”We are urbanites (NYC), and our primary contingency plan is to bug-in rather than bug-out. In addition to a few cases of bottled water, I also purchased two water storage kits designed to hold 65 gallons of water in the bathtub. The kit is called the Aquapod. It is a dry bladder designed to fit inside a bathtub, which you would pull down and fill with potable water if TSHTF. If we were able to fill both of them, we would have a large supply of clean water. (We live in a high rise building, so our water supply is entirely dependent on electricity to pump water into a holding tank on the roof).”
”The only negative to the Aquapod that I see is that we would lose the use of the bathtub for hygiene. I have thought this out, though, and would probably take large pots of water into the emergency stairwell for bathing, in a long-term bug-in situation.”
For more information on AquaPod, click here: http://www.aquapodkit.com/
UrbanMan comments:
These NYC Urbanites are planning in somewhat the right direction, that is considering their water needs which is a high priority need. However even 130 gallons of water, given a planning factor or 1.5 gallons per person per day, would last 2 people about a month and a half, actually 43 days.
We thank the readers to alerting us on the AquaPod system. We plan on buying at least one, which is reasonable priced at $40 for a pump kit and tub liner.
It is problematic that these NYC Urbanites plan on “Bugging In” rather than “Bugging Out” to a safe location. UrbanSurvivalSkills.com believes that in a large scale economic collapse, pandemic, nuclear attack or whatever your flavor of scenario, the cities will be giant death traps. Certainly there will be survivors, but the density of people to the available food and water stores, bandit and gang security risks and restrictive firearms regulations in New York City making only the criminals well armed, all make it highly unlikely for a successful long term “Bug In” plan.
If I lived in New York City I would plan likewise to store sufficient water for as long of a stay as I could, but only in order to affect a “Bug Out” to a safe location at my time of choosing. I would look possibly to Up State New York or the New England area.
I build Urban Survival Bug Out Bags and would plan on several routes to various short range temporary safe locations as traveling in the city may be very difficult. Consider the refugee problem and movement flow to better plan safe routes.
I don’t know how possible it is for you to have firearms in NYC. But even a hunting shotgun and .22 pistol would be better than going un-armed.
Maybe there is other people like you in your high rise that you can count on to band together in a Urban Survival group to leverage your resources and skills. We have long said that Urban Survival is a team sport.
Good luck to you New Yorkers. Regards – Urban Man
Also check out the "waterbob" it's the same thing but I have found it for half the cost on amazon and cheaperthandirt.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea of bug-in, and think it merits more thought than most survival sites give it. The biggest problem with bugging in as you state is limitations on food/water and concerns with armed gangs. Where I live in NW suburbia, water is not an issue. For a homeowner, there really is no storage limitation on food, meds and bullets - just how much you want to spend. I live in a neighborhood with folks I know and trust already. Rather than cart the family off to the hills and realistically face a lot of issues with mother nature and the people who got there first, my plan is to bug-in also. We'll arm the neighbors and plan for a 1-yr stored-food scenario.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody think that bugging in in Honolulu (no escape being surrounded by 3000 miles of ocean on every side) is a safe option? What options do we have here to make sure that we will be able to stay safe on an island, which obviously will be limited in incoming food and water supplies - would you recommend we get a desalinator or an atmospheric water generator, and how about getting a solar electric generator? I am stocking rice, canned fruit, veggies and meat, grains, dried crackers,etc...I live in a small condo so i don't have much room for water storage...what are you doing if you are in a similar situation? Thanks for any ideas or suggestions!
ReplyDeleteIf I were in your situation (condo on an island) I would get to know my neighbors and try to find likeminded individuals - people who agree emergency preparation is important. In your situation you will be dependant on others so you may as well start getting to know them now and develop trust. If possible, meet on regular basis (couple times a year?), make a dinner out of it and share ideas for water/food/supplies. This is building your survival group, which in a condo, on an island, you will need.
DeleteI would recommend renting a storage unit to store extra supplies if your budget can afford it. Even a small unit stock with water and food would be helpful. I would definitly think about a desalination still like SurvivalStill.
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