Bugging out of London

[adam2]

All pulling together can be of assistance in the case of localised or short term disasters such as a fire, flood, earthqauke, power failure, extreme weather etc.
The pooling of rescources and skills may well help more to survive and even thrive.
This however presumes that there will be a recovery and that BAU will resume, and that supplies consumed can be replaced after the emergency has passed.
If a neighbours house has burnt down or been flooded out, it would be the decent thing to offer accomadation, food, blankets or other useful supplies to help those who have lost everything.
When the emergency has passed, those helped might offer to pay for or replace supplies consumed. Even if they dont, it is no big deal to replace some cheap blankets (£60 for ten on ebay) or limited amounts of basic foods etc.
I have certainly helped others in case of localised or short term problems, and would do so again.

In case of TEOTWAWKI however the position is very different.
There would be huge numbers in desperate need, with how many should one share supplies on which ones own life is likely to depend next week/month/year.
Remembering that resupply is unlikely in such circumstances.
Do you want you or your child to freeze to death next winter because you gave away blankets to someone in need at the time.
Do you want to starve next winter because you shared food supplies with others.
IF things get as bad as hard core doomers predict, then a great die off is inevitable. This is by no means something to look forward to or to glory in, but MAY be unavoidable.
The position would then resemble the lifeboat refered to above.
Food for 5 million, but 70 million needing it.
One may argue about the exact figures, but it appears that even with oil, we cant produce enough food for the present population. Without oil we certainly cant.

For this reason, I have long urged the keeping of stocks, and not advertising this.
Any feasible food stocks will eventually be consumed, but a stock for a year or two would help greatly. After that time growing your own, preferably as part of a community should be viable.
Providing food and firewood for a family is relatively easy GIVEN A LOW POPULATION DENSITY AND THE ABSENCE OF ARMED GANGS.

[jonny2mad]

its a tricky one, take for example the titanic, the lifeboats were put away from the ship and they found they had some room in them, titanic goes down .

The people in charge of the lifeboats could hear the cry's of thousands of men in the water, but didn't go back to pick people up until the cry's died down

When they went back the vast majority of people were dead, they had miss-timed it they could have saved many more people, but the reason they didn't go back earlier is that they knew that the lifeboats would be capsized by drowning men and that they couldn't save them all .

As a boy I knew a old gentleman who was a titanic survivor he was a friend of my aunts he used to come to this house I'm in now, I remember him telling me about the titanic sinking while we both sat in front of a open fire in a room thats a sort of library room downstairs.

His brother and sister and mother survived their father stayed on board and went down with the ship, likely he was one of the men shouting for help in the water . when the old film about the titanic sinking was in the local Odeon they had him and his brother on stage to talk about the sinking .

hard choices occur in life

[woodburner]

wrote:
no apple turnovers

Oh, I can't imagine things get that bad.

They already have, we don't have any apple turnovers. I suspect many forum members are in the same position.

[CountingDown]

Thanks for all the tips!

Ironically, the extra spending that my Bug-out preps require should stimulate the economy and make collapse less likely

New coat and shoes sorted, now for bike, maps, tent, planning etc

And then there's the issue of fitness ...

[clv101]

Thanks for all the tips!

Ironically, the extra spending that my Bug-out preps require should stimulate the economy and make collapse less likely

New coat and shoes sorted, now for bike, maps, tent, planning etc

And then there's the issue of fitness ...

Maybe if you didn't need to spend so much of bug-out preps, you could afford to take a lower paid job, closer to home!

[CountingDown]

OK, next question . . .to cook or not to cook ?

Four-five days travel - high energy requirement. Not carrying own water (much). Can it be done easily without a cooker? (Not wanting to depend on dry twigs found on way)

[woodburner]

IMO cooking is essential, it is part of the overall digestion process, and also reduces the disease risk. Dry twigs are fairly easy to find in the bottoms of hedges (so don't go via the fens).

[Tarrel]

It's really worth having the ability to cook, if only to boil water in order to purify it. Also, a hot drink or meal provides warmth and gives you a psychological boost after a long day trekking, especially if you are alone. (Believe me, I know!)

A small wood burning stove can be made out of a large soup can. Just google "hobo stove". However, a meths-burning Trangia, or similar meths stove will give you 6-7 days cooking for a litre of meths. This has the added advantage of being smoke and smell-free, which means you will be less likely to draw attention to yourself when hunkered down.

Hope this helps.

[adam2]

I would agree that being able to cook is desireable, either with a camp fire, a small wood stove, or a purpose made camping stove.
Arguably more important in winter.

Hot food or wood smoke can be detected over considerable distances and could attract unwelcome attention.
Include lifeboat rations and chocolate bars in your kit as these require no cooking or heating.
Sugary soft drinks are best avoided under normal conditions due to weight gain and dental decay. However in an emergency, the extra calories from carrying sugary drinks rather than water could be valuable.