Scenario... Imminent disaster, final preps

[insidethebunker]

What if you just watched the news or read something on the internet that makes you think there is an imminet disaster, war, terrorist attack, economic melt down, on the very close horizon, the next day or week, what are the final preps you have to rush out and get? (it doesn't matter if you've been prepping for a week or 5 years, what is your final, doable, list)

My Imminent disaster, 72 hour final prep list is:

1. Head to Sams and grab $100 worth of food
2. Fill Gas Tanks, About $125
3. $500 ammo, quick purchase, I don't care what the price is.
4. Top off Propane tanks, about $100
5. Buy more Kerosene, about $100
6. Buy meat, at least $100
7. Microwave (Fairday cage) , unplug and store, Crank radios, Walkie Talkies, Cell Phones, Laptop, Data Backup Hard Drives, CB Radio's
8. Arms Inventory, Mags Load and Prepped, place rifles and guns for easy access and grab and go
9. Review supplies in Bug out Bags and position including Rotate Water, Place smaller rifle and pistol inside, add ammo to pack, check that boots are ready.
10. Fire up Bug out Vehicle, fuel up and recharge battery, top off fluids
11. Fire Extinguishers, Plastic Tarps, Duct Tape and Breathing Mask out and ready.
12. Start a big monster pot of bean soup in case the power goes out so cooking won't be a priority the first few days.
13. Head to the library and load up on books about canning, solar power, welding, gardening. If society takes a dive you don't have to return them.
14. Gather Parents and Kids for an extended "sleep over"
15. Contact Prepper friends to confirm emergency communications process


There is more you could add, but think,
1. you've got limited time... 72 hours to a week
2. you've got limited money... only $500 to $1000 to make more emergency purchases, might include credit cards
3. you've got to maintain appearances or the neighbors (or cops) will be knocking at the door...
4. you've got to still go to work and maintain your life..

 

[redneckmedic]

I would just go to Dicks and add to my surplus of fire starters, water purification. Maybe since the closest dicks is East Washington street, I would catch a movie why I was there. Otherwise, we are just waiting for it to happen, without the warning of course. If there is such a warning, I would advised against going out in public especially to a store with stocks of food/water/survival supplies... it won't be safe!

 

[DougBarnes101]

Pretty much the same as insidethebunker. Call work and tell them Dad is sick/down and I need a few days vacation to help him out. Load up guns and food at night tell the neighbors the same story and ask them to watch the place and head to Southern IL.

 

[SKSnut]

What if you just watched the news or read something on the internet that makes you think there is an imminet disaster, war, terrorist attack, economic melt down, on the very close horizon, the next day or week, what are the final preps you have to rush out and get? (it doesn't matter if you've been prepping for a week or 5 years, what is your final, doable, list)

My Imminent disaster, 72 hour final prep list is:

1. Head to Sams and grab $100 worth of food
2. Fill Gas Tanks, About $125
3. $500 ammo, quick purchase, I don't care what the price is.
4. Top off Propane tanks, about $100
5. Buy more Kerosene, about $100
6. Buy meat, at least $100
7. Microwave (Fairday cage) , unplug and store, Crank radios, Walkie Talkies, Cell Phones, Laptop, Data Backup Hard Drives, CB Radio's
8. Arms Inventory, Mags Load and Prepped, place rifles and guns for easy access and grab and go
9. Review supplies in Bug out Bags and position including Rotate Water, Place smaller rifle and pistol inside, add ammo to pack, check that boots are ready.
10. Fire up Bug out Vehicle, fuel up and recharge battery, top off fluids
11. Fire Extinguishers, Plastic Tarps, Duct Tape and Breathing Mask out and ready.
12. Start a big monster pot of bean soup in case the power goes out so cooking won't be a priority the first few days.
13. Head to the library and load up on books about canning, solar power, welding, gardening. If society takes a dive you don't have to return them.
14. Gather Parents and Kids for an extended "sleep over"
15. Contact Prepper friends to confirm emergency communications process


There is more you could add, but think,
1. you've got limited time... 72 hours to a week
2. you've got limited money... only $500 to $1000 to make more emergency purchases, might include credit cards
3. you've got to maintain appearances or the neighbors (or cops) will be knocking at the door...
4. you've got to still go to work and maintain your life..

sounds like you have your ducks in a row, i could learn alot from you. +1

 

[longbow]

try to top off what I have

more D cell and aaa batteries
meds for my wife
get some long term food stocks to add to supplies
call the daughter back from college with the magic word.
Share the warning with family.
rotate water supply
time to clean house and find the other stuff I have and pass time.

Take three vacation days....

If I'm wrong, return what I purchased.

 

[Jerry D Young]

Buy more canned meat, water, & batteries
Fill up the truck and all my containers with gasoline
Clean out the bank account down to $10 and convert 50% to silver and/or gold, 25% to tobacco, liquor, salt, and sugar for trading, and keep the final 25% in cash $1s, $5s, & $10s

Back up the computer and store in the faraday cage. Double check the bug-out game cart and make sure it is ready to go if evacuation is necessary and the truck can't be used.

 

[Eddie]

Empty out the bank account, top off the vehicle fuel tanks and spend the rest of the money on luxury/trade items like liquor and tobacco. Otherwise I think I'm pretty well set.

 

[shibumiseeker]

If I knew it was coming, knew for certain, as other folks have said, I'd empty my bank accounts and buy whatever I could, as well as max out the CC (only one, paid off all the time), apply for instant store credit and max that out too.

Just what I would buy would depend on what is available. We pretty much have everything we need to survive for a couple years with no resupply, but more is always nice. Then I'd start spending the remaining free time on physical security enhancements. That's the time to start digging and placing mines and traps. I don't have to worry about neighbors.

 

[MarkR]

Here's my errand list:
Top off fuel: Gasoline, Diesel, Kerosene, and Propane
Sam's / Costco: Food, Batteries, OTC and Rx Meds, Vitamins
Empty Bank acct.
Lowes / Hardware: 2x4'w, Plywood, Plastic Sheathing.
Farm Supply: Barb Wire, T-Posts, Livestock Feed and Dog Food (as much as I could buy), more work gloves
Other supplies: Bleach, TP, Female stuff, ...

Notify friends/relatives and the rest is working to prepare, not acquiring.

Add to the above a lot of prayer. Regardless of the quantities we have stored, God is still the provider and our faith should be in Him, not our "stuff".

 

[Lex Concord]

Add to the above a lot of prayer. Regardless of the quantities we have stored, God is still the provider and our faith should be in Him, not our "stuff".

+1

 

[insidethebunker]

You guys are awesome!

I've added to my list:

Refill our prescriptions
Empty my bank accounts and buy whatever I could, an/or convert to silver/gold
Max out the CC (only one, paid off all the time), apply for instant store credit and max that out too.

 

[remymartin]

Water and fuel. and Bacon. If the poop hits the circulator I'm pretty square except for food. I need to work on that.

 

[360]

I will just head the nearest Holiday Inn Express.

 

[rhino]

1. Get everyone home and accounted for
2. Fill everything possible with water
3. Top off the fuel tanks if possible and acquire as many full propane cylinders as I could
4. Get all the cash we could if possible
5. Refill all necessary prescriptions and get some broad spectrum antibiotics, antivirals, etc. of possible
6. Get as many AA, AAA, C, D, and CR123A batteries as possible
7. Milk, eggs, other perishables

 

[ar15_dude]

I must be on the wrong forum or something, I thought that this was the Preparedness forum, not the Last Minute Panic forum. If you have to do most of the stuff on the OP's list just before the SHTF, then by my definition, you ain't prepared! Come on guys, do this stuff now, not counting on some improbable warning to give you 72 hr. or even 1 hour to do what you should have done already.

I have classified the original list into two lists: 1. Stuff You Should Have/Maintain and 2. Truly Last Minute Actions.

Stuff You Should Have/Maintain
1. Head to Sams and grab $100 worth of food
2. Fill Gas Tanks, About $125
3. $500 ammo, quick purchase, I don't care what the price is.
4. Top off Propane tanks, about $100
5. Buy more Kerosene, about $100
6. Buy meat, at least $100
8. Arms Inventory, Mags Load and Prepped, place rifles and guns for easy access and grab and go
9. Review supplies in Bug out Bags and position including Rotate Water, Place smaller rifle and pistol inside, add ammo to pack, check that boots are ready.
10. Fire up Bug out Vehicle, fuel up and recharge battery, top off fluids
11. Fire Extinguishers, Plastic Tarps, Duct Tape and Breathing Mask out and ready.
13. Head to the library and load up on books about canning, solar power, welding, gardening. If society takes a dive you don't have to return them.

Truly Last Minute Actions
7. Microwave (Fairday cage) , unplug and store, Crank radios, Walkie Talkies, Cell Phones, Laptop, Data Backup Hard Drives, CB Radio's
12. Start a big monster pot of bean soup in case the power goes out so cooking won't be a priority the first few days.
14. Gather Parents and Kids for an extended "sleep over"
15. Contact Prepper friends to confirm emergency communications process

Some comments on the following:
There is more you could add, but think,
1. you've got limited time... 72 hours to a week Not if you get started now!
2. you've got limited money... only $500 to $1000 to make more emergency purchases, might include credit cards Not if you save ahead of time!
3. you've got to maintain appearances or the neighbors (or cops) will be knocking at the door... Same as always

 

[insidethebunker]

I must be on the wrong forum or something, I thought that this was the Preparedness forum, not the Last Minute Panic forum. If you have to do most of the stuff on the OP's list just before the SHTF, then by my definition, you ain't prepared! Come on guys, do this stuff now, not counting on some improbable warning to give you 72 hr. or even 1 hour to do what you should have done already.

I really think you are missing part of the concept here. I agree we need to be prepping all along..... however, what if you're brand new to prepping and you are reading this forum. Do you start with the can good sale at Meijers or do you go buy some major long term bulk food at Sams? Or if you've be prepping for 18 months like me and something triggers your instincts do you think what do I need to sit down and pick up in the next few days that can make a difference even if I max a credit card? What if you realize oh S*it a hurricane is coming and I been prepping all along but what should I "top off" my preps with?

While doing this exercise over the last few days I realized I didn't have a back up heat source. Being a Boy Scout I figured we'd just hunker down and build a fire outside. However that might not be too smart considering the weather this week. So, I broke down and bought a Kerosene heater and 20 gallons of Kerosene this weekend. After a meet up this weekend I realized I really didn't have meat stored away, just canned meat. I went out today and bought a $100 of Chuck Roast today at Kroger and stuck in the deep freeze. I realized I've neglected my Bug Out Vehicle so I am headed out to start it up and run a check of it. Also my Bug out Bags are in disarray due to "sorting" so this is the weekend that the gear gets packed into them and they better be ready. I also had many of my long rifles at a friends house/range in Kentucky and I went over and got them Friday night. I know I have a good supply of ammo but I have an uneasy feeling so I bought ANOTHER 1000 rounds of .223.

Folks, dropping a $1000 dollars in a weekend isn't something I want to do often. Buying those things over 6 months does me no good if the SHTF in the next 14 days, like I think it could. This is an emergency prep for me, though just a drill, I'm working it like "oh S*it, did Mahmoud Ahmadinejad really say what I thought he said on the news this week? Does that mean he could pull the trigger?

 

[ar15_dude]

Insidethebunker,
I think you are still missing my point. I'll make one more attempt to be clear.

My point is this: if a person depends on a particular epiphany, event, or media warning to wake up and get ready, then that person is not a prepper, but a re-actor, and as such, is already too late to be meaningfully prepared. A re-actor is no better off than the sheeple. They too will re-act to an event and media warning.

My definition of a prepper is a person who is already convinced that SHTF will happen some day, for some reason, and has practiced and maintained a high level of preparedness, through both good times and bad. They have made the investments and taken the actions already, and when SHTF, they will then begin applying their preparations, not begin to or even finish gathering them.

It is my hope that you and the other INGO folks are already convinced that SHTF will happen, and have been preparing as if tomorrow will be TEOTWAWKI. It is my hope that when SHTF becomes clear to all, it won't be the folks that had been posting on or reading INGO Survival and Disaster Preparedness forum that are out making last minute panic buys. That sir, is not a plan, but a reactive panic. Therefore, I don't see the point of making a plan for last minute purchases of things you should have already secured.

Thanks for considering this point of view.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Nah. As I said, while we're squared away more than most people, if I know there was going to be a TEOTWAWKI event in the next few days, the part of my preparations which involve normal existance in today's society (maintaining a bank account, paying bills, etc) would cease, and the resources I now devote towards those things would go to add more to the long term survival preps. Sure, someone could say that my two years worth of supplies should be five, but someone else will come along and say that they should be ten, ad nauseum.

I am a survivalist, not a paranoiac.

 

[rhino]

Plus some stuff you just can't keep for very long. Fresh eggs, milk, and the like will be the first thing to "go" no matter how prepared you are unless you have laying hens and some milk cows. My "last minute" stuff was to get just a little more of some perishables to add to what's on hand anyway.

 

[insidethebunker]

Insidethebunker,
I think you are still missing my point. I'll make one more attempt to be clear.

My point is this: if a person depends on a particular epiphany, event, or media warning to wake up and get ready, then that person is not a prepper, but a re-actor, and as such, is already too late to be meaningfully prepared. A re-actor is no better off than the sheeple. They too will re-act to an event and media warning.

My definition of a prepper is a person who is already convinced that SHTF will happen some day, for some reason, and has practiced and maintained a high level of preparedness, through both good times and bad. They have made the investments and taken the actions already, and when SHTF, they will then begin applying their preparations, not begin to or even finish gathering them.

It is my hope that you and the other INGO folks are already convinced that SHTF will happen, and have been preparing as if tomorrow will be TEOTWAWKI. It is my hope that when SHTF becomes clear to all, it won't be the folks that had been posting on or reading INGO Survival and Disaster Preparedness forum that are out making last minute panic buys. That sir, is not a plan, but a reactive panic. Therefore, I don't see the point of making a plan for last minute purchases of things you should have already secured.

Thanks for considering this point of view.

How long have you been prepping?