It is the price people pay to live in a densely populated area. People choose to live as they do......they just need to accept the possible ramifications if TSHTF. Or they can choose to move. I made my choice 45 years ago.

What can a family do, where can a family go when they got nowhere to go?

 

Don't want a lecture on buying rural property. I want to know what to do when you don't have any.

 

Ditto on staying put, BUT if that is not possible. Do Relatives/Hunting partners/GOOD friends have any place that you can stay with? What about your work location/boss? If not, Starting camping now.

Find a camping area (or State/Federal Park, WMA) that is not well used/known and starting camping there for practice and finding out what else you will need to stay there on a long term basis. Many of the WMA's around here are 50,00 -300,000 acres, plenty of space to hide/hunt/live. Take the family there for the vacation (instead of the normal "beach" vacation) , or long weekends, the more that you practice/prepare, the easier it will get.

Not sure what you have to choose from in the Houston area, you might have to travel further than most to a good location. You might even have to make plans to "leap frog" from area to area, until you get to your BOL.

Don't focus too much on what you Don't have, (you already know that) concentrate on what you do have, knowledge, friends, family, co-workers, church, neighborhood, school, etc. think outside the box for solutions.

 

Find a camping area (or State/Federal Park, WMA) that is not well used/known and starting camping there for practice and finding out what else you will need to stay there on a long term basis. Many of the WMA's around here are 50,00 -300,000 acres, plenty of space to hide/hunt/live. Take the family there for the vacation (instead of the normal "beach" vacation) , or long weekends, the more that you practice/prepare, the easier it will get.

Excellent idea! Never thought about that, but sitting here right now...I know of several places near me, yet far enough from our big city, that we could run to if absolutely forced out of our bug-in home. (I don't want it to be a bug-in home but have no choice right now.) Thanks...will be checking out the camping and geography at some of those soon.

 

If you have needed skills communities and individuals will be more likely to take you in. Let's assume something happens where there is a breakdown of society. Farms are still going to operate, although machinery use might be limited. If you have skills in farming that could be a great barter for food and shelter. Farms and such will also need to be protected, so private security is also possible. There are lots of other possible ways to get food and shelter, but they will almost exclusively revolve around having a skill producers need, since the producers that are left will be the ones with the stuff you need. The real question might be how do you differentiate yourself from the thousands of others in a similar situation as yourself?

 

Consider getting a sailboat. Or maybe a camp trailer?

 

Country folks don't have it as good as they think, and many will have to leave there homes as well. Living in the country is an illusion of safety. Living in Houston as you do, you understand that bugging in isn't an option for long. Lots of things can go wrong here with the chemical plants alone let alone all the other refining facilities. I would start by having a bug in plan, as well as work on a plan to get out at a time when it's deemed appreciate.

 

Well, they will head to the woods and put those bush-craft skills they learned to good use. The reality is 99.8% of the people that do this will die within the first 3 weeks, the rest may last a week or two longer. The thing is people simply aren't being honest with themselves, they have these grand illusions that they are going to play "camp in the woods" and survive, nature is hard, rough and unforgiving. You're better off trying to stick it where you are at and if you have to leave figure it out as you go.

I live in a less populated rural area, it will be hard, we may fail in the end but we don't plan on leaving, we'd rather die at home then in some inhospitable place.

 

TEOTWAWKI is a horrific global re-set event. And "BILLIONS" of humans would die. If you truly feel that it could (or will) happen in your lifetime, you should do what you feel is prudent. But there is NO easy or right answer. In the game of "LIFE" it is all about making choices........and being responsible for the ramifications of those choices.

 

The problem is I hear they intend on driving people out of the country side into to town, making it illegal to be off the grid.
According to agenda 21 that's the plan.
There may be some very hard decisions ahead.

 

Can you point out where that is stated in the resolution?

 

Some good ideas here. Sailboat is interesting though wouldn't work for me. Practice camping is another good one. Walk-in tents are dirt cheap, toss it in the pickup with food and water and head out to a practice campsite. Maybe even pre-position a barrel of supplies. I like it.

Also, I like what dmz says, don't give up on moving in with a farmer if you can bring something to the table. Maybe solar panels? Radios? Moonshine equipment?

 

Unless you show up with a truck load of food, you'll need to bring more than solar panels. I believe DMZs point was SKILLS. Do you have medical training? Can you build/repair farming equipment? Are you a family willing to help or just a couple of guys with guns?

If a group showed up at our place, asking to stay, it would take some convincing. My children's safety and survival comes first. We would be more likely to take in strangers that had something to offer in exchange for a safe place to live. A group willing to invest in our survival as much as their own.

On the other hand, if a group of guys with only guns & gun skills showed up, we would probably send them on their way. Politely and firmly. Hard to sleep at night if someone you don't trust has a gun in your house.

 

TEOTWAWKI is a horrific global re-set event. And "BILLIONS" of humans would die. If you truly feel that it could (or will) happen in your lifetime, you should do what you feel is prudent. But there is NO easy or right answer. In the game of "LIFE" it is all about making choices........and being responsible for the ramifications of those choices.

TEOTWAWKI The end of the world as we know it.

puttster I think you are thinking of SHTF. TEOTWAWKI is a reset where even those who prepare only have a marginally better chance of surviving.

 

So painfully true........and people choose to be in denial about that reality.

TEOTWAWKI is a reset where even those who prepare only have a marginally better chance of surviving.

 

Stay home...




...suffer on the road, or suffer in your own home with all your preps in familiar territory?


It's true that Fight or Flight is instinctual, but we don't always have to default to Flight when we think of an EOTW scenario.

 

I think the only reasonable "solution" for people who REALLY cannot move. is to think (this is what people do when there is absolutely no other choice). Do the research. Real detailed research. Figure out what can actually happen in YOUR PLACE. Build the model (with pencil and paper if not computer model). With numerical values. Figure out what course of action may prolong your life, even a little bit. Be realistic: even you do have a place to go to, what do you have to do to get there? Out of Houston???

 

Depending on the type of disaster, free housing might be readily available for a little cleanup, of course are you supplied to make it long enough to survive, can you find a place where you can set up a homestead and be self-sufficient, and do you have those skills to begin with? I have seen several here with good intentions, putting up seed stock, etc, yet they do not practice farming outside of maybe reading about it. Even assuming you found a place that had been used for farming so it was semi-prepared, without farming knowledge and equipment you are just going to starve to death.

That is why I feel for most integrating yourself with a community is the best idea. If you can have your homestead bought and ready before, then you are in great shape. Next would be finding someone you could reasonably join if things went bad. The last resort would be joining with an unknown. All three of these possibilities requires an individual to have essentially the same skills, it is just how you go about selling them in the latter two.

 

Depending on the type of disaster, free housing might be readily available for a little cleanup, of course are you supplied to make it long enough to survive, can you find a place where you can set up a homestead and be self-sufficient, and do you have those skills to begin with?

It is highly unlikely that a person starting from scratch could do it. I doubt they could survive long enough to make it work. Look at all resources a modern farmer has - seeds, tractors, fuel, pesticides, fertilizer.

Also, in the situation we are discussing you would have plagues of insects, feral animals and rats eating your crops.

 

...

What can a family do, where can a family go when they got nowhere to go?

Motel 6 "We'll leave the light on for ya".

If you are simply fleeing a local disaster than you need to find lodging in a safe area. People do it for Hurricanes all the time. Fleeing a civilization ending disaster would really require knowledge of where would be safe to go. Where you plan to go now may not be a safe place to go than. That out of the way campground may be filled with cannibals or even worse, like a group of full time RV'ers. Just having a rural location to go to may not make it better than Downtown Megacity.

It is ever the problem of becoming a refugee.

 

Do the best you can at bugging in, but you always have to consider the possibility of fleeing. If you are in a position that you MUST flee and have nowhere to go, I would prepare for at least a month long camping trip. You can easily do this with a small trailer if you are organized. Even one small enough to pull behind a car if you don't have a truck. The trick is getting into a remote area and staying for an extended period of time. Sometimes it may be best to "gypsy" from location to location. I would just have a few preplanned locations in mind before the SHTF.

 

When you say you're in Houston, are you an inner looper? out to the beltway or in the surrounding area? Location in this huge city will dictate a lot of things for you...

For example, If you were on the Soutwest side, I would suggest migrating down towards Corpus. If you are on the East side, I would migrate towards Louisiana. Northside, towards Dallas. South side, towards Galveston or somewhere along the coast between Galveston and Louisiana.

 

Or it would not matter at all where exactly OP lives: one of almost certain scenario would be ocean related. So he would have to move north. And his knowledge of, say, agriculture won't matter at all.

 

In going to the sewers to rule the underworld.

 

If you absolutely have to bug out, because bugging in is not an option, I would head to government land that has water available. But first, learn as much as you can about as much as you can, knowledge is key to survival in any situation.

 

Where is this magical government land that has water available?

Is it on Google Maps?

 

To the Op.. Fitness because running away is less dangerous than actually fighting hand to hand and you'll most always be out numbered .. and some serious people skills ...you'll need to eventually come out of the rabbit hole to find every one you've know is now gone and you'll need to make new friends quickly. . these are probably going to be two very important preps...along with basics of food shelter water...

 

Please read all of this post since I will at least try to tell you my ideas that I have thought about and prepared for since 1982.
I will also answer any questions in private messages or email.

If it is simply a SHTF then a person should bug in for most scenarios. You should be able to tell if it is a bad or not too bad SHTF. For instance I have lived in big cities, small towns and in remote mountains. Experiencing all kinds of things. In the case of electricity going off for a few days I just bugged in. But I did have plenty of stored water, food, candles, flashlights etc. etc.

In the case of terrible rioting, war and martial law I would bug out ASAP. But I do have a couple uncles and cousins with farms to bug out to. And the remote mtn retreat which I plan to permanently live on sometime soon.

You bug in. If you don't own somewhere to go (or have a relative who does) which has been prepped, you are much better off prepping your home and bugging in. It would be suicide to join the refugees fleeing their homes.

I agree with this. It would probably be best to bug in, especially if one has much stored water, food etc. than just go off on the road with potentially millions of others.

But IF one Must bug out or else die where you are, then going to a well prepared safe location is Best. IF one does not have any friends or relatives to help then a person should make plans now.

Such as make contacts and hopefully friends asap now so that one will have a good safe place to flee to if necessary. The biggest and worst TEOTWAWKI that has happened in the USA was the Civil War / War Between the States.

It is possible that another war could happen such as If some states try to form Republics or something such as happened in the USSR.

What I have tried to do for more than ten years now is invite a few good people to join me on my remote Wyoming mtn retreat. There is quite a bit room now and after a TEOTWAWKI event or events then I think there will be even more room up there since fewer people who would be vacationing up there.
There is also an abundance of wood, water and wildlife on and all around my mtn retreat. I will not go on and on anymore but IF anyone wishes to contact me and IF anyone has no other safe place to go to in a worse case scenario then I once again invite almost anyone to send me an email or message. Someday, probably someday soon, I will not be inviting people anymore to join me in one of the safest best survival areas that I know about anyway.

 

What I have tried to do for more than ten years now is invite a few good people to join me on my remote Wyoming mtn retreat. There is quite a bit room now and after a TEOTWAWKI event or events then I think there will be even more room up there since fewer people who would be vacationing up there.
There is also an abundance of wood, water and wildlife on and all around my mtn retreat. I will not go on and on anymore but IF anyone wishes to contact me and IF anyone has no other safe place to go to in a worse case scenario then I once again invite almost anyone to send me an email or message. Someday, probably someday soon, I will not be inviting people anymore to join me in one of the safest best survival areas that I know about anyway.

Congratulations on choosing Wyoming. That is a very sound choice and it is very gracious of you to make such an offer to others. My hat is off to you. May God bless!

 

I have 3 plans.
1) Bug in where I have mousy of my preps, guns, ammo and where friends know where to find me.
2) Go to an area near me that's densely wooded if I can't stay home. Regular big out gear gets used and we stay low until we can boogie out of town.
3) Nothing is ever impossible. Get what is needed to really bug out. That means a boat if bridges and tunnels are blocked or impassable. Also means I get to carry more items away with me.

That's just my thought on a truly world changing, violent circumstance.

 

Dumb and dumber...

I rarely get on here, too much fantasy, but I will put in my two cents. You've basically limited your ability from the get go.
I'm going to make this suggestion, get quietly in contact with one of these smart people on here living in Houston or the metro area, form an alliance of sorts. Demonstrate your skill sets to them, give them a reason to consider you an asset. Allow them to invite you into their family unit or survival group. A smart experienced survival group will already have qualifiers that you may have to provide them. Most will require you to put something forward like: 1.) a good viable camper; 2.) a years worth of long term food; 3.) secure firearms on site. That being said, if you plan on bugging in prepare for the fire, Houston will burn to the ground within two weeks, from the downtown to Loop 610. Shortly there after that the ants that survive will overflow into the area between 610 and BW8, eating everything in their path, thus driving out those people into the area between BW8 and SH 99.... 6 million people gotta eat and survive. Step yourself into a thriving fire ant colony, remain there for 30 seconds....you will see a microcosm of Houston.
I lived in Houston, worked in Houston, and commute out of Houston to points unknown but vastly more secure. Is it secure? Not as much as I want. But I see Houston refugees being in my area within three weeks, eating like the locust they will become... I have the equipment to handle the situation, slit trenches, lime and a good tractor to back-fill.
Take my advise do not become a refugee, ally yourself with good company and form a group survival team.... it will at least give you peace of mind.

 

(1) Have a skillset that is valuable in a post-TEO* event - and be ready and willing to use it. Farming, pounding metal, setting masonry, digging, gathering and making meds out of herbs, even things like electrical / mechanical knowhow may save your life, and make you more desirable as a member of a homestead. Your executive position at a fortune 500 company won't be worth too much in a TEO* situ.

(2) Get in shape NOW because if you ARE fortunate (thanks to #1) to find accommodations or a place in someone else's set-up, you will be expected to be better than an equal part of the labor needed. Think of it as the equity you're buying into. And realize if you found or have a place to land your days will be filled with backbreaking labor from before sun-up to dark.

(3) Dump any and all resentments. You think you're getting a bad shake? By surviving this far, you did better than most, You got a problem with the way your "hosts" are expecting you to pull 110% of your weight, don't expect to be welcome long, or expect to not wake up some morning.

(4) Ditto sniveling and drama. Sure, you don't like your cards - you think anyone else is any different? Even if you have a cool BOL with everything you think you need, you're still gonna be stressed, easy to flash, and edgy. You add to someone else's - well, see #3 above.

(4) Have a plan. Have that plan NOW. Practice the plan, practice it until you and your family's eyes bug out from sickening redundancy, until everyone is having dreams about it.

(5) Have enough to be self sufficient for as long as you can, and have that transportable as much as possible - and if you're on foot, remember that 5 gallon pail of beans won't fit too well in a backpack!

You're gonna be relying on someone else's (a) generosity, and (b) need for labor that outweighs their stored food supply, regardless if they're family, friends, or strangers.

And finally remember this - if you decide to bug out, and have neither a plan nor a pre-determined location to go to, even if everything else goes according to plan and stellar, your chances of survival that time the next year are about 3-5% at best. You do NOT want to leave your location unless you absolutely positively have to, and even then you need a really good reason to do so.

 

Do not plan on coming to my door. Unless you have something significant to offer, you will be told to move along or be shot.

 

A sad situation



This is how the OP will be met outside Houston. There's a recent book out that explains the whys and hows of this greeting in the very first chapter after the introduction. He won't be asked what "survival skills" he has to offer. He'll only be asked to leave. And, if he has a weapon, he will not be asked to leave pleasantly. He has about one minute to get his A$$ back in his vehicle and leave or force or the threat of force will be applied. Anyone who escapes the city with nowhere to go will ultimately find they have nowhere to go.

The same author goes into surviving in cities by "bugging in". He points out that electricity and water are seldom cut off (Witness Germany and Japan in WWII.) but RATIONING does take effect. One of the things about government is that it tends to want to EQUALIZE starvation (The book postulates 60% of the world facing starvation.). City water rationing usually includes heavy fines for filling a swimming pool, watering your lawn, washing your car, or even your windows. Electricity rationing is done by surcharge. If you pay the surcharge, you have electricity. If you don't pay it, you don't. Your choice.

Food rationing can be done with ration cards or, in the case of the book I read, by limiting the purchase dollar amounts per customer.

So there actually are reasons for "bugging in". Many people will survive "bugging in". But that doesn't mean they will survive by being "prepared". What is PREPARED? That one word covers one helluva lot of possibilities. The book details the problems of how do you water a garden when it's illegal to water grass? How do you protect your garden from being looted when barbed wire fences are illegal and wire cutters readily available at Home Depot? It compares the cost of insecticide to just buying "black market" food (Farmer's markets). It also points out that being a "have" when surrounded by 10,000 "have nots" can be dangerous to your health (And that having an AR with 10,000 rounds will not extend your life in home defense (Assault rifles are not called "Defense rifles".). What you're armed with has very little to do with self defense but it is very important for killing someone else for self gain.).

The book identifies who will be killed for what they have and who won't. Those who won't be killed are those who can simply be robbed of their crops without the need for violence while they sleep. And the shorter the distance the robbers have to go, the better. So it's not like the BG's will choose to drive 80 miles to rob a farmer when they only have to drive two blocks to rob you. And the greater your "bug in" security, the greater the chance of a bullet. High fences, security cameras, and night lighting are dead giveaways that you have something worth wanting and you are now limiting access to only violent means.

According to the book, if you can't disguise you're a "have" from a "have not" and you're "bugging in", you have a problem. You may survive it but you have a problem.

The book takes it a step further by differentiating between a prepper and a hoarder. A "hoarder" is anyone who stockpiles or grows inner city food for PROFIT. If you can be identified as a "hoarder", NONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS will come to your aid when the assault begins. The book directly compares hoarders with those who bought up ammunition under Obama. It's a fine line to tread.

Why am I posting this? I couldn't solve the OP's problem. I had nothing to offer. Many people tried and with well intended advice. But who here among us thinks they can survive themselves on the advice they gave him? When he pulls into the RV/campground trailer park with 10,000 others, how is that going to work?

And joining a survivalist group in HOUSTON is probably a 50-50 chance of joining a future survivalist GANG once they discover how well prepared they really are.

The best advice the OP was given was to link up with another survivalist in Wyoming. And how often does that offer come along? Anyone else care to match it? The above poster didn't. Neither did I.

Otherwise, he's going to be holed up in HOUSTON or in a campground or have the rest of us looking at him through the cross hairs of our SCOPES.

Only so many of us are going to make it no matter how well prepared we think we are.

The book and author are available upon request. One jackass here accused me of shilling for the author. What a moron! It was an eye opener. That's all. If you want to keep your eyes closed that just makes you all the easier to rob.