Hi folks. Here's the scenario:
An EMP has rendered all non-shielded electronics useless. Cars. Radios. Cellphones. You name it...it's toast.
You live 30 miles from where you work.
What Would You Do?
- How do you get home?
- Do you stay at work?
- What do you eat?
- What do you drink?
- What do you wear?
- What if it is below freezing?
- What if it is over 100-degrees Fahrenheit?
- How do you protect yourself?
- How do you navigate?
- What if major roads are closed? Do you know alternate routes to get home?
- What about family?
- How do you meet up with them? Do you have a plan?
- What about friends?
- Do you have like-minded friends who you can join up with? There is safety in numbers.
That issue has been bothering me lately. I read the .pdf e-book 'Lights Out' by HalfFast and it got me thinking. What do I do if we have an EMP strike here? I live 30 miles from where I work. I work in the city and live in the country. That's a long walk. Granted, I could do. It would take me two days most likely. Sadly it's mostly uphill. I would have blisters and a sore back--but I can do it.
I would choose not to stay at work. I like my coworkers--but I don't want to stay and take care of them in a SHTF situation. I'm not being mean...I'm being realistic. My main focus is to take care of my family and my close friends who I consider family. I also think looting would begin pretty rapidly after a major power outage. The sooner I'm out of the area the better.
I have a Bug Out Bag under my desk at work. Nothing fancy. A change of clothes, a few granola bars, extra socks, tennis shoes and a hat. I obviously need to beef it up with more stuff. Here's what I'm thinking of adding:
- A poncho
- Paracord (With the poncho I could make a simple shelter to get out of the elements if I needed to stop and rest.)
- Water purification of some sort (Most likely Micropur tabs. I'm lucky enough to live near lots of rivers and streams.)
- ASP tactical baton
- A tritium compass
- Coast Guard rations
- Fixed blade knife
- First aid supplies (bandaids, tylenol, VetWrap, sunscreen, etc.)
My buddies and I have been talking about keeping an old bicycle at work to help us get home faster. I could keep one in the basement of the building I work in locked up in the corner. I would need an air pump and some patches just in case. The thing I was worried about is what happens when people try to take my bike on my way home? Do I fight? Do I surrender the bike and proceed on foot? Depends on how many of them there are I guess.
Hopefully I've got you thinking what you would do if you were presented with this situation. I'd love to hear what you think.
Thanks for reading,
NinjaClerk
Obviously after something like that, the only option is to head home if you have family or if all your preps are located there.
ReplyDeleteGetting home via foot or bike is the only option I can see. Even if you did have an OLD vehicle without electronic everything that still ran, the roads would be pretty much blocked by dead traffic that you *might* be able to maneuver around.
It would be possible to travel 30 miles without eating, but even a small amount of food would be a good benefit for morale and energy. If there were no water on hand, most municipal water sources are pressurized by towers, so clean water should still flow for a while. If you have no filter, dig up some used soda or water bottles and fill them up for the trip. You could probably even pilfer some from someone's outside faucet if need be.
As for clothing, I would hope that a person would keep appropriate weather clothes in their car. It's just not safe to go without a jacket in the winter even if you have such a short walk between car and job as to not need it.
Protection is split between tools and appearance. It's always better to have the right tools, but if you can appear as the "Grey Man" it's even better. Don't look like you have "stuff" that someone else wants, but appear confident and strong; the least likely person someone would mess with. Maybe a raggedy backpack and jacket kept in the car to appear this way?
Navigation between work and home should be something you can do without thinking too much. Consider the situation, the neighborhoods you have to travel through, and pick the best option of directness vs location safety. It might even be safer to walk through the busiest areas and avoid the lonely travel, but consider the mob mentality at the same time.
Having a friend between here and there is a good idea I hadn't thought of. A safe stopping point and/or a place to store some preps (food, gun, resupply) is a great idea. I like that one. Maybe you could keep one of those little armband radios in a shielded container to be able to check for news. A couple walkie talkies that match up with one your friend has one your home has...
As for the bike, even if you get a short bit before it breaks or is taken, you are still ahead by a couple miles. I suppose it would depend upon how many try to take it and what your defensive capabilities are - weapons, martial arts. Do you risk more injuries trying to keep it?
How soon after something like that happens before people wise up to the entirety of the situation and start trying to take things like bikes from passing people? I would hope (is it wrong to hope this?) that people will start with the commercial places and not get to individuals passing by for a few days. What do you think?
Thanks, now I need to do more planning.
Obviously after something like that, the only option is to head home if you have family or if all your preps are located there.
ReplyDeleteGetting home via foot or bike is the only option I can see. Even if you did have an OLD vehicle without electronic everything that still ran, the roads would be pretty much blocked by dead traffic that you *might* be able to maneuver around.
It would be possible to travel 30 miles without eating, but even a small amount of food would be a good benefit for morale and energy. If there were no water on hand, most municipal water sources are pressurized by towers, so clean water should still flow for a while. If you have no filter, dig up some used soda or water bottles and fill them up for the trip. You could probably even pilfer some from someone's outside faucet if need be.
As for clothing, I would hope that a person would keep appropriate weather clothes in their car. It's just not safe to go without a jacket in the winter even if you have such a short walk between car and job as to not need it.
Protection is split between tools and appearance. It's always better to have the right tools, but if you can appear as the "Grey Man" it's even better. Don't look like you have "stuff" that someone else wants, but appear confident and strong; the least likely person someone would mess with. Maybe a raggedy backpack and jacket kept in the car to appear this way?
Navigation between work and home should be something you can do without thinking too much. Consider the situation, the neighborhoods you have to travel through, and pick the best option of directness vs location safety. It might even be safer to walk through the busiest areas and avoid the lonely travel, but consider the mob mentality at the same time.
Having a friend between here and there is a good idea I hadn't thought of. A safe stopping point and/or a place to store some preps (food, gun, resupply) is a great idea. I like that one. Maybe you could keep one of those little armband radios in a shielded container to be able to check for news. A couple walkie talkies that match up with one your friend has one your home has...
As for the bike, even if you get a short bit before it breaks or is taken, you are still ahead by a couple miles. I suppose it would depend upon how many try to take it and what your defensive capabilities are - weapons, martial arts. Do you risk more injuries trying to keep it?
How soon after something like that happens before people wise up to the entirety of the situation and start trying to take things like bikes from passing people? I would hope (is it wrong to hope this?) that people will start with the commercial places and not get to individuals passing by for a few days. What do you think?
Thanks, now I need to do more planning.