Its ENDGAME folks, time to think 5 moves ahead, time to get SERIOUS, read on....

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OK, we're into the final quarter of Y2K 'endgame'. Thoughts turn to the impending reality, ie what can we REALLY expect. Now what I mean is, what are your contigency-contingency-contingency plans. Do you have fall back? Are you prepared to high-tail it to higher ground, to lie low for a few weeks, months, a year until the dust settles. Are you developing diversionary tactics. A little grain left over here, to draw attention from the real storehouse. Are you ready to dig in, go underground, or high in the tree tops? Hunger has a way of turning nasty. Endgame requires thinking 5 moves ahead.

Owl

-- owl (woo@woo.xcom), September 23, 1999

Answers

Sorry, Owl, I won't reveal my secret contingency plans on this forum.

I may not be an owl, but I'm certainly no dodo.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), September 23, 1999.


General stuff, dodo. Not asking for your rank, file and serial number....anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on how they might cope a worst case scenario.

-- owl (woo@woo.xcom), September 23, 1999.

In a cave far far away

-- (batgirl@cave.home), September 23, 1999.

I don't think anyone can prepare for the absolute worst case, which I guess would be Infomagic + nuclear war. But, in the meantime, this year I re-located to a secluded rural retreat with 30 acres, a diesel generator, stored food, a vegetable garden, wood stoves, propane/electric refrigerator, and a battery/inverter system. I am in the process of storing 2000 gallons of diesel (1000 of off-road in an above ground tank that feeds my generator directly, 1000 of on-road in 55 gal drums), and have 1500 gal of propane in above ground tanks. I also am stockpiling barter items, farm tools and equipment, plus cash, gold and silver coins. Firearms for hunting and defense are also obviously necessary.

99 days.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), September 23, 1999.

Worst case scenario also means being mentally prepared. Lots of people love to say they have guns and ammo, but not very many are ready to use them when it becomes necessary. Those people will die. Wherever you choose to hide out, just make sure you're mentally prepared for what you will need to do. Otherwise, your physical preparations are worthless.

-- (its@coming.soon), September 23, 1999.


'and to you who are troubled rest with us,when the Lord Jesus SHALL be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming VENGEANCE on them that know not GOD, and that obey NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR lORD jESUS Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the LORD, and from the Glory of HIS POWER. [2nd THESS. 1:7-9] IN BIBLE. I didn,t write this. HE DID.

-- the GREAT -PREP. (dogs@zianet.com), September 24, 1999.

Owl,

I have been taught to believe worst case is my PRIMARY plan! Anything less encountered would then be considered a "gift!"

Worst case to me is being forced from my home, as well as my back-up locations, and having to basically live off the land. This being the case, I would go below ground. The most comfortable I have "ever" slept, is secure in a well built snowcave! It can be sixty below zero outside, artillery can be falling, hurricane force winds can be blowing, and it will be calm as can be inside, with temperatures no lower than 30 degrees. Complete silence is what is the challenge for most in these conditions. With at least one half of the US under snowcover for much of the winter do not dismiss this option as an alternative. I have lived this way for weeks on end, and can do so indefinitely if need be! If site selection is good and tracks are well hidden, virtually impossible to locate. If there is some snow, but not enough snow to dig down, think about piling it up. The insulation value of snow is quite good. Compacted snow mixed with gravel soon turns to what is known as "icecrete" and can even stop small arms fired towards it. You don't have to die!

"Once you have attempted the impossible everything else is relatively easy!"

-- (snowleopard6@webtv.net), September 24, 1999.


I should think snow for breakfast, lunch and dinner would become boring. For a more varied diet, won't you have to leave the snow cave and range the countryside, setting snares and traps, maybe bowhunting? Meanwhile leaving signs of your presence, of course.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), September 24, 1999.

I thank God I work out in the woods for a living, manning a Fire Tower. No one can get up that sucker without me seeing them and if they trying climbing for me and my supplies, well lets just say they won't get very far. I also have a national forest nearby with a big lake to hide in for as long as need be. I pass a moderate-security prison every day on my to work and one thing I can't help but think, prisons may become abandoned if things get bad enough, no money for guards and prisoners.An abandoned prison may be a good spot for a group, they have barbed wire and towers so they could kept people out plus they tend to have dental and medical facilities. I remember a long talk I had with an ex-combat veteran, there is definitely a certain attitude you have to have to survive in combat conditions,rent the movie "Full Metal Jacket", watch the part where the Senior Drill Instructor talks about the "moment of truth".

-- Stanley Lucas (StanleyLucas@WebTv.net), September 24, 1999.

Owl,

My worst case scenario involves me bending over and kissing my ass goodbye... you don't want to go there...

growlin'...

The Dog

-- The Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), September 24, 1999.



[Throwing a freeze-dried liver treat to the Dog]

The Dog amuses me greatly! Thank you, Dog.

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 24, 1999.


Tom Carey,

Unless you have the nose of a polar bear, a snowcave is pretty hard to locate. Even when standing directly on top of it, you may not know it is there. It is the last place anyone would care to look, other than maybe the outhouse.

A snowcave provides an almost immediate shelter that can keep you alive no matter how severe the weather.

One of the finest Eskimo hunters, and outdoorsman I can remember perished in a storm when all else failed because he did not go below ground!

Sure you leave some signs of your pressence. With some simple trickery most signs of your presence can be eliminated or disguised.

Few good trackers left to read them anyway! I only know of one left in my state. It is a little too cold for aborigines here, so unless you've been to the Gurka Tracking School I should think I'm petty safe.

Sure you would come out once in a while or when the danger is clear. It provides a safe haven for one hour, one day, or one month if need be. You come and go on your terms, at nightime or in limited visibility. Look at it as an apartment to go, without having to carry it! We've even built a spiral staircase in one! Like anything else they can be either quite simple or quite elaborate. But, they will save your life in a pinch.

Unless you've got "Bennet" for brains food is either going to have to be carried, cached, or foraged. There is no 7-11 within 539 miles of my location, so I am the supply chain. I prefer to cook on a small mountaineeering stove using white gas. I will prepare for this "worst case" scenario like it is just one long mountaineering expedition up Mount McKinley! With some forethought this exercise is survivable, even if it goes Infomagic!

Just trying to provide an alternative to those that think they have none, or don't have the money for a remote cabin in the country.

For some basics in Mountaineering pick up a copy of the Mountaineers bible: "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills" or the Militarys' Cold Weather Warfare Manual, or do a quick study of the Russo-Finnish War.

-- (snowleopard6@webtv.net), September 24, 1999.


Snowleopard, your words are brave.

-- Spidey (in@jam.igloo), September 24, 1999.

Worst case. I'll go over to my neighbors and reinstall his wood stove. He's an old man and is tired of hauling fire wood. So I ran some wire for him and installed a heater. Before I left I mentioned that he should keep his wood stove until the spring.

Other than trying to help my neighbors, as I am able, I'll just sit on the porch and watch.

Looking for a little justice! Think we're gonna get it!

-- freeman (freeman@cali.com), September 24, 1999.


How delightful that y2k will supply all you eager survivalists a chance to use all the skills & gear you've been sitting on all these years. I'll probably be one of the corpses you'll have to step over when it comes time to re-build civilization. Unless, of course, you're out in the remote wild country somewhere & break a leg, hundreds of miles from help... But of course your happy scenarios never mention stuff like that.

-- we're all (in@it.together), September 24, 1999.


NOW I KNOW-WHY JESUS said''whoever seeks to save his[selfish life] will LOSE IT.

-- PONDERING. (dogs@zianet.com), September 24, 1999.

We're all,

Do you want these men to come over to your house and die with you?

They're swimming away from a sinking ship, and you're saying it's "not fair" because others on board don't know how to swim - or think the water's too cold?

Liberty

-- Liberty (liberty@theready.now), September 24, 1999.


Worst case is either global nuclear war of Mad Max. It ain't going to be worse case in North America. Can't speak to Europe, Asia, South America or Africa.

The contingency planning that has gone on is exensive and pervasive. Lots of things you won't have a clue about till they are executed.

What I see is stock market crash. The Fix on Failure fools collapse by March. Food shortages. Some places lose utilities and we operate with blackouts and brownouts for a while. Banking operates, with screwups here and there. Lots of unintended and unforseen consequences.

Look at Iraq as a model. 3 months after the war, it was basically operating, but not a nice place to live.

-- ng (cantprovideemail@none.com), September 24, 1999.


Al-d, wasn't it just a few days ago that you were strongly invited to spend time somewhere else to preach? Do not cast your pearls before the swine." We're pigs, now go away.

-- go away al-d (goaway@ald.com), September 24, 1999.

"They're swimming away from a sinking ship, and you're saying it's "not fair" because others on board don't know how to swim - or think the water's too cold?"

Rubbish. I said nothing of the sort. Go back & re-read. My point was that some folks (on this board, even) desperately WANT the ship to sink so that they can finally get to use their toys. Seems obvious to me. Was my post really that hard to understand?

-- we're all (in@it.together), September 25, 1999.


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