Doomsday Shelters Making a Comeback

[Koolau]

I've watched a bit of several "episodes" of Doomsday prepers. The glass-half-empty part of me agrees that there might be a reason to at least be prepared for some significant disruptions if, for instance, a major confrontation takes place in the middle east. I know, here in Paradise, we have something like LESS than 7 days of food if it were equally distributed. The powers that be chide us to have a hurricane kit (food, water, flashlights, batteries, etc.). Most folks have very little set aside.

Imagine a major disruption in oil supplies. Does anyone think Hawaii's 1+ million folks (located more than 2500 miles from ANYWHERE) would be a priority to send oil burning container ships full of food (or oil, for that matter)? No, I think the mainland coasts would be the priority. For that reason alone, it makes sense to have some supplies.

I think what concerns me about the DP program is the rather unlikely scenarios they are preparing for. Earth's magnetic pole shift comes to mind. Apparently, this HAS happened before - several times at multiple 100s of thousands of year intervals. But, no one really knows what that would mean to our way of life (other than changing all of our compass headings by 180 degrees.)

I DO think it prudent for folks to keep some food/water around in case supplies are disrupted. Waiting until the last minute leads to a run on grocery stores/gas stations. Not a pretty site when we get a tsunami warning (or, in the old mainland days, a big a$$ snow storm is on the way.) Our relatively frequent power outages here are disturbing (one was island wide for 18 hours). There is a helpless feeling that creeps into one's thinking when such a relatively benign event occurs. Being prepared helps mitigate that feeling and leads to a sense of well-being (was quite glad to have flashlights with extra batteries AND battery operated radios.)

However, preping for "the end of the world" seems like an exercise in futility. "Surviving for WHAT?" seems an appropriate question. YMMV

 

[NW-Bound]

It always makes sense to prepare to survive for a natural disaster, perhaps for a period up to a month. It is not intentional, but my wife likes to buy things on sale like pasta, ramen noddles, etc..., and we always have plenty on hand. For water, we have a 25,000 gal in the diving pool in the backyard. Fuel might be a bit tougher though.

And we are in the Southwest where there is no danger of hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquake. The scariest thing that could happen is if the power grid blows out on a hot 120-deg summer day. Weaker folks would be dropping like flies!

But to stock enough to survive a nuclear holocaust or a massive asteroid striking the earth? You've got to be kidding! What does one do after the 2 or 3 years of food run out, even if one can stockpile that much?

 

[ratto]

I second with NW-Bound. It's a good idea to be prepared for self survival due to natural disasters, both mentally and materially.

Some stockpile of non-perishable food, clean water, bleach, emergency medicine, and fuel can make a big difference during hurricanes, tornadoes or even earthquake. If living near by a nuclear plant, a pack of iodine pills could be a life saver as well. But we humans, like any other creatures, can only prepare so much. We will be totally powerless when facing apocalypse scenarios. I would venture to say that probably the minimalist would be the strongest survivor in the end.

 

[obgyn65]

This is also my view. If my number's up, it's up. Not looking forward to a post nuclear or post epidemic/pandemic world...

However, preping for "the end of the world" seems like an exercise in futility. "Surviving for WHAT?" seems an appropriate question. YMMV

 

[antmary]

For all of us, our world will "end" when we die. For today, for my sanity, I need to stay focused on the here and now - and contribute to the well-being of those around me. My focus is on the good things in life, because it is too easy to allow myself to be dragged into the trap of negative thinking - especially when much that I can worry about never comes to pass.

We do stock up on food, especially when on sale. And, we do lots of canning during the summer months. My motto from a childhood book character (forgot which book) is, "Hope for the best, yet prepare for the worst."

 

[Goonie]

I DO think it prudent for folks to keep some food/water around in case supplies are disrupted. Waiting until the last minute leads to a run on grocery stores/gas stations......

......However, preping for "the end of the world" seems like an exercise in futility. "Surviving for WHAT?" seems an appropriate question. YMMV

I agree! We get an ocassional winter storm or blizzard, and getting out and about can be hazardous. We always have enough food on hand to last at least a month! I have a generator that will power all of the necessities....refrigerator, freezer, furnace or a/c, some lights, computer, TV, etc. And I always keep enough fuel in hand to run the generator continuously for a few days, or intermittently for at least a couple of weeks, to keep food cold and the house warm.

As for water, we have a rain collection system that holds a few hundred gallons that can be boiled for drinking or cooking. If that runs out, there are 2 rivers and several creeks and ponds within a mile of our old homestead. There are also plenty of fish in those waterways, just waiting to chomp down on my hook! There is also plenty of edible plant life available and free for the taking...both cultivated and wild.