SHTF Scenario Definition
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The Night Rider
Professional
Yeah that's 19th-century technology, bro.
Anchorite
Master Class
One of my college roommates was from South Florida and went home to prepare for Andrew in ‘92.
He told stories about turning off the generator at night (and taking shifts with shotguns) so the looters wouldn’t come to the sound and looking for the lights.
Not so much a problem with Ivan, but Katrina, yes.
bc22wm
Professional
SHTF? Thats going to town and forgetting my pipe or tobacco and too far to turn around. 
Always have food stocked up, just the way I was raised. Enough propane to run the house full steam ahead for 4-6 weeks, longer if we conserve. Other than that, I'll just take it as it comes. For the EOTWAWKI, I don't care to survive anyway. Too old, too tired, and too lazy. Grew up "off grid" that everyone fantasizes about. Had a great childhood, but it's long hours, hard work, not fun and games, and I have no interest of living that way again.
Always have food stocked up, just the way I was raised. Enough propane to run the house full steam ahead for 4-6 weeks, longer if we conserve. Other than that, I'll just take it as it comes. For the EOTWAWKI, I don't care to survive anyway. Too old, too tired, and too lazy. Grew up "off grid" that everyone fantasizes about. Had a great childhood, but it's long hours, hard work, not fun and games, and I have no interest of living that way again.
Bassbob
Emissary
My street floods every couple years. I can’t count the nights I spent in hip waders or a canoe with a shotgun patrolling for looters.
The Night Rider
Professional
I've already said this but where I'm at almost everybody has a backup generator. So if the power goes out and I fire mine up I'm not going to be the Lone Ranger.
Technology has advanced since Katrina, gas generators are kind of old school technology.
One of the things though that Xavier Breathe mentioned in his blog, again this isn't so much a problem here, was it even if his neighbors weren't trying to steal his generator it became very obvious very quickly that his house had power and theirs didn't. His neighbors started lining up at his door. "demanding" access to the electricity.
So again, you don't want to be the only house on the block that's lit up.
I posted this video before.
As I said at the beginning of this post technology has advanced quite a bit since the early 90s.
We have LED bulbs in some of our light fixtures with a battery backup. No generator needed. We put garden lights out not for decoration but again because it's emergency lighting.
We have USB rechargeable Phoenix lanterns that will light up our whole living room.
I mentioned that because that's that much load that's taking off the generator because it's not generating lights.
Our heat is propane (and wood), are stoves propane, again and wood.
If the power goes out for an extended period here the only thing we're really going to be running off to solar generator is the fridge and the deep freeze and the well.
Technology has advanced since Katrina, gas generators are kind of old school technology.
One of the things though that Xavier Breathe mentioned in his blog, again this isn't so much a problem here, was it even if his neighbors weren't trying to steal his generator it became very obvious very quickly that his house had power and theirs didn't. His neighbors started lining up at his door. "demanding" access to the electricity.
So again, you don't want to be the only house on the block that's lit up.
I posted this video before.
As I said at the beginning of this post technology has advanced quite a bit since the early 90s.
We have LED bulbs in some of our light fixtures with a battery backup. No generator needed. We put garden lights out not for decoration but again because it's emergency lighting.
We have USB rechargeable Phoenix lanterns that will light up our whole living room.
I mentioned that because that's that much load that's taking off the generator because it's not generating lights.
Our heat is propane (and wood), are stoves propane, again and wood.
If the power goes out for an extended period here the only thing we're really going to be running off to solar generator is the fridge and the deep freeze and the well.
Anchorite
Master Class
My first real taste of what it’s like, post natural disaster was hearing the stories of Andrew in ‘92. And there had been brushes of storms in the years after. Then I lived through Ivan in 2004.
Living on the Gulf Coast you prepare a little each year, but Ivan hit home. We were without power for 4 days. Gasoline was hard to come by for a week. Same for supplies…nothing could get in, which is why I am anti-price gouging laws …. charge whatever to incentivize getting material into the zone!!
Next was Katriana and we had no power outages (because of the Ivan repairs the year before), but again, supply chain disruption for weeks, gasoline was very hard to come by and massive influx of “refugees.”
Most of the locals forgot what that was like and then we had Sally. Not an overly severe storm when measured against others, but for over 30 hours it dumped rain which saturated and flooded and the trees started falling. We were without power for 12 days. No one was really prepared for that. There was a gas shortage and food/water shortage as well. We stayed with our daughter and son-in-law for 6 of those days. We did not have a whole-home generator at that time, but invested in one after Sally. They had a half-full outdoor propane tank that we rationed. We managed, but as much as we love our daughter we didn’t want to repeat this so that was a huge motivator to get the Genrac.
There are lessons to be learned from every storm, and we would all do well to share, study, discuss and take away from each.
I feel better with the generator now as we are not getting any younger and appreciate the comforts of home more. But I’m realistic too…the gas supply could be turned off if there are post-storm fire risks, so I try to think that problem through and what would we do if we couldn’t run our generator?
Why yes, my SHTF event begins when my eggs get burned, then I head out to Waffle House.
While I'm lucky to be able to afford eggs or eating out, I prepare by keeping a stash of cash on hand for emergencies.
Another event that causes turmoil is my bar running out of my beer, it's a SHTF moment if I have to switch to Bud Light.
I bought a travel trailer just to be prepared in the event my house gets blown away so I can still have my eggs and beer.
I also keep well stocked on toilet paper, that's the first thing that goes scarce around here after bad weather events, so I got my *** covered there.
Sorry I'm so late again.......
javbike
Hellcat
Well we are retired so we are home a lot if we aren’t traveling so I am set up in my garage and in the house both places are arm to the t and lots of ammo . We will definitely hold the fort down at home front I have water containers in both places and some can food and first aid supplies in both places
Biggest problem in S. Arizona is Tucson. Lots of crime, homeless, etc. I realize you are probably located miles out, but all those gangbangers gotta eat. I live about 15 miles North as a snowbird and a fair amount of artillery follows me South in November. Plus if SHTF, a lot of Mexicans will be heading for the USA. I mean, they live in a SHTF already, anything has got to be better!
HayesGreener
Ronin
We have learned to be self reliant out here on the ranch. We have a 40kw diesel generator to run two houses and the well pump, hurricane shutters, saws and tractors for clearing the driveways, and ample canned goods and MREs to last till things return to normal. Firearms and fishing gear on hand. Oh, and don't forget an emergency supply of feed for our various critters to last a few weeks. We learned through sad experience what it is like to be without power for 3 weeks following Ivan.
KillerFord1977
Emissary
Being in suburbia, I stock up on canned goods and water certain times of the year. Then eat them down and replenish again after we get close to summer months. If we go periods of ice, snow, no electricity, I have nat gas and 4 propane tanks I keep filled to cook/keep warm and survive with no electricity.
KillerFord1977
Emissary
Sld1959
Ronin
Dollar store solar driveway lights provide a lot of free house lighting. A portable solar panel can provide charges to rechargeable flashlights, lanterns phone etc.
For those who cannot use a wood burner for heat and cooking. Propane heaters like big buddy, and portable gas grills can cook food can use easily stored 1 lb canisters and with a hose and adaptor use larger propane cylinders.
Foods can be stored long term thru purchased cans and canning, drying smoking etc. Water can be stored, filtered and purified by various methods.
These are all small things which csn help those who bug in and csn be collected over the longterm with small outlays of cash.
For those who cannot use a wood burner for heat and cooking. Propane heaters like big buddy, and portable gas grills can cook food can use easily stored 1 lb canisters and with a hose and adaptor use larger propane cylinders.
Foods can be stored long term thru purchased cans and canning, drying smoking etc. Water can be stored, filtered and purified by various methods.
These are all small things which csn help those who bug in and csn be collected over the longterm with small outlays of cash.
Oldmountaiman
Master Class
There are a few places that still have metal garbage cans and maybe the min cans to. They can keep rice and wheat safe from rodents. When I owned my own home I used them along with the old 25 gallon oil cans which is good for tools and spare parts like oil chain for saw and a few other things. I had a basement and crawl space and thieves usually don't look in crawl space. My crawl space was right at 4ft but smaller ones can be updated to fill the need of shelter in place.