# Absolute worst scenario



## americasfuture (Jan 2, 2013)

Imagine that SHTF and all you had ( for some unknown reason) was your clothes, shoes, and wallet (or purse). Ur in the middle of nowhere. U have no tools. What do u do?


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## trikey (Nov 8, 2012)

Where would I be? Woods, desert, plains.. Is it summer or winter? I live in the middle of nowhere already ha. in this scenario are you familiar with the area? there are too many variables to begin to answer.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

americasfuture said:


> Imagine that SHTF and all you had ( for some unknown reason) was your clothes, shoes, and wallet (or purse). Ur in the middle of nowhere. U have no tools. What do u do?


I would wonder what the hell I did to pi$$ off TPTB...either that or figure someone added something to my food/drink and I'm tripping bad...lol


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

You try to survive long enough to get home.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

Well, I am NEVER without tools. My daily carry consists of wallet and contents, keychain with a P38, Bic lighter, some money, 10 ft. steel tape, white handkerchief, cellphone, 1 1/2" wide leather belt, Mini Mag Lite w/ LED conversion, and a Gerber multitool with a diamond hone in the case. Plus, clothing, headgear, and footgear appropriate to the weather. 

Since I am NEVER more than 40 miles from home, I suppose I'd have to hike to the home of the nearest friend who could lend a hand, and from there on to my place. I'm old, tired, and have sense enough to not get in too much trouble, if there is any possible way to foresee it.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Sorry, need a lot more. What SHTF event? What season? What's the weather? Where in the middle of nowhere am I? Forest? Desert? Out on the ocean? etc. Is there a home to go back to? Do I want to? If I got my wallet, is money still goods? Do credit cards still work? Can I expect either to again at some point or as the event rendered currency permanently useless?


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Why does everyone always need more info with these scenarios? Why not just answer the question with the knowledge that you have available to you instead of saying "I need more info or I would never be in that situation?" There have been many so called "prepared" people that found themselves in just such a situation with nothing more than what was in their pockets.

Your car went over a 1k foot cliff. Your boat sank and you are stuck on the closest island that you could swim to. You were knocked out and robbed and dropped in the middle of nowhere. 

1st thing is shelter, even in the summer nights can get cold. While you are searching for a shelter you also need to be on the lookout for human trash, old bones, flint etc.

2nd thing you will need is water so find some.

3rd is food. You may need to make some tools. Remember that your shoe laces can work as snares in a pinch.

1.5 or 4 depending on the weather would be fire. Now it is time to see if your fire starting skills work with a fire drill.


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## americasfuture (Jan 2, 2013)

Ok, summer. Woods. All power lost like in the show Revolution. (i know this is impractical but it fits best for why u would be there like that. Also, you're thirty miles from where u need to be so a days walk with no water, wouldnt reccomend

And thank you cnsper


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Well, I never leave home without at least my fanny pack. Not even to walk the dog. Being in Texas in the summer, I would first find water because you aren't going to make it far in this terrain and heat without it.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

Alright, the aliens drop me in the middle of the woods with nothing and 30 miles to my home? Is that it? The scenario doesn't really ask the questions that you intend to ask. First of all 30 miles is an easy walk in two days and water is abundant in the woods as are food, fuel, shelter, etc. Once home I have my cache of supplies. 

Perhaps a better scenario is the forced bug out, i.e. your home/car burn and you are left with just what you can run out of the house with before your house explodes into a fireball. I have a BOL, but a BOL that is a 30 day walk away. An EMP style black out, if it took out my vehicle, and caused my house to catch fire destroying everything would put me in a bad spot. Its my worse case scenario. 

The key will be realizing that its an EMP. Each type of disaster has a trajectory, a way of unfolding, this is true for an EMP event as well. Your first prep, is a prepared mind, which can't be taken away from you. Realizing that its an EMP, you will know that most won't, most people will be blinded by normalcy bias; people will think it odd their car doesn't start BUT still they will treat it like a short term black out for perhaps as much as a few weeks (at least outside of the cities). This means that at event +1minute, you likely have a day before people, unused to walking ANYWHERE, venture out to the store for supplies. Assuming you have cash money available to you, this is the time to go shopping for the things you need, spending it all as soon it will likely be worthless. And even if you don't have cash, if you value your life, and the lives of your family, this is the time to get what you need. 

Water and water storage,
Food, 
A bag,
means of transportation,
weapons,
boots, clothing, you name it.

If it was in your BOB/BOV then you need it! Also, realize that you are walking or biking, and think about where you shop. Shop at places that strategically allow you to get as many supplies as possible in the quickest time travelling the shortest distance. Perhaps being prepared to cache the supplies you get near the stores so you can get much more than you could carry home in a day. 

Modes of transportation and weapons will ultimately be of key importance if you have to move a distance. 

I keep a eye on cars that are theoretically EMP proof, as well as on horse farms, and I would go to these places to play lets make a deal for your horse.

Once I have water, food, transportation, and defense, or as many of these as possible, I would bug out to my BOL because I don't want to be there when folks realize that they are on their own for months or years.


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## ihaveMANHIDE (Oct 6, 2012)

americasfuture said:


> Imagine that SHTF and all you had ( for some unknown reason) was your clothes, shoes, and wallet (or purse). Ur in the middle of nowhere. U have no tools. What do u do?


Find out where I am, find water, when I find out who put me there I'd beat the sh*t out of them and then I'd probably go on with my life lol


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## americasfuture (Jan 2, 2013)

Im asking for procedures, guys


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Procedures ARE based on situation. First is always STOP Stop Think Observe Plan. But the last there depend on knowing a lot more then what you gave us. I mean in the woods in winter is a lot different then in the desert in summer or vice versa. Water isn't as much a concern if your next to a lake then not. If your near some cavernus areas in the desert shelter might not be as important. Not trying to be a jerk, but survival isn't a checklist. My own worse case was in the Amazon, It sucked. But after almost losing my boot in the swamp and giving up the notion that I could avoid getting bit by bugs we were able to find some Yarena so I didn't have to drink the water I pulled from a stream with dead fish on the bank("purified" or not I wasn't drinking that if I didn't have to LOL).


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

biobacon said:


> Procedures ARE based on situation. First is always STOP Stop Think Observe Plan. But the last there depend on knowing a lot more then what you gave us. I mean in the woods in winter is a lot different then in the desert in summer or vice versa. Water isn't as much a concern if your next to a lake then not. If your near some cavernus areas in the desert shelter might not be as important. Not trying to be a jerk, but survival isn't a checklist. My own worse case was in the Amazon, It sucked. But after almost losing my boot in the swamp and giving up the notion that I could avoid getting bit by bugs we were able to find some Yarena so I didn't have to drink the water I pulled from a stream with dead fish on the bank("purified" or not I wasn't drinking that if I didn't have to LOL).


Thanks Bio! My point exactly, you just said it better. Yes, some of us do ask more and don't just "answer the question". Knowledge of the situation. Knowledge of what to expect. Knowledge of your capabilities all shape what the answer is going to be. Unless I'm also blind in this sutation I would be able to look around and observe my environment and there is a reasonable chance that I know what put me there so I can plan for more than just the next few minutes or hours.

Knowing the geography around me, the season and why I am there all would greatly influence my answer. Should I be trying to carve out an existence there? Should I be trying to get back home?

Cnsper, making blanket statements about "making a fire", while they sound good, may not apply. If you're on the frozen tundra or in the middle of the ocean floating on small metal boat with nothing but the given "clothes and wallet" a fire isn't really practical. Sure you can use your laces but where are you getting the wood for the bow drill? or the tinder? Or for that matter something other than your clothes to burn? I believe it is quite fair to ask for a better description of the situation in order to give a reasonable answer applicable to the situtation.


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## OHprepper (Feb 21, 2012)

Well played sir


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## Jerry D Young (Jan 28, 2009)

I'd start walking to safety. Steady walking at 3 mph for 12 hours with a few 15 minute breaks. Be a bit dehydrated by the time I get there, but I can go 10 hours or more without water.


Just my opinion.


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

how would I really know that shtf.. if I just found myself out in the middle of nowhere? I guess in a sense at the least that'd be a personal shtf situation because I (like most folks here) dont venture out being unprepared. 
I can just see myself thinking wtf ? as im looking around for clues as to how I magically appeared unprepared somewhere in the middle of nowhere...
So...that being that...

most likely try to find a water source then sit down n watch shadows/sun movement for awhile...to get some directional orientation as Im checking out other clues like type of trees, plants, soil type, smell, bird type to get further clues as to where the heck I am. Depending on what I find might determine whether I plan on building a shelter or plan a hike to high ground to get a looksie?

...Best thing would be not to panic...
...next best would be to find water...once found..
....try n figure out where Im at..am I in familiar terf or completely unknown terf? use nature clues
..do I have daylight time left to get/hike to a ridge or high stop n looksie??
...if not build a shelter n hunker down for the night
tromping around somewhere in the dark can get ya killed, best stick to daylight conditions untill im ready to tromp..which might be dawn. Ill give me a opportunity to seek the stars for some answers too...

keep calm stay dry stay hydrated then get a plan going..


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

americasfuture said:


> Imagine that SHTF and all you had ( for some unknown reason) was your clothes, shoes, and wallet (or purse). Ur in the middle of nowhere. U have no tools. What do u do?


I've taken this test.
Find North, start trucking.


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

magus..what test are you referring to?


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Im assuming its the three day test. Did two myself cause Im a wimp.


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## americasfuture (Jan 2, 2013)

Hooch, thank you for adaptingo the situation as best you could and working with what you have. Alterior motive of
Mine, btw. All but one failed, though some kinda cane. Lose. Now, for sake of getting the information i need, what should a nonprepper do in said situation??


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Hooch said:


> magus..what test are you referring to?


Dumped in the middle of nowhere with the clothes on my back.
I passed it by extreme luck however.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

americasfuture said:


> Imagine that SHTF and all you had ( for some unknown reason) was your clothes, shoes, and wallet (or purse). Ur in the middle of nowhere. U have no tools. What do u do?


Adapt to your environment. If you don't know where you are or know you are a long distance from known preps or supplies, think longer term and use whatever methods you can to make fire, shelter, collect and purify water, procure food (wild edibles or critters). Find out your general direction to hoof it to a safe location, be it your home, place of work, a friend, anyplace familiar where you can better your situation and make it home or possibly get help.


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