[Piratesailor]

Or delusional...

I've been thinking about this for some time now - how long would you really last given your current state of preparedness? Take any crisis (most likely shtf) and apply that question ..... And be brutally honest.

I Prep for my family. 3 people and pets and we can last about a year on current preps. After that we'd have to get real creative but I have ideas on that too. But it would be hard.

But the reality is that after a year, we might need help. What does help look like is what worries me.

We have water.. Enough for a long long long time.. We have food for up to 12 months if we stretch and we have a small garden with some fruit trees. We also have access and capability for fishing. We have shelter and arms to defend along with the training. But, we live in a suburb of a large city (and no, I'm not moving to bfe just because something "might" happen) so long term "farming" or raising bunnies or whatever isn't possible. Yeah, maybe at 12 months we'd take the boat and bailout to another part of the world.... But that's a huge unknown too.

So what do you think? Brutally honest... How long could you last and then what? Btw, I don't won't advice or comments on my Preps. I use mine as an example. The question is to you... Can you honestly say you'd make it?

 

[MikeyPrepper]

Should google more info,so much out there

 

[rickkyw1720pf]

Well first thing to remember is that everyone else will be in the same SHTF event. I live in the suburbs also, even though I don't live on enough land to be self sufficient in a TEOTWAWKI situation there is a park and a lot of vacant land around that could be utilized by everyone that could greatly help. Seems that there are two types of peppers those that stock as much as possible and hope they can stockpile enough to last for years and those that stock enough food and tools to try and make it through the transition.
It must be remembered that a TEOTWAWKI will not be a static situation but will be very dynamic. The landscape around you will quickly change in a month or two (most important time to be self sufficient). I will be willing to bet in that time half of the people around me will have left.

 

[AquaHull]

The vacant land around me is patrolled

 

[Titan6]

I try to get neighbors involved and do my stuff to..I think we would do fine for about a year or longer til some changes had to be made and if everything went as planned..But as we know if it can go wrong. it will go wrong so i keep that in mind to, and have a bug out plan to...

 

[paraquack]

Until all my possessions arrive on Dec. 11, I'd be up the proverbial creek. It the SHTF right now, maybe a 2-3 weeks at best. At least I have protection, and I don't mean condoms.

 

[Piratesailor]

Mikey, I've seen your other posts.. Must be your standard answer or you work for google.

So no one has answered the question... Can you make it in reality?

 

[AquaHull]

I'll say yes as a Lone Wolf until someone blind sides me. It doesn't take much for a bad guy to hide behind a tree 100 yards away and get ya while tending the garden.

 

[Mass Mike]

It's hard to imagine exactly what the world would look like 1 year after a large, national or global SHTF situation. If it was truly hostile, with no military or LE intervention, and it was every man for themselves, I would imagine that there would be lots of unoccupied homes, and that, after a year or using up our preps, that house to house searching of supplies would be the norm. Back a few years ago here in MA, we had an early snowstorm in Oct which dumped 6 inches of very wet snow on trees that still had much of their leaves on them. The result was thousands of downed trees and a 3 day power outage with night time temps in the 30's. We live in a neighborhood of about 30-35 homes. About a day after the outage, 18-20 of those homes were vacant. People left to go to hotels, shelters, or fam/friends homes outside of the outage. All that to say that if the SHTF and store shelves were bare, there was danger in the streets, and people were truly on their own, it would not take long for many people to quickly load their vehicles up and take off. Personally, I'm not going to steal anything from anyone but if it came down to it, I would have no trouble searching a vacant neighbors home for what was left behind, especially if it has been a long time since they've left and things in the world seemed to be getting worse. Add to that our families 2,000 square foot garden, family orchard, our supplies and knowledge of food preservation, our ability to save our own seeds from this years harvest for next years planting, and the fact that we live on a large body of water teeming with fish, foul, and wildlife....we could live indefinitely on our property without ever having to leave...I feel pretty confidant that we could adapt and sustain ourselves well after the stored supplies have diminished. You also have to factor in home/personal security...which is hard to predict....are there marauding hordes pillaging house to house? I am confident that I could and would do whatever it took to keep my family safe, but when you are weighing scenarios.....could I withstand a gang of 50 well armed people who want to burn my house down, take my stuff, and kill my family? Maybe not. But I'd like to think that after a year of post-SHTF living, I will have a commune of like minded individuals who can help in all aspects of preserving our way of life.
Good question, piratesailor...good stuff to think about.

 

[Arizona Infidel]

I would be able to survive until I died.

 

[sparkyprep]

Remember Pirate, a lot of things can change in a year's time. In a EOTWAWKI situation, a lot of lesser prepared people will be dead in a year's time, leaving much more resources for the rest of us. Heck, in a year's time, you could go from a secluded prepper cut off from civilization, to the leader of a medium sized encampment/ makeshift community.

 

[Moonshinedave]

My thoughts are this; assuming a major SHTF, people will mostly be on their own for perhaps some time, maybe 3 months to a year. After that, with exceptions, people will start banding together, for protection, for food, or maybe for the biggest reason for company of other humans. The fact is as I see it, you can't fight human nature. People are not Mountains lions, we are wolves we do better in packs, it's in our DNA. Sharing work is what has kept us alive all these years. One group works growing food, while another group works on housing, on getting water to everyone, having enough fuel to keep all from freezing next winter.
It's hard to believe there is a much bigger loner out there than myself and wife, we pretty much keep to ourselves, and like it that way. But if times got so hard (an after SHTF thing) then I could see people going back to small village sort of thing, with me a my misses along with them.
Just how I see it playing out.

 

[tirednurse]

Or delusional...

I've been thinking about this for some time now - how long would you really last given your current state of preparedness? Take any crisis (most likely shtf) and apply that question ..... And be brutally honest.

I Prep for my family. 3 people and pets and we can last about a year on current preps. After that we'd have to get real creative but I have ideas on that too. But it would be hard.

But the reality is that after a year, we might need help. What does help look like is what worries me.

We have water.. Enough for a long long long time.. We have food for up to 12 months if we stretch and we have a small garden with some fruit trees. We also have access and capability for fishing. We have shelter and arms to defend along with the training. But, we live in a suburb of a large city (and no, I'm not moving to bfe just because something "might" happen) so long term "farming" or raising bunnies or whatever isn't possible. Yeah, maybe at 12 months we'd take the boat and bailout to another part of the world.... But that's a huge unknown too.

So what do you think? Brutally honest... How long could you last and then what? Btw, I don't won't advice or comments on my Preps. I use mine as an example. The question is to you... Can you honestly say you'd make it?

I worry about this every day. I don't think I would last long at all. yes I have food stored and sustainable food, and plans for future growth, plenty of water and shelter for all. but when it comes down to it I know people will turn evil and there is no way I can defend against that. We may be able to hold out for a while but if enough try to get in we are in trouble.
On top of that I know who I am. I would not be able to turn away a starving child if I had something to give, even if it was an apple. Unfortunately these children haven't got much hope if TSHTF if their parents are idiots. Not their fault it is ours as a country for allowing things to get to this point. But I also know I cant feed everyone, and along with a child comes a parent maybe hiding in a bush with a gun in hand ready to take me out. That is my reality.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

How long will we make it? I don't know, but I have to try.

 

[Smitty901]

I can't But we can . We are ready

 

[Piratesailor]

How long will we make it? I don't know, but I have to try.

The best answer... And sobering.

 

[PaulS]

We have good food stores for a year. The garden will help to keep us going after that but I need to start raising animals and find a local source of wheat, rice and beans. We just aren't good enough to grow the acres of those things to make it last a year. We are surrounded by family farms but I have only been in the area a year and really don't know all the people I will need to know to get all the food stuffs to keep a balanced diet after the stores run out. I know I can't count on hunting, trapping and fishing to supply the protein and the starches will become a problem in a big SHTF event. I honestly believe we could make it two years but it would be a battle that second year. Water is not a problem, and the security of our home is good but two people over 60 can't farm enough for full time survival.

 

[Moonshinedave]

I worry about this every day. I don't think I would last long at all. yes I have food stored and sustainable food, and plans for future growth, plenty of water and shelter for all. but when it comes down to it I know people will turn evil and there is no way I can defend against that. We may be able to hold out for a while but if enough try to get in we are in trouble.
On top of that I know who I am. I would not be able to turn away a starving child if I had something to give, even if it was an apple. Unfortunately these children haven't got much hope if TSHTF if their parents are idiots. Not their fault it is ours as a country for allowing things to get to this point. But I also know I cant feed everyone, and along with a child comes a parent maybe hiding in a bush with a gun in hand ready to take me out. That is my reality.

I am not so sure, yes, there are evil people, but they are also good people, and I for one think the good far out number the bad. I've seen and have heard it said, the good in people never shines as bright as when we are at our darkest hour. Don't underestimate the goodness in people.

 

[kevincali]

My reality?

For me it depends on the season. Winter time? I'm screwed. I'll only be able to last about a month

Spring/summer? Easy 6 months.

I'm only trying to stock food to get me between harvests. Although I do have plenty of water, food is limited, especially since I had to get into my preps.

But a year? No way. Not right now. It's winter, and only my lemons, mandarins, navels, are producing/ripening. My Valencia has small oranges ready for next year.

Although I DO have some blossoms on a few pea plants, and have some other goodies in the ground.

Which brings up another thought/idea my friend and I had.

My buddy is in LDS and he got his mission call to Dominican Republic. He will be gone for 2 years. He is also a prepper.

Well, seein as how I already went through a SHTF type situation, when he gets back he wants to live off of his preps for 6 months. He will still have to work and as such will have to buy gas, and stuff to get to work.

So, in 2 years, my trees will be a bit more mature, and the plan is to camp at my house, and TRULY live as if SHTF for 6 months. This should be a good exercise for us. I know for sure I can make it six months after going through what I'm goin through. I'll just have to stock up a bit more NOW.

But I think the most homes answer I've read here is to live until you're not living anymore. And who knows how long that'll be

 

[Montana Rancher]

I am way better than most for preps

I have a solar system that will run my 48cf of freezer space, my 220v well and my refrigerator year round.

I live in a area that is 15 miles for a major metropolitan area (in Montana that means a 80,000 people) but even with that the county I live in is 16 people per square mile.

I have about 2 years of food stockpiled for 6 people but I have invited 14-16 to my place SHTF which will limit my stockpiles.

The good news is those people can start producing food very quickly in crops, forage (vegies and game) so I would guess if everyone showed up we can go 12 months on stored food. This is conservative, my 2x chest freezers are PACKED with butter, oil, and 300ish pounds of elk in burger and roasts and steaks.