# Politics and News > SOCIETY & humanities >  Can you survive the coming blackout?

## Garden House Queen

OPINION
Published 2 hours ago

*Doug MacKinnon: Will you survive the coming blackout?*



 By Douglas MacKinnon | Fox News

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click here below..........
*Retired Navy SEAL breaks down threat of EMP attack on US*





There are many never-ending debates between Republicans and Democrats. Impeach vs. don’t impeach; capital punishment vs. life in prison; wall vs. no wall; legalizing marijuana vs. not; self-driving cars vs. human drivers; Red Sox vs. Yankees; takeout vs. home-cooked; or Gone With the Wind vs. any other movie.
All of these issues are stunningly important, right up to the second where cataclysm falls and creates a nightmare scenario that so many fear.










That cataclysm is a complete loss of electricity and every mode of convenience and survival we take for granted.
IS NORTH KOREA'S EMP THREAT REAL OR 'SOMETHING OUT OF A JAMES BOND MOVIE'?
The largest red flag on this issue in years just waved in South America. Last weekend, tens of millions of people in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay found themselves in a complete blackout. In one moment, they had electricity. The next moment, they had none, and they were catapulted back to the 1800s.The national power grid of the United States is truly a mess held together with, as the joke goes, by not much more than "bailing wire and chewing-gum."Only much worse.
People in the 1800s were not dependent upon electricity for their jobs, money, communication, Internet, transportation, education, security, medical services, prescriptions, water, and very lives.
The national power grid of the United States is truly a mess held together with, as the joke goes, by not much more than "bailing wire and chewing-gum."
The average age of large power transformers in the United States is 40 years. Seventy percent of all large power transformers are at least 25 years old. It's little wonder that, according to data from the Department of Energy, the United States suffers more blackouts than any other nation in the developed world.
The overall system is so weak, so taxed, and so vulnerable that in 2003, over 50 million people in the United States and Canada were hit with cascading blackouts simply because a tree branch fell on a power line in Ohio.
Because the infrastructure is so antiquated, weather triggers multiple blackouts per year in the U.S. Blackouts which collectively cost the nation upwards of $30 billion in spoiled inventory, lost wages, and repair of the grid.

Unfortunately, weather is becoming the least feared trigger of a blackout. In the age of terrorism and increasing cyber-threats, our power-grid getting taken down by a hack is no longer seen as a question of “If it will happen,” but rather, "When it will happen?"
The U.S. government is so rightfully fearful of this, that last November, it ordered DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to war-game a complete cyber take-down of the U.S. power grid.
An exercise they are now wisely running on a regular basis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, just last year, hackers – strongly suspected to be Russian – gained access to a number of utility control rooms in the United States and got to the point where "they could have thrown switches."In the blink of an eye, you will lose access to money, food, gasoline, communication, medicine, medical attention, heat, air conditioning, and security.

The DHS report further stressed: "Russian government cyber actors targeted government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors."
Aside from the Russians, the Chinese, North Koreans, other terrorist states, and even cyber-extortionists, are targeting our power grid on a daily basis.
That clock is ticking.

Unfortunately, much like any large terrorist attack, when an extended regional or national blackout hits, you and your family will be on your own. No one is going to ride to the rescue.
How will you survive?
In the blink of an eye, you will lose access to money, food, gasoline, communication, medicine, medical attention, heat, air conditioning, and security.
Gone.
Even though most don’t do it, residents of California and Florida are reminded every year to assemble their "two-week" survival kit. In California, it's because of earthquakes. In Florida, it's because of hurricanes.

Survival kits which include water, non-perishable food, medicine, first-aid kits, batteries, a radio, flashlights, candles, cash, a hand-crank charger, with smaller versions of all for your vehicle and office.
The federal and state governments should be issuing that same reminder to every citizen in the nation about the coming blackout. It truly is not a question of "if," but of "when."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A night on the town for a movie, dinner, a sporting event or a political debate is great fun until none of it matters and your survival is literally at stake.
Make a plan, because you will be on your own.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY DOUG MACKINNON

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of "The Forty Days: A Vision of Christ's Lost Weeks." (Simon & Schuster, 2016).

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Big Dummy (06-23-2019),Brat (06-23-2019),Canadianeye (06-24-2019),Madison (06-23-2019),Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## Rutabaga

yes, pre electronic vehicle...

hand pump for well...

grow our food.

i'll survive...

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Big Dummy (06-23-2019),Brat (06-23-2019),Garden House Queen (06-24-2019),Madison (06-23-2019),OldSchool (06-23-2019)

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## JustPassinThru

Probably not.

I have the food, but not the water.  I can draw the water - I have twenty gallon jugs - but may not have the advance warning.

I have the weapons but I keep most of them not-on-the-property.  Because I don't want to lose them in a burglary or raid.  Again, since I'll be on foot when TSHTF, I'll probably be robbed, killed or blocked, getting weapons one-mile away.

It all comes down to luck.  I could get killed tomorrow morning going down to the Post Office.  I could learn I have cancer next week.  I'm 61 and have led a good life, mostly.

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Big Dummy (06-23-2019),Garden House Queen (06-24-2019),Rickity Plumber (06-24-2019)

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## MisterVeritis

> yes, pre electronic vehicle...
> 
> hand pump for well...
> 
> grow our food.
> 
> i'll survive...


What is your plan for getting rid of human waste? What about garbage?

Do you have any medical conditions that require modern medicines?

How will you keep bad men at bay?

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Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## Big Dummy

> What is your plan for getting rid of human waste? What about garbage?
> 
> Do you have any medical conditions that require modern medicines?
> 
> How will you keep bad men at bay?



Pretty sure Ruta has the first and last ones handled. Guessing he has ancient methods for the middle one.

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Rickity Plumber (06-24-2019),Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## MisterVeritis

> Pretty sure Ruta has the first and last ones handled. Guessing he has ancient methods for the middle one.


This provided no useful information.

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## Mr. Independent

> Probably not.
> 
> I have the food, but not the water.  I can draw the water - I have twenty gallon jugs - but may not have the advance warning.
> 
> I have the weapons but I keep most of them not-on-the-property.  Because I don't want to lose them in a burglary or raid.  Again, since I'll be on foot when TSHTF, I'll probably be robbed, killed or blocked, getting weapons one-mile away.
> 
> It all comes down to luck.  I could get killed tomorrow morning going down to the Post Office.  I could learn I have cancer next week.  I'm 61 and have led a good life, mostly.


It must feel so good to have lived a long life on this planet and not have to most likely die at a young age because of a disaster that happened to not become likely until today.

I'm really serious.

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## Madison

I have wood but need gas to put in chainsaw
I have a place to burn wood in my house 
(so I can heat my place in winter *like I already do) 
and I can cook food and water no problem I have a well
that I already use (bcause I live in middle of nowhere )

I have a nafta and oil lamp and I always keep candles
I like it in winter bcuz it`s dark at 4 pm

For food ...always possible to produce my own veggies
and meat there is some farmers that live around my place will say yes to sell me farm product ....
I really need some gas to operate the machines and car

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Rickity Plumber (06-24-2019),Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## JustPassinThru

> It must feel so good to have lived a long  life on this planet and not have to most likely die at a young age  because of a disaster that happened to not become likely until today.
> 
> I'm really serious.



Oh, cry me a river.  Times are always hard.  Too bad my old man isn't alive to tell you what life was like growing up in Germany - as it was Nazifying.  What it was like to have your father disappear; and then have your mother panic, dig for your birth certificate (born in Cleveland to German parents) and then have to sneak out, fake papers, under cover of the Berlin Olympics.

Then, safely in Cleveland...that after sailing waters where U-boats were sinking passenger ships regularly...once there, living in the projects in Cleveland...get a scholarship to Ohio State...and GET DRAFTED.  And sent RIGHT BACK to Germany, in an American infantryman's uniform.

How about the nuclear war fear that went on, from 1948 to about 1963?  Little kids hiding under desks in school drills, as if that would do anything.

I personally served in the Navy.  On an aircraft carrier.  Saddam Hussein was not playing nice, and new alleged President Bubba Erectile, was blustering.  You think I wanted to go swimming in the Gulf, surrounded by hostile shore, after our carrier had taken a hole it was not designed to have?

Man it up.

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Garden House Queen (06-24-2019)

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## Mr. Independent

> Oh, cry me a river.  Times are always hard.  Too bad my old man isn't alive to tell you what life was like growing up in Germany - as it was Nazifying.  What it was like to have your father disappear; and then have your mother panic, dig for your birth certificate (born in Cleveland to German parents) and then have to sneak out, fake papers, under cover of the Berlin Olympics.
> 
> Then, safely in Cleveland...that after sailing waters where U-boats were sinking passenger ships regularly...once there, living in the projects in Cleveland...get a scholarship to Ohio State...and GET DRAFTED.  And sent RIGHT BACK to Germany, in an American infantryman's uniform.
> 
> How about the nuclear war fear that went on, from 1948 to about 1963?  Little kids hiding under desks in school drills, as if that would do anything.
> 
> I personally served in the Navy.  On an aircraft carrier.  Saddam Hussein was not playing nice, and new alleged President Bubba Erectile, was blustering.  You think I wanted to go swimming in the Gulf, surrounded by hostile shore, after our carrier had taken a hole it was not designed to have?
> 
> Man it up.


Don't worry because I can understand a lot of that too.
Questioning my manhood just comes off as making me look bad.

Plus from the way it seems more people's probability of dying is a little greater than that of your grandparents or your experiences. This isn't trying to sound callous or ungrateful for your services, but an EMP scenario seems even scarier to me. At least in the military, you have a relatively better chance of survival, unless you can cite any experience otherwise.

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Garden House Queen (07-24-2019)

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## Jen

I have a way to get light.  I have blankets.  I have at least some food in the pantry.  

Scrounging up all that other stuff will give me something to do.

 :Thumbsup20:

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Garden House Queen (06-24-2019),Kris P Bacon (06-23-2019),Madison (06-23-2019),Network (06-23-2019),OldSchool (06-23-2019),Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## Network

Sounds like we should be friends.

I have family and a pellet gun for squirrels and rabbits.

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Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> What is your plan for getting rid of human waste? What about garbage?
> 
> Do you have any medical conditions that require modern medicines?
> 
> How will you keep bad men at bay?


i shit in the yard, [milorganite]

trash is burned in my burn pit.

no meds.

i shoot them,,,like always.

i will miss our chats, though...

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Big Dummy (06-23-2019),Garden House Queen (06-24-2019),Network (06-23-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> It must feel so good to have lived a long life on this planet and not have to most likely die at a young age because of a disaster that happened to not become likely until today.
> 
> I'm really serious.



yea, its pretty cool!

i'm serious, its friggin fantastic! :Smiley20:

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## Network

We save our poop in the outhouse and spread it on our garden.

It's no laughing matter tho. We probably will go bust at some point. A sense of humor will pull us through starvation.

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OldSchool (06-23-2019),Rutabaga (06-23-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> We save our poop in the outhouse and spread it on our garden.
> 
> It's no laughing matter tho. We probably will go bust at some point. A sense of humor will pull us through starvation.


yea, i dont sweat the small stuff...

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## OldSchool

Missing from my survivalist list is the outhouse. lol

Seriously, IF things get really bad.... it will depend on luck. That's why I try to keep 'karma' on my side.

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## Mr. Independent

> yea, its pretty cool!
> 
> i'm serious, its friggin fantastic!


Are you being sarcastic right now?

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## Joe Hallenbeck

> I have a way to get light.  I have blankets.  I have at least some food in the pantry.  
> 
> Scrounging up all that other stuff will give me something to do.




  Oh......Hello Jen  :Smile: 


  Backpack, tent, food, handgun, shotgun. Kill food, drink from clear stream fed from a hillside. 

   Campfire. 

  Away from the blackout -----> campfire keeps me company. 

  An EMP is possible,.but a small possibility I believe. 



 Joe :

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Jen (06-23-2019)

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## DLLS

I survived a blackout that lasted several days a couple years ago.  We still have our own power plant in this small town for back up if the outside supply line goes down (the power plant used to supply all power until sometime in the 1980s).

Anyway the dumb(next word starts with F) we have as city manager failed to maintain the generators so when a blizzard took out poles and lines coming into the community we were living in the dark ages for a few days.

I survived.  To recharge the batteries for my e-cig I would plug the charger into the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.  Oil lanterns and flashlights for light. 

Okay so the internet was down, well I lived the first few decades of my life without the internet.

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## Jen

> Oh......Hello Jen 
> 
> 
>   Backpack, tent, food, handgun, shotgun. Kill food, drink from clear stream fed from a hillside. 
> 
>    Campfire. 
> 
>   Away from the blackout -----> campfire keeps me company. 
> 
> ...


Nice to see you back, Joe. :Headbang:

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Joe Hallenbeck (06-24-2019)

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## Jen

Can I survive the coming blackout?

It all depends on how it comes down.
If hubs is here with me we can survive as long as we need to.
If he's not..........I'll try to survive until he gets here and I should be able to do that.  I doubt if marauders on foot will get here any sooner than hubs will.

So........  I'll not worry about it.

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> Are you being sarcastic right now?


no! i'm serial!

its great to be alive!!!

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## MisterVeritis

> i shit in the yard, [milorganite]
> 
> trash is burned in my burn pit.
> 
> no meds.
> 
> i shoot them,,,like always.
> 
> i will miss our chats, though...


Are you familiar with field sanitation?

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## MisterVeritis

> We save our poop in the outhouse and spread it on our garden.
> 
> It's no laughing matter tho. We probably will go bust at some point. A sense of humor will pull us through starvation.


How do you kill the viruses and bacteria?

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## Rickity Plumber

> I have wood but need gas to put in chainsaw
> I have a place to burn wood in my house 
> (so I can heat my place in winter *like I already do) 
> and I can cook food and water no problem I have a well
> that I already use (bcause I live in middle of nowhere )
> 
> I have a nafta and oil lamp and I always keep candles
> I like it in winter bcuz it`s dark at 4 pm
> 
> ...


Learn to use an axe properly along with a bow saw. with those two items, you can forgo a chainsaw.

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Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## JustPassinThru

> no! i'm serial!


And I'm cereal.

Very flakey.

But, to our confused colleague...I might suggest he read the Serenity Prayer.  And dwell on it...no point worrying about what you cannot control or avoid.  

I suspect the moneyed fools with Bug-Out Trucks and hidey-holes in Aspen or Jackson Hole, are going to be the first to go - from gaping holes in their logic, and that they're so-far removed from animal realities.

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Garden House Queen (06-24-2019),Rutabaga (06-24-2019)

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## Canadianeye

Fairly well prepared. Could always be better, cuz you just don't really know what level of SHTF is going to arise.

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Garden House Queen (06-24-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> Are you familiar with field sanitation?


i'm very familiar with doing what i do for the last 24 years.

btw, i was kidding about shitting in my yard, although i could, as i have enough acreage to do so. 

my dogs shit in their yard, their fenced in yard is about 1/2 acre.i bury that, on my property.

nobody said it would be easy, or last forever. anymore than i will...

i will abide, better than most i suppose...

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MisterVeritis (06-24-2019)

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## Rutabaga

> Learn to use an axe properly along with a bow saw. with those two items, you can forgo a chainsaw.


yea, a bow saw will cut down/up just about anything...

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## Well Bonded

> The average age of large power transformers in the United States is 40 years. Seventy percent of all large power transformers are at least 25 years old. It's little wonder that, according to data from the Department of Energy, the United States suffers more blackouts than any other nation in the developed world.




The transmission transformers are not the weak link, while they are somewhat susceptible to the E3 impact they would self protect via. their MOV based surge protectors.

On the right hand side of this photo what looks like double stacked insulators with corona rings are actually MOV based surge protection devices, SPD.

MOV.jpg

And these are the ultra high voltage switches.

UHS.jpg

In the event of a HEMP the SPD's would flash over arcing from the corona ring to the base of the SPD, the MOV's would go into conduction extinguishing the arc and the protective relays would open the UHV switches. Yes the power would go out but the transformer would survive.


The true problem are the Digital Protective Relays in the block-house which operate the ultra high voltage switches controlling the power to the transmission transformers.

The DPR's are susceptible to the E1 impact which could destroy them, now that might take a transformer off-line or it might not, depending on how the DPR failed.

That's the bad news, the good news is DPR's only make up, I'm guessing about 50% of the control relays, the rest are old fashioned copper coil relays which would survive the HEMP, the upside is DPR's can be protected by low voltage SPD's, this is something I discussed this with Transtector last Thursday and they have SPD's in production that can mitigate the E1 impact with only a slight modification in the voltage rating of the SPD, I sent Transtector some information so they can work with the Electric Power Research Institute and get the SPD's in production probably by mid August.    

https://www.transtector.com/?gclid=E...SAAEgIhOPD_BwE

https://www.epri.com/#/?lang=en-US




> According to the Department of Homeland Security, just last year, hackers  strongly suspected to be Russian  gained access to a number of utility control rooms in the United States and got to the point where "they could have thrown switches."


I don't believe this for a minute, control rooms while automated are not connected to the net, as such hacking into those systems would require someone within the utility who could touch that network to do the deed.

Now what might be possible would be for a hacker to get into the SCADA as a lot of that is wireless and becoming IP based, but that damage would be limited primarily to the distribution side of the grid.

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Garden House Queen (07-24-2019)

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## Captain Kirk!

Not only a threat from a nuke but there could be a threat from the sun as well. No way to stop that.

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Garden House Queen (07-24-2019)

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## Well Bonded

As for myself, I could last without power for at least 6 months, I have a trailer mounted generator with a 100 gallon tank that can get me by for about 6 weeks before it needs refueling, I store commonly around 300 to 600 gallons on site which I buy when the prices are low and use in our two trucks when the price is high.
GT.jpg
And lets face it if the power is out the local gas stations that do not have generators, which are most of them would be closed and they would have thousands of gallons of gas in their UST's, which I and some of my neighbors would commandeer, if needed at gunpoint.

As for food my wife and I can and have at least 9 months of preserved meat and vegetables in the pantry and two well stocked 22 CF freezers.

I know my neighbors have similar amounts of storage and we would barter with each other as needed.

As for water and sewerage, I am on a well if I have power I have potable water and a septic tank so I am my own utility.


As for security, most everyone out here is armed, many are hunters, there is only one way into and out of the community and that is four mile drive up a single winding road to back to the highway, looters might make it in undetected, but that's unlikely, the chances of hitting a home and surviving are even slimmer and getting out alive with the booty isn't happening.

There are just too many people out here who know how to remain unseen while remaining able to get a clear shot of those who don't belong here.

And we have wireless communications that doesn't require any bars.

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## Garden House Queen

> As for myself, I could last without power for at least 6 months, I have a trailer mounted generator with a 100 gallon tank that can get me by for about 6 weeks before it needs refueling, I store commonly around 300 to 600 gallons on site which I buy when the prices are low and use in our two trucks when the price is high.
> GT.jpg
> And lets face it if the power is out the local gas stations that do not have generators, which are most of them would be closed and they would have thousands of gallons of gas in their UST's, which I and some of my neighbors would commandeer, if needed at gunpoint.
> 
> As for food my wife and I can and have at least 9 months of preserved meat and vegetables in the pantry and two well stocked 22 CF freezers.
> 
> I know my neighbors have similar amounts of storage and we would barter with each other as needed.
> 
> As for water and sewerage, I am on a well if I have power I have potable water and a septic tank so I am my own utility.
> ...


 :Thumbsup20: 

May I ask....without you giving your exact location......what state you live in? Sounds like you are indeed well prepared. I love it!!!!   :Thumbsup20:

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## Well Bonded

SW Florida, the lightning capitol of the U.S.

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Kris P Bacon (07-28-2019),MrogersNhood (08-02-2019)

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## Mr. Independent

Could such an EMP threat (especially in NK's case) be prevented by strategically striking-out NK launch points? (Hypothetical)

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## Northern Rivers

It's the switching after imminent warning of a CME that will work along with hardened transformers.

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Karl (07-28-2019)

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## Karl

> May I ask....without you giving your exact location......what state you live in? Sounds like you are indeed well prepared. I love it!!!!



You can be all the "prepared" in the entire world

What always "perplexed" me though is folks think more about luxury ..

In such case scenario we go back to the 18th century overnight..

Real survival is "knowing" what to do..

Its not like up at the state park and haul the tv set and spend half the night hooking up the sattelite..

Eh ya in the woods ..

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## HawkTheSlayer

> You can be all the "prepared" in the entire world
> 
> What always "perplexed" me though is folks think more about luxury ..
> 
> In such case scenario we go back to the 18th century overnight..
> 
> Real survival is "knowing" what to do..
> 
> Its not like up at the state park and haul the tv set and spend half the night hooking up the sattelite..
> ...


No problem here. I got a gun and plenty bullets and plenty game. Plenty wood to scrap to cook and keep warm.I got a bow, too. And a pirougue I can maneuver in inches of water.
And I got my acoustic guitar. I don't even need a pick.

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Karl (07-28-2019),Northern Rivers (07-28-2019)

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## Karl

> No problem here. I got a gun and plenty bullets and plenty game. Plenty wood to scrap to cook and keep warm.I got a bow, too. And a pirougue I can maneuver in inches of water.
> And I got my acoustic guitar. I don't even need a pick.



I know what ya mean though most folks dont think like that

They spend 50 some grand for a fancy RV and then when they get there worry about tv and wi-fi connections..

Eh ya in the the woods its supposed to be a natural expirience..

For all that hassle ya couldve just stayed home and sat on the couch..

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Northern Rivers (07-28-2019)

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## Kris P Bacon

> SW Florida, the lightning capitol of the U.S.


Yes, yes it is. My second modem got zapped the other day and i even got a jolt thru my desk.

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Northern Rivers (07-28-2019)

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## Northern Rivers

> Yes, yes it is. My second modem got zapped the other day and i even got a jolt thru my desk.


There's a 1000' line...buried...for the start/stop commands to the generators out here. I learned a costly lesson a few years, ago. First sign of a lightning storm...I flip all the AC power breakers, off...as well as the wires going into the start/stop box. It's a 12v line that lives off the starter battery. A nearby strike will charge the long wire and fry the mother board in the genset. $7300 when it happened... I got a $5000 deductible on my insurance "to save me money". Ha! $5000........

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Canadianeye (08-02-2019),Garden House Queen (07-29-2019),Kris P Bacon (07-28-2019),MrogersNhood (08-02-2019)

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## MrogersNhood

> SW Florida, the lightning capitol of the U.S.


Well, one thing's for sure, they won't be hiding behind the tops of any ridges on ya.  :Smiley ROFLMAO: 

Damn, I wanna ask what town you live in to see if I've heard of it.

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## Canadianeye

> There's a 1000' line...buried...for the start/stop commands to the generators out here. I learned a costly lesson a few years, ago. First sign of a lightning storm...I flip all the AC power breakers, off...as well as the wires going into the start/stop box. It's a 12v line that lives off the starter battery. A nearby strike will charge the long wire and fry the mother board in the genset. $7300 when it happened... I got a $5000 deductible on my insurance "to save me money". Ha! $5000........


Clever Aussie.  :Thumbsup20:

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## Well Bonded

Clewiston Fl.

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