The Bug Out Bag. - Page 3

Ducimus · 05-21-12, 10:14 AM

Well, i'm not saying everybody "prepping" wants something bad to happen, but i think a good number do, and probably don't even realize it. There does seem to be a sense that something bad or something significant is going to happen in the future though. Hell even i think something significant (and negative) will happen in my lifetime, though I don't think its going to bring about the "without Rule of law" OMG the world has ended scenario that many "preppers" seem to.

Going out on a limb, i think ill list various bullet points that i think are contributing to this whole "prepping" fade. This isn't all inclusive, just stuff off the top of my head:

* Economy
- housing bubble bursting,
- The ever increasing deficit we've acquired from fighting a protracted war on two fronts
- Increasing debt ceiling
- the entire situation regarding the bank bailouts
- increasing disparity between income classes.
- Fear of global economic collapse

*Oil ( This could probably be put under economy but this is so large it deserves its on point. )
- Lots of fear regarding oil shortage. The reasons are many: Not enough drilling, not enough to drill, oil has peaked and in decline, oil might be embargoed cause of middle east BS, etc etc list goes on.

- lack of oil equates to lack of food, services, goods, jobs.

* Political.
- Vitriol between political beliefs is very high right now, people are divided.

- Black president. This is bigger then what most people here might want to admit. Yes its racial. My father in law i hear CRIED when Obama took office. Some label him as the Antichrist. Others question his citizenship. There's so many quirks in the way of belief and opinion surrounding Obama its quite amazing if you look at the larger picture. Obama represents a social change that ( edit: ) many people probably weren't ready for.

*Religion
- Evangelicals (and there's a lot of them) have a hard on for The Rapture.
- Mormons have been storing food for "The end of days" for decades.
- Not gonna get into this too far, so ill just say, etc etc etc.

*Social
- Rugged independence and individually is engrained our (American) culture to a high degree and most people don't even realize it. You can see it in just about any Think about how those two traits in our people as a whole, in combination with a doomsday scenario (regardless of cause).

- In an age of globalization, troubled economy, and political uncertainty, many people yearn for a simpler time more so then usual. (again, see above linked truck commercial ). Granted I think despite all the happenings in the last 12 years, most Americans yearn for a simpler time regardless. (insert little house on the prairie reference here)

- We love an underdog, and we love the underdog more when it's us. A scenario where we become the underdog has some odd romantic appeal.

*Media and myths
- Movies like "The Road", "Book of Eli", and "I am legend", and i believe "2012"
- Two many zombie movies and games. (I gotta admit i love em though)
- Mayan calender ending 2012

I'm sure theres more contributing factors, but I just ran outta gas, so ill end this post now.

yubba · 05-21-12, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

By the way, what will you power the PT boat with?

I thought they had some of that green energy stuff, they have been spending trillions on, or hopefully it will have a full tank, detail, details, I should really get back to work on that hho generator, someone should checkout that howard johnsons motor.

u crank · 05-21-12, 07:35 PM

@ Ducimus.

Very good analysis. I think you got it all.

Funny, last week I was having one of those days. Everything was going wrong. You know , one of those days. Ashamed to say I was in a foul mood. A couple of people started to talk on this subject and I just blurted out "bring it on". We laughed but I wonder if that isn't part of it as well. Frustration and anger at a world we can't control.

But of course I pray it never happens. To many people I love and care about.

Once again, great post Ducimus.

Stealhead · 05-21-12, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Well, i'm not saying everybody "prepping" wants something bad to happen, but i think a good number do, and probably don't even realize it. There does seem to be a sense that something bad or something significant is going to happen in the future though. Hell even i think something significant (and negative) will happen in my lifetime, though I don't think its going to bring about the "without Rule of law" OMG the world has ended scenario that many "preppers" seem to.

Going out on a limb, i think ill list various bullet points that i think are contributing to this whole "prepping" fade. This isn't all inclusive, just stuff off the top of my head:

* Economy
- housing bubble bursting,
- The ever increasing deficit we've acquired from fighting a protracted war on two fronts
- Increasing debt ceiling
- the entire situation regarding the bank bailouts
- increasing disparity between income classes.
- Fear of global economic collapse

*Oil ( This could probably be put under economy but this is so large it deserves its on point. )
- Lots of fear regarding oil shortage. The reasons are many: Not enough drilling, not enough to drill, oil has peaked and in decline, oil might be embargoed cause of middle east BS, etc etc list goes on.

- lack of oil equates to lack of food, services, goods, jobs.

* Political.
- Vitriol between political beliefs is very high right now, people are divided.

- Black president. This is bigger then what most people here might want to admit. Yes its racial. My father in law i hear CRIED when Obama took office. Some label him as the Antichrist. Others question his citizenship. There's so many quirks in the way of belief and opinion surrounding Obama its quite amazing if you look at the larger picture. Obama represents a social change that ( edit: ) many people probably weren't ready for.

*Religion
- Evangelicals (and there's a lot of them) have a hard on for The Rapture.
- Mormons have been storing food for "The end of days" for decades.
- Not gonna get into this too far, so ill just say, etc etc etc.

*Social
- Rugged independence and individually is engrained our (American) culture to a high degree and most people don't even realize it. You can see it in just about any Think about how those two traits in our people as a whole, in combination with a doomsday scenario (regardless of cause).

- In an age of globalization, troubled economy, and political uncertainty, many people yearn for a simpler time more so then usual. (again, see above linked truck commercial ). Granted I think despite all the happenings in the last 12 years, most Americans yearn for a simpler time regardless. (insert little house on the prairie reference here)

- We love an underdog, and we love the underdog more when it's us. A scenario where we become the underdog has some odd romantic appeal.

*Media and myths
- Movies like "The Road", "Book of Eli", and "I am legend", and i believe "2012"
- Two many zombie movies and games. (I gotta admit i love em though)
- Mayan calender ending 2012

I'm sure theres more contributing factors, but I just ran outta gas, so ill end this post now.

I agree with you there I wasn't meaning to say that they all desire an event but as you say some do or think that they do or I mean to say I did not read you that way.

It is funny because I think at many points throughout history people have perceived the end times any time period with lots of change occurring would cause the feeling for example the times that the Plague went through Europe many perceived that to have been punishment from god and a sign of the end.

In our modern world you also have mainstream entertainment as you mentioned so it is hard to judge how many really believe and how many are just very intrigued and for them is a fun hobby even though they know that zombies are not real it is an intriguing idea and there are some very good zombie flicks The Return Of The Living Dead(that punk rock girl running around naked had not a thing to do with it) was always my favorite and that 2012 flick got way too much attention people talked about it for months after.

It makes sense during hard times that such topics are popular just as the early Cold War and nuclear weapons spawned all those Sci fi monster films.

Oberon · 05-21-12, 09:00 PM

It's good to see this getting some thought provoking insight, I think there's also a lot of romantasising it, taking your average office worker for example who does his 9-5 day in, day out, his boss treats him like a doormat and he's a social outcast. He probably longs for society to have the rug pulled out from underneath it so that he can come out from his shell and show those who are struggling to survive just how it's done.

For others, it's perhaps 'Artilleryman syndrome' where people want to remake society into something else, be it a religious utopia, a scientific utopia, or some form of social darwinism. Each particular 'Pact' has their own desires, after all, in how many disaster films does the Nerdy kid save the day and get the girl? (Trust me, I've seen a few and, yes it happens a lot...usually the sort of disaster films that go straight to DVD) Usually the disaster as it happens revolves around that particular persons ability to solve it.

Zombies are good because they cover a lot of social issues, breakdown of society, mob rule, and various far-fetched links to the 'zombified masses'.
Fast zombies are still stupid though...

I had trouble getting to sleep night before last, doing night shifts will do that to you, so I read Alex Scarrows 'Last Light' which deals with an artificially created 'Peak Oil' scenario. It's quite a good read for those in the UK (for that's where it's based) and it's not a 'comfy catastrophe' but it's not as hard-hitting as 'One Second After' by William Forstchen, which I do recommend those who like the genre read because it is well written and doesn't pull its punches.

End of world scenarios are as old as time itself, but there are some days when I look ahead and I wonder if the pace of life we have set for ourselves is maintainable?

Oberon · 05-21-12, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yubba

I thought they had some of that green energy stuff, they have been spending trillions on, or hopefully it will have a full tank, detail, details, I should really get back to work on that hho generator, someone should checkout that howard johnsons motor.

Well, good to see you've thought these things through...

Stealhead · 05-21-12, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

End of world scenarios are as old as time itself, but there are some days when I look ahead and I wonder if the pace of life we have set for ourselves is maintainable?

Probably not but that seems to be the way of things in the billion + years that earth has been around she has seen many species dominate and then die off.

If you mean pace as pace of life/work in general I say it is too fast and there is too much stress in most peoples lives and I firmly believe that too much stress is not the best thing for your mind or body.Sometimes "giving the other fellow hell" as that Paul McCartney song says really wears you down.

yubba · 05-22-12, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well, good to see you've thought these things through...

well I can always punch a hole in the deck and drop a pole down it and hang grannies bloomers up as a sail

yubba · 05-24-12, 07:27 PM

well the issue of water came up that's my weak point don't have a filter as of yet and not ready to drop money on it, but you can sterilize water in plastic bottles that have 222 stamped on the bottom these would be the ocean spray 64oz cranberry juice bottles, fill with water and set in the sun for 8 hrs, bleach or tablets would be helpful.

Stealhead · 05-25-12, 12:44 AM

Bleach is poisonous to humans so if you used bleach you would make the water worse.Also setting in the sun wont solve anything that will only benefit any bacteria even if you used iodine tablets they might not kill everything but enough if the water is consumed soon after better to boil it.

Try this instead all you need is iodine not bleach he wrong about that.Bleach also has lead and other harmful elements in it might be why you heard the 8 hours in sunlight.But ant PET bottle will work.

This is the guy that inspired the vid above he is smarter notice that he does not mention bleach.

Ducimus · 05-25-12, 11:50 AM

I have to wonder if any of these doomsday preppers have looked at the larger picture.

So lets say you stock up provisions to last X amount of time. Ok, then what are you gonna do when those run out? Bug out...ok, where to? And for how long? Is it sustainable?

Sustainability is i think the operative word here with the bigger picture. You can do all the preperations you want, but long term, if your not in a sustainable situation, your only putting off the inevitable.

Betonov · 05-25-12, 11:52 AM

The best advice when it comes to nuclear war:

DON'T SURVIVE !!!

Dowly · 05-25-12, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Sustainability is i think the operative word here with the bigger picture. You can do all the preperations you want, but long term, if your not in a sustainable situation, your only putting off the inevitable.

That's true. Maybe people want to have that little bit of hope that maybe if they
survive long enough everything will be ok again.

Ducimus · 05-25-12, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dowly

That's true. Maybe people want to have that little bit of hope that maybe if they
survive long enough everything will be ok again.

Sure, in a natural disaster, where everything turns crappy for a 1 to 3 months. However most of this doomsday prepping seems to be on the mindset that it's the end of everything as we know it, forever, or at the least for several years.

Insert Red dawn, mad max, references here.

Stealhead · 05-25-12, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Sure, in a natural disaster, where everything turns crappy for a 1 to 3 months. However most of this doomsday prepping seems to be on the mindset that it's the end of everything as we know it, forever, or at the least for several years.

Insert Red dawn, mad max, references here.

Just take into consideration the physiological effect that a complete "end" would have as well all (or most) of your friends and family would be dead for starters and now you are stuck in a world where after your stash runs out you are going to have to survive from living off of the land if that is even possible and that you actually really know how to.

You are stuck in a world were most other humans may be very willing to kill or rape or even eat you sure you have guns but could you handle the physiological effect of dealing with this every day the fact that you might die at any moment could you actually even kill someone and if you did how would you handle the physiological effect after words?Will you be pushed to be as ruthless?

05-21-12, 10:14 AM	#31
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	Well, i'm not saying everybody "prepping" wants something bad to happen, but i think a good number do, and probably don't even realize it. There does seem to be a sense that something bad or something significant is going to happen in the future though. Hell even i think something significant (and negative) will happen in my lifetime, though I don't think its going to bring about the "without Rule of law" OMG the world has ended scenario that many "preppers" seem to. Going out on a limb, i think ill list various bullet points that i think are contributing to this whole "prepping" fade. This isn't all inclusive, just stuff off the top of my head: * Economy - housing bubble bursting, - The ever increasing deficit we've acquired from fighting a protracted war on two fronts - Increasing debt ceiling - the entire situation regarding the bank bailouts - increasing disparity between income classes. - Fear of global economic collapse Oil ( This could probably be put under economy but this is so large it deserves its on point. ) - Lots of fear regarding oil shortage. The reasons are many: Not enough drilling, not enough to drill, oil has peaked and in decline, oil might be embargoed cause of middle east BS, etc etc list goes on. - lack of oil equates to lack of food, services, goods, jobs. Political. - Vitriol between political beliefs is very high right now, people are divided. - Black president. This is bigger then what most people here might want to admit. Yes its racial. My father in law i hear CRIED when Obama took office. Some label him as the Antichrist. Others question his citizenship. There's so many quirks in the way of belief and opinion surrounding Obama its quite amazing if you look at the larger picture. Obama represents a social change that ( edit: ) many people probably weren't ready for. Religion - Evangelicals (and there's a lot of them) have a hard on for The Rapture. - Mormons have been storing food for "The end of days" for decades. - Not gonna get into this too far, so ill just say, etc etc etc. Social - Rugged independence and individually is engrained our (American) culture to a high degree and most people don't even realize it. You can see it in just about any Think about how those two traits in our people as a whole, in combination with a doomsday scenario (regardless of cause). - In an age of globalization, troubled economy, and political uncertainty, many people yearn for a simpler time more so then usual. (again, see above linked truck commercial ). Granted I think despite all the happenings in the last 12 years, most Americans yearn for a simpler time regardless. (insert little house on the prairie reference here) - We love an underdog, and we love the underdog more when it's us. A scenario where we become the underdog has some odd romantic appeal. Media and myths - Movies like "The Road", "Book of Eli", and "I am legend", and i believe "2012" - Two many zombie movies and games. (I gotta admit i love em though) - Mayan calender ending 2012 I'm sure theres more contributing factors, but I just ran outta gas, so ill end this post now. Last edited by Ducimus; 05-21-12 at 10:59 AM.*

05-21-12, 07:35 PM	#33
u crank Old enough to know better Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Prince Edward Island Posts: 11,744 Downloads: 136 Uploads: 0	@ Ducimus. Very good analysis. I think you got it all. Funny, last week I was having one of those days. Everything was going wrong. You know , one of those days. Ashamed to say I was in a foul mood. A couple of people started to talk on this subject and I just blurted out "bring it on". We laughed but I wonder if that isn't part of it as well. Frustration and anger at a world we can't control. But of course I pray it never happens. To many people I love and care about. Once again, great post Ducimus. __________________ “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

05-21-12, 09:00 PM	#35
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	It's good to see this getting some thought provoking insight, I think there's also a lot of romantasising it, taking your average office worker for example who does his 9-5 day in, day out, his boss treats him like a doormat and he's a social outcast. He probably longs for society to have the rug pulled out from underneath it so that he can come out from his shell and show those who are struggling to survive just how it's done. For others, it's perhaps 'Artilleryman syndrome' where people want to remake society into something else, be it a religious utopia, a scientific utopia, or some form of social darwinism. Each particular 'Pact' has their own desires, after all, in how many disaster films does the Nerdy kid save the day and get the girl? (Trust me, I've seen a few and, yes it happens a lot...usually the sort of disaster films that go straight to DVD) Usually the disaster as it happens revolves around that particular persons ability to solve it. Zombies are good because they cover a lot of social issues, breakdown of society, mob rule, and various far-fetched links to the 'zombified masses'. Fast zombies are still stupid though... I had trouble getting to sleep night before last, doing night shifts will do that to you, so I read Alex Scarrows 'Last Light' which deals with an artificially created 'Peak Oil' scenario. It's quite a good read for those in the UK (for that's where it's based) and it's not a 'comfy catastrophe' but it's not as hard-hitting as 'One Second After' by William Forstchen, which I do recommend those who like the genre read because it is well written and doesn't pull its punches. End of world scenarios are as old as time itself, but there are some days when I look ahead and I wonder if the pace of life we have set for ourselves is maintainable?

05-24-12, 07:27 PM	#39
yubba Admiral Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: in a neighborhood near you Posts: 2,478 Downloads: 293 Uploads: 2	well the issue of water came up that's my weak point don't have a filter as of yet and not ready to drop money on it, but you can sterilize water in plastic bottles that have 222 stamped on the bottom these would be the ocean spray 64oz cranberry juice bottles, fill with water and set in the sun for 8 hrs, bleach or tablets would be helpful.

05-25-12, 12:44 AM	#40
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Bleach is poisonous to humans so if you used bleach you would make the water worse.Also setting in the sun wont solve anything that will only benefit any bacteria even if you used iodine tablets they might not kill everything but enough if the water is consumed soon after better to boil it. Try this instead all you need is iodine not bleach he wrong about that.Bleach also has lead and other harmful elements in it might be why you heard the 8 hours in sunlight.But ant PET bottle will work. This is the guy that inspired the vid above he is smarter notice that he does not mention bleach.

05-25-12, 11:50 AM	#41
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	I have to wonder if any of these doomsday preppers have looked at the larger picture. So lets say you stock up provisions to last X amount of time. Ok, then what are you gonna do when those run out? Bug out...ok, where to? And for how long? Is it sustainable? Sustainability is i think the operative word here with the bigger picture. You can do all the preperations you want, but long term, if your not in a sustainable situation, your only putting off the inevitable.

05-25-12, 11:52 AM	#42
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	The best advice when it comes to nuclear war: DON'T SURVIVE !!!