For today’s post I thought I’d address a topic request that came in a day or two ago… A reader asked if I could dedicate some post time to the subject of how us preppers could stay in contact or get linked up again after a disaster that takes out our primary means of communication.  Specifically, he mentioned after the phones and electric went down.

 

   First, is this a reasonable question and concern? Of course it is, recently the Pacific Northwest was hit with our version of a snow and ice storm. Many homes and businesses were without power for days or in some cases a lot longer. Was this life threatening? No but it was inconvenient for sure. If this situation would have affected a larger area or worse yet been a national level event, we would have seen major delays at best. Worst case scenario could even leave us in the “Game Over” situation many of us have seen coming.  It often takes the efforts of multiple counties’ and all of their resources to just get a handle on these smaller more localized issues and if it goes statewide, there just isn’t enough manpower to draw from for a quick fix.

 

   I find it believable that if and or when the US is faced with a large enough event, whether a terrorist attack or natural disaster, we could see the final flush we’ve all been anticipating. I digress; the point is what will all of us prepared individuals do to hook up with our extended families and or survival groups…

 

   This eventuality should be planned for in advance just like we make preparations for everything else. The power goes down and it isn’t the same as it used to be when everyone had a land line that might have stayed operational for several days more on battery power. Now, most of us have cell phones in our pockets that require regular charging and possibly a cordless landline at the house that will also not be working without the electric grid. However, every situation has a solution and this one like so many others will just require a little forethought to work through.

 

   The example that the reader in question used was a group of 5 families that had formed into some sort of loose survival or mutual aid group. What he didn’t say was the distance between these families. My gut feeling would be that other than in the most loosely arranged of groups, the members would have been selected in some fashion for their ability to actually provide each other aid in the event of disaster. Often I have seen these groups form around family lines and or a central bond, such as common church affiliation. If this is the case than the probability would be that we could assume the families are not separated by more than 20-30 miles. This would allow for a reasonable amount of assurance that they could get to one another even if not immediately.

 

   Let’s make our plans based on this 30 mile distance and if it were to turn out to be less, so much the better! This distance isn’t ideal but it’s certainly doable. The second assumption we’ll make for this post is that group members hadn’t become HAM radio operators or this question of communication could be a lot more easily answered. While HAM is not a one size fits all answer, it would be a good goal for this type of situation and we’ll be discussing it in more detail another time. Let’s face it though, HAM radio isn’t gaining in popularity and I doubt it will anytime soon. CB radio might also be considered as a possibility but the last time I tried to get back into that hobby, it was a big disappointment in that so many chuckle heads were on there listening to themselves talk. I hardly think that they’d allow much, if any, serious communications to take place on “THEIR BANDS”, at least I wouldn’t make this a key element in my groups preparations. I do suggest that both CB and HAM radio equipment be purchased and held in reserve even if not for immediate use!

 

   If this group of families were under my supervision logistically, I think I would go with a very basic plan! I would lay out a map of sufficient size to mark every family’s location on it and see what the map told me…  I think that it would become apparent who the most centrally located family was. This particular family assuming they were “all in” on this plan would become the hub in my group’s logistical wheel.

 

   Again, we’ll assume that the group members weren’t going to be moving in together at one location. This would allow each family to maintain their own home or retreat and come to each other for logistical support or aid from time to time.

 

   Additional considerations would have to be made as to the specific details but at least for running communications through and when the time came to have group members locate each other; this central property would be the most logical point of contact. Some group members would certainly end up being closer than others but work details and or additional responsibilities could fall on those that had less distance to travel for information and or supplies. Every groups make up will be different and these differences will dictate their goals!

 

   Now, on the chance that I didn’t exactly hit the nail on the head with what the reader was asking, I’ll attempt an alternate plan of action… Let’s say that what the reader was thinking of was really a BAD disaster and there wasn’t a viable option for those families to stand their ground at home. Having an offsite location prearranged ahead of time to meet up would be beneficial.

 

   In this case I would also try to keep it simple… Find another location on that same map to use as a “Plan B” link up spot. I might even go to the extent of having a “Plan C” location as well. These would be mutually agreed upon places. These could possibly be a state park or even a parking garage structure that could be predicted to be left unaffected by whatever events seem the most likely. Additional helpful items might even be prepositioned in that area to aid any of the group members as they began to arrive. I would probably at least create a message drop of some kind for everyone to use to exchange information.

 

   I doubt that I would want to put anything in place that required the use of power or electronics, these being far too delicate. Now I’m not saying that I wouldn’t own electrical items like a GPS but I just wouldn’t count on its use for the basics like a place to link up or to locate the all-important message drop box. Keep this basic stuff simple, agree on a place or places and then if the need were to arise link up and then make more elaborate plans if that’s necessary. Once these locations were decided on I would have each member, kids included, go see each place in person. When it came down to where everyone would meet, the plan has to be fool proof. If this happens then we meet here and if that place is on fire then we go over here… Keep It Simple Stupid, you all know the KISS principles, right!

 

   For the sake of OPSEC, I would keep the global plan of where to meet up after so and so were to happen, just that – where to meet up…  Meet up and hole up should be two separate plans, if it were to come down to that! If word were to get out that a bunch of survivalists were planning to meet at the bridge overlooking the state park or had plans to take over the third floor of the downtown parking garage, it could be a temptation for some “have not” to try to acquire goods at gunpoint. Not that any self-respecting prepper would allow themselves to be caught flat footed, it just doesn’t pay to take to many chances…

 

I do realize that there are many additional preps and details that would need to be thought through along these lines but we will get to all the other areas in do time… I just didn’t want anyone to think I was taking the idea of a 30 mile hike lightly! I hope these thoughts will be enough to get your minds turning on what might be put in place now before the day of need arises!

 

 

Prepper

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

If the topics we cover here at PREPPERNATION are interesting to you, please take a mintue to subscribe to the email notifications. I will email you each time I add new material… I always like to hear from you, my readers, so let me also encourage you to post your comments on this or any of the other posts in the comments section!