# SHTF Scenario (what do you do?)



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Thought this could be a fun little exercise that may get you thinking about things in a different light. Some answers may be similar and others may make you rethink what you would do. I'll describe the event and you tell us what you first steps would be. Go as little or as long as you'd like. Just remember most people don't like reading pages and pages. Have fun with this and be open to learning something from your fellow community members.

Try to visualize what the area looks like where you are.

*It's a Wednesday afternoon around 4pm. It's been one of those days where nothing seems to go right. You dropped you toast, butter side down, this morning and for some reason you seem to be all thumbs today. You are at the local gas station and just finished filling up. You get in your vehicle, turn the key and nothing happens. You try again and again you get nothing. You reach down and grab your cell phone but the screen is dead. You push the button to power it up but it does nothing. You look around and notice its very still and no other cars seem to be moving. The guy at the next pump says "hey I think my battery is dead can you give me a jump?". Then, in the distance, you hear a loud explosion, white smoke billows up quickly after. Seems to be 2 or 3 miles off in the same direction as your home. People are starting to come out of nearby businesses all looking a bit confused. What do you do now?*


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Walk home, change the alternator on my truck (I have one put away that should be safe from an emp.) load up and head for a friends farm. Wait and see. ( My truck is an old mechanically injected diesel)


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

Break out my MOPP gear and put it on. Then gather as much water I could carry and start heading home to rescue family and get as much gear.... For all of you millennials, MOPP gear is called CBRN now... I think

What you are trying to describe appears to be an EMP that was generated by nuclear blast. You got to consider nuclear and radiological fall out. If you go towards the blast unprotected, you will die a painful death. This scenario is real bad, depending on the size of the nuke, this will affect and kill a lot of people


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Sas, I've got two homes about 30 miles apart. Area is Eastern Mountains but lowlands are well populated. Both homes are pretty well stocked. 

I'd hang for a while to try to gather information. Flip the guy at the gas station a twenty and get a few liters of water and a sub/grinder. Sounds like nuke/emp scenario? 

I drive an old GM PU with 1-wire distributor. I have spare behind the seat wrapped in foil inside a plastic bag. I take it out then open the hood. I turn the motor over to number 1 by hand, then pull the distributor. I put in the spare distributor then start up the truck. The tools I have in the truck will fix most anything that is not a catastrophe. 

Then I'd start trucking to my other house ASAP with my BOB. This is assuming I did not have concerns for friends/family towards the smoke.

If I was on the far side of both places would take some more contemplation. Access what has happened, how to skirt "explosion" safely to get to home 1 or 2. I have hunted/fished/backpacked everything within a 50 mile radius; plan a route. If truck did not start plan a hoof it route. If my truck is running there won't be much other traffic.

I have found railroad tracks are a great way to move fast on foot. Won't be a lot of people going on the tracks and they are level and pretty direct. Alternatively I have also hiked/hunted all the mountain ridges and know most of the trails without need for a map. I know where there are pure springs and good places hide out or overnight.

To be continued..........

P.S. I'm assuming this scenario will evolve....


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

Grab my bike I keep under the hard cover in the bed of my truck. Throw my 2 day bag over my shoulder
and my carry guns plus ammo in my waistband and jacket hopefully it was a day I have a rifle on me and I peddle toward
my wife's work 10-15 miles away depending on where I had stopped.
She can take over the bike and I'll walk as quickly as I can behind her and keep my eye's and ear's open as we head toward a friends house.
Outside the blast zone. If we make it will try to get intel on if it is safe enough to consider heading toward home. it has been a bad day!


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Mad Trapper said:


> To be continued..........
> 
> P.S. I'm assuming this scenario will evolve....


I was thinking of going that route but wanted to see if people participate. So far so good.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

This is tough.
I picked up on the EMP quickly enough, and ideas started spinning, then I got to the part with the explosion toward the direction of my home...

In this situation, the roads will be clogged with cars and confused people. I don't really feel like being the only one with a working vehicle, so even if I have the means to fix it, I won't be doing so soon.
Presuming the wind is blowing in any direction but toward me, my priority would be to head home and assess the family.
I always have spare cash for scenarios when the card won't work, so I'd head inside and grab enough water to make the trip back home on foot. Before heading out, I grab my EDC bag from the truck along with a few other bits of gear, and start hoofin' it.
After finding the family (school is only three blocks away), we would pack what we could carry and be ready to head for the folk's place just out of town to check on them. (presuming similar wind conditions)
Part of the gear includes cracking open the Faraday can with a backup phone for GPS with various offline tools and maps previously downloaded and a library of books, as well as the Baofeng hand radio, and spare batteries for both. If the attack was ground level, the EMP wave would be localized, so there should be a signal out there somewhere. Any updates would be valuable.
If we make the decision to go, traveling closer to dusk would be preferred. No lights means good cover, start early enough for the eyes to adjust gradually.
My wife and I would each be carrying a sidearm, concealed on her, open on me (I prefer to be the first target, and the next part makes concealment pointless), and I would likely be carrying the AR as well.
A rather severe "don't $#%@ with me" attitude sternly emblazoned on my face.

If we can make it to the folk's place on foot (pretty big "if" being just over 6 miles away with two kids in tow, Google plots the walk on major roads to take between 2:15 and 2:30, but major roads might best be avoided) we should be able to ride out anything we need to from there. They have horses that will help in transporting things, and many pieces of farming equipment that would likely withstand an EMP. Not to mention, more resources like water wells.


However...
If the wind was coming toward me, a shelter-in-place requirement becomes top priority for the next few days. If there are a lot of people around, this could get rough. The gas station would be a decent place to hang out during initial fallout. Few entrances, a back room or two, access to plastic bags and duct tape, and quite a good bit of non-perishables. I'd do my best to convince the shop owner to stick with me and keep him alive in exchange for letting me stay and partake. If that doesn't work, I play up the event as bad as I possibly can and convince him to go find his family. I'll find a way into the store after he's gone. If there are a lot of folks around, I might be quite loud when telling that story.
This side of the scenario would be the hardest to deal with. I've read up on how you can survive the fallout, but it is not pleasant, and without the ability to pre-plan at the location you find yourself, options become very limited.
Hopefully a good rain comes through and washes most of the debris away. Whether it does or not, an improvised fallout suit would be required, along with some manner of breathing apparatus to keep out all particulate matter.
I've got a handbook on dealing with this scenario, and how to make such a suit, but again, what materials would be on hand, and what would I do if I got home and my kids or wife were already exposed?

Suffice it to say, I don't like the second scenario very much at all.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Assuming this happens when I'm at the gas station approx 5 miles from Slippy Lodge, I buy a couple of bottles of water and a few snacks from the nice little ******* chick who works behind the counter of the Gas and Grub and tip her a sawbuck and tell her how nice she looks today. 

Then grab my GHB and my rifle from the truck and double time it back to Slippy Lodge. Lock the gate to Slippy Lodge and remove the ceremonial Gen-U-Wine SlippyMade Pike from its secret location near the gate, and drive it into the ground. 

By this time, Mrs Slippy will have come to the conclusion that her Candy Crush Game is finally over and settle in to our Emergency Plan. Son1 should arrive in a day or so and Son2 may make it in less than a week. 

As the sun goes down, crack open that bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon that I've been saving for such an event and enjoy the evening with Mrs Slippy on the front porch as we contemplate life after TEOTWAWKI...


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Grab my BOB , which has a five day supply including another handgun and extra ammo and per agreement my wife and I made I would work my way back home, staying off the roads, I would do my best not to attract any attention to myself, once home we would hunker down as long as it’s safe to do so.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

An EMP followed by an impact suggests a broader attack. I would first check for wind direction and then scan for good cover. If I suspect more inbound I would grab the GHB, spare ammo, carry weapon, 12 gauge shock wave and other essentials stored in the truck and head for cover. I would give it 15 minutes to half an hour to determine if it was a single event or multiple impacts. If a single event it was more then likely a terrorist attack which means a smaller device and yield. I can work with that. If there are multiples? Well, toast on the floor butter side down will be the highlight of my day.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

I am only guessing from the scenario, but since the explosion followed the demise of all the electronics, and it appears to be 2-3 miles away, it is not nuclear but probably an aircraft. It could be a chemical agent, but the combination of emp with chemical attack seems less likely. My proximity to an airport might influence my interpretation of the events. Also chemical attacks are usually not associated with a load explosion.


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## WhatTheHeck (Aug 1, 2018)

I get gas from the same gas station about 95% of the time. Local chain I like to support.
I would go into the store, talk with others to confirm or deny my suspicions of a EMP. 
If the cash registers are still functional, and the manager has not suspended all sales due to inventory or record keeping, I pay cash for two large waters, and a bag of their over priced jerky.

If possible, push my truck over to a parking spot. If by some miracle power is restored, I do not want to leave my truck blocking the pump. 
See if anyone else needs assistance. 

As mentioned before, this is the same gas station I mainly use. It is at the bottom of the hill on the road that leads directly to my home. It is a county road. According to Google it would take about 3hrs to walk it. The next alternative route would take 5hrs. And that is unfamiliar territory. The next familiar route would take 10hrs. This time of year, it is getting darker sooner. Getting home as fast as possible seems like the best choice.

I am making an assumption a lot of people are going to be in the same position as I; Just trying to get home from work, being that time of day. The Mad Max, shoot your neighbor is not a reality as of yet.

And it is a lot cooler. There was frost on the cars this morning. The wife and keep a spare A3 bag with seasonal specific clothing and extra gear in them in case of an accident. We have not switched over to cold weather gear yet. But I might take an extra layer, and then hump it home. I would take the first aid kit too. It may be cool, in the fading sunlight, but at a brisk walk, I think I actually might be sweating. I have been when walking the dogs over the past week. 

Get home. Check to house to make sure it is secure. If the dogs are not barking their heads off when I walk in the door, I know something is wrong. 
Check to see if there is power. 
No power, get out the flashlights, candles, and get a fire going in the small wood stove. 
Once that is going, go out to the second well and fill up two 5gal buckets with water. It has a hand pump. 
Get out a few firearms. 

Then go check on the neighbors. They are elderly.

TO EDIT: As for the explosion, the county road is 55mph. Assuming a EMP hit while someone was driving at speed, some may or may not have been able to coast their vehicle to a stop without power steering or brakes. I am thinking of the big rigs, especially coming down the hill. From the gas station, to my home it is nearly 1,000ft in elevation change.
Or, it could of been a propane take explosion. A number of people have them out here.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I start my ole Ford IDI diesel truck and drive home. Even if the alternator doesn't work she'll run long enough to get home on battery. Lock and load and get ready for the rush of city idiots that will be coming out to the country. Start a fire in the wood stove if it's winter.


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## WhatTheHeck (Aug 1, 2018)

Chipper said:


> I start my ole Ford IDI diesel truck and drive home. Even if the alternator doesn't work she'll run long enough to get home on battery. Lock and load and get ready for the rush of city idiots that will be coming out to the country. Start a fire in the wood stove if it's winter.


How are the city idiots get out to the country? How far is that?


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## WhatTheHeck (Aug 1, 2018)

Sasquatch said:


> Then, in the distance, you hear a loud explosion, white smoke billows up quickly after. Seems to be 2 or 3 miles off in the same direction as your home. People are starting to come out of nearby businesses all looking a bit confused. What do you do now?[/B]


Did you intentionally say white smoke?
I ask as when I was a volunteer fire fighter, we had a chief who could tell you exactly what was burning based off the color of the smoke.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Likely I am between 3 and 14 miles from home. If south over home I have two safe paces to head two with in 1-2 miles . If north I have I have 1 8 mile i route. Plenty of fields with concealment and cover to use if needed. I am likely armed .
I can make the walk in most any weather. heading home with a stop a a safe place if needed to figure out what is going on.
The Dog ate the toast soon as it hit the floor.


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## Yavanna (Aug 27, 2018)

If I am at the gas station I usually fuel up I am the a little over a mile away from home, and can easily walk home, since it is a small town. I trully doubt there would be an EMP or nuclear attack here. Since I currently do not have anywhere to bug out 😞 I would go home and bug in. I have supplies to last about a month or two.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

WhatTheHeck said:


> How are the city idiots get out to the country? How far is that?


Most likely they'll walk. Seems like all I read is how the "big plan" is to move out into the country and live off the land, go to BO location, go to friends/family or scavenge and steal. Haven't seen any plans for the city idiots to stay put and start over in the city.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Chipper said:


> Most likely they'll walk. Seems like all I read is how the "big plan" is to move out into the country and live off the land, go to BO location, go to friends/family or scavenge and steal. Haven't seen any plans for the city idiots to stay put and start over in the city.


A concern would be the mass migration from the city to the country for them to think they can " live off the land". They will probably be killing each other off in the process because of dwindling supplies they bring while in route, but the remaining will be a force to reckon with, the most dangerous person is a hungry person, good for target practice, Sarcasm......


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

OK, I grab my gun, Find a kid with a mountain bike and beat him silly and take his bike.

I then stop at every jewelry store and rob them of their gold and silver....(No alarms and the police cant respond).

Then I swing by the last store on the way out and grab me some granola bars, red bulls, and toilet paper, and pedal my ass upwind away from the explosions. 

I pedal until I get way far away, robbing stores as I need along the way. I then find a defendable place, hopefully with a pretty woman on it. I beat her man into submission and take her for myself. 

Thus begins the rein of OSFG and the savage group.

I keep my woman tied up when I go out with her husband, whose on a leash wearing a gimp mask, to gather supplies, guns, ammo, and recruit members. Offering them supplies and turns with Becky and any other women I have obtained.

I acquire resources, and scout new locations to move to.

When moving, I lash the women and men to my wagons (acquired from farms around me) to haul the equipment. 

We carry the impaled bodies of those who oppose us to spikes attached to each wagon as well.


.....Oh wait...was this just a localized event????? Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself?


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## Elvis (Jun 22, 2018)

Everybody in this house is less than 25 miles from the house on a Wednesday (or any day for that matter) and all have GHBs in their vehicles. They all know to spend an hour where they are going through their GHBs and vehicles to review what they have with them before hiking to the house using only the route they would normally take to go home. The house is the set rally point since it is fairly rural around here. There is a second rally point but not an especially good choice.

Most likely I would be at the house or if not I'd be here a day before them since I'm rarely more than 10 miles from the house. The hard part would be sitting at the house waiting for the others to arrive so I may verify that all the animals would have food ect. for several days before taking the EMP resistant vehicle out looking for my wife. I understand that the police may try confiscating vehicles so hopefully an ATV or a bike is running which would be much easier to avoid any checkpoints on.


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

I will almost certainly be in the shower then, having just gotten off work, I won’t notice the power outage for a few minutes, because the water heater in the marina is junk already, and water is gravity fed. I’ll notice when I get out to the car though, and then I’ll have to walk on over to the boat, about 800ft away. This will be the moment of truth; I’ll check on the pup, stow some stuff and then try and manually crank my yanmar Diesel engine, it’s a 1983(?) 3GM30 but it’s the same design they have used since the 1960s. If the motor/generator work, I’m in like Flynn, I have VHF and FRS radios stored, an extra 100watt solar panel and an inverter. 
My primary plan is to move out into the bay, and anchor a half mile or so from shore, and start making ready for a voyage to an island area where we have things stashed. Meanwhile, mrs Hen will probably be at work, about 3miles away. She will head towards me and meet at one of a handful of designated spots, determined by the time of day.
Once we are together on the boat, we will asses and move on, we should be good for about a year, barring a monster storm or violence. We have a loose community of other sailors and ppl on land, with a very crude outline of a plan as to how we will all interact. One step at a time...

If my motor does not start, I’m going to be in a bad place. I can single handedly sail the boat out and anchor, in good weather, but it’s extraordinarily difficult. I would probably wait a while, and see what the natives do, in hopes of contacting a friend.
Not the ideal plan for an EMP, but pretty good for pandemic/violence/economic. Doing what we can!


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## WhatTheHeck (Aug 1, 2018)

Chipper said:


> Most likely they'll walk. Seems like all I read is how the "big plan" is to move out into the country and live off the land, go to BO location, go to friends/family or scavenge and steal. Haven't seen any plans for the city idiots to stay put and start over in the city.


The average American is grossly overweight . . . . Most of them cannot walk a mile let alone 2.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Grab my gear and cordless power tools out of the truck and hoof it home. When I get home check the Jeep, it's 20 yo so it may still run, pull the battery either way, pull the coil wire and rotor.
Barricaid the front door, place a weapon on coffee table, put others in the kitchen which is my defence point if anyone gets in, fill tub and any other containers, pull all firewood inside, check the radio for news, build booby traps for the deck, prep to barricaid the sliding glass door, cook all meats in the fireplace, meals will be anything that spoil's quickly.

Recon


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## BookWorm (Jul 8, 2018)

The wife and I work at the same place. She leaves early on Wed to help at church, but not till 4:30. I'd still know something was up within minutes of the EMP. White smoke... not a nuke detonation. I'd guess a plan fell out of the sky. My gas station is 1.2 miles from home, but at 4pm I'd still be at work, 1.3 miles from home. So she and I walk home (with my BOB and Glock) and take notice of how we see people acting in the neighbor hoods along the way. 

Once home we go into lock down after letting the Greyhounds out to pee. Check items in faraday cages to see if they worked or if all my efforts were for nothing. I only take a few things out of the cage that I'll use that night. Radio a few batteries. Leave the rest in there in case of a second detonation. 

Take note of who/what I see in the neighborhood during the evening and night hours. keep an eye out for looter types trying to jump the gun on Christmas shopping from empty houses. 

Asses the situation the next morning and put what ever plan into action that we've made up. At some point I take a few minutes to say a prayer and ask him to spare me long enough to do what ever it is he wants me to do during this event.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Alright Squatch, any new details on this scenario?
Did any of us guess it right?

I read through a few posts that mentioned the explosion being a crashed vehicle or downed plane, but I've never seen a fuel fire produce white smoke.
I've seen quite a few pictures of a mushroom cloud producing white smoke. I read about it, and it's mainly due to condensed water vapor and eventual ice crystals as it reaches higher altitudes quickly.
Maybe the delay in the explosion is throwing people.
An EMP wave is electromagnetic radiation. It is traveling at the speed of light, or damn close.
Sound, however, travels much slower. At 2-3 miles away, it could take between 10 and 15 seconds for an explosion's sound to reach you.
Though you would see the flash, fireball, and smoke almost immediately, if you were looking.

These are the reasons I presumed nuclear attack producing an EMP.

So, was anyone close?


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Why do I have this sneaking suspicion that in this particular scenario everybody dies except the Squatch and the drop dead gorgeous blond?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Old SF Guy said:


> OK, I grab my gun, Find a kid with a mountain bike and beat him silly and take his bike.
> 
> I then stop at every jewelry store and rob them of their gold and silver....(No alarms and the police cant respond).
> 
> ...


There, fixed it for you! :vs_smile:


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

Old SF Guy said:


> OK, I grab my gun, Find a kid with a mountain bike and beat him silly and take his bike.
> 
> I then stop at every jewelry store and rob them of their gold and silver....(No alarms and the police cant respond).
> 
> ...


the scary part of this? >>>> there's actually azz wipes that dream of this scenario and plenty that will even attempt it - given even half a chance ....


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

Illini Warrior said:


> the scary part of this? >>>> there's actually azz wipes that dream of this scenario and plenty that will even attempt it - given even half a chance ....


Whut?> Oh ....yeah...your ...ah...right.....probably some azz wipes....who would do something like that. Some real pieces of crap...doing some really really bad stuff like that....i was just..ah...making
fun of those dirt bags....

of course.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

OK, . . . I'll play, . . . 

If it is an EMP strike, . . . there should have been a bright flash just as I put the hose back into the pump, . . . and I might have mistaken it for a big bolt of lightning, . . . but it does have to accompany the scenario as the intended EMP will be an air burst.

Getting back in my Jeep, . . .trying to start it, . . . seeing my dead cell phone, . . . recognizing no traffic flowing, . . . and the other guy can't start his either, . . . then comes the boom.

This all would have taken a good minute, . . . 60 seconds, . . . then I hear the boom, . . . that tells me that the strike is at least 12 miles or more away, . . . (due to the speed of sound).

Like another one said, . . . push the Jeep over to an out of the way position, . . . open the back and get my GHB, . . . grab the extra mags in it and put them on the belt.

Go inside (if there is not a crowd) and grab a couple bottles of water to augment my supply in the GHB, . . . candy bars, . . . jerky (buy em out of this), . . . and head home across the fields and through the woods. I'll stay off all roads except for crossing the river, . . . have to do that at a bridge, . . . unless it is in the summer, . . . I'll wade.

Momma will be hysterical by the time I get home, . . . hopefully she did as she was supposed to, . . . and all is well. Confront whatever is there when I get there.

Batten down the hatches, . . . await my son and his wife from 25 miles away, . . . just hope and pray they get through. Will set up perimeter and coordinate with neighbors for next steps.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Rose_and_Raven (Aug 1, 2018)

Due to a series of very unfortunate and very harsh circumstances that came out of the blue after my fathers death caused partly by greed from my mother among other things, I am sadly stuck in a trash appt in a not nice but small city. And my two room mates are people I can NOT stand. At all. 

Chances are very, very high the car would be Controlys car, its a gas guzzling over sized monster that I often have to help pay for gas for. I'd check my phone, notice its dead then start observing every one else? Are their phones dead too? Their cars? Not staring. 

That means there will be cars every where blocking the high way and confused sheeple milling about who can't function with out their high tech gadgets. Panic hasn't set in yet. Its likely a local event given all the attacks by small terrorist and wanna be terrorist groups and all the uprising and rabble rousing that had been going on and not anything wide scale or nuclear. Keeping that in mind I'd grab my ECD ad check the store first. If the If the cash registers are still functional and I can still make some purchases, I'd buy some water, a few bags of jerky and any proten bars I can to supplement what I already have. 

Then I'd head out. I have a compass and detailed street map so it won't be hard to get back to the dwelling.

Since its around four that means kids are getting out of school and people are getting off work and there shall be much confused milling about. No full on scale panic or shooting and looting. Yet. 

Get home. Make every secure. Get the ham radio out of the box and find out what's happening then go from there. 

If I'm home the same thing, make sure everything is secure, tune in and found out what's going on. Is it local? Is it city or nation wide? Depending on a lot of things I will very likely bug in as long as possible. The sheeple will panic in a matter of hours and the looting will start. Bugging out while in an urban environment will be dangerous, I'd wait until the worst clears, grab my INCH and head off to my home town. Its a few days worth of travel, longer if I have to use a lot of back roads and the like. I'd go there since there is a MASSIVE forest next to it and I know that forest like the back of my hand, I know all the creeks and streams and were to find anything. That and I have a large number of stashes out there. 

The only thing that really concerns me is getting there and the fact there's a very nasty trailer park that boarders part of the forest and I mean nasty.

My room mates would be loosing their damn minds. I have no doubt of that and Controly would be demanding I go with them to a homeless shelter or to some thing like that when things get bad then get madder then a wet hen when I refuse and to add insult to injury, she'd talk down ot me and belittle me for daring to say no and refusing to go some place that I will nor fare well at.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

I work out a plan to get home, probably not far, but it’s on foot. We ride bikes with the essentials we can carry after dark to the boat, but it’s possible we may not make it in one night. It’s close meaning the mikes to the boat from home. I wait until a good wind comes along and shove off for a couple of spots not that far away we can reach safely in a day or two. No power required if I have some wind and tide.


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