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Worry about SHTF when traveling

4K views 28 replies 21 participants last post by  Grotius 
#1 ·
Getting ready to take a road trip about 1000 miles from home and while I am taking as many things as I believe are necessary, there is no way I can take enough to hoof it back home if something such as an EMP were to happen.

Of course I say it won't happen during that time but isn't that what non-preppers think all the time?

Just wondering what goes through your minds when you travel out of your safe zone? What ideas could you give that would help me get back home if my vehicle (and most others) no longer ran. No, I am not gonna take our BOV that is a POS. I couldn't even contact a family member to come get me.
 
#3 ·
its not paranoia if theres a reasonable chance it'll happen

I cross the line into paranioa. I WILL NOT travel by Plane. I would not be able to take my GHB or a BOB or any of my weapons. Not only that, but i do not wish to give up my Constitutional Rights just to get on a plane.

I always travel by car. I always have a fully stocked GHB and weapons with me. enough for the family to have the neccessities. I also carry a few extras just in case i have to stay where i am and make the best of it.

I always have this overwhelming feeling that the one time i am without my gear is the one time all hell will break loose and i will be left standing in a world of hurt. my family and friends laugh at me, im used to it. i just KNOW that there will come a time that, if i forget my gear, the S will HTF! its also why i wont go on a cruise ship or out of the country, same "paranoia."
 
#4 ·
My wife and I were visiting San Diego's zoo and safari park when the power went out in San Diego for a few days this past fall. The gas pumps didn't work, and we were on like 1/16th a tank of gas when the power went out. We ended up waiting it out in the back of our truck in a gas station parking lot. I remember thinking "I should fill up," and then remember dismissing the idea in liu of making a little extra time on the trip.

Didn't have my EDC or ANYTHING on that trip. I tried to offer people who were picking up their stranded loved ones $40 for a gallon of gas, and they were turning it down.

So, it just goes to show you that you never know what can happen, and that, what REALLY matters in an emergency is how level-headed and rational you can think.

You can't prepare for every emergency, but you WILL get a chance to react to every emergency, so make sure and react right.
 
#13 ·
DUDE....I LOVE the sheep signature. I'm not really sure why, but it made me LMAO :rolleyes::D:


As far as the OP, I've been thinking the same thing. I enjoy going out on long range fishing boats in the Gulf. I have not gone in a couple years, the fall before my son was born. I can't imagine being 100 miles into the Gulf and something were to happen. I know my family would come for my wife and son and there are plenty of supplies at my house. Just the thought makes me nervous. I feel like I'm living in fear. My wife has made mention of taking my son on a Disney cruise. Cruises have been a definate NO since 9/11. No way am I going to be a sitting duck out there with very few ways to defend myself and family.

I don't mind family trips because my wife and son are with me. Going somewhere much more than an hour or so away by myself always gets my mind wandering.
 
#5 ·
I'm pretty confident of my ability to stay alive in a difficult situation so I don't let it get in the way of a good time. Little things will flit thru my brain, almost unconsciously.

This building would offer good fallout shelter.
What if I got socked in by a winter storm here?
Storm coming... where's the nearest good tornado protection?
That guy is driving like an idiot. Avoid him and the wreck he might cause.
This is NOT a good place to be standing if a quake happens.
What's the quickest way out of this town?
This guy looks like bad news. Avoid.


It isn't an intentional thing. It just happens, almost below my threshold of awareness. There's no element of worry or anxiety or fear, any more than you experience in any other aspect of life.

"No way I can take enough to hoof it back home"? With that attitude you've already lost. Worse comes to worst, time to cowboy up. You walk home. 1000 miles should take 4-6 weeks even if you can't hitch a ride. You use your brain to find what you need en route.
 
#7 ·
You're sticking your neck out, and if you think the trip is worth the risk, go for it and enjoy it. You might want to research the resources available at your destination as well as along your route, and be better prepared to live/survive along the route of your road trip.

Best Regards......Eagle Six
 
#8 ·
No, I am not gonna take our BOV that is a POS. I couldn't even contact a family member to come get me.
Your BOV should not be a POS. This is supposed to be your goto vehicle in an emergency. If your BOV is a 4x4 truck that you can fit a small house in, and tow a mountain with but won't start half the time, and your smart car will start every time, your smart car is your BOV. For a BOV reliability is paramount it does not matter if it is 4x4, will operate after emp, can haul all your gear, has GPS, or anything else if it does not start or cannot reliably get you to your destination. First things first get a reliable, comfortable, fully functional BOV, let your POS be your daily.

If you had a good strong reliable BOV, that could hold your gear and you trusted to get you to and from your destination, perhaps you would not be as worried about making the trip.

To help though, map several routes to and from your destination. Look along the route you plan to take and find work-a-rounds, in the event you are stuck in a traffic jam. As suggested by TMcArthur look at buildings and businesses as you pass by thinking about what would make a good shelter, what would have supplies, medical help etc... Notate these on your map. Oh yeah make sure to bring a good road atlas or at least a state map, they are EMP proof. Highlight on your map the supply and shelter resources you have identified. In the event you had to make your way back home without a vehicle this map will be invaluable.

I will say, being prepared, having a plan, having the gear and training will help to alleviate, the stress and fear when leaving your comfort zone. As prepper's I think we should be more secure and live in less fear of the unknown because we are prepared for whatever life will throw at us. I am not going to stop enjoying my life, traveling, seeing and learning new things because I am afraid of what ifs. I am prepared and continue to prepare so I live a full life without fear, but with courage and confidence. I hope many of our fellow prepper's gain this confidence as they prepare.
 
#9 ·
I'm with Kosst. I travel for work much more than I care to think about (a minimum of 1/3 nights are spent in hotels).

I worry every time I step out of the house because it is where I would want to ride out most events. Our car is well maintained and supplied, but it is still a far cry from what resides at home.

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what to carry in my carry-on to give me a fighting chance without raising too many eyebrows. The basics are of course: shelter, water, food. However, one of the most important is money in a variety of formats (cash, silver/gold). I usually carry a couple thousand split up and concealed in various locations. I have yet to encounter any problems going through airport security, but this is a legitimate concern. The hope is that it would be sufficient to allow me to buy/rent a vehicle and possibly some additional supplies.

The best thing you can do is to plan your travel carefully. I usually spend a couple of hours before each trip getting to know the area and identifying potential resources/vendors. Identifying evacuation routes (both official and the ones actually worth taking) and safe houses along the way is a key component of my preparation.

Once I pass security in the airport, I immediately refill my water bottles. Upon arrival, I immediately secure additional food and water. Some hotels will go grocery shopping for you and have it waiting for you in your room -- fruit, bread, and peanut butter are good, cheap options.

When I'm lucky enough to travel by car, I carry a bag specifically intended to help me travel 60-150 miles. I often travel farther by car, but I have friends/family and propositioned supplies in a variety of locations and I am rarely more than 100 miles from one of them. A fold up bicycle for the trunk is quite high on my list of desired items.

I feel as well prepared as I can be for most travel situations. Honestly, I hope to at least have a fighting chance, but there are many situations where I simply do not expect to survive. Being 1000+ miles from home following an EMP is would be one of those; but, I will not live in fear.
 
#10 ·
I feel as well prepared as I can be for most travel situations. Honestly, I hope to at least have a fighting chance, but there are many situations where I simply do not expect to survive. Being 1000+ miles from home following an EMP is would be one of those; but, I will not live in fear.
Why do you think you would not survive after an EMP even if you were a 1000 miles from home? It sounds like you are well prepared, and have been planning?
 
#12 ·
Husband and I have been traveling a lot lately, both with the kids and without. I enjoy the trips, but am always uncomfortable leaving the comfort zone of my home and supplies. I try to stay aware of people, surroundings, resources, routes and all that. It's a risk each time we go. Hard (for me) to balance Wanderlust and my obsession with prepping. I'm grateful my husband's job rarely requires travel.
 
#14 ·
You have to take into account a few things.

The likelihood of an EMP attack at any given time is low. Combine that with the percentage of time you're planning to be away from home, and the risk in this case is very small.

You just have to decide if you're going to live your life, or live your life in fear. We all prepare so that we can plan for the worst, but you also have to be willing to enjoy the life you have.
 
#15 ·
We are traveling 1200 +or -miles away from home by plane in March for business. We can't take much of anything. The best prep we can take is money, comfortable shoes and copies of important papers. Even if something happens if you have cash at least for the first week or so people will take cash. If you have copies of important papers to identify yourself you will be better off than people who don't. The one thing I will not do anytime soon is travel anywhere outside North America. Push come to shove you have a chance to get home from Canada or the rest of the USA but once your accross an ocean, your screwed.
 
#16 ·
All the time. My chances of getting home from a trip of a 1000 miles are pretty remote. the point is we prepare for our families not ourselves. I want to give them the best chance to make it through. I would do my best to get home but even with a bicycle it would probably take me at least 3 weeks to get home if i had extra tires and tubes. I would run out of food and water long before that even with my Katadyn Mini which I always carry with me even on planes.

If you try to walk home remember how far you are talking. ten to twenty miles per day max. Most people could not do that much. A thousand miles with a pack on your back and not get robbed on the way or killed it would take you about 4 months minimum.
 
#17 ·
I travel overseas frequently. We're precluded from carrying much more on the trips than what we need to do the work because of where we go, among other things.

Aside from things like a multi-tool and a pocketknife in my checked baggage, the single item I've found is most helpful in emergencies or unplanned events is cash. I try to carry quite a bit of cash, in both US and foreign denominations. We do carry cell phones and lists of numbers, both things like embassy contacts as well as airlines and medical evacuation services, etc. But its all strictly business.

When I'm on a business trip I go into 'Baaaah' mode. But I try to avoid dark alleys.
 
#18 ·
sometimes, work takes me a ways from home.... work van.

I take my BOB, supplies (tools, first aid, maps) and 3 day rations.
I take my GHB, some redundancy with BOB, but that is ok, and another 3 day rations.
I take a cardboard box that includes:
2 rolls of tp, 2 of paper towels
8 cans of various "heat and eat" canned food.
8 ramens
a case of water.
and a tent... a real full size, tent

My BOB and my GHB is actually 4 d bags and 1 load bearing pack of gear. I know I will not need all of it.... but IDK where I will be when the SHTF, so I carry A lot of things.... I just want enough gear to stay where i am for several days if need be.... or leave most of the stuff and start walking with any gear I will need for the trip.

I know others have said it... if you are more than a week or two walk, you will need to resupply along the way. It may be stopping, hiding your pack, then going to a farm house and beg for food.... it may be checking some dumpsters... or... maybe you can find plants and what not to feed yourself.

For me, the can goods are for if i am held up somewhere for a week. If the situation has not improved or gotten worse at any point, I leave the can goods. Pack up my light weigh food, and supplies and then take as much water as I can fit. If the weather is nice... I will leave my tent... if its cold, I will bring it... If I am up north, I may carry more food and less water and just filter what I need. I am am heading down south, maybe less food and more water.... It all depends. I say carry anything you MAY need to walk home.... if the SHTF, you will be fine.
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the responses, at least I have company in that tiny corner of my mind.

I will have a toddler with me and that is one reason I don't think I could hike back easily. I know I can do 10 miles a day starting out and I could maybe work up to 20 but it still is a 2 month hike and that is under good conditions and being able to find/buy food.

As far as the BOV, my husband took offense in my calling it a POS. It is an old diesel
4x4 SUV with a hitch and a luggage rack and shouldn't be affected by an EMP but it is smelly and barely gets over 60 miles an hour, we p*** everyone off when they get behind us during our monthly drive about. It is a 24 Volt system so I'll have to think about how you would jump start it if the battery died - oh it is a straight stick so I would coast or push it down a hill (hopefully) in 2nd gear and pop the clutch. I know, I just can't take this on the trip.

What I am taking has a bed, shower, stove, tv and all that so I can survive quite a few days if something happened like it did in San Diego. There is always a possibility of hurricanes. I am sure I would have trepidation about any trip on the road.

I asked my hubby if he would come get us and he said we would never meet up unless we had communication.
 
#20 ·
"I asked my hubby if he would come get us and he said we would never meet up unless we had communication."
At the risk of being accused of reaching, while clearly communication would be optimal, if you don't have communications there are still relatively simple pre-arrangements you can make.

Something along the lines of -- (this is only an example)

"If you have a route pre-planned, then you plan 'rally points' in advance along that route. Take a marker, highlight the route, and mark the rally points.

You probably give him a short call each night from along that route, so he knows on any given day where you were the night before.

You and he agree in advance that 'in the event some bizarre unplanned excitement occurs, and you can't call me, I will proceed to the next rally point and wait for you there. If I cannot make it there, I will return to the last rally point and wait for you there'."


Point is that even though you two can't communicate, if he has some idea of which route you were planning to follow, and where you were the night before the SHTF event, then he should be able to narrow down your location to one of two pre-defined points along that route, and try to rendezvous with you accordingly.

It ain't pretty, but something like this beats no plan at all. It gives people a place to begin looking.
 
#24 ·
If you are taking a road trip... you are pretty much in an ideal travel situation. You can store a GHB in your trunk.

If you can, take a brief look at Castner's Cutthroats

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castner's_Cutthroats

http://tomahawksadventuretravel.blogspot.com/2009/11/alaska-scouts-aka-castners-cutthroaths.html

www.samanthaseiple.com/wwii-castners-cutthroats/

These guys literally LIVED out of their backpack.

There is an old saying that a "backpack survivalist" is really just a refugee, but I believe that if you pack your GHB properly... there is no reason you can't get back home... or make do where you are... with just the contents of a well thought out pack. Obviously, this is not Plan A. This is a last resort measure, but as a last resort measure... the very fact that you have a vehicle and can pack gear is 1000% better than taking an airplane and only have what you can put in a suitcase or overhead.

My GHB isn't what it should be, but I hope to change that in the near future. I want to model it after Castner's philosophy of creating a bag that might have to last you longer than you'd like. It's going to include snares, seeds, and fishing gear... along with a heavy weather hooded poncho that can be used as a sleeping bag.

I don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere without gear... but the day after my second wife and I were married we were driving down from some cabin resort area up near Tahoe... and we took a back road (dumb) without snow chains (dumber) and our gas tank was almost empty (I win! Idiot of the year!!!) The snow was starting to come down heavy. I had my wife beside me and two teenage girls and my buddy in the back seat. I assumed (dumb) that there would be gas stations. There weren't. We had no gear. No food. No weather clothes... and as the gas tank was going lower and lower there was a whole lot of praying going on. (Thank you Lord for a gas pump at an unattended station that took credit cards!) But you get my point - it could have been bad. I don't want to ever be another Stolpa story. Which is why nowadays... I always carry gear, water, and food in my trunk.

Don't leave home without it.

Also, keep a debit card in your GHB. :)
 
#25 ·
I have been thinking about this a lot lately.

I travel quite a bit for work and sometimes several states away. I always take my EDC/GHB but have recently hught about taking more gear. I usual travel via pickup truck so hauling more gear is not much of a problem. I'm workin on putting together a small BOB for the work truck.
 
#26 ·
We travel, nearly every weekend of the year. Next week, in fact, we'll be headed on a 1240+ mile (each way) trip, and camping out for the entire 10-12 days we are there.

We almost always camp out, or sleep in our van. If anyone were to ask, we'd say we don't see the sense in paying for a motel, with travel expenses as high as they are. Truth be told, we LOVE camping. It gets us closer to nature, gives us a chance to practice skills, and always makes for some awesome adventure stories.

We have to be ready to go, at short notice, so we keep our van stocked with everything we think we'll need... tents, sleeping gear, grill and fuel, cookware, and such accompany our usual emergency vehicle supplies.
We pack more food than we'll need... three days, for an overnighter... five days, for a three-day trip... two weeks, for a ten-day trip. This way, if we have to stay longer, we're set.

As you can imagine, our work-related gear takes up a good portion of our spare room. Most of you have seen a media crew unload, so you can imagine. We have our cameras, and all of the related equipment, plus several computers, lighting gear, sound gear... you get the idea. We also have a generator, to power up our laptops and such (camera batteries are charged through the two cigarette lighters in the van).

Over the past few years, we've gotten our system down to an art. All of our work gear (except the generator) is easily carried on us or packed into backpacks. We have plenty of spare room in the packs for extra gear, should need arise. As it is, you'll usually find me running all over a one-mile race track, climbing towers and jumping guardrails, and dodging bikes WITH two cameras and an accessory bag around my neck, AND a backpack (loaded with one 17 1/2" and one 9" laptop, a mobile WiFi unit, 2 liter-sized water bottles, an EDC, a notebook and pen, a first aid kit, a tripod, a Kindle, etc.).
(Shameless plug... check out the Daytona AMA Pro motorcycles races on Speedvision, March 17th and 19th, and you might get an idea of what we do).

Anyway, the point is, when you are lugging a load of gear around for hours a day, regularly, you get to a point where you don't notice it, much. If we had to abandon our vehicle and hoof it home, we would. It'd take time, sure, but I know we'd get there. We'd have to leave the tents and sleeping bags, but we have our ground tarps and rain ponchos. We couldn't take the grill, but we have our lighters and firestarters. We couldn't take the canned foods, but we have plenty of lightweight dried goods that we can pack. We couldn't pack our gallon jugs of water, but we can each pack our 1 liters and refill whenever possible.
I don't worry about it, but I have THOUGHT about it. It's not foolproof, but it's reassuring.

Another thing... my fiance is an INCREDIBLE navigator. He never even LOOKS at the atlas and maps we take, on each trip. I do, though. On our trips, I'm constantly searching for alternative routes. This has actually come in handy, when we have encountered detours and traffic accidents. The shortest route from our home to our destination is always highlighted, pretrip, in case I end up being the "return driver..." scary thought.

We also (as a family) pay close attention to landmarks. On trips we've made before, we use these familiar sights as a sort of gauge, to help us judge our distance. I imagine, in a disaster scenario, these landmarks would be a reassuring sign we were heading home, and give us an idea of how far we'd come.

By nature, I also scout out "safehavens..." spots that I think would be good shelters or resource stops, if need arose... or spots that scream "danger!" and should be avoided. This isn't concious, just a habit I picked up during my months as a "concrete camper."

I also keep a full list of phone numbers and addresses of friends, on trips. Once, we were returning to Ohio from Illinois (after a three-day trip had turned into a five-day). We got into Indiana, and needed to gas up. That is when we discovered that our emergency gas card, cash, and debit card had been stolen. Someone had, apparantly, broken into the van while we were showering (we now shower in shifts). A guy collecting cans from the trash cans was later arrested for pulling this stunt, but that fact did us no good, at the time.
It just happened that I had my phone list with us... I was transferring numbers into a new cellphone, as a boredom buster. We called one of our racer pals, who lived about an hour and a half from where we were stranded. He hopped on his race bike (in full race gear, nonetheless), rode out to us (at 2:30 in the morning), and used his credit card to gas us up.
You have to love a guy like that.

Anyway, the incident taught us to always keep a phone list, always think security first (not leaving valuables unattended...EVER...and being aware of EVERYONE around you), and the importance of keeping a backup debit card in the GHB, as A-Team mentioned.
 
#27 ·
I am glad I started this thread. I will take my GHB for what it's worth and I will keep phone numbers and some cash on me in case someone takes my cards. I think I am most worried about being mugged (or someone trying that) due to the poor economy. I've heard of people begging for money along the stops near the interstate highways. I will keep the tank full. I need to keep my spidey senses alert too as I will have enough distraction when we make a stop. Thanks
 
#29 ·
"...I've heard of people begging for money along the stops near the interstate highways."
This has actually happened to me on three different occasions while I'm traveling on road trips. People indicating they're broke and need gas money, kids haven't eaten, etc.

While the people who approached me didn't appear to present much threat, (and I was armed,) in your position I would advise not allowing them to come too close to you if you're outside your vehicle, and certainly do not roll down your window more than a crack if you're inside your vehicle.

I look like an old biker, so they didn't approach me thinking I was Daddy Warbucks. They hit up everyone. Just be careful.
 
#28 ·
If you aren't licensed, now would be a good time to explore ham radios.

The first level of tests is pretty easy to pass (got mine last fall) and will get you some pretty decent privileges. The radios you could get will easily cover the distance if he's only a couple hours away by car. Especially through repeaters. If you both get licensed, then you can communicate with each other and practice that before something happens.

The practice tests are free at qrz.com, and they use questions that are almost identical to the real tests (some are identical). You can practice as much as you want for free, and take the test when you're consistently getting an 85% or higher. License fees are pretty affordable as well, and entry level radios are down in the $100 or less range.
 
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