The grim film of John Christophers harrowing novel of world wide famine is on youtube
You can watch it in 10 minute segments.
For those who's spouse has subjected them to watching 'Eastenders', there's the pleasure of seeing Wendy Richards get shot.

No Blade Of Grass Clip 1 John Christopher
No Blade of Grass by John Christopher

The Sock

Thank you Sock, for sharing this. I did watch the whole movie after you posted - yep, I stayed up very late! I had never heard of this movie before.

A warning to anyone who hasn't seen this movie and still plans on watching it - I am going to talk about some of the scenes, so I may give some of it away. If that bothers you - you might want to watch it and then read this thread.

One of the things I am kind of obsessed with is how to bug out after a major emergency or societal breakdown. Where I live at the moment, I would just stay here since I live in the mountains. But even here there might be situations where I would have to leave. And I imagine lots of people from the cities around us would head this way.

After watching the whole movie, I could see where traveling in a group might be advisable and have it's advantages. I would tend to want to travel in a very small group, but bands could over-take you very quickly. So I can see where having a lot of people traveling together would be a safer situation, even though it would also be more visible. There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways of course.

They covered some of the things I think about, like people getting sick or injured and being left behind. People having different kinds of carts to carry their things in. Rape, killing loved ones. etc. etc. I don't remember any scenes showing how they filtered water.

It seemed to me that they didn't try very hard to carry those that needed help. To me it seems like keeping babies with you would be important, because we would need children to repopulate the country. That is just how I see it.

One scene that made me mad was killing the man and his wife at their home. They didn't try very hard to get what they needed without killing them. I know the man had a rifle, but it just all happened so fast. I might have to watch that scene again, so I can see what happened closer.

I hope something like this never ever happens!

Joy

That was the amazing thing; in most post apocalypse films the saintly heroes are under attack from bands of killers. In this film the heroes ARE the killers!
In fact they were worse than most. The farmer and the village with a road block, get the drop on the Custances and then tell them to move on, unharmed. The Custances kill the farmer and the soldiers at the roadblock, without even trying to disarm them.
John Custance is killing his governments soldiers at the road block just a few hours after he's had to abandon his normal law abiding life, without batting an eye lid.
There was a lot wrong with his tactics. Why, when you know you are going to bug out, be unarmed? You could buy guns in 1970s Britain. Why travel during the day? Why have no backpacks in the cars in case you lose them or they simply break down?
Other things like using a railroad crossing as the perfect ambush (they don't even realise why they are being stopped) and carrying back-up concealed handguns, in case someone gets the drop on you and you, I'd never thought of.
The 'no cars; they are just an invitation to an ambush' made me think too.
A lot was wrong with the film as you say:
Why were his the only children in the film and why with famine in asia, were the rest of the world not planting non-grass crops?
But the film and the book aren't guides to surviving the end of the world. They are about what we'll do to survive.
Imagine the tv announced "the country has 1 weeks supply of food and no way to replace it" NOW. what would you do to ensure your family lived?
The book is a lot better than the film.
Did you notice the boys saying 'global warming is going to melt the icecap' in clip 5? This is a film made in 1970. So much for the 'global warming is a new invention' myth.

> "hope something like this never ever happens!"

It's happening now; there are food riots all over the third world as prices rise......
The Sock

Joy wrote:
> One of the things I am kind of obsessed with is how to bug out > after a major emergency or societal breakdown. Where I live at > the moment, I would just stay here since I live in the > >
> mountains. But even here there might be situations where I
> would have to leave. And I imagine lots of people from the
> cities around us would head this way.

This is something that is discussed a lot on this site and I don't really understand. I asked one time why no one seemed to include a sleeping bag in their bug out bag but still didn't really understand after people answered.

The answers were often:
'I would include a sleeping bag' in which case I wondered why they didn't include it in their bob contents.

or
'I can't keep a sleeping bag with me' really? your car is that small? You have no locker room or coathook (put the sleeping bag in a dress carrier) at work? And your work bag is too small for a sleeping bag?

or
'I know I have somewhere to get to, I can reach before I need sleep'
That must be a close place if you have to bug out at 3am. I'd need sleep straight away. But is feasible. But if it is that close, why do you need all that kit to get you through ONE day? You are carrying enough water purification for 10 gallons for one day? I had a place that close I'd bring just a packed lunch and a water bottle. And if I'm bringing the extra in case I don't get their on day one; then you need a sleeping bag.

I for one need my sleep and don't want to be in a survival situation where I'm making all my decisions dead on my feet, because I've had to shiver in the cold all night. IF i survived a night without a sleeping bag; depending on climate.
I think bugging out is something we haven't really thought through a lot of the time.


How to bug out?
Seems what the Custances did is the obvious way to go. Use a car while it is safe, then foot. Though since 1970 we have invented mountain bikes, which is another option and you can carry hundreds of pounds of gear (the north vietnamese did) if you are planning on living off it.

Really it depends where you are bugging out to, that determines what you need. If you are in a hurricane or forest fire region just get in your car and drive out before it happens. The only thing that could cause a 'societal breakdown' for the USA is a nuclear war. In which case the worst thing you could do is bug out while the fallout is dropping.

I carry a tent, sleeping bag, self inflating pad, along with a game cart to haul, everything including two duffel's with personal items and food, water etc. I'll stick with the truck as long as its safe, then hoof it into the woods to get where I need to be. I read a Post SHTF story on Frugals called The Long Road Home where the guy had to abandon his truck and walk home, got me to thinking and making a few adjustments to my Bug Home Plan as well as Bug Out.

It's hard to think of something that would make you bug out where you could guarantee the roads would be passable unless you left before it happened. So your plan makes sense to me. One item I'd add if in flood prone areas is an inflatable boat :-).
The Sock

I haven't been able to post because I have been busy with my daughters wedding stuff. She is getting married in September, but there is a lot to do right now. So I haven't been able to post.

I do have a sleeping bag and tent in the trunk of my car. I have camping stuff, a small back pack, food and water. I have other stuff too, like a wind up radio, etc. My husband complains it is too heavy for the trunk of the car, so I will have to get lighter gear, like a smaller tent.

The 2 big things in my area that I would have to bug out because of are fire and earthquakes. If the fire is below my house, then I am trapped and would have to get out through the woods on foot. But fire can travel fast. So I would be stuck. I have often thought of getting one of those fire tent things to get under. They have talked about them on this forum, but I can't remember the name at the moment. Someone here will probably remember the name. There were links to some really neat ones. I have the links, but don't have time to look them up right now.

The other is earthquakes, in which case I could just camp out here if my house were destroyed. I have enough stuff in my car to do that.

If I was able to escape during a fire, there are only 2 roads within a mile that I could escape on. I would hope to get out before the crowds, or it might be very slow going. Traffic seems to come to a stop when there are problems here in the mountains or on the highways our side of my immediate area. If that happens, then people drive up here and sometimes block our road so we can't get out until the traffic clears. Because of that I know how bad it would get if there were a major problem in the city like a nuclear war. I think I am far enough away that I could hunker down, but I am not positive. It would be a problem if I was downwind of the blast.

From what I have read, I would only have to hunker down for a few days. I might be able to leave before the crowds get up here. I would have to head south, but I would have to do if FAST. I know about building a thick walled small space to crawl into that the radiation won't be able to penetrate very far. I have read about it on this site: http://www.ki4u.com/products1.php

But those are the reasons I am obsessed about it. I know I could get trapped here very easily and I am not in shape enough to hike out that far or take a bike through the mountains. I have thought of a scooter or something. Meanwhile, I just hope nothing ever happens to cause that. I might have to try to hitch a ride if I get stuck.

Joy

Could you use a small motor cycle through the woods?
Does your husband realise how much a car weighs and how little in comparison to that, some camping gear is?
It's probably costing you pence a year in extra fuel to carry. If you break down and camp once, the cost of the motel bill saved will vastly outweigh that.
The Sock

Shadow ooOO

(I read a Post SHTF story on Frugals called The Long Road Home where the guy had to abandon his truck and walk home, got me to thinking and making a few adjustments to my Bug Home Plan as well as Bug Out.)

I tryed to find that story but did not succeed, as I am also interested in that subject. can you help me by leading me to the spot?? Thanks

The Long Road Home by puternut

Is that the one you were referring to?

Thanks Thats it.

Beat me 2 it, yep thats the one.

Quote TheSock: Could you use a small motor cycle through the woods?
Does your husband realise how much a car weighs and how little in comparison to that, some camping gear is?

Hi Sock! I have wondered the same thing about using a motor cycle or a motor scooter, but no, I don't think there are enough trails going in the direction that I would want to go. And there are too many valleys, cliffs and steep mountain sides, etc. I think I would only be able to use the motor cycle or scooter if I was taking the roads to get out. My worry there is people trying to take it from me so they can use it to get out of the mountains themselves.

I think one way to solve it is to move! But no matter where we go there will be problems. But maybe I would at least be in a place where I couldn't get trapped so easily like in a fire. Some day my husband is going to take me to the firing range and teach me to use our guns. That will help me feel safer I think. Like in the story you guys are talking about - The Long Road Home.

I think my husband realizes how much the car weighs and stuff. I think one of the things he worries about is that the heavy stuff in the trunk will damage the tires on my car driving on windy mountain raods. He just put new tires on my car. I just think he thinks I am kind of silly having my stuff in there. I put all the lighter stuff in his pack in his car and the heavier larger camping stuff in my car. I wanted him to have the lighter stuff in case he ever has to hike home during an emergency when he can't use his car. He isn't into this stuff like I am, so I had to pack his BOB with that in mind. He knows how to use camping stuff. So he should be ok if he can get through the city and then the mountains to get home. lt will take him several day to a week or more, I am pretty sure.

I have no idea how to convince others the importance of preparing for different kinds of emergencies. No one in my family is interested like I am. So unfortunetly I often bear the brunt of light joking and them not understanding. I know others here on this forum have the same problems with their spouses and families. So I just have to slowly work on getting lighter gear for my car. Right now my money is going towards a wedding and food storage, not gear. Maybe next year I can work on it.

Joy

Thank you for sharing the story -The Long Road Home. I am only on Chapter 9, but it sure makes me want to update the pack I made for my husbands car. I like the idea of putting binocular's in his BOB. I need to put more food in there and rotate out what might be out of date. I have a lot of fun working on his pack.

Joy

> I think one of the things he worries about is that the heavy >stuff in the trunk will damage the tires on my car driving on >windy mountain raods.

Heavy stuff? I thought this was camping gear? Does it weigh more than a person? But he'd carry a passenger wouldn't he?
Can't say I've heard of cases of anybody mugging someone for their transport in an emergency? Does it happen?
But as you say a good idea to learn how to use the family guns. It's very easy.
Could your husband actually do that week long walk? One thing in 'the death of grass' betrays the script not being written by a a walker, is that the group would have been in real trouble after walking 50 miles in fashionable shoes. Your feet will be a mess of blood and blisters.
Try walking 50 miles, it is tough if you aren't used to it. But unless you are in a hurricane or earthquake zone I can't see anything likely to make him need to.
The Sock

The stuff I have in my trunk is a combination of both car and backpacking camping gear. But by the time I add food & water, a tent for 4 people (only size I have right now), etc., it adds up - at least in his mind. I would love to add even more. I think mostly he doesn't like it all in one place in the trunk. He wants it spread out over the whole car. But I don't want my stuff visible.

I think mostly I need to get lighter gear. I have no idea how much it all weighs. I have a 5 gal. bucket with 4 cans of butane gas for my camping/emergency stove (which is a burton stove), a small solar battery charger, accessories that go to my Baygen Radio, etc. in the bucket. The bucket can be used for water, or other things. I will eventually get a lighter stove. This is the stove I use in power outages here at my house. But I keep it in the car for if I ever have to bug out. http://www.thewhitewhale.com/burton.htm

I think the next thing I will get is a lighter thermolite sleeping pad and sleeping bag liners - instead of a large sleeping bag and heavy air mattress, which is what I have now. I also have an AMK heatsheet for if I ever have to abandon my car.

I also have a first aide kit that has bottles of things like poison oak wash, activated charcoal, as well as Kerlix and other first aide items I have read about here on ETS. The poison oak wash came in handy one day earlier this year at a park, when 6 people having a picnic next to us got into poison oak. They were very happy I had it! They probably got a rash anyway since the oils were still on their clothes. I hope it cut down on how bad their rash was though.

I have extensive 'favorites' on my computer of things that I read about here on ETS that I would eventually like to get. So when I have some money I can reread what forum members have discussed and then I can decide what I would like to get. But until my husbands BOB is finished - most all 'light weight' equipment will go to him first.

Thank you for suggesting better shoes. I will talk to him today about putting his hiking boots in his car. As far as being prepared to hike that far, my husband is in pretty good shape. He walks approximately an hour every day. He 'works out' at the gym at work and takes pretty good care of himself. His company is approx. 32 miles from us. About half of that would be through heavy city with gangs. I very carefully chose a map of the area for him that he could use to find the best route. He is a big guy and most people would not want to mess with him.

I could not walk that far. I would have to take it in very small sections, hide and then walk a little more and hide. Etc. I would probably be left behind if I were with a group.

I honestly don't know if anyone would try to take my transportation in an emergency. It is easy to get trapped in a car in the mountains if everyone is trying to get out. If they are desperate enough, they might decide that my motor bike was a better way to go. Especially if it is a fire traveling fast because of heavy winds and they felt their life was more important then mine. I can easily imagine it after watching "No Blade of Grass" and reading "The Long Road Home." There are quite a few low life's that live in the mountains.

Joy

The water should be in the car anyway. What if a hose comes loose and he needs to refill the radiator? If you actually weighed the rest of the stuff, you'd find it isn't that heavy.
Nothing you have mentioned weighs anything significant for a car. Get the bathroom scales out and you can prove it.
But you know that already, as you say: 'at least in his mind'. You don't really believe a plastic bucket weighs anything for a car. Is it more the bulk he is complaining about? The way to win him over is to involve him and use his suggestions.

You too need walking shoes; THAT YOU HAVE WORN IN. And weatherproof clothes. I simply wear Dr Martens, which are good office shoes and street walking shoes. I could only pity people at work when we had the July 2005 bombings in London and people found themselves limping 5 miles home in their eigth of an inch thick soles. The sniggers at 'Mr Be Prepared' suddenly stopped.
This is something not mentioned much on ETS, but I'd swap any gear for a waterproof in the winter. Your knives and multi tools will do you no good, when you've died of exposure. I've found Chris Townsend, who writes 'the backpackers handbook' gives good advice. He recommends Paramo gear which he says are the most breathable and also the only breathables you can smash through the thorns in and will still stay waterproof.

'No blade of grass' and 'the long road home are fiction'. Would you really be mugged for your transport? Why not put up a post asking if anyone knows of this happening? You and I are virtually the only ones using this thread and I don't know the answer.
The Sock

Ever heard of that quaint old American custom referred to as "Carjacking"?

That is a great suggestion! Thank you! Yes, I will try to involve him. I imagine he will still complain about what I have, but I can tell him I put all the light stuff in his car. I don't think he realizes that I did that.

I do not have weather proof clothes for either of us, though I do have a nice waterproof coat in my car. Good point. I do keep large plastic trash bags in my BOB for rain or to make a temporary shelter, etc. I am not sure what Mil.Spec. they are, but I will soon get some stronger ones. I was looking at some at the hardware store today. I will write down your suggestions for clothes and check them out. Right now we are having a drought and there will probably not be any rain for at least 2 to 4 or more months or so.

Walking 5 miles in high heels or the shoes you mentioned sounds horrible! You are right, I do need some hiking shoes or boots. I will add that to my list. And when I get them I will wear them to break them in.

It doesn't seem that long ago since the bombings in London! Many of us here in the U.S. followed that very closely.

No, I don't think the bucket with my stuff in it weighs much. I just think everything together adds up. The tent is probably the heaviest. I really like everything I have in my car and I guard it like a hawk! And since he is critical of my efforts to always be prepared, it just makes me sad that he is that way. I will take your suggestion to heart.

I had a list of everything I have in my car, but I can't find it. I wanted to share that with you. If I find it I can post it then. Weighing it on a scale is a good idea.

I can't find the "Mr. Be Prepared" site that you mentioned. Do you have a link? Is it a good site?

I was in the city a few days ago and I saw a caravan of a homeless person's shopping carts lined up and full of stuff. There were 5 carts together. He had bags hanging all over them. They looked like this one: http://potatosaladcafe.blogspot.com/2006/02/contents-of-homeless-mans-shopping.html The last cart had a chair strapped to it!

So do you have a BOB in your car and extra gear too?

Joy

There you go! Carjacking. There are quite a few video's on You Tube on Carjacking.

Joy

> can't find the "Mr. Be Prepared" site that you mentioned. Do > you have a link? Is it a good site?

Lol. 'Mr Be Prepared' isn't a site, it's what they called me at work. Mainly due to my vast knife collection: one swiss army champ. Well it's vast by UK standards :-).

Wildman makes a good point about carjacking in the US. Does that happen often? It's virtually unknown here.

The shopping trolley is where we are all logically heading on this site :-).
There are no earthquakes or hurricanes in the south of England. I keep the normal car stuff in it; water, rain jacket, tools, spare tyre etc and a duvet in the winter for while I wait for the AA man. I've nowhere to bug out to and can't imagine why I would do so. You are better off taking advice off a lot of other people on this site than me.

The Sock

LOL! One Swiss army champ and you are Mr. Be Prepared! ;-) It sounded like you were talking about a website! Lol!

Yes, I am glad Wildman came up with the right word to describe what I fear the most if I ever have to bug out and get stuck in heavy traffic. But I don't even have a motor cycle or scooter yet, so it is just speculation on my part to imagine all kinds of potential situations - to prepare myself. My husband and I have talked about getting something like that in case a wildfire travels through this neighborhood. We are in drought conditions at the moment and fires are burning all over Northern California. So the threat is very real, especially in the mountains.

As far as I know, carjackings are more common in the inner city area's where crime is highest.

Well, thank you for the advice and suggestions that you did give. I like to learn from people here! And I like discussing the scenes in movies like the one you mentioned and thinking about what we can learn from it in relation to what we have in our cars and BOB'S. You were the only one who wanted to do that. I guess others didn't watch the movie. I especially like Apocalyptic fiction.

Joy

I was surprised so few people joined in as well.
Maybe if I hadn't failed to post the link to youtube more would have. And I think I upset some people a while back, by not making it clearer that my criticism of the present inhabitant of the white house (which I shouldn't have been doing anyway) was just of him and not all americans.
So some people will never contribute to a thread I started.
Start a thread yourself and you might have more luck.
The Sock

I just haven't had time to watch the movie.

-Blast

Here is the link to No Blade of Grass:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=No+Blade+Of+Grass+&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=

I can't seem to make the above link work. Here is the link to Part 1 (I hope it works):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbLD6kg9Bjk

There are some disturbing scenes in this movie, but I liked watching it because I like thinking about what could happen in a real bug out situation, even if the main character turns out to kill when it was unnecessary. Like Sock said "That was the amazing thing; in most post apocalypse films the saintly heroes are under attack from bands of killers. In this film the heroes ARE the killers! In fact they were worse than most."

Like we said at the beginning of this thread, there are some disturbing things that happen that actually made me mad. But I won't spoil it again encase someone here didn't read the beginning of this thread.

I fast forwarded through most of the first video. It is mostly scenes of pollution. It kind of reminded me of the beginning of "Soylent Green."

It shows how some people might become very dangerous in a world that has fallen apart and anarchy reigns.

I think there are situations here that can be discussed civily, like is it best to travel alone or with just your immediate family, or in a larger group? Should little new born babies and their mothers be left behind? And many other questions that come to mind.

I haven't seen to many 'bug out' movies before. I saw one I think is called "The Postman?" Maybe someone who reads this can recommend some other movies. We already had a thread on Post Apocalytic books from which I took notes.

Joy

Another film about what we would to survive is 'The Last Valley'. Michael Caine rightly regarded it as one of his best performances.
'The Wild Bunch' and 'Lifeboat' are films with a similar theme. Characters are faced with the choice; should they sacrife others, to save themselves.
By the last stage of 'No Blade of Grass', that is all that is happening. A couple where one is too sick to walk, a couple who have just given birth, a couple with a baby still breastfeeding, Finally his own brother.
Who isn't John Constance willing to sacrifice for the sake of the group?
The Sock

Thank you Sock. I will check out the movies you just mentioned. I am looking forward to it. Maybe Netflix carries them.

I read on another thread that you are coming to the U.S. to hike. Cool! I hope you have a safe and wonderful trip!

My husband has been to London twice, but I never Have. He got to travel in the last job he had.

Joy

Joy
Her ladyship and I would love to meet you if you get here!
The Sock

Although any excess weight will affect the fuel economy.

Which isn't to say don't do it, just be aware that it isn't "free".

PS in England we may not get hurricanes, but we do get tornadoes - serious ones that tear the roofs off houses. Although they only affect a few score houses at a time, so you could "bug out" to a nearby hotel.

We get earthquakes, too, but mostly little ones. That we get any at all shows the ground is geologically active.

Thanks Brangdon. I'm thinking of 'bugging out' of the kind we did on escape and evasion exercise in the army. I.e you are in enemy territory after escaping from being a POW, or trying not to become one. So the shout "BUG OUT!" means 'the enemy have found our hide; run with whatever you have on you'. No time to pack.
I'm not sure if that is the meaning here; this is after all not a military web site and also an american one.
So far in the UK the tornados have left the houses standing and you wouldn't have to head to the door in the clothes you were wearing. With global warming watch this space to see if that lasts....
But as you say; having overnight bags packed will only make life easier.
The Sock