# Ran a Prepping Drill with my family



## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Hey all,
So today sunday was the day i decided to run a prepper drill with my family incase of a emergency. Tracked all of us getting ready and getting loaded up to go. To be honest it was stressful and a real eye opener. Kind of makes you realize how far you come and how far you yet to go. My family did well. Its me, my wife, 3 kids 7yrs old, 2 yrs old and 11 week old. Just wanted to share my experience and see how and if anyone else has done drills?


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

I've done many drills, some for fun, some for stuff that never happened. This is why it's so critical to make preparedness part of your lifestyle, not just something you do when bad stuff happens.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

MikeyPrepper said:


> Hey all,
> So today sunday was the day i decided to run a prepper drill with my family incase of a emergency. Tracked all of us getting ready and getting loaded up to go. To be honest it was stressful and a real eye opener. Kind of makes you realize how far you come and how far you yet to go. My family did well. Its me, my wife, 3 kids 7yrs old, 2 yrs old and 11 week old. Just wanted to share my experience and see how and if anyone else has done drills?


not a bad idea to run a bug in trial run for a weekend - shut off the utilities and go with a serious SHTF that would isolate you & yours for 48 hours or so ....


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

I agree, it was a slow process esp with the kids. My 7yr old was a star


jim-henscheli said:


> I've done many drills, some for fun, some for stuff that never happened. This is why it's so critical to make preparedness part of your lifestyle, not just something you do when bad stuff happens.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

I am going on a shtf camping trip in about 1 month no electronics for 3 dayS


Illini Warrior said:


> not a bad idea to run a bug in trial run for a weekend - shut off the utilities and go with a serious SHTF that would isolate you & yours for 48 hours or so ....


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

Also, with kids, make sure to stick some fun food. I can go a month without outside food or water and be fine, add some whinny kids and I'm gonna hurt someone..


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Illini Warrior said:


> not a bad idea to run a bug in trial run for a weekend - shut off the utilities and go with a serious SHTF that would isolate you & yours for 48 hours or so ....


Yeah, I'd love to try that. But my wife couldn't put the phone down that long without gutting me.

We've had a few enforced trials, when water or electricity went out, but never everything at once. I'm sure it would be a learning experience, especially in winter.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Never have run such a drill but I commend you on your forethought @MikeyPrepper. Well done.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

sideKahr said:


> Yeah, I'd love to try that. But my wife couldn't put the phone down that long without gutting me.
> 
> We've had a few enforced trials, when water or electricity went out, but never everything at once. I'm sure it would be a learning experience, especially in winter.


having phone contact during a bug in weekend testing wouldn't be the worst thing - it's some of the other elements of grid down and isolation that will show up the deficits in the plan ....


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Oh yea always a priority!


jim-henscheli said:


> Also, with kids, make sure to stick some fun food. I can go a month without outside food or water and be fine, add some whinny kids and I'm gonna hurt someone..


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Thank you!! Much easier when you have the whole family on board on what your prepping for


Camel923 said:


> Never have run such a drill but I commend you on your forethought @MikeyPrepper. Well done.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

I think i might test the walkie talkies and how far they work in the nieghborhood


Illini Warrior said:


> having phone contact during a bug in weekend testing wouldn't be the worst thing - it's some of the other elements of grid down and isolation that will show up the deficits in the plan ....


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

I'm actually only responsible for mrs hen and I, but if it pops off I'll end up taking care of her family too, we have started using walkie talkies lately, as a back up to phones, it's fun if you make it fun.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea its a great idea to start testing them out


jim-henscheli said:


> I'm actually only responsible for mrs hen and I, but if it pops off I'll end up taking care of her family too, we have started using walkie talkies lately, as a back up to phones, it's fun if you make it fun.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Illini Warrior said:


> not a bad idea to run a bug in trial run for a weekend - shut off the utilities and go with a serious SHTF that would isolate you & yours for 48 hours or so ....


 Yeah we've had to do that a couple times already this year, not by choice. Little more realistic when a storm takes out the power unexpectedly.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea we are going to run a few Bug in drill also. In NJ we get alot of storms


Chipper said:


> Yeah we've had to do that a couple times already this year, not by choice. Little more realistic when a storm takes out the power unexpectedly.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

@MikeyPrepper Had to be challenging especially with an 11 week old baby. The great thing is I am sure you learned some vital things. It will also give you and your family greater confidence in the future. Good work man.:armata_PDT_34:


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea it was a challenege but we managed and learned from the experience.


Joe said:


> @MikeyPrepper Had to be challenging especially with an 11 week old baby. The great thing is I am sure you learned some vital things. It will also give you and your family greater confidence in the future. Good work man.:armata_PDT_34:


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

Chipper said:


> Yeah we've had to do that a couple times already this year, not by choice. Little more realistic when a storm takes out the power unexpectedly.


yea, but give the other necessary elements of the plan a try - like going for water, transporting and purifying it ... little things like the proper measurement of the pool shock comes up - or a sanitary funnel for pouring water - or the ever happening lost water jug cap .... learn to improvise - better yet find the holes while you can and fill them ....


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea it was a great learning experience.


Illini Warrior said:


> yea, but give the other necessary elements of the plan a try - like going for water, transporting and purifying it ... little things like the proper measurement of the pool shock comes up - or a sanitary funnel for pouring water - or the ever happening lost water jug cap .... learn to improvise - better yet find the holes while you can and fill them ....


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

mostly common sense stuff - but there's some good pointers - best advise is the about practice in all seasons ....

How to Practice Bugging Out - Smart Prepper Gear


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Great Info!


Illini Warrior said:


> mostly common sense stuff - but there's some good pointers - best advise is the about practice in all seasons ....
> 
> How to Practice Bugging Out - Smart Prepper Gear


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## ridgerunnersurvival (Jul 17, 2017)

This past winter, we lost most of our power to the house due to electrical issues. We had no heat, no power to the stove (which is electric against my better judgement) and no other cooking impliments. We made out fine by any standard. We used our alternate cooking tools, heated with our backup heat and used a lot of backup lighting systems which all worked really well. Even used the backup power system I built! We closed off most other parts of the house with blankets to create a microclimate in the living room and cooked in the kitchen. this happened during the coldest days of Winter in Central New York. Our preps worked. they weren't perfect but they worked


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## ntxmerman (Aug 5, 2017)

Illini Warrior said:


> mostly common sense stuff - but there's some good pointers - best advise is the about practice in all seasons ....
> 
> How to Practice Bugging Out - Smart Prepper Gear


There was some darn good advice in that article. Thank you Illini Warrior.


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## Alteredstate (Jul 7, 2016)

We did a check and test on the generator last night I had loaned it to a friend and had to change the extension cord that I used to backfeed to a 3-prong from a 4 prong back in January or February so last night I swap the whole thing over went out and got a bunch of more gas I'm a little ashamed of myself that I've let things lag to that extent but now I've got everything all copesthetic so if I can run the generator I could literally sit in my household for an extended period of time and never really know the damn bit of difference we would only run the generator an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon and her to keep the freezer Frozen Etc water can be had from a creek plenty of food to cook over an open fire if necessary we enjoy camping and sitting around a campfire anyway. A month or so ago I bought a brick of Cuban cigars and I have plenty of good bourbon so I will sit on top of the hill at my home smoking cigars drinking bourbon cooking marshmallows over an open fire run the generator for an hour a day and defend the ass with hell furry if the boogy man comes.


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