CRAZY PREPARED

[Requia ☣]

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-apocalypse-never/

The War Nerd talks Apocalypse.  Explains exactly why I say to get the hell out of big cities.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-apocalypse-never/

The War Nerd talks Apocalypse.  Explains exactly why I say to get the hell out of big cities.

Why?

It sounds more like he saying stick with a massive, well-organized horde rather than a small, well-armed gang, even if you're well located in terms of water supply.

You're thinking no one will find your well or river?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That was a great article! And so very true.

I actually think that the ideal place to be in the event of the collapse of civilization would be a small town fairly remote from any other towns. There'd be the strength of having a community and access to farmland and wilderness, combined with relative isolation from marauders.

I suspect that the most likely scenario in cities is that people will simply band together based on geography, and try as hard as they can to help each other not die. In desert cities, everyone will die anyway. A lot of cold-climate cities will probably be burned to the ground in winter when a bunch of idiots try burning things for warmth and set fire to their buildings.

[Thurnez Isa]

if civilization would ever collapse all the fundies would be killing gays, scientists and wierdos by day two,
and sacrificing virgins to their "God" by day three

[Richter]

...and eating the leftovers on day 4.

[Richter]

That was a great article! And so very true.

I actually think that the ideal place to be in the event of the collapse of civilization would be a small town fairly remote from any other towns. There'd be the strength of having a community and access to farmland and wilderness, combined with relative isolation from marauders.

I suspect that the most likely scenario in cities is that people will simply band together based on geography, and try as hard as they can to help each other not die. In desert cities, everyone will die anyway. A lot of cold-climate cities will probably be burned to the ground in winter when a bunch of idiots try burning things for warmth and set fire to their buildings.

Agreed.  Any city, once running water dies off, will be a desert in short order anyways. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That was a great article! And so very true.

I actually think that the ideal place to be in the event of the collapse of civilization would be a small town fairly remote from any other towns. There'd be the strength of having a community and access to farmland and wilderness, combined with relative isolation from marauders.

I suspect that the most likely scenario in cities is that people will simply band together based on geography, and try as hard as they can to help each other not die. In desert cities, everyone will die anyway. A lot of cold-climate cities will probably be burned to the ground in winter when a bunch of idiots try burning things for warmth and set fire to their buildings.

Agreed.  Any city, once running water dies off, will be a desert in short order anyways. 

No, I think that there are enough people in most cities aware that there are underground creeks that what would happen is that all the manhole covers would be pulled up until they were found, and then eventually there would be an outbreak of cholera.

[Richter]

At least around here, most cities have history dating back to the industrial revolution when things were less than "Green" in the chemical disposal sense.  The groundwater is beyond bad.  One lake in my hometown has a solid layer of creosote just under the mud at the bottom.  Every stream is loaded with nasty stuff.  Dig a hole next to the right building, and the groundwater will fill in neon green.

Likely different in your neck of the woods though, less industrial prehistory.  Boiling / sterilizing groundwater is a good practice, regardless.

Rainwater collection can also work out OK.   

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

At least around here, most cities have history dating back to the industrial revolution when things were less than "Green" in the chemical disposal sense.  The groundwater is beyond bad.  One lake in my hometown has a solid layer of creosote just under the mud at the bottom.  Every stream is loaded with nasty stuff.  Dig a hole next to the right building, and the groundwater will fill in neon green.

Likely different in your neck of the woods though, less industrial prehistory.  Boiling / sterilizing groundwater is a good practice, regardless.

Rainwater collection can also work out OK.   

All of you East Coast people will mutate into giant freaks.

[LMNO]

Have you ever seen a picture of ECH?


It's already happened.

[Requia ☣]

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-apocalypse-never/

The War Nerd talks Apocalypse.  Explains exactly why I say to get the hell out of big cities.

Why?

It sounds more like he saying stick with a massive, well-organized horde rather than a small, well-armed gang, even if you're well located in terms of water supply.

You're thinking no one will find your well or river?

No, I'm thinking a few thousand people already live where the reservoir I'd hit are.  And the people there are well armed enough to defend against non military raids.  Also lots of farms, which means food if I can find a skill to barter with.

Figuring out how to keep them from killing *me* might be a bit trickier though.

Also, food seems a bigger deal than water in the cities to me, yeah you'll die faster without food, but water distribution would take longer to collapse, food might stop coming tomorrow, or might come in half the numbers needed to keep everyone alive.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Have you ever seen a picture of ECH?


It's already happened.

[Bruno]

I just built one of these today.

http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/midge/THE_COMPLETE_MIDGE.pdf






I used cans slightly different from, but close enough to the ones in the PDF.

The biggest difference was the 25 oz Hormel chili can I used as the burner. It burned for about 30 minutes and toasted the fuck out of some marshmallows.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-apocalypse-never/

The War Nerd talks Apocalypse.  Explains exactly why I say to get the hell out of big cities.

Why?

It sounds more like he saying stick with a massive, well-organized horde rather than a small, well-armed gang, even if you're well located in terms of water supply.

You're thinking no one will find your well or river?

No, I'm thinking a few thousand people already live where the reservoir I'd hit are.  And the people there are well armed enough to defend against non military raids.  Also lots of farms, which means food if I can find a skill to barter with.

Figuring out how to keep them from killing *me* might be a bit trickier though.

Also, food seems a bigger deal than water in the cities to me, yeah you'll die faster without food, but water distribution would take longer to collapse, food might stop coming tomorrow, or might come in half the numbers needed to keep everyone alive.

It's a lot easier to stockpile food than water, but long-term food could become a huge problem.

Remember that if there is no electricity, in most cities that means no pumps to run the water delivery system. Also keep in mind that a major earthquake will almost certainly damage the water mains so even if your water supply is 100% gravity-fed, it still may not be functional.

[Requia ☣]

Earthquake is a real issue, but there would be relief in that event* (also, enough might still be working that running off alternate sources would be feasible for a least a little while).  We actually are gravity fed though (all the water is in the mountains).

My concern is what happens to us if the dollar collapses entirely and we can't afford to keep importing oil.  Or something seriously fucks with the rail networks (earthquake again, or the railways quietly going bankrupt while the government keeps bailing out the auto makers).

Also, your food stockpiles don't protect you against riots by starving fuckers looking to steal anything edible.

*Probably, one of my big fears is that the big one is *finally* going to hit, and we'll be at the bottom of a depression, with no resources to mount recovery operations.