How ready are you?

[Varg the wanderer]

With things continually escalating with North Korea, what have you done to be ready in the event he's not bluffing about having nukes and the ability to use them?

What if China/Russia/US decided to duke it out?  (When elephants fight, it is the grass that looses.)

[Kobuk]

In the event of nuclear war.........nobody wins, but everybody loses. You're either caught in the initial blast, or you die minutes, hours, days, or weeks later due to radiation poisoning/sickness or other illnesses and problems. There's no real way to escape the radioactive fallout because it is continuously being spread all over by various weather patterns.
And if you survive a nuclear war, what then? You'll still be dead. Limited food and other resources. Probably get shot by gangs and other unscrupulous people looking to steal what you have. To quote a phrase: "You can run, but you can't hide."

Even if I could "escape" a nuclear disaster somehow, I'd trek north up to Canada. At least NK, Russia, and China don't have much, if any, issues with Canada.

Want to know what nuclear war is really like and how horrifying it can be? Go watch a movie titled "The Day After". It is really an eye opener. 

[Varg the wanderer]

In the event of nuclear war.........nobody wins, but everybody loses. You're either caught in the initial blast, or you die minutes, hours, days, or weeks later due to radiation poisoning/sickness or other illnesses and problems. There's no real way to escape the radioactive fallout because it is continuously being spread all over by various weather patterns.

Fallout does go all over the place, but it's potency diminishes greatly after a few days.
See: https://emilms.fema.gov/IS3/FEMA_IS/is03/REM0504050.htm

Surviving the initial blast is a matter of luck and location. Fallout, however, is much more survivable if you are ready to handle it. So if you can keep away from it (and from breathing any of it) until the potency is low enough to safely be around, you can progress to the next step: setting up/ moving to long term survival situations or helping your community recover.

[Kobuk]

In the event of nuclear war.........nobody wins, but everybody loses. You're either caught in the initial blast, or you die minutes, hours, days, or weeks later due to radiation poisoning/sickness or other illnesses and problems. There's no real way to escape the radioactive fallout because it is continuously being spread all over by various weather patterns.

Fallout does go all over the place, but it's potency diminishes greatly after a few days.
See: https://emilms.fema.gov/IS3/FEMA_IS/is03/REM0504050.htm

Surviving the initial blast is a matter of luck and location. Fallout, however, is much more survivable if you are ready to handle it. So if you can keep away from it (and from breathing any of it) until the potency is low enough to safely be around, you can progress to the next step: setting up/ moving to long term survival situations or helping your community recover.

There's no such thing as "......keeping away from it" in regards to fallout. Nuclear fallout is going to cover just about everything and anything, and be spread all over the place by prevailing weather patterns. Trees, buildings, cars, lamposts, mailboxes, etc., etc. are all going to be covered by fallout and irradiated in some form and some way. No matter where you go or what you touch, and no matter how little or how much fallout/radiation there is, you can't escape it. Even after you come out of a underground shelter 30 days later, you'll still succomb to some form of radiation poisoning/sickness.

[cause the rat]

I'm to old to be drafted. NK is two techo backwards to be worried about.

[Varg the wanderer]

There's no such thing as "......keeping away from it" in regards to fallout. Nuclear fallout is going to cover just about everything and anything, and be spread all over the place by prevailing weather patterns. Trees, buildings, cars, lamposts, mailboxes, etc., etc. are all going to be covered by fallout and irradiated in some form and some way. No matter where you go or what you touch, and no matter how little or how much fallout/radiation there is, you can't escape it. Even after you come out of a underground shelter 30 days later, you'll still succomb to some form of radiation poisoning/sickness.

Distancing yourself from it and keeping as much material between you and the fallout will minimize your radiation exposure.

But my point is this: Are you just going to lay down and die, or are you going to do your best to try and survive?

[Kaiden]

I don't really have a backup plan, but if the US, RU, and China go at it, hopefully they'll be on our side, Kim-Jong un doesn't care about them either, he wants to rule or destroy the world. 

I really hope future generations learn to keep us from making the mistake of letting a family rule a nation (The UK excluded, actual royalty n whatnot).

I find it funny that one of NK's missiles blew up only seconds after launch on the day of the sun.

If however their nukes are only 1/3rd as powerful as the ones we dropped on Japan, then what have we to truly fear? Yes, nuclear radiation and death, but the Kim dynasty must be killed off for future generations of the entire planet. 

Bush wasn't lying when he said NK is an axis of evil. 

[Kobuk]

I don't really have a backup plan, but if the US, RU, and China go at it, hopefully they'll be on our side, Kim-Jong un doesn't care about them either, he wants to rule or destroy the world. 

Maybe, or maybe not. Whether Russia and China were to be allied with us against NK is pretty unclear. China supplies the NK with a lot of it's arms and war material, as well as other non-military goods like food for example. China is NK's biggest trading partner. China fears that if they get involved, it will lead to a lot of NK refugees crossing over into China which China doesn't want.

I really hope future generations learn to keep us from making the mistake of letting a family rule a nation (The UK excluded, actual royalty n whatnot).

We're already letting the Trump family rule the U.S.    That was a big mistake.

I find it funny that one of NK's missiles blew up only seconds after launch on the day of the sun.

If however their nukes are only 1/3rd as powerful as the ones we dropped on Japan, then what have we to truly fear? Yes, nuclear radiation and death, but the Kim dynasty must be killed off for future generations of the entire planet. 

Must be killed?  I don't like Kim any more than the next person. But is killing him really the only answer?

Bush wasn't lying when he said NK is an axis of evil.

[Kobuk]

There's no such thing as "......keeping away from it" in regards to fallout. Nuclear fallout is going to cover just about everything and anything, and be spread all over the place by prevailing weather patterns. Trees, buildings, cars, lamposts, mailboxes, etc., etc. are all going to be covered by fallout and irradiated in some form and some way. No matter where you go or what you touch, and no matter how little or how much fallout/radiation there is, you can't escape it. Even after you come out of a underground shelter 30 days later, you'll still succomb to some form of radiation poisoning/sickness.

Distancing yourself from it and keeping as much material between you and the fallout will minimize your radiation exposure.

But my point is this: Are you just going to lay down and die, or are you going to do your best to try and survive?

Knowing my luck, Varg, I'll probably die. Why? Because I don't own a car and cannot drive due to bad eyesight. So I have no means of traveling and escaping away. People can plan and prepare all they want to try and survive. Maybe some people will, and maybe some people won't. But as I said, nobody wins in a nuclear war, but everybody loses. Prepare all you want. But eventually, you'll run out of supplies. Resources will be scarce or non-existant. Money will have no value in a post apocolyptic world. To survive means to trade and barter whatever skills and resources you have with other people.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

I have dosimeters and a radiological survey meter and am trained in their use. But I'm more worried about EMP than fallout. EMP will fry anything electronic. Lack of refrigeration will mean death for many who depend on medicine and processed food. I have portable generators and a few solar panels to charge my 12v gel cell batteries to power radios or lights.

I have fishing tackle and live near a river. So I could still obtain food readily. There is also game nearby. I have a number of kerosene lamps and camping gear. Enough extra gear to provide to neighbors or relatives--or to barter/trade. Some hard currency stashed about, but not a lot.

[Kobuk]

For anybody that isn't prepared for a nuclear war or any other sort of catastrophe, I'd first suggest that before you go out and buy any supplies, that you first pick up a survival handbook. I bought the following at Barnes & Noble long ago, only because it was cheap and the hardcover edition was a small size for easy portability.
https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Complete-Survival-Manual/dp/1426203896
Not all survival books will be the same. Every book will have different tips about buying and packing supplies, living in the wilderness, etc., etc.  But you should at least find and buy something that offers as much information as possible for living and surviving in as many numerous conditions as possible: Flood, Wilderness, Tornados, Desert, Jungle, etc., etc.  The more information you have, the better prepared you'll be.

[Kobuk]

*stocks up on the following*

Extra clothing
Mt. Dew
Twinkies
Batteries
Mt. Dew
More Twinkies
Flashlight
Mt. Dew
Even more Twinkies
First-aid kit
Even more Mt. Dew

        

[Lorne]

I love how you guys worry about North Korea when they're not even remotely a threat. You want a threat just keep an eye on what's been happening between Russia and Nato for the past few years.

[Lorne]

And as far as fallout is concerned, it depends on who's launching the nukes and what their goal is. Typically you want to detonate them high to maximize over-pressure and area of damage for cities and low to concentrate the damage on hardened installations.

IF a weapon is airburst at about 1200-2000 meters there's very little to no fallout. If the fireball doesn't hit the ground there's usually nothing to cause fallout but whatever's left from the weapon itself, which is miniscule considering the area involved.

And Canada would definitely be hit, especially up where I live. Everywhere from Trenton to Hamilton (The west corner of lake ontario to about halfway across the northern shore) would likely glow in the dark by the time it was all over. More money and trade goods move through here than the rest of Canada. Sudbury would likely get hit as well, Vancouver, Ottawa and any other sites that are manufacturing centers. You want to deny the enemy resources to rebuild, and it's obvious whatever was left of the US would turn North and take whatever is up here.

[Varg the wanderer]

For anybody that isn't prepared for a nuclear war or any other sort of catastrophe, I'd first suggest that before you go out and buy any supplies, that you first pick up a survival handbook. I bought the following at Barnes & Noble long ago, only because it was cheap and the hardcover edition was a small size for easy portability.
https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Complete-Survival-Manual/dp/1426203896
Not all survival books will be the same. Every book will have different tips about buying and packing supplies, living in the wilderness, etc., etc.  But you should at least find and buy something that offers as much information as possible for living and surviving in as many numerous conditions as possible: Flood, Wilderness, Tornados, Desert, Jungle, etc., etc.  The more information you have, the better prepared you'll be.

Agreed. And Lorne, I see NK as the igniter to an already volatile situation. By themselves they are not much to worry about unless you are S. Korea or Japan. But China and Russia are also involved, and unlike NK, they can pose a very real threat.

[Lorne]

"The Spark that starts the wildfire" had occurred to me but at the end of the day North Korea is a nuisance to everyone, so I highly doubt they'd kick off WWIII because it's in everyone's interest to either leave them alone or stomp them out.

I wouldn't be surprised if the US talks to China and says "look, we'll go in and hit their energy, infrastructure, and cripple their military. After that we'll do a decapitation strike and then you move in and take over."

[Subzerus]

I live in an island and I'm poor. If it ever came to the situation I'd probably be a deceased lizard very quickly.

[Kobuk]

NK is a very unpredictable country. The tiniest spark could set them off and reignite war. Remember, the Korean War from the 1950's never really ended. All we have is a very fragile truce right now.

I love how you guys worry about North Korea when they're not even remotely a threat.

Anybody who has nuclear weapons and the capability to use them is a threat.

[Kobuk]

If you guys want to discuss North Korea, I already have a thread specifically for it here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/the-polling-booth/war-with-north-korea/

Otherwise, this thread that Varg posted seems to be specifically asking "How prepared are you in case of attack?".

[Michen_S]

Now I'm not too worried about North Korea actually launching an attack on the Netherlands anytime soon. If this country got attacked, chances are we'll still make it out alive. The only big city nearby is Eindhoven, so I could be able to not be in trouble altogether if they only attacked the four biggest cities (in the midwest of the country), though I don't know how big the radius of the radiation is. If someone decided to randomly drop bombs or also attacked Eindhoven, we have an EHBO-kit and some basic food/drink supplies. We're not that well known with strange languages, but we can escape with our car to a safe place if we really need to.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

In addition to those items listed above, I also possess a few Survival manuals and original Scouting manuals from the 1960s--before the programs became watered down with PC--plus a scoutmaster's Fieldbook.

[Old Rabbit]

Other than enough food and water for a couple weeks I would
have to  depend on others. My eyesight isn't good enough to
fend for myself.

I doubt if NK can do much damage to the mainland US, but if
one was worried that much move to south america or south
africa.

[Holt5]

I'm not particularly worried about it. North Korea doesn't have the capability to fight us on its own, and even if Russia and China were at its back we still have an overwhelmingly higher-funded military than the next five nations under us combined - or at least that's how things were going last I saw. Any attempt to grow a sizeable enough force for an invasion would be pretty easy to see and counteract with the help of satellite capabilities, or so I think.

As far as missiles go, particularly if they're nuclear, there's nothing I could do except hope that they don't end up hitting me. Only people that are going to survive modern nuclear weapons would be people who have the money, status, or sheer luck to be inside shelters at the time, or people who aren't within the blast radius/lethal radiation zones.

I do have a general-purpose bug-out bag, but nothing for nuclear war. I might end up getting a stowable chem suit or something if things really start getting serious, but NK has been a pain for decades. Last time they were going to nuke Hawaii: I'm still waiting, NK.

Aside from the bug-out bag I have three survival manuals that I flip through once in awhile. (Four if you count "100 Deadly Skills" which is a book full of sheer awesomeness.) No real plan though. I'm already in a pretty good location for hanging out, and when something as unpredictable as war comes into play, it's often going to be playing by the seat of one's pants - unless, as mentioned, one has the money to provide a plan worth making.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

A 1970s era Soviet Bloc type radiometer set arrived last week. It runs on readily-available D batteries...and it works.