I was talking with Guido here in the office yesterday about Trump’s ear-piercing. He said, “..yeah if we were out shopping or on the road and I heard that news the he’d been killed I’d have said ‘lets go. Back to the house. Now. Some crap is going to go down.”
Curious, I asked him what he would do in a situation like that. “Dude..we’d probably head to her parents. They have a piece of land outside of town. We could stay there if we needed to.”
Interesting.
“You know”, I said, “If you really believe thats what you’d do, you might want to think about getting one of those big black-n-yellow storage tubs from CostCo and put some stuff in there…change of clothes, toiletries, dog stuff, a pistol, y’know…that sort of thing. Pre-stage it up there so it’s one less thing to worry about. Have your ducks in a row.”
Even if youre not an end-of-the-world kinda guy, this sort of planning has utility. Let’s say an event happens…forest fire, hurricane, tornado, etc….and, for whatever reason, you have to leave your nicely stocked and fortified home. Maybe you’ve got your little bugout location all prepped and awaiting your arrival. Great. But what if you can’t get to it? Or you don’t have such an option? For many of us that means asking family/friends outside the danger zone if we can crash with them for a few days until things blow over.
If your friends/family are like-minded individuals, then you’ve got a pretty good situation going on. If theyre not, well, blood is thicker than water so maybe they’ll let you couch surf for a few days.
But, what makes it a far easier experience for both host and guest is if the guest has their own supplies and gear so they don’t put out their host, who may already be operating under stressful circumstances if the disaster that affected you is affecting them as well. For example, if an earthquake knocked down your neighborhood and you’re staying with your sister and her family a mile away, her place, though still standing, may be without power..or water…so whatever you can do to ease the situation is gonna go a long way towards making you a more welcome guest.
All this to say that it isn’t the dumbest idea in the world to grab a big ol’ tote or two and stuff in some clothes, toiletries, batteries, flashlights, food, pistol, ammo, medstuff, and other essentials and tuck them away where you might need them if you have to beat feet from your primary location and cant get to your secondary (or don’t have a secondary).
Look, I’m a somewhat squared away guy and I have enough ‘extra’ that a houseguest or two isn’t going to be a practical problem. But it’s a far less problem if they come with food, fuel, sleeping gear, a folding cot, toiletries, fuel, water, etc, etc.
If things come crashing down and your plan is to head to Uncle Bob’s cabin or your brothers ranch? Start staging some stuff there, man. Ask if when a crisis happens, can you come to their place for a short stay? Emphasize that you’d like to preposition a couple totes in the basement or garage or attic of stuff so they don’t have to treat you like a welfare case.
It’s nice to think that if we had to leave the security and safety of our home we would have time to grab a dozen totes, pile them into the truck, and head to the Beta Site. But thats a best-case scenario and those almost never happen. Think more along the lines of you’re at CostCo and the way to your return home is cut off….bridge collapse, train derailment, roadblocks, ground fissures, rockslides, whatever….going home has suddenly stopped being an option. Nice to know you can head over to buddy Steve’s where you know theres clean clothes in your size, toiletries, food, a cot, a radio, extra cash and cards, and that sort of thing waiting for you in those boxes you left there last time you guys got together for a fishing trip.
Depending on the nature of your work, you can use your workplace for this sort of emergency caching. Maybe you own your own business and have a big steel building with a fence around it. Nothing says you cant keep a couple footlockers full of goodies in a corner of the warehouse, maybe a few five-gallon jugs of gas and water, and have that as your off-site resupply.
If you’re really dialed in, and you can afford it, you might go one or two levels of redundancy on this sort of thing. Identical stashes at dad’s cabin and at Steve’s house. Potentially an expensive way to do things but if the situation ever calls for such measures…well…the last thing you’ll be thinking about is what it cost.
Anyway, just something to think about as we continue our descent into clownworld.
I was picking up some delicious cow meat yesterday at Costco and those tubs were in the front on sale for $8. I did find out the hard way they are not water proof so a tarp to protect them from rain would be a good idea.
They are so great! Loves me those tubs.
Also even if we are talking about relatively short periods of time for realistic ((wildfire not zombies) having some of your own stuff is really nice. Clothes, preferred hygiene items, etc.
CostCo is also selling wire shelving specifically designed to accommodate those totes. https://www.costco.com/saferacks-storage-bin-rack%2c-5-tote-capacity%2c-nsf-certified.product.100677580.html
Interesting. Do you have any personal experience with those?
I had planned to line a side of the garage at the new place with the big Costco shelves. A couple of these in the mix might just make sense though.
no…they seem a bit specific in their purpose which makes me think that you would be better served with their regular 72″x48″x18″ shelving which lends itself to other items.
Get pallet racking,multiple times load bearing and adjustable to your needs
Maybe off topic, but I’m amazed you work in a corporate office job and can talk about Trump. I live in solid Trump-voting territory in a state next to MT and you haven’t been able to mention Trump at any of my jobs since 2015. People bring up shooting, occasionally, but TDS reigns in every office. Maybe it’s just me…
We’re a fairly casual lot here. But we’re also fairly low-key. I did, in fact, get in a bit of trouble for referring to our company owners son, who has ‘problems’ and is on our payroll simply because he’s otherwise unemployable, as ‘Hunter Biden’.
Do you have any of his lovely “Artworks” around the office?
Just asking.
Balls, big brass balls.
Well done.
Gotcha. Too bad they didn’t think that was as funny as I did.
I routinely visit several prepper web sites, but don’t post or comment on stuff. You’re response to Trump shooting prompted me I guess. I’ve been a Republican since 18yr olds got to vote. Both my parents grew up during Great Depression and I adopted their habits & mindset. Previously a paramedic in L.A., I’m a ret. LEO from a major Calf urban bay area dept (17yr) and live in northern Calif. bay area. I know that as a Republican, NRA, black gun building person that believes in the Constitution for all, I’m an endangered species here. I’ve been a “closet” suburban prepper all of my adult life and have a large family that shares in prepping “on the down low”. I’ve been in large earthquakes (San Fernando ’71, SF ’89) many large riots in LA & SF, and while s— can happen anywhere, I plan for that. I’ve never been as alarmed as I am now. The perfect Trifecta for an authoritarian govt. with Trump, congress, & courts in the same car. Dems have been dragging us down a path I could counter and “work around” until the people had enough. But this is looks like we’re going to Jonestown Part 2. Just looking for your take on this.Your quirkiness in writing makes me believe that you really take in way more than you let on and that’s what attracts the broad spectrum of your readers. And no, I won’t get butt hurt if you don’t respond.
If I understand what you’re saying (“The perfect Trifecta for an authoritarian govt. with Trump, congress, & courts in the same car.”), your concern is that Trump would be as calamitous as Biden or more?
I think no matter who drives the bus, we’re in for a rough ride. Trump is by no means an ideal candidate, but compared to the alternatives….. And, to be fair, I had far less problems with his last tenure as President than I do with the current occupant of the White House.
The notion that with Trump, congress, and courts “in the same car” will lead to some authoritarian dawn seems, to me, unlikely. I think there are too many checks and balances, official and unofficial, that would preclude that. Look at Biden, for example. He is quite clearly out where the buses don’t run… but there’s mechanisms in place, legitimately and illegitimately, to keep him from going full retard and declaring war on the Moon People or renaming the month of July after himself. I suspect those same mechanisms would be in place in Trump’s, or anyone elses, presidency.
I don’t think Trump is a panacea that will change what will, eventually, happen. The metaphor that I always go to is that the iceberg has already hit the ship and the damage is beyond repair. Changing captains won’t change the fact that the ship is still sinking. The smart passengers will be heading for the lifeboats instead of just standing around hoping the crew can get a handle on the situation.
I’ve been wrong about a lot of things, and you’ve got more time on this planet than me so perhaps you see things clearer than I, but if there ever is a political sea change towards a Draconian America it will be proposed, promulgated, promoted, promised, and prescribed by the Left (and its fellow travelers).
Commander Z, fascists are on both sides and only care about their power and most would gladly burn it all down in hope of ruling over the ashes
I’ve always liked this report about people turning up at someones place after Hurricane Katrina. He told two families it was fine to go there and they told everyone they knew “Come on it’ll be fine” and over 30 turned up!
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2008/08/lessons-learned-from-hurricanes-katrina.html
Genuinely concerned about this scenario, because I don’t know how to prevent bad actors from turning up and causing trouble. The methed-out/schizo/ne’er do wells I have seen do not act rationally and do not stop their shenanigans until physically restrained or physically incapacitated. Meaning, a gun pointed at them does not alter their behavior, only a KO blow or shackles do. Not sure how to interact with family/friends in a crisis when bad actors can turn up at any time and using justifiable force, even without later legal repercussions, will create bigger problems. I guess the answer is to get out of cities now, haha.
Dont be there.
Yeah. You are too right.
The thing is they all know about the place now. Hurricane Katrina at the time looked to be a at best everyone moves out by day two or three At worst everyone moves out by week two or three, even if they had no home to go to there was somewhere for them to go. It may have been twenty years ago but if WW3 hit tomorrow where do you think they are all going? In that time I’m sure they have told a lot of people about it so next time it’s not going to be 30+, it’ll be 300 or 3000+. Once they know about it there is no unknowing about it.
If your plans include bugging out when the event happens, also make plans on becoming a refugee. Things raely go as ‘planned’ during a crisis situation, so prepare for failure… just in case.
Even if you show up somewhere naked and destitute…….will you be an asset or a liability?
Thanks for reminding me to make at least one cache somewhere useful, so I can be clothed, somewhat washed and presentable, with a handful of trade goods, comfort food, currency, basic tools, and the ability to survive a night or two in a ditch. And water. Very important.
Many years ago. I purchased land and built what many of my friends call “Fort ****”.
Sadly, a few have told me they would come to stay if something went down.
I told them I had room for them to pre-position their supplies to use when they arrived and their friends weren’t welcome, so DON’T bring them.
Sadly a few informed me that they were unwilling to comply with my request of pre-positions of supplies. I told them in no uncertain terms that if that was their plan to save their gas as I would use deadly force if necessary to send them down the road. When they got that “hurt look” on their face and asked why. I simply asked them which one of my grandkids should go hungry so I could feed them.
As one would suspect we aren’t close friends anymore……………….
If people ask you where they can pre-position their stuff, and they’re assets, not @$$holes, tell them where to show up.
If they aren’t asking where to bring their cache, have a location sited that’s 180° the other direction, and at least a tank of gasoline away, where they should show up.
Ask me how I know.
Stupid People times Stupid Times is a bad equation.
“Ask me how I know.”
I wouldnt mind hearing that story, or a link to it if youve posted it.
I used to “internet” know a guy in the ’90’s that had a set up like that. He had the “farm” as he called it but almost no one knew where it was, or even that he had it.
Most people knew about a plot of land he had inherited from an old friend, that had OK drinking water and two shipping containers used as sheds with a roof between them. He’d tell people about the land and tell them “Come on your own, I may have to look on some people first and I’m not 100% sure I’ll make it”.
He could not care who turned up. He was not going there and if he could ever sell the land he would. The people he hoped were OK knew about the land but he told them “Wait for me at X,Y&Z on your own”.
His plan was to watch from afar at X,Y&Z. If they turned up alone he would show you the way to the farm, if not it turned out he could not make it after all, and they made their own way to the land.
I’ve been thinking about the idea of “bugging out” recently and how precarious it is, especially if it involves leaving a big city or traveling a long distance.
I suspect fuel will be the least of problems to happen; roadblocks (official or unofficial), traffic, bridges down, etc will add up real quick – My assumption is that it will quickly devolve to on foot, so you’ll be bringing with you AT MOST what you can carry, possibly nothing. And as you know, it will take longer to get anywhere, reducing the likelihood you get where you want to.
Roadblocks can be beaten by convoys, if they’re organized. I wonder if there would be time for caravans to upgrade to convoys and roadblocks to escalate to ambushes before things returned to “normal”.
which is why I’ve chosen to ‘bug in’. Being in an unknown environment with unknown people and no resources seems to be way worse than just staying here in the house. If they come to try and get me out, then it’s on and we’ll either persevere or be dead. Katrina convinced me not to be on the road or go to a ‘shelter’ like the Houston Astrodome. eff that.
Jimbo:
“Bugging In” can work – but it depends on very particular circumstances.
Near a small town – OK
Near a large town – Nope
In a city – Not A Chance!
Calculate your own choices and accept you will have to live or die by it.
Ceejay
If you don’t have an agreement with someone to come to their place, at least consider putting a few bins of stuff in a storage facility on your most likely route out of town. Make sure you can get in 24/7 and without power. Those type of units are less secure than monitored indoor places, but if you can’t access it, it’s useless to you. Small units are fairly cheap, and you really only need the smallest size for something like this.
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WRT the black and yellow bins…and storing them outdoors or without climate control — no they are not waterproof. I make mine more water “resistant” by putting clear packing tape over the “lock” holes in the lid. Rain will still wick up under the edge of the lid, but it’s greatly reduced. Tarping them will keep the rain out, but it won’t stop them from filling with water in a humid climate. I’m in Houston and I’ve had covered, tarped bins fill with water. If the contents will condense moisture from the air, temperature changes will “pump” air in, the moisture will condense, and the water will collect. (generator fuel tanks do this too)
Imagine the horrible mess when I opened a bin full of canned goods, only to find a foot of water and cans rusted open in the toxic soup. It took a very long time to get the stink out of the plastic.
Drill a couple of weep holes in the bottom of your bins, if you put anything in them that has a lot of mass, is metal or liquid, or better yet, store them in the proverbial “cool dark place”.
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Regarding “triggers”. I know from reading around the web that a lot of people consider the assassination of Trump to be a “trigger” for their next step. Some it’s the last line before the two way range goes hot, some it’s the signal to get out of Dodge for a while. I’m also sure some of the people are just talking, but some percentage are not. I didn’t really want to wake up the day after to a bunch of dead DAs and woke prosecutors. I don’t have enough stuff stacked yet for that to kick off.
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@jonathan — just because you MIGHT end up walking is no reason not to try to get a massive supply load delivered with you. You might get thru ok, and the resources will be welcome. Instead load up so that you can keep reducing as you need to, from vehicle with a roof rack and stuff strapped to it, to what fits inside, to bike with panniers and pack, to pack, to smaller pack, to fanny pack, to what’s in your pockets.
You can be like the pioneers crossing the great plains, tossing stuff you don’t “need” along the trail as you go…
nick
Put everything inside storage bins inside plastic trash liners.
Have a shovel or e-tool outside of that.
Get the kind of bags that don’t degrade, and you can always bury them along the way.
Remember, caching works just as well for leaving behind as it does for leaving ahead if you do it right.
Don’t forget to add Desiccants or other moisture absorbing material to the bagged contents. If the items are metal, don’t let the desiccants come in contact with metal as some are corrosive.
I didn’t write all I intended to. I blame doing it on a phone…
The possibility of ending up on foot is why it is important to pre stage as much as you can, preferably at your destination but along the way is an alternate.
Staging at your destination has the plus of showing the owner you are serious.
Nick:
One way to avoid water seepage through the “lock holes” is to line them with cling film then dribble some hot candle wax into the hole.
When you want access, you lift out the cling film.
Hope this helps…
Ceejay
If I ever had to crash at a friend/relative’s house, I would certainly be courteous enough to bring as much of my own provisions that I could. Because I would expect the same of someone coming to my house (except for a couple of close relatives. I have no intention of taking food from my childrens’ mouths to feed someone who had every opportunity to prepare but CHOSE not to.