Free State Wyoming Forum
Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Topic started by: Stormchaser on August 14, 2009, 08:03:51 PM
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This is hypothetical...sort of.
There are some pretty disturbing rumors about a recent unplanned meeting between Obama and the Chinese, with 'deals' being made.
To make a long story short, there is talk of a deliberate bank 'holiday' ordered by BO in Sept. or maybe the end of August. If that were to happen, panic might go ballistic and things might fall apart...or not.
At any rate, the thought occurs that if things were looking bad enough, yet not totally down the crapper for another few days or a week and a bugout to Wyoming might be possible, how would a fellow like me survive provided I got there.
I am:
58 yrs. old
In good shape (but beer belly)
I work out, off and on
35 yrs. with UPS, mainly pushing packages around
Not too many skills and not very good with my hands
Not much money saved
Essentially, an unskilled laborer escaping from Ohio.
Would I, or could I, survive in Wyoming? Not talking about charity, or at least not more than a week or so - I'd want to pay my own way. I wish I had the skills of my brother, who is out of work, but can literally fix just about anything from cars to solar panels to machine shop creating things, etc. But I have almost NO skills like that
What do you think? Sounds bad, right?
(I have to add, I am attempting to build an internet marketing business, but the bux are not quite there yet)
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Oh, I should add, not knowing if it makes a difference, that I have a teardrop RV camper I'd be bringing. You can see similar ones here -
www.golittleguy.com (http://www.golittleguy.com)
Youtube video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm__oBrdSbs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm__oBrdSbs)
Not really something I'd want to live in in the winter, but a great traveling camper and a 3-season (does Wyoming really HAVE spring and fall, lol?) camper.
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In good shape (but beer belly)
I work out, off and on
35 yrs. with UPS, mainly pushing packages around
Not too many skills and not very good with my hands
Not much money saved
In a total SHTF scenario, survival under the conditions you list will be difficult anywhere, and a lot of it due to luck. Would it be easier in Ohio or in Wyoming? Hard to say, there's different kinds of problems for each, but the point is that at your stage, location matters a lot less than personal circumstances.
Remember, you always have to start from where you are. Looks like you already made yourself a checklist.
P.S., if it sounds like I'm preachin' at you, the fact is that I am only a little bit ahead of that list myself. I'm preachin' at me, mostly.
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As a matter of fact, my brother (fully on line with a dollar collapse scenario) and myself have been discussing bugout locations (in Ohio), storing food, firearms training (me being the rookie willing to learn), wilderness survival, etc. etc. etc.
So until I retire from UPS (soon, God-willing, very soon) and make my first million, I'm kind of stuck, though not as much as many others as I'm out of debt, renting with no house to unload, purchasing things like generators and water-filters and the like, etc., and have TONS of camping gear from being an avid tent camper for years before purchasing my teardrop in 2007.
But I live in the East, and the East is waaaaay too POPULATED!
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How soon to retirement?? Do you have enough funds for X amount months to survive?? Married?? Single?? Kids?? Will UPS transfer??
At 58 retirement should be fairly soon. Will UPS retire early?? What can you live without so you can peddle to raise $$$$$?? All these are factors.
There ARE jobs available in Wyo. if your not to picky For your survival until better job options are available.
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Well, I'll get a part-time pension since I've (mainly) been a part-time worker - well-paid, but part-time. The pension I can get anytime after an approx. 3 month application wait. About $1900/mo - no medical, less with medical. Not all that bad for a part-time pension but I don't really want to scrape to get buy, though I fully understand that might happen anyway when the SHTF.
Hadn't thought about the transfer idea - its not done all that much in UPS, though it has been done. Would lose building seniority, but that's not a great concern so close to retirement, but UPS is down in business volume just like everyone else and I rather doubt that transfers are being approved 'cause they have too many people as it is. Nearby Detroit UPS closed one facility a few months back and just closed another one in the last week or so, but still absorbed all the employees in other facilities. Commendable, but not encouraging for anyone trying to get in. But a transfer? I'll check it out. Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.
Will have some extra funds coming in from internet marketing, but also understand that Wyoming is not exactly the internet Mecca of the US, which might pose some challenges to be able to get high-speed internet for marketing purposes.
If I have time, and not really all that much, I should be fine. I'm just concerned that time has just about run out, what with the bank holiday/Autumn 2009 tough times rumors combined with the 2010 real estate resets and the like. The world is getting to be a scarier place to live.
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Oops, forgot some...
What can you live without so you can peddle to raise $$$$$?? .
There ARE jobs available in Wyo. if your not to picky For your survival until better job options are available.
Don't have a lot left after an unexpected divorce cleaned me but good. But I am saving, and paid cash for my new teardrop camper and first cruise last year. Just put out near $1,000 for a Honda generator a few weeks ago, so its not like I'm broke, but the savings are a tad on the low side and ODL (our dear leader) may not give me enough time to recoup.
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$1900.00 a month aint to bad if you have a possibility to get it. With a fairly decent job that I think might get you by. If you have anything you can live without that you can peddle you'll have a grub stake.
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Storm,
You never know if UPS is hiring out here until you inquire!
Take one step, then another. Would be easier surviving a disaster if you were already here.
Mac
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Forget about our "dear leader". Factoring him in is going to get you nowhere, most politicians are stupid thats why we're where we are. Only factor in yourself and what you want to do with your life and then just "do it" and go on. Your the most important factor in 'your' life. That life in the past is behind you, you now have the rest of your life before you.
Let go of the past
Grab today
Reach for tommorrow
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Oh, I should add, not knowing if it makes a difference, that I have a teardrop RV camper I'd be bringing. You can see similar ones here -
www.golittleguy.com (http://www.golittleguy.com)
Youtube video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm__oBrdSbs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm__oBrdSbs)
Not really something I'd want to live in in the winter, but a great traveling camper and a 3-season (does Wyoming really HAVE spring and fall, lol?) camper.
Stormchaser, I lived in my trailer for the first 18 months I was here. (arrived in Sept.) It was cramped but i survived. I am surviving on not much more than your pension. And I am not debt free (but getting closer). Come and see... But you never will get here until you make the first step!! ;)
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Thanks, guys.
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Gillette has good internet and UPS should be doing fine because the mine and other mine/oil support industries have to get goods delivered. I know of one guy who got hired on at the Gillette UPS so check it out.
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hi guy, glad others are thinking about this. i recently started asking others what their plans are, and no on really has one. For us phase 1 is to shelter here and offer others space to set up their campers etc. and use our utilities. Since we live rurally in central WY, and have a few acres, i have always felt we would host people as they left dangerous areas. i have prepped with that in mind. There is a way to dump black water into our septic, and wouldn't take much to fix up the wiring for up to 3 other living set ups. For some that will be the place to stay, maybe health isn't up to more primitive choices. But the next step is to move into the back country, maybe have a series of safe places to shuttle people to. We have also kept a bug out trailer with things to set up more primitive, survival shelter. So as the little mind percolates ideas i'm thinking we need to scout out places to consider. Of course Rich's place is prime, but we will need a scattering of such places. maybe one SW of the Wind River mts, one in the southern Big horns, maybe another in the pocket of SW Big Horn Basin. And there is a great area South of casper in the mts also. And i have way too much stuff to take along, maybe need to sort it out a little. Supplies can be maybe prepositioned ar at least prepacked. THis a great springboard for discussion. ideas anyone?
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Also stormchaser, your retirement income is absolutely lots!! when you consider the different lifestyle you will be living. Having been homeless and lived in our tent for a couple of years, the expenses are vastly decreased, and the income you expect would enable you to live pretty well. Dove
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Working at UPS out there is NOT an option. Sorry, I forgot how 'old' I am. The job I have now is relatively easy, sorting packages. If I transfered, I would be loading/unloading trucks, and I can tell you that is a younger man's job. Been there - done that - not again!
Besides, the scenario for this thread was for a quick bugout, not a planned move. No, I will take my retirement, however long it lasts in the new economy, and my new(er) internet business, and move the way I want to, barring a total meltdown in the next 3-6 months. So this thread was more about a quick, forced move, not a planned one.
In a somewhat different vein, my 'hobbit' RV would not suffice for an extended living arrangement, since it is essentially an enclosed bedroom with an outside galley. Much as I like it, I might very well opt for a larger-sized RV, esp. if I choose the 'snowbird' lifestyle and 'giddyup' down to Texas or AZ for the winters. On the other hand, was just looking at Thermopolis' climate and it looks fairly decent year-round, if I understood that correctly.
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The key for bugging out soon will be for you to learn to enjoy winter. All the ski areas hire soon and most have lodging too. You might want to begin learning another vocation that will be valuable in a cashless economy. Leather smithing, bee keeping, bicycle mechanic, be creative and start researching now. Winter can be the most fun you've ever had if you approach it right.