# How would you fare in an apocalypse (1-5 Rating Poll)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364 "2025-10-28T15:39:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/81 "2025-10-30T02:29:51Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > And if you happen to have a honkin’ big 500-1000 gallon storage tank, will it be an obvious target for looters and marauders? I mean, in the marauder universe, I don’t think I’m ever running a generator. Sound will carry very far. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/82 "2025-10-30T03:30:19Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > There is no such thing as a “soft apocalypse” in a scenario when the power grid goes down. > […] > It’s hard to imagine anything other than complete chaos within a week. I was drawing a distinction between a ‘power grid goes out but we’re otherwise fine and in no immediate danger’ apocalypse and ‘home is destroyed and we’re struggling to survive in a bombed-out wasteland’ apocalypse. So yeah, I think there are different levels of apocalyptic difficulty. And no, I don’t think there’s going to be some complete breakdown of society and roving bands of murdering, pillaging maniacs in the streets within a week if the power grid goes down. I remember the [Northeast blackout of 2003](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003). It lasted a few days in our area. Yes, that’s no so long, but at the time we had no idea how long it would last. It was widespread. Nights were pitch dark. It was really weird to see so many stars when rampant light pollution was the norm. Cell service was spotty to nonexistent. We didn’t even have running water. And you know what? It wasn’t so bad. We went for walks- talked to neighbors we hardly ever talked to before. Grilled out. No riots, looting or other pandemonium-- at least not in our neighborhood. Some stores were open- cash only, and they kept totals with pencil and paper. People were helping each other out and figuring out how to live like it was 1899. Yes, if it had gone on much longer it would have started to really suck eventually, but for the few days we were absolutely fine. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/83 "2025-10-30T04:40:49Z")
> [@solost](#): > > but for the few days we were absolutely fine. But you knew that it was temporary and that the rest of the country wasn’t in the same boat and could help out if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/84 "2025-10-30T05:08:41Z")
I’d go with 1.5 if it was an option. I chose “2” but pushing it there. Mostly I am a dead man in such a situation but I _might_ just manage…maybe but probably not. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/85 "2025-10-30T11:31:28Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > But you knew that it was temporary and that the rest of the country wasn’t in the same boat and could help out if needed. Yes, true. I just feel like many of the responses here have been overly grim; that if the entire power grid goes down there will be chaos within a week, might as well just lay down and die, they’ll be dead in a few weeks tops anyway, etc. And I don’t consider myself some pollyannic unrealistic optimist-- I’m more of a pessimist in most matters. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/86 "2025-10-30T11:34:46Z")
The gas issue is always something you’ll have to deal with in the long term. If you lack a storage tank, you won’t even be able to get it out of gas station tanks w/o electricity. I suppose you could siphon… Surprised no one yet has mentioned (unless I missed it) solar panels… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/87 "2025-10-30T11:53:38Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I just feel like many of the responses here have been overly grim; that if the entire power grid goes down there will be chaos within a week, might as well just lay down and die, they’ll be dead in a few weeks tops anyway, etc. And I don’t consider myself some pollyannic unrealistic optimist-- I’m more of a pessimist in most matters. My take from the OP and subsequent discussion is that the scenario is that the power grid (or internet or …) goes down. And is widely recognized within a ~week as _never_ coming back up. Gone for good. There is no hope of outside rescue because there is no “outside”; _everywhere_ is affected in ways that will take time and resources we just don’t have to restore / re-create from scratch. Now is when the realization dawns on everybody that it really was the proverbial “the end of the world as we know it” = TEOTWAWKI. And everybody, young and old, male and female, meek and bully, needs to switch gears to the new reality, not just mark time until the old reality is magically restored for them by people working unseen in the distance. Suddenly we’re all Amish. Good luck with that. They’d do far better than most, but even they have some dependence on the modern world. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/88 "2025-10-30T12:05:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > My take from the OP and subsequent discussion is that the scenario is that the power grid (or internet or …) goes down. And is widely recognized within a ~week as _never_ coming back up. Gone for good. Well, I think that, regardless of the reasons for why the grid went down, we’d eventually rebuild. Might take months, might take years, but we’d get there. It would maybe take the form of individual communities getting power restored in their area. Then setting up LANs, sort of mini-internets, to communicate locally via computer. Then the separate communities would eventually link up, and so on. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Guess you’ve been reading books like ‘The Postman’ by David Brin? Nope, just saw the crappy Kevin Costner movie, and I barely remember it. Is the book worth reading at all? I assume from your framing of the question that you consider the book overly optimistic or unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/89 "2025-10-30T12:33:39Z")
I put myself as a “4” due to both skills and because I’ve been in the prepper camp for awhile now (not “sitting in a bunker atop 10 years of stuff”, more “trying to smooth out life’s speedbumps”) I’ve got all sorts of useful skills. I’ve done a lot of camping, including bare-bones stuff where you have to find, purify, and conserve your water, I have extensive experience cooking under primitive conditions, and so forth. I can make thread, cloth, and rope. I can fix shoes and have the skills to make at least moccasins. I have made paper, ink and pens. I have experience in construction. I have camping gear, like a camp stove and fuel. If the Zombie Apocalypse happens you want me on your team. My biggest two problems are 1) I’m getting older (now in my 60’s) and 2) cancer survivor. Currently in remission but if comes back I may be thoroughly screwed even with modern medicine, much less in an apocalypse situation. Oh, well, something else might kill me first. My location isn’t ideal, but it’s not sudden death either. And I have about 3 months worth of stuff in my home. Not enough to survive an entire winter, much less to a substantial harvest, but I just don’t have room for more in my current living situation. The key to whether or not I survive is whether or not I can hook up with a sufficiently large group as to ensure our mutual survival. I won’t make it as a Lone Wolf. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/90 "2025-10-30T12:55:00Z")
> [@solost](#): > > was drawing a distinction between a ‘power grid goes out but we’re otherwise fine and in no immediate danger’ apocalypse and ‘home is destroyed and we’re struggling to survive in a bombed-out wasteland’ apocalypse. So yeah, I think there are different levels of apocalyptic difficulty. > > And no, I don’t think there’s going to be some complete breakdown of society and roving bands of murdering, pillaging maniacs in the streets within a week if the power grid goes down. I remember the [Northeast blackout of 2003](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003). It lasted a few days in our area. Yes, that’s no so long, but at the time we had no idea how long it would last. It was widespread. Nights were pitch dark. It was really weird to see so many stars when rampant light pollution was the norm. Cell service was spotty to nonexistent. We didn’t even have running water. And you know what? It wasn’t so bad. We went for walks- talked to neighbors we hardly ever talked to before. Grilled out. No riots, looting or other pandemonium-- at least not in our neighborhood. Some stores were open- cash only, and they kept totals with pencil and paper. People were helping each other out and figuring out how to live like it was 1899. Yes, if it had gone on much longer it would have started to really suck eventually, but for the few days we were absolutely fin I remember that blackout as well. Restaurants in my neighborhood in the East Village were basically handing out food because it was going to spoil without refrigeration. The next day when my girlfriend in NJ had power restored, I just took the PATH across the river to stay with her. Hurricane Sandy was a bit different in that the power stayed off for about a week and we also had to deal with flood damage and debris. But there was still very much an “outside” to go to. The main problem with a widespread “apocalypse” is that the infrastructure simply can’t support all the people. We could get away from New York and stay in our house near the Poconos where there’s less people and more land. But you still have the problem where most people get their food and supplies shipped in from elsewhere and the local apple-picking farms aren’t enough to support the local population. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/91 "2025-10-30T13:00:24Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Nope, just saw the crappy Kevin Costner movie, and I barely remember it. Is the book worth reading at all? I never saw the movie. Been quite a while since I read the book, but I think it was worth reading: most of Brin’s work is. I can’t remember now what the exact apocalypse scenario was in the book, but yes, I have the impression that I felt the story was rather overoptimistic. Now that I think of it, I expect I’ll re-read it sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/92 "2025-10-30T15:16:14Z")
Spoilers for the book (never seen the movie); . . . . . . . . . . . . After a nuclear war devastates the United States, one of the few unharmed areas safe from fallout is the Willamette region of Oregon. The story ultimately revolves around what form civilization will rebuild to: democracy and peaceful republics, or warlordism led by a would-be nobility. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/93 "2025-10-30T17:39:00Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The key to whether or not I survive is whether or not I can hook up with a sufficiently large group as to ensure our mutual survival. I won’t make it as a Lone Wolf. Probably that’s the key for everybody. All alone? A twisted ankle, or similar minor injury, would be likely to kill you. And there’s nobody to keep watch when you have to sleep. — I think the people comparing the hypothetical to a local, even quite large area local, power outage aren’t realizing the extent to which modern food and other distribution systems are reliant on electricity and on modern communications, which are themselves reliant on electricity. When nobody’s coming from outside to fix your problem because everybody’s got the same problems — and once people realize that and many of them panic — yeah, there would be a whole lot of people dead. Some of them would die of the panic results who would have lived if everyone had reacted sensibly and cooperatively. But we’re talking about humans here. And some would die for lack of medications or clean water or food or heat or air conditioning. There’d be survivors; likely a lot of survivors. And those survivors would rebuild societies; though not necessarily anything like the current ones. But surviving the first weeks, months, or years would only be partly the result of skills and preparation. A lot of it would be luck. > [@Lumpy](#): > > Spoilers for the book And much of the cause for hope is the result of a chance discovery followed by an accidental misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/94 "2025-10-30T19:09:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I have camping gear, like a camp stove and fuel. How long is that fuel going to last? ---
**Author:** ![JoePockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JoePockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoePockets)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/95 "2025-10-30T19:24:34Z")
Over time what would you be cooking on it ? After the bass catfish and bluegills are fished out and deer rabbits and geese hunted ? The progression Dogs Cats and sparrows……We get to Soylent Green is People ! We live on a slippery slope with many hungry people! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/96 "2025-10-30T20:45:37Z")
I always say I’m the comm guy in these apocalypses. I’ve got long distance, packable gear that can be battery powered in a pinch. I can recharge with solar panels for a while. You could take my stuff but it’s not very easy to use. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/97 "2025-10-30T22:05:30Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Broomstick](#): > > > > I have camping gear, like a camp stove and fuel. > > How long is that fuel going to last? The very nice and civilized stove that runs on either butane or propane? Right now, with careful husbandry, I have about 4-6 days worth as I didn’t stock up after the last camping trip (shame on me!). The “hobo stove” that runs on twigs, bark, paper, cardboard, etc? As long as I can find suitable things to burn. The butane/propane one is a lot easier and safe to use, but I’ve used both to make dinner before. Also very comfortable with open fire cooking, or cooking in coals. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/98 "2025-10-30T22:18:56Z")
I split the difference and invested in a alcohol stove– Trangia makes a very nice one as part of a camping cookset. My reasoning was that I wanted something that would be safe against carbon monoxide to use indoors; alcohol stoves are commonly used as galley stoves in small watercraft. And in fact they sell alcohol precisely for such a purpose. It’s cheap, and in various forms 90% alcohol is extremely common, it would probably be findable long after refined hydrocarbons are gone. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/99 "2025-10-30T22:22:57Z")
Given the popularity of beverage alcohol making it will probably become one of the earliest revived industries. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364/100 "2025-10-30T22:43:24Z")
For stove purposes you can burn the reject fractions that are too high in methanol for safe consumption. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fare-in-an-apocalypse-1-5-rating-poll/1024364.md?page=6)