Without the power grid, 90% are dead within 2 years.

What would you do if the power went out for an extended period? Are you prepared? Even a little bit? This story makes one do a whole lot of thinking. Read more @ http://www.writeitforward.com/uncategorized/without-the-power-grid-90-are-dead-within-2-years/

 

I could survive in place longer than many would as I live in proximity to several surface water sources in a very wooded area with a plethora of feral cats and other wild game running around, but trust me, I would be one royally pissy person to be around.

 

I'll last a little longer than most--I have a lot of camping equipment and knowledge of how live without electricity, but it would be pretty devastating.

 

This is one illustration of the ratcheting effect of technology. New tech introduces changes that can't easily be reversed. Another example is the financial system. We are now dependent on computers to automatically clear transactions. We no longer have the army of clerks with the knowledge or ability to fulfill this function. This kind of fragility is replicated throughout our technological infrastructure. Technological society is meta-stable, like a pencil balanced on its point. We should introduce measures to strengthen the robustness and resilience of our infrastructure, but instead we create band-aid solutions.

 

I already grow most of what I eat. I have a reliable and clean water source. I am well equipped, armed, and trained. While I am fully prepared to survive extended (months or even years) power outages, I am skeptical that I can survive the onslaught of those who are NOT prepared, and seek to take what I have.

 

It is the problem of preppers, or at least their logic, that they can survive alone against the zombies. The reality is part of my thinking does involve my neighborhood banding together to survive. Lot of skilled rednecks in my hood. I think if this scenario were to play out, the first thing I would do is start burying the essentials I have but not necessarily would immediately need in the woods and such near my house. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

My take on this would have to be specific.

Cyber Attack and the grid goes down for 4 months - While this would be bad it would still allow communication and some electricity from generators. The power plants could probably still produce electricity, the route would have to be locally handled though. All in all it would be bad and many would die, but livable by many I think. The biggest issue with this one would be the economic factor even after we got power on again.

EMP - We are totally screwed since there would be no power and no possibility of it. Communication would be lost with everyone outside of earshot and trucks would not be functional for relief supplies. While my family would last longer than some (we buy groceries at 2 wk intervals) we would not last long. I live in a somewhat isolated neighborhood in the burbs so if everyone pulled it together maybe a 50/50 chance for long term.

As the parent of a teenager though an upside to either would be no cellphones so he would get his face out of it.

 

no argument here I'm screwed without my hairdryer,

 

I don't wanna live without my dishwasher anyway

 

Surviving the suburbanites the first two years would be the hardest part. After they die off from disease and starvation I'd hardly notice we recently went through a major societal shift. You see I rather enjoy the tranquility that comes with living off the land. There's plenty of plants, vegetables and meat if you know where to live. Shelters can be made out of just about anything.

All one truly needs is a roof overhead, a warm fire and some food grilling over the embers to feel at home.

 

Here is the thing.....let's say a massive EMP or Electromagnetic Pulse fried all electronics in that area of the U.S. including vehicle solenoids so that area would have no power and no vehicle transportation.

The thing is the ONLY way for any area of the U.S. to go at the most 6 months without power would be for the entire U.S. Power Grid to be fried.

That would take a nuclear war and if such a war happened I don't think anyone on the planet would be left to worry about getting power restored.

Anyways if even a large area like this lost power in the U.S. we would be able to restore 90% of the power within 3 weeks.....100% within a month.

The United States and it's Utility Companies have VAST supplies necessary for such repairs as we get Hurricanes all the time and Blizzards which result in power losses in the 20 to 30 million citizen range all the time.

So it would take either an Asteroid or Comet Strike or a Nuclear War for the U.S. to lose power for any length of time.

AA

 

It's not good for your hair to use a hair dryer.

I have relatively long hair and after I wash it and condition it I just make sure I get all the water out of it....tie it in a pony tail and within a few hours my hair is fine.

Of course my hair is all cut to the same length as I have no layering and that helps a lot.

But a person really does not need a hair dryer to have beautiful hair.....they just need to dry it with a towel and tie it up while it dries.

AND....use a good conditioner!! LOL!!!

AA

 

I'll never understand the way preppers fantasize about the end of civilization.

 

thanks for the tip AA, ok I’ll dump the hairdryer lol,
I also have an admission to make, we go camping in a tent on the beach once every couple of years and …sniff… no hairdryer/electricity but I do somehow manage to make it through

 

I have spent way too many days and nights laying on the cold or sometimes HOT ground sleeping outside many times in the rain and snow.

I slept outside in Blizzards and I remember one Blizzard where the winds got up to sustained 70 mph and gusts up to 100 mph.

That night I was in a Baker Tent....a Baker Tent has no bottom so you have to place pine bows on the ground and then sleep on your poncho.....and the damn tent collapsed due to both wind and the 38 inches of snow we got.

I rigged the tent up so I had just about 3 inches of space over my head and I reset it after it collapsed behind a large boulder where the snow had piled up into a drift 20 feet high on the other side.

I have excellent equipment and a sleeping bag that is ultra-light weight but reflects body heat.

You have to make sure to tale off your clothing and get in it as if you do not remove your clothing the sleeping bag cannot reflect your body heat and you will freeze to death.

AA

 

The thing is any end of civilization such as a Asteroid or Comet Strike or Nuclear War would result in conditions that even the best prepared person would not survive more than a few years.

Better to just die.

It would only take 100 Thermonuclear Warheads at the approx. 50 Kiloton Yield level and we have much greater explosive yield warheads than that as a USAF Minuteman II Warhead is 1 Megaton which equals 1000 Kilotons....anyways.....if only 100 of the 50 Kiloton Nukes were detonated this would result in NUCLEAR WINTER.

There would be so much radioactive dust and debris thrown up into the atmosphere that it would block out the sun's rays to earth for DECADES and the result would be the death of all plant life then the death of all animal life.

AA

 

Wow... you win, we usually camp in very warm places like 1770 http://www.1770campingground.com.au
You wear a bikini and not much more, the only danger is jellyfish. I’ll be sure to look you up in a catastrophic event.

 

This is why we should be investing in renewables and point of use generation/storage

One CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) from the sun hitting the planet at the right spot and the power grids will be down

 

I have been trained and have trained many men and a few women in the art of Arctic, Jungle, Ocean and Desert Survival.

A few things that everyone should always carry in their car First Aid Kit are these things.

SUPER GLUE.
EXACT KNIFE.
DENTAL FLOSS.
HUMAN SKIN STITCHING CURVED NEEDLES.
MERCUROCHROME.
30 FEET OF STRONG THIN METAL WIRE.
RUBBER BUNGEE STRAPPING CORDS.
EYE WASH CUP.
HEMOSTAT.

And of course whatever one usually carries in a First Aid Kit.

NOW....can anyone tell me what one would use this list of items for?

AA

 

Yeah but the ruddy Mozzies will cart you off into the bush so the sandflies can eat you alive

And don[t mention the midgies

Been there - done that!!!

 

yep, same here, lot of camping equipment, water woudl be biggest issue, though I do keep two cases of bottled water avail for an emergency

 

AHH!!

SAND FLEAS in the beach sand of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands!!!

They make sure to spray all the beaches now but I was in St. Thomas many years ago before they started spraying the beaches with pesticides and the damn sand fleas would eat you alive!!

AA

 

Hmmm - very trauma focussed but not all medical emergencies are traumatic

I would add to the list

Rubber gloves
Aspirin
Glyceryl trinitrate
Ventolin (salbutamol) inhaler
Panadol (acetaminophen) Tylenol
Antacid (there is a distressing tendency to eat hot chilli when camping)
Antihistamine

 

I always carried water sanitation tablets and I made sure to have some coffee filters with me.

That way you can pass the water through the coffee filter and then add the sanitation tablet.

AA

 

I have a life straw for water if I am ever that desperate that I need to access more than a couple of litres

But these days I go "Glamping" not Camping

Love the fact that I am self sufficient with a solar blanket and a couple of batteries