• Winner! Quick Shot Challenge: What’s the dumbest shooting myth you’ve heard?

    View thread

Emergeny fund or SHTF bag

Cash is going to have value for a day or two after SHFT. Then people who have what you want to buy will either need it for themselves or want something other than worthless paper in exchange. I mean would you sell a gallon of milk for $100 if your kids needed it for their Fruity Pebbles and you didn't know if you'd be able to get anymore?

For "normal" emergencies I like to have at least a month of expenses in cash on hand. I also carry enough cash in my vehicle (wife's too) to cover a tow truck, hotel, and food for a couple days (more depending on how far I'm driving from my house). Forgot my wallet before and having that cash in my truck saved my butt.
 
Not sure if it was mentioned but you should have a prepaid Visa card with a few hundo on it. If places stop taking cash again because of the TurtleFlu-24, then your dolla dolla billz won’t be accepted.

If you can’t use cash or card for stuff, then start trading Polaroids of your feet.
 
SHTF - Short Term problem.
Shit Hits The Fan.
Law enforcement and government attempting to stabilize the situation. FEMA reacting.
Hurricane flooding, or power outage for a week or more, or a train derailment forcing evacuations. You’ve gotta have a plan and preps for at least a couple of weeks.

WROL - Long Term problem.
Without Rule Of Law.
Law enforcement is non-existent and collapsed because LEOs are home protecting their own families and property. Government may be targeting half of the citizens for not adhering to some ridiculous agenda.
After an EMP event, financial collapse, or civil war breaks out after some hypothetical government overreach tyranny shit and it’s survival of the most prepared. You either have a plan and preps and friends - or you will just be another victim of either some warlord and his thugs - or your own government who has decided you are the enemy for not vaccinating and planned ahead for this kind of eventuality.

Does everybody have some idea of a plan for both?
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
neither stand your ground angry mob , raging wild fire , shark nado , giant rock falling from the sky your home is your castle you know better than anyone it's strengths or weaknesses plan ahead .mount quad mini guns on your roof you can do it all while humming this theme song .

or that rocky song .
 
  • Like
Reactions: BytorJr
Tradable goods? Y’all know everbody be skipping’ leg day. 🤣

Global or national poppaclips? Good frickin’ luck.

Natural disasters are pretty local affairs. Get 100 miles from the epicenter and life goes on normally. You need enough cash to get there. Your bank card can do the heavy lifting after that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iceng
Cash is nice and all, but the problem is the cash is devaluing all the time. Have a couple thousand in cash at most, but excess cash I would put into bullion. Silver and/or gold. It can always be converted back into cash anytime, and the nice thing is that as the dollar shits the bed, the value of the metals will adjust for the most part. It's not a perfect science, but it sure beats putting $10K in cash in the safe, and in 5 years you can buy half as much stuff with that $10K than you could 5 years ago.

I do wonder if they fed will push to have metals banned like they did in 1934, have folks trade their silver and gold in for whatever made up bullshit they're going to shove down our throats. Either way, they're gonna fuck us all real good, and a whole bunch of us are going to take it.

I have a rule with my wife, and my daughters. When you travel out of town, take enough cash to where you have enough to buy fuel to get home in case you lose your card, or it stops working, or whatever ready, you have enough cash to get home to deal with the problem. A friend of mine was several thousand miles from home and his card number was stolen. The bank shut off the card right away. He didn't have a backup funding source because he only used that debit card. He had no other way to get funds and had to get his parents to wire him money to get home. Always have a plan to get back home.

Branden
And a paper map in case the GPS goes down.
 
Cash is nice and all, but the problem is the cash is devaluing all the time. Have a couple thousand in cash at most, but excess cash I would put into bullion. Silver and/or gold. It can always be converted back into cash anytime


So how are you converting gold/silver coins or any precious metals back into cash?
what I mean is, how much does the transaction cost you? I know it isn't free
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
SHTF - Short Term problem.
Shit Hits The Fan.
Law enforcement and government attempting to stabilize the situation. FEMA reacting.
Hurricane flooding, or power outage for a week or more, or a train derailment forcing evacuations. You’ve gotta have a plan and preps for at least a couple of weeks.

WROL - Long Term problem.
Without Rule Of Law.
Law enforcement is non-existent and collapsed because LEOs are home protecting their own families and property. Government may be targeting half of the citizens for not adhering to some ridiculous agenda.
After an EMP event, financial collapse, or civil war breaks out after some hypothetical government overreach tyranny shit and it’s survival of the most prepared. You either have a plan and preps and friends - or you will just be another victim of either some warlord and his thugs - or your own government who has decided you are the enemy for not vaccinating and planned ahead for this kind of eventuality.

Does everybody have some idea of a plan for both?
Again…feet pics. It’s the only safe currency.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: MadDuner
So how are you converting gold/silver coins or any precious metals back into cash?
what I mean is, how much does the transaction cost you? I know it isn't free
I'm holding long on metals, so I dont really lose out in the scenario I'm concerned about because I'm unloading the metals way down the road, after a currency collapse, or other economic problem. No matter what, those metals will have value to convert into whatever currency I would need at the time, digital, fiat, or other.

Even if I only get 97 or 98% of spot price on gold/silver, the idea is that that's still better than the 6.5% annual depreciation of cash.

Branden
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
I am aware of kitco and am aware of transaction costs, I wanted to know what shortbus was doing

If I buy a typical american eagle from kitco (or from apmex)

1675782727483.png



If I sell that same coin back to kitco

1675782797233.png




That is one hell of a transaction cost

I am just pointing out that in the short term you will lose your ass on coins
Long term you might break even

Trump last several months in office, gold was worth more than it is now, so if you put your emergency fund in gold/silver coins 2.5 years ago and needed it today, you would lose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
SHTF - Short Term problem.
Shit Hits The Fan.
Law enforcement and government attempting to stabilize the situation. FEMA reacting.
Hurricane flooding, or power outage for a week or more, or a train derailment forcing evacuations. You’ve gotta have a plan and preps for at least a couple of weeks.

WROL - Long Term problem.
Without Rule Of Law.
Law enforcement is non-existent and collapsed because LEOs are home protecting their own families and property. Government may be targeting half of the citizens for not adhering to some ridiculous agenda.
After an EMP event, financial collapse, or civil war breaks out after some hypothetical government overreach tyranny shit and it’s survival of the most prepared. You either have a plan and preps and friends - or you will just be another victim of either some warlord and his thugs - or your own government who has decided you are the enemy for not vaccinating and planned ahead for this kind of eventuality.

Does everybody have some idea of a plan for both?
SHTF - unless its a violent situation

just live in a hotel or go to your brother's house for 2 weeks

the amount of money you use while buying gas for your genset compared to the electrical grid is a loss

storing 500$ on groceries a week x 2-3 is 1200$ sitting in cans or the freezer that you need to rotate is money that can be in the bank making money

public works may not work, so you can have sewer back up, water autorty etc.. if you have your own well then you prob need 220 so a small genset wont cut it, so your burning more gas

waste disposal is not happening so there is a trash issue, if populated area

in 2023 there is no need to be tough with a small regional mess


WROL - wont be as bad as most think unless in population centers like a NY city, but they will be the most protected initially

as we saw with covid in other countries like china, and india

the people policed their own areas when no one knew much about the virus, you dont live here.. dont come here etc

regular neighborhoods weren't mad max and that went on for months over there

it only gets nuts when the food runs short, and if that happens all bets are off

if the US is hurting that bad for that long the rest of the world is a disaster as well, so a few AR's and cans of beans wont do it


best thing to do is walk south to get into more mild climate
 
SHTF - unless its a violent situation

just live in a hotel or go to your brother's house for 2 weeks

the amount of money you use while buying gas for your genset compared to the electrical grid is a loss

storing 500$ on groceries a week x 2-3 is 1200$ sitting in cans or the freezer that you need to rotate is money that can be in the bank making money

public works may not work, so you can have sewer back up, water autorty etc.. if you have your own well then you prob need 220 so a small genset wont cut it, so your burning more gas

waste disposal is not happening so there is a trash issue, if populated area

in 2023 there is no need to be tough with a small regional mess


WROL - wont be as bad as most think unless in population centers like a NY city, but they will be the most protected initially

as we saw with covid in other countries like china, and india

the people policed their own areas when no one knew much about the virus, you dont live here.. dont come here etc

regular neighborhoods weren't mad max and that went on for months over there

it only gets nuts when the food runs short, and if that happens all bets are off

if the US is hurting that bad for that long the rest of the world is a disaster as well, so a few AR's and cans of beans wont do it


best thing to do is walk south to get into more mild climate
Don’t bring logic into this.

Prepping is a lifestyle.

Like Googan baits, BRCC, and craft beer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Austan and brianf
I'm holding long on metals, so I dont really lose out in the scenario I'm concerned about because I'm unloading the metals way down the road, after a currency collapse, or other economic problem. No matter what, those metals will have value to convert into whatever currency I would need at the time, digital, fiat, or other.

Even if I only get 97 or 98% of spot price on gold/silver, the idea is that that's still better than the 6.5% annual depreciation of cash.

Branden

Assuming you bought legit government minted coins, you should always at least get spot and normally spot+ some extra
You'll often find smaller local dealers who will give you a better deal than big places that have huge overheads to support.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
all joking aside coins are useless for investment;


my father in law was/is a coin maniac

he bought every minted, set, special sets, all that stuff for the 25 years i know him and he was doing it way before i met him

has gold, silver, platinum.. everything

he'd go to the store and add a pack of gum to get to the next dollar so he gets more change.. lol

he'd separate all that change into buckets and such, I bust his chops all the time and he'd say when the power goes out bla bla bla


he's not a poor or a moron (thats the mother in law lol), and he bought enough not just one book or box etc

he'd check out the coin prices and the investment strats with coins


pre covid more or less when metals were high he finally gave in and said hell sell a bunch off

shopped it around and then had a business come to his house to check out the stuff he had in the home never mind the rest of it, because it was so much


want to know what all that special stuff was worth...face value

roll of the first mint still wrapped, certificate quarters, silver dollars = a roll of quarters you get at the bank

roll of gold coins all in individual cases etc = weight of the gold at current price


coin company told him that buying coins is the biggest waste of money as an investment

coins aren't worth more unless you have a special one off double die type coin


if you want to buy gold.. buy gold, and sell it knowing you are getting market gold value nothing more nothing less


best part is we had 2 hurricanes up here that really screwed the island for 1 week or more

he thought he was going to buy stuff with all his quarters and such because the electricity was out for 5 plus days

so of course he was telling us etc


he went to a few places and when he pulled out a few rolls of quarters ... the consensus was "whats this crap" lol

only bought a few things with all his coins... not even the gas station would take them

we killed him, and i still bring it up
 
I am aware of kitco and am aware of transaction costs, I wanted to know what shortbus was doing

If I buy a typical american eagle from kitco (or from apmex)

View attachment 8069236


If I sell that same coin back to kitco

View attachment 8069237



That is one hell of a transaction cost

I am just pointing out that in the short term you will lose your ass on coins
Long term you might break even

Trump last several months in office, gold was worth more than it is now, so if you put your emergency fund in gold/silver coins 2.5 years ago and needed it today, you would lose.
That doesnt look right. I bought a shitload of gold from them then sold most of it back and paid nowhere near that, more lie 1-2%.
 
  • Like
Reactions: W54/XM-388
all joking aside coins are useless for investment;


my father in law was/is a coin maniac

he bought every minted, set, special sets, all that stuff for the 25 years i know him and he was doing it way before i met him

has gold, silver, platinum.. everything

he'd go to the store and add a pack of gum to get to the next dollar so he gets more change.. lol

he'd separate all that change into buckets and such, I bust his chops all the time and he'd say when the power goes out bla bla bla


he's not a poor or a moron (thats the mother in law lol), and he bought enough not just one book or box etc

he'd check out the coin prices and the investment strats with coins


pre covid more or less when metals were high he finally gave in and said hell sell a bunch off

shopped it around and then had a business come to his house to check out the stuff he had in the home never mind the rest of it, because it was so much


want to know what all that special stuff was worth...face value

roll of the first mint still wrapped, certificate quarters, silver dollars = a roll of quarters you get at the bank

roll of gold coins all in individual cases etc = weight of the gold at current price


coin company told him that buying coins is the biggest waste of money as an investment

coins aren't worth more unless you have a special one off double die type coin


if you want to buy gold.. buy gold, and sell it knowing you are getting market gold value nothing more nothing less


best part is we had 2 hurricanes up here that really screwed the island for 1 week or more

he thought he was going to buy stuff with all his quarters and such because the electricity was out for 5 plus days

so of course he was telling us etc


he went to a few places and when he pulled out a few rolls of quarters ... the consensus was "whats this crap" lol

only bought a few things with all his coins... not even the gas station would take them

we killed him, and i still bring it up
Was he “investing” or “collecting?” Two very different things. Many who think they are investing are actually collecting. And, some that say they are collectors are, in fact, investors…
 
I am aware of kitco and am aware of transaction costs, I wanted to know what shortbus was doing
If I buy a typical american eagle from kitco (or from apmex)

View attachment 8069236


If I sell that same coin back to kitco

View attachment 8069237



That is one hell of a transaction cost

I am just pointing out that in the short term you will lose your ass on coins
Long term you might break even

Trump last several months in office, gold was worth more than it is now, so if you put your emergency fund in gold/silver coins 2.5 years ago and needed it today, you would lose.
Short term yes, you're not going to do well on coins, especially high premium coins like american eagles. Generic rounds can be had for as low as $3 over spot, larger bars can be had with even lower premiums over spot depending on where you shop. You're still going to be able to sell those for very close to spot

In Aug 2018 gold was $1200'ish, and silver was $14. 4 1/2 years later and gold is $1887 and $22 for silver. Stock market is up only 24% since then. I'm not using gold and silver as an investment, it's a hedge against inflation, a way to hold cash without having the physical paper that's losing buying power every day. Yes, if you bought gold right at the end of the Trump, with premiums you'd be at the break even point now. If you put $1K in the safe 3 years ago, how much less groceries could you get today with that $1K, than you could 3 years ago?

We're not talking about investments, we're talking about cash holdings. If you're going to hold cash, it's going to lose value at the rate of inflation. You're not holding cash that you're going to need next month, or next quarter to pay bills. You're holding cash for a economic disaster that may or may not occur. You're going to be holding it for years, if not decades. If that's the cash your holding, convert it to an asset class that retains value against a depreciating dollar.

Or just buy ammo, we've all watched ammo's value increase with changes in economic conditions, and supply/demand changes.

Branden
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG and WaltHer
Was he “investing” or “collecting?” Two very different things. Many who think they are investing are actually collecting. And, some that say they are collectors are, in fact, investors…
Both but he was always investing

That’s what makes it so funny

He wasn’t counting on coins for income but like anything else it was to make money.

After it was all said and done (he still has a ton) he said I should have invested all that money in regular portfolio I’d be much farther ahead.
 
Op asked specifically about cash. Generally I keep roughly a grand on hand. It comes in handy from time to time. Have someone out to clean your gutters, cash. Someone to do this or that odd job, cash. Find that cool thing on facebook marketplace on sunday, cash.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
I agree with Doc- buy stuff you need now, probably won't be any cheaper than it is today. And, being good Americans, we always need more.
However (comnma) there may be a time you need to bribe your way out of something, or buy that gallon of UNRL's milk for 100, or that tank of gas from the station with no CC service but pumps that are on backup gen. That's also where W54 and Short Bus's observation about having a stash in your car when traveling comes in. Not getting home to your beans and bullets would be disappointing.
As Shortbus described, a pile of cash IN MIXED DENOMINATIONS, for emergencies, is a prep just like beans or bullets. But it's possible that your cash may have a "shelf life" like some of your other preps. Don't hold on to it too long only to have it expire.
Ultimately, the contingencies you're anticipating and the number of people you're supporting should drive the amount of cash you hold.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG and Short-bus
We're not talking about investments, we're talking about cash holdings.

agreed, I think metals are poor short term cash holdings, that is why I hold cash (I have metals too, but they are in my 20 year bucket)

looking at what you lose in transaction costs, inflation doesn't seem so bad :)

Link me to the silver or gold item on the Kitco web page that doesn't have a huge split between buy from kitco and sell to kitco
 
That doesnt look right. I bought a shitload of gold from them then sold most of it back and paid nowhere near that, more lie 1-2%.

I am not playing any tricks, just copy and paste direct from kitco

Link me to the silver or gold item on the Kitco web page that doesn't have a huge split between buy from kitco and sell to kitco

I always hear people say, buy metals, but then I look at what I lose when I sell to kitco and think, this is dumb

edited to add, I checked with the local dealer in Birmingham when I lived there and he was a way worse deal than Kitco, so I don't think local is the way to go either...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maggot
Wife has some 1 oz bars bought last year for an average of 1680 spot plus 83, cost 1760.30 plus shipping from JM Bullion.

Today:
Current spot is 1881
Buy 1 oz bars from Kitco 1980.70 each, about 100 over spot ( 5.3%)
Sell 1 oz bars to Kitco 1845.50 each, about 35.5 under spot (1.9%)
Shipping? not included.
Is there a better way?
If spot goes to 2000, what can I expect to get for 1 oz bars?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: kenny1773
Wife has some 1 oz bars bought last year for an average of 1680 spot plus 83, cost 1760.30 plus shipping from JM Bullion.

Today:
Current spot is 1881
Buy 1 oz bars from Kitco 1980.70 each (about 100 over spot)
Sell 1 oz bars to Kitco 1845.50 each (about 35.5 under spot)
Shipping? not included.
Is there a better way?
If spot goes to 2000, what can I expect to get for 1 oz bars?

For the Premium you paid, you should have just gone a bit more and actually gotten real legit government minted coins from one of the major countries.
When you go to sell, bars, rounds and other stuff like that are always a pain and you often get a bit of a loss over spot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
She also has minted official coins.
Maybe coin prices are going up faster than spot gold prices.
(birthday and holiday presents from me)
Kitco seems to be closer to spot when you sell to them. I wonder what handling and shipping fees would be to sell.
Kitco has a 1oz Canadian for 1966 now. Krugerrand for 1958.
Current spot is 1885
Might talk her into selling a little when spot goes to 2000.
Will consider buying when spot falls under 1700.
 
Last edited:
agreed, I think metals are poor short term cash holdings, that is why I hold cash (I have metals too, but they are in my 20 year bucket)

looking at what you lose in transaction costs, inflation doesn't seem so bad :)

Link me to the silver or gold item on the Kitco web page that doesn't have a huge split between buy from kitco and sell to kitco
I suppose it depends on your definition of short term. A few years is nothing, 10 years is short term to me. I bought 2015 generic buffalo rounds for $17 and change a piece, in 2015 American eagles were $22 at the time. Local dealer will give me 97% of spot on them, so $21.66 today, that's like a 25% increase or so, something like that. The US dollar has decreased in value 20% in the same time period. $100 in cash is always $100 in cash, whether it's 2015 or 2023. The difference matters when you go to spend it. $100 cash in 2015 bought more food than it does today. $100 in silver with the premium in 2015 is worth $128 today at 99% of spot.

If you're only looking at the buy from and sell to kitco differences today, you're doing it wrong. And when it comes to online dealers, you need to shop around, there are places charging much lower premiums.

Branden
 
$100 in silver with the premium in 2015 is worth $128 today at 99% of spot.

So you are saying you only lost 1% total in transaction costs? That is a hell of a fucking deal.

If you're only looking at the buy from and sell to kitco differences today, you're doing it wrong.

That is not at all what I am doing. I am trying to show that buying into metals has a cost when you convert it back to cash. If you are not earning enough to cover that cost, then you are losing money.

No one wants to talk about transaction costs when buying and selling coins or bars or whatever

Many time I think people over look this cost because the metal has appreciated in value

I feel like coin and precious metal dealers are like pawn shops or car sales ;)
 
Depends, looking at Canada and the denial to bank access as a means of control having some cash to be able to support you for a period of time would be smart.
Food, water, hygiene and medical items with the means to secure them/protect them would be important.
 
Man this thread goin in six directions at once . Bug in , Bug out and long term are all different .
Bug out bag is for two things .Three day bag to ;
Get you out of localized natural disaster .
Get you to a preplanned SHTF location and or caches along the way .

Everyone has family somewhere . Set up temporary places to go in time if crisis . If long term set that up as well with either like minded friends or family .

Haven't seen anyone mention a get home bag . If you drive an hour to shoot , go to Cabela's/Bass Pro or what ever , you ain't walking home . Hell if you are separated from home by a body of water only crossable by bridge .

Also if you have a family , kids etc. practice . Have your three day bags set up , emergency meds , documents etc. Should all be ready to grab . Set an alarm for 2 am Saturday morning . Set a goal . Everyone and what you need in the Truck/car/van in 10 minutes . First out will beat at least some traffic .

In the words of the Prophet , " Buy more Ammo ".
 
I've seen a lot of mentions of medicines. I dodnt take any prescription meds on a regular basis, so for me that would likely be a couple of antibiotics. Suggestions as to which ones and htf to get them. The fucking doctors are anal retentive asswipes about it. "Oh we dont give those out unless we can see you>" If its a SHTF situation is he really going to take time to see me? and know they have a shelf life, but even expired ones should be better than none at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
I've seen a lot of mentions of medicines. I dodnt take any prescription meds on a regular basis, so for me that would likely be a couple of antibiotics. Suggestions as to which ones and htf to get them. The fucking doctors are anal retentive asswipes about it. "Oh we dont give those out unless we can see you>" If its a SHTF situation is he really going to take time to see me? and know they have a shelf life, but even expired ones should be better than none at all.
It took decades, but we finally realized that over-prescribing antibiotics can lead to anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria surviving in the environment. Used to be you would get an amoxicillin script if you went to see a doc for anything. And, anti-microbial soaps (containing low doses of antibiotics) were everywhere.

Forget rockets and computers, antibiotics are the greatest human discovery. But, we will eventually age out of the anti microbial age. That day will come sooner than not with over use of these miracle drugs. This is why docs are increasingly keeping them close to the vest.

When you consider that stereo-isomers (chemically identical, but mirror images compounds) can have opposite effects- and that storage conditions can cause chemical changes to these compounds, it pays to heed the advice of professionals tegarding storage and shelf life of all medications.
 
It took decades, but we finally realized that over-prescribing antibiotics can lead to anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria surviving in the environment. Used to be you would get an amoxicillin script if you went to see a doc for anything. And, anti-microbial soaps (containing low doses of antibiotics) were everywhere.

Forget rockets and computers, antibiotics are the greatest human discovery. But, we will eventually age out of the anti microbial age. That day will come sooner than not with over use of these miracle drugs. This is why docs are increasingly keeping them close to the vest.

When you consider that stereo-isomers (chemically identical, but mirror images compounds) can have opposite effects- and that storage conditions can cause chemical changes to these compounds, it pays to heed the advice of professionals tegarding storage and shelf life of all medications.

That's the excuse they want to use to deny treatment to people until things become life threatening then bill for the expensive stuff.

Stupid modern humans think that evolution suddenly stopped.

Everything else on the planet down to the bacteria and viruses are engaged in a life and death struggle for survival and supremacy, you evolve or die.
Researchers looking in caves that humans never set foot in found "antibiotic resistant" bacteria, because well, they have been evolving just as the things that kill them do in nature.

Bacteria even have to develop their own defenses against viruses.

Just like the fungus ever present in soil has to evolve to survive new threats.

The problem is the big drug companies want to find one thing and then think that's the be all end all and just produce it forever until it stops working.
That's not how it works, your antibiotics have to be able to naturally evolve just the same.

Meanwhile of course Humans are busy devolving into weaker and more useless creatures.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
Read “Black Autumn”. Those of you thinking the city folks are not bugging out to your AO are fools. I live one tank of gas from Portland and one tank of gas from Seattle and 1/2 from Spokane and we’ll be in FPCON “repel boarders” if the shit hits the fan.

Idiots in large numbers are the number one threat, and idiots who think there are no consequences to their actions in groups with other idiots is even more of a threat.

Here’s a to do. Mrs thinks she has a swimming pool and I think I have a 30,000 gal fresh water reservoir.
 
Read “Black Autumn”. Those of you thinking the city folks are not bugging out to your AO are fools. I live one tank of gas from Portland and one tank of gas from Seattle and 1/2 from Spokane and we’ll be in FPCON “repel boarders” if the shit hits the fan.

Idiots in large numbers are the number one threat, and idiots who think there are no consequences to their actions in groups with other idiots is even more of a threat.

Here’s a to do. Mrs thinks she has a swimming pool and I think I have a 30,000 gal fresh water reservoir.

Something to remember is a lot of folks have a singular survival plan: "use my guns to take what I want by force and kill anyone I need to in order to get it"
You might think that's the exception, but not it's going to be the rule.

I remember a couple years back, I had a rather spirited discussion right here with another well known member who clearly states the plan for them and their crew was to take by force whatever they wanted whenever they wanted while traveling along the highways and ambush and kill anyone who wouldn't hand over what they wanted.

In the early stages of things, if there was to be a total breakdown of law and order and the supply chain, any rural folks are going to be forced to become pretty nasty and work together to deal with well armed folks that will kill anyone to get what they want or need for them and their families.
And a lot of those might be folks you would have considered are "good guys"

Not to mention the police and government types going into business for themselves.

It isn't going to be pretty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG and stefan73
I figure enough to get your family out of the US, double it, and not all in US cash, provided needs are covered otherwise.

Where are you going to go to?
Have you taken a look at the rest of the world?
Chances are by the time something goes down in the USA that would make you think about leaving, most of the rest of the world will be way worse off.
 
Something to remember is a lot of folks have a singular survival plan: "use my guns to take what I want by force and kill anyone I need to in order to get it"
You might think that's the exception, but not it's going to be the rule.

I remember a couple years back, I had a rather spirited discussion right here with another well known member who clearly states the plan for them and their crew was to take by force whatever they wanted whenever they wanted while traveling along the highways and ambush and kill anyone who wouldn't hand over what they wanted.

In the early stages of things, if there was to be a total breakdown of law and order and the supply chain, any rural folks are going to be forced to become pretty nasty and work together to deal with well armed folks that will kill anyone to get what they want or need for them and their families.
And a lot of those might be folks you would have considered are "good guys"

Not to mention the police and government types going into business for themselves.

It isn't going to be pretty.
You also have the 2nd type of person.....the hunter who thinks that they are going to be able to live off the land. How fast do you think nearly all the deer, cows, horses, dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, and anything else that has protein, is going to disappear by the hands of literally anybody with a firearm.

I went through a brief period last year where I spent a bit too much time researching what folks did to survive during the great depression. The most basic consensus that I came to, was community. Individuals have a multitude of skills. Hobbies become skills, which can then be used for barter. Even better are people that were professional plumbers, builders, welders, fabricators, seamstresses ect. When shit goes south, the things you can do with your own two hands become the means for which you can trade for what you need. A lot of the things that women were proficient in during the great depression era have gone by the wayside. Sewing, washing clothes by hand, making clothes, ect. Men are losing their skills too. How few men out there can frame a wall, replace a window, garden, fix a leaking roof, cut firewood? Me personally, as odd as it sounds, i'm trying to work on correcting some of those deficiencies, so as things get bad in the world, I can still be useful to obtain food to feed myself and my family by being useful in many ways, and not just being a body to feed.

As for those guys that think they're going to take things by force, those guys will do pretty well as long as it's a one way range. The real question is how will they react when they experience their first 2 way range. Everyone with a gun thinks they're a badass until someone else has a gun too, and perhaps knows how to use it better. Either way, it's not going to be pretty. Going to be a smelly landscape of bodies until the rotting is complete.....imagine the fly infestation....yuck.

TLDR summary: know how to do shit with your hands that can be used to trade others for what you need..i.e. food.

Branden
 
But even then people have food from gardens and what not for the winter. And if I need meat I’ll slide the window open and make it happen. No fridge/freezer needed to store. Heat would be the main issue

82DB8C2E-A673-4434-9F26-93A4BF67942E.gif


Lmao at the idea thar gardens provide any sort of sustenance. A couple peppers and melons lol. Ok

Mega lol at the living off the land idea. That shit will be stripped bare in a week. Fudds will clean out the dumb ones. Mil etc with thermals etc will clean out the rest.


Y’all have no idea the complexity size specialization centralization etc of modern ag and just how much food it produces
 
  • Like
Reactions: W54/XM-388
What can I get for some 90% silver junk coins?
Dollar, 50 cent, 25 cent, dimes?
Anything near melt value?

Coins are a bit of black magic, and I really think a racket. The houses that actually rate them are not all viewed equal. The costs to have a coin rated may likely just not be worth it. What this house rates it at is likely going to be different from that house.

All that to say coins are very difficult, and hard for "the guy on the street" to know just what he has without a great deal of work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maggot
View attachment 8070118

Lmao at the idea thar gardens provide any sort of sustenance. A couple peppers and melons lol. Ok

Mega lol at the living off the land idea. That shit will be stripped bare in a week. Fudds will clean out the dumb ones. Mil etc with thermals etc will clean out the rest.


Y’all have no idea the complexity size specialization centralization etc of modern ag and just how much food it produces
Gardening only provide a pile of potatoes and anything you can manage to can or pickle. Most people have gardens and many have a decent assortment of vegetables they’ll keep and use during the winter. Among the stuff that gets used in late summer and during the fall that doesn’t keep well

You’re absolutely correct….some of you stand no chance when your local Walmart closes 😁
 
  • Haha
Reactions: BurtG