Revisiting my small BOB/GHB

[Scythe13]

The thing is NR, in most of those situations, you're not going to be using a GHB are you? You'll only use a GHB in a WROL, total collapse style situation.

Okay, we'll look at the scenarios you're using:

natural accident. I'm not 100% certain what you mean by this, but I'll assume you mean like an earthquake, volcano or something like that. In those instances, I'd just take the loss of the shotgun and suck it up. Thank goodness for insurance. In those types of situation, if you have time to get to your bag, you have time to get out with your stuff. If it's not a total collapse, you'd probably have access to your car, or you could just wait it out. If traffic was that bad, and there was no way your vehicle would be okay, then you just grab what you can and get out. Maybe even call the police and say about the loss of the weapon, because your car was swallowed by an earthquake. I really would prefer you better explained what you mean by natural accident.

Flood. Simple enough. Respond the same way the people in the Somerset Levels did. "I was out shooting ducks and the flood caught me. Please come and pick me up. I am priority as I was caught out with my shotgun." Faster pick up and response time. Alternatively, "I was out shooting and the flood swept everything away." But if you live in a flood plain, you'd get out well ahead of time and not even need a GHB. You'd have been away on a week's shooting holiday. It's not a massive die-off situation, so needing a GHB when the emergency services are there is really not needed.

Blizzard. You'd stay put. No need for a GHB. In a blizzard you'd be better off at least staying near your vehicle. There was that guy a few years ago that stayed alive on Mars bars and melted ice for something like 3 weeks remember? Leaving a vehicle in a blizzard is not often a good idea!

Storm. Same as the blizzard, but if you did leave, you'd probably get further by leaving in your vehicle then grabbing stuff out of it and going on food. I doubt traffic would stop, as people would be unlikely to abandon their vehicles. Again, if you had to leave your vehicle, call the police and explain you were coming back from hunting, you are priority to be picked up.

Terror Attack Stopping Transport System. So what? The tube stops running? The busses stop running? No biggie. If it totally shuts down the roads, I'd just had to abandon the vehicle, then call the police and explain to them the situation, then get my gun back. If it's not total WROL, I doubt the threat to my life would be too big at that time anyway. No need for a walking cane either.

Major Power Cut...thank goodness my car is not a part of the national grid!

Criminal Riots. Thank goodness I am in a car and able to drive away from it. Again, if you are trapped in your car, call the police! Explain you are priority number 1 because you have a firearm and don't want the rioters to pick it up. Then get out and stay in contact with the police while you move with it in your hand. If you are near the police, hand them the gun, at least you're away from the riot. Granted there is the chance they'll shoot you, but if you just comply, then you should be okay. Maybe locked up, but because you called the police nice and early in the situation, you should be okay in a court of law. This situation a shotgun would not be of much benefit. I'd genuinely just accept the loss then explain to the police the situation. Good old insurance to recoup the loss of shotty.

Industrial Action. Like what? A miner's strike? How would that stop me driving home? The type of industrial action that would stop vehicles running is very unlikely to pose threat to my life. Stay put and wait it out.

Fuel Shortages. Thank goodness I have a full tank and tend to have extra in the boot of my car. Enough to get home over a 200 mile journey! Phew! Once again, unlikely to pose threat to my life unless it leads to a total collapse, in which case it will be WROL and a shotgun would be pretty handy!

Breaking down far from home. REALLY? You'll abandon your car 'far from home' and walk back? I'd get the services to pick me up and fix my car for me. Or my wife to come and pick me up. Or a friend or neighbour. Or a taxi to a local hotel. Or set up a tent (always at least one in the boot of my car) and wait until the AA came along to help. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'd even venture and knock on someone's door and ask to use their phone...providing my own phone is out of battery or has no signal. I drove for 3 hours in the snow to rescue my wife on Dartmoor when it snowed. When I got there she managed to get to the motorway and didn't need rescuing. But there's always better options than walking home, if you're a long way off.

In a huge percentage of survival situations, simply having good shoes and a waterproof jacket is going to be enough to get you away from the danger zone. To get home, you don't need a huge amount more gear. The bolt cutters you mentioned would be 100 times more useful if you're around a city, than any shotgun or walking cane. But for self defence, in a WROL situation, where you'll need a GHB, a shotgun or other firearm, is going to be infinitely more effective than a walking cane. Even a funky titanium one, as much as I love titanium, wouldn't be that great.

If it's not WROL, then the need for a GHB is hugely limited! Let's say you're visiting me, down here by Taunton. If TSHTF and it's total WROL, would you rather walk back with a stick for defence, or a shotgun? Okay, now let's say you've broken down and it's not a WROL situation. It's normal life, and you've broken down. What would you expect me to do? "Well NR, time to get your GHB on." or would you expect me to say "Mate, that's harsh luck. I know a mechanic that can sort that out. I get you're allergic to cats, there's a Premier Inn close by, I'll give you and the family a life there, or you can pop up a tent in the garden or the local woods."

The requirement for a GHB would be severely limited to complete societal shutdown, in the vast majority of cases!

The only one where I see a HUGE difference between wanting a shotgun and preferring a walking cane would be strutting around a city that suddenly broke out in a riot. But I'm not saying carry a GHB with you everywhere you go. That's not only unrealistic, but it's pointless. Good shoes and waterproofs will keep you dry and get you away from the vast majority of bad situations.