# It's the end of the world as we know it... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547 "2001-08-01T22:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/1 "2001-08-01T22:02:54Z")
Inspired by my response in this thread [non-sexual fantasy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=79534) which was inspired by a different thread (you’ll find the link to that in the link that I posted): The end of the world as we know it has arrived. You, your loved ones, and a few bit players (to act as either villains or extras) are the only survivors. Civilization has crumbled do to a lack of population to support the current infrastructure. What do you do? To give you some idea of what I mean, read my post in the linked thread. I’m mainly looking for what you would do to survive in this new post-apocalyptic world. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/2 "2001-08-01T22:13:24Z")
I feel fine! Six o’clock - TV hour. Don’t get caught in foreign towers. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn. Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down. Watch your heel crush, crushed, uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier. Renegade steer clear! A tournament, tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline. heheheheheeeeee… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/3 "2001-08-01T22:40:45Z")
Finally, time to read. CRUNCH. Damn, my glasses! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/4 "2001-08-01T23:05:43Z")
Daaaaaaaaaaamnit!!! Someone beat me to the Twilight Zone Episode!! I don’t think I’d LIKE to be at the end of the world with my family. I mean, they’re great and all, but not in times of stress… So I’d start off by ditching the family. Then I’d take a hike to the nearby grocery store, take all that I need, maybe hole up in some abandoned apartment with a million of those paperbacks and movies that I always meant to watch/see. Oh yes, and definitely stock up on chocolates. This isn’t what you had in mind, is it? 🙂 Hehe… ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/5 "2001-08-02T01:01:24Z")
Learn to hide well, have the guts to kill in self defense, and avoid sepsis. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/6 "2001-08-02T06:00:58Z")
I think I’d do the ‘by myself’ thing. Finally learn to surf. sleep a lot. read a lot. listen to a lot of music. And if I ever begin to feel a little suicidal I’d go to the local AFB and see about getting one of those fighters up in the air. I guess I’d have to learn to eat breadfruit and fish ponds. Well, maybe I’ll eventually find a cute girl or 2. ---
**Author:** ![Mofo\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mofo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mofo_Rising)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/7 "2001-08-02T06:19:20Z")
I’d fight off mutants with high-powered assault rifles. What else could you do? Sorry, I’d give a better answer, but I’d probably die off very quickly. No civilization means no cable modem. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/8 "2001-08-02T06:24:14Z")
But don’t forget, when the world ends, we few survivors all have to sort ourselves out – evil dude or nice old lady: who will _you_ choose? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/9 "2001-08-02T07:05:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hazel \* > \*\*But don’t forget, when the world ends, we few survivors all have to sort ourselves out – evil dude or nice old lady: who will _you_ choose? \*\* Yeah, guys… Denver or Vegas?? ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/10 "2001-08-02T12:33:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\* > > This isn’t what you had in mind, is it? 🙂 Hehe… \*\* Not quite. But threads are like children. You start a thread thinking it will be on all of the honor rolls, get a full scholarship to an Ivy League college and generally meet all of your expectations. In reality, it may wind up smoking crack and pimping itself on the corner. Either way, you have to love the little bugger. 😉 I think that it may be time for an intervention, though, to put this thread back on the right track. I’d like to see some more elaborate responses that really describe what you think you would need to do / prepare for in order to survive. As an example, one of the things I would do was figure out an alternate source of power. It is likely that the local power company will not be providing power. So, I would try to gather some solar panels and batteries. I’ve seen some solar panels on streetlights around the city. I’d get the batteries at the local superstore. Another thing I’d have to think about is food. For the short term, I could stock up on canned goods, dried foods, bottled water, etc. For the long term, I would look at getting some farm land for livestock and farming. I have many more examples if you are interested, but I’d like to hear **your** plans. ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/11 "2001-08-02T12:37:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tevya \* > \*\* > As an example, one of the things I would do **was** figure out an alternate source of power. \*\* I’d also have to spend some time learning proper grammar, especially as it applies to tenses. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/12 "2001-08-02T13:27:17Z")
Well, Hubby and I would gather my sister and her family and my mom, head out to my Dad’s where we’ll gather his guns (a small arsenal - Mr. NRA) and all the food he and I have been canning and head up to his property in the UP. Load up his work truck with all the tools we’d ever need (he’s already got two of everything, it seems). Stop at a bookstore and pillage the FoxFire books, along with other independence oriented books (medicinal herbs, drying/smoking meat, ironwork, “raising cattle/sheep/horses/chickens for fun and profit”, soapmaking, weaving/spinning - you get the idea). 360 acres full of deer, bear and other walking meat. 40 acres of field that can be cultivated. An old, but rebuilt farmhouse. A well. An outhouse. A sauna. Off the main road by a mile. Dad’s a contractor and an engineer so he can build and maintain practically anything; sister and I can sew, cook, preserve food, farm, skin and gut animals. Hubby and BIL help Dad. Mom watches sister’s kids while she and I do the house and light farm work. Steal/trade for farm stock as needed. Yes, I’ve actually given this some thought before! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/13 "2001-08-02T13:34:37Z")
Since other people beat me to mentioning _The Stand_, I’ll mention that I always laugh when reading King’s description of the encounter between Larry Underwood and the guy who tells him he fulfilled his fantasy that day of running around the bases at Yankee Stadium, then masturbating on home plate. It’s so cavalierly bizarre, you can’t help but be entertained. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/14 "2001-08-02T13:43:58Z")
Read **Lucifer’s Hammer** and do what they did there- gather books like _How Things Work (Vols. I and II)_ and _The Anarchists Cookbook_, make beef/deer/chicken jerky, gather as many drugs and anti-biotics as I can find, store water/gas/oil, not only stock-pile but provide basic training with weapons and teach the folks I’m with how to reload ammo. I’d also probably stay near a stream or spring for the twin reasons of water usage and wildlife population. You know, the basics. Oh, and I’d like to be near Anna Kournikova when it all goes down, too (never hurts to hedge your bets.) ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/15 "2001-08-02T13:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Read **Lucifer’s Hammer** Hey! Good book! ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/16 "2001-08-02T13:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by thinksnow \* > \*\*Read Lucifer’s Hammer \*\* I’ve actually read that as well as _The Stand_, _SwanSong_, _A Canticle for Leibowitz_, _Alas, Babylon_, and many other post-apocalyptic type books. I got on a kick there for awhile reading all I could find. I think that’s why this particular fantasy of mine is so elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/17 "2001-08-02T15:15:11Z")
A post-Apocalyptic shopping list:[ul][li]Seeds[_]More seeds[_]Canned goods to last until you can make your first crop[_]Guns’n’ammo[_]A few nice bows, for when the ammo runs out, unless you have the know-how to make gunpowder and shells[_]Matches. Lots of 'em.[_]Farm implements[_]Some horses, to help with plowing and for when the gasoline runs out[_]Hand tools for carpentry, plus nails, screws, assorted hardware[_]Lots of wire (electrical and barbed)[_]Some vitamin supplements. You might not be eating right for a while.[_]Lots of shoes (unless you know how to make your own)[_]Some good rugged clothes[_]Many knives and axes[_]Chickens and a few cows[_]Lots of fishing gear[_]lots of salt[_]Some big jugs for making wine and vinegar, and some jars for canning vegetables[_]Gasoline and a gas-powered generator (this is a short-term aid, until you get your place set up)A couple of canoes[/ul][/li] Water power is your best option. Solar power may be unreliable, depending on your location. A wind turbine would be a good thing to have, too. Set up at an old mill, beside an old dam. Use the water for electrical power, fish in the lake/reservoir. Fence in some land for your livestock, start farming. Beware the dogs. They can go feral in a hurry. They will form into packs, and when the food runs low, you might find yourself being stalked/hunted by them. You might want to have a couple of big mean dogs of your own to help defend the place, if you will be able to feed them. What did I leave off my list? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/18 "2001-08-02T15:30:00Z")
Well, I am currently amassing literature and knowledge about “living off the grid,” as hopefully at some point in the next 10 years or so I will be living a semi-self-sufficient lifestyle. All I have to say is, thank goodness for books and the written language! With such wonderful resources available, a determined person has a very decent chance of a secure, fruitful life after the apocalypse. Just got to say, too, that Canticle for Leibowitz is one of my favorite books. Another thought… start walking barefoot now, 'cause it seems to me it would be easier to just let your feet toughen up than worry too much about having shoes all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/19 "2001-08-02T15:36:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BunnyGirl \* > \*\*Well, Hubby and I would gather my sister and her family and my mom, head out to my Dad’s where we’ll gather his guns (a small arsenal - Mr. NRA) and all the food he and I have been canning and head up to his property in the UP. > > Load up his work truck with all the tools we’d ever need (he’s already got two of everything, it seems). > > Stop at a bookstore and pillage the FoxFire books, along with other independence oriented books (medicinal herbs, drying/smoking meat, ironwork, “raising cattle/sheep/horses/chickens for fun and profit”, soapmaking, weaving/spinning - you get the idea). > > 360 acres full of deer, bear and other walking meat. 40 acres of field that can be cultivated. An old, but rebuilt farmhouse. A well. An outhouse. A sauna. Off the main road by a mile. Dad’s a contractor and an engineer so he can build and maintain practically anything; sister and I can sew, cook, preserve food, farm, skin and gut animals. Hubby and BIL help Dad. Mom watches sister’s kids while she and I do the house and light farm work. > > Steal/trade for farm stock as needed. > > Yes, I’ve actually given this some thought before! 😃 \*\* hehee… and me and Mr. Athena, and my 200 yooper relatives will come and help. My brothers & Dad can do any sorts of carpentry/construction you want, and me and Mr. Athena can, um, program any computers you might need programmed… um, I can cook, and sew a little… whadaya think? Shall we do it? ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547/20 "2001-08-02T15:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\*] > What did I leave off my list? \*\* Your list was pretty thourough. I always forget to add horses and vitamins to my list. I do always plenty of pet food to the list. I would add the following: [ul] [li]Add Goats (and maybe pigs and sheep) to your list of livestock.[/li][li]Medical supplies. This includes everything from bandaids to morphine to how-to books. I’d include birth control in here as I’m sure I wouldn’t want to be birthin’ no babies anytime soon after the fall of civilization.[/li][li]How-to books on useful skills like tanning, weaving, etc.[/li][li]Resealable storage containers. I can imagine a million scenarios where these would come in handy. For instance, keeping rodents out of your dry goods.[/li][/ul] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/74547.md?page=2)