SHTF Scenario 1, Make your vote count!

13113 Views 112 Replies 77 Participants Last post by TheGrayGhost, Mar 24, 2009

Fred8328

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2009 (Edited)

Ok, before you vote, here is the scenario for a SHTF Situation:

You live in a large city, an economic breakdown has forced no resources from the government. The city has turned into looters, riots and new gangs have formed to take peoples food and resources. Bugging out is no/little option, it is more dangerous on the roads and back roads than staying bugged in, people are being killed trying to leave for thier items! The governemnt has announced that martial law will begin soon, but has not given a time or date, they are unsure when they can help. You missed your chance to bug out, there was no warning!

Your prepared to the point that you are right, this moment in food, supplies and protection (Guns & Ammo).

You have a family/friends of 7 sitting with you at your house, you haven't been forced to give anything up yet! What would you do?

Reactions: 4

1 - 20 of 113 Posts

pftw-pftb

· #2 · Jan 30, 2009

If leaving is more of a threat than staying I wouldn't leave.

If you have a group of 7 any more would just be a larger group to feed and you don't want to start giving supplys away. At first you give them away and after a while they will take them away.

Why move to a different part of the city? You are at home you have the advantage of knowing your house and area.

Reactions: 2

Kregener

· #3 · Jan 30, 2009

"Take the 'chance' OF bugging out"?

You stay 'bugged in' when this gets here (it is coming) and you will be burned down.

Reactions: 4

pftw-pftb

· #4 · Jan 30, 2009

Kregener said:
"Take the 'chance' OF bugging out"?

You stay 'bugged in' when this gets here (it is coming) and you will be burned down.

I agree. The best thing to do would have been to leave before. If its not an option its not an option.

For myself I would leave the city no matter what. I can't thing of a risk big enough to keep me in a large city.

Reactions: 2

steve5

· #5 · Jan 30, 2009

in that situation things will only get worse so your best bet is to put everything on the line for a chance at geting out of the situation before its too laite

Reactions: 1

maxpower

· #6 · Jan 30, 2009

LOL I would form my own gang then.

Reactions: 1

Kregener

· #7 · Jan 30, 2009

maxpower said:
LOL I would form my own gang then.

This mindset is why we arm up.

:thumb:

Reactions: 1

maxpower

· #8 · Jan 30, 2009

Kregener said:
This mindset is why we arm up.

:thumb:

Well exactly. Strength in numbers. I mean you have a little food and basics, 7 family members, call up the neibors that are left and the friends you have in town, take over a section of town and lock it down. Hell I even know where I would go. There is a small distribution distribution center for the local grocery stores a few blocks from my house. Its hidden and is surrounded by a river with only one entrance very defensible. I could have my own army of 100+ people there in a couple hours. Done and done.

Reactions: 2

test

· #9 · Jan 30, 2009

The cities will be a maelstrom of absolute terror, murder,torture,rape,starvation,disease
and confusion....I would not advocate anyone staying in the city if long term survival is paramount in their thinking....Look at the large cities now with law and order...imagine thosse same cities without any law and order.....Primeval....l

Reactions: 3

PlacidRambo

· #10 · Jan 30, 2009

Really would depend what part of the city and what kind of house i was living in. A condo in a skyscraper? A house in suburbia? A small apartment on main street? Each have definite pros and cons. I think i would try to keep as low of a profile as i could manage, set up defense traps around the location, Create hiding locations in the house for items and people in the event that the house is searched by looters, try to catch as many stray animals possible for food. in Not much one can do in times like that. Best idea is survive until escape is possible.

Reactions: 1

jake27

· #11 · Jan 30, 2009

Bug out is the only option, and the sooner the better! There's only so long you can hide out with that many people running rampant. Remember the Alamo?

Reactions: 1

Kregener

· #12 · Jan 30, 2009

PlacidRambo said:
Really would depend what part of the city and what kind of house i was living in. A condo in a skyscraper? A house in suburbia? A small apartment on main street? Each have definite pros and cons. I think i would try to keep as low of a profile as i could manage, set up defense traps around the location, Create hiding locations in the house for items and people in the event that the house is searched by looters, try to catch as many stray animals possible for food. in Not much one can do in times like that. Best idea is survive until escape is possible.

And then the molotov cocktail party begins...

Reactions: 1

PlacidRambo

· #13 · Jan 30, 2009

Kregener said:
And then the molotov cocktail party begins...

What can I say... I'm a country boy... I wouldn't last a second in the city in this scenario.

Reactions: 1

maxpower

· #14 · Jan 30, 2009

PlacidRambo said:
What can I say... I'm a country boy... I wouldn't last a second in the city in this scenario.

I feel ya Placid. I am a city boy. I wouldn't last a second in the country LOL.
I can work my way around riots and gunfights and roving gangs (nothing new

: )
However stuck in an open field with only what I brought with me...now that is scary even on a calm tuesday afternoon HA.

Reactions: 2

sniper

· #15 · Jan 30, 2009

head for the hills

Reactions: 1

ExecuteQuery

· #16 · Jan 30, 2009

Target practice from the roof!

Reactions: 3

Cpl.Young

· #17 · Jan 30, 2009

In this situation I would have to say bug in only if you have no alternate secure stocked bug out location. If you did have a location outside the city I would take my chances and try to get to it asap. I wouldn't take a lot so I could avoid being targeted, just try to fit in as much as possible during your egress out the city and be discretely armed. With a group of eight you could split up into four groups of two moving together and staying within eye sight but not as a large group that way you can watch out for threats better.

Reactions: 1

HarvestR

· #18 · Jan 30, 2009

I'd like to see more of these scenarios to vote on and discuss.

Location in-city is a major factor - as others have stated. No power another big one. Do you have some ignorant lug in your small apartment building or split house who is going to burn theirs and your place down on night #1 with unmonitored open flame (candles etc). This is one of my concerns where I live.

The roving bands described in the scenario make me want to say get out regardless of the immediate danger - the longer term chances of survival in the city seem very limited. However, I feel in this situation, given the number of people in the group and assuming all can be held out for another day or so, I guess we would be waiting for the eventual martial law that is on the way. Maybe the ensuing chaos will stir things up to a point where a bug out becomes more feasible. Maybe not, and staying at all is foolish.

But, again, with little to no advance warning being almost a definite in any SHTF scenario (in my opinion), what choices are left? This is why we prepare, discuss on the forum, and more, to develop our own specific and albeit ever changing 'bug out barometer'. Or to borrow Dwind's coined term: "suvcon" level. Everything is constantly in flux, and the best we can do is prepare and be flexible.

See less See more

Reactions: 1

Herd Sniper

· #19 · Jan 30, 2009

In a potential stand and fight situation things go better for you if you have more manpower, better tactics, better equipment and better information than your enemy. If you are short, then you need to allocate your forces and equipment to work smarter for you. This is exactly what the paratroopers at Bastogne did in WW2. They 101st had a limited amount of manpower, supplies and artillery available to them. What they pretty much did was form a defensive ring around their city, sent out scouts forward along key roads to alert them when the enemy was approaching and then they used an artillery reaction force to its maximum advantage. So the scouts gave advanced warning, the perimeter line got ready and the artillery reaction force moved to intercept the approaching enemy. You can do the same thing IF you have your neighbors help with the defense plan and reaction force. I am not saying that you need your entire neighborhood to participate. What you want to do is involve those people who have common sense, know their firearms like ex-military, ex-police or have been hunters. So there you have four or five dirtbags coming down Smith Street with looting, raping and burning on their beady little minds. The dirtbags get spotted by your scouts early on and the scouts alert you. Your reaction force of a dozen or so fairly experienced ex-military, ex-police and hunters can move to intercept the dirtbags. Bet the dirtbags don't come back after the first confrontation, if they survive it.

Yep, me and the neighbors could get the job done around here.

See less See more

Reactions: 2

Fred8328

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 30, 2009

Very good comments so far everyone! Nice.

1 - 20 of 113 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.