
How to Survive the Apocalypse on $20 - feint
http://hsta.pen.io/
======
electromagnetic
> We also put out a chainsaw, because you don’t want to go through a 2x4 with
> a hand tool.

I don't think buying a chainsaw is practical, buy a proper carpenters saw (AKA
cross-cut saw) and you'll be able to get through a 2x4 in less time than it
takes to even start a chainsaw. It's easy to maintain (about once a month a
spray down with WD40 will keep it from rusting, which rust will only become a
pain in the ass if you've left it in direct contact with water or after about
a decade hung up in your average garage). A 24" (full-draw, why full-draw?
Because you'll have to work 3 times as hard with a 15" half-draw as you're
spending 1/2 your cut moving slowly and keeping alignment) carpenters saw will
run you around $30 for a top-notch brand.

If you're going to buy a chainsaw don't. You can get a battery operated
sawzall (reciprocating saw) for a similar or lesser price. It would likely be
cheaper and safer to buy a miniature generator and a sawzall. The sawzall also
has the nice ability to be used for precision and with a metal-cut blade can
be used for other things (IE cut open a jammed lock). You can get a hackzall
(one handed reciprocating saw) for around $130 MSRP and sawzalls for around
$200 MSRP both often include two batteries and a charger.

If you're going to have a generator, you can go as low as $70 for a 9A
sawzall.

Chainsaws are dangerous for even trained users. Sawzalls are hardly dangerous
when operated by idiots. A fullsize sawzall can be operated with one hand. A
hackzall is easily operated with one hand (I'm talking an electric knife level
of easy).

Carpenters saws are the safest you can get. Aren't effected by power and last
a solid decade in a good location with zero maintenance. WD40 it once a month
and it'll last your lifetime if you're keeping it solely for emergency use.

~~~
zach
This is excellent advice, but I note that you ignore the advantages a chainsaw
has in defending against brain-hungry zombies.

~~~
electromagnetic
Sawzall is good for it too, plus you won't damage your blades cutting up bone
in case it was actually a neighbour who'd contracted rabies shortly after
being scalded by falling into a deep fryer during the earth quake.

Plus, you could spend the difference on a battery powered nail gun, which if
you tape up the guard you'd be able to use as a make-shift rifle.

That way you've got a nailgun for range and could have an easily used hackzall
for melee (just make sure you use a nailed-wood blade so it'll cut flesh and
bone adequately). Plus both easily store in a tote bag.

~~~
Zak
_...battery powered nail gun, which if you tape up the guard you'd be able to
use as a make-shift rifle._

I don't think you were being serious, but just in case anybody thinks you
were: that wouldn't be accurate enough to hunt small game, nor would it be
powerful enough to reliably take down large animals, humans or zombies.

~~~
electromagnetic
I have confidence in humanity that some people can still interpret a joke. My
friend cleared a compressed air nail gun's chamber whilst we were building a
dock, it managed about 30ft and was visibly tumbling the entire way. I would
be surprised if a battery powered nail gun managed 10ft.

Plus, a nail is essentially a flachette and has virtually no stopping power.
You're aiming for the head or nothing. You'd likely be better clubbing the
zombies (or bunny rabbits) to death with the nail gun than actually trying to
kill anything with it.

It would, however, get you into a good position when the New World Order sets
in an crucifixions become all the rage again. You'd be able to crucify at a
significant person-per-minute rate! Say hello to the executioners job.

------
ck2
Hmm, if you are in San Francisco and you are in an "apocalyptic event" you are
now likely floating in the Pacific ocean. Your $20 kit does nothing for this
predicament.

Perhaps spend that $20 to research moving to a new location that is not on a
major fault line with guaranteed major earthquakes? I mean Japan only has so
much room and they built for surviving all but the worst, but what is the
excuse with all the land in the USA?

We have hurricanes here but no-one is going to be "surprised" by a hurricane
(unless you live next to a levee I guess).

~~~
nostromo
The Pacific Coast from Northern California on up into Canada is probably one
of the most human-friendly environments on earth. My apartment in SF has a
heater I almost never use and no air conditioner at all. The same was true in
my Seattle house. A huge portion of the energy here is created by dams, not
coal or nuclear, which keeps the air pristine. There's plenty of sustainable
fresh water in most areas, and some amazing natural habitats nearby, like
Yosemite, Mt Rainier, and Mount Hood.

I'll happily deal with volcanoes and earthquakes to live here.

~~~
geuis
I'll second that. I basically grew up in Florida and have been through my fair
share of hurricanes. I love California and SF in particular and more than
happily will deal with the occasional earthquake.

------
JoeAltmaier
Nobody mentions a gun. I know its not civilized or public-spirited, but after
"the apocalypse" very few people are going to act civilized.

~~~
JoachimSchipper
I don't think that that's borne out by the data - sure, New Orleans saw some
looting, but how many people do you think actually needed to protect
themselves? We're not talking the zombie apocalypse here, just the regular
flavour.

~~~
mathgladiator
I'm preparing for a zombie apocalype in two ways. If I'm still human, then
I'll kick ass. If I'm a zombie, then I'll be a boss-fight for the survivors.

------
johnohara
You may want to save your $20 and read "Surviving in Argentina."
<http://ferfal.blogspot.com/>

~~~
runjake
Backstory: Ferfal is a rather well-known guy in the online preparedness
community. He kept an online diary of his experiences during the Argentinian
economic collapse & related chaos dealing with a collapsed infrastructure &
gangs of thugs.

------
guylhem
Excellent read - but all that won't fit in a backpack :-) Extract from another
site I follow : "Remember, you must be able to RUN with this bag (therefore I
suggest a backpack)". Good thinking ferfal!

To trim it up, check ferfal.blogspot.com for some real life experience. The
bag is just step #1.

~~~
drinian
I carry just about all that stuff (no chainsaw) in my round-the-world
backpack, with space to spare for everyday items. Definitely not overkill.

------
mark_l_watson
Good article, but: I think that a family should plan for several weeks of
total self-reliance, not days. Add: solar cooker, additional water, CO2 packed
rice and lentils, extra vitamins. A gun, if you know how to use one, for
hunting and self protection.

Another reason to have requirements for a longer time period: if there should
ever be a fatal large scale flu epidemic (or some other pandemic), it would be
really good to isolate the entire family.

------
secretasiandan
I'm not sure that the cisterns he speaks of are meant for drinking, I think
they're meant for fighting fires.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Fire_Department_A...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Fire_Department_Auxiliary_Water_Supply_System#Cisterns)

If they were used for drinking in the case of an emergency, I think you'd have
to treat it a little bit unless they flush them regularly.

~~~
electromagnetic
After any disaster you should boil any water you're going to drink. It seems
excessive, but without a supply of clean water you really don't want to get
diarrhoea. You really don't want to get diarrhoea if you're idiotic enough to
be sodium-conscious with your disaster kit as then you're really risking death
due to electrolyte imbalance.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
There are many water-purification techiniques superior to boiling. heating
water takes time, fuel, equipment, a stable clean environment.

Iodine tablets take a water bottle, plus water.

~~~
electromagnetic
That's true. I'd say enough for 2L per day for 3 days would be enough for a
single person for your average kit. If it's taking longer than 3 days for
things to get back to normal I'd suggest being out of the city where you can
get easier access to wood and water.

~~~
kragen
My experience at Burning Man is that 8 liters per day per person is a more
usual rate of consumption, because you need water not just for drinking, but
also for cooking food, washing dishes, washing your body, washing your hands,
and washing wounds.

------
ctdonath
I did my own variant of this a few years back:
[http://www.neardeathexperiments.com/smf/index.php?topic=1966...](http://www.neardeathexperiments.com/smf/index.php?topic=1966.0)

------
tomp
I wish there were some instructions on what to do with all those items... I
would love to know why a bandana, aluminium foil and a bleach are used for in
an emergency.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
Its ok, you will find out during the emergency - "hey! I have to sterilize
this sewing kit before I sew up Jimmy! Anybody got some bleach?"

~~~
tomp
Thanks, that's exactly what I meant. The problem is that if you lack
experience (most of people in the west have little experience taking care for
themselves on their own) it's easy to forget such things.

Btw, you can also sterilize a needle using a lighter.

~~~
tsuraan
FWIW, you'd probably want to sterilize the thread as well. That's the part
that's staying in the wound, and it's a bit easier to sterilize a thread with
bleach than with fire.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
And about "hand sanitizer". Its alcohol. Protocol for sterilizing in alcohol
requires minutes of submersion. So don't think those little squirt bottles are
going to be helpful.

------
timerickson
Quick! Someone set up shop to sell this as a kit for $30.

~~~
davidw
"Survivalist" stuff was probably a decent niche business in the 80ies.

~~~
icey
It's a huge market now.

------
rsheridan6
This isn't written by that Tom Price, is it?

<http://www.survivorstvseries.com/Tom.htm>

------
vlisivka
It is funny to read these comments AFTER surviving of huge economic crisis,
Chernobyl and few smaller disasters.

15 years ago, at practice lesson about radiation protection in University, I
found that the most radioactive item in the class room is me. How to deal with
that fact, when you have no money even to buy enough food to live? I had only
one choice - buy ticket back to my radioactive home, grab our self-grown
radioactive food and return back to University. Half of people in the country
were is similar situation.

If we are talking about Apocalypse, and not about camping in the woods, then
you must consider that you will need to live in contaminated environment and
there will be no room in clean environment for you. You will stay for decades
in areas with moderate chemical or radioactive contamination, like Japan today
(if nuclear reactor will blow up).

Surviving in woods is much harder and expensive task than surviving in home. I
mean, than you will need much more time and energy to solve your basic
problems, like food, water, fuel, hygiene, etc., so you will have no enough
time to play with camping, even when you are alone, without wife and children.
Try that with pregnant woman, or injured man, or 1 year old child, etc.

For me, idea, that I should walk to radioactive woods to survive economic
crisis, sounds crazy. I can die in about 15 minutes if I will go into woods
unprepared with temperature of -30°C (-22°F) outdoor. Even when I will be
equipped with saw.

My recommendations:

Always keep full cigarette lighter with LED, multi-tool pocket knife, and
small candle (anti-mosquito, preferably: slice large candle into smaller
slices) in your pocket AND in your outdoor clothing - you will use them much
more often than any other survival tool. I use them few times every month.

Keep needle, thread, plaster, healthing balm and another multi-tool in your
backpack. I use one of them 5-6 times every year.

TRAIN yourself - if you are injured, you can prepare wound with healthing
balm, then boil water in paper bag or plastic bottle, disinfect thread in
water and needle in flame, blend needle, and then sew up yourself. But will
you do that properly and fast enough when you will do that for first time?

What you will do when you are wet and you will have only 15 minutes to build
hut and make fire before you will die? Will be you are smart enough to use
your wet clothing as material for hut and put candle inside your clothing? Can
you make wood candle or torch using your multitool when your candle will be
near to expire?

For long-time survival, good tools and instruments are very helpful. My parent
has garage full of instruments - it helps a lot. But lack of some instruments
and replacement parts made us mad some years ago - we just had no money to buy
them (low market - high prices, we had 3-5 times less money, and they were
about 5 times more expensive than today). Lack of replacement parts or tools
to repair equipment forces you to drop your most used equipment. You use it
often -> it wears out fast -> you cannot repair or replace it -> you lose it.

------
sigzero
If there is one...$20 would be worthless.

~~~
ceejayoz
You're supposed to spend the $20 _before_ the earthquake.

