Per the rules of this forum, we are not to discuss how, who, where and when.

For the sake of discussion, WW III is upon us. Is there anything beyond the usual preparedness such as a battery-powered radio, flashlights, batteries, candles, first aid kits and cans of SPAM we need to consider?

We are not to discuss religion so I will be as generic as I know. One thing I know to consider, for those who believe in something, is to be spiritually ready or however it is said in what you believe. For those who believe that way, I would advise being spiritually ready in addition to everything else.

Jeanette Isabelle

We are allowed to discuss zombies. For the sake of discussion, we are at war with zombies.

Jeanette Isabelle

Generally this site is for more localized, day-to-day disasters rather than TEOTWAWKI stuff but if everyone can keep their posts reasonable and polite I'll let it stay.

Okay, since it's unlikely the zombies have nuclear weapons can we assume that the WWIII in question is being fought with conventional weapons across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and even here in the New World this time. In such a situation I would assume the following:

1. Manufacturing would shift to war equipment so new iPhones or replacement parts for your car would be almost nonexistent. - have sturdy equipment and spare parts.

2. Gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, etc would be rationed or priced sky-high due to needs of war or disruption of shipping. - have a bicycle, a bicycle trailer, and buckets with which to carry stuff in the trailer. Have spare parts for bike and trailer.

3. Limitations would probably put on travel above and beyond the effects of the fuel shortage. - Have a shortwave radio or other ways to communicate with people other than in person, though radio transmissions might also be banned.

4. A thriving black market would appear. - Learn to haggle now. Develop a skill that is haggle-able rather than storing stuff for the end of the world. Fixing/mending/jury-rigging/sewing is a good skill.

5. Assume thieves and black marketers will be executed first, given a trial later. - Don't get caught breaking the rules.

6. Most of what you hear will be lies. - Work on developing your BS filter.

7. Assume electricity will not be available 24/7. - Have ways to charge stuff if you must have stuff that needs charging.

8. Medicines, especially antibiotics and burn treatments will be in short supply. Specialty medicines will be in short supply. Hospitals will quickly become "3rd world" level. - Learn 1st aid, learn natural medicines, stockpile gauze, know how to assist a childbirth, know what to do with a dead body (head shot).

9. The ability to keep yourself, your clothes, your dishes, etc may be greatly impacted. - Learn basic hygiene (making soap or utilizing sapon-rich plants, how to hand-wash clothes, reusable menstrual devices, etc.)

10. Nighttime lighting may be limited. - Prepare your house for you being "blind", everything always in the same spot when not in use. Know who to safely use alternative light sources such as oil lamps, candles, etc. Solar-charged yard landscaping lights are AWESOME, they got me through hurricane Ike.

11. The people who like you will try and help you. - Develop friendships, especially with neighbors.

12. People who like you may still backstab you. - Stay alert, don't display items of value, make what you know your most valuable asset.

-Blast

I actually think that Sheriff Blast has a lot of excellent suggestions there.

4 @ 5 - I agree that black markets will set up quickly. But what exactly are YOU going to trade? Assuming they don't want money (maybe yes or no), OTHER ITEMS to trade. But what exactly? I'll be honest and say that I don't have a good answer myself. But having some tradeable items, or skills, is a good idea. I also agree that some black marketeers will be rounded up and either stuck in a Government holding pen - or shot. If they're bootlegging really essential items (like water) they probably deserve it.

#7 agree. this is a very good reason to have some portable solar cells that can re-charge some batteries and a cell phone.

#8 is a genuine concern. absence of good meds is going to affect a lot of people. This might be one of those "tradeable items" that is extremely useful. If you have the worlds supply of Tylenol in your garage, could be a useful stash :-)

#13 I will add this. STAY AWAY from all Government facilities and Police facilities. They will probably be low on manpower, and they will not take kindly to people jumping the fence. I would not be surprised if the Gov't deploys snipers onto the roofs of buildings that have critical importance. Avoid these places at all cost.

In a real WWIII scenario - really? If you haven't bugged out to some remote location that has good water, firewood, and shelter - you are probably already screwed. Do you really want to fight it out with all the "survivor rats" in the city?

Pete

Maybe we can make this more concrete. Make peace, so if your life ends now, it will not end with regret -- about estranged sisters, about the things you wish you had said to your ex, about spending more about time your kids, etc. In times of great stress, this sort of stuff comes back to haunt you and destabilize your mind. I'd say survival situations and war times count as times of great stress. Be able to walk out with a clear conscience.

Bingley - good contribution. personal integrity and faith are important.

Back to the Original Post:
ONE IDEA that noobdy ever talks about. In a WWIII situation, what if you could get yourself a boat? Any kind of boat that is OK for the open ocean. You are not going anywhere in particular. You are just floating around in an empty space of sea. You equip the boat with as much food and water as you can safely carry. then you go out into the ocean, far from land, and you float there for 3 months. Or 6 months.

It's not a bad idea. Because in a WWIII situation all humans are your enemies. and a lot of people will kill themselves in 6 months. so isolate yourself on the ocean.

Pete

Blast wrote:

>Manufacturing would shift to war equipment so new iPhones or >replacement parts for your car would be almost nonexistent. - >have sturdy equipment and spare parts.

That's a very good point. At the start of WWII the manufacture of cars for civilian use simply stopped dead. Try and get everyone in the family to use THE SAME model of car. The you can canablise for parts.
And fueless transport; a bycycle and trailer, would be very useful (and get a BIG chain and lock; they were prized things to steal)

Here in the UK we were under seige in WWII so we were short of everything. Onions were prizes in raffles. Soap was in very short supply. People had 'carrot tans' since tans weren't ratoned and people went orange. And many a GI found the gels all over him for a pair of nylons.
Look at what happened last time for an idea of what happens next.
qjs

Something to trade? Soap! During the fall of the Soviet Union, soap was also in short supply and a black market item. All types, but apparently laundry soap was most valuable.

Relatively cheap (not the name brands), stores nearly forever, always useful. Might be quite valuable as trading goods.

I don’t think a world war, like the previous 2 is likely. The world is to interconnected and dependent on each other.

Anyways, I think the best strategy is getting away far and fast. Having things to survive a period of time is one thing, but food and soaps won’t protect you from bombs.

Certain areas of the world have been in low-level war off and on for years and years. Seems like that might be the baseline of what it looks like no matter where it's actually happening.

The zombies have been looking for nukes and have been learning how to make dirty bombs so these might be factors in III that weren't present in I and II. Knowing some basic precautions in that/those events could prove useful.

Seems like widespread conflicts reduce down to "tribe" or "me and mine" in terms of people banding together or deciding who is in or out of the sphere of help. It also decides who gets drafted to go risk or forfeit their lives for the State.