#295307 - 03/20/20 01:48 AM
Things I have learned recently
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Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3838
Loc: USA
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- Having a better plan to leave town would have been nice — I had an idea of a plot of land with access to water and an RV to park there for a month or two, but it didn’t pass the Budget Committee. While we’re safe and sound where we are now, I would have felt better knowing that we had another place that was ours.
- If we had an RV we don’t have a place to put it without spending money on storage.
- We did well in our preps in general, but if our water goes out we’ll need to move quickly to someplace where there is a good water supply.
- We need to get our kids to bring home all their school things during Spring Break — it would have saved me a substantial road trip and not a little difficulty if that had been done.
- Having two vehicles that are paid off, well-maintained and reliable is really nice. We’re keeping the gas tanks full.
- This would be a bad time to need to buy a generator, or ammo, or toilet paper.
- Many friends have asked me about firearms and related concerns during the crisis. During the crisis is too late to be trained and ready, and that’s a hard lesson for them to learn. Some friends in restrictive jurisdictions are surprised at the challenges they face.
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#295308 - 03/20/20 02:49 AM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3161
Loc: Big Sky Country
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I'm not unsympathetic but the time to build an ark is before the rain starts. With so many living paycheck to paycheck it can be challenging to build up stores of things you need but in many cases it's not the money as you've noted. Psychologically it's a stretch for a lot of folks to prepare for things that are, in their minds, 'black swans'. But having some preparation isn't just for the zombie apocalypse, it's handy for common emergencies (winter storms, layoffs, etc). Who knows- maybe in a few months whoever survives and looks back at this thread will say I was pollyannaish but I don't think it's going to go to guns. Folks won't need an AR to repel boarders coming to take their TP. That said, I have my firearms and a good supply of the ammo calibers I use the most (9mm, 5.56, 12ga). Be prepared is the saying!
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman
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#295310 - 03/20/20 01:44 PM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2210
Loc: NE Wisconsin
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It's funny. I don't consider myself much of a "prepper". My focus when joining Equipped.com was on outdoor activity preparation, getting found, and short-term survival. Still, we've always been quite self reliant, and this recent COVID19 event really hasn't had much impact on us, especially now that we're retired and living in a rural area. Certainly a contamination of our well would mess things up badly for us and our horses.
With that said, I will say I'm a bit worried about the availability of hospital services for us now that I hear we are also in peak flu season. Our goal is to be two of those people who never get it, and we'll work hard toward that goal by following CDC guidelines.
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#295322 - 03/20/20 10:20 PM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3161
Loc: Big Sky Country
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I'm an optimist on some levels which is funny because I'm a cynic on a day to day basis. What is the old saying? Be polite but have a plan to kill everyone you meet? The media loves stories about people going all Mad Max but my experiences have shown folks pull together in a crisis. Of course, I've not see one quite like this. I'm a self-described gun nut, and at age 50 I've seen this movie a few times. The ammo panics of the past have been self inflicted and this probably no different. But just since I've seen it before and because I like to shoot, I have ammo on hand, plenty in the calibers I use the most. While I don't anticipate any "Book of Eli" or "The Road" situations to pop up I am pretty well armed and stocked up. One of my best friends is a hardcore prepper. I am not. As was noted above, I was drawn to ETS for the wilderness survival information. My being relatively prepared just stems from growing up in the country where this stuff was just common sense.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman
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#295324 - 03/20/20 11:20 PM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
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First of all, hello again. It's been a while. Glad to hear of your lessons learned.
I'd like to knock down a few of your concerns, in a positive fashion.
If we look to Italy as the "this is as bad as it's going to get" it's pretty ugly...BUT.
For most people, life is just...boring. The food supplies are fine. The medical equipment supply lines, not so much. But there are so many people wanting to help in some way. Are you sewing medical masks? Are you 3D printing ventilator valves? Are you STAYING OUT OF THE WAY?? That's what you need to do.
As far as energy, water and telecom, no, that's not a real risk. Same with logistics. The cows will get fed the milk will get supplied, etc. etc. America is a net food exporter. Also, FWIW, you can wipe your ass with a washcloth and clean the cloth in soap and water. That's how cloth diapers work and you don't actually need TP if you have some washcloths.
Do you know what you need to worry about? A natural disaster overlay on this whole thing. A hurricane. An earthquake. Something like that. But the Pandemic itself - it's already ending in Asia, and it will end in Europe and it will end here.
I suggest you turn off the TV, get a good book and a nice glass of wine or something and take a break.
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#295329 - 03/21/20 12:43 AM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3161
Loc: Big Sky Country
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Good points! Nice to you around these parts again, MartinFocazio!
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman
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#295331 - 03/21/20 01:30 AM
Re: Things I have learned recently
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2206
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As we have plenty of TP and ammo, just because, my biggest concerns revolve around other things. The calls for "friends" who have suddenly decided they need to arm themselves are annoying, but...
I put "friends" in quotes because all my good friends already own firearms and most have trained to one degree or another.
Best story was a friend who is a serious collector, and occasional dealer, of NFA firearms. As in, he buys ammo by the pallet, if you get my drift? One of his neighbors who has previously shown his significant disdain for my friend's interests knocked on his door and asked whether he could buy a firearm from him. My friend told him he only had one to sell, an M1919A2 and it would be $25K CASH up front and he'd have to wait about 7-9 months to take delivery, assuming he passed the background check including fingerprints. He said the expression on the guy's face was priceless.
In any case, the point is, prepare ahead of time. A crisis is not the time to prep, it's the time to be glad you did. How many will heed this lesson they learned? Not that many if history is any guide, although I expect many will make sure they have a month's supply of TP on hand going forward. ;=)
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