Urban Survival Skills To Keep Your Ass Alive

survive2thrive.ne ^ | 7/14/11 | Steve

[Kartographer]

Even if you are fortunate enough to have a retreat out in the country getting to your safe haven maybe impossible during upheaval. Roads blocked by wrecked and fuelless vehicles will stop most bugouters in their tracks. Maybe you were born lucky and can make it out safely before the balloon bursts, then what? People in rural areas, will start shooting if threatened by mobs of refugees fleeing the city. Don’t expect to be welcomed with arms outstretched. Most country folks don’t trust outsiders; you will likely be greeted with a load of buckshot and not the cup of fresh coffee and meaningful conversation you hoped for.

[familyop]

"The current STOL record holder is a slightly modified Piper SuperCub. You can build yourself one of these as well as a number of other great homebuilt STOL aircraft."

Thanks! Very interesting.

[Travis McGee]

By Helio do you mean a gyrocopter, like in the early James Bond and Road Warrior?

[Travis McGee]

No, I just grabbed that photo off the net as indicative of the sailboat escape pod option. My boat pics are around reply 64 or so.

[Travis McGee]

There will be thousands of RVs locked into that final fatal gridlock on SHTF day. Think Hurricane Rita writ large, with no ending. I doubt many will make it to your AO.

[Travis McGee]

I’m glad you’re up for that cold weather exertion, and it will surely weed out the Section 8 crowd in short order.

But I hope to await events in a tropical lagoon.

[Travis McGee]

It’s an interesting conundrum, publishing SHTF novels on the possible eve of SHTF. I hope we have a few more “good years” at least. Heck, I hope we just keep “muddling along” forever.

[Travis McGee]

As far as 171, some things I won’t post in the open. I’m just glad our enemies are not very imaginative.

[Travis McGee]

Plus there are still Cessna tail draggers around, highly prized as STOL craft.

[Travis McGee]

OMG! Great STOL contest videos! That’s insane! Those planes just jump straight up in the air! Under 100’, take off and landing, WOW!

[Travis McGee]

"With clear fields of fire, you’d only have to pick off a couple at distance and they’d move to greener pastures. Remember, they will NOT be interested in gaining territory, only goods and women."

That "picking them off" deal will work both ways. Don't expect idiot zombies walking upright in the open. Bad guys can also operate a scoped deer rifle, and lay your house under stealthy ambush siege. After recon, they find out who the big stud is, and wait for him to exit the house at dawn. BANG! Now daddy is dead, and the evildoers are still out in that treeline somewhere, patiently waiting for Mom, sis and little brother to come out.

[Roccus]

My thought is that in my area, our worries are the marauding groups from urban environs. Realize what it is that they want (goods and women) and make those things unattainable while assuring your own survival with as little hardship as possible. As for the grid, we have county water, but most also have good wells. Electricity is problematic, but can easily be self generated. No sewage or gas mains, but this is a NG producing area. Wells and gas lines to the storage fields can easily be tapped to provide energy for generators, cooking and heat. Most homes are either "free gas" or propane (I have a 500 gal tank) and also have wood and/or coal burners. Folks who live above the road have septic tanks and fields. Those in the bottom like me have sewage treatment systems that require electricity but can be easily bypassed to the creek.
Of course, if we're facing a trained, well armed and logistically supported army (which I doubt will come about), all bets are off.

[MileHi]

Well it is rougher than it used to be but we can and have the gear we need.

It is instructive to see how many folks in town are unable to cope when power goes down for a while during a heavy winter storm. They have zero skills to help themselves even for a few hours.

That said, anymore I enjoy the mild weather of muzzle loading season just fine. {:0)

[Roccus]

That post was to a FReeper claiming to live in the desert.
Trace back through my posts and my #191 to see my situation. Not everyone can get to the ocean easily. Here, my neighbors and myself have prepared to defend against what we believe is the threat.

[Errant]

Yep, 180s and 185s being the most numerous work horses. But these are becoming hard to find as well. The problem is that Cessna hasn't built any for about 30 years now. My Cessna has retractable gear and Cessna hasn't built a single engine retractable for about 25 years now. It's very efficient and has an 800 mile range. It can go from Louisiana to Tampa Florida non-stop or from Louisian to Cancun using standard fuel tanks. Add 30 extra gallons in wing tip tanks and 1,000+ miles are a piece of cake. It's a favorite of fish spotters and can cruise at 150 mph. I've flown it into and out of grass strips less than 2,000' (tree to tree) easily when lightly loaded.

The Cessna 206 with conventional gear is the primo bush plane, so don't discount tricycle gear either. In a SHTF world, there will be plenty of roadway available between road blocks and etc. I expect GA (general aviation) to play a very important roll in transporting people, supplies and medicine as is the case in remote areas of the world where there isn't any roads. That is, unless some damn oppressive dictator like Obama comes to power and implements a no-fly zone over the U.S.

Check out this site for what's available and current prices: www.aso.com

[Errant]

LOL, yep... times have changed and you can build yourself one just like you did with your boat! :)

Check out the EAA

[Errant]

Even mountaintop retreats are accessible by airplane now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9RPJDoC5E

[SUSSA]

I’d need one heck of a big yacht for my brood; me, wife, kids, grandkids, plus my in-laws. A yacht is a good choice if someone’s family is small enough and the whole family has good seamanship skills. I’m guessing that few of us here have the skills to be safe at sea for an extended time.

What are your thoughts on that?

[Travis McGee]

I think neighbors and mutual defense are critical. An isolated but visible house on lots of acreage will just be a juicy plum, well worth laying sniper siege.

[Roccus]

...well worth laying sniper siege.

And who or what exactly do you propose will do that and to what purpose?

[Travis McGee]

I don’t fly, but I recognize the value of GA post-collapse. In fact, I’ve incorporated light planes flying off roads and dirt strips in all of my four novels as critical plot elements.