F. Scott Fitzgerald is very romantic, but unrealistic - many, many of the rich are for more resourceful than Fitzgerald ever imagined. And they are ruthless, in a way you won't understand until it is too late. Don't underestimate the rich.

Kruggerands, jewelry, dollars, euros, whisky and a .45. That's an ideal carry-on for the rich. The numbered Swiss bank accounts, those are for your memory or keeping outside your BOB. For reciting when the border guard has his gun trained on you ready to kill you, in hopes that he might not, wanting the ransom, in addition to your Kruggerands. Because the poor always want more. As do the rich. They understand. The whisky is also useful, after a few drinks perhaps the guard doesn't want to kill you, in preservation of his soul, if he has one.

As a kid, I can remember my father doing work for two gentlemen who had numbers tattooed on their hands. When I asked my father about the tattoos it became quite a solemn moment, as my father had to explain to his young son the horrors of WWII and the holocaust.

The reason I bring this up, is that I can remember him telling me, before the war, those two gentlemen hid their diamonds and gold in the ground. When they were finally free of the camps, they were able to return and retrieve it. That small bag of diamonds and gold is what they used to travel to America and start their company.

It might not be what one traditionally thinks of as a 'go-bag', but it worked out for them and that's really what matters in the end.

In reality, someone who is wealthy and smart doesn't need a BOB. They'll be gone long before trouble starts. Wealth usually entails connections to high level politics, which means they'll get word of whatever is happening long before we will. Access to privileged information enables wealth preservation. And thats the name of the game.

Perfect example is how then Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson warned major hedge funds about Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac's demise. While telling the public a completely different story. This just came out in Bloomberg.

Probably, but as long as you can afford it, why not?

I'm not at that point in my life where I can do that, but maybe in about 30 years I will be. And I plan on doing whatever my wallet desires.

My BOB doesn't really have comfort items. I mean, 2-ply TP might be considered that, but not by me.

That's true in the event of an impending political or economic implosion. Converting devaluing currency into something more stable or easily sellable may provide the lifeline needed in the aftermath. I can't see it helping in the traditional BOB situation (minutes or hours to evacuate unexpectedly). You'll still have to survive the next couple of days without assistance.

I dunno about converting a devaluing currency into art/jewelry/etc.

If I can't eat it, shoot it (ammo or weapon) or use it (tools/tp/clothing) I don't want it. Oh yeah, I really have a use for that Rembrandt that dude wanted to trade me for 10 cans of Spam. He went hungry, but the guy who had a brick of .22 got the Spam.

If those clowns think that an Andy Warhol will help them thru a SHTF experience, they best think again. And if the situation is wide spread and of a decent duration, where they gonna go? Even private aviation was under severe restrictions right after 9/11. They sure ain't gonna walk to their summer homes in Switzerland.

Made a friend think when he told me about all his food stockpile. I said I stockpile ammo and knew where he lived. The expression on his face was priceless.

Somehow, I get the feeling that all the wealthy people think that all the problems will be short-term. It's okay if they are, but what if they aren't?

What would be amazing to me is finding out that rich people don't stockpile food and 'stuff', when it would be so easy for them.

Sue

You bring up a complex question that doesn't have a simple answer.

I would fall into the category of what many of you would call wealthy. I own retreats/homes/property in Kentucky, Florida, Idaho, and Mexico. I have a sailboat moored on the gulf coast and can leave the country uninhibited anytime I need to. All are fully stocked with supplies and not just food. Am I prepared? Not even close.

My opinion is that people with a lot of money don't really think of stockpiling as prepping, it's just easier to buy in bulk. There are at least 20 cases of soft drinks in my pantry but not for "prepping". It's more for parties and convenience. I also own a lot of ammo, but a day at the range with my friends will burn up a couple cases so why not have a few on hand all the time. I'm not stockpiling ammo, I just have a ton of it around for recreation and it's easier to buy by the case. If TSHF tomorrow, I would be better off than most, and I have plenty of precious metals to buy my way out of a situation but I'm still not as prepared as someone who is on a full-time working farm (but I'm getting there). So, to answer the question, yes the rich stockpile stuff but they do it for entirely different reasons than you might think. Do they believe that only short term problems are ahead? Yes, for the most part. But some, like me, realize that we are heading towards the total collapse of the US Dollar and are preparing for that eventuality in earnest.

On the other hand, where I think most wealthy people are lacking is in the networking relationships necessary to confront TSTHF. For instance, when I was a dirt poor college student living in the student ghetto, I needed a Volkswagen transmission but couldn't afford it. All I had to trade was a waterbed. I found someone with a transmission but they only wanted cans of house paint or cash in trade. So, I found someone to trade my waterbed for several cans of house paint and I got a transmission - all in the space of a couple of days.

Now the rich folks might be able to broker a deal for a million dollar oceanfront condo, but there is no way in hell they have the contacts or wherewithal to trade a waterbed for a transmission amongst a bunch of get-it-done poor folks and they sure as heck don't know how to install a transmission. That will be the undoing of the upper class in a SHTF situation because money can't buy relationships or blue collar skills.

The other factor that you may not know about is that most wealthy people are only wealthy on paper. They don't have tons of cash in the bank for the most part. They own property, or stocks, or whatever and don't get a paycheck every week. Therefore, they have to have cash flow. That's their paycheck. It comes from dividends, or rents, or royalties and the cash flow is critical. Most rich folks will be completely wiped out because their cash flow will dry up and they will have to start selling assets to get cash, which will not be worth much in a SHTF environment and that's how they get wiped out - in an instant. All they will have is relationships and blue collar skills to fall back and well they aren't very strong in those areas.

In my opinion, small scale farmers who grow a diverse range of garden crops, feed crops, and tend livestock and have their farm in a remote rural area near a small community of 2,000 to 5,000 people and have separated themselves as much as possible from the banking system (read: no debt) will be the true winners in the upcoming turmoil. Notice I didn't say anything about whether said farmer is wealthy or not.

Good observations, Nugget! I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes a lot of sense.

I guess that "It won't happen to me" mindset crosses a lot of boundaries.

Sue