Posted on 03/08/2022 8:35:44 AM PST by mad_as_he$$
Last night was our monthly prepping zoom call with preppers from all around the country participating. This group consists of about 300 preppers ranging from complete novices to grizzled veterans. Of course the subject of Ukraine/Russia conflict was the main point of discussion. The first speaker is a well-established prepper in the group who has family ties back to Ukraine. His report was sobering. He has family in various parts of Ukraine that he has managed to stay in touch with you during this almost 2 week crisis. It is his take that people that are in the cities are in deep trouble. The Russians have indiscriminately shelled probably 100 urban areas ranging from smaller towns up to the Capitol itself. I was aware of that but I was not prepared to hear his assessment of how bad the damages. Many of these towns and cities have been basically leveled. Destroying the preps of many people in situ. If anything is recoverable it will take time and energy in a lot of effort. He then went on to comment that the countryside is full of refugees trying to get across the border anywhere that is safe. They have swamped and overwhelmed the country areas in large parts of the country. Very little aid is making it past the border into Ukraine at this time. Many of these refugees have nothing except for the clothes on their back.
So in the middle of this crisis 10 refugees show up at your door of your country hideaway that you thought nobody knew about. Six of them are kids under five what would you do?
As I said before on this forum, I would've evacuated my family long ago. That said many don't have the means or the wherewithal to take such a step.
Please go deeper than "that can't happen here". The US military learned some hard lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly regarding urban warfare. Slug it out and lose a soldier every city block or you just level everything. The rules of engagement in effect at the time pretty much stopped that. A minor tweak of the ROE's and you could be facing a similar situation as Ukrainians.
All you need is guns and ammo. You can always get what you need from your neighbors.
Unless your neighbors are armed too. Like most of mine. Need a different plan.
Right. Then the armed groups stick together. Without the rule of law we become warlords. Ain’t the future bright?
Offer them a hot shower and meal.
Determine if they are trying to get somewhere other than here.
Maybe offer them rest.
They are saying it’s 3 days walk to the border. Provide them with water and canned meals to get that far.
10 people of which half are children. Do the math of what you could spare.
Ask them not to disclose your location.
Pray
Thanks for your post. So, my take-away is that a bugout bag is a good thing. Personally, I have been resistant to the idea of a bugout bag with the thinking that, “Where the heck am I going to go?”
I think that’s still somewhat true as Europe is geographically different than the US, after all, pretty sure I wouldn’t bug out to Mexico, and Canada? Certainly not that dictatorship.
So, I’m still thinking about the whole bugout bag thing.
Prepping for major emergencies and disasters can take years to accomplish. My advice for those who aren’t ready is to put together a basic kit that can get you and your immediate family covered for about 3 days.
It’s also my opinion that serious prepping involves drills and practice. In order to identify and correct kinks in your plan and acclimatize you and your family
The most valuable commodity in any time of war has always been and will always be a foreign passport.
What if all your neighbors have only guns and ammo for trade?
That attitude will get a 180gr lead slug parked in you. All my neighbors are equipped to do it. How about being responsible for yourself.
Data point.
A Mountain House item I ordered from Costco 3/1, that I received 3/7, is still available - and is priced 9.1% higher.
I thought that the people were fighting the Russians and giving their rear-ends a though lashing. Now we hear that is not true. I’m shocked. /sarcasm (directed at the lying press)
We keep bugout bags mainly because we are on a major fault line. It’s always a good idea.
“So in the middle of this crisis 10 refugees show up at your door of your country hideaway that you thought nobody knew about. Six of them are kids under five what would you do?”
(Disclaimer: For purposes of my following response I’m assuming TSHTF and law enforcement is non-functional.)
I’d start by critically assessing the one adult with the five kids. If I have even a remote consideration that it’s a kiddie diddler, kidnapper, trafficker, or etc. then it gets blasted and the kids taken in until such time I can get them to safety.
>>> So, my take-away is that a bugout bag is a good thing. Personally, I have been resistant to the idea of a bugout bag with the thinking that, “Where the heck am I going to go?” <<<
It’s time to make a plan. Today. Figure out where you can go and then the trick is to leave your home BEFORE things go sideways.
Keep in mind that it isn’t just war that can be the reason you need to flee. Weather is the biggest reason people need to bug out.
It never hurts to be prepared. FEMA has good info on disaster planning and so does the Mormon Church. I’m not saying to do what they do but instead look at them and look to the prepper community for info and then do what makes sense for yourself and your family.
Where I live the main concern is flooding. And in the past I’ve bugged out when there was a major threat happening because I did not want to wait for the evacuation order and then compete with everyone else in the inevitable traffic jam.
The biggest thing about prepping is to be willing to get out even if you might be wrong. You can leave too early a dozen times or more. But you can only leave late once.
If you can’t defend it, you don’t own it.
I’ve had a BOB in the back of my Jeep Grand Cherokee, since 9-11-01. Well worth doing it for peace of mind.
Move away from strategic nuclear forces locations - 50 miles at least, 100 miles better.
Then get organized.
Yesterday I finally quit procrastinating and bought a water filtration system. Filters are supposed to process 20k gallons. There’s a catch basin in my backyard as a water source. This purchase completed my prepper troika of guns, food and water.
Our gardening skills suck and our soil isn’t the great. We live on a small savings and fixed income. Do you really think this war in Ukraine is going to become world wide and we will be in deep trouble here? How can we prep?
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