Doomsday preppers anyone???

Anybody watch this show? It's pretty wacky, but these people are really really prepared. I have a friend that's stockpiling some food and has a few guns with lots of bullets. He's not saying if the ****'s gonna hit the fan, but when. I'm not a doomsday kinda guy, but I have been thinking, maybe I should do something..Any of you preparing for the end??

I raise wheat and always leave a couple thousand pounds in the bin. That will feed my family for a long time. Guns are also a given on the farm. Many of my ancestors (Germans farming in Russia) starved when the Russian government took their crop. While I'm not really worried about such a thing happening now, better safe then sorry. Better to go down shooting then starve to death

No, but then, I don't rush out to buy milk and bread when it snows either. I've got plenty to worry about everyday than worrying about then end of civilization.

My homebrewing literally bought me and my family a "safe house" if it's ever needed. My friend who is a total survivalist nut said we are more than welcome to make our way to his upstate NY home if the crap ever hits the fan. When I told him that I can make a basic beer as long as he has malted barley, he bought 500 lbs and stores it in some crazy sealed bins he bought. He wants me to plant hops up there this year also.

As far as guns, well both of us have that taken care of.

The show goes to great lengths to make those folks look wackier than they are. I saw an article where they interviewed the girl in Texas who "feared an international fuel supply collapse" and talked about shooting her cat. In the article she said that the producers asked her what she was prepping for and she gave them a long list, with the number one being "another Katrina". The producers kept asking her questions about a fuel supply collapse and edited the footage to make her look obsessed. She also said that they kept asking her about killing her cats until they they had enough footage to put together something equally wacky. She said the producer offered her $1,000 if she would shoot her cat on camera. She was pretty offended by that.

After reading that it makes me think that all of the situations that the people say they are propping for are pretty much manufactured by the show.

brewthunda said:

The show goes to great lengths to make those folks look wackier than they are. I saw an article where they interviewed the girl in Texas who "feared an international fuel supply collapse" and talked about shooting her cat. In the article she said that the producers asked her what she was prepping for and she gave them a long list, with the number one being "another Katrina". The producers kept asking her questions about a fuel supply collapse and edited the footage to make her look obsessed. She also said that they kept asking her about killing her cats until they they had enough footage to put together something equally wacky. She said the producer offered her $1,000 if she would shoot her cat on camera. She was pretty offended by that.

After reading that it makes me think that all of the situations that the people say they are propping for are pretty much manufactured by the show.

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It's funny that this comes up kinda off subject but there's a cool article on cracked.com about how prodercers lead people into saying what the want them too and editing to make reality show seems crazyer than they realty are

Yeah, but did the producers put 55,000 lbs of food in that one dudes shipping container at his house that would feed 22 people for 15 years?! I agree that on some level you should have extra food and water in case of a natural disaster, but at the same time you can't worry about the end of days your entire life. Enjoy it, it's pretty short.

I was involved in filming a reality episode of a baking show. They baked a cake in the shape of my friend's working brewing sculpture. Long story short, they filmed us doing a little "cheers" with forks-full of the cake like 3 times until they decided they had the right shot. They didn't even put it on the show!

"Reality" tv is a joke.

Agreed

BIGREDIOWAN said:

Yeah, but did the producers put 55,000 lbs of food in that one dudes shipping container at his house that would feed 22 people for 15 years

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i saw that 1, and the math they use is not the same i use. 50k lbs would feed them for 15 years, but when they bug out, they'll take 10k lbs, and that will feed them for 10 years... hmm... 50k for 15, or 10k for 10. i guess maybe they'll only take the most nutritious stuff, maybe?

If the world is gonna end I hope it happens right next door. Make me casualty number one or two.

Hammy71 said:

No, but then, I don't rush out to buy milk and bread when it snows either. I've got plenty to worry about everyday than worrying about then end of civilization.

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Nobody around her buys bread and milk, but the beer/liquor aisle is usually pretty bare. I got that covered with my homebrew.

Here's my inventory list so far when the **** hits the fan. 2 boxes of cereal, a few cans of tuna fish and 4 kegs of beer. more additions TBA later. Oh yeah, I also have a bunch of toilet paper that I just picked up from Costco.

I've been hearing about doomsday scenarios, nostradomus predictions, mayan calendar dates and craziness for decades now. Pft.

I'm still waiting on the meteor tidal wave volcano alien invasion nuclear annihalation second coming rapture du jour.

I make good use of doomsday preparation techniques to store my grains and hops. I buy in bulk in group buys (just got another 8.5 sacks worth). It's not to have a lifetime of grains for after the STTF, but rather so my grains/hops stay nice and fresh until I use them within the next few days, months or even over a year.

I just made a dozen pretzels from menschmaschine Bavarian pretzel recipe..I wonder how long they'll keep??

Bulls Beers said:

I just made a dozen pretzels from menschmaschine Bavarian pretzel recipe..I wonder how long they'll keep??

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You should have waited until about 10 pm or so on 12/20/12. That the only way they would make it to doomsday at my house.

The way I see it, if doomsday ever does come, well it will be a world I don't wish to live in anyway. So I will be happy to perish in the apocalypse. Or finish the job with my deer rifle if needs be.

If you can brew beer and understand how to make liqueur you will have anything you need in the coming apocalypse. Why because everyone likes to have a few drinks and the government will not be regulating it at that point Sell baby sell.

snccoulter said:

If you can brew beer and understand how to make liqueur you will have anything you need in the coming apocalypse. Why because everyone likes to have a few drinks and the government will not be regulating it at that point Sell baby sell.

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That means I will be filthy rich with my 500# of grain!

Real doomsday prepared citizens do not stash or stock pile as mobility will be necessary for survival. Real doomsday prepared citizens, spends time learning basic skills, like cheese making, leather tanning, shelter making, beer brewing, and how to use the natural resources to effect survival. The doomsday scenario that is most likely to happen is a collapse of the civilized world preceded by economic upheaval and collapse.
I never saw the show in question as I disdain TV and am to busy learning basic survival skills.

BrewerinBR said:

Real doomsday prepared citizens do not stash or stock pile as mobility will be necessary for survival. Real doomsday prepared citizens, spends time learning basic skills, like cheese making, leather tanning, shelter making, beer brewing, and how to use the natural resources to effect survival. The doomsday scenario that is most likely to happen is a collapse of the civilized world preceded by economic upheaval and collapse.
I never saw the show in question as I disdain TV and am to busy learning basic survival skills.

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Serious question: While I would first say that cities wouldn't be such a great place to be if such an event happened, do you also think that is true for more remote locations?

Silly comment: My son's favorite show has become "Man vs. Wild": http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/man-vs-wild/. Also, here's a wikipedia entry on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_vs._Wild

copyright1997 said:

Serious question: While I would first say that cities wouldn't be such a great place to be if such an event happened, do you also think that is true for more remote locations?

Silly comment: My son's favorite show has become "Man vs. Wild": http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/man-vs-wild/. Also, here's a wikipedia entry on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_vs._Wild

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The more remote the more difficult to get to and survive in. Once the collapse starts the cities will empty for the most part and all those people will be seeking "remote areas" to survive in, but on this continent most remote areas already have people in them who are not going to be real welcoming. For the first 18 to 24 months after the collapse those who know how to be a hunter/gatherer in the wild have a chance. Those first 18 to 24 months will be when all the killing goes on once law and order fail. Those who were able to survive totally in the wild will emerge and pick up the pieces.
It will all start with economic collapse caused either by environmental (i.e. climatic upheaval, pandemic) or political strife. Followed by social unrest then total chaos as civil society breaks down. When the police and military abandon their posts to go protect their own family's is when the killing begins. I will take my grandchildren into the wild (already been training and teaching them primitive skills and survival tactics). It is not what you have that will prepare you it is what know.

I cannot say when this will happen but it will surely happen, it is inevitable. We live on a finite planet with finite resources and an ever growing population which is already larger than the resources are able to sustain. Humans are not as good in cooperation as they are in destruction, history demonstrates it clearly.

But ... I am not a doomsday preparer ...

Cities are definitely not the best place to be in the event of a "collapse", but I've considered many reasons why immediately fleeing isn't exactly the best idea either. Take NY for example. While our high profile crimes makes the news, overwhelmingly the population is unarmed. For a guy like me, defending my family would be a piece of cake, especially since I live in one of the safest areas of the city with even fewer guns than normal. Canned, prepared, long shelf life food is extremely plentiful here with supermarkets all over the place. I can fish for about 10 different, plentiful game species off any beach of the island. Pets left behind could also provide a plentiful source of meat.

After a few days, the vast majority of the survivors would have already fled or be fleeing. The people who stay would be easy to pick off if they appear to be a threat (I'm ruthless and would have absolutely no problem doing what needs to be done). High Rise buildings are extremely easy to defend, especially if you can join a small band of like minded people. Gas will be in almost unlimited supply once the population dwindles between abandoned cars, gas stations, homes, etc.

Although I have the place upstate to head to, I lean towards staying and waiting out the initial "event" as being the better option.

I was super excited for this show when I saw the commericals, set the DVR and everything. I've watched two episodes and am so incredibly disappointed with it. It's always someone who legit is taking action, and then some dumb hippy with apples and honey hoping that they're community will be okay. I believe one of the quotes from the extremely high guy was "I'm not worried about stock piling guns or weapons, because if someone does come into the community I'll invite them down to a good meal and hopefully they realize that they need us too." Is it just me or does stating that at some point, you're going to need a group of other people to protect you just defeat the purspose to begin with. Let's face it, you're a dirty hippy with food, I kill you, I take your food to feed my family, thanks for making it easy.

Airborneguy for you that would most likely be a wise choice, since I assume you have military training. You are correct there will be resources available even in NY however, after a while mobility will be needed as the piles of dead and unburied bodies become a serious health hazard. High rise aparments may be defensible, but they can also be traps, you may be able to keep them out, but they may be able to keep you in. I agree with what you say though, waiting out the initial event would be best for your situation.

HIM_Tattoos said:

I was super excited for this show when I saw the commericals, set the DVR and everything. I've watched two episodes and am so incredibly disappointed with it. It's always someone who legit is taking action, and then some dumb hippy with apples and honey hoping that they're community will be okay. I believe one of the quotes from the extremely high guy was "I'm not worried about stock piling guns or weapons, because if someone does come into the community I'll invite them down to a good meal and hopefully they realize that they need us too." Is it just me or does stating that at some point, you're going to need a group of other people to protect you just defeat the purspose to begin with. Let's face it, you're a dirty hippy with food, I kill you, I take your food to feed my family, thanks for making it easy.

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You nailed it ... if you stock pile those with superior fire power will just destroy you to get it. Thinking that everyone is going to make nice is, well just plain hippy talk.

The hippies will be one of the first to be taken out, after the sick and elderly die. If there really is a serious catastrophe, it's gonna be dog eat dog. Only the strong and heavily armed will survive. Nobody's going to invite anybody in anywhere.
There was a show on last year about this topic. It showed a family and how they dealt with this issue. It was pretty scarey. Gangs went from house to house looting everything. One thing they did was to make it look like their house was already ransacked, by throwing stuff all over the yard. Once they got out of town, they were running out of gas and decided to stop in a small town, only to be stopped at the boarder by a bunch of people with guns telling them to go back where they came from. I think resources will start to get scare. small towns will be little countries and wont let anyone in.

I am not at all worried that some apocalypse is going to occur during my life. We would have to slide a long, long way before there would be some kind of total destabilization.

I am not shooting my cats. I don't even own a gun.

BrewerinBR said:

The more remote the more difficult to get to and survive in. Once the collapse starts the cities will empty for the most part and all those people will be seeking "remote areas" to survive in, but on this continent most remote areas already have people in them who are not going to be real welcoming.

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Well, I'm not in a super-remote area like the mountains of Montana, but upstate NY has its share of somewhat remote forests and mountains. So, from that part of your comment, I'm there. (Although my ID shows "Albany", I don't live "in" Albany, but rather some distance away in the boonies.) And I agree, I doubt if the folks that live around here will be welcoming to hoards coming from NYC or any other city for that matter.

So maybe the right move if you live in or near a city is to try and stay put. Hopefully the gangs wont get ya. Then try and move on. I don't own guns, but my next door neighbor has a stock pile. Maybe he'll hook me up.....Or shoot me, not should what he'd do...

Maybe I can trade beer for guns..

Don't worry about doomsday, worry about the solar flares that are going to knock out the antiquated electrical grid in the northeast. http://solarstormwarning.com/ Year 2012, is predicted to be big for solar flares, what do you think will happen in your neighborhood after no power for four weeks? Think you should have some things to protect and feed your family?

HawkATP said:

Don't worry about doomsday, worry about the solar flares that are going to knock out the antiquated electrical grid in the northeast. http://solarstormwarning.com/ Year 2012, is predicted to be big for solar flares, what do you think will happen in your neighborhood after no power for four weeks? Think you should have some things to protect and feed your family?

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I would characterize this as a doomsday scenario. This would totally suck if I couldn't lager my beers. No seriously, There's many ways for the breakdown of society. I don't really think it will ever get that bad in my lifetime, but it does make ya think. I've read articles that our govt is building under ground bunkers. so much so, that contractors can't find the materials to build them for their customers.

Airborneguy said:

After a few days, the vast majority of the survivors would have already fled or be fleeing. The people who stay would be easy to pick off if they appear to be a threat (I'm ruthless and would have absolutely no problem doing what needs to be done). High Rise buildings are extremely easy to defend, especially if you can join a small band of like minded people. Gas will be in almost unlimited supply once the population dwindles between abandoned cars, gas stations, homes, etc.

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High rise buildings are very easy to defend...until set on fire. If you try to defend your shelter from looters they will set it on fire. And gasoline doesn't keep very long when exposed to temperature fluctuations, humidity, etc. especially with all the ethanol in it. If you can maintain a steady supply of good gasoline, you will also need a good bit of luck as most of the roads will be littered with vacant cars that have run out of gas during the massive traffic jams of everyone trying to leave the big cities like NYC. It is always best to get to your safe house as soon as possible once an event becomes imminent. Think of all the like-minded people who stayed put also and how quickly the food supply would disappear, grocery stores only keep a 2-3 day stock on average and many food items are perishable. And how many store owners would see their inventory as their own personal food stock and defend it. You will not be able to fish on a beach in the open as many others will be doing the same thing and, when starving, will kill you for whatever you catch. It rarely makes sense to "bug-in," especially if you have a safe house in a rural area with friends who are prepared for such an event.

I'm not a major prepper or survivalist but my family instilled in me the reality that nature is volatile and society is fragile and, though an event is statistically improbable to happen during my lifetime, it is prudent to be at least moderately prepared should such an occasion happen. I enjoy the survival subject and read often on preparedness and this TV show is obviously jazzed up by its producers much like any other "reality" TLC/NatGeo/Discovery show is.

I'll be at seneca lake on the san carlos Apache reservation. Isolated, unlimited fresh water, shelter, mild climate, plenty of fish & wild game, and a one hour drive from my location. Stop hy and say hi, but flash your hbt sticker or you might get shot.

Not that I've thought about it at all...

Tex, you're discounting the fact that I'm heavily armed and most people around here aren't. AZ might give a pass for HBT card-holders, but I'm only holding my trigger finger for people I recognize. I don't believe in god anyway, so morals won't be an issue if this ever happens.

I will admit that my thinking on the buildings was probably off though. I think I saw more people fleeing than likely would happen. My thought was sitting in a window somewhere picking a few people off at a time rather than being besieged.

i was going on the assumption that you are armed, as I've read in your earlier posts. And having a good arsenal is great and will increase probability of survival substantially. The vast majority of citizens where I'm at aren't armed to any great degree either (12 gauge and an heirloom .22 maybe) but it's the unregistered, black-market guns that you cannot account for and are likely owned by people already involved in gangs. These gang members currently involved in organized crime are who will likely take control of inner-city and suburb areas as is evident in many modern socio-political collapses in third world countries. And this is all "worst-case-scenario" type stuff and during any event won't likely get to the point where we will have to use our weapons on fellow humans anyway. But I'll tell you that if it were to happen I'm not waiting around in DFW to see how the situation progresses, as soon collapse becomes imminent I'm getting the hell outta dodge and heading to one of my safe locations with friends and family I know i can trust and who have the skills, stocks, knowledge and location to ensure survival.

If I was alone, I'd definitely be on the move right away. The problem is that with family, you really get slowed down, and obviously leaving them isn't an option. My greatest fear is a quickly developing situation that happens when I'm separated from my wife and kids. It's amazing how long it can take to travel 5-10 miles once our normal modes of transportation become unusable or impractical due to clogged roads.

Airborneguy said:

If I was alone, I'd definitely be on the move right away. The problem is that with family, you really get slowed down, and obviously leaving them isn't an option. My greatest fear is a quickly developing situation that happens when I'm separated from my wife and kids. It's amazing how long it can take to travel 5-10 miles once our normal modes of transportation become unusable or impractical due to clogged roads.

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And you know it would be absolute gridlock. If you don't get outta dodge before the masses get wind, it isn't gonna happen, when your trying to get out of NYC and me out of Boston.. It's a friggin ***** trying to get out on a normal workday, never mind when the **** hits the fan

Yeah im approaching it from a different perspective. I'd be moving alone and meeting up with family so pretty much opposite your situation.