'Getting Home In An Emergency"

[Frnc]

Sorry I forgot about this was reading. Am up to
"Do you need to start exercising?  If you can't walk 10 miles currently, you simply wouldn't be able to manage returning from a long commute on foot."

This takes me back to my early prep days. I was more focussed on bug out to start with. I decided to go for a walk to scout the local green belt. I could barely walk when I got home, I have knee problems. This was when I decided to get a bike. It was during Covid, so it was a bit hard to get bikes, less choice, so I spent a bit more than I might have, but not too much. First one was too big so I sent it back. Second one broke after the first week, and the shop weren't answering the phone, so I had to pay for the part and get it fixed locally. But I got to know a great bike repair place. Of course I might not have my bike with me, but I don't work, so get home is less likely for me. I'm reading the book as much from a bug out point of view as get home. If I was in an emergency on the way to my mum's, the distance could be hundreds of miles, so I wouldn't be walking home.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Sorry I forgot about this was reading. Am up to
"Do you need to start exercising?  If you can't walk 10 miles currently, you simply wouldn't be able to manage returning from a long commute on foot."

This takes me back to my early prep days. I was more focussed on bug out to start with. I decided to go for a walk to scout the local green belt. I could barely walk when I got home, I have knee problems. This was when I decided to get a bike. It was during Covid, so it was a bit hard to get bikes, less choice, so I spent a bit more than I might have, but not too much. First one was too big so I sent it back. Second one broke after the first week, and the shop weren't answering the phone, so I had to pay for the part and get it fixed locally. But I got to know a great bike repair place. Of course I might not have my bike with me, but I don't work, so get home is less likely for me. I'm reading the book as much from a bug out point of view as get home. If I was in an emergency on the way to my mum's, the distance could be hundreds of miles, so I wouldn't be walking home.

A bike is good but what if it breaks. From a puncture to drive train failure do you Cary the kit and have the knowledge to fix it trail side ?

FB_IMG_1587072154457~2.jpg (18.55 KiB) Viewed 277 times

Rear mech hit a rock and stuck itself into the rear wheel...

Managed to single speed the bike to limp it the 6 miles back to the car park... My mate lent a hand which is always appreciated sped the job up both of us have worked in bike shops so know the score....

Plenty of people keep the bike shop in business doing puncture repairs my grandad showed me how to do it at about 8 years old and gran told him off for bending the spoons out the kitchen draw

[Frnc]

Sorry I forgot about this was reading. Am up to
"Do you need to start exercising?  If you can't walk 10 miles currently, you simply wouldn't be able to manage returning from a long commute on foot."

This takes me back to my early prep days. I was more focussed on bug out to start with. I decided to go for a walk to scout the local green belt. I could barely walk when I got home, I have knee problems. This was when I decided to get a bike. It was during Covid, so it was a bit hard to get bikes, less choice, so I spent a bit more than I might have, but not too much. First one was too big so I sent it back. Second one broke after the first week, and the shop weren't answering the phone, so I had to pay for the part and get it fixed locally. But I got to know a great bike repair place. Of course I might not have my bike with me, but I don't work, so get home is less likely for me. I'm reading the book as much from a bug out point of view as get home. If I was in an emergency on the way to my mum's, the distance could be hundreds of miles, so I wouldn't be walking home.

A bike is good but what if it breaks. From a puncture to drive train failure do you Cary the kit and have the knowledge to fix it trail side ?

FB_IMG_1587072154457~2.jpg

Rear mech hit a rock and stuck itself into the rear wheel...

Managed to single speed the bike to limp it the 6 miles back to the car park... My mate lent a hand which is always appreciated sped the job up both of us have worked in bike shops so know the score....

Plenty of people keep the bike shop in business doing puncture repairs my grandad showed me how to do it at about 8 years old and gran told him off for bending the spoons out the kitchen draw

Yeah I can do punctures, and I should be able to single speed it if the shifter or derailleur broke. Worst case scenario I can walk with the bike or even ditch it altogether. Some of my gear would be in panniers, so I'd have to transfer it to my rucksack, which is only half full. I'd have to ditch the bike tools. Ditching it is a last resort obviously. I don't intend to be exposing my derailleur to rocks if I can help it. I do have a spare hanger I think. I'm not gonna start messing with it for practice. I have had the tyres and tubes off.

[Yorkshire Andy]

To replace a hanger get a chain ring spanner tiny little thing makes life much easier... As the back nut on a hanger is usually a chain ring nut

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284941052181 ... media=COPY

[Arzosah]

Thanks both, Frnc and Yorkshire Andy! Also madscientist yep, it was a self publishing thing, but the reviews, although comparatively few in number, are pretty good.

It's true that the book can also be read as being about bugging *out*, rather than bugging *back home*, many of the issues are similar. Like the ones Andy mentions - reliability of basic forms of transport, ability to repair, all sorts of things. Ordinary issues about bikes are important too - its at least 20 years since a friend of mine who's a regular bike-rider in London was charged by a teenager who connected to her bike, and sent both her and bike flying. Or the other friend who was out too late at night and robbed - he had stuff in his trouser pockets, and the thief actually stunned him, and put his hands in my friend's pockets, and **ripped** - friend was left with shreds of cloth hanging from his waistband

Your own fitness, the reliability of your gear, and what's going on around you. To see what people might do, check out the crime and ASBO stats, possibly. In the years since I wrote this, episodes like these have become much more widespread. That was brought home to me yesterday - I had a day off in London and met a Canadian friend (and was damned lucky not to get caught up in flooding, but that's another story) and for the first time ever, we talked about the racist issues she faced (she's ethnically Indian).

[Yorkshire Andy]

Thanks both, Frnc and Yorkshire Andy! Also madscientist yep, it was a self publishing thing, but the reviews, although comparatively few in number, are pretty good.

It's true that the book can also be read as being about bugging *out*, rather than bugging *back home*, many of the issues are similar. Like the ones Andy mentions - reliability of basic forms of transport, ability to repair, all sorts of things. Ordinary issues about bikes are important too - its at least 20 years since a friend of mine who's a regular bike-rider in London was charged by a teenager who connected to her bike, and sent both her and bike flying. Or the other friend who was out too late at night and robbed - he had stuff in his trouser pockets, and the thief actually stunned him, and put his hands in my friend's pockets, and **ripped** - friend was left with shreds of cloth hanging from his waistband

Your own fitness, the reliability of your gear, and what's going on around you. To see what people might do, check out the crime and ASBO stats, possibly. In the years since I wrote this, episodes like these have become much more widespread. That was brought home to me yesterday - I had a day off in London and met a Canadian friend (and was damned lucky not to get caught up in flooding, but that's another story) and for the first time ever, we talked about the racist issues she faced (she's ethnically Indian).

Hope you prepped by taking a life jacket

[Frnc]

Thanks both, Frnc and Yorkshire Andy! Also madscientist yep, it was a self publishing thing, but the reviews, although comparatively few in number, are pretty good.

It's true that the book can also be read as being about bugging *out*, rather than bugging *back home*, many of the issues are similar. Like the ones Andy mentions - reliability of basic forms of transport, ability to repair, all sorts of things. Ordinary issues about bikes are important too - its at least 20 years since a friend of mine who's a regular bike-rider in London was charged by a teenager who connected to her bike, and sent both her and bike flying. Or the other friend who was out too late at night and robbed - he had stuff in his trouser pockets, and the thief actually stunned him, and put his hands in my friend's pockets, and **ripped** - friend was left with shreds of cloth hanging from his waistband

Your own fitness, the reliability of your gear, and what's going on around you. To see what people might do, check out the crime and ASBO stats, possibly. In the years since I wrote this, episodes like these have become much more widespread. That was brought home to me yesterday - I had a day off in London and met a Canadian friend (and was damned lucky not to get caught up in flooding, but that's another story) and for the first time ever, we talked about the racist issues she faced (she's ethnically Indian).

Race is something that rarely comes up in prepping, but could be an issue, sadly. For crime stats, you can refer to plumplot. It's a pay site, but you can figure out ways to use it free, sort of. For free you can get a map of say London for differnt crime types, but you can't see the area details so you have to be able to figure out the area. Where I live, I can recognise the shape of the bit I live in. City centre is fairly obvious. You can get the shapes by typing an authority or postcode into google maps. That is how I got mine. They give some data for free, or you can join for £5.77 for 2 weeks.
This is violent crime for London
https://i.plumplot.co.uk/London-violent ... on-map.png

Robbery is defined as theft with force or threat, eg mugging. Map for Manchester is shocking. I live in a 140% area, which is bad, but only half as bad as the Manchester average, which is 288%. So most of the red areas must be more than 300%. It's surprising, because a lot of the red areas are good areas, some are very expensive. A lot of it is student areas so maybe they get mugged a lot. The violent crime map is a lot better, fortunately. I am in a green area. Open image in new tab to zoom in. I think on the paid version you can zoom in more, and see through to get area details.
http://i.plumplot.co.uk/Manchester-robb ... on-map.png
http://www.plumplot.co.uk/Manchester-vi ... stics.html
Free stats
http://www.plumplot.co.uk/Manchester-ro ... stics.html

[Arzosah]

I had a day off in London and met a Canadian friend (and was damned lucky not to get caught up in flooding, but that's another story) and for the first time ever, we talked about the racist issues she faced (she's ethnically Indian).

Hope you prepped by taking a life jacket

Almost I was incredibly fortunate - didn't even get caught in any of the cloudbursts, and my trains weren't delayed. I had water and a snack with me, I'd have been okay.

[Arzosah]

I had a day off in London and met a Canadian friend and for the first time ever, we talked about the racist issues she faced (she's ethnically Indian).

Race is something that rarely comes up in prepping, but could be an issue, sadly.

That's true - and I think it should be mentioned, especially for people who use London regularly and might get caught up in something big. And anybody could be attacked, from white to brown to black. I think it's important to know the profiles of areas you might need to get through, ones that you usually pass by on a train, for instance, whether it's to skirt them or go there because you might fit in ethnically, so to speak. We can see the rising tide of race-based activity on the streets - and I'm not judging anyone, I'm commenting - if you have to get through Brixton, where my friend lives, you better not be wearing an EDL badge. Conversely, I once came across an Ethiopian church, though here's where regular updating of your information is crucial - there were apparently two opposing groups in the congregation, and everything crumbled https://lawandreligionuk.com/2023/04/14 ... revisited/ if you wanted to put this as a possible safe point on a route home, best visit it yourself and get to know who's in charge, or if it's even open.

But the same goes for other religions: I just searched for Greek Orthodox churches London, and there are loads. Or maybe hobby groups: bike shops, re-enactment societies, WI premises, branches of your employer when you have your staff ID on you. And I still have two relatives who live in London, they'd give me some water and a place to rest before continuing my homeward journey.

I think the point I'd make overall is that if you're facing an emergency journey of longer than 2 - 3 hours, it might be a good idea to know the biases of any communities through which you need to pass, and plan accordingly, taking account of any links you have, or problems that you might have. The stress of an extreme event can cause all sorts of issues to crawl out of the woodwork, and this wouldn't be the time to challenge them, this would be the time to get home safely.