What happens after the Big Whimper

There is a poem by T. S. Eliot called The Hollow Men.  One of the most quoted lines from that poem is;

This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

There are many scenarios for the end of the world.  No matter what one you might be worried about, they all sort of end up the same way, with a Big Whimper.  Many of you may have experienced this, a strange relief when the power goes out and the world suddenly becomes really quiet.  That moment, that is the Big Whimper.  The 'thing' has happened and you are standing in the aftermath.

When preparing, or prepping as it's more recently come to be known as, some people get tunnel vision regarding the event that will spell the end.  I'm not knocking them, you can prepare for adversity in any way you choose.  I prescribe a slightly different approach.

Keep your options open.  Flexibility is key.  Have a few ideas, and try to imagine how these ideas might benefit you when the world ends.  I know it might seem a little messed up to try and imagine what you will do if the world ends in X way, but it's how we plan things.  People tend to think better when they work through a problem step by step.  I personally want the world to continue along swimmingly for a very long time.  But I also think about what I might do if things were to fall apart in some way, shape, or form.

You need to think about how you will react to the initial events, and then try to work outward from there.  Do you plan to stay where you are, or get out of the area.  This decision might be effected by the nature of the end of the world and your particular circumstances. 

What follows are some things to consider.  I often use the phrase 'New World, New Rules' to try and give people an idea of what things might be like after the Big Whimper.  These are fairly generic things that you should be able to apply to a variety of situations.

Before I get into this though my apologies to those of you outside the USA, my level of knowledge about foreign countries is extremely limited.  If you have tips or hints regarding your country, please put them in the comments.  Knowledge comes from community.

Travel and Transportation.  

Time to go!  When and if you have to hit the road there are a few things you will probably want to keep in mind.

As a general rule you should have a map of your state and every state that borders it as well as one of the country showing the major highways.  Keep the maps handy, perhaps in the car, or your Jump Bag.

Another thing I find handy is to have one of those maps that some of the major restaurant chains will sometimes give out that shows all of their locations across the country.  They probably won't be open, but they might be a good place to check for supplies or shelter in for a night.  I'm a Cracker Barrel fan, and they tend to have a lot of interesting things hanging from the ceiling, as well as a fireplace.


If you live in a major city, get a really good street level atlas and make sure you know five or ten ways out of town that are not on the major roads.  Worst case, you might have to hoof it out so knowing the street level layout will be extremely helpful.

Car or Truck.  If you've watched any disaster, post-apocalypse movie or TV show or read any of the literature you know the main roads will be jammed.  We have rush hour jams now, and it's not the end of the world.  So assume the roads out of town will be a mess.  There are many in the prepper community who recommend never letting your fuel tank fall below 1/2 tank.  Most cars built after probably 1995 have a fuel tank that should get them 300 miles with mixed highway/city driving.  It's a ballpark average and, as they say, your mileage may vary.  Try to find a place you can go that's 1/4 of a tank of gas away.  1/2 tank of gas away.  3/4 of a tank.  Full tank.  Assume you can't get anymore gas.  Having more than one place to go is good.  If they can be in a line of sorts that's even better.  Think of it like falling back from the front lines of a battle.  Remember to be flexible.  If the aliens land at your 3/4 tank hideaway, it's not really where you want to go.  If you pack supplies, keep in mind that you may end up having to ditch the car and walk.  So make sure to pack enough stuff for three days in something you can tote, like your Jump Bag.
Keep in mind, there will be plenty of cars and trucks out there.  There are an estimated 237 million registered passenger vehicles in the US.  If you decide it's time to bug out, and no one is around, visit the nearest car dealership to find something suitable if your own vehicle is less than up to the task or you just don't currently own one.  It's not looting if the world has ended.  If there is still civil authority and order, then it's not the end of the world....yet.  If the world has ended it's called scavenging.  Friendly tip, cars on the dealer lot don't have much gas.  The dealership might have it's own gas pump, but that is getting more and more rare these days.  Best to either bring gas with you or have the tools to get it from the tanks of other cars (237 MILLION).  A Fuel Siphon & Fuel Can will be handy to have.


Hoofing it.  Depending on the nature of the fall, you might need to walk.  Own good comfortable shoes that you can walk in.  Make sure to pack three or four pairs of socks.  Air your feet out when you rest and change your socks as often as possible.  Your feet are important.  Walking offers some advantages, since people are essentially the ultimate all-terrain vehicle.  You can take trails and paths (like train tracks) a car really can't take easily. If you think this is likely to be your way out of Dodge then it might be a good idea to have a topographical map(s) of the area you're in and adjacent areas.

Motorcycle.  You see this in some survival stories.  Hero riding across the landscape on his motorcycle.  I ride, and I love it.  I also don't think I want to have to try to evade the zombie hoards on a motorcycle, in the rain, with my Jump Bag strapped to it.  But a motorcycle offers a variety of advantages.  I have a bike with a red gas tank that has, I kid you not, Ghost Flames on it.  Not my ideal choice, but it was the bike in my price range and configuration.  I've been asked, "That your mid-life crisis car?"  I generally answer that I hope not.  When they press me as to why I ride it I tell them.  65 miles to the gallon.  Once they pick their jaw up off the ground I say, "And I love the freedom of riding."  But, it's not the end of the world and the vast majority of the world around me is contained in a semblance of order.  People are not trying to kill me for my stuff, generally.  But you may find the motorcycle to be the ultimate in TEOTWAWKI vehicle.

Motorhome.  I've tinkered with this idea.  Having a fully mobile bug out vehicle complete with a toilet.  I go pee a lot, so I think about toilets.  You have shelter, storage, mobility.  Everything comes with a price.  They get about nine to twelve miles to the gallon, well maybe a little more.  They can't maneuver in tight spaces, like the auto congested highways full of abandoned cars.  They aren't easy to hide.  But, like everything else there are pluses and minuses.  Your situation may be such that you think the benefits outweigh the flaws.  Just remember not to get one you can't drive with a relative degree of confidence.

Housing.

Where are you going to live?  Does your current shelter have space to garden, a good source of water, can it be heated and cooled without the grid?  You may want to eye up something with those things.  Septic and a well instead of city sewer.  Maybe a source of fresh water close by.  A little ways off a road.  A few acres.  We're looking at a little vacation/retirement home sort of thing.  Looking at it with one eye on sort of homesteading and one eye on "Well if the world were to end..."  But you can't afford to buy a place out in the woods?  Well, maybe you wont have to.

It's the end of the world.  You've laid low at the house until the rioting and gun fire have mostly died out.  Time to bug out.  In the days leading up to mayhem, as a way to kill a little time, get on one of the real estate sites.  www.zillow.com is a good one.  Register an account.  Do a little home shopping.  Find places that match your criteria.  For us it's at least one acre of land.  Well water.  Septic.  I like the find places with wood burning stoves or fireplaces.  The wife likes the idea of brick or stone construction.  Make note of ones that have photos of an empty house.  There is a good chance it will be empty when the world ends, assuming it's not sold.  You need to keep your list up to date.  You mark the ones you like as favorites.  Copy the address, get directions there, print the directions.  Then, if you need to bug out, and you have no better place to go, you have a list of possible bug out locations.

But it's stealing a house, or squatting, or whatever term you might want to apply.  We're talking about the end of the world.  There are more important things to worry about.  Perhaps the owners show up?  Well you can hope they're nice people who will let you stay and you can form a survivors group.  But keep the vacant house list handy in case you have to move on.

Solar or wind power would be awesome, since if the grid is down we're going to need to run the well pump and all the other goodies we would like to have to survive.  If you find a house with all that and it's 1) For Sale and 2) Empty, then make sure you add that one to your list. 

People.

Where you decide to hold up and how you decide to get there will depend on the nature of the end of the world.  If you've made it past the Big Whimper, then chances are the biggest thing you have to fear is other survivors.  By nature I hate people, so this might seem a little harsh.  In a disaster there are essentially two kinds of people.  The best kind, and the worst kind.  It's all too easy for people who have had their world topple around them to become the worst kind.  But hope isn't lost.  There is strength in numbers.  We are a social animal, so we want to live in tribes.  If you have friends that have survived, then it might be a good idea to get them together.  This is when you have to throw out your usual social nice self and trust your instincts.  Don't be petty, hell that's probably how the end came about anyway.  When you meet new people remember the line "Be nice, until it's time not to be nice."  Body language is key, and be ready to run like hell.  Make sure you have something good you can drop, something useful but that you can live without.  They might stop to pick it up instead of chase you. 

Dogs.

Are you a dog or a cat person?  When the world ends, make friends with a dog.  A good sized one.  Up to about your knees is good.  Share some food and water.  Dogs are loyal, warm, and bark.  Cats, they're great survivors.  But cats tend to be more of the solo type.  They don't make much noise when something they perceive as a threat is moving your way.  And you can't usually convince a cat to carry saddle bags with it's own rations, they will let you do it for them though.  Granted it's one more mouth to feed, but dogs can go a good long time between meals and be plenty happy.  You look into a cat's eyes the first time you bring them dinner late and see if they're happy.

The world after the Big Whimper might not be the one you were hoping for, but it will be a world you need to adapt to.  If you plan to survive you're going to need to be prepared and be flexible.  Semper Gumbi!