When two people bugging in in an area that is between a city/town and a redoubt.

[JoJo]

They’re safer than a city but not as safe as a redoubt so the problem of safety is of more great concern  than redoubt but not as much as a city.
 This is my wife’s and my problem and I accept it. What I can’t figure out is how do you keep left over food from going bad once it is cooked or opened. Non-freeze dried that is and no refrigeration.   Two people so your not opening a #10 can of cocktail mix fruit or an 8oz can of chicken which is only part of the meal.
 I’ve been buying the 6oz cans of vegetables which is something new in our Food Lion supermarket, I also found 8oz cans of sausage, sausage gravy which needs no other sides, well maybe bisques , in 6oz cans there is roast beef and roast beef with gravy . Problem almost solved.
 My next problem is how to get rid of trash and dead bodies? 

[pkveazey]

I live out in the country but I have close up neighbors(nobody across and nobody behind). I have given some thought to what I would do in an emergency situation. I have 2 acres and about 1/2 acre is heavily wooded. My plan, assuming I can't get help here in time, is to set up a sniper station in the woods and communicate with the wife via Ham Radio, since she is also a Ham. The house has Video cameras set up so she can direct me as to who is where and what they are doing and vice versa. She will have control over the food and ammunition and I will have control over the mobility and outbuilding protection.

[JoJo]

 Sounds like a good plan. I have 3/4 wooded acre with neighbors around me but our area is surrounded by farms and a 45 acre pond. My wife suffers form terminal normalcy bias, she thinks I'm crazy to prep. I really want to get hand held radio's but won't be able to get my wife to take a test.
 

[Kbop]

On the trash; 
I'm planning on feeding anything i don't eat to the chickens.
compost everything else that will break down and fertilize a garden.
the rest of the trash that can't be re-used, i'll compact and store in a pit or 'down the road' a ways.  I'm hoping it won't be too much.

use enough lime and you can get rid of other things, like bones. or just keep a few pigs.

[Nemo]

If things really go to hell in a handbasket I will move the bunch (12-15 or so) about 20 miles down the road (hopefully in time) to a 350 acre farm that currently has about 80 black angus feeding and wintering there.  Numerous outbuildings and storage barns that are almost tactically positioned and spread out across area.

3 ponds (not fished in 15+ years, total of about 6 acres surface) with a flowing creek a bit down the hill.  Main house that can handle probably 30 people on well and septic.  Sufficient chimneys and forest to not freeze and cook.  Septic won't handle that many people but area is easily capable of putting up outhouses to moving every 3-5 days.  It has a windmill mount and a couple operational well. 

With all that foodstuffs and local stores I suspect we could get through the winter without losing too much weight.

The whole area is way out in the woods but just outside of town.  Its maybe 10 miles from the county courthouse. But if you did not know where you were going, it would be very difficult to find the farm. 

Eyes to put on the perimeter and outside communications are about the 2 top things I have need for.

Nemo

[Rogue-Metalsmith]

If things really go to hell in a handbasket I will move the bunch (12-15 or so) about 20 miles down the road (hopefully in time) to a 350 acre farm that currently has about 80 black angus feeding and wintering there.  Numerous outbuildings and storage barns that are almost tactically positioned and spread out across area.

3 ponds (not fished in 15+ years, total of about 6 acres surface) with a flowing creek a bit down the hill.  Main house that can handle probably 30 people on well and septic.  Sufficient chimneys and forest to not freeze and cook.  Septic won't handle that many people but area is easily capable of putting up outhouses to moving every 3-5 days.  It has a windmill mount and a couple operational well. 

With all that foodstuffs and local stores I suspect we could get through the winter without losing too much weight.

The whole area is way out in the woods but just outside of town.  Its maybe 10 miles from the county courthouse. But if you did not know where you were going, it would be very difficult to find the farm. 

Eyes to put on the perimeter and outside communications are about the 2 top things I have need for.

Nemo

Hi Nemo.

i guess 5cents time... as idillic as it sounds, seems too close to town, and i know it sounds odd but, people often stumble into places unexpectedly because they did not plan at all and end up wandering about. how would you deter any "wanderer's"?
without atracting too much attention-added feature? keeping bees? making a mote? or simply planting bush-like trees with thorns to create a thick perimeter?

I have the same kind of problem "too close to town"-there is another option far away-which creates another problem-the question "IF" -it may be too far in SHTF scenario to make it all the way there.

 

[JohnyMac]

Just a side-note JoJo on the radio issue..."I really want to get hand held radio's but won't be able to get my wife to take a test."

You nor your wife need a FCC license to own a ham radio and in a "grid-down" scenario, I doubt that the FCC would be looking for you with RF equipment if you TX (transmitting)or RX (Receiving) on the radio.

Also, keep in mind while it is illegal to communicate on VHF 2 meter band from 144 - 148 Mhz. The VHF Marine band
is wide open to legal TX and RX from 156 - 162 Mhz. If you are near navigational waters stay on the channels that are for public use. If you do not live near navigable waters, where the Coast Guard is, all the channels in theory are open.

Drop the $35- each, and buy two BaoFeng hand held radios from Amazon.

Last and I will stop selling here LOL...If you have a VHF 2 meter repeater in your are and I am sure you do, you can tune in and hear things that you may not get on your AM/FM radio or TV. Last year during a blizzard up here electric went down and the two or three repeaters in the area were up and communication was still happening.
 

[Nemo]

Hi Nemo.
 how would you deter any "wanderer's"?

200-250 yard (175-225 meters) pasture/hayfield/open area surrounding the area for the most of it.  3 well positioned observation posts would cover it all but I have 5 positions selected.   I would want substantial input on those spots though.

Nemo

[pkveazey]

Don't forget the MURS(MultiUseRadioSystem) is wide open to the public also. I have Bao Fengs for every family member just in case they are needed. They are all programmed for MURS, FRS, Marine Band and ready to go if needed.

[Nemo]

A link to those Bao Fengs please.  So I can the right ones under discussion please.  On Amazon if they are there.

Nemo

[JoJo]

A link to those Bao Fengs please.  So I can the right ones under discussion please.  On Amazon if they are there.

Nemo

Ebay---   https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xbao+feng.TRS0&_nkw=bao+feng&_sacat=0

[pkveazey]

I bought all of my BaoFengs from Amazon. All of them are UV5R's of one version or another. If you hunt Amazon long enough, you can find a super deal on the 8 Watt UV5RTP(TP means TriPower). I got several pair of the 8 watters for about $65 a pair. So far, I think I have about 16 BaoFengs and most family members have at least one pair. They may all explode tomorrow but so far I haven't gotten a bad one. I also bought a bunch of small and large battery packs, long rubber duck antennas, and Speaker Mikes for them. I had someone ask me why I haven't tried some of the other style BaoFengs and I told them that if one of my UV5R's craps out, I would have an extra battery pack, Speaker mike, and extra antenna. If I get all those other case styles, the parts wouldn't be interchangable.

[Rogue-Metalsmith]

Hi Nemo.
 how would you deter any "wanderer's"?

200-250 yard (175-225 meters) pasture/hayfield/open area surrounding the area for the most of it.  3 well positioned observation posts would cover it all but I have 5 positions selected.   I would want substantial input on those spots though.

Nemo

Nice.

 

[JohnyMac]

Yes, pkveazey as Fred Eaglesmith alwats says, "Its better to have the same seven $100- cars than one $700- Cars".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlEb3Zxhuwg&index=2&list=PL133D1F7173ECCD8A