Page 1 of 3

How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:27 pm
by Ady-:)
So I work away from home most of the time.
One of my concerns is how would I get home if SHTF. I'm sure you will all remember the fuel strikes in 2000 that led to many motorist stranded with stations out of fuel, at the time I was stuck in Cornwall and paid a handsome price to a farmer to fill up with red diesel. I now always carry two 5 litre cans of diesel as a precaution.

So how would you get home if SHTF?

A few scenarios would be, fuel shortages, weather, social breakdown or the biggy EMP.

As part of my preps if I'm more than an hours drive from home I take my BOB with the intention of always being able to walk home. Extreme plans would be to liberate a bicycle or boat.

Interested to hearing peoples thoughts on this subject.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:31 pm
by pseudonym
Ady-:) wrote:So I work away from home most of the time.
One of my concerns is how would I get home if SHTF. I'm sure you will all remember the fuel strikes in 2000 that led to many motorist stranded with stations out of fuel, at the time I was stuck in Cornwall and paid a handsome price to a farmer to fill up with red diesel. I now always carry two 5 litre cans of diesel as a precaution.

So how would you get home if SHTF?

A few scenarios would be, fuel shortages, weather, social breakdown or the biggy EMP.

As part of my preps if I'm more than an hours drive from home I take my BOB with the intention of always being able to walk home. Extreme plans would be to liberate a bicycle or boat.

Interested to hearing peoples thoughts on this subject.

GHB always in the boot with minimum 2 days food/water. Road Maps of the country. Cash always in wallet.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:53 pm
by Deeps
pseudonym wrote:
GHB always in the boot with minimum 2 days food/water. Road Maps of the country. Cash always in wallet.
My GHB is the same minus the road maps, I've got a couple days food, 2L of water and a small down bag and bivvy bag in it, along with a hexi and some fire starting, spare batteries, sawyer straw etc.

Generally I'm only more than a short distance from home one or two days a week and I'll try and take my GHB. The main reason I don't take it when I'm away from home is if I'm going to end up at the football (not easy to get in with a rucksack) or out on the lash in Edinburgh which is about a 16 mile walk and crossing a large bridge. I tend to have stuff in my pockets although a lot of it is more 'urban' like power banks, a folding 240V charger etc but I do always have things like puritabs and minimal FAK on me. You can only do so much, this is where knowledge and a good idea of your surroundings come in. Admittedly, my senses might be dulled after a night on the lash or apre foozbaal but I'm not 'not' going to go on the off chance that this is when it all goes Pete Tong.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:11 pm
by Plymtom
My biggest nightmare would be getting home with our stuff if something happened whilst we were out to play, especially if that something took out vehicles, for the most part we don't get out much and would be walking distance still, the worst case scenarios are car not working with more stuff than we could carry to get home, otherwise at worst a couple of hours on foot abandoning the car at the supermarkets.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:53 pm
by Tizzie
Would anyone consider keeping a folding bicycle in their car.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:13 pm
by Ady-:)
Tizzie wrote:Would anyone consider keeping a folding bicycle in their car.
I personally wouldn't as my boot is full up with lots of random stuff and the dog. Plus those things aren't the easiest to ride. If I ever had to abandon my car it would have to a spectacular event, either car stolen or broken. I purposely bought a car that would go most places so I would be hard pushed to abandon it.
If such a spectacular event happened I think I would either barter or aquire a mountain bike as I wouldn't be riding down the main roads with a full bag.

As I live on the south coast and I'm frequently in Scotland for work, a sailing boat would be my long distance choice for travel.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:47 pm
by sniper 55
For the most part I'm usually within about 10 miles of where I live, so if push come to shove I'd walk it, if it's further I'd probably consider the folding bike option it I had one (and some hint of trouble). I can get my mountain bike in the back of my car but I wouldn't carry it day to day, I need to carry too much stuff as it is, I'm struggling to get a wheelchair in as it is.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:11 am
by Deeps
A push bike is something I've considered, I'd have to acquire one somehow and it would depend on if it was 'old skool' zombies or those really fast ones on World War Z. :lol:

One of the reason's I'm about 60 miles from home is my weekly visit to my mum, she is another dynamic to add, I usually have my GHB but getting an 84 year old the 60 miles would be an issue, I don't think she'd be up for a 'backy'.

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:02 am
by Brambles
Folding bikes have come a long way since the old briefcase bike thing.

My son has one of these. His old job was too far to cycle and difficult to get to, so he used to take this on the bus and cycle the last couple of miles.
150ec17c8a2d207f23b3b29f1fc33186.jpg

Re: How would you get home if SHTF?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:28 am
by grenfell
I haven't got a folding bike , just a normal one and a transit van . I also don't carry it with me because in everyday life I'm rarely over 15 miles from home and normally only half that. When we go on holiday and use the van we do so because we all take our bikes. Three bikes in a transit eats into the space and if we go in my wife's car there wouldn't be room for three folders.
Perhaps the question should be what to do rather than how to get home. Obviously it will depend on the event but there are measures to be taken. For instance not travelling when heavy snow is forecast , keeping the tank full in case one has to take a long detour ( done that) , keeping cash or some sort of payment to cover the cost of a night or two in a hotel , blankets , food and the usual in the car should it become impossible to continue. Evaluate whether saying put for a while is better than attempting an immediate return home.