans who did so much for Hati’s quake victims crises?

          Or any other nations we americans has assisted so many times in the last couple decades?…Hmmmm…I wonder when They plan to help out?…

          • Angelo – the correct spelling is Haiti – it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and many are still living in tent cities because little has been rebuilt – from the quake on January 12, 2010, nearly three years ago…

            I agree with your sentiment about others coming to our aid but the truth is that the U.S. is on our own and nobody is coming to help, ever.

      7. My kids say they can not wait for something to happen! They wished that we lived in an area that we could test our plan. I keep telling them that’ we prep for insurance, not a real situation that anyone really wants to be in. I pray for these people! I hope I never have to implement any plan that would put my family to the test. My children are learning through this disaster that it might not be what they had imagined.
        Twisted

        • Exactly, man, exactly! None of us wants this shit to happen, but fer cryin’ out loud, we’re not stupid: bad stuff can happen, and eventually it will.

          Remember the old Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared

        • You know what you need to do? Do a fire drill or prep drill if you prefer…take a 3 day weekend from work and pull the breakers, hide the keys to the car and say ok we are on our own for three days….go!

          You can go over what to do for intruders,a fire, how to cook, keep clean,do laundry,dishes, or how you will have heat, water, and just keeping from being bored for that long weekend.

          You ARE prepping for a real situation, you just wont know the nature of it till it happens.

          Then they will maybe get a taste of how uncomfortable it will be and you can also assess your readiness and what you have not thought of and need to get more of or learn more of. Do as our military does and practice so you know you can do it for real when it does happen.

          • Excellent idea – I did this myself during Hurricane Katrina and have done it a couple of other times, though not one hundred percent. A couple things I learned (during a real blackout): put the kerosene near the front of the garage so you can find it in the dark; pouring 1/2 gal. of water down the toilet to flush it works better if you use a bowl or bucket rather than pouring out of the jug; the (wind-up)radio doesn’t necessarily give you any information; and the lack of information from the outside world is more disturbing than the lack of a stove.

        • Pick a really inconvenient weekend (for the kids) and make them live through an unannounced emergency exercise. That might make the best lesson for them to experience right now!

      8. NWO U.N. ZOG – FEDGOV FEMA DHS FAIL !

        * Maybe instead of buying a “BILLION BULLETS” the fedgov mafia clown gang DHS FEMA should of bought a “BILLION MRE’S and WATER FILTERS” for needy Americans in Disaster Zones !

        Mayor Michael Bloomberg ATTACKED BY DESPERATE STARVING NEEDY PEOPLE DAY 7 AFTER SANDY ROLLED THROUGH – made an unannounced visit to Rockaway on Saturday, November 3, 2012. Some residents confronted him and said the relief efforts there were inadequate.



        http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CIG6knGhrIs

        • Yeah – they’re working as hard as they can by…

          …writing tickets and fining those who are working without contractor’s permits for the city of NY.

          …bothering people who are trying to clean up, asking to see their permits…

          …making photo ops and public appearances telling people how hard that they are working…

          …protecting Bloomberg’s whiny little a** from all the people that want to kick it…

          Bloomberg is a waste of graftable skin.

          • This guy is worth twenty five billion dollars. Has he contributed anything to the relief effort besides annoying people.

          • The people deserve all the BS from him that they get as they voted this doofus into office.

        • BREAKING NEWS!!……Atty.Gen of NY, Eric Schneiderman is on the job!

          Gas prices in NY are up .15, while falling in the rest of the US. And he wants to know why??? What up?

          ” General business law prohibits such increases ……”

          Really? Must not have taken Econ101 while in law school.

          Here’s a law for ya, Eric. SUPPLY & DEMAND. Fiqure out how to wiggle out of that one. While you at it, make a law against gravity. It’ll be good for fat folks. Make planes use less fuel, yeah!

          Here’s your chance. Somebody, anybody, make an argument for “anti-gouging” laws, THAT DOESN’T CONTAIN FEELINGS.
          “it makes me feel bad” “we should all help each other” “it’s just wrong!” “not in our time of need” (classic, and my fav!!)
          You can’t do it. Watch any post that disagrees. They’ll all boil down to what a bad guy I am. boo hoo. You need STUFF. Now and in quantity. And while you quibble over price, people suffer.

          • Okay. Here’s a practical solution. Forgive me, I don’t know the area that well. But there is a HUGE vacant lot waterside on the road leading to Breezy Point.
            Make it a “FREE TRADE ZONE” .
            Come one, come all. Safety rules enforced, policed, but know if you go there, you can it at a price. “Legal” products only. Or make a list. If you can afford it, we got it!. Yeah, it’s not “fair”. Life’s not fair. But it would be a relief valve. At least those who can afford it won’t be part of the Gov’s “free” (ha,ha) efforts.

            A special baazar. Use natural law to your advantage. Those that don’t like it, stay away!

            Crazy prediction…while I’m on a roll.
            Within a week, you’ll see a cruise ship or two, docked in NY,NJ waterways, providing free (taxpayer funded) housing. When the crisis is over, the ships will have to be gutted and rebuilt, or scrapped.

          • Rick:) The clowns that get elected are as you say, attoneys with no clue to how the real world works. Say you got a product that’s in demand and you sell it but under these conditions it’s hard to replace your stock. What are you suppose to do; with your empty shelves are you going to survive on the ‘warm and fuzzy’ feelings you got from not increasing your prices while you business suffers? By charging more to those that didn’t prepare, you can survive longer and continue to provide goods and services to those who need it and are able/willing to pay . As you said, it’s the law of supply and demand, but those who’ve spent their lives in government or academia haven’t a clue, only half-baked theories of how they ‘feel’ things sholud work. Bunch of ass-clowns that do more harm than good.

      9. I for one have to tip my hat and give many thanks to Mac and everyone else on this site who have contributed some wonderful prepping info. I live in Northeastern Pa and although we didn’t get hit by Sandy as hard as NY or the Jersey Shore, we still got hit pretty hard and we had to deal with a bit of damage and loss of water and power for about 6 days. I’ve got to say 100% that this site has been a fountain of knowledge and support and without my regular visits to this site over the past year I would not have been as well prepared for when Sandy hit as I would have been without the knowledge and insight which I have gained here.
        My prepping has grown by leaps and bounds over what they were thanks to Mac and everyone here.
        I am definitely grateful to you all! This is by far THE most informative and helpful sites/web communities out there for prepping.
        …you can even quote me on that 😉
        Keep up the good work because the whole Sandy thing was only a taste of what can (and probably will) come!

        Cheers!

        • Thanks for your kind words. It’s a team effort here and this is one of the best communities around for great tips and ideas.

          A big shout-out to everyone at the site for their time, efforts and contributions!

          Mac

        • Glad to see you and your family are fine. Please do your best to help those around you and share your skills/knowledge with those in need.

          Stay safe!

      10. As your last contributor has just released the latest this evening..Charlie McGrath

        “You deserve to know where we are right now!”

        “It is coming here 100%..’

        What is it?

        Watch..

        Mac..have Charlie Mcgrath as a regular..

        Hard assets indeed..

        possee

      11. Welcome to the new America! Life as you knew it is now over! Prep for a better tommorow! The best way I can describe even a months worth of preps is WHAT IF?

      12. You know, its almost sad. But its a glimpse into the future of what will be reality for everyone some day. Hopefully later than sooner.

        I was lucky, only lost power for a day. But during that time I thought what if this was everyday? How many people could survive it, and for how long?

        This is proof of what (most) everyone on this site knows to be true.

        Keep safe, keep prepping and God Bless.

      13. To add insult to injury…

        This noreaster barreling down once again will even further the devastation upon those not prepared..never mind the results of tomorrows election..

        Methinks this(both storms)is all engineered(geo) for a final outcome..

        Never mind the engineered (economic) collapse affecting the entire western world..

        and it ain’t gonna be pretty..

        possee

        • Whats really insulting is the muslim poser on Pennsylvania Ave. has the sheeple convinced he’s done a great job of handling it.

          I think the media is still sugar coating it and by the end of the week its going to be even uglier even if the power is back on.

          If this happened a week earlier, there’s no way they could keep it smelling pretty this long and obummer would have no chance.

          BTW, where and how are all these people going to get to vote tomorrow? I bet no matter who wins its going to be major topic from the loser.

          • It is getting out. I am in the upper Midwest and I have seen plenty of news articles on the conditions in the NE. I also recall reading that The Poser lost his tiny bounce after just 4 days. Lots of people have kids working and living in NYC and family, friends, Internet friends in the Northeast. I see lots of quotes against FEMA and even anger at Himself by his *own* people (the ones who still see him that way; many blacks are as disgusted as we are. They mostly won’t vote.).

            AFAIK, they are setting up voting booths in military trucks or people w/Internet service can email or fax a request for a ballot. If verified, it will be sent. Rife for fraud, of course, but in NY & NJ, it all Democrat base and those are sure-fire states for them. Also, not a lot of time for any of this and all it would affect would be the popular vote.

      14. At 6 am I plan on pulling the big lever for the republican party.

        Time to fire Barry.

        Unreal that our country let this guy who was NOT a US Citizen be president.

        I still think the US is collapsing and will never recover.

        I pulled out an MRE, about 3 years old…ate it….was tasty and fine.
        Too bad the fucks buying all the latest apple I shit didn’t buy a few cases of MRE
        and other supplies like we did. Stupid fucks.

        MY NEW TREND….PICK UP ON IT…
        Don’t pity the people in trouble… call them “STUPIC FUCKS!”

        If we keep bailing them out…they will never stand on their own.

        Life will get much tougher….
        TOUGHEN THE FUCK UP AMERICA AND LIVE IN THE TIMES…

        I will say this….

        Time for men to stand up again and be something.
        Stop being a bunch of politically correct UN pussies.
        Ammo up and teach your kids how to shoot.
        Stock up.
        Read up…the good book, and any manuals and How To stuff you can find.

        Here’s a test…
        If there was a real war…would you find it a challenge…or would you just die.
        Say China invaded….and troopers were falling from the sky…

        How would you do?

        • whew, the language. What a potty mouth

          • That’s what the First Amendment is for…

          • Go vote dem….

            Maybe it’s time someone stood up and gave a few WTF…
            It’s the country that crashing and you’re worried about a few 4 letter words.

            Typical brain washed American.

          • While the first amendment does grant freedom of speech the rule of consideration for others should prevail!

        • If he wins it is game over. Four more years of him will be the end of the Us. Actually he can probably do it(completely dismantle the country) in two.

        • Voting in 3hrs and 50 mins. Of course, Tennessee will go R anyway. Presbo is the main reason I prep.

        • Election day.. ” exit polls show early Democrat lead, expect surge in Republican numbers, as they GET OFF WORK and go to polls!”

      15. I’ve been coming to this site and working on my own preps for so long now I can’t imagine not at least trying to be well-prepared, both for a bug-in and a bug-out scenario. I am shocked at the level of unpreparedness, both personal and official, in the aftermath of Sandy. What if it had been a volcano? Maybe more people might have taken it more seriously. I’m still waiting to hear any stories of successful preppers surviving the ordeal. http://hawaiibeprepared.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/what-if-sandy-had-been-a-volcano/

        • Hopefully it will be RICH99 that checks in soon. Hope he is doing OK in the storm that really wasn’t nothing….We haven’t had anyone tell us we are wasting our time in awhile!!

          Praying for ya RICH99, hope all is well.

          • I been wondering about Rich99 also. Hope he’s ok.

            • Has anyone heard from Copperhead? I haven’t seen any of his posts for awhile…..but maybe I just missed them as I have so much reading (on this site) to catch up on (as I have been away for a few days)….He and all of you have given me sooooo many GREAT ideas and info for my preps!!…..thanx to all of you

          • @ Norse Prepper. RICH99 last words were that this sorm was weak and Frankenstorm my ass. I don’t want anything to happen to RICH but this proves something, shtf can and will happen. RICH kept saying 5-8 years out, and time and time again I adviced RICH to be prepared for Mother Nature, I hoped RICH listened as 5-8 years sure came and went quickly. This is one of my concerns about people out there, that they become too wound up into this political mess and forget about what Mother Nature can do. The shear power of the planet and the universe makes any of us stand back in awe when we are the targets. All that other crap means nothing about the human influences.

            The trends are there that the planet is in a very bad mood and things are getting worse. My professor once said something, watch for the records, forget about other events that occur. Records show something is afoot. I sure have seem some records being broken on after the other. As you say all the time, prepare and themn prepare more so, it is coming and being prepared is the only way to see tommorrow.

            • @ BI – I remember RICH99’s post and your response. Like many on here, we hope that he is making it through OK and will report back in on the site to let us all know how he fared with the preps that he has and lessons learned. It is also ironic that probably one of our most supportive critics is dealing with it!

              Noticed a third 2.5+ on the New Madrid.

              Take care all!

              PS – Mac, I do have one complaint, your damn site causes me to lose sleep!!!! Can’t quit reading!! LOL!!

              • Interesting how boring things are without opposing points of view.

                I also hope 99 is ok.

        • Angela, I frequent 2 prepper sites and have read many success stories.
          However, my attitude needs praying about…”hey, neighbors, if it happened to this community right now, this day, who’d survive needing no trips to the grocery, gas station, and would be reading and eating well??
          Yeah, that’s right; me!” 🙂
          Dear Father, forgive me for my attitude that needs work.

        • Would you believe there is a burnt out volcano in Georgia? Google nodoroc… I live within 10 miles west of it. Also ga tech is built on an old faultline. Madrid goes off, will Atlanta could be in real trouble.

      16. The Sandy aftermath is yet another teachable event (like so many other recent weather disasters). Some of my closest friends still don’t seem to get it, but since the ‘rescue’ has yet to happen, it is becoming more and more teachable…especially if the next stop for the survivors is a FEMA camp! But I doubt they will listen even then.

        The biggest positive outcome from Sandy is that my kids no longer think that I am wacko for prepping, they finally totally get it.

        The one thing I know I need to stockpile is booze. Maybe I should make a good still! Booze is an overlooked barter item.

        • Agree on the “spirits” I just bottled some orange liquer/cordial last night, had a wee sample, and sure was good…..will try raspberry this week!! Don’t think I will use this stuff for barter…..way too good!!(:

      17. HOME and VEHICLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK

        PRE-WINTER SEASON Semi-annual “CHECK-TIME” PREPPER PEOPLES … please check your vehicle and home fire extinguishers for the Green Full Mark.

        If you don’t own at least 2 two minimum for your home Go Get Some , as well as two EASY TO OPEN sacks of flour for grease electrical fires in the kitchen keep them by the entrance to the kitchen in easy reach for emergency use – it will save your life and home .

        I place my extinguishers as follows 1 one in the kitchen entrance way , 1 one in the master bedroom and 1 one by the garage entrance (if I had a garage – I have two in my truck) . Always have a fire extinguisher with you when operating outside stoves grills or burning rubbish leaves .

        1. What type of fire extinguisher is needed?

        Different types of fires require different types of extinguishers. For example, a grease fire and an electrical fire require the use of different extinguishing agents to be effective and safely put the fire out.

        Basically, there are five different types of extinguishing agents. Most fire extinguishers display symbols to show the kind of fire on which they are to be used.
        Types of Fire Extinguishers
        class A Class A extinguishers put out fires in ordinary combustible materials such as cloth, wood, rubber, paper, and many plastics. Ordinary Combustibles
        class B Class B extinguishers are used on fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, and oil-based paints. Flammable Liquids
        class C Class C extinguishers are suitable for use on fires involving appliances, tools, or other equipment that is electrically energized or plugged in. Electrical Equipment
        class D Class D extinguishers are designed for use on flammable metals and are often specific for the type of metal in question. These are typically found only in factories working with these metals. Combustible Metals
        class K Class K fire extinguishers are intended for use on fires that involve vegetable oils, animal oils, or fats in cooking appliances. These extinguishers are generally found in commercial kitchens, such as those found in restaurants, cafeterias, and caterers. Class K extinguishers are now finding their way into the residential market for use in kitchens. Combustible Cooking

        There are also multi-purpose fire extinguishers – such as those labeled “B-C” or “A-B-C” – that can be used on two or more of the above type fires.

        * THIS PREPPER SAFETY TIP is BROUGHT to you by …
        ;0P pssszzt

        ~N.O. ;0p

      18. yep…..those people better get to the piggly wiggly for a few can’s of beannie weinnies and a few bottles of water in between storms if possible and get to high ground….sandy’s pissed of little sister betty is headed that way.

      19. * off

      20. anyone hear from rich99? he’s about to get tossed around on his ass again over there ….and get wet….someone get him a care package or something….poor bastard.

        • Care package? this is his time to see how well his preps work for him and where he is lacking and needing improvment. Hope he does well 🙂 and look to seeing him in the future here again 🙂

      21. How have other countries fared in the wake of this storm? Jamaica or Cuba for instance? Looking for comparisons.

        Istanbul has some dire predictions re a major Earthquake soon. I’m concerned that it will be this and not the machinations of the sociopathic politicans that will trigger the shtf event in the Middle East that brings us all down. It’s a very tricky area geo-politically sitting uneasily balanced between the EU and the ME. It also has 7 hills and is an extremely ancient city. Do others have any thoughts on this?

        I’m becoming increasingly concerned that the MSM is deliberately trying to stir up class, social, racial & economic tensions. To a simple soul like me it looks for all the world as if tptb on BOTH sides are doing all they can to stir up some pretty nasty civil unrest right now. (Divide and conquer so that the phlebs kill each other off being their favourite modus operandi).

        It’s also become clear that an over reliance on fossil fuels is a BAD idea for those trying to inject some long term sustainability into the lifestyles now. (I’m increasingly seeing “prepping” as a way of life). I’m going to add a bicycle trailer to my preps as soon as I can. It’s just not worth getting hurt over a small amount of gasoline if it’s at all avoidable. Also my fears about the risk of fire have come to pass in some areas.

        I put up black out blinds behind my regular curtains today in a couple of rooms in the house. I also won’t be using a generator in the early days of shtf. Better NOT to draw attention to yourself in rough times, and to keep as low a profile as you can comfortably manage.

        I need to take another look at my laundry regime too. Sanitation and hygiene are already problems in some areas of NY. (I’m confident we’ll be OK for drinking and personal hygiene). I will be purchasing more kitty litter for the loo. If you don’t already have one then women should consider purchasing a mooncup for menstrual sanitation, (you’ll also need a small milk pan).

        Be careful bartering booze – any addictive substance can be more trouble than it’s worth. People’s personalities change under stress.

      22. Lack of preparedness on your part does NOT constitute and emergency on my part….PREPARE for crap sake!

        • “an” not “and”

      23. Barter items can be cigarette, chew, cigars, booze (the good stuff), female hygiene supplies, tooth paste/tooth brushes, clean wipes, perfume, laundry soap, bath soap, shampoo, rub boards, tubs, batteries, matches, seeds, ammo, blankets/sleeping bags, winter coats, work gloves, wool stocking caps, clean water, eggs, flour, pasta, spices, canned food and First Aid supplies.

        Always have something to barter, because that may be the only local market available.

        Gasoline, antifreeze, vehicle motor oil, tire chains you keep for later and use it yourself to get at least 400 miles away from the local disaster. then start over.

        • And c-o-f-f-e-e

      24. THANK YOU vote obama out . The streets in these small towns have changed so noticiably in just the past five years . I just cant believe that so many people were digging in trash cans not even 2 days after the storm. I mean maybe i could see in a week or so. Mother nature includes us too and i believe only the strongest survive . Wether its a job interview or surviving some kind of disaster. The people are the first line of law enforcement and thats the way its suppose to be.

        • Many people just throw away perfectly good food because their refrigerator is off and they have no way to keep it long term. That does not mean the food is immediately spoiled. The early dumpster divers are just frugal shoppers. I live in the suburbs along a major local wildlife corridor, so we have not thrown out any food for over a decade: the wildlife is even less persnickety than the average human.

      25. Bloomberg is a stupid liberal asshole. Fuck him and the 5 Borroughs.

        • Bloomturd

      26. Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Just watch V for Vendetta!

        People should have been more prepared for Sandy!
        The government should have been more prepared for the peoples incompetence to prepare!
        They are both feeling a sting in the arce.

      27. i’ve been a short term lurker of this site…and with this being my first post ever just wanted to put it out there to Mac and the community of this site how thankful i am for everything that is shared here.

        not only do i daily check the site for new articles to read, but always skim the comments as there is a ton of useful info in them as well.

        prepping is something that i feel the Holy Spirit has been leading me to do for quite some time. i finally “started” about a year and a half ago. it also seems appropriate that my parents in 2009 bought an 80 acre farm/ranch for their retirement / bug out location for our family. my parents from the get go always told us the land was for my brothers and our families to come to if “things get really bad”. it’s amazing how God works everything out..if you’re willing to listen and have wisdom concerning what “time” it is in the world.

        again, just want to say thank you to everyone that contributes and puts their passion into this site. Sandy has been a rude awakening to many, and unfortunately i feel, many of these people will go right back to sleep.

        -gravel

        • Hey there Gravel. Welcome to the posting part of the site!

          Out of curiosity, is this who I think it is?

          In any event, having you here brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Gimme one for the road!”

          Welcome!

          NP

          • PS – If this is who I think it is, you will know for 100% certainty. If it is not, I apologize for the confusion!

            Either way, welcome again!

          • Norse Prepper
            I’m not I am who you think I might think that I am who I could be!!!!

            don’t think it’s me man!
            but thanks for the welcome anyways!

            glad to be apart of this community of forthought and preperation…

            • read that damn first line five times! lol

        • Gravel

          Hello and welcome

          Take care

      28. Over at ZeroHedge tonight, the Tyler(s) Durden appear to be in rare form. For all the Non-conformist’s on the board…you might stop by to look at the most recent posting:

        http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-11-05/guest-post-will-prophet-assume-command

        In all too many ways the circumstances at hand are fertile for this now.

        Knock, Knock….Are you out there Coco?
        I saw this in the comments under the article (which is representative of what’s there now) and immediately thought of you…for no particular reason,
        ‘kleptofascist oligcorptocracy’
        thinking, “Gee, this is right up ‘someone’s’ alley. Enjoy!

        • JustOneGuy, I see the Nyquil has become your BFF…..lol Just kidding — laughing w/ you not at you.

          We’re messed up here, too, me w/ Strep infection and on the big 875mgs of a cillin to kill the bugs. My husband on a cillin and a pain med because he cut his finger almost completely off Sunday afternoon. Horrors, eh? So we’re suffering along side you, how’s that? lol

          He’s been building a new stock — layering, gluing, sawing, carving — and he was paying more attention to the wood and not his hand underneath. That’s when he cut his finger and sliced the bone off with the finger last digit area hanging by a bit of skin.

          We’re prepped here and have a big emergency kit. (Doesn’t everyone here have one at-the-ready?) Everything that’s needed is in that satchel kit and it came in very handy. It’s grab-and-go. So I led him to the sink, watered the finger down, cleaned my hands well, applied butterfly tapes, sterile gauze wrapped around to hold the finger in place, got absorbent wrapper, then we headed to the ER.

          Had there been no doctor, and had we been unable to get qualified medical attention, we have a variety of antibiotics stashed here and we have suturing supplies. I’d have stitched him up but only after a few swigs of booze to deaden a bit of the pain while stitching.

          We never know what to expect — plan for the unknown and prepare. Sure would suck to lose the middle finger, especially during hard times like this when it’s soooo necessary. lol

          • @ Zoltanne,

            “That a fact, Jack,…er…Zoltanne!” Tell hubby not too feel bad over it, others do these things to while CONCENTRATING INTENTLY…um…using ,;/…tablesaw?
            That’s as close as I’ll get to an admission of ‘guilt’ I’m sorry to say, beyond that the only hint I’ll give is ‘thumb’ and LOTS of BLOOD… Too right though, my brother – at one time – was an EMT and it’s amazing what we all can do IF we have the right stuff on hand and just a wee bit O’ courage. Congrats on your ‘medical’ training Dear. A good, new ‘dawn’ will break soon for His Children, those with ‘eyes to see’ and ‘Ears to hear’ who have a little spunk and have learned…one of out most importatnt tasks here. Oh, um, and Nyquil…um
            …so good…. 🙂

      29. Everyone settle down and stay the course. Don’t get so pissed off. I am worried about your health.

      30. As sick as Calif is if you reside in PGE or So Cal Ed territory you can get a solar system installed here for free in a lot of cases. Those without a souther roof line or trees might have to pay a few thousand up front. All you do is buy electricity from it at a 20 year fixed rate. I use to work for one of these companies. They laid me off when Obama attacked the cheap Chinese panels, but I hear they are just shipping them thru So Korea now and doing fine.

      31. Late one night in the Bat Cave…1969

        ‘Robin, how’s the new Bat-Prophecy Scope coming along?’

        “Almost ready, Batman. Just need to set the dials and we can see clearly into America’s future….let’s see…I’ll set it for November, 2012…and now just a slight twist of the dial…!! Holey Underwear, Batman! It looks like our future citizens are trying to elect a Mormon to the white house!”

        ‘No need to panic, old chum. Now, first a clarification- was that Holey Underwear as in underwear with holes? Or was it Holy Underwear meaning the spiritually blessed undergarments used in certain rituals by the LDS Church? Or was it just an exclamation of excitement?’

        “I think it was all three! But look at the scope, Batman. I set it for lower Manhattan, but that can’t possibly be a future scene from here in Gotham City. I mean, look at that! People are diving into dumpsters for food? And standing in long lines like refugees? Can that possibly be America’s future?!”

        ‘Now don’t panic, my young friend. Let’s do some checking…Set the locator beam on San Francisco.’

        “Holy cross-dressing, Batman! Look at this! It looks like two guys in a church, getting married TO EACH OTHER! And one of them is wearing a white dress!”

        ‘Now calm down, Robin. There’s obviously a malfunction in the machine. I mean, really old chum, Americans starving like refugees? And men marrying men? That can’t possible be our future. Why, Americans would no more elect a Mormon to the white house than they’d elect…oh, I don’t know….an African born communist or something.’

        “Batman, you won’t believe it, but I set the locator beam on the white house and…and…well, see for yourself.”

        ‘Wow! Well, old chum, there’s only one more thing I want to see. Set the locator for hell…I really would like to see it froze over.’

        • Now that is funny!!

          Attaboy Okie!

          It would be fun for all of us to meet up at an undisclosed locations, not tell anyone of the group who we are, all have conversations and at the end of the night we reveal our handle’s. All I would have to do is find a group of people laughing and look for the epicenter of the group and I’d have you pegged!!

          Cocopuff would be the guy yelling at all of us!! LOL No offense Coco!

          • I kinda figure CoCoPuff would be in constant motion:
            up
            down
            up
            down
            up
            up
            CAPS LOCK
            lower case
            CAPS LOCK
            sticking tongue out every so often….

        • Brilliant!

        • Wrong, Okie! Everybody knows Gotham City is in Michigan. LOL Thanks for lightening things up.

          One wonders about the “boy wonder” and the “little buddy” arrangments.

        • @ Smokin’,

          Heheheheheeeee…in rare form today, I see. Bwahhahahaha.

      32. “$25 per Gallon OR Shoot us………

        your best offer!!”

        He may wish to re-phrase that. Someone might jsut take him up on it…

      33. I feel sorry for Obama if he gets re-elected. Just think of the mess he will inherit! 🙂

        • He plans on hiring Bloomberg. Take a trip to Russia and sit down with his buddy Putin. ( after the pesky elections) Put their heads together and come up with a plan to stay in office for a couple more terms.

          • Prolly why the Russian sub cruising around the east coast this week was nothing to be concerned abut. Nor should we worry about the four AFGAN military guys MIA In the US!

        • Yes, but he can always blame it on the previous administration

      34. My first line of attack for water storage: 7 Aqua Tainer Jugs I built a rack that holds six of them. One of them is always available for access in the kitchen area where it supplies pet, drinking, and cooking water. They are all numbered and stay on a steady rotation. When the last one used gets refilled, the next one in line gets set up for use.

        Pros: I read somewhere that you only want to store water for 6 months max. The seven containers make a good rotation. You always have a minimum of 42 gallons available if you’re near the end of a jug. 49 gallons at the start of a new jug.

        Cons: 7 gallons is a tad bit of weight. With 1 gallon being just over 8 pounds, you are toting a little over 56 pounds per full jug. If you are getting up in age or are on the frail side for what ever reason, it takes some effort to move a full jug around.

        Like I said, this is my first line of attack for water needs. Sure beats standing in long lines for long hours waiting for a bottle from FEMA.

        After the jugs, I have a huge pot for boiling water and a couple of different size berkeys with the black filters. I need to add some ceramic filters which can be cleaned. I’ve also heard failure stories of the black filters right out of the box. The ceramics don’t filter as well as the black ones, but the ability to clean and reuse them are a major plus.

        I know water prepping has been discussed before, since it is one of the more important first needs, but looking at all those people waiting on FEMA just made me want to share. I bought my jugs from REI a little cheaper than they currently are, but not as cheap as I have seen them in Walmart $11.00 I got mine all at once. If you get them in Walmart you could probably pick up only one or two at a time.

        Thanks for the site Mac, and everyone else who shares useful info.

        • sounds like a good time to be thinking about a winch/pulley system on a swing arm, with a little counter weight…

        • Hi Anon,

          Actually, consider this:
          “Triple-Distilled Drinking water” can be found at various places/retail outlets. ‘Distilled means that it has been vapor-collected from steam, Yes? Triple Distilled means that the process has been applied repeatedly and succesively. If, the origin/manufacturer is a Name, like say Nestle – who do a lot of the Ice Mountain products (as a function of Chocolate production, vast quntities of very pure water are required) – and the jug is factory sealed then stored ‘cool-dry-dark’, which we might hereafter refer to as ‘CDD’ for short, then the actual useful life of same is simply indefinte. Reason: there are no ionic are anionnic substances left after the process…also No significcant gas content is left in the fluid since steam has the lowest gas-carrying capacity of any state of H2O post-action, post-distillation . There’s nothing to ‘eat’ and nothing to ‘breathe’ left for pathogens (of nearly any sort) to thrive on in attempting to execute the life-process. SO LONG as that set of conditions can be maintained the equation does not change. A lot of people get confused by conflicting stories bandied about by self-styled experts on this point (who seldom can lay claim to having even a semester or two of college chemistry) so in the end YOU have to be the judge of THAT bottle pysically as to whether or not it looks right, was handled OK and has an intact, un-‘mussed’ seal. When all that is said and done the water is and remains nearly in perfect sterility perpetually….until the bottle/container’s useful life begins to reach it’s end-point. SUNLIGHT is a killer of plastics…Remember that. Else, good to go. Oh, and by the way, nearly EVERYTHING that goes in a HUMAN mouth has to be given an EXPIRY date OR the fed’s get sticky if and when some seal-broken, mishandled 11 year-old container of product is implicated in a food poisoning case…READ: Liabilty. G’Day Mate.

      35. Everyone needs a copy of the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. As the originals may not surive. Can’t think of anything else better to use as a guide for rebuilding.

        • Hi Nunya!,

          Spendid notion…start with something that once worked, figure out where it went wrong (via strong, broad consensus), identify the insufficiencies , rectify them (as best as can be) Toss out any ‘Dross’….TRY AGAIN to do it right. Just de-lurked a bit ago, been watching for a long, long while. The thread that will exists here when Mac – Bless him – gets the forums/PM system up for this will be – I hope – “Who Are We?”.
          “For from ‘who we are’ comes what we will become…”

      36. The heck with the milk! Have you got heirloom seeds? The guns and ammo to retain it all? The wear-with-hall to use them? I am truly sorry for those suffering up north, but if there wasn’t any clearer picture, any better lesson to learn from, there it is. Do the best you can in getting your house in order, spiritually, physically and financialy. Do all you can to get where you need to be and then some. Reading about some of the hardships going on in the Northeast made think about more longevity in my prepping regarding power. It made me realize that a large garden is merely a supplement to what I might truly need in the way of food. Cetainly a lot to think about and no time to rest on laurels.

      37. I am just curious if nothing happens and the shyt doesn’t hit the fan , will all you preppers be disappointed. It seems like you all are really excited about the shyt hitting the fan .

        • I’m extremely pleased that I don’t have to shop for years to come.
          How awesome is that??? 🙂

      38. At the end of the day, there isn’t much you can do if Mother Nature decides your turn is up. Ever look at a cross-section of the planet? We are living on the thinnest sliver of Earth’s layers, and what would not even register as a hiccup to the planet would wipe out every living thing on the surface.

        None of these things keep me up at night. What keeps me up at night is knowing how little we fund the Near Earth Orbit (NEO) program, looking for and preparing defenses against rouge asteroids and comets. For example, the aircraft carrier sized asteroid YU55 passed within a distance closer than the moon’s orbit last year. Just a few degrees difference, and we would have had one hell of a Thanksgiving.

        It has happened before, it will happen again.

      39. Afternoon All
        I am far from being an expert on politics, but it seems to me the world over, they are cut from the same cloth. I use the term insidious mass, that’s what they are, they descend over the good and twist it and turn it and squeeze the life out of it. They are all the same, nest featherers of the first order, they look after their own and to hell with the rest.

        We have a phrase here, NIMBY….not in my back yard, and this sums it up, they will do this, that and the other, but it will never be in their back yard, always someplace else, always affecting someone else.

        They are all a bunch of fantasist control freaks who wouldn’t know a days work if it jumped up and bit them on the arse.

        Thanks for listening, I feel much better now.

        Take care

        • Hi Burt!,

          Ended up with a day off, “cuz ma noze is real mess-ed uuppp.” Got a fine early winter cold that’s got me on the couch, so I’m a terror today 🙂

          @ Jimmmy

          Hi Jim, might as well asnswer the foregoing right here (I JUST wanted to say ‘Hi’ to Burt here really) No one I can think of wants ‘what is to come’ to get here; Much as no true soldier would ever want a war…the consequences are too terrible to bear. If, though, the World is determined to erase itself, and the people that populate it by virtue of the continuous selection of systems of thought which have not, can not and will not ever allow for it’s people’s to thrive and flourish then I, and other’s, will take a different road… another ‘way’.
          If man and mankind could find a solution to the ‘All’ around us that would leave people free to lead a dignified, self-motivated life then I would gladly remain, as it were, a part of ‘what is.’ In the last several years, seeing what ‘has become’ in the World I have little faith left in the ability of those who lead it to be able to find such solutions….Do You?
          Failing that, then as I said here before, another ‘way must be found’….how about you Jim, truly, got any ideas?…

          • Feel better soon, JOG!

          • Hiya JOG

            Hope you feel better very soon…I hate cold, nasty, ‘orrible things.

            Take care

            • Hi All…T’anks toe muts…mi node id sill litle ‘tuffed up. o dw’ell eider det besser o die… 🙂

              Thanks for the good cheer guys, it is getting better as I told BI yesterday….the above is just a little humour to perhaps lighten an otherwise ROUGH day for everyone.
              Gee, I HAD forgotten how MUCH ‘fun’ NyQuil can be though….

      40. I’d written, long before Sandy, that every non-prepper should be very grateful for any preppers around them,
        as those preppers will be one less family standing for hours in the long line in front of them, anxiously awaiting
        the desperately needed rumored FEMA truck delivery of food & water to their neighborhood in the next disaster.

        – Shane

      41. All I can say about our prepper efforts to survive- let the best man and woman Win!!

        All others – best of luck..

      42. Gold, Bitchez!

        • I’m on long island and I own gold and now living through this hell I’m telling ya that in a real crisis fuel and hard assets are king……..gold won’t do you shit when your living what I’m going through right now.I used to believe the gold B.S. but not anymore………this is ascse as SHTF as I have ever experienced and gold is a luxury only not a necessity.

          • Hey Rich, Glad your “ok”. I for one, would be interested in knowing how things are going. Good Luck.

            Surmise you don’t have power??
            Anyhow, made a little jaunt to the area last Thurs/Fri.
            Pretty bad. Traffic was easy though!!. Good thing I had a good on-board supply of fuel. I have been railing against TPTB concerning “anti-gouging” laws. My contention is it is making a bad situation worse. Your thoughts, good or bad, please.

            p/s, Others have asked about you, if you scan the posts.

          • Good to see you and hear your raw honesty!

          • Glad to see that you are okay.

          • Gold was never meant to help you on the trip. it’s meant to let you have enough to rebuild afterwords. Cash, as long as it is good, then silver, helps you buy what you forgot for the trip, food and supplies are what you need right now. They are different tools for different jobs

      43. Ok we get it. Preppers have credibility now.

      44. Cloth diapers

      45. Bottled water has an unlimited shelf life!!!!!!!!!

        As per the FDA.

        Is that not convenient or what?

      46. The way everyone is going on you would think there is a major problem!
        Unless there is a metor impact, the world will STILL be here. Roads will be here as will teh fields where we grow food etc.
        You CANNOT eat gold. Look at hurricane sandy, people are desperate to get fuel for generators & FOOD!
        I doubt anyone is looking to buy gold in this situation with hurricane sandy

      47. I’m in ground zero with this gas situation and I’m telling everybody that this is being done purposely !!!! Where the fuck is our military when help is needed…..they can get billions of dollars of equipment and gas overseas when its time to wage senseless wars but helping the homeland……..FUCK THE MILITARY !!!!
        The DOD couldn’t even make it to free port with the free gas they promised but attack an innocent country , they are there.
        Secondly , all the bridges are open so why is it taking days for trucks to arrive even though the coast guard appointed one port just for fuel barges ?????
        This is being done on purpose and I believe it has to do with voting.
        The Gubmint fails at EVERYTHING they do ……..WHERE ARE THE ODD AND EVEN DAYS IN NEW YORK govna Cuomo ( with small caps ) ???????

        • Rich99, The situation is too f%&ked up for them to be doing it on purpose. Pure Gubmit INCOMPETENCE!. If they were trying to prohibit fuel, you would have plenty, that’s how inept Gubmit is…everywhere.

          Rant, brother, rant. You have good reason!

          • @ Rick,

            NOW, methinks we be gettin’ to the meat of the matter
            …astute anslysis Friend.

      48. My power just came back on yesterday and I am glad. I am also glad that I prepped and had most of what I needed way before the storm but there were gaps that I will be filling, live and learn right. I saw the long lines for fuel but have been blessed with the good sense to keep a full tank of gas in my car most days and I make sure to keep a few thousand in $$$… just in case. My heart goes out to those who have lost everything but I realized that as we affect the weather on this planet, it will bite us in the ass so I would never buy property near ANY COAST! I looked at my friends who used to look at me like I was crazy when I talked of prepping and see a difference now. I think alot of people have been woken up now as the mentality of it can’t happen to me has been shattered in the most visible and financially important region of not only the country but possibly the world.

      49. Ignore this posting.

        Just testing some issues I’m having with same.

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