Andy, thanks for sharing a well thought-out approach to your own circumstances.

A few thoughts on your final question: What’s the one thing I should have to be fully prepared that I haven’t mentioned? Ignoring your garden variety asteroid strike or seismic- or volcanic-induced tsunamis but considering your easterly commutes, a couple of things you may have considered, but didn't mention specifically. Enough risk to warrant planning? Your call.

— there's some history of seismic activity in the area, albeit not on a west coast scale.

— hurricanes have hit the upper east coast from time to time. Washington D.C.'s been impacted a couple of times, discussed here.

— looks like ten or so nuclear power plants around your area.

— other than "physical" terrorism — cyber-terrorism is a growing concern among some folks.

I prepare for hurricanes specifically & nuclear fallout survival, which covers about any possible emergency that could occur.

I have found that the more prepared that I am, the less stuff that occurs in the "Bo zone" (an inside joke/comment fm my active duty days). I worry less about "what if's" & enjoy my life better!!

I agree that natural forces are more likely to cause major disruptions than bad guys. I've experienced more than a couple of hurricanes (I got married the weekend Hurricane Agnes hit the east coast, the darn thing chased us for a week on our honeymoon to New England).

Seeker, doesn't the New Cannan fault line run through part of Ohio? The first earthquake I experienced was in South Bend, Indiana.

The threat of a nuke power plant gone bad is a consideration. I live about 90 miles down river from Three Mile Island (actually have been there a couple of times not long after the incident). Duct tape anyone?

But the most frequent and pain-in-the-kazoo problem is snow and ice storms. I'd appreciate recommendations about back-up power systems.

I think the question we all want to ask ourselves is not have we done enough (and buying gear is fun) but have we thought about how to react to situtations and plan accordingly. One of my favorite sayings is "In a crisis you don't rise to your level of expectations, you fall to your level of training."

I have not heard of the New Cannan fault line in my area of Ohio. Its possible. I believe that the New Madrid fault has been felt in Ohio. There have been several earthquakes near me during my 40+ years in the state, but I have never felt them. I know that the Ohio Basic Building Code seismic zone for this area is the lowest value that can be designed to in the state. Most of the state is a very low value.

Snow & ice are also my greatest concern. When I had a well & an all electric house, I bought a 4500 watt generator that fell into my lap very cheaply. It sat for a few years, then based on nasty warning letters from my electric co about improperly connected equipment (prior to y2k), I installed a double pole safety switch. I am now on county water and the well has been abandoned in place (had to completely sever connection to avoid installing a backflow preventor valve and paying for annual inspections). Works well but is a bit of a pain to haul out of the garage and drag halfway around the house in the snow so that the cable can reach. Need to install a four prong outlet on the side of the house and wire to the switch box. Currently run a 50 ft cable through the basement window and stuff old towels around the cable to keep the draft down. 5 gal tank on the generator and I keep two 5 gal gas cans in garage. The safety switch allocates the power to designated circuit breakers. I previously had the well pump (240v), sump pump, & kitchen wall outlets on the switch box. Need to re-allocate now that I don't have a well pump anymore.

If the sump isn't running (rare) then I have a marine storage battery with an inverter to plug my woodstove fan into. Battery is stored in the garage & can be plugged together in a matter of minutes. I have a 20 yr old "big buck" wood stove that can pretty much drive you out of the house if it gets really stoked up. If I can keep the fan running and not have to open the doors to the stove, then I can keep the house warm.

I have a kerosine heater that hasn't been run in 8 years that I need to check out & see if it will start. On my to-do list.

I really need to install a backup to the sump pump. Either DC or water powered. Both have issues. DC backup lasts 12 to 15 hours. Last big ice storm had some people out for days. Water powered pumps require that the outside water source have pressure and uses about one gallon for each gallon pumped. Not very efficient. Decisions ... decisions.

I guess it is that my perspective is of course based on my life experiences, but it seems to me that it is far more commmon to face a survival issue due to criminal activity in this day and age than natural(earthquakes, hurricanes, things falling from the sky) or synthetic(Chernobyl, WMD, other things falling from the sky) disasters. Even with my numerous romps into the big forest and beyond, I've faced far more near survival SHTF scenarios where I was darned glad I was packing a gun, even though I've seldom deployed one. Let's face it, even a multi-tool is going to become an inadquate implement in such a situation, though it will be far more employable as a deterrent than say a space blanket would be. IMHO, the threat is common enough to warrant me having and being willing to use a firearm on a regular basis, both at home and while in transit, where I can reasonably expect to get away with doing so. This is not a universal condition, and on a case by case basis, each person must make that determination for themselves. I will say that in so doing, I am not only better prepared defensively, but I am also in a mindset where I am more aware of my surroundings just because I am armed. It seems like the very aspect of being armed naturally raises my anxiety level to what I would consider an appropriate level to enhance threat avoidance. I think that is a more common trait amongst responsible gun owners as well.

I've been up close and personal with one tornado in my life. I've never been lost in the big forest or the big city for more than an hour, despite not always entering those realms under the most prepared or ideal conditions. I have been shot at more than once, and I've been accosted both in the city and on the trail, and will not face those situations without being armed again unless under the most dire need. Each of us must respond according to our own impression of what is and isn't a risk, and prioritize those risks and our responses accordingly. I know mine are different from others, and each are nonetheless just as real I reckon.

Here in the UK we are relatively short on disasters. No volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes.

Actually we do get earthquakes. Little ones most years, up to 6 on the Richter scale once a century. And apparently we have the world record for highest reported incidence of tornadoes - which is mostly because they all get observed, and most of them are small, but recently we've been getting a big one roughly once a year. But we're pretty safe from hurricanes and volcanoes.

Flooding is becoming quite common - my house is on high ground. Other than that it's mostly man-made disasters. Bird flu, or similar. Terrorist activity - eg poisoning the water. Power cuts are rare where I live, but a wide variety of things can cause one. A few years ago we had a fuel strikes; they only lasted a week, but that was enough for supermarkets to start running out of some foods.

My plan for most things is to shelter in place. In the UK there aren't a lot of places to bug-out to.

Andy,
I am fairly new to this forum and when I saw this subject I couldn't help but respond. I am always preparing for extended power outages,tornados,storms,and floods and also for the 911 flavor of threat. (I sandbagged at a losing battle in the flood of 93. when I finally gave out, all the hard work moved a kidney stone).

I live in a mega-multinational community and there are at least two documented connections between people in my community and the bad guys and recently a third. If people believe that terrorist attacks will only happen in places like New York, then that is what the terrorists want you to believe.

Among the Muslim in my community, I have absolutely no ill will toward them. I am a familiar face in areas where Muslims happen to congregate. I'm convinced that the bad element is a very tiny percentage of less than 1% of the Muslim population here, if there are any still around.

But it is because of that uncertainty, that one must be prepared with the essentials of a BOB and backup food, water and medical supplies. If something should happen, the government can't be expected to bail you out; and the government has already proven that their reaction time is too slow.

And lastly, I'm a gear nut. My BOB and various backpacks and hiking equipment are an obsessive hobby with me. It's just too much fun with practical value.

Hiker1,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for your input. I think many of us on this forum share your concerns about being prepared for whatever comes our way and disrupts our normal routines. I believe that it comes down to taking responsibility for our own lives (and those of our loved ones) when things go bad rather than relying on others. At least for that relatively short time it takes for the official world to get their act together and respond.

I do not place the local first responders in the group of folks for whom we would have to wait. They have saved my butt a couple of times and I give them all due credit. To all the EMTs, LEOs and fire folks out there, THANKS! But, as with all professionals (waiters, doctors, teachers, etc.), the more I can do to make it easier for them to do their jobs the better I feel. So by being prepared and knowledgeable I can make it easier for them to help those who can't help themselves.

Andy

I learned the "be prepared" attitude in the mid-70s as an AirForce EMT in central Alaska. We looked after the military and civilian community as needed where-ever and whenever for what ever. Responding to emergencies in minus 70 degrees was a learning experience. It was just me and my partner..no cavalry unless there was a literal fire or gas spilled all over. Air splints don't work, tape won't stick, IV lines freeze up, fingers freeze when you have to work without your gloves on, tires get low at the worst time, ...you name it. It was great fun. Everything else after that was easier.