cookiejar

Yeah but your OUR kinda crazy!

I loved your reply!!!

You save magazines like Backwoods, Grit, Mother Earth not just for the articles, but as future toliet paper

bump

Grace&Violets,

I remember that! My family is Western Slope and that was such a hard time for them. Luckily, they bulk shop as my father can only go out on limited time. But, there was nothing fresh and the roads were treacherous to try, ice everywhere.

It creeped my step-mom out too when she made it to their safeway and found it stripped. Ironically, she said she now understood what happens down here in Hurricane season.

Hugs to you

This article does not negate planning for long-term survival or the the eventual move to the desirable country/rural life. It's a here & now article.

* Urban Survival – Advice For Beginners *

By: Haumana

19 September 2004

Planning and preparing for survival articles are most often published with a slant towards those who live in a single-family dwelling in suburban and rural areas. That situation may not apply to some folks. What is the urban person to do? I am not a security specialist, but I chose to live in an apartment with wife and infant daughter during a 3 years-long job. Therefore, even though I have put thought and work into “urban survival,” please take my advice as being in the ‘for what it’s worth’ category and do your research and work beyond this very basic article.

First, one should understand that daily urban survival is mission essential, so don’t get caught in only the long-term, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it disaster mode thinking – keep this in mind throughout your planning and preps. This doesn’t reduce the need to prepare for major disasters, but that mindset is not the same as learning how to walk down a street while being an undesirable and little noticed target of opportunity. <span style="font-weight: bold">You’ll have to develop and hone skills and preparations in both areas.</span>

The following general information on starting out in urban survival is based on personal experience and research. It deals mostly with selecting urban dwellings:

1. Finances: If you have money, you can afford to make choices. This speaks for itself. As always, learn to be frugal and stay out of debt. If you don’t have sufficient funds, creativity will be essential.

2. Location, location, location…: Selecting a dwelling is the critical part of this. For Americans having overseas posting with various government agencies and some companies, a threat assessment is made for the city/country/region and dwellings off embassy property are ‘allowed’ only if they me the minimum criteria for the local threat level. Your criteria for a dwelling should be just as methodical and as selective as availability and your situation permit. Selecting a neighborhood with multiple egress routes, low crime rates, close access to services, low potential of damage from flooding and other natural disasters starts your search. Closeness to “mutual support” partners in the area may also figure into this. The being close to your frequent work sites can save money on gasoline, but is not a main factor in security (although one must be practical). However, your routes to and from work should be planned to minimize risk exposure.

3. Transportation: If you hope to leave the city in advance of a predictable problem, you will need your own vehicle. If you have limited choice in where you will live and bugging out is not an option for you, then selecting and securing a dwelling is paramount. In such a situation, transportation issues will focus on daily transportation security and anticipate the breakdown of public transit systems during disasters/crises.

4. Apartment vs. Cluster units vs. Rental home: Location and availability often dictate your options. In all instances, here are some common desirable/required features that one should try to achieve:

* Solid overall construction. This is no different than looking for desirable construction when purchasing a house. You have seen the esthetically fair and flimsily built stuff that’s out there. Older buildings may be more desirable than you think. Look carefully before you sign a lease.

* Off-street and, preferably protected parking – 50-100 ft from the road is desirable.

* Well built protective surrounding wall/enclosure – 6-10 ft high is considered prime height.

* Grounds are adequately illuminated.

* Solidly built doors and frames at ALL entry-exit portals and dead-bolt locks (keyed if w/i 40” (1 meter) reach of any glass. If the entry portals are the only problem with the place, try to insert a clause in lease that allows you to replace (or negotiate to have the owner replace) any doors that are not up to specs and to allow you to re-key or replace locks at your discretion.

* If below the 4th floor, security-type grills for windows and doors w/ expanses of glass (got to have secondary egress from rooms with these grills). One advantage of living in a ground-floor dwelling is that the floor usually has more static and dynamic load-bearing capacity; keep that in mind, because of the need to store water, etc.

* Security system: This is a tougher one. A lot depends on how long you plan to occupy the dwelling and other variables. At a minimum, you should have the capability to observe the exterior areas at entry-exit doors. See other resources for planning this one and let them help you.

* Get more bedrooms than you need…I won’t bore you with the obvious reasons for this, but a saferoom with limited alternative power here is the labor intensive task worth doing and the extra storage space makes organizing your preps easier

5. Either have rural retreat or learn small scale gardening: Your decision to stay in a city/urban area is one that I viewed as a temporary “evil.” I had family and friends w/i 2 hours of our apartment and pre-positioned limited resources. That was a start, but it wasn’t that hard to learn indoor gardening. Much indoor gardening is based on electricity being available for “grow lights” or a dwelling that has an outdoor area or lots of glass for sunlight. If you are a long-term urban survivalist, don’t just research this…get experience.

6. Get to know your neighbors: Ideally, you'll do an ‘augenblink’ (a quickie “eye blink”) sizing up before you sign a lease and hope that you were correct in your assessment. Certainly, you want to know them after you move in.

There is a lot more to urban survival than this. If you have specific questions, there are people and resources far more qualified than I am who can offer advice. For a military take on “urban survival,” you should consider reading Wiseman’s SAS urban survival guide and Army/military reference materials on MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain/Territory). Home security reference are numerous; Joel Skousen's "The Secure Home" and Dan Bower's "Make Your Home Into Your Castle" are two books worth reading. Mr. Skousen has a website.

Remember, thousands of “homeless” people and people in war zones practice urban survival every day. It is not an academic exercise and it can be done, so get busy.

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/urbansurvivalhaumana.htm

Haumana

Originally Posted By: HSmom

If you have more than 5 boxes of empty jars that you have not opened in 6 months.

 

If you have more than a pallet of empty jars that you have not opened in 2 years.

 

If you buy canning jars by the pallet.

 

If you *hide* your jar purchases from your loved ones because they wouldn't understand/might get upset.

 

If passing the canning supply aisle makes you quiver.

 

If your not even sure how many jars you actually own.

 

You go ballistic if someone uses a jar to store a non-food item (like pens).

*AHEM*

I am adding more to this list courtesy of Mother, Pigzilla and Necie and the others who know who you are:

If you have ever *cased* an Estate sale, Flea Market or Auction for Canning Supplies.

If you have enough lids to *tile* the bathroom (a nice mosiac pattern of sizes).

If you've conceivably considered including your canner and supplies as a bequeath in your will.

If you hope you're bequeathed a canner and supplies.

If they ever opened it as a sport, you could CAN for the Olympics and medal. (Could you go for the Gold?)

Have you named your canner?

Originally Posted By: HSmom

lol... Some people ride roller-coasters, some skydive, and Cookie teases Darlene.

You noticed I brought it back up AFTER she moved several hundred miles away?

I have to tell you, I did something wicked to Darlene when she was moving. I opened a cabinet to find Jars and jars of empties in pristine state. For a hoot I called Darlene over and said blithely (Just to see the reaction)

"Your not gonna take all these empty jars with you are you? Want me to dump them?"

Just to hear her dead serious tone (Think a female Clint Eastwood voice and look), "THOSE ARE CANNING JARS (Like I wouldn't know ) AND ARE COMING WITH ME.

I know, I was taking my life in my hands wasn't I?

Some of us have to live on the edge.

LOL!!

RV Survivalism works well.

I love this series because its sadly true!

Here's some more:

If your family every considered doing an *Intervention* over your addiction to _________ (insert)

Fabric

Seed Catalogues

Ammo

Fabric

Geocaching

St. Vinnies

Farmers & flea markets

Fabric

Wholesale clubs

Canning

Food sealers

& Fabric (Westie)

Is there an *intervention* in your future?

Originally Posted By: dogmom4

Thanks nana for getting us thinking. I just placed an order with Honeyville grains. I have done business with them in the past and they are fast. They also take Paypal...when you listed them I remembered I had $35 dollars in my account from some online surveys, etc I had done. Now it's been converted to 1 #10 can of banana chips, 1 #10 can of sweet corn and 1 #10 can of chicken flavored tvp.

Stacy

Chicken Flavored tvp??

Pioneer Antique!

Ooooh Goatherder!! I go for the shell! Pick the shell! LOL

How about one more from the St. Augustine from me?

When the reenactors stop calling on you when they ask a question.

"Name ingredients of black powder?"

"..Ohhhh oooooooooo I know! Charcoal, salt peter, and let me think..."

People really think your into conservation and recycling because of all the milk and bleach jugs you have. That you have 20 uses for newspaper besides just reading them.

Everyroom in your house has either a weapon or four kinds of emergency lighting. (I.E. Darlene's bullet clip in the china cabinet).

Some of your cleaning supplies double as cooking/baking supplies.

Okay, Had to bring this one back up...had a moment.

When you can actually Name four kinds of Wheat and defend their merits "The Montana Red Wheats the best!" (wink to QueenMum).

When you have to explain to family that the #10 cans stacked along your wall are not paint cans.

When they leave, you considered the idea of making fake labels that say "Wheat yellow paint" or "Rice white latex" for security reasons.

When left with a common item like a mattress, you can come up with more emergency uses for it than McGyver.

When going on vacation, you map out more bugout routes and water supplies than finding amusing attractions.

You agree to finally vacation as long as it either includes Amish country, farmers markets or historical recreated living (St. Augustine!)

You weird out the renactor by answering the question about the difference between a rifle and a flintlock 9smoothbore!!!).

You silly goofs! LOL...

I just drove down and packed boxes and cracked jokes and kidnapped poor Barbie into helping...LOL.

Seriously! That's it...well, and made Darlene nap and put her leg up WHEN I won that arguement...LOL.

and ducks...did I forget to mention the ducks?

Looking pointedly at goofy HsMom

One trip to Florida and UKGuy is laughing maniacally and toting a step-below nuclear weapon...

Hmmmmmm must be something in the water

Quietly and carefully,

UKGuy and Leah stalked each other through the playfields of Mrs. S

Okayyyyy

what happened to paintball???

???

What happened to just tossing eggs at each other?

UKGuy is a wee bit on the violent side?