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In yesterday’s post, I failed to add in an important step. Before starting your evacuation, be sure to check any and all vehicles you can to see if any of them start. Some may.
Blast fronts, and even EMP, can do a bit funny on occasion. Terrain, structures, and other delights can create blast shadows and otherwise tamp the fronts. Having been through a “spontaneous disassembly caused by a sudden overpressure” event (the boffins were adamant it wasn’t an explosion as there was unburnt solid rocket propellant lying around), one of the weirdest and amazing things happened to the front of a nearby building. The blast front hit it and sheared off the bolts on the glass curtain front wall and moved the entire structure about ten feet in. Not a single pane of glass cracked or broke. The effort to get it moved back may not have been as successful, think they ended up taking it apart as the crew said no way to move it back without breaking it. Seen and heard of some other weirdness over the years.
The same can hold true for EMP, particularly from a local explosion. Structures and terrain have the potential to block or attenuate EMP and even the radiation front. So, be sure to try your vehicle, and/or any others you can access, before heading out on foot. One suggestion though is to have a proper container you can siphon gas into from any unworking vehicles to use in the one you can as you are not likely to find many working filling stations on your bugout. In fact, an extra-long siphon hose or mechanical crank siphon is not a bad thing to have on hand/with you so you can access underground tanks and even barrels.
While it may seem ghoulish, when checking for working vehicles be sure to check on that older neighbor who has the pristine older vehicle. If they no longer need it, and it runs… If they are alive, kicking, and wanting out, work with them and become a team. Win/Win.
Which leads to another point: know your neighbors. Odds are at least one of them will be good people, and someone you can work with in an emergency, be it an ice storm/power outage or nuclear war. While crowds are not my thing and are to be avoided in most circumstances, having a reasonable sized group is an advantage in a bugout situation. It allows more supplies and gear to be taken, mutual support, and if they happen to be current or former military (which tends to show) it’s going to discourage the looters and others attempting to prey on the weak.
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to get to know a number of people who have different skills. I actually know of some who ended up moving near each other so that in an emergency they could support each other. Sort of like one of those art communities but with an emphasis on preparedness that could also be presented as a historical group who could do blacksmithing and other “old fashioned” things for re-enactments.
Anytime you do have to do the bugout boogie, I want to emphasize something Dean Ing pushes hard in his works: staging. You may be starting out in a vehicle, but roads can be impassable, other things can happen, so you need to leave it and move on. If a car/truck/etc. can’t get through, what about trail bikes or even bicycles? You can even pull a cart behind them at need. Seem to recall a story where they started in an RV, dropped down to a car/truck pulling a large trailer, then to ATVs/trail bikes pulling smaller trailer(s), then to bicycles, and only in ultimate need dropping to foot. Ultimately, be prepared for it being by shank’s mare, but start at the highest level of transport you can get as you can always step down; but, it’s likely to be hard to step back up.
Also, while I focused on sitting tight to avoid the worst of the fallout, I also mentioned that I may be on the wrong side of the conflagration zone. If the structure of my building is too damaged, or the fires are starting/burning, I’m getting the heck out of Dodge. I’m going to see if any vehicle runs, but if not I’m moving out with what I can quickly grab or already have ready (have your bugout bags ready at all times!). I may or may not be able to clear the fires and/or firestorm, but I’m going to try my best to do so.
Just some quick thoughts that really didn’t fit in yesterday’s post.
Some Previous Posts:
Answers, Ramblings, And A Bit More On Vladimir And The Ukraine
Your Must Read For The Day On Russia
The Puzzles In Play, And The Missing Pieces
Quick Thoughts On Ukraine/Putin
Missing Pieces And Surprise Pieces
Accuracy, Reliability, And More
Putin, Trump, And The Coming Storm
War, Ag, Demographics, And The Worst Is Yet To Come
Past, Present, And A Hungry Future
If It’s Wednesday, This Must Be Moldova
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Nuclear War Posts In Order:
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