I will not mince words. The world we live in is in big trouble and that trouble is coming to your neighborhood very soon if it is not already there. There may be some diehard individuals out there that believe that it’s going to get better or that the Government is going to take care of things but those are not the people we normally see here at Mrs. S. If you are here at Mrs. S you more than likely came to learn about prepping but once here have found such a huge wealth of information it’s almost impossible to know where to start. Coupled with the latest news reports of food shortages world wide, rationing of basic staples, high prices at the gas pump and grocery store, the continuing mortgage crisis, and job losses and it could be extremely difficult to know what to do.
This thread is not about specifics, for each of you will have a different situation calling for different plans. There are as many ways to prep as there are preppers. There is no right or wrong way. What I’m going to discuss is just one way to get started. It is meant to teach you about tools you can use to help you do the job better, more efficiently, and hopefully with less stress. Those tools are within each of you and will cost you little.
The first tool you need is conviction.
You will never be able to accomplish what you need to do in a short period of time if you are not convinced that you need to do so. Many of you have had opposition from friends and relatives and that makes us second-guess the need. Sometimes you have a conflicting problem with spending the money on something that you ‘might’ use in the future as opposed to something you want now. Perhaps you can’t imagine having to live with preps and that makes it difficult to envision what you need. Whatever it might be that is your roadblock, if you can’t get beyond it, if you are not totally convinced that this is necessary to insure your future, you will have a difficult time going beyond a few months of food in the pantry. If you have not found that certainty yet then it’s time to step back and take a real good look at the situation as you see it today. Define what you perceive as the worst threat, talk with your family and friends once again and see if their attitude has changed any. If they have, then you have support, if not, then you will have to find that conviction within you to continue. Once you have that conviction you will feel some of the stress ebb. If it’s not all ebbing, don’t panic. Just keep working through these next tools.
NOTE: If you do find yourself with a lot of opposition you might just say that you did not wait to take out insurance on your house until the roof was on fire and you did not take out insurance on your car after an accident. Your preps are just another form of insurance.
The next tool is identifying the threat.
What are you planning to prep FOR? It is virtually impossible to be prepared for everything that could happen but you can attempt to identify the greatest possibilities. It is true that even the possibilities are changing very fast but many of your preps will cover a multitude of dangers and threats. Only you can know what you or your family might need to face. The one thing I suggest is that you do NOT delude yourself. Be realistic about it. While it’s doubtful that you would have a flood in the desert, you might need to deal with the lack of water. Do not, however, believe you will never have to deal with hungry hoards because you live hundreds of miles from a big city. You may not have to deal with a baby in the house if you are elderly or childless but then again you might! Only you can decide for only you know your situation. Whatever you decide, keep the conviction in place as you face the threat. Never feel you cannot do this.
The next tool is to identifying your assets.
Before you buy one more thing, you need to use this tool. This tool has you setting down with pencil and paper, making lists. Do not expect to finish these lists. You will continually be adding to them. Keep them near you. This tool forms the start of your preps no matter if you have never prepped before or if you have prepped for years and want to be sure you are up to date.
First make a list that assesses yourself and each member of your family or the group you might need to share a SHTF situation. List the strengths and weaknesses of each. List their skills, their knowledge and a short note on their personalities, things like whether they feel a constant need of approval of others, whether they could be a leader and whether or not you feel they would be solid during a crisis or fall apart. Assess their health and their medical needs. Assess their addictions like coffee or drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping etc. This list gives you an idea of what human resources you have at hand. Be sure to delve deeply into your own knowledge base as it pertains to survival at it’s basic. Do you know how to start a simple wood fire? Can you cook from scratch, do you know how to sew, repair, or have a good sense of direction? Can you follow directions from a book? Sometimes we feel we know very little but often we have more knowledge base than we realize. Even just growing up or being around knowledgeable people gives us perhaps untapped resources in our minds.
Next start a list of your actual and physical assets. Try to work through the house room by room with the exception that you might want to list all foods together on one list. A clipboard with multiple papers will help with this task. Be sure to list staples like spices, condiments and such on your food list. Try to assess how long each thing would last in normal situation. Be sure to list medical and first aid supplies. As you go through the house look at things with a “prepping eye”. Would those rags work as washable toilet wipes in a pinch? Do you have extra sheets for bandages or for sickness, towels that could be used as diapers, buckets that could be used for the laundry with a toilet plunger? How many clothes do you have for each person and how long would they last if there were no more available. When you assess your tools look at them with a prepping eye also. Would a hammer or screwdriver be useful as a weapon, do you have a saw that could also procure wood for heating in a real pinch, or would the tool box itself be a good hiding place for valuables? In other words, think WAY outside the box when you are assessing.
List your financial assets and liabilities. Later you will be looking at where the money is coming from for the preps you need but for now just list.
Next make a list of the resources in and within a safe walking distance around your home or apartment. Again, think prep. The water heater contains an emergency amount of safe drinking water? How much water is contained in your water pipes? Do you have a back yard for vegetables or fruit, a fence for security, a neighbor who would be helpful? Is there a park, field, wilderness, or other resources near you? Do you have a pool, or does the neighbor? If you have no land, are there resources near you? A city pond, a park, or an empty lot that might yield wild foods or be used for neighborhood gardens if necessary? Is the roof flat and would it be useful for gardening if you had the soil and seed on hand? Is it pitched and are their gutters for catching rainwater? What types of windows do you have? Are they advantageous? There are so many things that we have around us that we never consider as a “prep”. Find them and put them on your list.
As you broaden your knowledge base about prepping you will be reassessing those lists to tell you what assets you have for energy, lighting, heat, water, cooking, and various other aspects of survival.
The object of these lists is to let you know that you really do have more preps than you think. That will give you some confidence. They can also tell you where the holes are that need filling. If you are just not a list maker at least take the inventory mentally. You need to know where you are before you can move on or you will be spending money and energy needlessly and still not be as prepared as you could otherwise be.
Attitude:
I believe we could add attitude adjustments to the tools for prepping. I noticed that many preppers on this board and others tend to react adversely when anyone points out the terrible future we could be looking at. There are all sorts of reactions from denial, to justification, to refuting the subject.
It’s plain and simple human nature not to want change forced upon us. The future we are starting to see in the media and on the survival and watch boards is way less than optimal. It seems to be pointing out that we will need to give up a lot of what we consider luxuries and perhaps even necessities. Just the raise in prices alone makes us cringe but the thought of having to perhaps face TEOTWAWKI (The end of the world as we know it) is even worse.
Why? I tried to get a handle on that.
Is it because you could have to do much more physical work than you’ve done in the past? I know it is more and more difficult for me each year. Is it because you love your present lifestyle so much that you can’t give it up? Perhaps it is because you want your children to have so much MORE than you did and that fear that they will have so much less. Perhaps it is because you see a future that looks too much like the past. Some of us have been there, done that and do NOT want to do it again. Some see the past as a time of degradation for those living through it.
There are a great many reasons why we do not want to face the future. But our attitudes about the future constantly dictate to our prepping. So, too, does our attitude about the past if that is where we feel the next future is taking us. When we think of the future as a terrible place to be, we cling to the present with every inch of our being. That means that we focus on THINGS for our preps; food mostly because it is often associated with the good life. Our first thought is to squirrel away all those things that bring us joy because we can’t imagine joy in the future facing us.
Certainly we will be facing some really tough times. If we have a SHTF situation it more then likely would cause widespread societal breakdown for at least the first part of that time. I won’t paint a false rosy pictures for you. The situation is worsening daily and much faster than any of us had expected but we can prep for that yet. It won’t be as easy but we can do it with a bit of ingenuity and determination.
Still, many people will still be prepping only for the short term because they cannot wrap their minds around trying to envision a future where we have to give up a way of life that we’ve grown accustomed to.
I believe a change of attitude toward that future might help us all to get beyond that. We aren’t really sure what the future will bring but even if it did bring us TEOTHAWKI why do we believe it will be a worse world? Is our world so perfect today that we don’t want to change it? You all know what is going on in the world today even if you choose not to acknowledge it. There is a lot of room for improvement. Who is to say that those improvements won’t come AFTER the SHTF? Each of us has different views for what the world should be. So also will each of you have different ideas for being prepared for it but changing our attitudes towards that future might make even a bigger difference in how and what we prep.
I can easily envision a future where we won’t have electricity which would mean giving up not only a lot of luxuries but possibly will bring a lot of extra physical labor I am ill equipped for. I would mourn that loss but I also look forward to the possibility that it might bring families closer together. I can envision no modern world interference in the time they spend together. No TV’s, Ipods, geehaws and gadgets that take attention away from family and focus it on individuals. Working together for survival can make for tighter knit groups.
When I realized that I changed some of my ideas about what to have prepared. I stocked up on popcorn, books, puzzles, and musical instruments. I made sure that I had lots of hand projects to do in the evening for idle hands are less productive hands and can lead to boredom. I invested in wind up clocks for I know that time has become an issue with us all and it will help to make that transition. I am especially careful to print out instructions for those things I feel we might need to know to make our non-electric lifestyle easier and have invested in non-electric items to insure a smoother transition. When I go to buy something now I ask myself if I could still use it in a non-electric world.
I’ve heard some of you say how worried you are about your kids in this new reality. They might not have all the wonderful things you wanted for them. Perhaps they won’t be able to go to college. Maybe they will have to give up something they are accustomed to having or do something they have never done before. That doesn’t mean it will be bad. If we truly have a societal change then they will not be alone. Their friends, and family will all be in the same boat. Changes happen constantly in young peoples lives. They are meant to. It’s how they grow and we see it daily now. Why do we think it will be any different after the SHTF? In fact, they will most likely adapt better than us adults.
Eventually there will still be schools even if it’s in your own home. Eventually new opportunities will open up for them to move into. It might be different than they had dreamed of but it will be a new dream. You can help with these transition with your attitude.
Attitude towards the future can make all the difference, not just to your prepping but to your whole well being and that of your family. Our ancestors the pioneers really didn’t know what their future was going to bring when they packed up their wagons and headed west. The knew they faced hardship and dangers yet they tried to be as prepared as possible for what might come. Some of them chose to go; some only went because their loved ones did. Some had no choice and felt forced into the trip but mostly they went with the attitude that there would be a new and better way of life ahead of them. After they had faced the deserts and the mud and the rain, after they faced the sometimes unfriendly natives who saw them as a threat, after they lost loved ones and possessions a huge percentage of them managed to find a new life, a better one for themselves and their family. Have we evolved into such puny pampered weaklings now that we can’t do the same? I think not!
NOTE that through all this so far you have spent very little and you have only left your house to assess resources outside. Free preps with little expenditure of energy and low stress so far.
By now you probably ARE starting to feel some stress as you think of all the things that could happen to you and your family. Don’t get panicky and if you find yourself doing so, don’t stop. With your conviction firmly in place just keep going.
Where to start?
FIRST- Bug Out Bags. Never forget that it could be possible that you would have to leave your home in a moments notice and the preps and resources you have may not be available. Bug Out Bags for each member of the family should be your FIRST Prep items attended to. There are numerous threads here on Mrs. S that will help you build them. Keep them handy. Have them in vehicles, near doors, even in the garage or an outbuilding. Learn to carry a mini BOB with you at all times. If you do them with some thought to where you will go, what will possibly happen in that journey and what you might need, you will have a better chance for survival. You will also have your first taste of security.
Second, take out that list of your and perhaps your family’s personal assets. Look at your knowledge base for the bare necessities of survival and self-reliance. Could you write a book on basic survival in the wilderness or in the city? Do you NEED a book on basic survival in the wilderness or the city? If you are unsure then buy a good book on survival at its basics and see just how much you already know and use the book for filling in the gaps. There are many such free books on the internet if you can’t afford or can’t find one to buy. At the least find a list of basic survival skills and choose to learn about those that are most fitting in your situation. Providing water, food, and shelter are the first things you need to know. Make sure you can do that in the City if there is no chance you will be leaving and in the city AND the countryside if it’s possible that you might. If you live in the country and already know basic survival there. LEARN about City survival. You never know where life will put you. And yes, there ARE books on basic survival in urban, rural and wilderness areas. You do NOT need to become an expert. Study the book thoroughly to help the info stay in your mind and pack that book or a copy in all your BOB’s, and keep it near as a reference.
While you are filling in the gaps of your knowledge base you can be starting to fill in holes in your preps. There are as many suggestions for stocking up as there are preppers. One size does NOT fit all. I suggest only that you check your lists to see what you need. Start with the most pressing ones first. There are numerous wonderful stocking up lists on Mrs. S. Use them as a guide until you can see for yourself. Do NOT be overwhelmed by them. They cover everything from food to medicines, to tools, to guns, to incidentals, to sewing supplies, and more. You do not necessarily need them all. They are not meant to be all-inclusive you may need something not on the list. They are only meant to help you think of things you might not have otherwise.
These lists do not just focus on food but preps of all types. I’m sure they will open up new areas of thought for you. If you have trouble finding the lists by using the search engine, just ask a mod or post in one of the forums.
Be systematic in your prepping though not dogmatic. Be flexible to find the bargains. Cross items off your list to show progress. Have two or three goals in mind, adding more each time you attain one. It is human nature that we rarely achieve a goal if we don’t have another waiting in the wings. Make sure your goals come from both adding to your knowledge base and adding to your physical preps. Variety adds interest and keeps you prepping.
Financial difficulties.
This is an issue for most preppers, new or otherwise. With the way prices are rising it will make it difficult but not impossible to prepare. It will depend on how well you completed your use of tool number one. If you are convinced that you need to do this you will find a way. It might help to realize that there are many here on the board who are below poverty level, elderly, disabled, or otherwise financially challenged yet they are finding and sharing ways to get and stay prepared. If you just cannot find the funds to buy food for your pantry and other supplies then it’s time to go back to those basics. There is always something you can do to work towards being prepped even if it’s learning how to start a fire or filling an empty soda bottle with water for storage. Making plans and maps for escape routes and packing BOB’s with items you have right in the house are a couple more. The internet is full of free educational material. Look for it, read it, copy it if you can and start a folder with emergency information you may need later.
Now that you have some basic information lets address the stress and tension you are feeling about being ready in time or having enough. Being prepped won’t cure that tension or stress. Those of us who have been prepping for a much longer period are also feeling it. It is not the stress of prepping that is the problem, the problem is the unknown, the fear, the certainty that something is going to happen but you can’t find the enemy. It helps to have a support system that believes as you do. We are not always fortunate to have that but with the threats looming more openly now you probably won’t be alone for long. Mrs. S is a great place to find online support also.
One sure cure for the problem though is ACTION. Setting around and fretting about what you CAN’T do is not going to help, either the stress or the preps. Focus on what you CAN do and then do it.
Okay, now VETERAN preppers!! Please feel free to add your own suggestions to this thread. I know there will be a lot of questions and I’m hoping that we can all work together to help everyone be prepared.
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