SHTF scenario... how would you spend $500?

[jgradyc]

After reading that lame test about how prepared are you, I thought TGO could do a lot better, so here's my scenario. How would you prepare for it with only $500?

 

You think the power grid could go down at any moment. If the power goes down, there would be no gasoline, no electricity, and no running water for 12 months. You have $500 to spend for gear, plus what you already have on hand. What would you buy? If you aready have it, just say DONE after the listing. Those items DO NOT COUNT towards your $500. Also, assume that you have sufficient handguns, rifles, shotguns, ammo, and pocket knives, so don't list those either. Also, assume you have good boots and a backpack. If it's not obvious, explain why it's important.

 

Here's how your list might look.

 

Magnesium fire starters 10 at $3 apiece. Barter

Candles DONE

Butane fire sticks DONE 

10 Butane fire sticks  at $3 apiece Barter

Old mountain bike and basic tools DONE

Assorted seed packets for garden  ~$20

Solar panel  DONE

12v battery charger to charge AA AAA and 18650 batteries and ereader using solar panel DONE

Nook ereader DONE

SD card for ereader DONE

Dozens of survival ebooks  DONE

Propane camp stove DONE

Emergency supply of propane DONE

Good ax... $40?

2-way radios with rechargeable batteries  $70

Bleach 5 gallons (water purification)   Barter  $15

Canned goods  

Peanut butter

Multiple flashlights  DONE

Flashlight red lens or red LED  DONE

 

So far, I've only spent about $200

Edited July 2, 2015 by jgradyc

[jphillips63]

What about first aid kit, MRE packs, solar blankets, water jug, rope, needle and thread, alcohol.

[spurge]

While I believe it is important to prepare for the unexpected,I think you may rely too much on electronics. If you have no power then they will have limited usefulness if there is no power source. If you need an Ebook on survival, I think you may have other areas you may need to address first. I think besides have stored goods, skills are important too.

[peejman]

A solar charger. A few more water containers. A better radio.

[Ted S.]

$500? That can buy a lot of pot seeds.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[broox]

Toilet paper

[Raoul]

Bourbon. I have enough ammo to take anything else I might need.

[Jonnin]

I would ignore common stuff you can loot.  After a short period where you use up a small amount of this stuff, you should be able to go find this sort of thing...

examples include candles, matches,  axe, knife, basic tools (hammers, saws, etc) ... you will find abandoned homes and such with these things unless you booked out to private land far far away (not everyone will have this). 

 

Focus on consumed items that are hard to come by and absolute necessity ... water purification method, medicine, food, clothing, defense, etc.  Once the sheep all starved,  you can always find an axe.

[Monkeyman2500]

Dog food! All $500.

[Troutburger]

Cocaine and a hooker

[Jonsaiga]

200lbs each of rice and pinto beans for charity food for my imediate neighbors.

[runco]

After reading One Second After, its clear to me now:  Water, Food, Medicine, Water, Food, Medicine, Water, Food, Medicine............I have everything else to stay at my place.  If I had to relocated:  Water, Food, Medicine.........

[Jonnin]

After reading One Second After, its clear to me now:  Water, Food, Medicine, Water, Food, Medicine, Water, Food, Medicine............I have everything else to stay at my place.  If I had to relocated:  Water, Food, Medicine.........

down before across.  weird format.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jonnin

[ArmyBrat61]

For those with females under their care....pads and plugs....lots of pads and plugs.... :rofl:

[cgun86]

Cocaine and a hooker

Drops mic onstage and then walks away. Edited July 16, 2015 by cgun86

[Dirtshooter]

I would ignore common stuff you can loot.  After a short period where you use up a small amount of this stuff, you should be able to go find this sort of thing...

examples include candles, matches,  axe, knife, basic tools (hammers, saws, etc) ... you will find abandoned homes and such with these things unless you booked out to private land far far away (not everyone will have this). 

 

Focus on consumed items that are hard to come by and absolute necessity ... water purification method, medicine, food, clothing, defense, etc.  Once the sheep all starved,  you can always find an axe.

And what happens if by chance these items are hard or impossible to find? I don't think I would leave it to someone else abandoning houses for the items I need. Just my $0.02. It would be pretty easy to make a house seem abandoned, but being watched with a scoped rifle at a great distance and picking off those who happened to be pilfering around.

[Jonnin]

And what happens if by chance these items are hard or impossible to find? I don't think I would leave it to someone else abandoning houses for the items I need. Just my $0.02. It would be pretty easy to make a house seem abandoned, but being watched with a scoped rifle at a great distance and picking off those who happened to be pilfering around.

 

Perhaps.    It really depends on the situation and location what you can find.  If its the great plague that drops 99.999% of people, I think I could find an axe or a hammer somewhere.   If there are tons of survivors, its another story.  I wouldn't go looking to steal until I was pretty sure the owners and everyone else around were pretty much dead.  Going outside at all is a risk, of course, mean people are mean.

[rmiddle]

down before across.  weird format.

 

 

 

True're words have never been spoken.

 

Thanks

Robert

[rmiddle]

After reading that lame test about how prepared are you, I thought TGO could do a lot better, so here's my scenario. How would you prepare for it with only $500?

 

You think the power grid could go down at any moment. If the power goes down, there would be no gasoline, no electricity, and no running water for 12 months. You have $500 to spend for gear, plus what you already have on hand. What would you buy? If you aready have it, just say DONE after the listing. Those items DO NOT COUNT towards your $500. Also, assume that you have sufficient handguns, rifles, shotguns, ammo, and pocket knives, so don't list those either. Also, assume you have good boots and a backpack. If it's not obvious, explain why it's important.

 

Here's how your list might look.

 

Magnesium fire starters 10 at $3 apiece. Barter

Candles DONE

Butane fire sticks DONE 

10 Butane fire sticks  at $3 apiece Barter

Old mountain bike and basic tools DONE

Assorted seed packets for garden  ~$20

Solar panel  DONE

12v battery charger to charge AA AAA and 18650 batteries and ereader using solar panel DONE

Nook ereader DONE

SD card for ereader DONE

Dozens of survival ebooks  DONE

Propane camp stove DONE

Emergency supply of propane DONE

Good ax... $40?

2-way radios with rechargeable batteries  $70

Bleach 5 gallons (water purification)   Barter  $15

Canned goods  

Peanut butter

Multiple flashlights  DONE

Flashlight red lens or red LED  DONE

 

So far, I've only spent about $200

 

I don't see anything to purify water.  Likely the thing that will kill more people then anything else.

 

Thanks

Robert 

[Jonnin]

I don't see anything to purify water.  Likely the thing that will kill more people then anything else.

 

Thanks

Robert 

 

theres a formula for using X drops of bleach per gallon of water if you get desperate.  But the pills taste better.  You can also just boil it to death, and if you want to get fancy, distill it, with fairly basic equipment.    You are totally correct that it will kill people, that and bad food,  but this is a lack of knowledge more than a lack of water purification pills -- the pills are nice but not required.

[btq96r]

 but this is a lack of knowledge more than a lack of water purification pills -- the pills are nice but not required.

 

Having dealt with iodine tablets during field training exercises in the Army, I would rather go through the process of boiling water than deal with them.  Maybe the overall suck factor came into play, but the taste was just not pleasant. 

Edited August 13, 2015 by btq96r