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Relapse wrote:
What if the worst involves some unforseen economic disaster like what happened in Germany or the Great Depression? I have an aunt who had to be given up by her parents because they didn't have the means to feed her, and she tells me that hers was not an uncommon story. It doesn't even have to be widespread, the simple act of losing your job these days can spell hardship for a fair stretch of time.

That's where the money for plane tickets comes in (right now I think I've got about $2500 sitting in the bank). I can get anywhere I need to, or buy anything I need in the event that travel isn't useful.

If money isn't useful, then a life spent eliminating moral fiber will pay dividends in the department of lying, cheating, and stealing.

This all sounds like a good idea to me. I only wish I had the resources to stock up myself. Even if its just a power outage, it's nice to be ready. I remember when we had a real nasty winter back in 96, ice storm they called it. Half the city lost power for weeks, and lots of trees fell on houses. Having a generator, canned food, flash lights, etc. would've really helped alot of folks. It never hurts to be prepared.

Currently my end of the world strategy is to dance in the street laughing like a madman. Hopefully it'll make people keep they're distance till the man comes around.

I found out it's a lot easier than it sounds to stock up supplies. Coupons are a great way to get stuff on the cheap and if you browse the store ads you can find cases of food for half of what you would normaly pay.
One of the tricks is not to try to get everything all at once, but start building up over a course of time. It surprised me to see how much can be built up a half case or case at a time over the course of a year.
I also buy cases of bottled water and cycle them through.
One of the things to remember is to cycle the food that you get. Use it as normal to avoid spoilage while putting more in behind it. Don't buy stuff you wouldn't want to eat, either. If you're in a situation where you need to rely on your storage, it'll be an even crappier experience if you're stuck with nothing but fried farts and garlic or chicken fried lizard lips.

FITZZ wrote: Honestly having experinced Huricane Katrina and it's aftermath first hand,I see nothing wrong with being prepared for the worst.
For weeks people had very little food and water,no protection and the "agencies" that are supposed to be there to help were no where to be found in many areas.
Hell,even the National Guard (once they did show up) seemed to be there more to protect property and "maintain order" than to help,although in fairness some of them were very cool,but that reflects the person,not the unit as a whole.
Basicly,anyone who was there can tell you that the system broke down totaly,and self relince (and people looking out for there own little groups) was all we had,hell we saw thousands of looters in the first few weeks but very few cops,and the ones we did see didn't seem to interested in protecting much of anything.
Images of the chaos that went on at the superdome only scratch the surface of what was going on,it was for all intents,much much worse.
I personaly have very little faith in government to protect/care for me or my family in a serious crisis situation (and yes they can happen),so preparing for the worst makes sense to me.

That did not occur in Texas with Ike. 4MM people without power, but we worked through it with no looting. We don't tolerate that sort of thing here.
Actually it depends on how long you're talking. Anyone with half a brain on the Gulf Coast has about a month of supplies during the hurricane season, minimum. Canned goods and bottled water can get you a long way. Your further level of preparedness depends on your personal level of comfort/paranoia, and finances.

Today, to follow up on what I said about using coupons, I asked a friend at work how much he spends a week for food using his coupon methods.
He is able to feed a family of 5 on $35 a week, and I know he eats well.

There's nothing wrong with being prepared. In fact it just makes good sense. For instance the woman in the story stocks each car with a 72 hour survival kit. Well there are a lot of places and times in the world where a motorist can get stranded and help might not be along for a day or two. Drive off the road into a snowbank in Wisconsin, brake down on a desert back road, get lost in a forest, etc. Then that ridiculous kit becomes how you survive, or at least don't suffer. Yeah you're not going to be happy shivering in your space blanket eating jerky and sipping water for two days but you didn't freeze to death.

Katrina was a wake up call, or it should have been. There is no institution in American life that is prepared to mobilize immediately and on such a scale as to provide total care and relief should a major American city suffer a serious disaster. It's not possible. As such you can expect to be on your own for a considerable amount of time. Keeping a small stockpile (I'm not about to turn an entire freaking room over) of supplies for 72 hours to a week's time will allow you to cope with such difficulties. Of course, I'll include my 12 gauge pump shotgun in my survival kit.

Emperors Faithful wrote:It's an Australian thing. Kinda like a grizzly bear. But worse. They are similar to a large koala, crossed with a Tasmanian Devil. Their favourite method of attack is to wait for thier prey to pass underneath them, and then drop ontop of them, cuasing all sorts of damage. Hence the name.

Rangers often come across hikers who've been attacked. Ussualy if it's just the one (and they are predominantly solitary creatures) you should be alright. But in the Dry season they group together and get very aggresive. Most National Parks are off limits in those times.

Rangers have to deal with them non-stop, and there have been quite a few fatalities. They often joke that, if we were to catch them, the Drop Bears should be utilised in the armed forces.

Immediately upon reading that I was stricken by an image of myself walking through the woods with a seven-foot spear, held point-up at all times.