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How to Survive the Apocalypse on $20

85 pointsby feintabout 14 years ago

13 comments

electromagneticabout 14 years ago
&#62; We also put out a chainsaw, because you don’t want to go through a 2x4 with a hand tool.<p>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.<p>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.<p>If you're going to have a generator, you can go as low as $70 for a 9A sawzall.<p>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).<p>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.
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ck2about 14 years ago
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.<p>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?<p>We have hurricanes here but no-one is going to be "surprised" by a hurricane (unless you live next to a levee I guess).
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JoeAltmaierabout 14 years ago
Nobody mentions a gun. I know its not civilized or public-spirited, but after "the apocalypse" very few people are going to act civilized.
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johnoharaabout 14 years ago
You may want to save your $20 and read "Surviving in Argentina." <a href="http://ferfal.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://ferfal.blogspot.com/</a>
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guylhemabout 14 years ago
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!<p>To trim it up, check ferfal.blogspot.com for some real life experience. The bag is just step #1.
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mark_l_watsonabout 14 years ago
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.<p>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.
secretasiandanabout 14 years ago
I'm not sure that the cisterns he speaks of are meant for drinking, I think they're meant for fighting fires.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Fire_Department_Auxiliary_Water_Supply_System#Cisterns" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Fire_Department_A...</a><p>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.
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ctdonathabout 14 years ago
I did my own variant of this a few years back: <a href="http://www.neardeathexperiments.com/smf/index.php?topic=1966.0" rel="nofollow">http://www.neardeathexperiments.com/smf/index.php?topic=1966...</a>
tompabout 14 years ago
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.
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timericksonabout 14 years ago
Quick! Someone set up shop to sell this as a kit for $30.
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rsheridan6about 14 years ago
This isn't written by that Tom Price, is it?<p><a href="http://www.survivorstvseries.com/Tom.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.survivorstvseries.com/Tom.htm</a>
vlisivkaabout 14 years ago
It is funny to read these comments AFTER surviving of huge economic crisis, Chernobyl and few smaller disasters.<p>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.<p>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).<p>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.<p>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.<p>My recommendations:<p>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.<p>Keep needle, thread, plaster, healthing balm and another multi-tool in your backpack. I use one of them 5-6 times every year.<p>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?<p>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?<p>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 -&#62; it wears out fast -&#62; you cannot repair or replace it -&#62; you lose it.
sigzeroabout 14 years ago
If there is one...$20 would be worthless.
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