# Help me fill in the blanks on this plan?



## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

We are prepping for civil unrest, and possibly martial law (we live in an incredibly high ratio of military to civilian, with multiple bases in our city - given any major situation, I have no doubt that martial law would come into play). Here is our scenario.

We are a family of 6 in this house. Hubby and me (both mid 30's - relatively healthy), Oldest daughter 14 (severely medically needy - development delays, autism, CP, epilepsy), Middle daughter 10, Son age 3. My mom also lives with us (medical issues & lots of pain). We are prepping for this family, but will also be including additional food for my dad and his wife since part of our plan includes them.

We live in a middle-class community of nice homes VERY close together. We have a big house and a very small back yard and live on a corner lot on a busy street. We are smack in the middle of a HUGE city, and traffic is really bad on a good day. Short term, we are looking at bugging in until things calm somewhat (hopefully roads aren't clogged permanently, etc.). Once things have settled down, if needed, we would be able to move out to my dad's farm about an hour away, and our hope is to be able to make multiple trips in our car and my dad's truck so that we aren't as conspicuous as one would be with a moving truck for example. We would only be taking the essentials, but would want to also take our preps with us such as our long term food storage. Keeping it at dad's is not a possibility right now, and would like to keep it here anyway in case we *can* bug in safely. At the farm dad has a house with space for us (it would be tight with 3 additional bedrooms, but we could make it work until we built something or made other arrangements). They have a huge flock of sheep that they use as a food source, chickens, a giant thriving garden, 25 acres, and plenty of horses to ride for transportation if needed. They also have lots of neighbors that they have trade arrangements with currently, and would theoretically keep them.

We are working on getting a year's supply of long term food storage for our family PLUS my dad and his wife (so 8 people). We have a 1 month short term supply on hand right now, and are working on building up that long term food and water storage (we have a start on it). We have our go bags ready. Hubby is going to be purchasing weapons, ammunition, etc., very soon. We are both good shots (he is an expert marksman, and when we go to the range i usually do better than he does, ha). 

I have been doing a LOT of research, but would like to hear some input from those of you who are experienced. Are there any tips or suggestions for prepping for this situation that would be helpful? Thank you in advance!


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Welcome from Houston. Sounds like you have a good start.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

Welcome to PF from NC ,, keep up the good work you are doing ,, water,, food ,, medical supplies,, meds ,, things for a shelter ,, ammo ,, and a few types of guns on hand .


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

first off - you need a stash of the essentials out there at Dad's farm .... think enclosed trailer or older RV parked out back of one of the farm buildings .... thinking & hoping to bug in and then move supplies later isn't prepper planning - it's just short sighted dreams .... tooooo many holes in there to plug 

because of the high military concentration around you - I'd be directing planning toward bugging out as a primary - bugging in or bugging out will always be part of a plan .... you'll play hell moving around with martial law - could be more forced lockdown than bugging in .... that direct route to your Dad's farm - if it includes anything like a road or pinchpoint, thru an expanded perimeter, for one of those military bases - forget a direct route - might have to forget a return trip back into the city for a 2-3-4th supply run ....

in regard to Dad's farm as a BOL - it needs to be prepped adequately for an off grid living situation - you don't mention anything about gardening or fruit trees/bushes - water supply????


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## Yeti-2015 (Dec 15, 2015)

Welcome from Oklahoma. Yes sounds like you have a good start. This is just a few things I would suggest if I was in the position that you was in. First off, living in a large city I would imagine that after the first wave, the calm after the storm so to say, would be the worst time to try to move a large amount of anything. If you plan on moving and that’s the only option I would try to make one trip. Any more than that will be highly suspicious and cause people to take notice. They might not get you on the first but could be waiting on the second. With the nature of your family make up I would keep enough food and supplies for about a month there, with BOB ready to go when you need to. I think that after a day or so the roads will be very congested with inoperable vehicles for whatever reason. Make sure that you have multiple routes out. If financially possible I would talk to you Dad about putting up a storage shed on his property, something that might benefit you both. Give him more storage and you some as well. You could then store some of your items and supplies there. This would also make for temporary housing for some of you when that time was needed. Other than that just keep up your prep. Good luck.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Howdy, from Texas!

First off, if your dad's location is a primary part of your plan, you should ensure ahead of time that he's ok with that.
Yeah, I know he's your father, and you *should* be able to just show up, but you need to know for sure beforehand.

Also, if you're worried about martial law being instituted, you may not be able to travel freely an hour away. You should plan accordingly for that. Bugging in should become your primary plan if martial law is your main concern. Getting to your father's farm is a Plan B scenario if the opportunity presents itself. This may include traveling on foot during the night to avoid roaming patrols.

I'd recommend that you get a map and plan out a few different routes, taking care to avoid main roads and intersections, and staying clear of those bases in the area.


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## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

Seems that with 25 acres at you Dad's place, there should be some small available space to put a moving container or
the like. Staying in the middle of a saturated metro area is folly if things fall apart. Desperate folk will roam and be
looking for anything they could find. How long before someone comes in the middle of the night & siphons ALL of you
gasoline? Or, being armed, perhaps take everything you have. Do not underestimate roaming gangs. Any medications
your oldest daughter may require should be stockpiled (perhaps difficult to do...but what are your options?).

I would "get the hell out of Dodge" ASAP when disaster strikes. You say you have your Bug Out Bags coming along...
that's good! Have a plan to make the trip as quickly as you can. Transporting enough supplies to last your group of
8 for a few months will entail more than any one or two normal vehicles could possibly carry. You should have a means
of defense while making your trip. To have the needed supplies at your Bug Out Location ahead of time is the BEST
strategy In My Opinion. 

Each and every suggestion from various forum members will likely have individual nuggets of wisdom you can employ.
Just take the best ideas from each one that apply to your situation.

Grim

Good luck.


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

These are all excellent tips!! I am taking notes and am very appreciative of your advice and expertise. 

We do have permission to go out to Dad's if we are able to, in case of emergency. There is a huge garden at dad's house, fruit trees, pecan trees, and they are on a well. They have a huge flock of sheep (around 60 right now), and breed their own for a renewable source of meat. It is very ready for an off grid situation. The only thing I would want to add would be alternative power solutions, but we are also going to be investing in a generator. We have small solar options for our smaller devices. Hoping over time to invest in more solar. We also have a big stock of batteries for our one-month preps. Forgot to mention that Dad has a lot of guns and ammo out at his place as well.

We can't store things out at dad's house right now, and putting a shed on there at the moment is not possible either. Making trips is our only option if/when the need arises, though we do have the option of Dad coming to help pick us up for the first trip in his truck, and bringing his horse trailer. It is enclosed and not as easy to see into, so we could load it up with things to take with us. Ideally, I would like to start moving things over there if we start to see things turning the direction we expect. We are watching situations closely, and will prepare as much as possible before hand.

As for bugging out asap, I am concerned about traffic, and ultimately getting separated. Our car can't fit 6 people right now, so if we did bug out we'd have to make trips either way (unless Dad came that one time to get the remainder of us and fill the horse trailer with stuff). We are working on getting a second car, but are trying to do it without going into debt so this is taking time. 

Bugging in is plan #1 because of our situation, and it would be much more comfortable for us, for a time. Bugging out to dad's would be phase 2 if/when it was possible. Ideally we would like to be ABLE to bug in here for up to a year with preps on hand, and then bug out to dad's when we can IF we don't have the opportunity to do so before the SHTF.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

One concern that you need to give real consideration and planning to is building a medication surplus or weaning off of prescriptions, if possible.
Between your daughter and mother, there are likely quite a number of bottles around for various things.
Have you taken the steps necessary to prolong those supplies?
Medically dependent individuals must be prepped in a totally different way, in addition to the normal things we all need.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Wow, you are option rich, compared to me. Maybe make a plan A, B, and C depending on what happens. Living in a city with a large military population could work in your favor, less chance of riots, etc. Bugging in sounds like plan A. Keep a vehicle fully fueled, perhaps safely garaged, to bug out to the farm as plan B, should fire, disease, or riots require it.

Don't forget that your Dad may need to bug in to YOUR place. You never know what might happen.


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

Great point about dad possibly needing to bug in here!! One more reason I am comfortable with having our supplies right where we are until/if we need to leave. 

Regarding medical stuff - yes, we have taken safeguards to help our daughter build up a supply of medication. She is on half-doses right now (saving the other half for when the SHTF), supplemented with natural supplements that we plan to stock up on. The supplements seriously help with a lot of issues for her, and ultimately I would like to get her completely off of meds. We have enough that we could safely wean her if necessary and only do supplements. 

For mom, she is looking at surgery to seriously help with pain within the next month. We will stock up on OTC pain meds. Hubby is ex-military and disabled so he gets lots of scripts for muscle relaxers and 800mg motrin in the mail from the army that he doesn't wind up using all of. They are a take-as-needed prescription, and he doesn't always need them but they keep refilling anyway, so we keep stocking them ICE. We are also stocking up on Tylenol Arthritis 8 hour extended release tabs as they are the strongest and most effective OTC pain med without anti-inflammatory properties (mom can't have motrin-type products). Weaning off her pain meds would not be fun, but it could be done. We had a trial run for 6 months last summer through December. She wasn't thrilled with it, but did it, even pre-surgery. *edited to add* - We are also stocking up on pain patches, pain spray, and have two very nice heating pads and electric blankets to help with muscle relief. 

Hoping since hubby and mom are both on various disability programs that the meds they get monthly wouldn't totally go away (though we are preparing just in case).


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

There are two things that I would be very interested in getting advice on for this situation.

1) Ways to fortify and defend our home. We have a large black dog that people are scared of, though she is a big sissy. We still have big "beware of dog" signs everywhere just to get the message across. We are planning to hammer nails into thin boards, spray paint them to match the window frames and screw them onto the windowsills outside to deter people from trying to climb in. We are going to pre-cut plywood to fit the shapes/sizes of our downstairs windows to secure on the outside so that people can't get in easily. We are also situated on a busy street next to a light pole, both in the front and back, so there is traffic and good lighting. We do have a sliding glass door that can be concerning as an easy point of entry (given that it's glass). We will also be stocking up on various weapons to protect ourselves and our home (everything from several guns/ammo to wasp spray). Any other ideas??

2) How can I best use my small patch of land to aid in our bugging in goals? Let me say that I am a terrible gardener, though I do try my best. We are going to be putting in a couple of fruit trees, but only have room for them outside our fence by the sidewalk. I'm sure they will get picked by neighbors as well, and people on the sidewalk, but we can hope to glean a few at least. Any suggestions on how to protect the trees, I'm game. We are also going to be planting grapevines in the back, and doing potted plants on the back porch for food. I have thought about getting chickens (we have room for a small coop), and try to play nice with the neighbors (share eggs occasionally so they don't complain about the chickens). We do not have a HOA. The law says we have to have 100 feet between any building and the chickens. No way possible for that to be the case, but we have a high fence, so unless someone went looking they probably couldn't tell. Thinking possibly quail?? Mom wants quail, but definitely not for meat (she's a softie) - for eggs.

We also have a large grass median in front of our house. As I said, no HOA, so we are all responsible for our section of the median in front of our homes to maintain it. Ours is at the end, and isn't often mowed by the neighbor across the street. Thought about talking to that neighbor and seeing if we could plant blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries there to see if they would grow. Might also plant some fruit trees along the median. Concerned a little bit about the emissions from the cars being so close to the food, but in an emergency I guess you'd eat it anyway. Again, I know it might just get picked by passers-by, but maybe they wouldn't? I've seen TONS of fruit trees and bushes throughout parking lots here that just spoil because no one bothers. Thoughts??


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

In some ways these two goals are at odds with each other. A lot of fruit trees and edibles in the yard is a resource very easily seen and it wouldn't be hard for one to think, "if that's what's outside, there must be even better stuff inside." I say this because one strategy for security is the "this place is a dump," camouflage idea. Have your place look unappealing from the outside so as to discourage further investigation. 

That being said if possible even something as simple as a chain link fence with concealed noise makers on it can give you advance warning of a possible incoming threat. There are other fencing options, but that'll probably be dependent on your local zoning regulations. 

The other thing to consider is the resources available due to a high military presence and your husbands veteran status. In an emergency there may aid offered by the military presence that could help with your daughters medical needs. I fully get wanting to stay self-sufficient and respect that. Just trying to offer other ideas as well.


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## Kron1 (Nov 18, 2015)

Rose- another angle you might consider (if prep storage at your father's is at all possible), would be to store most preps out there, and when shtf, if regular travel is possible, bring preps home periodically. I really think the 'farm' should be your primary (read 'most important', 'best') bugging location, especially long-term, and should have long-term preps on site. Optional hand-pumping capability from their well, and a wood burning cookstove available would be very important in my view. Not so much a generator- they are good only for very short term.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

homegrownrose said:


> There are two things that I would be very interested in getting advice on for this situation.
> 
> 1) Ways to fortify and defend our home. We have a large black dog that people are scared of, though she is a big sissy. We still have big "beware of dog" signs everywhere just to get the message across. We are planning to hammer nails into thin boards, spray paint them to match the window frames and screw them onto the windowsills outside to deter people from trying to climb in. We are going to pre-cut plywood to fit the shapes/sizes of our downstairs windows to secure on the outside so that people can't get in easily. We are also situated on a busy street next to a light pole, both in the front and back, so there is traffic and good lighting. We do have a sliding glass door that can be concerning as an easy point of entry (given that it's glass). We will also be stocking up on various weapons to protect ourselves and our home (everything from several guns/ammo to wasp spray). Any other ideas??
> 
> ...


I live in the city and security is a big concern. My plan is to bug in as well unless forced to plan b or c. I have pre-cut 5/8" ply wood for windows that will go up on the inside of the house. ( This is twofold since I live in a hurricane area as well ) Won't stop bullets or people for long but will buy time and control entry points. Also think about barbed wire. it's cheap and strategically placed can help control flow and create choke points so you can concentrate fire. Solar outdoor lighting in blind spots plus spares for when the power goes out is not a bad idea. Make sure your people are well armed and capable with their weapons. Have a plan. Who does what and when. Where do people station themselves and how do the rotate shifts. Communications. At the very least two way radios. Be prepared to improvise. In having a plan it gives you a better chance at having options when things go sideways. ( And they will ) There is so much more. You seem to be on the right path. Good luck.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I would make securing your home a priority right now, not just as a prep for SHTF. A slding glass door is just begging for a BandE. Brick it halfway across and install a steel standard door. Then put a steel bar storm door outside (these can be quite appealing in appearance). Both doors with double cylinder keyed deadbolts. Your idea on the pre-cut plywood for the windows is good.


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

Good point that the two goals could possibly be at odds with each other. Thinking we will try to accomplish the "this place is a dump" thing by not mowing or maintaining grass after the SHTF to help it look like this place is not maintained. My hope is only to be *less* appealing than my neighbor.  Barbed wire is also a great idea, and we will be investing in some of that for sure. Good point to have extra lighting in blind spots (like the breezeway between mine and my neighbor's house where it is not possible to view much from the street). 

Also - excellent point that there may be additional services for my daughter when things go south because of hubby's prior service. Hopefully that would be the case. We plan to take advantage of what resources we can - just trying to prepare for the worst.  

Preps at Dad's farm - he and his wife are very very independent, and while we are more than welcome during an emergency, I respect that it is their property and don't make requests of them to change it for me. She also HATES clutter and anything that isn't useful to them. Because the preps we have are for *us* it really isn't necessary at their farm. I haven't asked because I know how they feel about "stuff" collecting at their place. If the need arose, bringing things there would be fine since they would then be needed. She collects and uses antiques whenever possible, and I *believe* she has a wood burning cook stove on property (though not in the house at the moment). At the very least I know they have a fireplace we could cook in, a grill, a smoker, etc.

Long term goals include having our own farm someday, but that's a long way off, so we're just prepping for what we have now.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I have a few questions, do you own the house? Do you have a basement? Is there a 'storage' area in your house that you can utilize for storing foods? What are your plans for water storage? Is it legal in your area to collect the water, i.e. rain barrels? Have you tried vertical gardening since your backyard is so small? Other than your family on the farm are any of your friends preparing?


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

Rose- I agree with the majority that having preps both places is vital. A loaded vehicle would be sweet too. That begs the question, does oldest daughters CP require a wheel chair and van? Or leg braces? My cousin has CP and chair/van, at first it was a big hassle, but it's become an excuse to keep a "go van" packed all the time. 
Some other considerations would be; if she has a chair, is it one you can push for miles overland? Chair or braces, some sort of chariot may be the way to go.


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

We are in the process of buying-from-owner on the house. It will be in our name in 18 months with a significant portion of the principal paid off pre-loan (that's the reason we're doing it this way). There is no basement, but there is a nice sized unfinished attic. Only problem with storage up there is that it gets HOT, so food can't store well there. Other preps could though. Yes it is legal to collect water here. Hubby is bringing home a couple of 55-gallon barrels to hook up to our gutter system. Because the barrels were used to hold cleansers we will be cleaning them out as well as possible prior to water collection, and using that water for things like washing clothes, dishes, flushing toilets, etc. It will still help though!! I have not tried vertical gardening. I will look into that for sure. As I said - not the best gardener, but i am trying to learn. 

Oldest daughter's CP does require a wheel chair. We have two (one for her and one for mom). Both chairs are possible to push over bumpy land if needed.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Does your home have a garage?
When it comes time to leave the primary, you will not want to be loading in the driveway. People see you packing food and your arse will be grass.

Stockpiling both sites is indeed a good plan. I actually keep my spare reloading equipment out at the ranch so there is a full setup already waiting for me (yeah, I have that much reloading crap.) Dad already has more guns than the Bolivian army so we're okay if I didn't take every single gun of my own (I only have more weapons than Puerto Rico.)


But y'know falllback sites are over rated, or so I discovered during research. See here's the deal: Sure a fallback place in the middle of nowhere insulates you from people, but it also leaves you isolated. Additionally (and the worst part) is that when it comes time to go shopping, you are hell 'n gone from town so every trip becomes a major event (especially when you run outta gas or the roads are out of service.) 

But if you live on the fringes of town then you get the best of both worlds. When you need to go salvaging for stuff, it's in walking range. 
Sorry I babble when I vape.


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## Grinch (Jan 3, 2016)

If I may suggest something here, given that space in your backyard is rather limited, grow a few little tomato plants, or some small things, I mean if you know medicine you can plant ginseng, stuff like that and it won't take up a lot of space. One thing too is I would look into general home security, not like ADT or a burglar alarm but rather a door jam, some longer screws in your door's catch plate, just the general stuff. With a larger group it's going to be rather difficult to move not only said group but also the preps and other various stocks. So to me bugging in is going to be really your only option, not saying bugging out in _impossible_ but it's going to a challenge.

Even some plywood for the windows on the bottom story, also too with a heavily populated area looters are very simple minded in that they would think nothing of throwing a molotav through your window, so keep some fire extinguishers on hand. Another suggestion with the whole home security thing is get your kids used to guns, not only safety but the sound, I'd lose my mind if I was engaged in a fire fight and kids were screaming because they were scared. There's a million things you can do to secure your home in a barbaric SHTF style scenario and another million ways to do those things, and that doesn't absolutely need to start at the gun store ( for someone who's life wasn't centered around one ) but you can just start at the hardware store. Of course a 10mm or whatever will certainly get your point across so will a sixteen penny nail through the welcome mat into your foot. If you're just getting into guns which it sounds like; correct me if I'm wrong, but less lethal would certainly be my focus if I were in your shoes, and if they are truly determined to get in then it's time to introduce them to your Glock or AR or whatever you have.

With civil unrest it may seem very chaotic at first, but after about a month when everyone runs out of toilet paper and pop tarts that's when they're going to really be coming for those who have preppared, and parental instincts kick in and it's time to defend the house, if it were me and I had a bigger group I'd definitely be focusing on security. Because to me it wouldn't bother me in the least to go to the neighbors and take what I wanted to provide for my family, but to some it would. If you have a large enough food stock then all you have to do is keep it.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

Under Martial Law travel will be heavily monitored and firearms severely restricted. Traveling with foodstuffs etc should eventually be possible, but as long as you are under Martial Law traveling with firearms will almost be taboo. I probably wouldn't purchase more firearms than I'd be willing to have to leave at home if they can't be stored at your fathers. If the trip requires travel over a primarily well traveled road, you should plan for the possibility of checkpoints/road blocks. As you shall be using up stored med supplies while bugged in, which location normally has better access to replenishment? Should I stay or should I go? Really hard question. But any seclusion from the masses during turmoil is usually the better option. JMHO.


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