Paddling in an Apocalypse

[memaquay]

If there's an Apocalypse, I wouldn't go north into a short growing season and freeze-to-death climate.

That's a good plan, but you have forgotten the most important Apocalypse belief......Zombies can't survive the extreme cold, even mild temperatures will slow them down enough double tap them with ease. South America will be knee deep in Zombies.

 

[Penns Woods]

“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Mike Tyson

Stay home.

I have to agree with Robin. I have everything I need right here at home, and if I need help, I trust my neighbors of 50 years more then moving somewhere and dealing with strangers.

 

[Punkinhead]

I get a kick out of the suburban peppers who are going to grab their bug out bags, hop in their "overlanding" rigs, and head into the hills. It may be different out west where there are vast expanses of public land, but east of the Rockies those hills and woods are owned by locals who've lived there for generations, know every inch of their land, and don't take kindly to trespassers. A suburban midwesterner trying to move into the hills of West Virginia is going to be squealing like a pig in short order.

 

[Black_Fly]

Property rights mean nothing in a legit apocalypse. Only ammunition matters.

Going south does make good sense if you can beat the run on plane tickets or make it across the border with a fuel truck.

My son lives on the coast of SC, has a sailboat. He has sailed to the Bahamas many times. That would be a good plan. Contagions wouldn’t be an issue at sea. Watching the world fry in war from a beach wouldn’t be as bad as some fates.

 

[Punkinhead]

Property rights mean nothing in a legit apocalypse. Only ammunition matters.

A local's knowledge of the land and family/neighbor relationships matter and the folks I know in rural areas aren't hurting in the ammo department. A Rambo wannabe from the burbs isn't going to fare well.

 

[billconner]

Just saw this. Not sure an apocalypse today would be survivable anywhere but I feel a little better being a mile portage to St Lawrence or 10 mile drive bridge to Canada.

 

[GeoBoy]

Nobody is going to be driving anywhere if this Apocalypse involves EMP’s.

 

[Alan Gage]

I feel a little better being a mile portage to St Lawrence or 10 mile drive bridge to Canada.

I'm sure all those Canadians will be welcoming us with open arms.

Alan

 

[Gamma1214]

Nobody is going to be driving anywhere if this Apocalypse involves EMP’s.

Actually...

I currently have at my disposal a '51 Chevy Pickup and a '79 CJ5. The CJ was built with electronic ignition but I can swap a points distributor into it in 20 minutes, the Chevy won't be affected at all (OK, maybe the radio won't work but how would I know... all the stations would be down). Like Mad Max, I could refuel from all of the dead cars along my route but, realistically, my route isn't likely to be very long.

I'd stick pretty close to home and help others deal with whatever the issue might be for as long as I was able. Much of that might depend upon the nature of the apocalypse...

In the event of nuclear war, my home's proximity to Pittsburgh might make it a pretty quick end. In a world-wide disease scenario, my immune system proved more than adequate in the last round; I feel pretty good about my chances.

Given my skill sets and the means at my disposal, I would likely thrive in a world reduced to the stone age by an EMP and, of course, if the Yellowstone caldera blows, most of the projections I've seen forecast a very bleak future for anyone North of New Zealand (and good luck getting there after the fact)

Bottom line is that it's not worth worrying about. One day at a time and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow anyway.

(Oh, BTW, property rights always matter to those who own the property.

Almost everyone around here would help anyone that came gently and asked for help. Come armed for battle & acting as if property rights don't matter and I guarantee you that you did not bring enough ammo. This IS Appalachia, after all. We have a reputation to uphold.)

 

[PaddlingPika]

I'm not prepared to live off the land in some remote place even if I could get there and if there was an apocalyptic event I probably wouldn't know enough about what was going on in surrounding areas to know where to go even if I had the means.

Shorter term evacuation, however, is something that we are told to be prepared for here each hurricane season. Lafayette hasn't had any general call for evacuation in the decades I've lived here, but it could happen if a cat 5 storm headed directly towards us so each year public service announcements say to have an evacuation plan just in case (though that applies more to people in mobile homes or in particularly flood-prone areas). I used to think I'd pack up my camping gear and head north to go hang out in a national forest in Arkansas if I needed to evacuate. Then several years ago I heard the TV weathermen saying that the remnants of a hurricane that had hit here were crossing into Arkansas and would likely spawn tornadoes there. Heading to Arkansas to camp for a few days doesn't sound so good if there are likely to be tornadoes in the area! So now I don't really have an evacuation plan.

 

[yknpdlr]

I'll take winter snow and blizzard conditions any day instead of constant sweltering heat, with the threat of hurricanes and tornadoes. Historically unusual for here, is today’s now 82F temp going to 86 and humidity to match. When I grew up in the same area, average summer days peaked in the comfortable 70's and winter lows at times dropped to -30 to -40. Not unheard of, but extremely rare to see low 80's or above. Few homes had or needed AC. Certainly easily survivable indoors and to go outside when prepared for it. Home remains intact. From what I have seen, southern storms will remove your home from around you as you stand and you can do nothing about it.

 

[gumpus]

I'll take winter snow and blizzard conditions any day instead of constant sweltering heat, with the threat of hurricanes and tornadoes. Historically unusual for here, is today’s now 82F temp going to 86 and humidity to match. When I grew up in the same area, average summer days peaked in the comfortable 70's and winter lows at times dropped to -30 to -40. Not unheard of, but extremely rare to see low 80's or above. Few homes had or needed AC. Certainly easily survivable indoors and to go outside when prepared for it. Home remains intact. From what I have seen, southern storms will remove your home from around you as you stand and you can do nothing about it.

I have missed many days of paddling this summer in Michigan due to weather and it almost never happened in the past. Yesterday my car said 99 degrees coming off the water at 7:30 pm and it was considered a good day (tolerable humidity) compared to what we had and what's coming. Luckily the heat and humidity have been easy to ignore because the biting flies have been intolerable. My dog now hates paddling because of biting flies. And as a bonus Mother Nature included a spike in poison ivy this year and it's so pervasive it's almost comical.

 

[Black_Fly]

A local's knowledge of the land and family/neighbor relationships matter and the folks I know in rural areas aren't hurting in the ammo department. A Rambo wannabe from the burbs isn't going to fare well.

You seem to have animosity to suburbs and don’t think much of people who don’t live in the woods. You call them “Rambo’s” for having a survival plan for their families. Wonder what natives called people who moved onto their land, claimed big chunks, forced them at gunpoint elsewhere.

Unfortunately, during an apocalypse with survivors, there will be many in need of compassion, a safe place. The rule of law will be gone, except the law of the jungle. That’s scary and hard to fathom with all our legalize and self delusion about owning land and having rights to what was already stolen.

My plan is to get away from population centers as soon as things don’t smell right. Waiting too long would be fatal, and Im in a rural area. Roads clog up at the drop of a hat as it is, and thats with supply chains intact. Things get worse southward from me. North is where I’d head, at lest until the spores or nuclear dust settles. Being armed would be a given, pretty much a good idea going many places pre-apocalypse.

Some people take comfort in religion, and look at the demise of civilization as part of some big preordained plan, and therefore a good thing to be embraced. Nah, Im more inclined to think of Darwinism, and the predatory tendencies in human nature. Don’t know if I’d be up to the task, but ammo cans make great ballast for canoes.

Hopefully, the Great Lakes would not be polluted to toxicity. People gonna need to drink. I think short term, depending on the season of course, I’d head towards Atikokan or Armstrong, until it’s clear how things are going to go. Less likely to be marauding gangs there, and less contagion. In a robust nuclear exchange that area would probably succumb to prevailing winds if not an initial blast. Canada is targeted as much as the upper Midwest, Im sure. Oh well, maybe I’d die with a fat walleye on my line or skinning out a caribou. Worse ways to go.

Something cheerful to consider.

 

[Gamma1214]

The rule of law will be gone, except the law of the jungle.

I'll disagree with that. Laws do not make one a better human and I'd bet that the vast majority of people do not even need laws. Even those that would misbehave if not for the "law" are not following the rules because someone told them that they must; they follow them because the punishment for getting caught is severe enough that compliance seems prudent.

Would truly nefarious people feel emboldened by a breakdown of governance and the resultant inability to enforce laws? Sure they would. Formation into groups of like-minded people might exacerbate the problem even further due to the "there is power in numbers" mentality but I think the majority of people will act human even without supervision.

The average person is capable of matching any amount of savagery when it is needed. In the end, all will be well. (Especially if those capable of protecting friends and neighbors stay home)

 

[Black_Fly]

But I’d contend that the nefarious elements are 1. better armed, 2. more organized or likely to organize, and 3. more inclined to try to impose their will or take from others. This assumes a complete breakdown of authoritative social institutions. A large contingent of my area would consider it “liberating” to be free from government. They would initially cause havoc or impose their will until saner people organized, if they were able, that is. It’s different than in small towns were everyone knows each other. I’m technically in a rural area but not like more isolated places I’ve lived. Isolation tends to foster a greater sense of community.

I used to live near Pinedale, Wyoming before the gas field boom. People made a point of getting to know each other during the winter, when mainly residents were around. There were still cliques, ranchers didn’t like anyone who didn’t have ancestors from 100 years ago buried in the valley. But you could count on people to help the needy and look out for one another’s kids. Don’t think it’s the same nowadays, but it’s grown tremendously in 20 years. Might even be a stop light now. Paddling mostly sucked.

 

[Alan Gage]

Locking the thread because I think everyone has had a good say and that it can only go downhill from here.