Do you need to stock up the bunker?

BBC News Magazine ^ | 2 May 2008 | Brendan O'Neill

[appleseed]

In the 1950s and 1960s, bunkers were a feature of many American suburban homes, populated by families fearful of the prospect of nuclear war. That threat has subsided, but now many reasonable people are stocking up on essential supplies in preparation for a new cataclysm.

When you hear the word "survivalist", what image comes to mind?

Or maybe you think of end-of-the-world religionists retreating to a fortified camp with enough food and drink to last them until Judgement Day.

But today there is a new breed of survivalist – and they're well-heeled, well-educated and more likely to wear an immaculately pressed suit than a camouflage flak jacket.

Civilisation breakdown

Barton M Biggs is about as far as you can get from the old John Rambo-style survivalist. Forget long, unkempt hair and a sweat-stained vest. Mr Biggs is a former chief global strategist for Morgan Stanley, who now runs the hedge fund Traxis Partners in New York.

Yet in his latest book, Wealth, War and Wisdom, he suggests that all right-minded people should "assume the possibility of a breakdown of the civilised infrastructure".

"The four horsemen of the apocalypse ride out every two generations, and they come in different disguises," he says. "We are due to see the horsemen again some time in the next 10 to 20 years – and the prudent person with wealth should take out an insurance policy against them."

{Cut}

The price of food is rising dramatically and oil is at record prices. Even brief periods of crisis can have severe consequences.

Blackout looting

Mr Biggs cites the massive power outages that struck north-eastern and mid-western America and parts of Canada in 2003 – also known as The Northeastern Blackout – when for a few hours an estimated 50 million people were without electricity.

[bicyclerepair]

Damn!

[Batrachian]

"Do you have a zombie plan?"

Not really. I'll probably end up being one.

[joesjane]

what is that weapon?

[mylife]

Also, Older folks have been stocking up on canned goods and ammo for months.

I see 80 year old women toting off 50 lb boxes of ammo

[bgill]

I don't know if I should laugh or cry at the responses at the site. It's not rocket science nor is it extremism for a month of preparedness. It's nothing. It's a no-brainer. It should be common sense and a responsibility.

[mylife]

Saiga 12 shotgun. It’s a Russian 12 ga AK47(semiauto)

[The Duke]

...but not good strategy, especially if you're up against flesh-eating zombies.

Keep your hair cut short. Wear close-fitting clothing. And, most important of all, machetes don't need reloading.

[joesjane]

I know what you mean. Sometimes in nature you see the same thing like large numbers of animals acting stressed. I know I have wondered if this is an instinctual feeling of bad times coming? I know it sounds weird, I don’t really know how to put it into words. I do know I have an awful lot of canned goods, rice, beans and bullets.

[Semper Mark]

Huh...who needs a chainsaw, you can cut wood with this thing.

[mylife]

I wouldn’t recommend it for marquetry work ;)

[tbw2]

I am interested in the self reliant ping list

[Gone_Postal]

ping me please

[null and void]

You really need a zombie plan

[Prodigal Son]

They have tapeworms?

Like Bruce Willis' character says in Fast Food Nation- 'Just cook it'.

[mylife]

BTW Hormel and Del Monte are making civilian MRE's now.

[50cal Smokepole]

Ooooo......
I could have really used that last year. I flushed five pheasant roosters and needed some serious lead flinging machinery.

[joesjane]

Thanks I just looked them up online. I had the hubby (currently in Afghanistan) on the phone trying to shop with him. Is 1,500.00 USD reasonable for this weapon?

[mylife]

Pheasant? I always thought you were Endlessly Grousing? ☺

[appleseed]

I'm a career alarmist I admit. However, folks that have in the past seen me as a fringe element are now asking questions and wondering what to do if and when shtf. For someone who has always been looking to the unthinkable, regular folks looking my way is a little uncanny.

I've been primitive all my life. Lucky for me the woman is also. Maybe it's just coincidence, but this is the first time I haven't felt alone in this instance.

[joesjane]

dude, anything with a remote similarity to mre is a no go for me unless absolutely necessary...I’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime. The hubby would eat them though:-)