# How long do we have??



## Juggernaut (Feb 15, 2013)

I am curious.. in a case of a *complete breakdown,nuclear war, financial collapse, and chaos* in the world we know, How long do we really have to survive? If there are no markets and it is *no longer safe to travel* because people are taking what they need from one another, and you are in hiding* how much time do we really have to live?* My father asked me this question and I have been really thinking about it.:-|


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## Juggernaut (Feb 15, 2013)

I am trying to build a small bunker because money is limited and my dad hit me with all of that and I never really thought of how long I would really have. My bag is built for three days. I am not sure what I would really do as soon as it all ran out.


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## JPARIZ (Feb 25, 2013)

Most possibilities are "if" but economic collapse is "when". My guess is that it is right around the corner. How long you survive is not carved in stone either. It depends on you, how well you are prepared, luck and several other factors. I can't speak for anyone else but I plan to stick around for quite some time.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

If you create a sustainable living environment you can live out your days. 
If you are merely going to depend on how much you can store up - well 
most people can live a few years and Bill Gates can live out his days.

You know the addage if we give the hungry in Africa a bag of rice or beans
they can live a few weeks or months, but if we teach them to grow their
own they can live for years or a "life time." Same is true in prepping. If
we are going to depend on what is stored we best be rich and store a lot,
but if our preps are going to sustain us - then we just need coverage for
interruptions in production.


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## Juggernaut (Feb 15, 2013)

My garden is in the works this week. But I live in a very densely populated are area and defending my home would only last so long.The mountains are six miles up but I figure I won't be the only one with the bright idea to seek food in that direction. I think I am starting Chapter two prepping


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

If you live in a highly populated California city (like I do) then instead of preparing to bug in I'd prepare to bug out. I know that is easy for me because of the property my dad left me but there are properties you can get for very little that can sustain a large family with a reasonable effort.



Juggernaut said:


> My garden is in the works this week. But I live in a very densely populated are area and defending my home would only last so long.The mountains are six miles up but I figure I won't be the only one with the bright idea to seek food in that direction. I think I am starting Chapter two prepping


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## Old Man (Dec 10, 2012)

I beleive a lot depends on the person and their survial skills, and how determine you are to live. You would be suprise what you can do if you have too! The main thing is there is a lot of good information here. You just have to take the time to look it up.


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## bennettvm (Jan 5, 2013)

I think that most people would not make it. Probably around 50%. Then another 25% of those people would end up in assistance camps or whatever, and the rest would manage. I could stay going pretty much indefinitely. Decent stock of food and supplies. Good mix of weapons. More seeds than I could plant in 25 years. I would prefer to stay in my house - but have two back up plans to bug out just in case.


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## Not Crazy Yet (Nov 11, 2012)

It depends on a lot of different factors. Really what it comes down to though, is how prepared you were prior to the disaster, and your survival knowledge. If you don't know how to hunt, or what plants are edible, or how to start a fire...etc. You won't last very long. But, if you do have this knowledge, and are prepared prior to the event, you could last a long time, but again it really depends on a lot of different variables.


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## derhaashund (Feb 10, 2013)

At a recent preppers gathering in PA, where we had a discussion on EMP's the one year casualty rate was estimated at 66 to 90 %.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

You can plan and stockpile forever and it will never be enough or you will have either not anticipated or forgot something. Whatever is in God's plan for you is what it will be.

Wanna make God laugh, tell him what your plans are.

I'm not sayin don't prep, I'm sayin what will be will be. Those who sit on the sidelines will be the 1st to go. The would not heed the warnings. I'm saying listen to what God tells you, he will point you in the right direction. Those other things, they will be brought to you when His timing is right. 

Sorry but you atheists are on your own. :grin: You've already got it under control.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Get the easy stuff out of the way first. If they drop a Nuke in my back yard it is over.
Now serious stuff if our society falls apart the great socialist movement brings us down economic failure ect.
We can go on for generations. After the first it will seem like a normal life to the next. We never planned on storing enough of anything to last forever. We will go back to the way our families lived generation ago .
Generators and fuel are just short term transition tools we will quickly move away from dependance on them. 
We have enough in our group to cover many needed skill sets. We have devoted a lot of time to security and prepared well for it.
While stock piles will last much longer than what we need ,depending on the time of year SHTF we will be growing our own foods the first season.
Water is not an issue for us at all. Renewable wood lands are spread out to provide need fuel for cooking and heat. We will go on.
We have one advantage over those that came before us we have knowledge they did not so we will be in a much better place to advance once again when the time comes.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

Good Question. Wish we had the answer, but we don't. That's why you have to be prepared. And there's a long list of things to have on hand, to the point it blows my mind sometimes wondering what it is I may have missed? The truth, maybe I'm lazy...I don't want to have to leave my house to trade/barter/rob/cheat or steal my way to a pain pill for an ailment, of a bag of beans to feed my family, or anything else for the matter. And yes, I know there is no way I can have it all covered, but going to try like hell to do so...

I think you need more than 3 days, no matter your skills...


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

If you have no preparedness you are ****ed in three days.

A couple hundred in canned goods and water your good for three months,

add a semi secured location, ammunition, perminent source of water, and a place to grow a one acre garden, your good for years, just like the pilgrims.

You decide how long you want to last.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

alterego said:


> If you have no preparedness you are ****ed in three days.
> 
> A couple hundred in canned goods and water your good for three months,
> 
> ...


You must've missed the memo, I'm going to last forever! LOL


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

Well, why not find out this weekend. We covered this in a previous thread but flip off the breakers to your house and see how long you last. Leave the car in the driveway and foot it to wear you need to go. Try and live off your food stuffs and see how you like it. Try to start fire with out matches or a lighter. Go into the woods and forage for vegetation that you can eat. Here's a simple task, butcher a chicken or a rabbit. Go fishing and eat what you catch. See if you can eat what you are growing in the garden. Try out what ever potable water method you have chosen for your drinking water needs. See if your personal hygiene needs are met or are you cheating to put up a false front to show how prepared you are. I bet you don't last two days. Not trying to be cocky but you will learn more in one failed weekend than you will hanging out on this board asking questions you really don't want to know the answers to. I mean you either really want to know or you are just talk. Well, which is it?


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## Juggernaut (Feb 15, 2013)

I am making it a point to go fishing with some paracord. Eating mre's three days straight. *gross, building a fire, and cook what I catch like punch recommended


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Juggernaut said:


> I am making it a point to go fishing with some paracord. Eating mre's three days straight. *gross, building a fire, and cook what I catch like punch recommended


 Lived off MRE's for as long as 3 months in my life ,slept on the ground or in tents, pale of water for a bath it can be done.
People are amazing when backed in a corner. They can be rather inventive and surprise you on their ability to over come . I have seen it.
Of course there is a percentage that will not last long at all just not in them to survive . The sheep will be over run by the takers. The prepared will hold off the wolf.
They will have time to adapt to the changes they face. They will be the ones in the end that reestablish order.
We will at first descend into a form of anarchy not a pure form but for lack of a better term. That will be the deadliest time. The prepared will lock down , some will simple give up and wait for a government rescue(good luck). Other will take every thing they can from who ever they can. Mob rule it will happen IF SHTF.
Over time many of the last two groups will die off. The longer it goes the prepared groups will emerge as the the only healthy and viable system to rely on.
But the longer it goes they will from time to time suspend their self imposed anarchy to work with others to improve their life in ways a smaller group may not have the resources to do.
As this happens more and more we will return to some form of government. We will then try again. 
Do not confuse the term anarchy with the liberal definitions. It simply is a state of being where we either exert no power over others nor do we allow anyone to exert power over us.
This is my spot and long as you stay off it you are free to do as you please.
Do not down play or over look the need to defend, security will be you salvation or your down fall.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

My family and I have done this quite a few times....., several years ago we had a major ice storm hit and were without electricity for over two weeks. No heat except the cooking stove that was butane at the time. There was no going anywhere with ice as thick as it was. To top that off, I had an extra 5 people in my house iced in, so that was a total of 9 of us. We had to haul water, which we did in 5 gallon buckets loaded in a red wagon being pulled by manpower. (we lived off a well, so we had a 500 yard pull from a neighbor with city water) Our food of choice was what I had stocked, mostly beans, and canned food, and what meat was in the freezer. So soup or chili it was...we lighted with candles, played board games by candle light to hold off the boredom, heated water for spit baths.

And several times a year, it seems we'll have a bad storm that throws the electricity off for days...and daysssss...and daysssss. The last time was last summer, we were without for over a week...and it was over 100 degrees in the daytime. No cooking indoors for that reason, but also because of a glass top stove which is to my disadvantage. Yes, we were miserable...hotter and more humid than hell, no sleeping at night because of the heat.

But, we also camp that way. We usually camp during deer season, there isn't any electricity, no bathrooms..we rough it for a week or so. If you eat, its either already prepared or cooked over a fire, you wash up in the creek, and sleep in a tent. For years, I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner over an open fire...everything...it's cheating if ya don't...LOL

So...I've done it....


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

Juggernaut said:


> I am making it a point to go fishing with some paracord. Eating mre's three days straight. *gross, building a fire, and cook what I catch like punch recommended


Hey Juggernaut, I was being snarky yes but please tell someone where you are going. Carry a cell phone, bring your meds, a first aid kit and a firearm if appropriate. Test out your BOB and bring bottled water, can goods and granola bars and keep them in the car. You will still learn a lot. You may find your can opener is junk or more than two or three uses for a disposable diaper. Be safe and let us know how it went. We are all here to help, well most of us are. Take a friend and introduce them to prepping. Most importantly take care and God Bless!

punch


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## AsteroidX (Dec 11, 2012)

Prepping is a lifestyle as much as it is plan A-Plan B-Plan C....How deep you get into it is individual to each of us. We all have different goals we are trying to achieve to become more prepared. Whether its short term weather problems or long term economic collapse. Know the supplies you need for your situation and plan....Yes starting with the BoB and 3 days supplies was the great first step. Now comes the tough part. Expand that that too a months supply then 3 months and begin to learn what it takes for long term survival. There is no guarantees only improving your odds.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

AsteroidX said:


> Prepping is a lifestyle as much as it is plan A-Plan B-Plan C....How deep you get into it is individual to each of us. We all have different goals we are trying to achieve to become more prepared. Whether its short term weather problems or long term economic collapse. Know the supplies you need for your situation and plan....Yes starting with the BoB and 3 days supplies was the great first step. Now comes the tough part. Expand that that too a months supply then 3 months and begin to learn what it takes for long term survival. There is no guarantees only improving your odds.


.
Yup, depending on your location and specific needs, you may need to be concerned with freezing temps at night, water hazards or wild animals. Either way you can never have enough water and you would be surprised how inadequate store bought first aid kits are. Be sure to bring a cot or camp mattress, the cold ground will draw body heat off you like a giant heat sink. A pine straw pallet will do in a pinch. Be safe.
As AsteroidX says, have a back-up plan "B" and "C". Remember 2 is 1 and 1 is none...

punch


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

We lost power for a couple of days here a month ago, 

If it is a minor issue like that, we at our house don't even realize their is a hickup.

The only differance is the neighbors showing up to get water and to use our shower.

Long term will be differant when generator fuel becomes difficult to come by.

I a certain that we can get by with runningthe generator for one hour per day, which will get all the water we need and run the freezer down to zero, and allow us to pump water to the cows, chickens, rabbits, ducks.


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