Emergency Preparedness

[Gary]

I was thinking the same thing Roger. I think the decision to stay put or travel is just going to depend on the severity of the disaster. For instance leaking radiation from a nuclear power plant, I'm out of here. If it's a earthquake I'll most likely stay put and help where ever and whoever I can.

Just imagine what our local Mountain ranges would look like. Sure theres water up there but the wild life wouldn't be near enough to support the amount of people heading for higher ground.

The desert won't support that many people either but knowing where these wells are located, what food source is available could help some people get across the desert. I don't see myself sitting in total gridlock on I-15.

[Roger]

Is an earthquake imminent for the West Coast of the US? This geologist thinks so. He predicted the San Fransisco earthquake in 1989.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/ca...erica-imminent

It's worth the time to watch this.

[Gary]

Hope that guy is wrong. Better go to the store just incase.

[MyBrokenJeep]

Hope that guy is wrong. Better go to the store just incase.

Gary, I agree! It never hurts to have enough or even too many non-perishables on hand at any time...

[MyBrokenJeep]

Folks, I am very weary of anything that comes from the UN.. but check out the linked article... Is this something that we should really be concerned about? Here in California as a result of the issues going on in Japan now?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/sc...lume.html?_r=1

I feel it is something that we should be aware of... not panic over... but I think there are many more issues to come not directly related to nuclear radiation, tsunami's, earthquakes, etc., and before anyone says it... "I am not a religious zealot and do NOT anticipate the earth is coming to an end..." My concerns are more on the economic front... but perhaps this isn't the appropriate thread or place for that discussion.

[Gary]

All we can hope is that it's high enough in the atmosphere by the time it gets here that it passes us by.

Check out this website, it gives real time radiation levels in North America. http://radiationnetwork.com/

[nwoods]

"What are the standard military calibers?"

203mm
175mm
155mm
105mm

Awesome Russ, just awesome.

MyBrokenJeep, I think the answer is .223 and 7.62mm for rifle's, though the famous and still quite available M1 Garand's are more commonly found in .30 cal (30-06, for .30 cal established in 1906).

Pistol is still .45ACP or now more often a .40 or 9mm

[Gary]

It's been a slow week at work so I've been working on my earthquake kit some.

Those website links are cool and offer some very good tips but realistically who is going to spend that kind of cash?

I just went to the store and bought a few more things. The stuff I bought is foods we eat every week/month around here that can be rotated into the kitchen easy enough. Not sure how long Pinto beans will keep but there's no expiration date on the 2 10lb sacks I just purchased. I also purchased things like rice, pancake mix, bisquick, cup of noodles, top ramen, bottled water. That stuff shows an expiration date of a year, to a year and a half away. I think it's ok even longer then the date they put on this stuff, especially if it's well protected. Either way there should be plenty of time to rotate it into the kitchen and replenish it. Each time I replace something it resets the expiration date out. Just have to remember to rotate the stock.

There's some good recipes on those websites that'll actually help extend the life of some of these foods. The one I really liked was the recipe for hard tack. It says to use flour but If the bisquick or pancake mix is getting close to the end of, or even a little over the shelf life I don't see why it couldn't be cooked into hard tack/crackers that'll store for even longer. A pancake cracker doesn't sound to bad, LOL. Sounds like a good experiemnt. I guess when I'm reaqdy to eat it I could steam it so I don't break my teeth on it.

As for the meat in my freezer at the time? I think I could slow cook it in my smoker to dry it out and help preserve it. So if you see me having a BBQ after a major earthquake it's not a end of the world party going on over here.

[6spdYJ]

This may sound like a dumb question... but I am going to throw it out there anyways... What are the standard military calibers?

Pistols:
9mm (also referred to as 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, and 9x19) It's readily available and fairly cheap. Not outrageously powerful, but I'd rather be missed than hit by it. You may also encounter 9x18 -this is for the Makarov only, it will not work in a standard 9mm. Fortunately, it's not as common.
.45ACP, also called .45 auto. It's only used by certain MP and MEU(SOC) units and I belive some SEAL units. It has great knock-down power.
Rifles:
.223, It's the civilian equivalent to the M-16/M-4's 5.56mm round. While not exactly the same round, it functions reliably and interchangeably. Lots of capacity due to the small case.
.308, It's the civilian equivalent to the M-60, M240-G, GAU-19 7.62x51 round. Again, to the purist they are not the same, but your rifle won't care. There is a slight performance advantage to using the military surplus ammo due to a thicker case wall. This is a very accurate round with plenty of power for reliable hunting almost any big game with proper shot placement.
.30-06, Arguably not a military round any more. It's ballistics are identical to the .308 out to 300 yards. Where the .308 drops off is where the '06 keeps carrying on for another 150-200 yards. Good accuracy and power with proper load selection. The larger case somewhat limits capacity.
Shotgun:
12gauge, Most military loads are 00 buck (double aught) in a 2-3/4" case. While this is a formidable round, there is a better selection for close-up engagements against multiple uninvited guests. Consider #1 buckshot in the 2-3/4" case. You don't need the 3"+ super-duper ultra max nitro mag supreme for general use. Although you can drop geese from the altitude of a 737 with these, in a fight, you need the weapon to stay in your hands and not do more damage to you than the guy you just missed. Anyhow, the 00bk in a 2-3/4" case delivers nine pellets (balls) of .33 caliber. The #1 buckshot carries 16 pellets (balls) of .30 caliber. You only drop .03" diameter for each projectile and vastly expand your payload count.
other, Do not discount the old .22 long rifle. It doesn't matter if it's a revolver, semi-auto pistol, bolt action single-shot or semi-auto rifle. These have oodles of ammo storage capacity due to the diminuative case size. They are available anywhere in the U.S. and no matter how expensive, they're not that expensive. In a survival situation, they can be reliably counted on for harvesting small game like rabbits and squirrels and in extreme circumstances - with outstanding shot placement larger game. I am in no way advising them for anything bigger, but considering this thread is regarding worst-case emergencies, I will only say that it is possible.

[MyBrokenJeep]

Great information 6spdYJ! Thanks for the input.

Thinking about shotguns... I know that the 10 gauge is pretty much impossible to find here in California... and 12 gauge is the one we talk about the most... What are your thoughts on the 20 gauge?

For handguns... what are your thoughts on the .38 pistol?

I couldn't agree with you more on the .22 caliber... Sportsmanguide has really good prices delivered to your home.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/b...95&s=903&stk=1
2500 rounds for $100

[Roger]

my wife has a 20 gauge. Fine for bird & rabbit hunting, but for home defense, a 12 gauge is the way to go.

Comment about 22 LR Ammo. It would a great bartering item should everything collapse. It's reasonably cheap to stock up. You can't have too much! Probably better to barter with than gold.

[6spdYJ]

The 10 would be awesome, but the cost would kill you faster than the lead. The 20 can be just as effective, provided your delivery method cycles fast enough.

As for the .38, it has tremendous accuracy, but power near the 9mm. You can get +p rounds to boost it a bit. The better way to go is get a.357. It has the same bore, but a longer cylinder, so you can use .38 in it for training and plinking, but .357 mag loads when the chips are down. Single or double action is up to you. Records have been set with both.

[MyBrokenJeep]

Maybe we should plan a run into the desert to check out more of these wells and Springs?

Gary, I think this would be a great idea! Let's plan it for a weekend after IDTT. Anyone else interested in joining for the day?

[Jason]

Randy,
I have to miss IDTT this year but the weekend after looks good. Count me in.

[Pikeman]

I agree with the fire arm information here and it is all good. Some people underrate the 22LR. and has some advantages to be considered. Inexpensive to fire, can be used in rifle, pistol, revolver and is a lot lighter to carry around. The 22LR caliber is also responsible for more deaths each year then any other caliber. I also believe in a .357 revolver for stated reason earlier of being able to fire both .357 and .38. The most important piece of advice I can give to any fire arm owner is practice, practice, practice. Be familiar with your firearm, the times most people need then is when they are in high stress situations or when they are being roused from sleep. The more familiar you are with it the easier it will be for you to operate it safely when the time arises, and less likely to hurt yourself or family members.