# Are you into the survival thing?



## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

If so, what have you done to prepare for any type of disaster?

I'm not a heavy survivalist or anything, but I do take some precautions and try and plan ahead for situations where we may lose power for several days or our water supply would somehow become contaminated, etc.

I keep a couple sheets of bottled water in my store room, just in case. And I've ordered 72-hour and 1-week food supply kits from a couple of the survivalist/prepper websites selling food kits that have the 25-year shelf life. Plus I've been meaning to stock up on more canned foods as well. 

I also have a folding stove that uses camp heat so we can cook in the event of a power outage. I figure it doesn't hurt to be prepared. The next thing I'd like to invest in is a generator.

What about you? Are _you_ prepared for a disaster? I mean, hey, a zombie apocalypse can happen any day now.

*Although I personally believe it's already happened*


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## roadfix (Jan 19, 2019)

I wouldn't consider myself a survivalist but I do have a bunch of stuff that are considered survival gear since I backpack and camp alot.    I would say I'm semi-prepared in the event of a disaster.


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## Kayelle (Jan 19, 2019)

We are semi prepared too. We would count on our gas grill with two bottles of propane for cooking. We have a large outdoor panty in the garage and several gallons of bottled water, along with the ever important can opener I just added. Duh.


 If I lived in cold country where loosing power is common, I would certainly invest in a generator. Souschef's sister has lived in the north east for a lifetime and she still doesn't own a generator but her neighbor lets her hook up to theirs. So much for one sided good neighbors, I would most definitely own my own.


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

I have a case of Twinkies. That's good for a thousand calories a day, and they will never go bad. 

KL, my dad lives in Hurricane country, so he has a generator. They are nice to have, but you have to run them on a regular basis, and maintain them. Lots of people buy them, stuff them in the garage for five years, and wonder why they don't work when they need them. 

CD


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## GotGarlic (Jan 19, 2019)

We're in good shape if we lose power for a period of time. We get thunderstorms and nor'easters and are vulnerable to hurricanes, although we have never been hit by one since we moved here in 1985. We did lose power for about a week in 2003 after a tropical storm went through. After that, we bought a generator, which was a tax deduction because some of my medication has to be refrigerated. DH checks the generator regularly. 

We prepare for hurricane season every year by updating our supplies of canned goods and bottled water. We also make sure we have propane for the grill and we have gas heat (radiators), hot water and stove, so we're set there. I also fill the bathtub with water when a big storm is coming - in 2003, we also lost water for about a week and we used the water in the tub to flush the toilet. The water wasn't contaminated - it comes from a lake west of here and the pump house flooded so they had to turn it off.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 19, 2019)

Fully prepared for any natural disaster.


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## Just Cooking (Jan 19, 2019)

I only have a large cache of gold coins for any potential disaster.. 

I like cd's idea of Twinkies tho.. Think I'll trade some of the coins for a case..

Ross


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

I laughed at the case of Twinkies comment 

Great comments from everyone, thanks for posting. And *Kay*, yes, the manual can opener, as much as I hate those things, is definitely a must-have. I don't think my electric one would be of much use during a power outage 

And *GG*, what a great idea of filling the bathtub with water for toilet flushing. I never thought of that!

Also, in case we can't get to the bank for whatever reason or if the banks should go by the wayside and shut down for a few days (hopefully that never happens, but you never know) my son and I have $400 emergency money stashed away. I did that when the stories of a possible EMP threat were going around. It would basically render credit card machines useless. Of course, though, if I knew something like that was coming, I'd probably go get ALL of my money out of the bank.


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## roadfix (Jan 19, 2019)

Just Cooking said:


> I only have a large cache of gold coins for any potential disaster..



Can't beat that!


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Can't beat that!



That's for certain!


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## Just Cooking (Jan 19, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Can't beat that!



Exactly...   
Ross


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## Kayelle (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda, I sure agree about having cash on hand, but not large bills. If you need to buy stuff without a card, you sure aren't going to get change back from anybody. I also never let my car gas tank get lower than half full.


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Just Cooking said:


> I only have a large cache of gold coins for any potential disaster..
> 
> I like cd's idea of Twinkies tho.. Think I'll trade some of the coins for a case..
> 
> Ross



Call me... I'll hook you up with some Twinkies for some of that gold. Hey, what are friends for, right? 

CD


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## roadfix (Jan 19, 2019)

But like in the movies, if a zombie apocalypse were to happen you need to be well armed as well...


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I laughed at the case of Twinkies comment
> 
> Great comments from everyone, thanks for posting. And *Kay*, yes, the manual can opener, as much as I hate those things, is definitely a must-have. I don't think my electric one would be of much use during a power outage
> 
> ...



Linda, if you are hungry, and have a can of food, a sharp rock will do the job.

Also, now everyone knows you have 400 dollars in cash stashed away. You should probably not post that on the internet.  

CD


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## Kayelle (Jan 19, 2019)

A good place to keep cash is in the freezer in a container labeled liver. Nobody would steal liver, and if the house burned down it wouldn't burn.


After reading Casey's post..forget my idea linda. lol


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

roadfix said:


> But like in the movies, if a zombie apocalypse were to happen you need to be well armed as well...



I have that very well covered... even though zombies are pure fiction. It seemed like a good idea a the time. 

CD


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> Linda, I sure agree about having cash on hand, but not large bills. If you need to buy stuff without a card, you sure aren't going to get change back from anybody. I also never let my car gas tank get lower than half full.



Good point. Maybe I should get them changed out for $20's. I never thought of that.



roadfix said:


> But like in the movies, if a zombie apocalypse were to happen you need to be well armed as well...



Don't you worry about that. I'm a gun enthusiast 



caseydog said:


> Linda, if you are hungry, and have a can of food, a sharp rock will do the job.
> 
> Also, now everyone knows you have 400 dollars in cash stashed away. You should probably not post that on the internet.
> 
> CD





Wups


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> A good place to keep cash is in the freezer in a container labeled liver. Nobody would steal liver, and if the house burned down it wouldn't burn.



Note to self... when the end times come, KL has cash in her freezer, look for liver. 

CD


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

caseydog said:


> I have that very well covered... even though zombies are pure fiction. It seemed like a good idea a the time.
> 
> CD



Zombies aren't fiction. We live amongst them every day. They look like real humans, but they walk and even drive with their faces stuck in electronic devices. In fact, I almost hit a couple of people with my car that walked out in front of me whilst texting.

Around here we call them The Digital Deadwalkers.

That's about as close to a zombie as you can get


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> A good place to keep cash is in the freezer in a container labeled liver. Nobody would steal liver, and if the house burned down it wouldn't burn.
> 
> 
> After reading Casey's post..forget my idea linda. lol



Haha, actually, no, it's a very good idea. I've got it in a safe place


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## buckytom (Jan 19, 2019)

roadfix said:


> I do have a bunch of stuff that are considered survival gear since I backpack and camp alot.    I would say I'm semi-prepared in the event of a disaster.





roadfix said:


> But like in the movies, if a zombie apocalypse were to happen you need to be well armed as well...



Got 'em both covered, plus some, although I'm no where near a true "prepper".

I've always kept my camping, fishing, and hunting stuff well organized. Pretty much ready to go as we walk out the door. 

I also live on top of a mountain (we could survive a 1000 foot tsunami), with 2 potable streams within a half mile. One North of me, one South of me; both within thousands of acres of a wildlife preserve. But we always keep water and firewood in the garage, a split cord out back, and extra propane for the grill in the shed.

I have the high ground by 20 feet or more down to the road in front of my house, and a stone breastworks out back with a rocky depression in front of that.

I'm a little exposed on the flanks, though, lol. But there's attic windows on those sides, so...

Lol,, when I first told someone all of that in front of my wife, she asked me if that really was part of my reasoning of why we bought this house. She just loved the way it looked.

I figured it couldn't hurt.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Got 'em both covered, plus some, although I'm no where near a true "prepper".
> 
> I've always kept my camping, fishing, and hunting stuff well organized. Pretty much ready to go as we walk out the door.
> 
> ...



Oooooooooo, perfect situation for sniping zombies. I'd have way too much fun with that


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## Kayelle (Jan 19, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Note to self... when the end times come, KL has cash in her freezer, look for liver.
> 
> CD




Well known as cold cash. Batta Bing.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> Well known as cold cash. Batta Bing.



Ha!

Good one.


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## buckytom (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Oooooooooo, perfect situation for sniping zombies. I'd have way too much fun with that



My son said we need a Ma Deuce in one window, and a DShk in the other.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 19, 2019)

I now know where I am going in case of a disaster..thanks, gang!


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

buckytom said:


> My son said we need a Ma Deuce in one window, and a DShk in the other.



Oh hayell yeah. Especially if there's a large horde of them.

PS - your son and my son would get along juuuuuuust fine


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Rocklobster said:


> I now know where I am going in case of a disaster..thanks, gang!



We gotcha covered


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## Rascal (Jan 19, 2019)

Being an outdoors, camping was always done when kids were young. We would be OK here for a week or two. I bought a gen set after the earthquakes here. 3 freezers full. Think I'd have trouble with neighbours wanting food though.?

Russ


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Rascal said:


> Being an outdoors, camping was always done when kids were young. We would be OK here for a week or two. I bought a gen set after the earthquakes here. 3 freezers full. Think I'd have trouble with neighbours wanting food though.?
> 
> Russ



Kinda like that one episode of Twilight Zone? Yeah, something like that would scare me and worry me a bit. I'd be worried about them coming to my door, not only wanting inside for shelter, but asking me to store their food. I would hate to say no, but would probably have to. I'd politely tell them, "Look, I'm sorry, but I just don't have the room for anymore food." 

Because if you give just one person the green light, the others may want the same. 

We do these things to protect ourselves and our own families. It's not up to us to take care of everyone else as well. There's nothing wrong with helping your fellow man, but we're not superheroes.


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## Cheryl J (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Zombies aren't fiction. We live amongst them every day. They look like real humans, but they walk and even drive with their faces stuck in electronic devices. In fact, I almost hit a couple of people with my car that walked out in front of me whilst texting.
> 
> Around here we call them The Digital Deadwalkers.
> 
> That's about as close to a zombie as you can get




 Isn't that the truth?!


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Isn't that the truth?!



You'd really think that people would have learned by now how dangerous it is to do things like that. But they haven't.

Speaking of bad weather and possibly losing power, the winter storm is moving in now and it's raining ice. Then we're supposed to get 3-6 inches of snow on top of that. The snow I don't mind. In fact I love snow. But the ice worries me because it weighs on the power lines.


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## Cheryl J (Jan 19, 2019)

Like others have said, I'm *sort of* prepared.  I have a good amount of canned and pantry goods, can opener, plastic flatware, quite a lot of bottled water, cash, and usually close to a full tank in my car.   

Even though I'm in an earthquake state, I think I've gotten kind of complacent about natural disasters out here.  I'm in the flatland in the middle of nowhere, no tall buildings around, have lived here most of my life, and the worst we get are desert 'floods' which aren't really that bad. 

There are minor earthquakes here every day, but *if* a big one were to hit and destroy the two highways heading in and out of town, we'd be in trouble as far as food deliveries to the grocery stores. 

Once in a while the power goes out, but not for very long.

 Definitely something to re-think every now and then, though.  Good thread, Linda. 


Oh, an afterthought.....I also have one of those big plastic totes in my trunk of my car that has water, dried food, TP, blankets, and other things I can't recall right now....


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Like others have said, I'm *sort of* prepared.  I have a good amount of canned and pantry goods, can opener, plastic flatware, quite a lot of bottled water, cash, and usually close to a full tank in my car.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thank you. I'm really enjoying it because I like learning what others are doing to prepare for things from major disasters to simple power outages. 

About 9 years ago, we had an ice storm that was pretty major. Everything was just covered in ice and our neighborhood lost power for about 3 days. All of us (my son, his dad (rest his soul) myself and our animals) stayed holed up in the back living room by the fireplace to stay warm. We lost most of our food and I had to throw out a lot of stuff once it was all over. But the thing I remember the most is, once the ice storm was said and done, stepping outside. And it was just dead silent. No cars on the road, no furnaces from nearby homes running, not even any birds singing. All I could hear was cracking of the ice, mostly coming from the trees. It was very eerie, like life had come to a standstill.

I'll never forget it as long as I live.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Oh, an afterthought.....I also have one of those big plastic totes in my trunk of my car that has water, dried food, TP, blankets, and other things I can't recall right now....



This is a very good idea.


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## Cheryl J (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Kinda like that one episode of Twilight Zone? Yeah, something like that would scare me and worry me a bit. I'd be worried about them coming to my door, not only wanting inside for shelter, but asking me to store their food. I would hate to say no, but would probably have to. I'd politely tell them, "Look, I'm sorry, but I just don't have the room for anymore food."
> 
> Because if you give just one person the green light, the others may want the same.
> 
> We do these things to protect ourselves and our own families. It's not up to us to take care of everyone else as well. There's nothing wrong with helping your fellow man, but we're not superheroes.


 
Yeah, that's the scary thing...in a horrific disaster, I'd be afraid of some  folks using the 'desperate times call for desperate measures' thing...


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Yeah, that's the scary thing...in a horrific disaster, I'd be afraid of some  folks using the 'desperate times call for desperate measures' thing...



I know. And it would be very difficult to have to turn anyone away. But even though many people don't think about the consequences of disaster until it actually happens, they probably should have. And no one who _has_ planned for disaster should feel guilty of simply wanting to protect their own families. 

To use an overused 'cliche', it is what it is.


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Way back when I was young and the earth was cooling, I was into wilderness camping. I would sling on a backpack, and go wandering into the woods with my dog. I learned a lot from that. Most of all, I learned just how little a person needs to survive. 

You learn that the first time you carry sixty f--ing pounds on your back. The next trip, it's 40 pounds, and it just keeps getting smaller. 

I am not an armageddon, end times, whatever kind of person. But, it does make sense to be prepared for a few days of _inconvenience_ -- like my parents who live in hurricane country. 

The most important thing you need is clean drinking water. I had a state-of-the-art filter back in my backpacking days. My parents have gallon jugs of water stashed in closets and cabinets during hurricane season. Thats the low-hanging fruit of survival prep. Drinking water.

I live in Tornado Alley. If a tornado hits my house, it won't matter how much stuff I have stored away, because all that stuff will be scattered across two counties. I have my shelter, and if I need to go to that shelter, my wallet, with credit cards, will be in my pocket. I figure a wallet full of credit cards will get me through a few days in a hotel. 

CD


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## Linda0818 (Jan 19, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Way back when I was young and the earth was cooling, I was into wilderness camping. I would sling on a backpack, and go wandering into the woods with my dog. I learned a lot from that. Most of all, I learned just how little a person needs to survive.
> 
> You learn that the first time you carry sixty f--ing pounds on your back. The next trip, it's 40 pounds, and it just keeps getting smaller.
> 
> ...



Very good points, CD, all the way around.

By the way, I've been meaning to mention, since your username is caseydog, that my miniature Dachshunds name is Casey. I don't know if Casey is your name or your dog's name, but just thought I'd mention that


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## Cheryl J (Jan 19, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Way back when I was young and the earth was cooling, I was into wilderness camping. I would sling on a backpack, and go wandering into the woods with my dog. I learned a lot from that. Most of all, I learned just how little a person needs to survive.
> 
> You learn that the first time you carry sixty f--ing pounds on your back. The next trip, it's 40 pounds, and it just keeps getting smaller.
> 
> ...


 
But not if the machines are down in the hotels and they can't run the credit cards, though....


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I know. And it would be very difficult to have to turn anyone away. But even though many people don't think about the consequences of disaster until it actually happens, they probably should have. And no one who _has_ planned for disaster should feel guilty of simply wanting to protect their own families.
> 
> To use an overused 'cliche', it is what it is.



Chill out, people. We live in the United States. Yes, bad s--t happens, but bad s--t in the US is a walk in the park compared to bad s--t in a third-world country. 

I've survived an F5 tornado (Google Sayler Park Tornado). People become amazingly caring and helpful in those kinds of events. People came out of their basements, and ran to the leveled homes looking for people -- people they had  never met. 

After _Harvey_, people drove from three states away with boats to rescue people from their rooftops. Need more? Look at what people did on 9-11. New Yorkers!!! Supposedly the least caring people on the planet -- but on 9-11, even New Yorkers proved that wrong. 

Please, be careful what you CHOOSE to believe. People, by nature, want to do good. That is how we are wired. Have a little faith. 

Okay, rant off. Have a nice day. 

CD


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## Cheryl J (Jan 19, 2019)

Goodness, Casey.  I think everyone here is chill.  It's just a discussion...


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## buckytom (Jan 19, 2019)

Everyone, party at my house. 

Leave gun at door. W're covered.

Bring food.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 19, 2019)

We can manage in an emergency. If not, we'll be OK after we crack this supply box open...


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Goodness, Casey.  I think everyone here is chill.  It's just a discussion...



Sorry... the discussion just seemed to get a bit dark. Turning people away, and that kind of stuff. 

Hey, look at this!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

CD


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## caseydog (Jan 19, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Everyone, party at my house.



Like it's 1999? 

CD


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## buckytom (Jan 19, 2019)

Shoot. Him. Now!

No one will ask, I assure you.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 20, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Chill out, people. We live in the United States. Yes, bad s--t happens, but bad s--t in the US is a walk in the park compared to bad s--t in a third-world country.
> 
> I've survived an F5 tornado (Google Sayler Park Tornado). People become amazingly caring and helpful in those kinds of events. People came out of their basements, and ran to the leveled homes looking for people -- people they had  never met.
> 
> ...


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## Linda0818 (Jan 20, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Sorry... the discussion just seemed to get a bit dark. *Turning people away, and that kind of stuff.*
> 
> Hey, look at this!!!
> 
> ...



I simply meant that, in a crisis situation, if you've got 50 people at your door because they know you're more prepared than they are, it's not going to be possible to take care of many more than what you've planned for, i.e. your own family. I didn't mean to imply I would _enjoy_ turning people away, but that I may have to in order to keep my own family protected.


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## Rascal (Jan 20, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Chill out, people. We live in the United States. Yes, bad s--t happens, but bad s--t in the US is a walk in the park compared to bad s--t in a third-world country.
> 
> I've survived an F5 tornado (Google Sayler Park Tornado). People become amazingly caring and helpful in those kinds of events. People came out of their basements, and ran to the leveled homes looking for people -- people they had  never met.
> 
> ...



This is really true, we had  bad earthquakes in 2010, the liquefaction was unbelievable in some areas. My daughter lost her house so I moved her. While loading her stuff a group of guys came down the street shovelling the mud stuff into piles to be removed, so people could use their driveways. A group came to my daughters house and one of the guys was a guy I coached in sport. He said his home was ok, but knew others weren't. He rang 6 of his mates to help other people. I was astounded. I couldn't lift anything due to an injury, but my wife and I made dozens of loaves of bread into sammiches and delivered them to groups clearing up after quakes. You just do,what you can, if you have any empathy.

Russ


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## Kayelle (Jan 20, 2019)

On the other hand, there are also bad folks who take advantage of disasters like looters for just one example. That's not being cynical, only realistic. I believe most people are just like we are but there are those who aren't. Personally, I've never had the need to protect myself but the day may come. Jes sayin.


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## roadfix (Jan 20, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> On the other hand, there are also bad folks who take advantage of disasters like looters for just one example. That's not being cynical, only realistic. I believe most people are just like we are but there are those who aren't. Personally, I've never had the need to protect myself but the day may come. Jes sayin.



During the L.A. riots in 1992 I had 3 small business locations to protect.   There were looting and property damage at shopping centers and strip malls where my businesses were located.  They completely looted the Sears store across the street from one of my shops. Police and Fire were outnumbered until they brought in the National Guards 3 days too late.
Fortunately my shops sustained very little damage but I was prepared to defend my business, I even spent 2 nights at one location, fully armed. Other business owners did the same.  Being in the middle of it that whole riot thing seemed so surreal.


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## Kayelle (Jan 20, 2019)

roadfix said:


> During the L.A. riots in 1992 I had 3 small business locations to protect.   There were looting and property damage at shopping centers and strip malls where my businesses were located.  They completely looted the Sears store across the street from one of my shops. Police and Fire were outnumbered until they brought in the National Guards 3 days too late.
> Fortunately my shops sustained very little damage but I was prepared to defend my business, I even spent 2 nights at one location, fully armed.   Being in the middle of it that whole riot thing seemed so surreal.




While I was typing I was thinking of the L.A. riots Roadfix. Gosh you have first hand knowledge of how bad it can really get.
I also remember the Watt's riots of 1965. Horrible times.


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## buckytom (Jan 20, 2019)

While I was joking about machine guns, I wasn't really referring to zombie in the larger sense.

Food is good, water is essential. But you have be able to hide and/or protect it.

Lots of folks store gold, ammo, and alcohol as commodities if that day comes.


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## Addie (Jan 20, 2019)

Like NY, the majority of our city has underground wiring. What few poles there are with wires are usually in someone's back yard. If any trees or poles with wires come down, it is usually the ice that does the damage. The biggest worry in this part of the country is that the triple deckers are so close together. We had some horrific fires last week. During the night and folks standing outside wrapped in blankets. A sight no one should have to see or live through. 

On the rare occasion that a hurricane might reach us, the only way everyone prepares, is to head for Market Basket. On the news the other night, Market basket had lines in every checkout going up the aisles well after their closing time of 10 p.m..


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## Farmer Jon (Jan 20, 2019)

We could survive pretty easily for a  couple months. After that it would start getting rough. If whatever happened happens early in the year and we could plant a larger garden that would help.  We could easily grow enough for all of us. I have chickens, ducks, geese 2 sheep and a goat for eggs and meat. We also raise a couple hundred head of cattle. 
     One of our draw backs are all the generators rely on diesel or gas. That will run out sooner or later. We would have to only run them for fore a few hours a day. The owner here won't even listen to any suggestions about adding solar power.
     The other drawback is this place would be hard to defend. We could easily be over run by a small group of well armed people. The owner here hates guns. We are pretty much defenceless. 
     If we needed to get out in a hurry that would be no problem. I keep my vehicles in good repair  and generally full of fuel. I built a semi truck to pull my camper. Holds 200 gallons of fuel. Has an on board generator with 50 gallon gas tank. It burns a gallon an hour. 
     Being in the middle of the country we could just about make it to either coast without needing fuel. I averaged 9.5 mpg. Should have a range of 1800 miles. Probably More realisticly 1500 with idle time and taking back roads. If we had an hour to pack up we could be well stocked on the camper. However I think if we REALLY had to we could do it in half hour or less and have most essentials. If I had the hour I could pack up extra fuel and even grab some of my birds. 
     My wife would likely follow in my pickup. It has a range of 300-400 miles. Being able to carry even more supplies. I have CB radios installed in both vehicles so we can keep in contact. I have an actual paper atlas. I am a country boy. I am not afraid to cut across on gravel and secondary roads. The interstate will be packed. 
     We have plenty of home canned goods and the ability to can more. I have plenty of supplies on hand and tons of jars. If we were to "bug in" I believe one of the first things I would do is start cleaning out the freezers and get to canning. Reducing the need for electricity.

     My big ole bug out vehicle.


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## caseydog (Jan 21, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> On the other hand, there are also bad folks who take advantage of disasters like looters for just one example. That's not being cynical, only realistic. I believe most people are just like we are but there are those who aren't. Personally, I've never had the need to protect myself but the day may come. Jes sayin.



Worse than looters are the "roofers" who show up every spring when we have hail storms. They replace your shingles in half a day, and the roof leaks for 20 years. The insurance companies don't care -- they just want the job done cheap. 

People love to hate the "looters" they see on FAUXnews, but the criminals who work for the insurance companies get fat and happy with no consequences. 

CD


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## Addie (Jan 21, 2019)

I am a person who strongly believes in the innate goodness of people. These past two or three weeks, we have been having some horrendous fires. In the middle of the cold nights, people are finding themselves with their small children standing across the street watching their whole world go up in flames and smoke. The hardest part to swallow was that these fires were all during the late night when the families were sleeping.  

Yet before the flames were finally quenched, funds were already being raised to help some of the 30 plus families affected. We are a very caring nation. I wouldn't want it any other way. And for that I always say a silent prayer for the safety and well being of everyone. Including the fire fighters. 

I am so glad I live in this country. I know in my heart that should any disaster enter my world, there are friends and total strangers out there who will lend me a hand and help me get back on my "foot." I also know that my family will close ranks and help each other as much as they all can. 

Am I prepared for survival? Probably not. But neither are any of my friends. I refuse to be a pessimist. Nor do I want to be around those who are pessimistic. This morning it was zero. Now the temp has climbed up and the sun is shining. What is there to be pessimistic about?


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 21, 2019)

Farmer Jon said:


> We could survive pretty easily for a  couple months. After that it would start getting rough. If whatever happened happens early in the year and we could plant a larger garden that would help.  We could easily grow enough for all of us. I have chickens, ducks, geese 2 sheep and a goat for eggs and meat. We also raise a couple hundred head of cattle.
> One of our draw backs are all the generators rely on diesel or gas. That will run out sooner or later. We would have to only run them for fore a few hours a day. The owner here won't even listen to any suggestions about adding solar power.
> The other drawback is this place would be hard to defend. We could easily be over run by a small group of well armed people. The owner here hates guns. We are pretty much defenceless.
> If we needed to get out in a hurry that would be no problem. I keep my vehicles in good repair  and generally full of fuel. I built a semi truck to pull my camper. Holds 200 gallons of fuel. Has an on board generator with 50 gallon gas tank. It burns a gallon an hour.
> ...



Wow, that's really something. Very impressive!


----------



## caseydog (Jan 21, 2019)

Addie said:


> *I am a person who strongly believes in the innate goodness of people.* These past two or three weeks, we have been having some horrendous fires. In the middle of the cold nights, people are finding themselves with their small children standing across the street watching their whole world go up in flames and smoke. The hardest part to swallow was that these fires were all during the late night when the families were sleeping.
> 
> Yet before the flames were finally quenched, funds were already being raised to help some of the 30 plus families affected. We are a very caring nation. I wouldn't want it any other way. And for that I always say a silent prayer for the safety and well being of everyone. Including the fire fighters.
> 
> ...



I'm with you on that. Call me naive, but I would rather be a happy, naive optimist, than a miserable pessimist stocking up with canned goods waiting for something bad to happen. 

Like I said before, I have a shelter plan for when the tornado sirens sound in the middle of the night. I have flashlights and batteries -- and a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. 

The way I see it, I could prepare for Armageddon, and get run over by a bus... or here in Texas, _"get run over by a damed old train."_ 

CD


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 21, 2019)

I wouldn't necessarily use the word "pessimist" to describe those who are prepared for a disaster. If that's the case, we could say the same thing about those who purchase life insurance, as an example. Unless, of course, they're like my mom was and felt that buying life insurance was as good as signing her own death warrant. But when she died, it was my sister and I who suffered, having to deal with not only funeral arrangements on our dime, but everything else as well because she never wrote a will, either.


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 21, 2019)

Your point is well taken Linda.
 There will always be the givers and the takers in this world. I'd call myself a realist rather than a pessimist or optimist. It's lazy and darn right arrogant to expect others to take care of ME.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 21, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Very good points, CD, all the way around.
> 
> By the way, I've been meaning to mention, since your username is caseydog, that my miniature Dachshunds name is Casey. I don't know if Casey is your name or your dog's name, but just thought I'd mention that



I've never heard of a miniature Dachshund. I just learned something new. With a name like that, it is certainly a smart dog, although just a little bit naughty. 

My sister gave me a poodle for my 50th birthday. Gee, thanks sis. 

He is known on this forum as "psycho-poodle." That's his picture as my avatar. 

If a zombie apocalypse happens, I'm going to open the front door and yell "squirrel."  I'm thinking zombies aren't very smart, so they won't have any idea how to deal with a psycho-poodle. That should give me enough time to load the guns.

Don't worry, psycho-poodle will be just fine. My only concern is whether my homeowner's insurance covers zombie apocalypse damage. 

CD


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 21, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> Your point is well taken Linda.
> There will always be the givers and the takers in this world. I'd call myself a realist rather than a pessimist or optimist. It's lazy and darn right arrogant to expect others to take care of ME.



I wholeheartedly agree 



caseydog said:


> I've never heard of a miniature Dachshund. I just learned something new. With a name like that, it is certainly a smart dog, although just a little bit naughty.
> 
> My sister gave me a poodle for my 50th birthday. Gee, thanks sis.
> 
> ...



"Gee, thanks sis" is exactly what I would say 

It's funny about your psycho dog because my mom used to have a dog that was a poodle/terrier mix. My gawd that dog was nuts. There was something seriously wrong with him upstairs. His name was Chico and my nickname for him was Psycho.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 21, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I wholeheartedly agree
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Teddy, (AKA: Psycho Poodle) is actually a pretty good dog. Smart! He understands an amazing number of words. His favorite word being, "Squirrel." 

CD


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 21, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Teddy, (AKA: Psycho Poodle) is actually a pretty good dog. Smart! He understands an amazing number of words. His favorite word being, "Squirrel."
> 
> CD



Casey is like that too. If I'm fixing their food, but it's not ready yet, all I have to do is say "It's not ready yet" and he'll leave the room for a couple of minutes. He'll also get up and leave the room if I start sneezing. Sneezing freaks him out. It's not actually speaking words, but it's a sound he doesn't like.

Also, if I say "Get the kitty", he'll go attack my cat 

And he can be sound asleep and all I have to do is say "You hungry?" or "You want something to eat?" and he goes bananas.


----------



## buckytom (Jan 21, 2019)

I'm starting to get confused as to which Casey acts like which. I have to keep looking back to reference who posted it...


----------



## Rascal (Jan 21, 2019)

Just watched a doco about the fault line by L.A.  If the big one comes it's going to be massive loss of lives.

Russ


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 21, 2019)

Rascal said:


> Just watched a doco about the fault line by L.A.  If the big one comes it's going to be massive loss of lives.
> 
> Russ




Well, you sure know about massive earthquakes too Russ, although you don't have the population we do. I've lived with the knowledge of "the big one" all my life and although it's a sobering thought I've bloomed in this beautiful place up the coast from Los Angeles where I was planted. This part of the state has had two serious earthquakes in my lifetime, the first in 1971 and the last in 1994, neither impacted me or mine. There have been far more impactful disasters with fire and flood in California.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 21, 2019)

Rascal said:


> Just watched a doco about the fault line by L.A.  If the big one comes it's going to be massive loss of lives.
> 
> Russ



I invested in some land about 20 miles from the California coast. I got it cheap. I figure some day it will be oceanfront property. That's my retirement plan. 

CD


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 22, 2019)

buckytom said:


> I'm starting to get confused as to which Casey acts like which. I have to keep looking back to reference who posted it...



So you're saying we have crazy posters here as well as crazy animals?


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 23, 2019)

caseydog said:


> I invested in some land about 20 miles from the California coast. I got it cheap. I figure some day it will be oceanfront property. That's my retirement plan.
> 
> CD




 *GROAN*  Gosh, I've never heard that "funny" before.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 23, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> *GROAN*  Gosh, I've never heard that "funny" before.



Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress. 

CD


----------



## Cheryl J (Jan 23, 2019)

That old joke will never die.


----------



## JustJoel (Jan 24, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> That old joke will never die.


Until it’s not a joke anymore, lol.


----------



## roadfix (Jan 24, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> Until it’s not a joke anymore, lol.





.....in about a million years from now...


----------



## Caslon (Jan 26, 2019)

One thing missing from my survival thinking. Where to put whatever survival stuff I have if I have to leave in a hurry. I'm going to buy a duffel bag maybe. Army surplus store. Just to have on hand.  To load all my stuff into. If it gets that serious.

In other words, I have a small propane stove, water jar with filters, some canned goods. Flashlight, batteriers etc.

Only...I never thought where to gather those things into something if the time were to get up and go.

Hehe, pickup bed...car back seat...toss it all in.  Drive!


----------



## buckytom (Jan 26, 2019)

That's called a Bug Out Bag, Cas. You can look up a lot of prepper info on what folks put in them.

It's a good idea for most people to have one.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 26, 2019)

Caslon said:


> One thing missing from my survival thinking. Where to put whatever survival stuff I have if I have to leave in a hurry. I'm going to buy a duffel bag maybe. Army surplus store. Just to have on hand.  To load all my stuff into. If it gets that serious.
> 
> In other words, I have a small propane stove, water jar with filters, some canned goods. Flashlight, batteriers etc.
> 
> ...





buckytom said:


> That's called a Bug Out Bag, Cas. You can look up a lot of prepper info on what folks put in them.
> 
> It's a good idea for most people to have one.



Excellent point on what to do if you have to leave your home and grab stuff in a hurry and a thank you to *Bucky* for providing an answer. 

I'm going to look into that.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 26, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Excellent point on what to do if you have to leave your home and grab stuff in a hurry and a thank you to *Bucky* for providing an answer.
> 
> I'm going to look into that.


Aka a go bag. 

https://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Go-Bag


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 26, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Aka a go bag.
> 
> https://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Go-Bag



Nice information, thank you. I bookmarked the page.

I have several backpacks from the years of my son going to school and his dad always kept duffel bags and carrying cases, which I have put away, but they're basically stock-piled. I could use those.


----------



## roadfix (Jan 26, 2019)

Although we live in a designated "fire zone" the chance of our entire neighborhood going up in flames is almost none, IMO.   I think we have a better chance of getting hit with a major earthquake.   For that, we have water, some food, and camping gear stored out in the 10'x12' shed which can be used as a makeshift shelter if the house becomes inhabitable.


----------



## buckytom (Jan 26, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Although we live in a designated "fire zone" the chance of our entire neighborhood going up in flames is almost none, IMO.   I think we have a better chance of getting hit with a major earthquake.   For that, we have water, some food, and camping gear stored out in the 10'x12' shed which can be used as a makeshift shelter if the house becomes inhabitable.




Lol, you mean un-inhabitable? That's one of those words that's a gotcha.


----------



## tenspeed (Jan 26, 2019)

roadfix said:


> .....in about a million years from now...


Not necessarily.  What's the elevation above sea level?


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 26, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Although we live in a designated "fire zone" the chance of our entire neighborhood going up in flames is almost none, IMO.   I think we have a better chance of getting hit with a major earthquake.   For that, we have water, some food, and camping gear stored out in the 10'x12' shed which can be used as a makeshift shelter if the house becomes inhabitable.




I became all too aware of the terror of fire evacuation during the Thomas fire here. Thankfully we remained safe but were told to be ready to get out within a ten minute time frame. Geeze what a thought. So many people lost their homes during those terrible days in this area.


----------



## roadfix (Jan 26, 2019)

tenspeed said:


> Not necessarily.  What's the elevation above sea level?



Yeah, you're probably right.    I live 14 miles from the ocean at 600 ft elevation.    At the rate the polar caps are melting, that can happen a lot sooner than later, geologically speaking.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 26, 2019)

I live in Ohio and not much really happens around here, except for the occasional tornado warning, which rarely ever produces anything significant. That's really the biggest disaster I can think of happening in these parts, so I don't have a large fear of ever having to evacuate (unless the house catches fire or we have a gas leak, in which case we're probably not going to have any time to grab extra items anyway) so I guess you could say I'm only 'minimally' prepared. I've got extra food stored, a couple sheets of bottled water, a couple of food kits with the 25-year shelf life edibles, flashlights, matches, batteries and transistor radios, a camp stove, a manual can opener, plenty of blankets if we lose power during a winter storm, that sort of thing. I even have 2 large packages of adult body wipes to keep clean in the event we have no water. 

If some weird disaster were to hit that would force my son and I to stay homebound for several days to a week or longer, we've got enough to survive on for that length of time.


----------



## Addie (Jan 26, 2019)

Interesting thread. Great reading. Kind of shakes up your mind and starts one thinking.


----------



## bethzaring (Jan 26, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I live in Ohio and not much really happens around here, except for the occasional tornado warning, which rarely ever produces anything significant. That's really the biggest disaster I can think of happening in these parts, so I don't have a large fear of ever having to evacuate (unless the house catches fire or we have a gas leak, in which case we're probably not going to have any time to grab extra items anyway) so I guess you could say I'm only 'minimally' prepared. I've got extra food stored, a couple sheets of bottled water, a couple of food kits with the 25-year shelf life edibles, flashlights, matches, batteries and transistor radios, a camp stove, a manual can opener, plenty of blankets if we lose power during a winter storm, that sort of thing. I even have 2 large packages of adult body wipes to keep clean in the event we have no water.
> 
> If some weird disaster were to hit that would force my son and I to stay homebound for several days to a week or longer, we've got enough to survive on for that length of time.



Did you not have any damage with this storm?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2012_North_American_derecho


This was the first major storm I endured after Rich had died.  We experienced many power outages so I was capable of dragging out the generator and doing everything that needed to be done during a natural disaster.  I was without power for 4 days, but parts of West Virginia were without power for 3 weeks because of the trees felled in the hilly forests.  My next door neighbor went out on horseback to find the downed power lines which help the electric company get our power restored earlier than if he hadn't scouted out the trouble areas.  When I moved to New Mexico I couldn't imagine life without a generator and brought it with me.  Haven't had to use it once.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 26, 2019)

bethzaring said:


> Did you not have any damage with this storm?
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2012_North_American_derecho
> 
> ...



Oh my gosh, I'll never forget it. And where I live, it hit suddenly. It was weird because the power went out about 10 seconds before the actual storm came through. My son and I were like what the heck? Did somebody hit a power line? I mean, there was absolutely nothing going on outside except dark skies. And then, suddenly, there it was, like it was dropped on top of us, the rain and the high winds. It sounded like the house was coming apart and looking at what was going on outside was downright scary. Our power was out for about 3 days, but, thankfully, we didn't sustain any major damage to the house or surrounding area.

I've seen a lot of storms in my life, but never anything quite like that one.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 26, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Aka a go bag.
> 
> https://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Go-Bag



In hurricane country, at least in LA/TX, they are usually called "bugout" bags. Some people even have small campers, called bugout campers. Vacant hotel rooms inland can be hard to find, and shelters are no fun. 

CD


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## buckytom (Jan 26, 2019)

Most military or outdoorsy folks call them BOBs, or Bug Out Bags. 

"Go Bags" are for short term evacuation. Or the first to go, on a few levels.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 27, 2019)

I am very well stocked - food, clothing, shelter, protection, water.  All portable and waterproof. I also have a comprehensive camping equipment kit.  It all fits in the pickup and easy to load when needed. Generator and diesel, batteries.  And the Foxfire books.

I forgot to mention, I also have a months worth of medications packed away and rotate them out twice a year.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 27, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I forgot to mention, I also have a months worth of medications packed away and rotate them out twice a year.



That's something I didn't think about -- my meds. Apparently the voices didn't think about them, either. 

CD


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 27, 2019)

caseydog said:


> That's something I didn't think about -- my meds. Apparently the voices didn't think about them, either.
> 
> CD



If you ask your doctor they can prescribe an extra month of meds for emergencies.  Or pay out of pocket for a months worth, that's what I did.


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 27, 2019)

*Wow, what a good point PF.* I take 7 prescription meds daily and I'd be in a world of trouble without them


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 27, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> *Wow, what a good point PF.* I take 7 prescription meds daily and I'd be in a world of trouble without them



It is noted in some situations pharmacies are hit first when disaster strikes.  Having a month or more supply should keep you on your maintenance meds until things are righted. My pharmacy is ten miles away, if I was unable to get there for any reason, I still have back up.

I also keep my last old pair of glasses in my kit and Shrek's old CPAP.


----------



## buckytom (Jan 27, 2019)

I get 90 day supplies of the med I take (for having such a special heart...), and they always refill me a month early, so I'm good to go.

I also have to take a pill sometimes for a rare disease; the opposite of ADHD: Lack of caring about small stuff with extra focusing abilities / anti-lazy dumbass disorder. It gets me in trouble at times. 

I have to personally stock my own cootie spray, though.


----------



## caseydog (Jan 28, 2019)

buckytom said:


> I get 90 day supplies of the med I take (for having such a special heart...), and they always refill me a month early, so I'm good to go.
> 
> I also have to take a pill sometimes for a rare disease; the opposite of ADHD: Lack of caring about small stuff with extra focusing abilities / anti-lazy dumbass disorder. It gets me in trouble at times.
> 
> I have to personally stock my own cootie spray, though.



My rabies shot is only once a year, and my heart-worm medicine is only once a month, but I probably should have a back-up supply of my blood pressure meds -- or find a new career. 

CD


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 28, 2019)

(at CD, of course)

I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.


----------



## Addie (Jan 28, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> (at CD, of course)
> 
> I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.



I am in the same boat. I get my meds on MOT cards. MOT stands for "Medicine On Time." It is a plastic card with 30 windows on it and each card is color coded. Yellow is for morning, Orange is for mid afternoon, and blue is for evening. I get a month's supply at a time. Each window is dated. And the cards are delivered to me at my home two days before I run out. These are all "Prescribed" drugs. Any over the counter meds I need such as Mucinex, I can order anytime I want to. 

When the end of the month comes, if I remember them I bring the empty ones back to be cleaned, sterilized and filled again. A good system, but there is no way I can get an extra 30 day supply. I would have to grab my present supply and hope the disaster happens on the second day of the month. One of my meds is gabapentin. It now is considered a "street" drug and is now controlled at to just how much a doctor can prescribe at any one time. No way can it be refilled earlier than prescribed than two days before the your present supply runs out.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 28, 2019)

My scripts are scattered over different days of the month, so getting them all on one day wouldn't be possible either.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Jan 28, 2019)

You could, Linda, with a call to your doctor or pharmacist. Most can arrange a "sync my meds" arrangement so that you can pick them all up at one time.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 28, 2019)

Cooking Goddess said:


> You could, Linda, with a call to your doctor or pharmacist. Most can arrange a "sync my meds" arrangement so that you can pick them all up at one time.



I might try that. I'm getting tired of running to the pharmacy several times a month to pick up prescriptions.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 28, 2019)

You can always get another refill...you just have to pay full price, no insurance.  Tell your doc and pharmacist why you want it, for emergency go bag.  Insurance is why your meds are only given on strict schedule.  Without insurance you should be able to pick up an extra month.


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 29, 2019)

I could pick up a 30 day emergency supply of my Xarelto with an out of pocket cost of $446.00. Ykies.


----------



## Caslon (Jan 29, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> (at CD, of course)
> 
> I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.



I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate."   I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time.  For those with privately paid  insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently.  My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 29, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> I could pick up a 30 day emergency supply of my Xarelto with an out of pocket cost of $446.00. Ykies.



Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 29, 2019)

Caslon said:


> I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate."   I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time.  For those with privately paid  insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently.  My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.



You can ask your doctor to write the prescriptions for a 60 or 90 day supply.  As written by your doctor you can only get 30 days. The insurance company will only pay by what the doc has written.  I have 90 day supplies on all my meds.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 29, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.


It's out of reach when you take 14 meds.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 29, 2019)

It's a suggestion for a survival kit, not a mandate.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 29, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> It's a suggestion for a survival kit, not a mandate.


I realize that - it's just part of the discussion. I've already accepted that if there's a truly catastrophic disaster, I won't last very long. It's sort of top of mind right now - I just finished a really good book about an epidemic that wipes out at least half of the world's population. Internet and reliable medical infrastructure are among the first to go.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 29, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> You can always get another refill...you just have to pay full price, no insurance.  Tell your doc and pharmacist why you want it, for emergency go bag.  Insurance is why your meds are only given on strict schedule.  Without insurance you should be able to pick up an extra month.



I don't know if they'll go for that. If I try to fill a script that looks even the slightest bit 'off', they'll crowd me at the counter and ask all kinds of questions and grill me on why I'm filling this when I just filled that, etc. 

I could possibly ask my doctor and she may agree. But there's one script I know I can't get extra of, as it's a controlled substance. I'm prescribed Ativan for anxiety. And that one they keep a very close eye on, as well as tight control. I don't know why, really. If I wanted to abuse them and possibly kill myself, all I'd have to do is just wait until I get a new refill and down the whole thing at once 

Okay, not funny, but just making a point.



Caslon said:


> I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate."   I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time.  For those with privately paid  insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently.  My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.



One of my medications, for blood pressure, has been given to me before with 180 tabs in one bottle. However, if there's ANY of my meds I rely on, it's my Ativan. And, as I said above, that one is tightly controlled.


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 29, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.




It's shocking that one Xarelto works about to about $15 a day. It would be worth it to buy enough for a few days. If my heart can take it, maybe I'll work out an out of pocket expense for my remaining six prescriptions assuming the pharmacy will sell me less than a month's supply.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 29, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> It's shocking that one Xarelto works about to about $15 a day. It would be worth it to buy enough for a few days. If my heart can take it, maybe I'll work out an out of pocket expense for my remaining six prescriptions assuming the pharmacy will sell me less than a month's supply.


Check with your insurance company. Sometimes you can get three months worth of Rx via mail order for a two-month co-pay.


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 29, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> I realize that - it's just part of the discussion. I've already accepted that if there's a truly catastrophic disaster, I won't last very long. It's sort of top of mind right now - I just finished a really good book about an epidemic that wipes out at least half of the world's population. *Internet and reliable medical infrastructure are among the first to go.*



Now _that's_ a scary thought


----------



## roadfix (Jan 29, 2019)

Yeah, walkie talkies and amateur radios would be the only reliable means of communication if the digital infrastructure gets wiped out.


----------



## Kayelle (Jan 29, 2019)

Scary indeed. Case in point..the devastating total number of deaths as a result of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 29, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Yeah, walkie talkies and amateur radios would be the only reliable means of communication if the digital infrastructure gets wiped out.


Don't you need electricity to operate a ham radio?


----------



## Linda0818 (Jan 29, 2019)

We have a nice set of walkies... somewhere


----------



## roadfix (Jan 29, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Don't you need electricity to operate a ham radio?


   You can use auxillary battery packs or your car battery.
But I'm sure most folks into amateur radio have everything needed to operate their equipment during emergencies.


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## Addie (Jan 29, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Yeah, walkie talkies and amateur radios would be the only reliable means of communication if the digital infrastructure gets wiped out.



Don't forget smoke signals!


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## buckytom (Jan 29, 2019)

Ham Radio operators are some of the most reliable and prepared people you will ever meet. I work with about 7 or 8 of them who have been bugging me for years to join in and get a setup. I don't have the time.
But, there's a Ham Radio club in my building, and they have a shack on the roof. Maybe someday. At least for now I know my Dits and Dahs (Morse Code).



Linda0818 said:


> We have a nice set of walkies... *somewhere*



That's why everyone should arrange a spot in their garage, shed, or closet somewhere to collect all of the stuff you need when you need it most. It doesn't have to be some spectacular thing, or special purpose stuff.

As I've mentioned in a few posts, I've made it a habit since i was a Boy Scout to keep all of my backpacking, camping, fishing, hunting, and canoeing stuff on one or two one tall shelves in the garage. (Plus a corner for all of the rods and tackle). 

I never planned it to be something that would be a good idea. It just made sense to have stuff organized for when you want to have fun but don't have a lot of time.

We have FRS radios in my skiing stuff, which is the next shelf over from the other that's I'd mentioned. lol.


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## caseydog (Jan 29, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Ham Radio operators are some of the most reliable and prepared people you will ever meet.



And they can rock a party. 

CD


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## Caslon (Jan 30, 2019)

buckytom said:


> That's why everyone should arrange a spot in their garage, shed, or closet somewhere to collect all of the stuff you need when you need it most. It doesn't have to be some spectacular thing, or special purpose stuff.



A fairly tall mast antenna is needed for ham radio.  I had enough problem picking up shortwave radio stations with my Sony bookshelf audio system way back that included short wave reception. I liked that cool feature. Shortwave and ham radio may someday be vital if and when the big big big one happens.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 30, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> I realize that - it's just part of the discussion. I've already accepted that if there's a truly catastrophic disaster, I won't last very long. It's sort of top of mind right now - I just finished a really good book about an epidemic that wipes out at least half of the world's population. Internet and reliable medical infrastructure are among the first to go.



Nora Roberts, _Year One_?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 30, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> It's shocking that one Xarelto works about to about $15 a day. It would be worth it to buy enough for a few days. If my heart can take it, maybe I'll work out an out of pocket expense for my remaining six prescriptions assuming the pharmacy will sell me less than a month's supply.



Eliquis is over $800 for a month.  I wish all medications were off their brand name and into generics.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 30, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Nora Roberts, _Year One_?


Yup. Can't wait to get the second one, once I finish my book club book.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 30, 2019)

roadfix said:


> You can use auxillary battery packs or your car battery.
> But I'm sure most folks into amateur radio have everything needed to operate their equipment during emergencies.


In the scenario I was describing in the book, there's no grid at all. After a while, batteries run down and need some new source of energy.

I have a little understanding of how ham radios work. Many years ago, I belonged to a computer user group that was started by a group of engineers at the local GE plant. Some of them were into it and it was a topic of a couple of our monthly meetings. We did a field trip once to someone's house who had a 30-foot or so antenna in his back yard.

One time, when my husband was deployed with the Navy, a ham radio operator called me and arranged a call with him from his ship. That was pretty cool.


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## roadfix (Jan 30, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> In the scenario I was describing in the book, there's no grid at all. After a while, batteries run down and need some new source of energy.




Solar?  Unless most of the Earth’s atmosphere is covered with volcanic ash or dust from a meteor strike.


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## buckytom (Jan 30, 2019)

Steam power, baby!

More realisticaly, though, I need to look into a wood gasifier. I certainly have enough wood stockpiled from when we cleared the backyard.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 30, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Ham Radio operators are some of the most reliable and prepared people you will ever meet. I work with about 7 or 8 of them who have been bugging me for years to join in and get a setup. I don't have the time.
> But, there's a Ham Radio club in my building, and they have a shack on the roof. Maybe someday. At least for now I know my Dits and Dahs (Morse Code).
> 
> 
> ...



Agreed. Good idea keeping all of your stuff in one place. I should probably look for those walkies and put them in the storage room with other "preparedness stuff", just in case.

Right now, however, we're dealing with the coldest air to hit us in "decades", they say. I can't even let my dogs out because their little legs (I have Dachshunds) freeze up within seconds. So it's potty pad time today. They're pretty good about using them. It's way too cold out there for them right now and if they would insist upon going out, I'm going with them. I have to keep a special eye on my mini Dachsie, Casey, because his tiny little legs freeze up so badly that he can't walk and, therefore, can't make it back to the house. 

Schools and even some businesses (including ours) are closed today and the wind chill is supposed to be something like -40. I haven't been outside yet, but I'm gonna be going out eventually because I want to start the Honda and the Mustang and let them run for a bit.


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## Addie (Jan 30, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Eliquis is over $800 for a month.  I wish all medications were off their brand name and into generics.



I have psoriasis. A new ointment came out and my medical plan was willing to pay for it. One day the pharmacy didn't quite put the label on the right side. $500 plus for just one tube. I go through two tubes a month. It is now generic. I get the same ointment, but in a stronger strength. 0.001 to 0.1. 

I don't know one person who can afford the price of name brand medication. You would think the pharmaceutical companies would realize this. Potential sales lost.


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## buckytom (Jan 30, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I can't even let my dogs out because their little legs (I have Dachshunds) freeze up within seconds. .




Dachshunds? Do you follow the adventures of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund?

https://youtu.be/7L5Nx4ClxN4


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## Linda0818 (Jan 30, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Dachshunds? Do you follow the adventures of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund?
> 
> https://youtu.be/7L5Nx4ClxN4



Haha, that's cute. No, I've never seen the videos before.


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## buckytom (Jan 30, 2019)

Lol, I love little Cru, and his brother, Oakley.

My favorites is Turkey Hunting https://youtu.be/zqyaYYEFjaE

But there's many good videos: Dachshund Videos of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund


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## Linda0818 (Jan 30, 2019)

buckytom said:


> Lol, I love little Cru, and his brother, Oakley.
> 
> My favorites is Turkey Hunting https://youtu.be/zqyaYYEFjaE
> 
> But there's many good videos: Dachshund Videos of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund



Cool, thanks, I'll have to give those a looksie


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 30, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> ...I can't even let my dogs out because their little legs (I have Dachshunds) freeze up within seconds...


Saw this and thought of your post immediately.


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## Linda0818 (Jan 30, 2019)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Saw this and thought of your post immediately.
> 
> View attachment 33362





Love it!

I just let my little Casey out because he was jumping about at the door. He raced out to the back yard, was out there maybe a minute, and I had to go get him and carry him inside because the poor little guy was hobbling just in that small amount of time.


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## buckytom (Jan 30, 2019)

Lol, I still have trouble trying to separate which Casey is which. They both do the exact same things...


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## Linda0818 (Jan 30, 2019)

Maybe they are twins, separated at birth


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## Kayelle (Jan 31, 2019)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Eliquis is over $800 for a month.  I wish all medications were off their brand name and into generics.




That's shocking isn't it? They have to pay for all those TV commercials I guess. All those drug commercials are ridiculous to me. They must be targeting the doctors who can prescribe the drugs. Otherwise, I just don't get it.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 1, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> That's shocking isn't it? They have to pay for all those TV commercials I guess. All those drug commercials are ridiculous to me. They must be targeting the doctors who can prescribe the drugs. Otherwise, I just don't get it.



They are also trying to pay for the research and development before the generics are able to come out.  It is still a nasty business to charge so much for medications that are supposed to help people.

Also for my survival stash, I have each container labeled with the next expiration date of any perishables.  I replace the items and use up the nearly expired about a month before the date. I use page protectors with the list of what is in there and use dry erase markers on the cover for the dates.

For containers I use cat litter buckets that have been washed out and dried.  They stack nicely and I know I can pick them up if needed.  Have to make sure I can handle them on my own.


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## roadfix (Feb 1, 2019)

I know people who drive down into Mexico to pick up brand name pres. medications cheap.     I remember back when Rogain (hair treatment) was very expensive here, Mexican pharmacies had them at a fraction of the cost, without prescription.   Same with Viagra.


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## caseydog (Feb 17, 2019)

Well, things have just changed. A _*National Emergency has been declared*_, and since I am in Texas, I am on the front lines. Please send me your "thoughts and prayers." I'll be loading the guns, and stocking up on non-perishable food, and drinking water. The hoards are coming!!!

Crap!!! My handyman, Carlos, has a key to my house. I don't know his legal status. I better change the locks!

Thoughts and prayers, it's my only hope. 

CD


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## Addie (Feb 18, 2019)

caseydog said:


> Well, things have just changed. A _*National Emergency has been declared*_, and since I am in Texas, I am on the front lines. Please send me your "thoughts and prayers." I'll be loading the guns, and stocking up on non-perishable food, and drinking water. The hoards are coming!!!
> 
> Crap!!! My handyman, Carlos, has a key to my house. I don't know his legal status. I better change the locks!
> 
> ...



If Carlos is a good and faithful employee I wouldn't worry about him. But you may want to question him if he is legal or not. Then let your conscience be your guide.


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## roadfix (Feb 18, 2019)

Oh shoot!  I may lose half of my workforce....


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## caseydog (Feb 18, 2019)

Addie said:


> If Carlos is a good and faithful employee I wouldn't worry about him. But you may want to question him if he is legal or not. Then let your conscience be your guide.



He's not actually an employee. He owns his own painting and contracting business. I don't know if he's "legal," and don't care. He's a good guy, does good work, takes care of his family and friends -- that's enough for my conscience. 

CD


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## caseydog (Feb 18, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Oh shoot!  I may lose half of my workforce....



And every restaurant in LA... and Dallas, Phoenix, New York... would have to shut down if we shipped them all back.  No kitchen staff. And, the produce and meat departments at grocery stores would be empty. 

There are always unintended consequences. 

But, I was really just being a smartas$$ before. There's no border "emergency," and declaring one isn't goin to change a thing down here in the border states, so I don't need to stock up on survival gear and food... yet. 

CD


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## Addie (Feb 18, 2019)

Last night the fire alarm went off. For the second time in the 12 years I have lived here, you could smell smoke. Unfortunately I am in a wheelchair and as soon as the fire department arrives, they take over the elevator. And I live on the second floor. So I can't evacuate myself.  Fortunately we didn't have to evacuate. But a fireman showed up at my door to inform me that there is no need to evacuate. It seems that someone was cooking and fell asleep. 

But if it had been more serious, the fire department would have carried me out and another would have brought my wheelchair. I really didn't want to go out with the temps in the low 20's.


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## Linda0818 (Feb 18, 2019)

Addie said:


> Last night the fire alarm went off. For the second time in the 12 years I have lived here, you could smell smoke. Unfortunately I am in a wheelchair and as soon as the fire department arrives, they take over the elevator. And I live on the second floor. So I can't evacuate myself.  Fortunately we didn't have to evacuate. But a fireman showed up at my door to inform me that there is no need to evacuate. It seems that someone was cooking and fell asleep.
> 
> But if it had been more serious, the fire department would have carried me out and another would have brought my wheelchair. I really didn't want to go out with the temps in the low 20's.



Good thing it wasn't any worse than that. I feel for you having that worry on your head. I used to worry about that all the time when I was younger and living at home. My mom was alcoholic and she would frequently put something on the stove and go pass out on the couch or she'd fall asleep with a lit cigarette. Scared the heck out of me. I was always worried that I'd come home to a burned down house or she'd catch the place on fire in the middle of the night. More than once I'd wake up to the smoke alarms going off and I'd get out of bed and run out to the kitchen and a pan of food was smoking on the stovetop and mom was passed out on the couch (she would stay up all hours of the night drinking and then get hungry and decide to cook). One time the pan was on fire and I had to quickly grab it and toss it into the sink and turn the water on.

Didn't do any good yelling at her for it. She wouldn't have remembered it the next day anyway. Not even the smoke alarms could wake her up once she was out of it. I did tell her, though, many many times, that when you get hungry, make a sandwich instead of trying to cook something. She didn't listen. She was the most stubborn woman I've ever known.


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