How Prepared Are You for a Long Term Crisis?

I am a survivalist freak.  I have a false wall in my basement which leads into a panic room with at least 6 month supply of food, water and any other essential you can think off. I have a weapon and ammo supply that the local police department SWAT teams would be jealous of. I have go bags in both vehicles and as well as at home. I gas masks with all 3 filters and level 1 or A radiation suits for entire family. We, as a family, have planned escape routes for different crisis, with safe houses and meeting locations in all directions. This is something I take very serious and have spent lots of time and money perparing for. When something bad actually happens its to late to start being prepared. If nothing ever happens, no big deal. It gives me a piece of mind knowing I have taken care of my family.

Water & food:  About 2 month's worth.  Check (would need to scavenge more)
Firearms & ammo:  (shotgun & IMA .40)  Check.
Tools, materials & supplies:  Plenty.  Check.
Camping and survival supplies:  Check.
Professional EMT kit:  Check (from the blue-water sailing days)
Military training & survival skills:  Check (although I doubt I would have a Merkava-III available)
Land & sea piloting skills:  Check.  (Not an air pilot, but plenty of flight sim time - does that count?)
Most important:  The right kick-a attitude for taking out zombies...  Can never know until the time comes.

Where do I struggle in the zombie-apocolypse?

• I live in suburban Charlotte in a fairly populated area.  Zombies are going to overrun the area pretty quick so getting out fast is key.  Restricted by the roads and interstates.
• My vehicles have no off-road capabilities.  That could be a problem.
• Meds.  Without Synthroid, I'm not going to have energy to last long.  First stop for looting is the local pharmacy.  Synthroid, antibiotics, pain killers, etc.
• I can only go as fast as my wife and young kids and they're not trained.  Wife can handle the .40, but she doesn't practice.  Gracie at 10 can probably quickly adapt and learn to shoot it.  No one else is going to mess with the 12-guage though.
• The VHF radio is handheld and without an external antena, no signifgant transmitting range to speak of.

What would my plan be?

• I would aim for one of two defensible places - The Carolina/Tenessee mountains where you can stronghold and defend the high ground from a mountain-side mansion.  But you run the risk of running into "deliverance people" who could easily take you out.  More likely I would head towards the coast to steal a large 50-75 foot sailboat and head out to sea.  I'm more comfortable on a sailboat and at sea.  Tanks to hold plenty of fresh water and fish for food.  Sails don't require fuel.  Zombies aren't going to swim.  Head for Bermuda or south to a Caribbean Island that hasn't been infected yet.
• Getting there might be a problem.  It's 300 miles across NC to Beaufort and it wouldn't be easy on the ground with zombies all around.  So my first target might be Lake Norman Regional Airport to steal a small plane and attempt to fly it out there.  Risky, but probably a better chance than risking going over land through z-land.
• And if I needed more firepower, maybe a quick stop at the National Guard Armory for something belt-fed in the 50-cal range, some LAWS and grenades.  Something that can be deck-mounted on the sailboat to "convince" pirates to heel off.  (Given the armory is abandoned and hasn't already been cleaned out.) 

... Not that I've ever really put any time thinking about this. 

I bow to the Master!  While I've done fire and intruder drills with my family...  gas masks and radiation suits?!  Day-hem!

I love your style and thought process.

just trying to be helpful.....

Is the best time for your first real plane flight going to be during a zombie apocalypse?  Personally I'd probably stick to the ground and look for some monster truck type vehicle.... or fly a real plane some time soon.

can't say it's bad plan though.

X2, I'm pretty sure I have more guns that most of my neighbors. 

IOWAMAN, I need your address.  Doug, Im from Raleigh, ....NC / GA / TN mountains are best, plus fresh mountain water is less tainted.  Now Im in middle GA and would have to go around ATL to get there..if the ....hits the fan we all know going into or around Atlanta or any big city is out. 

Funny, I thought I was the only estreme non militant planner.  I love my wife but she is fly be the seat, CAPRE DIEM person, love the attitude but in extremes, we need a plan.  I think about my kids and hope the day never comes but I also think about their reliance upon me to think of the things they don't or have no capacity to understand.  That's a parents job...I take my job serious!

My guess is < 1% have a real plan such as IOWAMAN.

He said probably NOT zombies. In which case the double tap is a waste of ammo.

But "Probably" means there's a chance..  

A month is a natural disaster or a civil disturbance. Most will do fine. Nobody... and I mean nobody is prepared for a "long term" crisis, or a breakdown of society. A solar erruption would put our species back to the stone age. Billions would die, and who made it through would be anyone's guess. Full scale nuclear war... same thing. Yelowstone blowing it's top, we would not be around to care.

Canned food is the only thing that will get anything by. If crops fail, then the vast majority of the population is screwed. If any type of disruption lasts longer than a crop season, we are hurting. Hunting isn't going to help much when everything is killed in the first 9 months.

Probably 70% of our population is not self sufficient. That certainly includes me. How many people in this country have a defendable home with it's own energy and food. If the mechanisim breaks down that powers our society, energy supply, food supply, transportation, all bets are off. I guess my point is if you are prepared for a natural disaster or very short term crisis, fine. If the crisis is long enough for our society to break down... good luck.

I like your priorities! (It's not lite beer, is it? Because that would be brutal.)

Lite beer...never around my house unless a guest brought it in.  I'm more of an IPA guy and enjoy a good stout for breakfast. 

head in sand.

I do have a medical kit in the car but that has nothing to do with long term crisis - that has to do with bike racing, and having sons who play football and lacrosse.

when I had a house (as opposed to living in an apartment) I had several months of supplies, but NYC real estate is too spendy for that kind of space!!!!

Guess I will have to trade my medical skillz for food and water.

Well done. I predict you shall live long and prosper.