blindswelledrat said:
You're a f
king barrel of laughs aren't you?
Good post thoughIf I can just get enough of you slitting your wrists there may be enough for me.
Let me try and answer a few of the OP’s original questions. All the answers are based upon the assumption that the major problem is a resultant economic collapse rather than direct effects like fallout.
I’ve lived through it before, and it focuses the mind. It also leaves you with more realism and no sense of humour regarding nuclear war.
Relatively few of us actually made practical preparations like the OP is considering. It didn’t come entirely out of the blue. The Cuban Missile Crisis didn’t become that until the US got proof in October, but there had been earlier unconfirmed reports. If you were paying attention then there were signs and rumours as far back as August 1962.
You’d be surprised how many people go into denial and try to pretend nothing is happening. Others retreat into over exaggerated patterns of behaviour. I remember in 1962 a lot of people seemed to have exaggerated good manners. I doubt that would happen today. Perhaps people would retreat into exaggerated bad manners.
Others walked around with a strange look in their eyes. My Grandfather recognised it and said it was a look he had last seen in the eyes of men during the First World War. The expectation of death became too much for many men. Eventually the person gave up all hope of survival and was just waiting to die. The strain of waiting becomes too much and they actually begin to wish for and seek the release of death. Once that look came into a man’s eyes all the others knew he would soon be ‘for the chop’.
Enough cheerfulness just before bedtime.
Fantic SuperT said:
If running: What transport method, route, and destination to evacuate to?
Running depends upon you having somewhere to run too. In the 1960’s we thought New Zeeland was the best bet for avoiding fallout, but that was on the assumption of a bigger exchange with Russia, America and Europe all having been nuked.
Your problem will be that no country is going to want vast numbers of refugees. Many will be refusing to take at all or have restrictions which prohibit you. If the UK is uninhabitable then your property is almost worthless. If Sterling has collapsed as a consequence of economic ruin of Europe then your money is worthless; even if the Bank holding your wealth is still in existence.
Most refugees will be in a similar position. Any nation taking them in will therefore have to let them live upon state benefits until they can find work. If we assume all nations will be in a financial crisis then you will be unwelcome.
Unless you have already relocated on the assumption this will happen then it is unlikely you will be accepted afterwards.
The means of travel will depend upon your intended destination. However, you must have contingency plans on the assumption you will be unable land at your destination.
You cannot assume commercial routes will still be operating. Flights and sailings may be suspended. This means you are restricted to either private boat or aircraft. Do you have access to either and someone who can operate them? Unless you have a largish boat you won’t get away from the source of the problem. A light aircraft or boat to Europe when the problem is blowing from that direction is not a solution. You might have to go way out into the Atlantic to avoid the problem.
Note the design of the channel tunnel is such that it leaks and is continuously pumped out. If the tunnel stops operating and this pumping ceases and the tunnel floods, then you won’t even be walking out.
Fantic SuperT said:
If staying: Will there still be working transport, hospitals, jobs, shops, offices, banking, truthful-ish news, and an economy?
You think the news is truthful now, or the banking system is working?
If the economy goes then all the other things go with it. Transport relies upon fuel imports. Hospitals rely upon energy. Hospital supplies are delivered by transport.
Jobs rely upon currency shops and offices all depend upon transport. If no goods get moved and the currency is worthless then expect a situation like Germany after WW1.
Fantic SuperT said:
What food to store, and how to source drinking water if I don't currently have a well?
If the economy collapsed totally and we had to go back to depending upon domestic production then you will need several years supply of food. Getting all the land into cultivation and producing food without oil imports will take years. Few people have the skills to do that. Even most farmers don’t know how to work the land without oil. A return to Shire Horses would be required and their population will take decades to restore to sufficient levels. We have a Shire horse population around 20K and history suggests we need 2.5M to work all the land.
Water sources are something I can’t advise you on as it depends what is available in your area. If there is fallout then open sources are likely to be contaminated, but in time contamination may enter the water supply. Frankly I don’t expect this to be much of an issue in the UK if the conflict remains in the Middle East.
However it would be prudent to have as much stored as possible. If the power supply fails then most the water pumping is lost. Supplies pumped from deep underground will be unavailable unless someone can rig a windmill generator or something.
Fantic SuperT said:
How long would outdoors be unsafe if at all?
The problem of safety outdoors is unlikely to be fallout. If imports are halted then starvation will set in. As such the greatest danger will come from other people. Assuming you have stockpiled food and they have not then there are two possibilities. Either they accept death by starvation, or they attempt to take yours.
Those best able to defend what they have and take what you have will be those in some sort of cohesive group. Unfortunately this means street gangs, travellers, perhaps groups with a strong community tie based upon religious faith.
If you are alone or part of a small family group then you are not going to stop a large raiding party from the local council estate, caravan site or mosque taking your supplies.
Fantic SuperT said:
How long before we could eat European crops and animals again?
How long before they will sell them to us? If we have no economy functioning then they won’t. It is not until we can trade that we get access to their output. We must produce exports and earn to be able to buy. That will probably take longer than any health issues relating to radioactivity.
Fantic SuperT said:
How much electricity will be generated compared to normal times?
Without a paying customer the energy companies will fold, leading to no maintenance. Without oil, gas or coal imports if the economy collapses then we are reliant upon renewables. It is simply too dangerous to run nuclear power without proper maintenance and this would have to be safely shut down.
Once people stop getting paid they won’t go to work. They will have a full time job finding food. The National Grid will suffer and it’s not just generating that matters. In principle unless you are on the same circuit as something with high priority, yours will be shut down. If you lived near a hospital during the 3 day week of the 1970’s and were on the same circuit you always had power.
Fantic SuperT said:
Is fuel storage wise, if so how much?
Petrol goes stale. In any case there are legal restrictions to the storage of petrol in domestic premises. If we need to rebuild the economy then you would need years of supply. Enough to get you over any blip in supply caused by short term disruption might be useful, but if the economy collapses then you won’t have enough.
Assume gas and electricity will supplies will be lost and have enough coal to hand to keep you warm, cook and boil water until you can acquire wood to burn.
Fantic SuperT said:
What medicines should we buy, and when?
Anything you need regularly and could not do without. Private prescriptions will be expensive but much is prescription only, so you have no choice.
A selection stuff to cope will water purification. You can’t remove radioactivity from contaminated water, but supplies maybe contaminated with other things if we have unburied bodies.
Medicine to treat upset stomach.
Don’t forget dental.
Wound kit, including antibiotics and the knowledge to use them.
Potassium Iodide tablets just in case we do get any fallout.
Prepare a humane exit kit for anyone too badly sick or injured to survive with the reduced care obtainable. Remember trying to keep alive a wounded person may compromise the survival chances of the rest.
Lithium for the paranoia reading this post has given you.
Fantic SuperT said:
Will I need weapons, if so which ones?
There is absolutely no point in applying for a firearms licence and relying upon having them in a crisis. If The Emergency Powers Act is signed then the Police WILL be instructed to visit ALL certificate holders and confiscate ALL firearms and ammunition.
Obviously it is possible to acquire unlicensed firearms, but I don’t advise it. You are likely to have more trouble surviving as Bubba’s cellmate than doing without. Remember what I said about cohesive groups like street gangs, etc. They already tend to have access to unlicensed firearms and will outgun you.
No weapon is any use unless you are competent with it. Unless you are going to spend time and effort learning now then just improvise. Ammunition will run out and unless you have a simple technology then you will be unable to manufacture your own. That is another skill you will need.
Pleasant dreams, Goodnight.
