If civilization collapsed tomorrow. would you survive the catastrophe?

[Alone]

I'm in Canada. I'd just fuck off to somewhere normally uninhabited and join up with a group of people who are physically able to work and do tasks, but likely don't know how. With a bit of my military knowledge I can probably set up a decent camp with security, steal a couple of the trucks from the base, and make a nice fort. I wouldn't let myself become the leader, but probably second in command or an adviser or some shit (people get pissed at leaders and tend to overthrow them, I'm not into all that).

I'd probably be ok.

 

[Macamus Prime]

If the catastrophe results in many people still being alive, I would have to leave and head out to the country side. I'd latch onto the Amish and ask them to teach me all they know about living off of the land. I am sure any other person with farm land would just shoot me.

If the catastrophe results in many dead humans, I would probably still hang out in the city. There would be tons of canned food around. Tons of shelter. Even weapons. I am sure the surviving humans from rural areas would eventually trickle into cities.

The biggest issue with a world wide catasrophe is every panicked human trying to utilize a system or process during the time of crisis.

 

[Wyndru]

I'd be screwed, probably just eat my bulk ravioli until it ran out.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

If the catastrophe results in many people still being alive, I would have to leave and head out to the country side. I'd latch onto the Amish and ask them to teach me all they know about living off of the land. I am sure any other person with farm land would just shoot me.

If the catastrophe results in many dead humans, I would probably still hang out in the city. There would be tons of canned food around. Tons of shelter. Even weapons. I am sure the surviving humans from rural areas would eventually trickle into cities.

The biggest issue with a world wide catasrophe is every panicked human trying to utilize a system or process during the time of crisis.

neither of your plans are very good. I'd give you 50% chance if you try and get to an amish settlement and 20% chance if you stay in a city.

 

[sonambulo]

Answer: No. If I happened to be out visiting family in the country at the time it happened then probably yes since they all hold stores, all possess basic first aid and survival skills, and many members of the family possess rather impressive skills in those same areas.

But right now? In a fairly densely populated city with no real personal stores and no good way to get out of here? Uh, no.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I have a few jars of pasta sauce in the pantry so I think we'd be okay.

 

[illusion88]

It's summer, so I'd get to the High Uintas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Uintas

Good foraging there, and decent trapping. When it starts to get cold I'll just start walking south. Hopefully by then things will settle down and my travel will be easy.

I guess my family and friends will probably die. I'm not going to help them.

 

[Train]

I live in a city, so no, I'd die in the first zombie wave

If I could get out to the country where I could farm/hunt/chop wood, I'd be fine.

 

[Pocatello]

In short term, yes, since I have plenty of dried beans, rice, and oatmeal, smoked fish and canned goods. In the long term, I doubt it. All the small animals like rats, birds, squirrels, and stray dogs will be hunted in the cities, then all the animals in the forest, next cannibalism. Most people are going to die because hunger, diseases, the environment, and fighting with each other for resources. If you want to see what's it's like when civilization fails, there are certain places in Africa like Sierra Leone and Liberia.

 

[BoberFett]

Obviously there are no guarantees, but I'd have a far better chance of surviving than a vast majority of the bumbling idiots in this world who don't know how to do anything for themselves.

 

[nageov3t]

I'd probably be fucked.

living in the most densely populated area in the world, there aren't even close to enough resources to support the local population with food/water.

I'm self-sufficient enough that I could do fine in the wilderness if I was already out on my own (I can fish, start a fire, and know basics like boil water, don't eat plants you don't know, etc) but I question whether or not I'd be able to even make it outside of urbania.

 

[jlee]

I can fit quite a few magazines on my person fairly easily, 6 or more without question. Thats upwards of 200 rounds

200rd is a stockpile these days?

Heh, I'm good then. :hmm:

 

[Bateluer]

No one on ATOT would survive, most would be dead within a couple of days.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I could survive for a while.

I have a 357 and a couple of boxes of ammo.
I've got enough mass packed away where I could survive without much food for quite some time.
I've got raspberries and strawberries growing in my yard. I've got about 8 gallons worth of home brewed mead that I'm aging ... so I'll have calorie dense drinks with low alcohol for immediate future.
I have a decent sized stack of firewood and tons of matches, lighters, and extra butane, and some swedish firesteel.
I've got a good axe, a couple of hatchets, and lots of shovels and tools, so I can build whatever I need to build.

But ... there would be no air conditioning ...
Pretty sure that would be the deal breaker for me :0

 

[ahenkel]

Tomorrow not for long

I do live on a pretty big chunk of land. If I had time to prepare I could probably get some solar panels to keep the pumps in the wells working and power the house. I've got about 12 sheep, 3 llamas, and 3 goats. I'd kill and make sausage of the llamas pretty quickly they're not good for anything. I also have a bunch of ducks, chickens, and geese all laying eggs. Oh and there's our asian pear orchard. Then there's the 100x100 15ft deep pond too I could do something with.

Edit: I guess the real question is how much would 16ft razor wire fences run me.

 

[SpunkyJones]

I'd be dead within 32 minutes.

 

[sandorski]

People always have these preparedness fantasies. But it would end up being mostly a matter of chance whether or not you were outright killed in the initial chaos or were murdered by highwaymen for your supplies or so they could rape your wife. I live in a sparsely populated area...so I guess that would mean I'd be slightly better off than some one in a more populated area as far as avoiding violent crazies. I doubt I'd do that great of job living off the land though. I'd probably flee up north to my father in laws, but even the small population up there is heavily dependent on food, fuel and equipment trucked in from elsewhere.

My favorite is when people say "I have a rifle and a hobby farm! I'll be fine." As if the unwashed masses of violent starving people will stop at the no trespassing sign next to their farm property line and say "Oh nuts! No trespassing? I guess I'll just starve to death outside this fence then." Those fuckers will come and kill you and steal your food, or you'll run out of ammunition shooting them and then they'll still kill you and steal your food.

Basically this. After the Stores run out, millions will stream into the countryside and it won't matter how many guns one has or how far off the beaten track they are, they'll be overwhelmed without some serious backing, like the military preventing the whole migration.

OTOH, it's always the dramatic scenario with the clear cut everything going to shit in an instant that we always focus on. The reality is that Civilization is more likely to just fade away in a very gradual manner and no one realizing it until decades after the fact. It won't be all rampaging starving people, or never again any Electricity, or gangs raping/pillaging everything in sight. It will be going to the store one day and there's no bananas, a year later certain fruits/vegetables are only available at certain times of the year, years later certain items never available.

This really isn't the end of the world kinda scenario at all. In fact, growing up in the '70's, this was how it was and we all survived just fine.

 

[coxmaster]

200rd is a stockpile these days?

Heh, I'm good then. :hmm:

No, no, no. 200 is nowhere NEAR a stockpile. Just saying that if needed I can easily carry that many in magazines ready to go.

Everybody has their own definition of stockpile,but 200 is nowhere near that :biggrin:

 

[Zargon]

2 ammo cans are easy to carry, thats a few thousand rounds of handgun ammo right there