have you made plans that if anything happens when your away from home or at work, to meet up or bug in until you all meet, up what about coms ie CB ham radio i ask because im not always that close to home due to work (when i get it ) i am trying to get work at home due to this playing on my mind i dont fancy being hundreds of miles away if anything kicks off and can you imagine the roads every one trying to get home what a night mare and some off the places i go i cant really carry what i can when im at home feel quite naked sometimes lol
thanks
b/d
Another very good question. Looks like you're thinking along the same lines as I am.
I live just outside Bristol, but work can have be anywhere from Reading to Swansea, to the bottom of Cornwall. So I can be well over 100 miles from home. Which is a concerning issue.
One thing that I have is a fully stocked 5 day provisioned light GHB, sat in the car. Journeying home to bug in will not be the most comfortable experience every, but I don't need it to be. I just need to survive in good health and be able to get home.
My 5 day GHB has:
2 ponchos
1 lot of tent pegs
3 litres of water
a Freeloader Nano, with iphone and Blackberry cables
a load of water purifier tablets
a compass
a set of thermals
couple of knives
small FAK (first aid kit)
a couple of lighters
a few tampons (good tinder)
A couple of dust masks
a load of chocolate and beef jerky
electrolite mixes/energy drink powder
and a book on foraging
I also have a pair of trail running shoes attached to the outside of the pack. I intend to add a multi tool to this, as well as kevlar lined gloves.
In the boot of my car I also have a change of clothes, and currently my snowboarding gear (clothing, and boots. Snowboard is at home).
So lets say I'm in Penzance, and I need to get back to Bristol (185 miles shortest road distance)......on no, what's that happening, poop is hitting the air conditioning!!! The poo just hit the fan. I have to get home. If I can drive my car, I'll drive it all the way back. If my car is immobile due to an EMP or something like that, I'll get my bags and start walking. I know it will take me just below 2 weeks. I have enough food for 5 days. So I'll be rationing my food, and looting shops, or maybe buying things as of and when I can. But I should be able to get enough food to last me a couple of days, even if it is dustbin shopping, or looting. Then it's a case of keeping my moral up as I walk home.
Other than that, I don't know what else to say.
I'll be avoiding the roads, but sticking relatively near to them. The signs offer a great guide for those that don't know the area. Obviously I'll be avoiding the big towns and cities. However, the smaller sites will be ideal for a bit of loot shopping. So I'll be weighing up each place as I get to it.
All in all, I'd say, check your distance from home, your personal fitness level, then work on things from there. Would you be able to get up and walk 20 miles a day, for 2 weeks? Personally I plan on travelling about 25 miles, then making a small lean to, a pretty little fire, and hunkering down for the night, for the first few days.
After about a week, people will be getting hungry, thirsty, and very dangerous! That will be when I won't have time to set up a small lean to type site, so it will be poncho tent time. I'll be keeping to the woods, following the compass in a North East direction. The reason I say I'll start off by build the lean to's is because I want something comfortable for the first few nights. A lean to allows a good little fire, and will keep me pretty snug. The poncho's are a melting hazard, so they will be used much later in the journey, then things get bad.
Oh also, I forgot to say, I have 2 mylar space blankets in my GHB as well. I'll be lining the lean to's with this to help keep me nice and warm at night.
Oh yeah, and a load of mints and little pick me ups as well. Like Pro Plus, in the GHB.
I'm sat here thinking if there's anything else I missed.
And a torch with spare batteries.
There will probably be more.
You can make plans but the reality will be that most of us will be screwed if anything happens and they are away from home. In 2000 when the fuel strike was on the number of people stuck away from home was way more than I thought it would be, I never travelled more than half a tank and I filled up at every opportunity. In the end I just stayed at home.
A moving vehicle on a road is a target and many roads would be blocked. Then when you get back you home may be looted.
It is risky but you may have to do it. In my view though you only have a couple of days to get back as after that people will start to see that they have to do something and that is not good. The number of people that go to Londistan, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham during the week to work will have to get home. Many go by trail. many will not have cars that work. Many will be stuck on the roads out of fuel or blocked in.
I'd seriously be looking at where you go. The routes back, without GPS, and make sure each trip is covered. I also accept if I am in Londistan or another city I may not get out so I plan for what wilol go on at home as well.
[quote='Skean Dhude' pid='7999' dateline='1329735405']
A moving vehicle on a road is a target and many roads would be blocked. Then when you get back you home may be looted.
It is risky but you may have to do it. In my view though you only have a couple of days to get back as after that people will start to see that they have to do something and that is not good.
[quote]
I get what you're saying. But for me, I would need closure that AlyBear and family were one way or another. I could cope not knowing her situation.
Also, It would be cache picking up time as well.
we dont have GPS, dont like Sat Navs, what we do have is a full set of maps for everywhere we usually go, wife is an excellent mapreader and we both have a good knowledge of the roads, both main and back roads and some most people wouldnt even call roads, both of us having lived in the south west for most of our lives. even if roads were impassable or motor transport not an option( due to blocked roads) there are plenty of cycle paths and walking trails-off road, notably the 2 moors way and The Tarka Trail to name but 2.
(20 February 2012, 09:32)Scythe13 Wrote: [ -> ]a few tampons (good tinder)
You will find a small tub, tin or container like a 35 mm film container fiulled with simple cotton wool balls coated in vaseline work much much better than cotton tampons as fire lighters.
(20 February 2012, 20:02)NorthernRaider Wrote: [ -> ] (20 February 2012, 09:32)Scythe13 Wrote: [ -> ]a few tampons (good tinder)
You will find a small tub, tin or container like a 35 mm film container fiulled with simple cotton wool balls coated in vaseline work much much better than cotton tampons as fire lighters.
Yeah, I've heard that somewhere else. But when you're going to be meeting up with your lady, they become multi use items.
How many women do you think carry more than 1 months worth?
If you want to pump up some hefty barter items....tampons, all the way. What woman would not kill for them once a month?
When the ladies on a few other forums debated this personal issue in depth they came to the conclusion that external pads made more sense than tampons because women become more suseceptable to toxic shock syndrome from tampons when severely stressed, I reckon TEOTWAWKI is a high stress situation.
(21 February 2012, 10:44)NorthernRaider Wrote: [ -> ]When the ladies on a few other forums debated this personal issue in depth they came to the conclusion that external pads made more sense than tampons because women become more suseceptable to toxic shock syndrome from tampons when severely stressed, I reckon TEOTWAWKI is a high stress situation.
Fair point. Also, pads are good for absorbing blood incase you have a major injury. Having said that, a friend of mine in the marines said tampons were perfect to put into a small firearms (9mm) wound. They expand and fill the entrance hole to stop the bleeding, also they are sterile and very absorbant.
(21 February 2012, 11:22)Scythe13 Wrote: [ -> ] (21 February 2012, 10:44)NorthernRaider Wrote: [ -> ]When the ladies on a few other forums debated this personal issue in depth they came to the conclusion that external pads made more sense than tampons because women become more suseceptable to toxic shock syndrome from tampons when severely stressed, I reckon TEOTWAWKI is a high stress situation.
Fair point. Also, pads are good for absorbing blood incase you have a major injury. Having said that, a friend of mine in the marines said tampons were perfect to put into a small firearms (9mm) wound. They expand and fill the entrance hole to stop the bleeding, also they are sterile and very absorbant.
Yup good point quite a lot of the medic lads I served with also kept a supply especially before the invention of clotting agents, still dont understand why were kept tights and lipstick in their pouches though
