I was fortunate enough to have a very relaxing weekend which gave me time to consider things in my life from an objective standpoint which has led me to this question for the day.

On a scale of 1 - 10 how would you objectively rate your prepardness with 1 being the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. who could barely survivor 7 days without power and a Wal-Mart, and 10 being your ability to survive is on par with the cockroaches.

What are your strengths and areas that need development in your plans?

At this time I am a 8 but wont be a 10 till TSHTF and I get my VA Dr. and some other people into my home.....the reason that I am saying this is that there are a lot of druggies and drunks in my Micky Mouse town who are on welfare.

Have to finish putting up the fence 10 feet away from my home (with booby traps) and all the way around, at this time only the back and one side are up and without the booby traps, I do have an outer fence all the way around my propery.

At this time all of my 8 drive way alert are in place but only 3 of my 12 TV cameras and 2 of my seven monitors.

But besides the above I always like to say that "TO BE READY IS NOT"... Ponce

Eh... 4 maybe. I'm good for about a month right now - more on food. Water is one of my main issues. I need to store more and I should get a filter. In the winter heat would be an issue. The biggest problem I can see, for me, would be the very real threat of violence in an extended situation - I live alone in an urban area and have limited Bug Out options with the exception of a few friends and family in a close suburb. I have one good neighbor, the rest are - well they are the problem. Even in good times they are of questionable moral fiber (bluntly - they're crackheads and thieves) - I don't want to think what they'd be like under bad conditions.

I would put us at 7 assuming we aren't bugging out but drop it down to a 5 if we suddenly have to leave. We have good supplies or food/water with access to many cultivated and wild sources of both. First aid kits are stocked (and rotated often ), batteries are abundent as well as alternate power sources for items.

Our main problem is organizational. Things are spread out in different areas of the house (tools, camping gear, food, reference books, etc).

Our preps are mainly designed around the following dangers:
1. Hurricanes
2. Flooding
3. Power outages
4. Short-term civil unrest(riots 1-14 days)
5. Fuel supply issues

-Blast

We have the same problem, which really isn't a problem until we are in a situation where we have to bug out in a hurry. One of my TO DO items this weekend is to make a checklist of what to grab and where it is currently at in case we had to leave in short notice. We have BOBs but there are other things I would like to supplement them with if I have to be gone from home for an extended period and they are in different places around the house.

We think we are about an 8 overall.
Things pop up even with the best of plans, and the potential for violence can outstrip any plan. Many of my friends and relatives lived in NOLA during/after Katrina.
A few of them were prepared, but most were not.
All of them now express a change of attitudes and willingness to now talk about plans and survival/emergencies.

Even here in Baton Rouge (65 Miles from NOLA) we were impacted by the mass of people, for two days prior to land fall and months afterwards.
The real question is how much can you realistically expect from the "Tribe" (Family and Friends of like mind that you plan to work with).
Talk is cheap and when the SHTF will they really come through ?
Physical prep is easy, but while necessary it's not sufficient,
Even military SF/Ranger/Seal types work in teams.

Most of the semi and rural south is physically prepared (equipment,skills,experience,food & Water).
That being said, a gang of bad folks could bring a lot of trouble for a couple or two couples.

My guess (and Plan) is for at least a dozen people working as a team. Even if your personal skill level is a ten, by yourself unaided you are a 6.

I would have to say we (my wife and I) are about a 7. I probablly need to lay in more food and water. Luckily, neighbors aren't too big of a problem. My main concern would be tornados,civil unrest,and power outages. I do need to get a little more orginaized in the event of bug out.

I rate my personal survival attitude as a 10, my skill level at about 7, my family stay-in-place level at a 7 for a seven day period and a 5 for short-term bug out.

The most likely scenario for our area is major earthquake, and we're well prepped for that.

Gear and supply-wise, I am probably about a 7. What I am willing to do to get by would be a 9, what I can tolerate and still keep going would be about a 9, and my current location/situational capabilities are down to a 4 or 5. Not the best combination, but I am kinda stuck with it for the next couple years I suppose.

Honestly, at this point I'm probably only a 2, or maybe a 3. I think I'm slightly ahead of the general populace, because I'm actually thinking about what I might need, and starting to prepare. But I only have a few gallons of water stored in my apartment, and the only food is what I have in the cupboard. I'm fairly dependant on grocery stores for my day to day food. I could weather out very small scale disasters for a few days, but by that point I'm probably in the same boat as everyone else.

I really want to increase my food stocks, and add a few more gallons to my water supply. I only know really basic first aid from when I was in the boyscouts, but I'm planning on taking a first aid course this summer. These are the two areas I'm working on improving right now.

I started to whip an answer out from the hip,,,,but this question begs some serious thought and evaluation from several Points of View (POV). After looking at several posts, I have put together the following, and yes, many will recognize some of their own comments and organizational postings in this:

Our preps are mainly designed around the following dangers:
1) Nuclear Incident
2) Hurricanes
3) Flooding
4) Power outages
5) Short-term civil unrest (riots 1-14 days)
6) Fuel supply issues
7) Medical maintenance issues

A 7/10ths (3 months) for staying at home (Bugging In):
1) We have good supplies and food/water with access to many sources of both.
2) First aid kits are stocked (and rotated often).
3) Batteries are abundent as well as alternate power sources for items.
4) We have adequate firepower and ammo stocks.
5) We have a “great” reference library.

A 5/10ths if we suddenly have to leave (Bugging Out) with operational vehicles.
1) This includes being able to make multiple trips to ferry our equipment out to the Bugging Out location.
2)

A 3/10ths if we suddenly have to leave(Bugging Out) without operational vehicles.
1) Two non-ambulatory persons.
2) 35 miles to push two wheelchairs (1 chair weighs 250LBS), plus what gear/supplies we can carry.
3)

As for myself individually, the most likely survival scenario involves a cross country hike to get from the work place to home. I'd give myself a 7 for the 10 day journey that such a trip would require.

A) Organization is NOT a problem. Reference books are already boxed by importance. Everything not boxed is of a Secondary and Tertiary importance.
B) Food and water supplies are all together in various sized containers for easy grab-N-go and large containers for staying put.
C) Weapons and Ammo, swords, and knives are all together for quick issuing as needed.
D) Multiple Contingency Plans and Checklists have all been written and are regularly updated.
E) Intel is constantly gathered and evaluated on current threats from both Mother Nature and Man (those pesky two-legged varmints).
F)

Concerns:
1) Heat during the Summer months.
2) This neighborhood is only defensible in a light sense.
3) Winter is not a major concern, Cold spells here last for 3-4 days at the most.
4) A gang of bad folks could bring a lot of trouble.

Non-concerns:
1) I am surrounded by good, intelligent neighbors who would cooperate with each other.
2) In Lousy-anna, Preparation awareness is much improved over the normal, pre-Katrina/Rita period. That doesn’t translate into everybody BEING PREPARED, but it does mean that people are making an effort to have some extra’s on hand by the time Hurricane Season arrives.
3) Bodies that will work together, aka: “My Tribe”. My personal belief/observations over a long time states that the “Tribe” that I am affiliated with will work together. There will be many opinions and that will keep us from straying from the priorities as long as we listen to those voices that have something to say.

SUMMARY

I rate my personal survival attitude as a 10, my skill level at about 7, my family stay-in-place level at a 7 for a three month period, a 5 for bug out w/transportation, and a 3 for Bugging Out without transportation.

The most likely scenario for our area is a major Hurricane, and we're well prepped for that. Both to bug out before arrival and to return after it’s departure from the area.

One thing missing from your list is earthquake.

The New Madrid fault would certainly impact the entire Mississippi river area.

I'm far enough away from the New Madrid and other associated fault lines where that is not a realistic concern. The small fault lines in South Lousy-anna are a non-concern (largely) because the earth to water ratio is such that shocks are absorbed up to basically a 3.5 richter scale. They do occur but we don't feel them. We are far enough west of the major fault line known as the Mississippi River where that is not a realistic concern.

I would have to say that I'm at an 8, my family is also at an 8 for a "bug-in" situation (3-4 months), if we have to "bug out" we are at a 6 (sorry to say)

Not to burst your bubble, but New Madrid had a quake in the 1800s that was felt in D.C. Fault lines tend to cause more damage when NOT on fault lines, since solid objects propogate the shock waves better (similar to sonar working in water, but not air). You might get an unpleasant suprise.

http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/aware/nmsz.html
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/prepare/factsheets/NewMadrid/

Since most of the US east of the Rocky's doesn't build to earthquake code, even a modest shaker could devastate the area.

7-8 once I reach the location I'm bugging out to, up to 14 days. (-3 on that if my mother's idiot sister, her husband, and their theifing spawn show up.) 6-7 if I can't bug out to that location, up to ten days. 6-7 while bugging on foot, up to four days, -1 on that if I have to loose my BOB and go to my ditch kit only and -1 after the second day of that (limited rations).

Now, for a wilderness scenario, like a hiking trip or hunting, it's different. They've got nothing but fear, panic and lack of understanding.

My weeknesses- my car. My vehicle is not as reliable as I would like, but I want to pay down my private source student loans ASAP (yeah, they start off great, 6%- the home office being in South Dakota should have warned me what I was in for!) so I keep putting off serious exploration of a replacement. Doesn't help I'm within walking distance of work unless I'm going to a customer.

ChemBio release. Not worried about it, honestly- I'm on fairly high ground. Same reason I don't worry about a flood. But while my folks are about 40' above the valley floor, the interstate runs about 60' above them and just up the ridge that forms the eastern side of the property. A tanker with something heavier than air and toxic is a major risk there.

About an 8 bugging in. Between my wife and I and my mother we have 6 months of supplies providing my useless mooching sisters in-law don't show up.

Bugging out 6-7 only because my mom's older and needs a little assistance. Once she gets her other knee replaced that will go up.

Very true. It rang the church bells one thousand three hundred miles away in Boston. If that doesn't make you think twice nothing will. If it happened again today on that level Memphis & St. Louis will be flatened like pancakes - we would be talking about millions of Americans dead. I hope it doesn't go off in my lifetime!

It's very interesting that you brought this issue up. It was actually one of the things that really got me thinking about this over the weekend. I was really starting to feel a little better about how we were getting better prepared until I thought about the family showing up.

I guess I never really thought about it, or maybe just didn't want to admit it, but certain members (not all) of our family on both my side and my wife's represent real threats to our ability to survive as we are planning. If/when they show up in a crisis they would seriously impact our supplies and capabilities. And honestly I don't have the money or desire to stock up for them too. Fortunately they do not know about our preps but that will not stop them from coming to our place so it will still be a problem.

I don't know what your situation is but I'd be very leery of setting up any booby traps. I am aware of no place in the USA where they are legal, and I'd sure hate to have to live with myself after killing or maiming some poor kid who was just taking a shortcut across my property.

A solid 2.

Starting organizing kit and working new gear in in January. Never finished. Shoulder surgery in March. Spring time rolled around with it's assorted chores.

I guess in a bug in I'm good. Otherwise, it'll take me a day or two to get it together.

M

Discovering too many toys makes organization a pain in the ass.

All very true and well documented,, but we didn't feel it down here. The shock waves went to the West, North, East, and Southeast directions. It was not felt down here because of the water to dirt ratio of the South Lousy-anna soil (it is all river silt).

Fascinating. It's all simple physics, nice to know.

Bugging in, 7-8. Plenty of food, water, generator, gas, first-aid supplies.

Bugging out, 4. Living in Brooklyn, just getting out would be a major undertaking in any SHTF situation. Three million people, three bridges and one tunnel. I have a bugout kit with 5 days supplies, and a cabin about 100 miles from the city. Not much in the way of supplies there though. Can't get the family interested in spending the money it would take.

We also have a sailboat, but getting to it from home or work would require traveling across parts of Brooklyn you wouldn't want to be in even during normal times.

The Gowanus canal is about three blocks from my home, so I should probably start working on a plan where I have a small raft or boat that can travel under the draw bridges, then we could take that boat out into the harbor and reach the sailboat that way.

I know the area that you are in (former VTS Sector Operator).

Taking a small boat from the Gowanus Canal to your sailboat may be very feasible. IF that option becomes unfeasible, try to plot a path away from the "normal escape routes/chokepoints" in order to get to your boat. You might have to head East before you can turn south and start working your way to the dock where your boat is.

During the garbage strike of 1980-81, vessels on the East River were attacked from the bridges and from both shores. Vessels in the Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill were attacked from the shores near the bridges. No attacks were made on vessels that were on the Hudson River, Upper or Lower New York Harbors, or Raritan Bay. Vessels were attacked off of Coney Island by JFK. Keep in mind that these actions were conducted by Union types against "Scab" boats.

Not quite the situation that you are now looking at, based on the latest intel I am looking at (with my interpretations/opinions of what those reports reflect).

Where are you going to sail to in order to Bug-Out? Poughkeepsie and New Paltz are nice areas!

Yeah. It presents quite a problem. If the situation were to involve a lot of civil unrest, I can see where I would be vulnerable along the canal. There are quite a few bridges, and points where people along the edge of the canal would have a great advantage. I would be going from Park Slope to Gerritson Beach (Dead Horse Bay) so overland would be no fun either. Right now, I'm thinking a water route is still the best option.

As far as where I would go, Newburgh is first choice because I have friends there and a place to stay. Maybe Kingston if I want to get real far away from the city.

In a real bad situation, I would head for North Carolina. Lots of family there. Nice thing about a sailboat. Great gas mileage. Just limited by the amount of food and water I can carry.

It sounds to me like you've got some good contingency plans already and yes, I agree that a boat would be the best option, for a number of reasons (like: instant motel room/home everywhere you go).

It also sounds to me like you've got to develope some options for getting to the boat. Good Luck.

This is probably a crazy idea, but could you camoflague a small boat/raft to just look like some garbage floating down the canal? Maybe use some fishing innertubes or something small like that?

Another idea, how about the sewer system?

-Blast

I personally don't believe the camouflage idea would work for the small boat in New York Harbor,,,,,but using the sewers to get to the small boat would be very plausible, IMO!!!!

Good idea, Blast.

Blast with his mind in the gutter

9 on food. Over a years supply of food & we could go indefinitely trapping, fishing, hunting & garden. Hundreds of canning jars & extra lids.

5 on self-defense

2 on medical - minor stuff we can fix, but we would need a doctor for anything serious

Ah, but when you are in the gutter there's no place to go but up!

-Blast, speaking from the experience of many a Saturday night

Note to myself :
start checking places, suitable for "Saturday nights", according to Blast, in anticipation of his future passage in Paris ...

For better or worse, those days are long gone. I'm a respectible family man now, pure in thought and deed. No product fermented of wheat or grape passes my lips.

-Blast, swigging from a bottle of mead while waiting for Christina's photos to arrive...

That's actually a good idea. Most of the canal passes through the industrial section of town. Since there is very little industry left, that means a lot of abandoned property. Trash wouldn't look out of the ordinary.

As for the sewer system. Our storm drains still open directly into the waterways, without treatment. Might be worthwhile taking a trip to the library to find schematics. Added bonus here. As a confirmed flashaholic, I could use my cool flashlights during the day.

7/5

I'd say 5 for sheltering in place. Plenty of food and water and stuff. However, I've never had to do actually do it and I imagine it would be way harder than I imagine.

For bugging out it is lower, but seriously, what's the point? This country is so small that anywhere I could travel to would either be as badly affected as home, or else completely unaffected in which case I'd just check into a hotel.