Prepping, or wasting time/money?

[Odd Man Out 1,283]

Hello

 

I prep because I fear "TEOGAWKI" or, The End of Our Government As We Knew It.

 

That's some scary shit.

 

G

I pray for the end of our government as we know it -- I hope for something better!

 

BTW I know what you meant...

[Syndicate 812]

I have a stock pile of toilet paper because fuck pinecones and other shit!

[pony_express1973 183]

Hello

 

I prep because I fear "TEOGAWKI" or, The End of Our Government As We Knew It.

 

That's some scary shit.

 

G

I pray for the end of our government as we know it -- I hope for something better!

 

BTW I know what you meant...

 

 

That will be the only way out of the Fiscal hole we are in........ to have the Gubment fail and start Over from Scratch. Think about it 17 trillion is our debt and how much we still spend we will never get close to being a country that is not one market crash away from chaos

[magsite20 1,664]

There are needs and there are needs, starting with the basics you have (taken from: http://en.wikipedia....rarchy_of_needs):

 

“Physiological needs

 

For the most part, physiological needs are obvious – they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function.

 

Physiological needs are the most prepotent of all the other needs. Therefore, the human that lacks food, love, esteem, or safety would consider the greatest of his/her needs to be food.

 

Air, water, and food are metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements. The intensity of the human sexual instinct is shaped more by sexual competition than maintaining a birth rate adequate to survival of the species.”

 

The only thing pointed out as a competition is the sex so I guess my bug out bag will be full of Viagra.

[Sim_Player 1,939]

Who said putting money into a savings account wasn't a good idea, not me. As far as living frugally, we've got a nice split-level 1200 squarefoot home, two cars that get 35 mpg (one paid off and the other will be in a month), no expensive toys, and we never take vacations.

 

Too many people living beyond their means, because they wanted too much "stuff", helped to put us in this mess.

 

Sorry, if I got off topic.

 

Good topic.

[termite 463]

My wife and I buy extra canned stuff every time we go to the store to have on hand. When we started our business 11 years ago, we agreed to put 10% of the total of each invoice into a special acount, just for crap that's gonna happen, ie, TAXES and unexpected bills, WELL, it has worked out pretty good so far, we managed to pay off our mortgage 20 years early, her car was paid off in 04, my dually in 11, we only have one bank loan for some more land we bought. Things have been pretty lean the past few years and work is down BIG time, but we have also cut back. I don't go crazy buying guns and ammo like I used too, and if we don't absolutly need it, we don't buy it, maybe once in a while we do, but nuttin big. If TSHF tomorrow, we'd be OK with food and "stuff" for a pretty good while. We don't live in a big fancy house, (only 1450 sq. ft upstairs, full basement down NOT finished) we don't eat out, we haven't been on a vacation in 6 years, but we are making it.

My kids call us crazy for buying extra food, but they sure as hell don't mind eating it up when they come over, and I know where they'll come if the crap does hit the fan, HERE, so they'll have something to eat and something to protect themselves with. If you are going to call me crazy, just get it right, I'M crazy as a shit house rat, thank you. I won't tell what all we have stock piled, and it's nobodies business, but we will eat and have power. By the way, anybody want/need a 85kw LP generator, it runs, it makes power, but LOVES LP or NG, powered by a 541 international with 600 some odd hours. It REALLY REALLY loves LP or NG.

[BpS12 512]

Ya know, less than 50 years ago, prepping was a just another part of life. Hunting, fishing, camping, canning, drying and freezing were all family activities that provided for the coming winter/spring and into the summer. Only the wealthy and the foolish didn't bother to prep or paid someone to do it for them.

Now, everyone wants to think of themselves as wealthy, thus leading them to live in houses they can't afford, driving cars they can't afford and buying expensive toys they can't afford to run. It all has to come crashing down sometime. Even more so than it has.

 

At any rate, I've spent most my life prepping. To the point that it may well define my life as a whole. Ever since we were forced to evac our quarter of town due to a chem fire at a dry cleaners down town. I was about 7 or 8 at the time. Even then the thought of what we would have done had we not had relatives in the safe zones was disturbing. Fortunately, it only lasted a few days.

 

Besides the above activities, I got into the martial arts and general survival. then joined the military as an MP. From there I worked carpentry and construction, served as a volunteer Deputy with a SAR unit in AZ where I got my EMT & SAR Coordinator Certs, headed the untis vertical and cave rescue team and tracked inmates for the two local prisons. As well as taught school kids basic survival, etc. I don't know how many times we helped evac trailer dwellers from flood plains during the monsoons. All very useful skills to perform and pass on.

 

I've never thought about NOT prepping. Even in Ohio, I've stocked a few months food and water. Which a freind laughed at me for, until Des Moines flooded and she had to haul water up her apt. stairs. I'd love to have a couple years worth of food put back, but I don't care for soggy veggies and we just would not rotate thru it that well. MOSTLY because my SO is Gluten Free and radically picky about what she eats, regardless of what she says, lol.

 

As for accumulateing guns, ammo, fuel, toilet paper, etc. I suppose fortunaetly, other priorties keep me from getting carried away, too far. Sadly, since my work is somewhat seasonal, much of the money I put away goes for getting thru the winter and tax time.

 

I always tell people to start small with individual bug out(on foot) preparations for self/family/group. Then work up to vehicular evac preps and finally to "bugging in" in place. But ALWAYS be ready to evac if it's likely to be over run/flooded out, etc.

 

I can see how it would be easy to get carried away though. Over the course of a year, picking up a couple boxes everytime I went for groceries, I ended up with WAY more 12ga. rounds then I ever intended. So sadly, I been forceing myself to some range time.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

You know it's easy, dont want to do this stuff? Then dont.

Your rear end not mine.

Giving a crap what fools think is a weakness.

[whitetrashrn 74]

Id rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

 

 

I'll second, third, or fourth that.. So far Got enough guns, ammo, and body protection. Have 8 cases of MRE's, 2 pails of rice, 2pails of flower. Have 3 water wells on the property for three familys and ways to get the water out that doesnt require electricty. Its sort of a start but the main thing is to start. If

you have the funds and a personal preference twards a SHTF situation and what your precieved threats are then you should be getting to it.

[horatio 515]

yes i think some people do get out of control with it, but i think to ignore it just because it probably won't happen is rather foolish. Because of where i live in the state, i am required to buy flood insurance. I don't know how to properly describe the inclination of a hill, but basically my house sits at the top of a modest hill and its the tallest point within a few miles. Within 30ft of my house, the road drops about 12ft. If my house gets flooded, we're all pretty well screwed, insurance or not.

 

i could argue the point with the company, but why? it really doesn't cost me that much (" well Mr. Alcohol, we were able to lower your payment seeing as how you've never had a claim" really? no kidding). i also don't really plan on getting in an accident in my car or using my dismemberment clause of my life insurance plan.

 

point being, like many others said. ammo will really never get cheaper. i wouldn't invest large sums of money in it, but i sure don't mind having some. as to the rest, i have to have all sorts of insurances i have no control over, why not do something about one insurance you can control? fiscally speaking, any well thought out long term plan is highly diverse and operates in different sectors that do not overlap one another. if one fails, the others remain (mostly) unaffected. This should be no diferent

[BuffetDestroyer 969]

ammo will really never get cheaper.

 

I will disagree with this statement.

 

Based upon what happened after the '08 election around mid 2010, ammo prices dropped back to normal as the supply finally caught up with demand. They didn't start going up again until December '11 through now.

 

Panic buying instead of consumption buying is driving the demand through the roof right now. When that relaxes, the prices will go down slightly. Remember that with the government buying so much, combined with guys that typically only shoot a few hundred rounds per year buying cases upon cases - the capacity of the manufacturers has gone up drastically in the past few years. This extra capacity will be worthless if the demand goes back to '06-'07 levels.

 

Plus a few boatloads of surplus can change the dynamic of the market. Like when the Yugo 7.62x39 first hit at $200 for 1260 round cases, this dropped the the cost of the Russian stuff as demand relaxed on it.

 

Lastly, if gas prices go back down to $2/gallon, the price of everything will also go down as one of the biggest costs of importing stuff is the transportation cost.

 

Call me optimistic, but it is totally possible.

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

Lastly, if gas prices go back down to $2/gallon

 

That my friend is a pipe dream, we will never see that.

[getitat 609]

Hello

 

I prep because I fear "TEOGAWKI" or, The End of Our Government As We Knew It.

 

That's some scary shit.

 

G

I pray for the end of our government as we know it -- I hope for something better!

 

BTW I know what you meant...

 

That's government as we KNEW it, as in past tense.....Ditto the fail of government as we know it!

-guido

[Odd Man Out 1,283]

You must have access to a time machine. For as long as I have been on this earth, the gov't has been corrupt -- not as bad as currently, but still corrupt. Only if you head back to the founding times will you find what you seek -- hence to time machine...

[RobRez 1,895]

You must have access to a time machine. For as long as I have been on this earth, the gov't has been corrupt -- not as bad as currently, but still corrupt. Only if you head back to the founding times will you find what you seek -- hence to time machine...

 

Really, can anyone find a government, any government, in the history of the world that has had no corruption????

 

Anyway, My personal level of "Prepping" is formed from my experience with my Grandfather. Having a ranch in the Mountains of Montana breeds a certain amount of Self-sufficiency. The stupid TV shows about the topic are entertainment for those who can't even cook themselves a meal......AKA most modern city dwellers.

Being prepared for having no power for prolonged periods, (more than a week), having canned foods, and yes, Collecting RAIN WATER, are things that seem second nature to me. Not worried about the end of the world, just preparing for shit to happen that can effect My World and daily living. Being prepared to carry on living, and hopefully help the neighbors as well.

We are the ones who will either Help, or Hurt each other in any given crisis situation. The Government can kill me from many miles away, without even waking me up to do it, so I don't worry about the Man getting me. I do think about future restrictions, and rising costs when buying bulk ammo.

My Grandfather always was prepared, and really, we Never talked about Guns as being such a focal piont as they seem to be now. Just another important tool among many.

City life in a crisis? See "Rodney King" riots or any time the Chicago Bulls won a championship to see how civilized folks are. What will they do if something really bad actually happened??? Help you or Hurt you? Better be ready to Help yourself!!!

[slippingaway 89]

I do have to agree that the Doomsday prepper movement as popularized is a big scare-all trap that many will get suckered end to. That being said, I'm a practical prepper and proud.

Am I planning for an apocalypse? No. Though part of me hopes we see a zombie one, because that is, afterall, why many users here bought their Saiga 12's in the first place.

I am planning for practicalities and eventualities. Power outages, food scarcities, gas hikes, etcetera.

Moreover I'm planning for civil unrest. The term 72 hours from anarchy is very relevant, as a few posters have mentioned. 3 days without food, and people get desperate.

My mentality is this, "They called me paranoid, until the riots came... then they called me a HERO."

The old boyscout in me tells me to be prepared for anything. Here is how I advise people to prep:

• Don't owe the bank anything. I don't have any credit cards with debt accumulated.
  
• Have a couple of months worth of food and a 50 gallon waterbob waiting for the power to go to be filled.
  
• Practicing practical preparedness: brushing up on camping skills, knot-work, trapping, netting, and fire building. Knowledge is your best survival tool in any scenario
  
• Focus on awareness with neighbors, building a network of like-minded individuals that watch out for each other.
  
• Have an emergency route planned to a safe place, and agreements with people along the way to geo-cache food, water and ammo to get to a "bug-out" location. This reduces weight if you have to go on foot.
  
• Have 1 primary bug-out bag with 3 days food and water, purification tabs, knives, paracord, medical supplies, and 6 methods to start and maintain fires. Then have 2 modular seasonal bags prepped for hot and cold, that can be lashed to the primary bag. Then normal camping gear stuff on yet another bag.
  
• Keep enough gas on hand to get to a safe location if things go nuts, but plan to walk it by geocaching some of the heavier items like water and ammo.
  
• Have a mix of ammo for your Saiga that ranges from #7 all the way to rifled slugs, cached. Not drastic amounts or anything.. but enough to ensure survival for a few years if need be, unless you are forced to spray and pray with a 20 rd drum.
  

If anyone is interested I made a BOB checklist pamphlet available for download here.

 

The advantage of prepping is it gives you a sense of security... but it's important to not let it breed paranoia or fear. I own my Saiga12 because I'm a prepper. Bring on the ZOMBIES! lol

[22_Shooter 1,560]

I don't prep for long term, but I also don't knock people who do (not saying that you are, OP). To each their own. There's lots of things I don't do, but can understand why someone else would, and vice versa.

 

If shit really hits the fan, and we become aware of the impending doom before the internet goes down...............I'll post up directions to my house, so one of you guys can get my stash, since I'll be dead by the time you make it here!

 

But don't touch my baseball cards. If you do, I'll come back and haunt you.

[Syndicate 812]

none of you can have my toilet paper.

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

Prepping is more than just Beans, Bullets & Band Aids.

It is living life in Condition Yellow, i.e. being aware and prepared.

 

My job takes me away from home and into many towns/cities, often into some bad areas.

With the predilection for certain groups of people to exhibit civil disorder when they don't get their way, I'm forced to look at the upcoming Presidential election and Prep for such a scenario if Obama loses.

So I'm taking vacation days, 11/05-07/12, and I'm going to to do my part to see that Obama is kicked to the curb.

And I'll be home to take care of the homestead & family, and not risk exposure to any possible unrest while away from home.

 

I'm prepped and ready! R U?

 

none of you can have my toilet paper.

I have to laugh at this.

 

 

My wife was just on my case about the last mega packs of TP I stocked, I bought the cheapest TP I could find.

She doesn't like it, too thin, too rough, too little per roll and etc. Good gosh, what do want? You're just wiping your ass with it.

So its all mine as she refuses to use it... I now have plenty and I'm willing to share... Who needs TP?

Edited October 6, 2012 by ChileRelleno

[Syndicate 812]

Prepping is more than just Beans, Bullets & Band Aids.

It is living life in Condition Yellow, i.e. being aware and prepared.

 

My job takes me away from home and into many towns/cities, often into some bad areas.

With the predilection for certain groups of people to exhibit civil disorder when they don't get their way.

I'm forced to look at the upcoming Presidential election and Prep for such a scenario if Obama loses.

So I'm taking vacation days, 11/05-07/12, and I'm going to to do my part to see that Obama is kicked to the curb.

I'll be home to take care of the homestead & family, and not risk exposure to any possible unrest while away from home.

 

I'm prepped and ready! R U?

 

none of you can have my toilet paper.

I have to laugh at this.

 

 

My wife was just on my case about the last mega packs of TP I stocked, I bought the cheapest TP I could find.

She doesn't like it, too thin, too rough, too little per roll and etc. Good gosh, what do want? You're just wiping your ass with it.

So its all mine as she refuses to use it... I now have plenty and I'm willing to share... Who needs TP?

 

I love my soft TP man, it's a small luxery to me lol. I figured out with some college buddies how to buy it in super bulk, so it's shitty industrial sandpaper price for charmin

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

I could donate it to a local High School, let the football teams use it to TP each others houses and such.

That seems to be a local custom down here at certain times of the year, e.g. Homecoming.

[MightyLordRay 94]

I do most of my prepping by staying up on current events. A lot of people are so indulged in their lives and drama that they can't see what's in front of them, or maybe they're just talking to someone on their Obama phone.

[Lone Eagle 839]

I've always had a preparation mindset. My parents/grandparents lived through the Great Depression, and taught me a lot. The one skill my dad bored into me was small engines and basic automotive. I studied electronics and electrical in college. I've also picked up a few other skills along the way.

 

Most don't think of prepping until SHTF. In 1993, we had a hard freeze and 4" of snowfall in Alabama. Doesn't sound like much, but it shut the state down. Roads closed due to ice, power out, water lines bursting from freezing. We were in a rural area, so we were dead last for repairs. Lucky for us, the mobile home we were in was all propane. We sealed off the bedrooms and used the stove for heat. We couldn't get out of the driveway for almost 2 weeks due to the ice, but we had over 2 months worth of food stockpiled. Water lines were double-insulated, so ours didn't freeze. It took almost 35 days before we got power back. We fared well during that time. The neighbor 1/2 mile up the road wasn't so lucky. He became a human Popsicle. His house was all electric and had a steeper driveway than ours. He had tried to get out, but his car just slid back down the driveway and into the woods bordering the property. They estimated he died around day 4 or 5.

 

I've also survived several hurricanes and multiple tornadoes down there.

 

SHTF can take many forms for different folks. Look at Argentina and Sarajevo. Look at Greece. Look at the Mid East. Look at Russia when Communism fell. Do you think we are immune to any of this happening here? If you think so, then you are a fool. No country in the world is immune to a total collapse. When it happens here, the Rodney King fiasco will look like a blip on the screen. If you want to learn from recent events, simply look what happened in New Orleans after Katrina. Now multiply that on a nationwide scale, then a worldwide scale. Not pretty.

 

But back on topic, Prepping is by no means a waste of money. As said before, better to have and not need than need and not have.

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

 

SHTF can take many forms for different folks.

Look at Argentina and Sarajevo. Look at Greece. Look at the Mid East. Look at Russia when Communism fell.

Do you think we are immune to any of this happening here? If you think so, then you are a fool. No country in the world is immune to a total collapse.

When it happens here, the Rodney King fiasco will look like a blip on the screen.

If you want to learn from recent events, simply look what happened in New Orleans after Katrina. Now multiply that on a nationwide scale, then a worldwide scale. Not pretty.

 

But back on topic, Prepping is by no means a waste of money. As said before, better to have and not need than need and not have.

I believe that our Government is purposefully driving us into Economic Collapse, that they are planning to do the same to the majority of the world's economies.

Why? To allow a new Government/System to pick up the pieces after the old has crumbled.

[jbanzai 113]

I agree with the above statement. At this point, govt. is like pee in the poolwater....you ain't ever gonna get it out. No matter how big a collapse, there will be some entity in the aftermath, who are previously prepared (i.e. prepped) who will try to further their agenda.

 

I prep because I like spam, sardines, and guns. Many other items can also double as camping gear. Ammo is just a wise, precious metals investment.

[brandon402 86]

I stockpile guns and ammo (ammo in the 10s of thousands like the OP originally spoke of) so that I can prey on the provisions of the weak and less armed. I plan on kicking in the doors of the weak and taking what I want because I have bigger and better guns than them.

 

So, in essence, I AM the SHIT that will hit YOUR fan if you're not prepped......

 

(This is a total exaggeration, and not at all like me.... but it is part of my own personal motivation for buying weapons and ammo. To protect me from assholes like I described. Most people in this country are shit and are morally inept. They will prey on those who cannot defend themselves and take what they want. In the event of a SHTF scenario (just pick one) i foresee way more "madmax beyond thunder dome" type situations popping up than anything else. I for one want to be able to protect myself.)

 

I do see one of the OPs points though... driving one into the poor house for prepping doesnt make much sense either.

[Odd Man Out 1,283]

There seeems to be an overwhelming sense that when a SHTF sit occurs that the biggest threat will be either a single sniper or bands of roving marauders hell bent on taking everything you have with brute force and with focused purpose. I also see that there might be instances of rioting and mob violence but I don't get the idea of the mass fear that this generates. I believe that the vast majority of the gen pop will curl up in a fetal position and die while waiting for a rescue in a SHTF sit. There are truly few out there that are really prepared and able to survive and even fewer that have had the opportunity to have done so at any point in their lives so I feel if the threat of general starvation occurs that the threat would come from a mindless mob. That said, anyone who tries to bunker down in a loc where mobs are, well they just won a Darwin award imho. Otherwise, a well placed kinetic response to a melon should have the desired repulsive effect to motivate the mob to plunder the other 99% that are not defended.

 

I am writing this from the perspective of being blessed with a bugout loc that is on a small river and borders a large amount of federal land...

Edited October 6, 2012 by Odd Man Out

[thebuns1 4,323]

My favorite is the line "they'll just kill you and take your shit". For one, anyone dumb enough to try to do so in a SHTF scenario is more than welcome to try. Secondly, I wont go down without a fight.

 

Even the shitty criminal element has a natural instinct of self preservation, and will have better success in their quest to go after someone who is helpless.

[slippingaway 89]

In the scenario you guys are describing, it's martial law. And the people with the big guns and the brash sense of "f@#k you, I'm taking your s^%t" will fall victim just as easily to that one wise unsuspecting old man who had a small Walther concealed.

 

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