# What is SHTF



## Ridgerunner (Oct 27, 2008)

From most of what is discussed here it is a major event that effects a large number of people, and everyone is trying to do what they can to survive either a short or long term event.

But What if this is a personal SHTF that effects just you or your family directly?


A lot of us live pay check to pay check

Lost of a job or illness that results in loss of home or property so there is no where to BO or BI to

Anything event that would leave you with almost nothing and you find yourself homeless.



What if you are injured and even though you have fully prepared yourself for any possible SHTF situation you now cannot execute your plans because you are disabled.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Ridgerunner said:


> But What if this is a personal SHTF that effects just you or your family directly?
> 
> A lot of us live pay check to pay check
> Lost of a job or illness that results in loss of home or property so there is no where to BO or BI to
> Anything event that would leave you with almost nothing and you find yourself homeless.


Honestly..... this is like the number one reason we prep. Most everyone on this forum.

TEOTWAWKI is really only the extreme possibility.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

You're right. There are some people who focus on the stampeding elephants heading towards them instead of the rattlesnake coiled at their feet. 

The majority of the people on this forum know our biggest threat is not so much a catastrophic event - it's anything that can happen to adversely impact our family, our finances, our homes, our health, and so on and we take as many precautions as possible to minimize such a loss. You usually can't eliminate some of the threats....you can mitigate them. And this is why we plan and why we review the plans on a regular basis to see if anything has changed.


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## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

Well, wife and I both worked full time. She is expecting any day now our second child, my 4th, all boys (insert comment about male horse here).

Since the end of May, she stopped working sooner than we budgeted for by about 3 weeks. However, we have a decent amount of food sitting around to dip into. Course it did not help I had to spend 200 replacing the radiator in her car...

SHTF can vary by severity and there are numerous situations that would cause us to did into our preps. The goal for myself, and I bet a lot of us here, is to be able to get through these events without calling on others for help. To a certain extant, we are proud to be able to get by using the bare minimum of assistance available.

Donations can be made via paypal


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

For me SHTF can be weather, illness, job loss, heck maybe even zombies. I just want to be able to take care of myself. I've said it before, no way am I going to a Superdome type environment, ain't gonna happen.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Some one is always throwing S at the F around here. I've had 30 years of bad luck, it seeks me out time and time again. I'm sure most people would have crawled under a rock by now  but I've always been a prepper and that's made all the difference. Every time I've worked myself into a better place financially I've had health problems and had to start at the bottom of the pile again. I'm so used to having to rely on my preps I hardly give it much thought any more, it's the difference between struggling to put food on the table and being pretty comfortable. 

Just this week hubby and I lost our main off farm earner, paid pretty badly but they paid us traveling expenses which meant we could afford to go to local towns to shop for the best deals on various things. We still have the job but they won't pay travel so we won't be doing it anymore. But it's ok because we've planned for it and have already tightened our belts and moved onto plan B and in some ways we'll be better off. We will have 6 days a month more on the farm and we'll be doing only a fraction of the miles in our old vehicle both good things.

If it wasn't for my preps and forward planning I would have been homeless and broke a dozen times over the years. I always know just what I'll need to get through the next couple of years and make sure I've got enough to do just that. Cash to pay rates/licenses and fees, food and clothing, etc. To get by with the absolute basics doesn't take much money and part of our SHTF plan is to live somewhere where land taxes are low and there are plenty of free or nearly free resources.

I do prep for bigger events but that's just an extension of my everyday prepping. One of my big and most expensive preps is the storage unit I lease in town. If we get a bushfire through here (our most likely disaster) I have everything I need to move straight back to the farm and be comfortable. Tents (mild climate here), solar pump for the well, drums for water storage, hot water heater, plumbing for showers etc, food, clothes and much more. Of course this stuff can be used somewhere other than here on the farm if needed. 

My biggest resource is knowing how to live on almost nothing and the skills that go with that. I don't just mean hunting for meat or knowing what weeds to gather for a salad but knowing that it's possible to do quite well with almost no cash income. Also being aware of what you can do to make a bit of cash when things get bad.


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## Jimbo777 (Jun 21, 2014)

Right now there is a EBOLA outbreak in West Africa.

If this deadly disease reaches the east coast of the U.S.A. then you will soon have a SHTF scenario in the U.S.A. of a humungus magnitude.

At that time we will all be able to then test out our Mountain House freeze dried food and our Kelly Kettles. 
And all the gardners that frequent this website can start making rabbit stew with string beans. 

http://news.yahoo.com/ebola-deaths-west-africa-rise-467-175541645.html?.tsrc=rogers

J


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

JimMadsen said:


> Well, wife and I both worked full time. She is expecting any day now our second child, my 4th, all boys (insert comment about male horse here).
> 
> Since the end of May, she stopped working sooner than we budgeted for by about 3 weeks. However, we have a decent amount of food sitting around to dip into. Course it did not help I had to spend 200 replacing the radiator in her car...
> 
> ...


God Bless the new addition and remember that every little counts,my advice if I may is to eliminated all non-essentials the house hold .


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Like Ricky Bobbies crew chief said in Talladega nights, "It's happening right now" We just have too much frog in the hot water syndrome to notice it.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

LincTex said:


> Honestly..... this is like the number one reason we prep. Most everyone on this forum.
> 
> TEOTWAWKI is really only the extreme possibility.


A buddy was in a serious jam at work, and we discuss preps and tools quite a bit, his wife is against it or else he'd be all up in some pretty cool stuff. I tried to emphasize in the recent unpleasantness that if I had been in that position, the expense of food and to some degree even gasoline wouldn't be an issue because I've taken care of that already.

He gets it but when dealing with a stubborn DW what's a guy gonna do lol

Fortunately everything worked out for the best, and he knows what he needs to do, it's just going to take more peer pressure.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

If memory serves we have had discussions around various members disabilities or even minor health issues that would become major in a major disaster. For instance we have discussed sleep apnea that is normally treated with a CPAP machine, which requires electricity which means a grid down scenario would be a greater headache than for the average person. In this circumstance grid down could just be a storm that knocks out power for a few days.

If you've got a specific problem and would like some ideas, I think most here would happily brainstorm it with you.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Geek999 said:


> If memory serves we have had discussions around various members disabilities or even minor health issues that would become major in a major disaster. For instance we have discussed sleep apnea that is normally treated with a CPAP machine, which requires electricity which means a grid down scenario would be a greater headache than for the average person. In this circumstance grid down could just be a storm that knocks out power for a few days.
> 
> If you've got a specific problem and would like some ideas, I think most here would happily brainstorm it with you.


you raise a very good point with the CPAP example and I'd like to expand on that. Sorry, it will not really help CPAP users specifically, but what I'm getting at is that there are lots of people that have prescriptions that must be kept refrigerated. In the event of a SHTF scenario (but localized) to lets say SoCal... and although we're only supposed to be able to get 7.0 quakes at most, lets say for S&G a 9.0 rips SD or LA (or both and everything inbetween) a brand new orifice!

While the FD moves out to do their day job, CERT moves into the fire stations because those have backup generators, it will be one of CERT's functions to help people store those meds, and also fill O2 bottles for people that require that.

I strongly encourage everyone that is willing and able to look into CERT, there are areas that don't have it, but lots do! It's not a massive time commitment, training varies, a buddy of mine just went through their entire training in 2 weekends, for me it was 1 night a week for 2 months and then a mock drill to tie it all together.

Anyway, use your community resources. CERT is volunteer, and while I'm not aware of it in my program, I know in one of my buddies CERT programs their retirement communities somehow pre-register for health and welfare checks in the event of some kind of "event" CERT already knows that they need to send teams there to knock on doors, find out... hey are you okay? do you need anything? can we help you contact someone?

When I was at the last county wide drill and I saw a few dozen EMS personnel and over 200 CERT folks show up on a Saturday, all of them volunteer, to do a complete training refresh and a mock disaster to tie it together, I was profoundly impressed!


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Dakine said:


> you raise a very good point with the CPAP example and I'd like to expand on that. Sorry, it will not really help CPAP users specifically, but what I'm getting at is that there are lots of people that have prescriptions that must be kept refrigerated. In the event of a SHTF scenario (but localized) to lets say SoCal... and although we're only supposed to be able to get 7.0 quakes at most, lets say for S&G a 9.0 rips SD or LA (or both and everything inbetween) a brand new orifice!
> 
> While the FD moves out to do their day job, CERT moves into the fire stations because those have backup generators, it will be one of CERT's functions to help people store those meds, and also fill O2 bottles for people that require that.
> 
> ...


I wasn't looking for more on CPAP as we already did a thread on it. I was simply using it as an example of the kind of discussion we could engage in. I'd say refrigerated medications also call for a prepper to prioritize a generator and perhaps a small 12v refrigerator.


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

I prep for any event that could impact me and my family. That mostly includes _personal_ SHTF situations that don't involve a global zombie apocalypse.

Losing a job, an unexpected big expense, a death or serious illness in the family, a home or business burning down, or something similar can all be devastating personal situations. Having preps will help you get through it.

Localized events to do with weather/earthquake or a quarantine or riots or whatever affect more people than just you and your family, but that doesn't make your preps any more or less important. Same with regional, national or global SHTF events.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Geek999 said:


> I'd say refrigerated medications also call for a prepper to prioritize a generator and perhaps a small 12v refrigerator.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball

http://crosleyicyball.com/index_files/Page1030.htm

http://crosleyautoclub.com/IcyBall/HomeBuilt/HallPlans/IB_Directions.html

http://makezine.com/2009/08/01/how-to-build-your-own-icyball/

http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php?topic=146458.0

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RefrigeratorAlternatives/conversations/topics/5202

http://lionheart.net/fridge/descript.htm

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/04/14/cool_fridge_without_using_electricity.htm


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

To get back on the OP's question, SHTF is when you suffer a physical or fiscal disaster. You may lose your job or you may share your disaster with hundreds or thousands that also lost theirs. You may get sick or you may share your illness with many others in an epidemic. There are too may other examples but this should be enough to make my point.

It may not be S Hits The Fan for you but it might be for your neighbor and vice versa. All SHTF situations are individual but they may range from one individual to millions. 

TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) is similar but on a different level. A personal example might be a car wreck that leaves you paralyzed. A national example might be an EMP that turns off all electricity on the continent.


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## doubleTHICK (Jun 19, 2012)

LincTex said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball
> 
> http://crosleyicyball.com/index_files/Page1030.htm
> 
> ...


Don't forget about propane, which we know has no shelf life.
http://www.propanerefrigerator.us/propane-cooler.html

If all one cares about is their medication then a simple cooler were work. No need to waste the money on a big full-size fridge/freezer and the cooler would take a lot less propane. Get a few bbq grill size tanks or one of the 250 gal tanks. The cooler in the link will also run off of the solar panels.
Medication is taken care of, what's next.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Ridgerunner said:


> ...if this is a personal SHTF that effects just you or your family directly?....


*For the wife:*

1. Running late again and the blow dryer stops working.

2. Running late again, she left the trunk lid open all night and now her car will not start (dead battery).

3. I opened the windows to cool off the house instead of running the air conditioner.

4. During daylight the electric fails for more than an hour.

5. At night time the electric fails for more then a minute, she's home alone and doesn't remember where we keep the flashlights.

*For me:*

1. Dealing with coworkers who's main ability is running around starting fires. Then going home, firing up the generator to power the car battery charger then trying to repair the wife's hair blower in a stinking hot house. She's shut all the house windows because she's determined that something sinister will get her thru the window screens. Then showing her _AGAIN_ were the flashlights are kept.  And no the wife is not a blonde.


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

their are many reasons why we made the choice to live a life style that many do not. I feel in what we do is a preparedness for anything that comes, from family hard times to a total destruction of society by whatever means.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Ridgerunner said:


> From most of what is discussed here it is a major event that effects a large number of people, and everyone is trying to do what they can to survive either a short or long term event.
> 
> But What if this is a personal SHTF that effects just you or your family directly?


The idea of a personal SHTF isn't new to most folks here. Many of us (myself included) came to prepping due to a personal SHTF, and we prep to be ready for another situation like that.

However, you are right that much of what you're hearing on this forum is related to a major event (economic collapse). That major event is beginning to appear more and more like an imminent situation, so many of us are preparing for that as well as any personal SHTF or any other SHTF event.


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