Be Prepared

[gregthehand]

A lot of times I don't like to bring up prepping because it makes so many uncomfortable.  The idea it conjures up is a guy with a long beard, wearing a hat designed to keep out government mind control waves.  However even if none of this bad stuff ever happens think about it like this. 
 
The canned and dehydrated food you could have bought three years ago would still be good today and would be worth three to five times as much now then it was then.  You can bet as the price to keep a family fed rises along with the price that it costs dad and mom to commute to work something's going to break.  By the way diesel is $4 for .9 gallons right now and it's not even summer yet.  How is that going to further effect food prices?  If you believe in having a firearm(s) to protect your family the ammo prices have also doubled and some have tripled since I have started keeping track in 2005.  At that time I could buy 500 Winchester 230 gr .45 ACP bullets, from Midway USA, to reload for $39.  Now the same bullets cost $99 (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/139012 ... tal-jacket" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).  All other components and assembled ammo has gone up as well, signifigantly.  If you had bought 10 Russian made SKS rifles in 2005 you could have paid around $150 for some nice ones.  Now they're worth $350 - $400. 
 
Be Prepared.  It's not about setting up a bunker and playing Rambo in the woods.  It's about caring for your family and making sure that you've done your best to protect them. 
 
Look at it this way.  If nothing bad ever happens and all this is just the ramblings of an overactive society then you could sell the hard goods (ammo, guns, vehicle spare parts, other preps) and consume the food.  I'd be willing to bet a steak dinner at Perry's you'd come out better than you did with your retirement savings over the last 3-5 years.   
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... ONTHS.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/03/12- ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 

[cbunt1]

Gregthehand, I think you make some good points.

Forgetting the stereotype (We all have it in the back of our minds), the fact is that being "prepared" doesn't require bunkers, 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 5 years worth of food buried in the back yard along with a family pack of tin-foil hats.

We take for granted the services and infrastructure of the world we live in. Being prepared isn't completely about what YOU do as an individual or family. Much of it is about how prepared you are to deal with everyone else's panic. Much like driving in the once-a-year ice storms we have in southeast Texas. You can handle driving on the ice, as long as the other 30 people on the street can do the same (not likely!).

Starting simple is a good idea. A couple of blocks of ice in the extra space in the freezer (old milk jugs work great, and a 1-gal ice block can get you through more than you would think at first). A few gallons of distilled water in the back of the pantry. A few cans of beans, canned meat, veggies and fruit. A little bit of firewood, a couple of cans of sterno, a few candles, and some canned sodas are a good start.

Think in terms of how you would "make do" if you lost running water and electricity for a week. It's not quite as easy as you might think at first, but it's not the end of the world either. How would you survive in a rustic campsite scenario for a week?

With that in mind, figure out the needs of all your household members, and store it up. Use it in rotation--that keeps it fresh. Yes, it's a lifestyle change, but it doesn't have to be a total overnight overhaul...just a change in mindset and a decision to be more proactive. Don't forget the pets and (if appropriate) livestock in this scenario!!

From the 1-week position, it's pretty easy to expand to a month, two, or twelve....one step at a time!

I'm as guilty as the next guy of taking a trip to the corner grocery store for granted...and I was reminded of that fact during the Hurricane Ike fallout...those things can turn into mass-pandemonium. All you have to do is decide not to participate in the panic. That's "prepping" at its finest. :)

[chasfm11]

Gregthehand, I think you make some good points.

Forgetting the stereotype (We all have it in the back of our minds), the fact is that being "prepared" doesn't require bunkers, 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 5 years worth of food buried in the back yard along with a family pack of tin-foil hats.

We take for granted the services and infrastructure of the world we live in. Being prepared isn't completely about what YOU do as an individual or family. Much of it is about how prepared you are to deal with everyone else's panic. Much like driving in the once-a-year ice storms we have in southeast Texas. You can handle driving on the ice, as long as the other 30 people on the street can do the same (not likely!).

Starting simple is a good idea. A couple of blocks of ice in the extra space in the freezer (old milk jugs work great, and a 1-gal ice block can get you through more than you would think at first). A few gallons of distilled water in the back of the pantry. A few cans of beans, canned meat, veggies and fruit. A little bit of firewood, a couple of cans of sterno, a few candles, and some canned sodas are a good start.

Think in terms of how you would "make do" if you lost running water and electricity for a week. It's not quite as easy as you might think at first, but it's not the end of the world either. How would you survive in a rustic campsite scenario for a week?

With that in mind, figure out the needs of all your household members, and store it up. Use it in rotation--that keeps it fresh. Yes, it's a lifestyle change, but it doesn't have to be a total overnight overhaul...just a change in mindset and a decision to be more proactive. Don't forget the pets and (if appropriate) livestock in this scenario!!

From the 1-week position, it's pretty easy to expand to a month, two, or twelve....one step at a time!

I'm as guilty as the next guy of taking a trip to the corner grocery store for granted...and I was reminded of that fact during the Hurricane Ike fallout...those things can turn into mass-pandemonium. All you have to do is decide not to participate in the panic. That's "prepping" at its finest. :)

Water is the most difficult, I think. Don't forget that no matter how well prepared you are, the breakdown in society that can happen in as little as 24 hours after a major event needs to be a consideration. The aftermath of both Katrina and the more recent tornadoes in Alabama demonstrated that the sound of running generators will draw people who are willing to try to take them by force.

I'm really surprised at the number of my neighbors who belong to the ostrich persuasion. I'm trying to stir a little interest in topics like security and communications within the neighborhood and there seems to very few want to consider the possibility of a major below to our infrastructure. It is like Rome revisited.

[Kythas]

My girlfriend and I are starting a garden, not entirely to feed us (though that is a nice side effect) but to start getting experience at what it takes to plant and farm seeds. We're also going to put in a rainwater collection device, are starting a compost heap, and I'm thinking of getting solar panels installed. I'm also slowly gathering some ammo - I'm buying some every paycheck.

I don't think anything will happen any time soon, but you never know. Just like a gun, it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[pbwalker]

This is the rain catch I'm going to put together (similar in design). Water is my #1 concern and having a setup like this, along with two 275 gallon IBC totes will suffice for the 4 of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rofUaG0loSA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

not hot linking because there is an acronym about some stuff hitting the fan, and I don't want to break any rules.

[ghostrider]

don't forget about medications (particularly prescription), food & supplies for pets....

[MoJoeWrkn]

Prepping for the unexpected is like buying insurance. Most people don't expect to get in a car accident but we have insuranse just in case. I stock some extra food, water, and ammo, just in case. Here is a good website for info:

http://survivalblog.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gregthehand]

Have you read any of James Wesley Rawles books? That's the guy who runs the Survival Blog.

I just finished "Survivors". It was a good read and I finished it in about a week. I have also read Patriots and if I were to do it over again and read "Survivors" first then "Patriots". Both are good reads and will get your mind working and thinking about how you can better prepare.

[pbwalker]

Both books are great reads. I'm also a big fan of "Lights Out" by David Crawford. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it.

http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Out-David- ... 0615427359" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MoJoeWrkn]

I have read both of James Rawles books, very good. Light's out is a fantastic book. If you liked that you would like One Second After by william r. forstchen. Another very good book.

[chasfm11]

I have read both of James Rawles books, very good. Light's out is a fantastic book. If you liked that you would like One Second After by william r. forstchen. Another very good book.

But One Second after is also a very depressing story, at least for me. "Last Light" deals with the same topic but in less intense way.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Light-Restor ... 394&sr=1-1

[UpTheIrons]

pbwalker,

Some time ago you posted a link to a bathtub liner that's really just a giant collapsible water jug. Do you have that link anywhere handy or remember who made those? I may not be able to set up an IBC tote rig yet, but I sure could use two of those "tub jugs" as a starter/backup.

I've been toying with the idea of a rain catch system - since we didn't have any for so long it wound up on the back burner, but it may well be time to revisit that again.

[Estand]

pbwalker,

Some time ago you posted a link to a bathtub liner that's really just a giant collapsible water jug. Do you have that link anywhere handy or remember who made those? I may not be able to set up an IBC tote rig yet, but I sure could use two of those "tub jugs" as a starter/backup.

I've been toying with the idea of a rain catch system - since we didn't have any for so long it wound up on the back burner, but it may well be time to revisit that again.

I have one of those, check the cheaper than dirt site (where I got it) and search for water bob. Or check the survival section, then water sub category.

[pbwalker]

pbwalker,

Some time ago you posted a link to a bathtub liner that's really just a giant collapsible water jug. Do you have that link anywhere handy or remember who made those? I may not be able to set up an IBC tote rig yet, but I sure could use two of those "tub jugs" as a starter/backup.

I've been toying with the idea of a rain catch system - since we didn't have any for so long it wound up on the back burner, but it may well be time to revisit that again.

Estand was spot on. http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP205-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sadly, you have to pay tax and their insane shipping charges.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/waterbob.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has it also...not sure what their shipping charges are. It may come in cheaper in the long run.

[discoqueen]

Subscribing to read further replies.
My dad and I talked about this very subject last night, and while it is an uncomfortable subject, it's important. Dad has long had a survivalist mentality, and for years I jokingly thought of him as the paranoid mountain man.
Maybe it's a symptom of getting older, but I now see that he is right. You cannot depend on anyone else to take care of you or even help you out if the bottom drops out. You have to be prepared to do it yourself.

Thanks for the links, all. Keep 'em coming!