scenario, survival, getting home, SHTF, prepper
Preparedness

Scenario: 20 Miles From Home And Things Go South

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Here is a scenario that many of us could find ourselves in should the SHTF while we are at work.

Wednesday morning: Typical Wednesday morning. Alarm goes off at 5:30am and you reach over and hit the snooze. Grab your cell phone and check for text messages and emails. You see a post was published last night from 1776PatriotUSA.com on preparing in case an army of bigfoots attack. You think – “That Rourke is an idiot.”

After showering, getting dressed and a cup of coffee you hear on the news that there was an incident between North and South Korea. Apparently, South Korea sank a North Korean boat. Details are sketchy.

7:00am arrives too quickly and the drive to work starts. The news doesn’t report much as far as details regarding the sinking. North Korea is strangely silent about the incident.

Work starts a little before 8:00am and is another typical day. At 11:30am the power goes out. “Early lunch”, you think to yourself. You grab your keys and head for the car. Someone states as you are heading out the door their cell phone doesn’t work. Halfway to your car, you pull your phone out – dead.

The worrying begins.

You get in the car and quickly insert the key. Nothing. You know what it is. You know somehow, some way we got hit with an EMP. You think to yourself, “I’m 20 miles from home. I’ve gotta go.”

Questions:

What do you have in your vehicle right now to get you home?

What method of transportation would you use to get home? Walking? Bike? Other?

What tools of self-defense will be carried for the trip home?

Do you have any SOP’s(standard operating procedures)set up with the family so they know what to do in case something like this were to occur?

How long would it take you to get home?

 

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28 Comments

  1. Douglas Underwood says:

    1st thing I would do is tell myself to stay calm, you planned for this. If possible charge up my phone if not turn it off for now.Then I would grab my get home bag, my wife’s get home bag, the vehicle 1st aid kit, the vehicle emergency kit and the water I keep in my truck. Because I am alone I would transfer some of the food and medical supplies and fire kit from the wife’s bag to mine. I would add in the food, meds and other supplies from my truck emergency kit. I would make extra room in my get home bag for these things by removing any of the gear that is in my bag for the wife. I plan the trip would take two to three days walking, but supply myself for at least 6 days just in case. The first day would start out easy mainly because everyone else will still be confused and it will take a few hours for the event to sink in. Once it does things will get hectic real fast. Apply a good amount of sun screen, wet down my stay cool head scarf and put it on. Remove any excess clothing I am wearing, because South Carolina is hot. 20 miles is a long walk that will more than likely turn into 30 or 35 to avoid crowds once they get scared and go crazy. Double check all my gear to include my EDC which includes my Glock 22, spare mag, knife and note pad with pen. Write a note to my wife just in case she decides to look for me after our two week time to contact each other is up and she comes looking. Which she know will really tick me off because she did not stay put at home. But then I know the wife well. Check my cell phone once again just in case it works. If not turn it off to conserve the battery.Gather up my get home bag and the 1st aid bag began the walk home. During the walk I would check my phone every two or three hours during a break. I would try to avoid routes that would have heavy traffic and expose me to danger or to much sun. Heat stroke would not be a good thing. Alter my route as needed to avoid any danger. Once home give the wife a huge hug and a long kiss.

    Reply
    1. 3rdMan says:

      Two to three days to walk 20 miles? That 5 to 6 hours at a regular pace for even an out of shape individual. Charge your dead cell phone? You might want to re-read the scenario.

      Reply
      1. goingray58 says:

        well the scenario.. it was 20 miles and at work… at work for me is closer to 60 miles. With significant obstacles in between.
        Per lets run
        “About 7 hours, 3 miles per hour.
        4 mph is a brisk walk, rarely do people walk that fast in normal situations, unless it is part of a workout, or they are going a short distance.
        4.5 – 5 mph is where most break into a jog.”

        So either I take 20 miles and not be at work or be at work and deal with it at the distance it is. So I picked one … It help[s ME to think of being at work and is more likely than not where I would be at 11:30 am ish. I’d take my gear regardless… as it would be more than one overnight.. 1-2 miles per hour for a load out is more realistic if I don’t find a ride of some kind. That’s between 30 and 60. hours, an older guy in fair shape. How many hours a day can you walk repetitively with a load. Done it recently over terrain with a load .. call it 65-70 lbs? I did .. 3 days was the best I could do well on at progressively fewer hours per day each day. It means more rest and less walking. Perfect conditions might be 3 days with healthy safe and no injury. On “Shanks Mare”…. I prefer to prepare for less than optimal. Anything better is gravy. IMO. 20 miles and dead on road still may be 2 with a load out in unfavorable conditions.
        GG58

        Reply
        1. 3rdMan says:

          4 mph is less than a brisk walk for sure, except for the elderly maybe. I’m 51 and can cover the 20 miles in less than two hours on my bike. 6 hours on foot. This would be a light trek. Water, energy bars and pistol.

          Reply
          1. JR says:

            Good for you 3rdMan. For those that do not navigate that kind of distance on a regular basis will find themselves taking 5-6 times longer than they think they will take. This is especially true when going across rougher terrain than pavement – and also going up and down hills.

          2. 3rdMan says:

            JR,

            My wife suffers from Scoliosis and we walk that far at the State Fair of Texas every year. Even a pace of only 2 to 3 mph is still only at the most 10 hours of walking. Its just simple math nothing more. Any slow and you would be standing still.

        2. Douglas Underwood says:

          Goingray58. Thank you for you thoughts. You explained my thinking better than I did. I have always planned for the worse, then doubled my exceptions and supplies. If I am able to reach my home earlier than my planning and preparation then that is all the better. It is always better to be wrong and over prepared than to be wrong and under prepared. As for the cell phone. Show me one person who will not at least attempt to keep using their phones for at least a few days after an event. I will show you a person who is not being realistic.

          Reply
          1. goingray58 says:

            Douglas … appreciate it .. My thoughts, and 3rd man has a point.. One way to go is lite and fast … distance, shape and areas plus conditions will determine the best approach.
            I carry a lot compared t some.. and if it is and MEP I can’t just walk off an leave it .. that makes me heavier and slower. Every couple years I test my ability .. it changes as we age.
            I recently did a hike of about 7 miles in Colorado .. 25lb pack and no food or Pew Pew toys. very basic. It was an afternoon, varying between 46 and 7 degrees as we moved to elevation and back and it got darker. it took me an hour and forty seven minutes and something over 35,000 steps. (according to my tracker). and at the end I was in the lead shape wise .. over folks 15 years or 20 years younger that had no packs… I would up carrying their stuff. worked out that night as well..
            That means nothing to anyone else really .. only that I plan for my own personal limitations.. good or bad they are what they are.
            I am just not comfortable exposing my self to anyone while hoofing it back home. Not being seen is slower work .. You can always reveal yourself if you hide.. If a group of any kind sees you .. maybe it’s nothing .. but you can’t take it back if it is. That’s just my training. Soooo I over pack.. If I can’t carry it I can prioritize, unload and cache it.

            But again 3rd man has a great point.. getting home sooner is better.. and lite and fast is the way to do that. And it’s one of the reasons I am here .. to read and think about the approaches other people take.. and act as I believe appropriate for the situation.
            After all different illnesses need different meds.. and all of us is smarter than one of us.
            Thanks for the feedback all ..
            GG58

  2. The Sheltie Kid says:

    I’d head to the nearest forest, catch me a deer, quickly train it, and ride it away from the attacking bigfoots.
    In all seriousness, it would probably take too long to train a deer, so I’d probably hoof it home myself.
    Our SOP is just to go home. When we are 20 miles or so away, we are almost always together (dogs, too), but the plan remains the same.
    At the moment, there is so much gear in the jeep I’d have to leave most of it behind. Good part of that, I have so much gear that I could live out of the jeep for quite awhile, if need be. Need more water, though. Have maybe a week’s worth of food.

    Reply
  3. yooper says:

    Let me see now, 20 miles from home in any direction i would be out in the woods. I could walk it in about 6 hours. What would i take out of my truck. my machettee , my pistol, and my cigarettes .

    Reply
  4. Clark says:

    In the mayhem and panic of the first 24 hrs you will most likely see the community come together as a whole, people will reach out, show you their best foot forward so to speak, everyone will try to communicate with one another, from all walks of life you will see a bonding, unplugged and afraid, this is human nature, I’ve lived through hurricanes, payphones didn’t even work, it’s like your cut off from the entire planet, it was like this for the first week then the national guard arrived, and I think their trained not to cause panic, because information is still vague, other than there is a dusk until dawn curvue and do you have family you can go stay with, they most certainly do not like you staying.. but after the first 72 hrs you start to see people changing some, they are realizing their supplies are limited, and may have to leave, from my experience you have the first 24 to leave, second 24 it will be insane traffic, third you better have a plan 4th you need to bug in, plan on traveling by foot, roadways are blocked, 5th I’d say is dangerous in some areas, desperate people will be looking to scavenge, 6th there will be vilance, 7th hell breaks loose, by 8th gangs will form to scavenge , 10th they will go door to door, 14th they don’t care if your good or bad anymore, they will kill you for beans. ANYONE THINK IM WRONG? Maybe my timeline, but this is how it will happen, any event…. all roads lead to civil unrest, end game… that’s why I’m a prepper…

    Reply
    1. The Sheltie Gang says:

      If anything, I think your timeline is optimistic. Judging by what happened here during Sandy, people will be robbing houses in broad daylight on day 3, pirate gangs will be looting without law enforcement hindering them by day 5.
      I believe that most, if not all, law enforcement will turn evil within 2 weeks.

      Reply
        1. The Sheltie Gang says:

          Not hard to see. Using the badge to get what they want, take what they want. Coming from a law enforcement family, I get a bit of an inside look. I also know the kind of plans they have for SHTF.
          In general, law enforcement does not think much of us sheeple. There is a them/us attitude that the job tends to bring about.
          For example:
          When I first moved to this town, one of the officers informed me the department and Mayor did not like ‘our type’. That type would be Christians. That comment, to me, was not brought about from a love for your fellow man.

          Reply
          1. 3rdMan says:

            Being from a LE family doesn’t make you LE. I’ve been doing this for 30 plus years. While there’re bad cops, which sounds like the family you come from consist of one or more, most will step up to help their neighbors. Once the cars stop, radios stop transmitting, phone are dead LE will be in the same boat as everyone else. I for one will fall back to my neighborhood to help protect it and maintain order.

      2. Clark says:

        You may be right, I’m sure there’s differences in locations, fort Myers Beach has a small town feel to it, larger cities will be different, poverty levels, existing crime rates, there will be tons of demographical variables to take into consideration based on your location

        Reply
  5. Clark says:

    Wtf, as I was leaving my last comment I looked at my iPhone, with At&T and there’s no sevice! Dude, I’ve got the news on, but wtf… is this it, should I stay awake, power is still on but it really brings this article home, not cool ROURKE 😜

    Reply
  6. SingleMom says:

    Well, now you’ve put thoughts in my head that I don’t want there. This is going to take some deeper thinking than I’m capable of at this time of the morning. For now, I’ll go with the law of averages. I rarely go anywhere except to work, and it’s only 3 miles away no matter what route I take. I’ll carry my pared-down GHB, just in case, and add the Bowie knife that I keep in the car since guns are banned on my work property. When we first began discussing this scenario, the daughter’s instinct was to come looking for me. I’ve drilled it into her head that I don’t know what route I’ll be taking or what my health will be at that time, so she’s to give me at least 3 days to get home. Whether I’m there or not, Day 4 is for bugging out. I think, in our primarily rural-residential area, that we’ll have a little more time than what Clark describes. We have no choice but to leave, and our first location is only 8 miles away. If necessary, we can stay there permanently.

    Reply
    2. Clark says:

      I have a foldable Bicycle with a small folding/backpack configuration game cart rated for two hundred pounds, bike is equipped with never flat gel filled tube’s, cart has solid tires, these are emp or grid lock preps

      Reply
  8. JeanneS says:

    Currently I commute by city bus 8 miles to work, but it’s all urban and I have to cross a river. The walk home would be awful since it’s nearly all uphill, but I figure I could do it in 3 hours tops (as long as there’s a bridge still standing, which might not be the case if the emergency was an earthquake instead of an EMP). Hoping to move out of the city soon, I have a pending sale offer on a house. If the sale goes as planned, I’ll be a bit over 40 miles from work…walking time according to the online maps estimate is 14-16 hours depending on which route I take. Luckily my best friend (a nurse, military veteran, & prepper) lives just 10 miles from my work and her house is between my work and where I’d be moving to, so I would head there first. Good questions, I’ll have to make better plans and pack a really comprehensive get-home bag.

    Reply
  9. CaptTurbo says:

    Well, I would be hosed. I’d be drifting or anchored at sea. Lots of fish to eat but no extra water beyond what was on board for the charter. And raw fish? Yuck.

    Reply
    1. Clark says:

      Capt your screwed in this event lol, get a soccer ball, paint a face on it, and live out real life castaway….

      Reply
  10. goingray58 says:

    so I;d be 2/3 closer to home than work…. But lets say I AT work that’s 53 miles from home. I have 3 days canned food in my desk, and 4 in my GHB. Dump my laptops and now useless crap out of my laptop bag. Put extra food in. Water pressure is still good, so fill water bottle. Knock the glass out of the vending machine and load up on light weight carbs in the laptop bag. Take pictures from desk, Back to truck. Pop the topper and salvage what tools I want to take. Close it.. Pop the back seat put on vest, Unzip Folder rifle and assemble AR and put mags in vest, retain extra Ammo.Remove.change of clothes into La[top bag with tools. Remove 1 gal Jug of water. Retrive .45 and holster on vest and mags in mag pouches. Check all compartments for useful stuff, if any. Put on Single point and AR chamber a round. check optics and press ck ,45.
    All good.. Check GHB continents. Locate compass, and pistol ammo.. Put on GHB and check fit.
    It will take 4-5 days to walk home. have food, have water, have filter, have shelter in bag. Have several forms of fire and fire starting equipment. Start walking and plan for night stop. Start walking NOW… Roads will be good for first couple days. If it’s winter break out cool weather gear.. it’s now noon or 1 pm and 4-5 hours of walking available or more.. If its summer.. maybe 7-8 hours. 3-4 days will need to be off road and possible road closures… So hump hard the first 3 days to get past physical obstructions and use bridges. Next 2-3 days will be or walk.fields and short cuts. If I locate a bike or something be opportunistic and take it and ride. Trade for itt if I can’t. Once in the fields Horses are possible.. ck that then. have in mind alternate routes in case one is impassible. If it breaks down quick.. be open to day sleeping and night walking. Just depends on conditions. use duct tape on hot spots before the blister and bleed in any. Change socks and wash every day.. powder feet. Pack out or bury trash.. no trail. Wife will do the same unless she is home with her bag. Kids will have to wait and see… They are to come my way cuz country not urban. Defensive zero warning posture.

    If I actually were 20 miles I’d be in the fields starting there.. and would take half as long and same process minus the junk food machine and mementos. The rest is reacting to whatever happens on the way. Be gray and avoid conflicts that don’t concern me.
    Terminate the ones that do with no possibility of reprisals, or I don’t GET back.
    Once home it’s about inventory and security, and time of year as to what’s next.
    GG58
    Sounds a little hard I suppose.. So Be It.

    Reply
  11. Lightning says:

    We would be bugging in. Still our towns and stores are 12 miles away so if I got stuck-I would take my water,( and life straw for filtering water) food , flashlight and first aid stuff with me along with a weapon.
    Folks its important that we all know what wild edibles we could salvage to munch along
    the way. Its tough though for any of us who have pain and disability.Having a fold up bike is on my list now-thanks. Lightning

    Reply

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