[RIKA]

I have several retired friends, both male and female, with whom I have discussed severe social problems coming and the elements of survival. With one exception, they have decided to survive. They are unable or unwilling to move to a survival location so will be in the city. We have discussed having enough water and food, low profile, firearms, light and heat etc. (all the standard stuff) They have gotten with their doctors and have begun stockpiling medications as money will allow. I have taken those who can't drive to Sams Club and used my card so they can buy bulk foods at a discount.

I can't personally provide and take care of each of them so all I can do is offer advice, encouragement and present time help.

Would any of you guys have any special suggestions or ideas I could pass on? I'm sure that I've forgotten a bunch of stuff.

Thank you.

RIKA

 

[Hard Ball]

Check the small gold coins thread I just posted RIKA.

 

[RIKA]

Thanks Hard Ball, good idea. I forgot that one.

RIKA

 

[andy]

there's lots of things they will need before they spend any $ on gold. Cold climate? try to MOVE south if shtf. can they garden where they are, or some place that they can get-to? HOw about grow sprouts indoors?

It's EASY to make your own VERY good sleeping bag, if bulk and wt are no issue. 4 sheets, or bed spreads, obtained for almost nothing at garage sales. sew 2 pairs into a "bag". Stuff the bag with wadded up news paper. Sew together the 2 "bags", into one bag. Put it onto a mattress, or a sheet of foam, or several layers of blankets, so it doesn't "pack down" underneath you. Pull it onto your body like a sock onto your foot.

Use a couple of cans to make a hobo-stove, out of paraffin and 3 mopstrings. A 1 gal can will sit down inside of a 2 gallon can, for instance. Put some 1" rocks between the 2 cans. Poke holes all over the outside can, only on the sides of the inside can. This forms a "draft" for the heat to go up. Light all 3 mopstring wicks, and set your cooking utensil atop the small can.

If no Mexican carneceria or Asian food store in your area, (to buy rice and beans in 50 lb sacks) then check out your local feed store or pet store, they can probably get you some. Even better, check out your local farmer, for wheat, corn, soybeans. $5 a bushel, most farmers. You'll have to winnow out the chaff and dirt yourself, tho.

 

[RIKA]

Okay andy. Thank you for the good ideas.

RIKA

 

[andy]

they need to have some bleach for purifying water, and cookpot and boiling kettles. They need to have lots of "taste-enhancement" goodies, like Soy sauce, chillies, etc. They need non-hybrid garden seeds. they need vitamin-mineral tabs. They need a water SOURCE, cause the cities won't have any. They need a waterbed, for instance, or maybe two. They need to have a source of fuel, at least for cooking. The paraffin will provide that, it's very cheap at the supermarket, in the "canning" section. Need a VENT for the smoke and monoxide gas while cooking, big cookpot, use a 3 gallon bucket. inside of a 5 gal bucket, and have a dozen wicks in the wax. you will be AMAZED at how fast it boils water.

 

[andy]

they need to know how to make boxtraps, for catching cats and rats, too. Such can be made out of woven wire, or boards. The rat version has to be checked frequently, if made out of wood tho. Doesn't take a rat more than 1-2 hours to gnaw a rat sized hole in a board.

 

[John in AR]

You might help them determine the different problems they'd face, being in the city. Besides the "doing without" aspects we'd all be faced with, they're likely to be facing much worse 'predator' problems. For example, when I lose power here in the country and crank up a grill or lights, I don't have much of a problem. If they do the same thing on the 8th floor of a 12-story apartment building, they're likely to have problems, even from people not intending harm, just looking for help.

"Low profile" (lights, cooking smells, etc) would likely be MUCH more important in their situation than for many of us. Low- or no-cook foods would reduce cooking time, cooking smells, and cooking fuel needing to be stored. I keep harping on cooking smells, but in a cramped apartment-building situation, people will notice someone cooking, and if you've got food, you may not want to let everyone know about it.

If they are the type to keep weapons, they don't need a big-caliber scoped rifle; small pistol caliber carbines should be considered, imo. (Or even a pistol-caliber pistol, with high-cap mags, glock, tec-9, etc.)

Being "indoors" blankets and even sleeping bags could be more helpful than heating fuel, and would be cheaper and less of a logistical problem to store.

Just "environment specific" things like that.

BTW, 'well done' with helping folks out. :thumbs:

 

[41mag]

Are these people a group?I mean,if they are aware of each other maybe instead of each one trying to do everything each can concentrate on one thing & agree when/where to get together if things go bad.

 

[RIKA]

Are these people a group?I mean,if they are aware of each other maybe instead of each one trying to do everything each can concentrate on one thing & agree when/where to get together if things go bad.

Good thought, 41mag. They are separated by several miles distance and aren't much inclined to leave their own stuff. The ones that can drive have started to help the ones who can't. I'll mention getting together though I can guess their thoughts on the matter.

Thank you

RIKA

 

[RIKA]

John in AR, you bring up important points about 'environment specific' stuff that needs to be carefully considered. Most will have either a handgun, shotgun or the one 30cal carbine. The 'cooking smells' is something I totally hadn't thought of. Theres a lot more to this than meets the eye (nose?).

Thanks

RIKA

 

[gripper]

If any of them have chronic medical problems,they may want to stock up on medicines that they need,sort of a 'bug out medicine bag".It was an issue for me,back when we thought Y2K was going to screw up deliveries of medical supplies.I get the medicine for my blood disease from the Veterans Administration Medical Clinic-Boston,so I made it a point to ALWAYS renew/refill my prescriptions whether or not I was even close to a half-months supply(they ship each month).I'd call in a refill so I'd always have at least 30 days on tap if worse came to worse.

 

[RIKA]

Thanks Gripper. That medicine thing is a problem for every one of us who need it. My friends have started stockpiling. Will make a list of stuff they may have forgotten like aspirin, antacids, constipation pills etc for them to look over.

RIKA

 

[Wylycoyte]

Dry goods cook up pretty well in a thermos. It saves on energy and eliminates odors.

 

[Garand]

Erika, I have a hard time getting my head into this one. Its always been my philosophy to only maintain a 4-5 week supply at home, during that time arrangements would have been completed to move far away from the health and social problems that will arise from the degredation of society.

Staying in a city, if the balloon ever goes up will put you at odds with the refuge of our society. Depending on the age of your friends and their personal mobility their lives could be severely threatened. Depending on their homes, the ease of conversion to a society that has limited heating or electrical ability could be difficult. Its hard to install a stove if your on the 30th floor of a highrise! They are probably best to only plan for short term difficulties than long term ones. The choice of firearms would be based on the users age, experience with firearms, willingness to practice and the urban enviornment that they live in.

 

[Kent]

Having just had a wisdom tooth pulled, PLEASE don't forget the dentist.

I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my very worst enemy. Thank God the dentist was there til 10pm.

 

[Hard Rock]

Kent brings up a very, very good point.

Keep your dental and medical stuff up to date. Make sure you get to the dentist regularly and make sure all your shots are up to date and so forth. I got a tetnus shot about 6 months ago... probably didn't need it but I was preparing for the worst if the elections went bad.

Prepare for the worst hope for the best.

Mike

 

[andy]

any time my teeth hurt me, I remove them and put them in their cup. Had THAT bs taken care of at age 21, on the Army. Had I not had a wreck and bitten thru the steering wheel, I'd never have given a dentist another dime.

A very small electric heater, or the paraffin "hobo-stove" will run you out of a small "enclosure" that you've created with thumb-tacks and sheet-plastic, inside of a house. Ditto for a small air-conditioner or a block of ice and a little fan,when it's really hot outside. I once had a workshop-bench inside such a plastic "room", in an attic, while I built silencers. I'd rented a studio apt in a reworked, 3 story house, for $150 a month, 1984, to include utilities. I sublet the apt for $150, and lived free in the attic. Had to wire an outlet up there, but that only took an hour o so.

If using the hobo-stove in such an enclosure, have to arrrange for ventilation, and move the stove outside, and blow out the wicks, before going to sleep. Otherwise, carbon monoxide will kill you in your sleep.

 

[mrostov]

Costco or Sams Club is a good place to buy bulk foods, like rice, beans, spices, etc.

If they are in an urban area, get out a phone book, find a food wholesaler, and buy in bulk as a group like you were a small grocery store. You might have to form a business for your co-op to do this efficiently.

Some 'urban' areas are where they are because they have a water supply, like Phoenix with it's canals and river. There are other major sources of urban water. For instance, if they have a swimming pool, there's a zillion gallons of water right there.

Stockpiling charcoal briquets can come in handy too.

The Mormons are real big on wheat, but a lot of people are either allergic to wheat or they get that way after a wheat intensive diet if they are not used to it. You can make a passable meat substitute out of ground whole wheat flour by washing out the starch and just keeping the raw gluten.

They should also take measures for waste disposal, like buying a porta-potty and maybe even a composting toilet.

 

[andy]

if they can get to OTHER water, they can dig a latrine and use quicklime, save a LOT of money and hassle over portapotti bs. That crap is for apt-dwellers.
Charcoal is pretty dangerous-smoky indoors, it's wasteful if you have to put it out, needs lighter fluid to get it burning worth a crap, slow to get to full-heat, etc. The paraffin stove is FAR better.