An old guy (like me) wandering in the wilderness will be dead before sundown.
Running where(?) without any supplies or support into an area that is completely unknown encountering desperate strangers who are also on the run and running into other heavily defended areas where already panicked and frightened people are awaiting your intrusion.
No thanks.
We decided early on to stay put and fight.
I am in a rural area surrounded by like minded people who are prepared to the hilt and are supporting the whole community.
If the worst case happens, we are prepared to blockade roadways (yes, we have heavy equipment) and man bunkers at strategic points.
It is my position that the worst will not happen...bad things will probably happen but not a total breakdown. We prepare as much as we can for a total collapse though.
About being over-run...I have a number of caches (PVC pipes) buried underground within walking distance to my house...these caches contain additional firearms, 3-4 days food, first aid and etc. I can retreat to those points and 'catch-my-breathe', so to speak.
If I die even with all this prepardness...shit happens.
Refugees? No thanks.
The above sounds like the Dome after Katrina, except for the running part.
I know every dog, and it's name. I know what several of my neighbors have for firearms and what calibers. I can list the contents of about 5 freezers within 2 minutes walking distance.
Why the heck would I want to go to a 'collection point' to get some MREs and listen to babies cry, when I can stay here with friends and neighbors all around and have yet another block party with stone soup.
/johnny
I look at the need to prep and plan in two ways:
Short Term disaster - Most likely (Duration - maybe up to 90 days)
Long term disaster - Least likely
In either case my general thinking is that the immediate priority is to make it through the crisis at hand until we have some idea of the magnitude and likely duration of the larger impact.
If the crisis is short term we may see some sort of recovery begin or might see the neighborhood and/or community coalesce and organize within a period of weeks or months. To get through that period I think of staying in place (if possible) and my preps are more along the line of canned beans rather than pallets of 50 pound sacks of dried beans and rice stored in a bomb proof bunker(although both are good to have!).
If the immediate disaster is a hurricane, forest fire (or tsunami) heading my way there is no doubt we'll load up the vehicle with canned food, water and other supplies and leave earlier rather than later. In storm season we always have a load of necessities ready to go.
If we are facing a long term scenario we still need to get through the immediate crisis, then we will need the long term stored food (if any). But even more we will need vegetable seeds, tools to grow, harvest and hunt food and a stable, secure place to live. It will be hard to accomplish that for one family living in a remote cabin. Someone pointed out that if you can get to a location so can the bad guys who want your supplies.
The idea of living in the field for extended periods with just a rifle, a bag of salt and a tin cup isn't practical for 99% of us.