[Celticwarrior]

Originally Posted by TaintRight

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you today. In fact I hope you are right on this issue.

LOL, I'm not picking a fight with you either, Taint. I actually enjoy good debates like ours. There will be, undoubtably, a lot of outdoorsmen and hunters/fishermen who are comfortable enough that they will go to the woods or their favorite spots and wait it out. There will be the inevitably horrible traffic jam on every major road with overloaded cars, stalled SUV's, and giant Bus-like RV's out of gas, and most people won't get past that. That's what happened with a lot of folks who evacuated too late from Katrina. However, in Katrina, most of those who left didn't go to the wilderness, or swamps, or whatever. They went to where they had family. Baton Rouge, Houston, or points beyond. Or, they stopped where they ran out of money and gas. If you get them making their way to the actual "wilderness" don't expect them to go too far into it. They just won't be able to do it.

As far as running out of deer? I don't worry about it. There are more rabbits, squirrels, raccoons and possums than there are deer anyway. The deer aren't stupid either. They will go deeper into the swamps, marshes and thickets to get clear of all those people and their noise. I don't fear too much for their survival either. I think people would die off long before the animals would. Especially if we are talking about extreme temps. Harsh winter, hot summer? How long do the elderly, the young, the infirm end up lasting when the furnace and AC go out? Add to that being outside, maybe in a tent or a camper, maybe just sleeping in the car? I don't think it's going to go well for those folks. Illness, pre-existing conditions, accidents, and starvation/malnutrition are likely to take a heavy toll within a short amount of time.

I live pretty remote from "civilization", and the closest towns are small, tight-knit communities. There just won't be a lot of that kind of thing near me. That's one of the reasons I moved up here to start with. Almost everyone around here hunts and fishes, most have property up here just for that purpose, in fact. Add to that, hundreds of thousands of acres of combined federally owned and state run lands and parks, and you are talking about a LOT of wilderness per person around here. Being hundreds of miles from the major cities, on a mostly isolated peninsula, has certain advantages. It is unlikely that even if people thought about it, they would end up getting all the way up here from places like Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids or the like. Unless you were actively looking for my place or even my nearest town, you are not likely to just stumble on it by accident. That's my insurance policy against urban or suburban flight. I don't worry about my rural neighbors. They consist of either folks who have lived up here for generations and know how to survive during extended power failures and harsh winters, or of empty "vacation homes" which may or may not wind up being havens for their owners if TSHTF. I don't count on half of them even making it up here.

[Bowman1911]

Gotta agree with CW on this one. I AM out in the sticks, & travel in to civilation every day for work. The sheeple around here won't last too long when tshtf. The outlying communities are extremely close knit though. The tiny town I grew up in once had a mayor. He wanted to raise taxes & buy police cars, & the like. The town said screw you buddy, you're fired & disbanded the township. People still don't have to lock their doors at night because they know no one will come in uninvited (because they will shoot on site). It has one of the lowest sex offender listings & highest corpse count in the state. This is the type of community that will strive after the fact.

[scorch]

Well my cercumtances(pardon my spelling) suck. 80 miles west is the pacific ocean. anything east is barren desert. North is town after town after..... south is mexico. No matter what happens i won't go south. I'm totally screwed when IT happens.

[crazydave]

at least you have some distances between towns. the usual here is 5-10 miles

[LaRemnant]

I live in a decent sized city in Florida. If TSHTF, I plan on traveling I-75 straight to Northern Georgia, towards the mountains. If the roads are massive parking lots, I will attempt to only travel at night, and take advantage of every small pocket of wilderness thickets as possible, even if it's a small overgrowth of bushes tucked away in some corner of public/private land.

I know how to keep my head low, and sometimes, life or death, that small measure in body movement discipline will probably save me more than anything.

Funny though, is that most sheeple would probably feel relieved to see or come in contact with other humans in the woods... and welcome it! I actually would be VERY wary, and hide from them, be they friend or foe.

[lpm67]

NZ is a small country, especially here in the North Island....going bush will be top choice for most and will quickly get crowded.
Some of our greatest scenic wilderness areas are now so popular that you have to book ahead to be allowed to visit.

[LaRemnant]

Originally Posted by crazydave

There's a myth about settlers that they found what they needed as they traveled, without established agriculture you will struggle so if you do have a location planned out then its best to seed it with suitable hardy vegetables and plants which can self seed to expand. when not harvested they will provide for the animal population and improve that source of meat.

Mentioning the act of planting sustainable, native hardy seeds (like edible weeds sort of), or perennial vegetables/fruits in the area you plan to bug in is a wise suggestion. They are not as vulnerable to pests, poor soil, droughts, floods, and other conditions as traditionally cultivated gardens. A lot of them can supposedly be planted just about anywhere, with little to no care whatsoever and thrive! Not to mention some of them can actually attract wildlife, which is like a primitive hot meal delivery on four legs.

One website I JUST found, that I don't know much about yet but am sharing it here because at first glimpse it sounded interesting concerning 'wild food' and hardy seed planting/sowing is 4everSeeds. Check it out everyone and tell me what you think! :)