A word of warning to those plan on bugging out if SHTF.

[Ole Cowboy]

Water is you single most important need. While this forum appears to be a bit smarter than most of the survivalist forums I will add that water weighs right at 8 lbs a gallon and not only would you have a hard time stuffing 2 x 5 gal cans in you bug out bag but it will now weigh more than the 35 lbs so many claim.

That said when its SHTF time and its push comes to shove you number 1 water source is from natural sources. Rain, ground water, lakes, ponds etc. I certainly will not suggest you drink raw water from any source but a sanitary one, but you will do what you must. I have drank water from everything and anything you can think of to include rice paddies and even the Bong Song River S Vietnam. Army was not very supportive of giving us who walked the killing fields fresh water unless some high ranker was coming out and suddenly we had water...to SHAVE WITH! I have never got sick and I drink untreated water now.

Water will make or break you and do it in short order...

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Water. If SHTF some emergency things to do are fill your bath tubs with water. Also, every water heater has 40 gallons in it which includes your neighbors water tank ..... jus' saying. Personally, in our immediate area there are hoards of sheep that will run leaving their goodies behind. Ten homes could net 500 gallons of water without any work. Toilet basins all have 2 gallons of water.

So, my 30 gallon water heater has 40 gallons of water in it?

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Just get a charcoal straw or a Katadyn for on the move. For your home you, bleach and catch your rainwater, then filter it.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Just get a charcoal straw or a Katadyn for on the move. For your home you, bleach and catch your rainwater, then filter it.

Probably better to "catch, then bleach" the rainwater....

 

[Ole Cowboy]

So, my 30 gallon water heater has 40 gallons of water in it?

Yes you have the certified Survivalist model, they compress the 40 gals into 30 gals and the beauty is it all fits in a BOB and weighs in at less than 35 lbs. All you have to do is add water to activate...

 

[Sugar Land]

HaHaHa I like that model.

 

[GlockOwner]

Yes you have the certified Survivalist model, they compress the 40 gals into 30 gals and the beauty is it all fits in a BOB and weighs in at less than 35 lbs. All you have to do is add water to activate...

Add water to my water to make water?!

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Yes you have the certified Survivalist model, they compress the 40 gals into 30 gals and the beauty is it all fits in a BOB and weighs in at less than 35 lbs. All you have to do is add water to activate...

Nice, lol!


Besides, I was just being difficult, my water heater is a 40 gallon.

 

[TX69]

So, my 30 gallon water heater has 40 gallons of water in it?

I would say that you have a tactical advantage there. Being that you have a smaller water source than the rest you would not be considered a HVT and they would pass you by.

 

[TX69]

On this same path if you have a generator storing zillions of gallons of gas may not always be the best. Every car has at least a 15 gallon tank and some up to 30. Not all of the cars are going to make it out AND there are only so many drivers where cars get left behind. Lawn mowers, gas cans, motorcycles, any small engine all have a potential to have fuel stored in them.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Lots of people may have (almost) empty tanks as well....

 

[TX69]

They also cannot carry their grills and propane tanks. Leaves some nice fuel and places to cook!

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I just hope EVERYONE bugs out so I can bug in and have this whole place to myself.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

They also cannot carry their grills and propane tanks. Leaves some nice fuel and places to cook!

You would be surprised at what some of these folks intend on moving out with. Packing lists so long they would have to be driving a 18 wheeler to just to load it and NO you cannot convince them otherwise.

So we would sitting up in a LZ waiting on a supply and mail run. Here comes the bird, kickin out mail bags, chow etc and then the duffle bags start coming out. Here comes some guy still pizzin water from Ft Benning or Polk and he is an Infantry soldier in a straight leg outfit. TV's, radios, stereo's, speakers dozen suits of clothes on hangers, shoes and a Army trunk full of personal stuff, music collection you name it.

No one says a thing to him, we just look away an laugh to ourselves. Tomorrow at dawn we are moving out and leaving this wet spot in the jungle behind. It was only 2 platoons worth of warriors and just a overnight stop awaiting more beans and bullets for our push tomorrow of about 20km unless we hit some resistance enroute. Everything you own or are assigned to carry is going on your back. For most of us our personal sack in our ruck has a few letters and pic from home, toothbrush, razor, maybe a deck of cards, just about enough to carry in one hand. The rest of that 150 lb load is ammos, supplies, batteries, claymores and other as assigned and SOP load out.

Tomorrow morning, Pfc Ziggy Belcher will have his 'trail of tears'...LOL, see it many times.

 

[ROGER4314]

You would be surprised at what some of these folks intend on moving out with. Packing lists so long they would have to be driving a 18 wheeler to just to load it and NO you cannot convince them otherwise.

I saw some of that panic when Hurricane Rita was barreling down on us. My neighbor across the street was a renter. He rolled up to the house with a gigantic enclosed car hauler trailer behind his huge diesel truck and loaded everything out of the house! EVERYTHING! I went over there to get him calmed down. I said "We are on a ridge at 34 feet of elevation. If we go under water, there will be ABSOLUTELY NOTHING left south of us! We have it as good as it gets around here!" There was no talking to him! He left, the hurricane turned his way and blew right up his tail pipe in all of that highway gridlock.

That is the kind of panic that concerns me. I'm better off right here!

A word of caution, here. Make the decision to stay and stick to it. If you leave, authorities can keep you from returning. Then you're f'ed! Go home early, STAY home and don't leave. I rode IKE out right here, too. It was no fun and we took damage. I left work a day early, covered the windows and didn't leave for any reason.

Flash

 

[IXLR8]

During the last hurricane a LOT of people ran out of gas on I-10 in Katy. The gas stations were empty. They left Houston with a full tank but the traffic did not move. Being stuck on a highway out of gas is a bad place to be with 100,000 other people in the same situation. I heard stories of people that did not make 12 miles in 12 hours. The storm blew through in a few hours but the congestion and lack of gas lasted for days. Bugging in is a better solution unless you stupid enough to live where a 20 foot storm surge would destroy your home. Then you should leave at first warning and get ahead of the congestion.
This is a hurricane scenario, and I am sure that there would be far better reasons to leave, for far worse conditions. Don't be surprised if there are checkpoints disarming people, because that is what all of the disaster drills have been planning for. I doubt a Mad Max scenario would develop overnight, it would take weeks or months. Neighborhoods would band together out of a common need to.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Gotta add some packets of dehydrated water to the bug out bag, just in case you know. I'll gladly sell some if anyone is interested.

 

[vmax]

Gotta add some packets of dehydrated water to the bug out bag, just in case you know. I'll gladly sell some if anyone is interested.

HA HA
I asked for that at the grocery store Friday and the checker said she thought they were out of it temporarily

 

[IXLR8]

You should have asked for Dihydrogen Monoxide....

 

[TX69]

During the last hurricane a LOT of people ran out of gas on I-10 in Katy. The gas stations were empty. They left Houston with a full tank but the traffic did not move. Being stuck on a highway out of gas is a bad place to be with 100,000 other people in the same situation. I heard stories of people that did not make 12 miles in 12 hours. The storm blew through in a few hours but the congestion and lack of gas lasted for days. Bugging in is a better solution unless you stupid enough to live where a 20 foot storm surge would destroy your home. Then you should leave at first warning and get ahead of the congestion.
This is a hurricane scenario, and I am sure that there would be far better reasons to leave, for far worse conditions. Don't be surprised if there are checkpoints disarming people, because that is what all of the disaster drills have been planning for. I doubt a Mad Max scenario would develop overnight, it would take weeks or months. Neighborhoods would band together out of a common need to.

This is precisely the event that illustrates what happens when SHTF and stoopid clogs up the highway. The guy that says "well I live like over here where most don't live and I know exactly where to go" blah blah blah. You, your BOV, everybody else will be stuck on some damn road running out of gas! Stay home where everything you need is. Water/Food/Shelter/GUNS!/grill for BBQing/stoopid neighbors homes you can loot lol/ on and on.