Re: A Discussion of Priorities
Post by charlesoakwood on Oct 28, 2010, 11:17pm
There is confusion about TSHTF.
Will it be internal, external (from abroad), NBC, random?
When one plans: is the plan for a week, a month, or a protracted period?
Each one of these situations requires a different plan. Having each plan meld into the larger/longer plan would be ideal.
We have been talking techniques as in tactics which may be applied to one strategy better than the other.
I too believe that when it happens it will be quick and unexpected. (from the blind side) There will be no time to think.
Whether long or short term the household must go militant; it must have a plan, a contingency plan, rehearsed assignments (a five year old can have an assignment and do it well), and a chain of command. If these things do not exist you might as well enjoy your time and money elsewhere.
Expect cities to be chaos. The highways will be stalled and most interurban areas will resemble the LA-RIOTS.
My plan was to recognize the signs before it hit the radio (suitcase nuke was my threat) and be on the road in fifteen minutes.
I would be on a highway before mass awareness and ahead of the traffic jam.
Radios historically are the most reliable communicator. The emergency GMRS / FRS hand held radios are attractive. Base stations are also available with this setup. This setup is modest in cost relative to a ham. Ideally one would have mobile HAM, CB, and handhelds, this would enable the group to communicate and to listen/communicate with other prepared folks.
This may be a good idea Eton COMBOBASECAMP-KIT American Red Cross FR1000 and Uniden GMR1035 Two-way Emergency Handcrank Radio Base Camp Kit. Spend a little time on the internet & you can purchase the FR 1000 and better 2 ways.
Not that the Red Cross is a bad deal, you can get real FRS 2watt + for just a little more money.
libertas, if you have any radio hints and tips they would be appreciated
"Then get slowly prepared baby steps work too. For each one you take you're that much further ahead." Indeed.
A book, "The Great Reckoning: Protecting Yourself in the Coming Depression - Jame Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mog authors" published in the early 90s when into detail about the decline of America and finding and choosing a safe and practical area to live.
If it is the endtimes just do it all with love.
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Re: A Discussion of Priorities
Post by libertasinfinitio on Oct 29, 2010, 7:05am
You are right Charles. My clan has been and continues to be preparing for longer-term disruptions. I think most of us here can withstand short-term natural disaster type situations, it is a lot harder to prepare for something more protracted, given your means, size of clan and varying degrees of committment. If it is something unrecoverable ie-Armageddon/End Times, hug the family. If it is protatracted chaos that can be survivable for the prepared, then prepare as best you can. In this latter case you have to assume there is no power grid etc and that you have to rely upon your own preparations for food, shelter, heat, medical and communication. I think the HAM radio way for the latter is the best, but even if you have low-power GMRS/FMS units, they can be good up to a few miles given how much interference there is between you and another. I am just starting down the HAM radio road and have not begun to study for the license, there may be others around here with more knowledge on that score than I. There are some good links on the subject out there, survivalist blog, Grouchey's etc. My brother and I bought a pair of Yaesu FT-270R's. They are a mobile hand-held 5w that we can use and get 4-5 x's the range of GMRS/FMS depending upon interference. The nice thing about hand-helds is they are more affordable, you can hook up larger antenna's for home or auto use and as such provide the most felxibility. By going to mobile units in auto for example you can get units that up the power to 50 or 75w, but they are bulkier if you convert them to field radios to tote around, plus you need a power source. That's about the limit of my knowledge right now. As I get deeper into this I can report back with more info.
Edited to add - links for my radio -
http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=Dis....65&isArchived=0http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/5270.htmlRe: A Discussion of Priorities
Post by johnflorida on Oct 29, 2010, 8:11pm
I came up with a battery charging system that is as simple as using solar powered lawn lights to recharge AA batteries.
It was by accident. I wasn't sure if the light was no good or the batteries. I shut the light off and left it in the sun and the bulb was shot but the batteries were charged up when I tried them in another light.
So I keep a couple around just to charge batteries I use in flashlights.Saves running the generator to charge batteries.Re: A Discussion of Priorities
Post by nolan on Oct 29, 2010, 8:30pm
Neat trick JF!Re: A Discussion of Priorities
Post by michelleo on Oct 29, 2010, 9:09pm
Oct 28, 2010, 4:12pm, johnflorida wrote:
Wing nuts are only wing nuts when nothing happens.If it happens were geniuses.
gotta love despair.com
(I haven't yet read through the 5 page thread. Forgive me if someone else posted that quote first.)