re: What would you do if the grid went down.

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I heard some experts say, that most people in big cities would die within 2 weeks

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From what?

Just my wife and me? I really don't know. We live in a small city that is like a distant suburb of Pittsburgh.

If I could head to my family and friends in West Virginia we could probably live fine until cancer or something else we couldn't treat would get us.

I’m
Always happy when I leave my cell phone at home when it’s after 5pm or so

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I'd start figuring out if there was any way to group up with family, which would be a hassle since my parents live several states away.

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This is the rub that many people don't factor into these scenarios. I mean there's a point at which you abandon elderly parents and incompetent siblings in order to save yourself but that point is going to be well beyond the initial shock and planning phase for most people. A lot of people who think they have the resources and acumen to survive disasters are going to get swamped trying to save their loved ones. Just like how people who are good swimmers sometimes drown trying to save people who can't swim because they enter treacherous conditions they would otherwise avoid or they get pulled under by someone in a state of panic.

I love these threads. Lots of people think they'll make it out in the wild.

Let's run the numbers.
-We have 330 million people in the US.
-260 million of those people live in urbanized areas.
-Let's just assume 50% of the urbanized population stays in the cities and either dies or stays put. That leaves 130 million people fleeing the cities (and suburbs).
-We can shave the rural number down some, too. Not everyone in the country is capable of living off the land. Lots of fatasses in trailers who live off government checks and Mountain Dew. Let's say 1/3 of those people die pretty quickly.
-Now we're left with ~220 million people fighting for resources in the "wild." Good luck. My WAG is that we get wittled down to 50 million pretty quickly, then slowly bleed down from there to a stable number.

My plan? Accept that things aren't going to be pretty. I'm not well armed. I have enough firepower to help me sleep well now, but I don't have enough to defend against a roving gang of post-apocalyptic bandits, and I'm certainly not highly trained in any weaponry. I'll grab my Foxfire books, my bags of rice and grain (homebrewing ftw), propane, and guns and try and get to our family land and hope the neighbors feel the same as I do. I can contribute some food preservation skills and construction know-how, but I have zero hunting or medical experience. Suffice to say, things aren't looking great for me and my family, nor are they looking great for your family.

I would tap a natural gas line in the woods, connect it to a generator and chill

If we're talking long-term without power, whitetail deer would be extinct within 6 months. Wild hogs would last a longer as would freshwater fish, but eventually, the majority of those would be gone. However, clean water is more important than anything. Wells will be very important as will cisterns and other water storage systems.

Every society is about three meals from chaos, so be prepared. A family member with a condition like juvenile diabetes (that requires refrigerated insulin) will be a huge challenge.

Is propane still available? If so i’m good to go baw

Complain to PG&E and Entergy

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it only takes one bullet to end your life.

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one 30-06 to the neck while you're chopping firewood...