John Malone isn’t the only well-to-do tycoon with a bug out location. The New York Observer, in The New Doom, discusses various reasons for why those in the upper echelons of earnings are worried about a serious economic and/or political catastrophe:
“Life is such a fucking disaster,” a prominent New York hedge fund manager said recently. “We all live in some kind of world we create for ourselves. And I think that what happened is that built into that world were very enlarged expectations about what life was going to be. There’s been this sensation of excessive expectation that, frankly, became unsustainable.”
He had just returned from his ranch in the wilderness of central Idaho. “I just like it because it’s massively low human density. It would be a place you could hole up in. But, gosh, I hope that doesn’t happen.”
…
Humans have this poignant desire to feel that we’re in control,” the hedge fund manager said. “I know there will be abrupt change.”
…
The hedge fund manager said he doesn’t even trust gold. “It’s worthless if the social fabric tears,” he said. “We’re going to have to do something different, before we get down to where it’s really bad.”
Bankers in New York are arming themselves, prominent business men are talking about their bug out locations in mainstream media, and the US government has bunkers and food storage capable of providing for thousands of political leaders and their families in the event of a national emergency.
There is, of course, the chance that the US economy will recover, albeit not very probably. Or that we will stagnate for the next decade. Some suggest we are even in a depression right now, and that we may see negative growth, employment and asset values for a long time to come. All of these outcomes are on the table and are readily considered by mainstream media pundits.
What seems to be off the table is the worst-case. The United States is the world’s sole super power they say. As if they purposefully ignore history, none believe that the super power could become a third world nation; and rather quickly at that.
At SHTF Plan We often discuss the structural and fundamental problems of the US economy. Most would agree that we’re not anywhere close to being out of this mess. But very few want to consider what might happen because of the extreme excesses that have brought us here.
Is it possible that one day the US will have to either significantly devalue our currency or default on our debts? What other options is there, really? All of the knowledgeable economists, analysts and officials tell us it is not possible, but they don’t really explain why, other than harping on a Keynesian theory that suggests the more we spend the faster we’ll come out of it.
And if something like a national debt default or hyperinflation were to happen, and the credit markets completely froze, as would commerce and transportation, does anyone think that the FEMA or local emergency responders would be capable of handling a long-term catastrophic economic emergency that would wipe out our currency, just-in-time food delivery systems, and law enforcement?
Many of the upper class rich don’t seem to think so. And if the federal government’s own emergency preps are a guide, they don’t think they can handle it either.
How willing are you to risk the life of yourself and your family so that you don’t have to consider the worst case scenario?
Tin foil aside, what would you do if the worst happened?
I have a feeling a lot of this won’t help them. They may get there but TPTB will have poisoned the water and the food. Many of the elites are at odds with each other and fear each other. I have a feeling that sabotage is in the winds and many (most?) of these safe locations will turn out to be death traps.
…which would be fitting for 90% of the elite and politicians that have ruined the country and been behind the American Gestapo (Criminals in Blue and Brown) and the United States SS (ABC Agencies that “protect” us from our rights.)
Good luck leaders and elites, you’ll need it!
There are varying degrees of “the worst”.
We have prepared for almost 30 years, assuming the world could go to crap, and thankful for every year it didn’t. Moved from town to a mountain farm ( which means “piles of rocks scattered between trees” ) and began to make the place someplace that could be lived on with the minimal amount of outside help. Now, after 30 seasons of growing our own food ( from garden veggies to various meats ), preserving it, I can tell you what works and what doesn’t.
The last 10 years, I gotten more intense about setting aside things that would make the transition from “no trips to town” to life on the farm a bit easier…..things like stored fuels ( I could run my tractor and diesel powered garden tiller 10 years just on the stored, preserved, diesel fuel I have put away ), canning jars/lids ( how many here can say they have 800 jars and 10k lids ? ), 55gal drums of salt, sugar, enough solar power to keep some refrigeration and lights working, enough guns/ammo to make a gun store jealous, and so on….
Worst case ? The little valley I live in can be isolated from the outside world by simply dropping enough timber across the entry road that the only way in or out will be climbing over the logs/tops on foot…..or spending a lot of time to clear it…..so that lessens the chance of roving gangs being a problem.Â
If the “rich” think the world is gonna go to shit, and they are going to survive it in stocked bunker, I have a question for them: What is the plan when your year’s worth of stored stuff runs out ? ( Personally, we keep 4 years worth of food on hand….you never know how bad harvests can be until you experience them )…..if you think the world is going to get SO bad you have to run off to Idaho, do you have the skills to live in the 18th century ?
As far as FEMA goes: Â my girl is in charge of an office for a big insurance company. Â They are all nurses that are assigned as case managers and work with injured workers to help them get back to work. Â Kind of like having your own nurse to help you, explain stuff, make appointments, so forth. Â Their office gets updates and emergency info from the feds and state health authorities sometimes. Â During the bird flu and swine flu scares, they were told point blank that if there was a pandemic, “there was no help coming”. Â They also anticipated a sort of social breakdown resulting from the chaos. Â The feds don’t have the resources to deal with sick and dying people all over the country at once. Â They couldn’t even deal with Katrina, and that was a localized disaster.
So if lots of people were sick or dying, the food trucks wouldn’t be running then either. Â Lots of people would stay home, keep their kids home, and the supply chain would break down. Â A modern day “black plague” scenario isn’t that far fetched. Â I keep lots of masks and medical supplies for this reason as part of the stash.
Why would it be any different if the supply chain broke down because there was no money?
As far as “what would I do?”, well we talk about that here just about every day. Â We all take bits and pieces of what we read here and use them to develop our own personalized SHTF Plans. Â There must be a lot of common ingredients to these plans. Â I bet a few of us could get together and write a SHTF Plan book detailing how to come up with your own plan. Â Just imagine, we could sell it and demand payment in 90% silver coins! Â 🙂
One other thing. Â Given that huge areas from Katrina are still not rebuilt, and our road, bridge, sewage, electrical grid, and water supply infrastructure is on the verge of collapse from decades of neglect and delayed maintenance, it is logical to assume that the USA may not have the ability to recover from a supply chain breakdown.
I think it is likely that once the SHTF, the country will not be able to hold itself together.
So, the fat cats that are responsible for a large part of our current economic problems are now able to afford what the political rats are setting up for themselves… that only leaves “We The People” to be left out in the lurch…
sounds about par for the course – history 101
The future is always difficult to tell, there are always so many wild-cards.
The fundamentals are very-very bad mostly where it comes to energy and agriculture (oil=food).
If these 2 fundamentals where not so bad I would say we would pull out of this is a few years. Since they cannot be fixed at current population levels and wealth expectations I would think that in the end we are going to see a major “Balkinazation(sp?)” of the world not just the U.S.. (Think world wide Kosovo)
Hell I have been wrong before but I have been right before, it is the gift given to the Roma.
Always stay steady through prayer,
Red
I agree our govt does not have the resource for a large scale disaster or economic breakdown. They may have plans for martial law or continuity of govt,but everyone has a plan until thry get hit Tyson said. One thing is when the food supply is shutdown and electricity is gone things will break down very fast. If I had money i would get away from New York go to Wyoming and own a private ranch.
The govt are not ready,they may think they are but they are not. Katrina showed that and this Gulf Spill. We will not even have a civil war or revolution. It will be just a break down of society in general. America will be a tribal warlord state,just like the native Americans were. I know it sounds doom and gloom but if we have debt collapse which is deflationary will collapse our nation. I have heard many people saying foreign troops will come in the US but I disagree no nation will want to come to police a nation with 200 million legal and illegal gun owners They will just let America dissolve into chaos. <!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>
the United States will be left stranded in isolation to contemplate its own destruction and demise.
God forbid the SHTF someday but if it does the two safest places to be will be upper middle class neighborhoods and rural homes in areas where the neighbors have known you for many years. A lot of people dream about having a compound or some huge ranch to go to and they are missing something. The yeast people will be tearing up the inner cities because that’s where a lot of them live and going after the McMansions because they are chock full of big screens TV’s and all kinds of nice stuff to loot. And the “compounds” some of the big boys are setting up will be sitting ducks under siege if things get really bad. But picture millions of upper middle class homes full of people who wouldn’t take kindly to looters. If you are holed up in a modest home with a butt load of food, silver/gold coins, some cash and the means to protect yourself the chances are you could ride things out for a long, long time. Same thing with a rural home where people know you. And, no, not just any place in the countryside where you have no roots because you would actually only be another stranger who was socially stranded on top of being physically isolated. Take heart if you “only” have your modest home to stay in. It’s the best camouflage there could be for someone who is prepared to ride things out if the SHTF. We’ve got two big homes but I never sold the small house we have in the nice, quiet neighborhood where no one would dream there is a fortune invested in preparations. I know in my gut my wife and I would be safer there in that house than in the big homes just waiting for the mob to show up.
Only fools (and there are plenty of them in the US) rely on the government for their water,food,cooking capabilities through some “FEMA knight in shining armor” agency.
Forget it,Our comfortable little system is very fragile and it would grind to a halt in very short order once fuel has been interrupted from war,or electricity by way of an EMP,whatever.
All that one has to do to prep for a major disruption is to envision what would happen if their water,electric,fuel and food delivery at their local store were halted,then you can determine what you may need.
Water well & gravity filter or a lot of  stored water
Food
Fire starting (firesteel or lighters)
Propane cooking supplies
Gold
Guns & thousands of rds of ammo
Have all of the above and you’ll sleep lika a baby
I agree with ya all.  It would be interesting to put together a book of prep stories. Since most of the posts I always see are regulars we’re all in the same mindset. My home is my castle and I’ll be here to the end. Either mine or societies.  I can’t see why a ranch in Idaho would be better than here. I would like a ranch in Idaho, but only in my dreams.  If the worst happens I’m as ready as I am. I don’t live minute to minute waiting for the worst but I consistently add to what I feel I will need to do the best I can with what I have. Will that ever be perfect? No.  I like making it better though… I have some ideas what it could be like but till it happens we just won’t know.  Some days I say bring it on and other days it scares me some.  I like my electricity. I like being able to sit here in my chair after a days work, knowing that my nice soft bed awaits me tonight and I look forward to Fridays because it’s the end of the week. If the SHTF I don’t think there would be anymore Fridays. That’s sad……….
Comments…..Some facts on Malone’s hideaway:
It’s an old ranch holding along the Salmon River in the middle of the country’s largest wilderness area. There are no roads and one must fly in. It and several other private holdings have probably the most expensive mail route in the continental US. Mail is flown in a couple times a week from the small town of Cascade. This contractor also takes in food and other supplies that the few residents have ordered. USPS attempted to give up the mail delivery this past year but enough connections by the wealthy owners kept it from happening.Â
Personally, I don’t think it would be the best place to be if the SHTF. Extremely isolated. I doubt if Malone even knows how to gut a fish, if he could catch one!  JMO
Living in the country has it’s definite advantages when talking about a possible meltdown. Â Â Most people around here, Â are all connected by family and other support groups (church). Â Everyone hunts and fishes. Â Near everyone grows a garden or is friends with someone who does. Â EVERYONE OWNS A GUN, Â and using one will not be a problem. Â Country folks will survive, Â and protect the ones they know.
I know folks around here that have been preparing for the next civil war,  for over  30 years.  You want these guys on your side.
So, if you are not connected with a support group, get connected  now, while you still have time.  Safety in numbers.  If you live in a city,  you had better be making plans on where you will go.
ps: Â you wouldn’t like missouri….lol
I love how these Wall Street fat cats think they are just going to bug out to rural Idaho to ride out the storm. Do they really think those local folks are going to welcome one of the PTB boys when SHTF? All that guy is going to be is a convenient target for their anger; and a grocery store when supplies run out.
Meat Eater,, great post. I 100% agree with you. I live in an area where we all have 1 acre or more. Only one way into our neighborhood.
How would you like to be stuck in Chicago when tshtf? 🙂 ,, or LA
I doubt whether this guy would really be able to get out of NYC (Hedge Fund Manager) if the SHTF and get to his ranch in Idaho. Any preparations he has made will be left for the locals to divide. ( Thank you very much, HFM, Â on behalf of the locals.) Without a helicopter ride, he may not even make it to the airport; if the planes are flying.
If you are not where you want to be when the shtf, or at least within a tank of gas from where you want to be, I think you will be S.O.L.
Right now I am sitting in the middle of a cool pine forest with intermittent showers, a slight breeze, and 81 degrees at 7000 feet. When the snow flies, 3/4 tank of gas will take me to Phoenix and again, 80 degree temperatures. In either scenario I am less than  a half a tank of gas and less than an hour and a half away from my bugout location; stocked and ready, locked and loaded.
My gas tank is full.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see a nationwide ‘ L.A. Riots ‘ scenario.There would be ‘ Green Zones ‘ where the military assumes control such as ICBM missle sites, power plants, airports, Washington DC,,,,,.Of course everywhere else would be the ‘ Red Zone ‘ or ‘ Wild West ” where the rest of us are fighting day to day just to stay alive.
Make no mistake,,,if this does happen it won’t be pretty.And everyone who is not prepared will be justified, in their mind, to take what they think they need to survive.Thus adding to the overall chaos like a snowball rolling downhill.Stores will eventually get stripped clean. Gear up folks. And have a ‘ Bug In ‘ and a ‘ Bug Out ‘ plan.
It’s better to be prepared for a crisis than become part of the problem.Good Luck to all.
Wheedle: Â your scenario holds up for densely populated city areas. Â Around those densely populated city areas are going to be lots of armed country folk making sure that the densely populated city folk stay in their areas. Â Kind of like a “quarantine zone”………
Comments…..
@ Jonny V
Like you said this is just a scenario.A scenario that could have a very high death toll on the good guys and the bad guys.Most scenarios I’ve read would require 24/7 security capable of defending against large numbers of potentially armed groups who will think you have something worth protecting.After all, you’re protecting something. I live in a rural area crisscrossed with roads that would require large numbers of armed locals commited to protecting their roads entering town, and still leaving many homes vulnerable. These could certainly be the ‘ times that try mens souls ‘ when you decide killing women and children to protect women and children is justified. The one thing TV and movies leave out are all the dead, decaying bodies. A SHTF scenario won’t be pretty.
Comments….. My plan is to stay at home. I live on a 1/2 acre lot in a good neighborhood. I have known my neighbors on each side of me for 30 plus years. My other neighbor behind me is also a prepper, and is armed. That’s my best case scenerio, I’ll cover their ass, and they cover mine. We are all very well armed, and I’d rather stay on familiar ground. I have a good supply of food, my own private well system. and other necessary supplies. For me, this plan makes the most sense.
    Unless you have a prepared bug out spot to go too, you might as well stay put.
I can’t wait to see the sheeple with their tattoos, nose rings and pants down to their knees line up at the fema camps for Soylent Green.  Compared to the great depression this will be a freak show.
“Life is such a fucking disaster,†a prominent New York hedge fund manager said. “We all live in some kind of world we create for ourselves.”
Well he might but the other 99% of us live in the real world where we handle good and bad as it comes along. Frankly I don’t know what he’s complaining for, has he had trouble getting his Ferrari in for a service? This would be the only concern such a man would have, excepting his young wife leaving him for a richer man perhaps.
It’s good evidence though that riches don’t bring happiness. I have always been of the opinion that it’s far better to be in the upper working class bracket. Your well below the radar and you also avoid the delusional expectations of the aspiring middle class, those who believe they are entitled to retire in comfort just because some slick men in suits promised them they could.
In the end the food and the gold and the women will go to the rightful owners. Those who take them, by any means. That is the nature of the world. There is little difference between invading a man’s home, taking his possessions and hiding behind a stock portfolio that grows in wealth by exploiting third word children in sweat shops. Both are evil, it’s just that one is currently sanctioned.
one thing I think a lot of people are not considering is sanitation. just because you hole up in a house, doesn’t mean you won’t get dysentery (or something else). if you don’t, what if your neighbor does? what about you or your neighbor’s diabetes/glucose treatments? got months of glucose with a fridge and a no-noise generator? gas to run it?
-back to dysentery – on city water? think that toilet will flush forever? on septic? when was the last time it was pumped? I’m guessing no one is stockpiling yeast or rid-x… if everyone is pooping in a hole, then you’ve made even bigger problems. Even if YOU have these things figured out, it doesn’t mean your ‘well-meaning’ neighbors do. disease spreads. especially among close friends/family…
Comments…..
The best place to be when the SHTF is with your family.  Wherever it is.  Nuclear or extended. It doesn’t matter. And the reason why this is so important is that when humans are threatened it is hard-wired human nature to gravitate and defend foremost one’s own blood line.    You see the big picture? Everybody else with said blood-family ties will be thinking and naturally doing the same thing.Â
So even  if you have your ‘bug out big ranch in Idaho’ fortified to the max yet are without significant blood family around you, you are still screwed when it gets down to brass tacks.   Those with blood family will not take Mr. Big Bug Out city slicker  in unless he has  plenty to offer in exchange.   And when I say plenty I mean pretty damn much everything he has.    If he tries to ‘compound’ it alone he will be toast sooner or later.   These big shot city boys are in for a rude awakening on how the real world works in THAT country.
I wonder if he’s got a wood chipper on his ranch?
Most of the locals in Idaho know where these bankster/white collar criminals have their “retreats/ranchettes”. We built them. If a Grand Jury of the people finds evidence that they participated in the criminal activity that brought this Country to harm, they will be brought up before a jury and tried. Constitutional Law will prevail. Treason is punishable by death. Â
 Those who are relying on Uncle Samantha to save them are in for a  deadly surprise. The only thing the Government has done for anyone is to make their paychecks lighter and put roadblocks up before a man’s endeavor of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
I am sure many, like myself, have full ghilly suits, survival skills, and the proper long range weapons.
Imagine the sport after the shock settles in of hunting down all them rich elites and popping them off one by one.
Hmmmmm
By my very nature, I will not be motivated to murder anyone, I am just saying, I am sure there will be a ton of people gunning for the elite liberals and bankers, etc. that ultimately brought this on.
FYI: I have already bugged out in Wyoming. Way far away from everything.
well said bert, well said.
Tin foil aside, what would you do if the worst happened?                                                                  Hopefully I’m already at home and so are the rest of my family, if not get home if possible and hope everyone else is already there and not dead. Worst case scenario there will be so many idiots shooting numerous rounds from their AR rifle’s that everyone in a five mile radius from them will be in danger. That five mile radius will increase with the increase in idiots thinking they are Rambo protecting themselves. I would protect myself and my family as long as possible and hope I didn’t have to leave my house because there would probably be so many people shooting everything they see out their window, threat or not. After that 72 hours hopefully most are running out of ammo so who ever is left can put their head up long enough to see the damage so far.                        Â
I’ve been prepping for about 1-1/2 yrs now. Thanks to this excellent website, and community of readers- I’ve received many helpful suggestions. I don’t think it is unreasonable for any and all of us to take precautions under our current circumstances. Katrina – for that matter, quite a few incidences if you think back in our history- have made it clear that our ultimate personal defense (and that of our immediate family) is completely within our hands (and that’s frankly- as our Founders set forth- completely our responsiblity (not the feds or any of their future govt replacements). So few, if any of those in federal govt today can come close to even doing their particular daily ‘job’ (at such great pay), much less could they be counted on to help the general public in large numbers. If the federals would only just attend to the few Constitutional tasks they were/are assigned?…. protect our borders (the US does a better job in foreign countries! doing that!), maintain a proper currency (gad)….. on and on. Look at all the things they ‘try’ to do that have no Constitutional basis?: run education policy, run car companies, tell doctors how to practice… and on and on- none of it working, all fouled up, wasteful of our resources. It’s clear if the shtf, we will be on our own.
Two things I read here today that were personally meaningful:
I now think my mind is a bit more at ease about making my stand here in this neighborhood. I’m surrounded by like-minded people (of all races/creeds)- yes, I could count on them to stand with me. They will be protecting their family- I will help them, and they will help me.
Also, I need to brush up a bit on sanitation planning. If the water stops for a while, I”m ready. But if the toilet don’t flush!? Just having lots of TP won’t get it done…… I need to stock up on some chemicals for the makeshift outhouse in the back. Just a few bucks more for that- anyway, it makes reading here essential so thanks again to all concerned.
What SHTF scenarios are are simply regression back to the system that we left, Nature.
See, it really doesn’t matter if these rich folks try to head out to the ranch. Â Does anyone seriously believe that this rich clown would have a chance of supplying his own food, (either by gardening or hunting)?
Speaking of regressing back to nature, has anyone here bought one of those “survival seed non gmo packs” being sold on ebay?
Just a comment on the toilet flush issue. If you live near a body of water or have a cistern or several sizable containers of gray water just use that to refill the tanks after flushing. It doesn’t have to be drinkable water. I suspect though that many folks don’t have access to ponds or streams to do this. It is a bit of work to carry 3 gallons of water up 2 flights of stairs multiple times, but it sure beats pooping outdoors in a hole.
If you want seeds http://www.survivalseeds.com If you don’t have access to a creek, then you better have one of those shallow wells with a hand pump. You don’t need electricity. But you’ll need oil for lamps. What you will need is food. If the SHTF let’s say this October and you have no food store. By this I mean dried foods and canned foods. Enough food to feed you for at least a year or maybe I would go for two years. It would be nice to have recreation like a jacuzzi to sit in during hot weather, but this will require electricity.
It’s hard to compete against the rich folks. They have mansions o mountains with helicopters, caves inside of mountains, 200′ yachts they can anchor out in the ocean and private islands. I’m thinking an island with fresh water access and you can grow food would be the best bet. Just lay on the hammock and listen to what’s happening in the city riots. The poor bastards in the city are screwed. Because they won’t be able to get out. All they have is their homes. Many couldn’t think about growing food. In Europe they grow food outside the city, but I would imagine you would have to be able to guard your garden. I would say your food would be taken.
Just saw on the internet, and on the radio, today, the dude with the bomb shelter down in California. Â 10,000 idiots have already signed up trying to get a couple hundred spots in his bunker, at 50K each. Â Look, I’m going to lay this out in military talk so that most people will understand (I already know that most of you will get it).
WWI was fought in a “bomb shelter” (dug out) style. Â Both sides built massive earthworks, trenches, bunkers, etc. Â It took years to figure out who the winner was going to be, and then only because the Germans got tired of fighting. Â They weren’t beaten in the field, they just quit. Â WWII came along, and the French decided to play by the same rules as WWI. Â The Germans tried going with the new style. Â They overran the WWI bunkers, forts, trenches, etc., in a couple weeks. Â I know that the Germans eventually lost, that’s not the point. Â The point is that it would totally suck balls to be in one of those old school trenches or forts and get run over. Â You have to be able to maneuver. Â If you are in a hole in the ground, you cannot maneuver.
Jonny V: When the big one hits and the poles shift, shtf will be coming to a theatre in America near you, and these idiots will be under 5,000 feet of water!
DK, maybe it’ll only be 4000 feet of water……..:)