Another newby from GA

[JHoule]

Hey everyone! Just signed up. Looking forward to learning all about this new adventure! I hope y'all have great advise for me....I need lots of it! This is totally new to me. But, I'm willing to do it. So, where do I begin?

[myakka]

Welcome aboard. Hope you find something good!

[RICHFL]

Welcome to the forum. you started out with the (# 1) question we all ask when we started.


You have to sit down and make some major decisions before you begin:


1. What type(s) of disasters do you want to prepare for?

- There is two major categories of disasters:

a. Natural where you cannot do much to prevent it, You can (Bug-Out) get out of the way of Weather including tornadoes and hurricanes. You can (SIP) Stay In Place for the earthquakes, wild fires, etc.

b. Man-Made where again you can Bug-Out or SIP for war/terror attacks, Nuclear/Chemical Spill, financial/economic collapses, etc.


2. How many people in your group/How many days, months, years to prepare for?

- You need to figure out how much food and water will be need to support the group.

a. Food:

- you need a minimum of 2000 calories per adult per day (SIP) and above 3000 while Bugging-Out.

- A Good formula for total calories is No. of people X No. of days X 2000/3000 + 10 Percent = Your No.

b. Water:

- Water weighs-in at 8 pounds per gallon so is hard to carry far. If Bugging Out you need portable water filters in your Bug-Out bags. Filter the water as you move on.

- If SIP you need a minimum of 2 sources of fresh water. Do not count county/city water as a source. You can use private wells, lakes, rivers, etc.

- F.E.M.A. now states you need 3-5 gallons of water each day for survival use. Before Katerina it was 1.

3. What skills will you need to make up your Group?

- Within most groups you can break down it into several sections:

Leader(s)are the final decisions makers concerning the group as a whole.

Medical Section is concerned with all health and sanitation issues.

Site Maintenance Section is responsible for cooking, food/water storage, farming, animal control, etc.

Scroungers Section is responsible for finding things needed to support the group. They are the hunters and fishing experts. Used by Security for RECON of local area.

Security Section is responsible for internal and external security of the group, including firearms, hand-to-hand, and weapons maintenance training for the group.


4. How many people in your group?

The number is up to you to decide. How many people from your immediate and extended family, your friends, etc. Remember the more people involved, the higher the amount of food, water, and other supplies needed.


This is my groups' setup that covers 5 states, has 26 adults, and has purchase a farm in MN. We have been working together since 1995. You can set up your group any way you want. Good Luck

[coxmw]

Hello and welcome from North Carolina.

[RussFromSelmaAL]

as for water, if you already have city water, you can use it to dig a well of sorts. We took a length of PVC pipe and cut a diagonal end on it. We had a friend with a water truck, who hooked a hose between his truck and the pvc pipe. As we pushed the pipe into the ground, water running, gently turning it left and right, it chewed down through the dirt and about 18 feet down we stuck ground water.

The water seems to be clean enough, though we boil it most of the time. We hooked up an old fashioned pitcher pump to 1 1/4" pipe and pumped it until it ran clear, and so far, it's been steady as the rising sun, even during the droughts these past few years.

It's a lot of work, but hey, it's WATER, and in a pinch, it beats thirst! hahah!