Today, I want to turn the tables and hear from you.
Yes, YOU. I’m directly talking to YOU.
If you’re reading my blog, then I’m guessing you’re a survivalist. At the very least, you’re probably involved in prepping in some way.
And you’re trying to accomplish certain things. Perhaps it is more food storage, more skills, more self-reliance. All of the above, most likely.
And perhaps you’ve been working on this for some time. Well, chances are you have certain things which you find frustrating. Certain areas where you consistently feel like you’re spinning your wheels and making little (or no) headway.
So, my question to you is… What are your biggest frustrations when it comes to your prepping?
Go ahead, post your input as a comment below. I’ll be reading every single one.
{ 155 comments }
Finding time to garden. With the current job market I was forced to take a 6 month contract 180 miles from home leaving only the weekend to garden. The rabbits and weeds have taken everything but the corn, tomatoes, okra, cantalope and watermelons. I plan to get my teaching certs this fall or next spring and get a local job teaching but will miss the big bucks that come from my contract work.
My thoughts are that stockpiling of food is of little use, beyond 1 years supply, but that you will need a working homestead/farm to survive. I have the (failed) garden, chickens, cows, grape vines, fruit and nut trees. Currently I sell excess items but will stop should TSHTF. Right now my customers do not know where I live. And they never will.
My biggest prepping frustration is that my wife isn’t interested in it. It has downgraded a major concern into a hobby. If things hold out for a few years then I’ll get us to where we need to be, but it sure is frustrating.
I doubt I’m the only one: the sigh, the eye-roll, the “OK, Honey.” The lack of time. The lack of money.
I hope she never appreciates what I’m doing this for. I hope she never has to.
That’s a BIG ditto for me. We suffer from a lack of resources, but time will fix that as we (I) gradually accumulate equipment and food. However, getting a solar oven (which I’d really like now for practice and to save a bit on utilities, and find to be a critical piece of equipment if the SHTF) will be a problem. I should probably make one from basic materials and experiment on my own.
She is interested in canning a bit, but more to make pickles than to put away food that won’t spoil when the electricity goes out (for which you don’t need a SHTF event). I will go a bit nuts if we lose a freezer full of meat when a bunch of it could have been canned.
I bought some Eneloop batteries and a charger, so as to save money vs. throw-aways (the kids’ toys eat them like crazy). That it is dual use is a bonus – they’ll power flashlights and a Steripen if the SHTF. I will buy the Steripen and a solar AA/USB charger after payday next week (roughly $160 in total, but well worth it). Next is a Berkey system, and after that a bunch of spare filters. Fortunately, what SWMBO doesn’t need to see can be hidden.
I’m frustrated with where we live – in the suburban part of a city in S. Texas. If the SHTF, the gangs will get us, but we don’t have the bucks for a homestead north of here (yet). Also, present home has inadequate storage space, and SWMBO is dead set against building a closet in our (way too big) bedroom…yet she complains that my guns and other stuff takes up too much space in the kids’ closets (yeah, logic and my wife don’t get along near as much as I’d like – those she’s getting a bit better).
What is REALLY frustrating is our damned government – NO thought to prepping on a national scale, or to true reductions in risk (like fortifying/buying spares for the electrical grid against EMP or a solar storm)
Oh, well, I will keep on plugging away, buying a bit here and there that she doesn’t know about, and praying that we never need it.
Have the Same problem. She has her job, working toward retirement and the girls. Does not believe that anything will ever happen. If it does, she wants us to Just Handle it. Yea right. I’ve done it all on my own. Hidden stuff taken day and week end trips to supply my stash points. When I get a new gun the older one goes to a stash point. I only carry .22, .223, 308, 9mm, 12 ga 2 3/4 and 3″. In an all girl house its nice to just get out on my own. I have started my youngest daughter hiking with me. Help me to be able to get her outdoor clothes and boots. Her pack was bought using the excuse its for weekend camping. She has taken to tracking and likes the .22. Its hell sneaking around but what the hell, if the SHTF then were covered. If it does and she/they dont want to come along i’ll have to say I’m Gone. I will fight and die with those that will do the same for me and with me. I will not just give up and last stand it without trying.
Hear, hear. I’m alone in thinking we need more than a couple of weeks emergency supply. My husband rolls his eyes and allows me my “hobby”. He even cooperates in helping me as I pour and carry heavy bags and boxes. He complains, but just in a grumpy manner, when I buy things like dehydrators and canners. But I actually hide some of my preps. He likes firearms, and has a fine selection, but I’ve bought and hidden a lot of ammo.
My children (all grown) have always thought I was quirky. This is just one more example. They help me dig the garden, and don’t mind the food one bit, but object to tons of it stashed behind the couch, under the beds and in all the closets. My sons drew the line when they found out that the hole I was having them dig in the back yard was a root cellar/ hidden stash. Oh well, all you can do is keep on keeping on.
Wife is a bit of a neat freak and equates “stocking up” with “cluttering the house with a bunch of useless stuff”. Getting her to read preparedness info about rotating through the larder is hard. I think the whole thing just scares her too much.
I know my girls (4 and 10mos) are less than prepped.
Lee – your older daughter is the perfect age. You can start her with reading the Little House on the Prairie books, take her to “U Pick” fruit places and then have her help you make jam, make bread with her, teach her to sew clothes for her dolls, take trips to pioneer villages, go to a farm and let her see the animals… there are a multitude of things that the two of you could do together under the guise of “Honey, let me take little Julie while Amy has her nap, then you can have a break…”.
As for your wife, she has her hands full and likely still has baby brain… she’ll get those back shortly and then talk to her as if prepping was an insurance policy against job loss. With four mouths to feed and the economic uncertainty out there, she may suddenly recognize and understand what you have been trying to share with her. It is okay to wrap SHTF concepts inside of other more politically correct labels.
Congrats on the baby – hope she is really sleeping through the night.
Learning how to trap. I consistently fail at this.
If you would like to learn basic trapping and chat with others that are trapping in a big way then check out that www page. They have a classified place that you can buy traps and supplies or at least see the value of such things so you will know what to pay when you come across supplies that you need. Lots of good books.
You can trade or buy there or just read their blog. Its a great place.
redbeardguy@hotmail.com
Their www page is trapperman.com
Thought I put that in there.
Redbeardguy
I specialize in teaching new people how to trap and snare.
Having costs go skyrocketing up, and my husband’s wages have about been halved, along with having no insurance.. it’s hard to stock up on anything when there just is never any money..
I’ve got a few big frustrations. These are the things that keep me from being more prepared.
1. Lack of time. It takes a lot of time to plan food storage, properly store food, garden, and do all the other things that need to be done. Add to that the fact that I have a job to go to, children to play with, and many other chores and responsibilities, and it seems like time has been more of a limiting factor than money.
2. Lack of knowledge and experience. My parents aren’t preppers. They aren’t do-it-yourselfers. I don’t think either of them has ever fired a gun. They had a good stock of canned goods, wheat and a few soda bottles of water in the basement and tended a small garden in our backyard. That was the extent of their “preps”. So everything that I need to learn, from food storage to home repair, from gardening to firing a gun, I have had to learn on my own or find someone to teach me. It’s been worthwhile, but it’s a lot harder to learn it as an adult than being brought up doing it.
3. Lack of resources. By resources, I mean places to purchase supplies and gain training. Most survival and preparedness outlets seem to be based out west, mostly in Utah and Idaho. This means that I have to pay through the nose to ship bulky items out here if I can’t find them locally. And many things I just can’t find. Likewise, training resources seem to be in short supply. I would like to take a few firearms courses, but the nearest place I can find that offers anything is two hours away. The nearest place that offers what I would consider a full complement of courses is about 8 hours away.
My biggest frustration is lack of extra money to purchase extra food, ammunition, etc. As far as gardening and putting up and canning and freezing vegetables and berries, we are doing much better; especially when we use heirloom seeds that reproduce year after year. However, freeze dried and other long term storage foods are prohibitively expensive and don’t fit into the budget. Same thing with ammunition. We buy things when we can, but it just doesn’t seem to be enough. I really, really appreciate this blog and the wonderful information it provides.
I have to agree with JDM
1. Lack of Time – I run a small home business doing genealogical work. I home school my child (at least he is going to be raised with a survivalist mentality/skill base), volunteer at church and with several other local organizations, and run the local commuity archive. My days end at midnight and my “to do” list never shortens.
2. Lack of Knowledge & Experience – I was raised in a large urban centre and moved to a rural location as an adult. The grand total of my outdoor experience was summer camp – a least I learned to shoot. But living in urban Canada essentially eliminated any contact with guns and lviing in apartments cut me off from learning to garden.
3. Lack of Resources – see lack of time… At least the concept of bartering is alive and well here – I can get four dozen eggs and a stewing chicken for 3-hours of baby sitting. Also most of the companies that sell on this site do not or cannot ship to Canada. However for those up-here, I have learned that the Moromon warehouses will sell to non-Mormons on introduction by a Mormon.
I also wanted to say that without this blog and the comments by other posters my knowledge base would be much poorer – Thanks everyone!
I agree that the LDS storehouses are an excellent resource for basic foodstuffs. The selection is limited, but prices are very low and you can can it there or take it home. We generally make it out there once or twice a year.
Trying to find a person or persons close that I can relate to and have thoughts about prepping. Wife is into it and helps a lot. Keeping people that I know on track, seems to me their on and off.
A lot of good ideas come from your blog..unless you can talk about ideas and get others view you can make a lot of mistakes.
Everytime I look at preps I can find sometime that I should have or something I should make.
Ideas to make items I think are the best you can do for preps.
I do think the time is getting short and close to when you will need the preppers.
PRPARE FOR THE WORST AND PRAY FOR THE BEST
lack of local like-minded community is one of my top 10 frustrations. My husband is on board 100% but leaves all the decision making to me, which is fine but I don’t want to be blind-sided because I’m looking at our situation thru only my own eyes. Hard to find local people.
Would like to get into solar power. Been putting it off, don’t know anything about it. Have generator auto backup for house but when fuel runs out, then I’m in trouble. Can’t charge batteries or computer for info on disks and etc.
Would like to intergrate solar into home system…everything I look at is way more expensive then I can do.
If anyone has any ideas for me please let me know on reply…Thank you
PREPARE FOR THE WORST AND PRAY FOR THE BEST
I have prepared to live without extended electricity. Just pretend you’re a pioneer. How many centuries did man live without it? You can do it now. I have a generator and flashlights, etc. for the short term “get used to it” period. Past that, it’s back to the 1800′s for me.
Solar power is on my to-do list as well. I haven’t gotten started, but I have done some independent research, as well as taken a couple of college classes on the subject.
The cost will vary greatly depending on how much power you want. If you want to power your whole house, you’re looking at thousands of dollars. I estimated about $8,000 minimum for my house. If you want to be able to charge batteries, run a laptop or power one or two appliances (like a fridge or freezer), you may be able to put together a starter system for a few hundred dollars and some sweat equity.
For this setup you will need one or more solar panels, one or more deep cycle batteries to store the energy, a charge controller to properly charge the batteries, and an inverter to convert to AC power. Wire it all up and you’re good to go. The good thing about this setup is that, assuming you bought a charge controller and inverter with enough capacity, the system is expandable. You can start with one battery and one solar panel and get more as money becomes available. You can also skip the solar panel and use your vehicle to charge the system.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
I wish to Thank you for your replies to solar. I think I will start with one for the freezer and to recharge batteries. I will make sure it is expandable.
Thanks again to all….
PREPARE FOR THE WORST AND PRAY FOR THE BEST
I don’t want to get to complicated (I am an electrician) but think about getting a “photolytic” (dc current) freezer and make your system completely standalone. The most “fragile” parts of the solar pv system involve conversion for dc current (what the panels give you) to ac current (what your house runs on).
I was offered an opportunity to venture into the field. But very deep web searches found people discussing problems on the equipment that converted from dc current to ac current. This tended to blow away the maintenance cost portion of their budget projections.
Like most everyone else – time and money.
Everyday life between taking kids to sports, work, exercise, as well as other errands that must be run – I find myself staying up way too late and sacrificing sleep to work on my blog and plan for the future.
I approach weekends with great anticipation as more time will be available.
Money is always an issue but I try to focus on things that cost little – learning more about gardening, making rain barrels from scrap, etc.
My wife is an issue as well as I think she just puts up with my “hobby” and she isn’t a believer. I try to talk to her some about survival and preparedness, but she just isn’t interested.
Rourke
Learning to garden. It is much more difficult than I ever thought it would be. I was raised on a ranch, but we had livestock, and never gardened. I don’t even have a garden this year, but the one I had last year was a dismal failure. I’m pretty sure I loved it to death. Must work on this problem!
Balancing my prepping. I was raised in a family that hunted, so I’m pretty well prepped with respect to firearms, as I have several hunting rifles, and I’ve added a couple of AR-15s, a Mini-14 and an AK-47, along with copius amounts of ammo. I’ve spent too much money here, and need to put more money in home energy production just in case we go off-grid. I have a small generator, but no solar at all. Wind power isn’t an option where I live. I also need to store more items related to hygiene, such as toilet paper, feminine products, soap, etc.
Balance my food resources. Right now I have a one-year supply of food, but most of it is Mountain House freeze-dried food in #10 cans. I really need to start stocking up on wheat, corn, rice and beans. And also add some fat and oils to my food storage. I also need to store more canning supplies.
I need a vehicle that would be EMP-resistant, but right now that is just not in the cards, so it will have to wait.
There are other things, of course, but if I could solve the above problems I would be much further down the road of preparedness. I doubt I can ever be fully satisfied, so that’s why I’ve bought extra ammo for barter. And I’ve also stockpiled quite a large amount of sugar for barter as well.
I love my gardening so much, it’s alien to me when I hear people say they fail at it. Get some good gardening books that emphasize growing where you are. (Humid East coast gardening is very different than dry Mountain West.) I know, books are expensive. There are some good gardening magazines. And there are LOTS of sites on-line.
I wish you better luck with next season. Learn to use garden time as your quiet “alone with the Earth” time. It’s very healing. And think compost. Always lots of compost.
We’ve also had trouble gardening. Last year was our first attempt. we got a bunch of beans before a deer attacked them and several other plants. We got plenty of squash, too, which I hate but my wife likes. Most disappointing were the tomoatoes. Our tomato plants grew very big and had lots of tomatoes growing on them, but only a couple ripened. The single tomato that ripened fully was rotten on the inside when we brought it in to eat.
We’re trying again this year. Our new strawberries were prolific, but bugs got to lots of them first. The beans and peas are ripening and we have already enjoyed some of them. Still waiting to see what happens with the tomatoes and other veggies.
My biggest problem at this time is money. I can organize what I have and work with that to the best of my ability, but adding to it is complicated. I lost a high paying operation managers position due to the economy and have only found work that fizzles out due to the economy. I was foolish when I was young and dropped out of high school in my senior year to go to work. I always moved up (usually into mgmt positions) due to hard work and being a quick learner. All that has now come back to bite me. That on top of a failing marriage, possibility of home foreclosure (trying to get a short sale pushed through instead), etc. I feel like a failure because now I’m living with my dad and I’m in my fifties. But I’m going to a college sponsored GED class so I can at least get that out of the way and then I’ll see about going for an LVN degree. It is a short course, has a high demand for male nurses plus can give me more medical training in case the SHTF. Fortunately my dad is willing to help me in accomplishing this. Then I can start paying him back after getting a decent job. Okay, enough whining from me, let’s hear what others have to say.
Sorry you are having such a rough go of things but it sounds like you are at least now making choices that will gve you a future… Best of luck with the course.
I also organize what I have when the money runs out. Growing something- anything- has helped me to learn an invaluable skill with little monetary output. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. Ate my first zucchini and cucumber tonight!!
Don’t fret brother. Marriages come and go. Houses can be bought again. Enjoy your father for these times can not be replaced. Don’t forget Washington say’s they will take care of everything. That one can always make you smile and laugh a little. Your in my prayers.
Plans for a wind powered generator would be nice as would low cost ways of tying a server into a radio frequency transmitter since the internet won’t be on. Also setting up “emergency” frequencies for radio transmission and reception from friendlies only. Maybe scrambling the signal so only friendlies have the key. No one needs to hear conversations that gives them the ability to assess a potential victim since we know that’s the way a huge amount of people will address the situation. When the SHTF, the people who haven’t planned will be virtually helpless and many will look for those who have.
My biggest is getting my wife on board. She can see the usefullness of somethings, like keeping stocked in food etc but not in training, weapons, camping and even talking about a what if leads to a are you nuts? or the government will…..
Second is where to go in a SHTF scenario. My best friend is in Texas and I am in Virginia and we have started planning where to bring our respective families.
#1. Lack of enough money to prep at the rate I’d feel comfortable. Being poor sucks.
#2. Lack of help. (Unemployed) Significant Other spends 90% of his day on the computer watching Hulu instead of helping around the farm, and my girls are too young to do most of the heavy work needed. Running a farm, rehabbing a house, home schooling children, running errands, dishes, laundry, and cooking 3 meals a day from scratch will wear anyone out, even without any added prepping activities.
And my biggest frustration:
#3. I have yet to make a good hard goat-milk cheese for storage. And I can’t try again until next year, since S.O. let the goats dry up without my knowledge (I gave him the job of milking, he didn’t like milking, so he eliminated the problem…) I tried to breed one of the goats for fall/winter milk, but he kept separating them, so I’m not sure the breeding “took”. Sigh.
Your S.O. doesn’t realize what a jewel he has in you!
If I wasn’t already happily married I’d show up at your door with a dozen roses and a truck full of tools.
Hope things change for you.
Time to have a heart to heart with S.O. to see if your lives are “together”. Sounds like he seriously does not want the lifestyle you do. Explain to him that these things are important to you. Very important. And the next time the milking doesn’t get done the Hulu bill doesn’t get paid. He is no child, but child psychology may be the answer.
I guess my biggest frustration in prepping is not knowing for certain what emergencies I’ll need to deal with or when. By no means is this uncertainty hindering my preparations, it just would be nice to have a working ‘crystal ball’ to know for sure what’s coming down the pike.
You really hit the nail on the head. I think most of us are in this boat. We are generally prepared for a lot of different incidents, but not totally prepared for any one event that may come.
James from Iowa, In my many years of service around nukes, I was trained to prepare for the worst. I do and have. I found that after filling out my what if lists and prep sheets for each one, that most major items needed were covered by the absolute worst event possible. Start with the major basics needed for life and go from there.
My biggest frustration is finding time. Time to properly care for my garden and livestock. I work with my garden and animals 3 to 4 hours every morning before I go to work. On my off days I spend the majority of my week end completing the jobs that I couldn’t do before work. I really enjory the work but it seems like it never ends.
Secondly, I am frustated with those who believe nothing will ever happen to them it will always be the other guy, the other town or the other state. There will never be power outages, severe storms, tornados, economic downturns, violent crime, or job losses. They stick their heads in the sand and will no doubt expect me and my family to come to their aid when disaster comes.
Right now my biggest frustration is space. I live in a tiny 1 bed room apartment and have basically run out of room to store preps. The closets are stuffed, there are shelves everywhere, tubs are behind the couch, under the bed is stuffed. I’m waiting for friends of mine to move into a place with a basement, then I’m going to borrow a corner of it for buckets and tubs.
I have to agree with James from Iowa – the uncertainty of future events is my biggest frustration. I am spending time and a good bit of money on preparedness but I am always aware that what I am doing could be completely unneeded. I did a bunch of stuff for Y2K and nothing happened. Although the hand pump water well I put in could be a lifesaver if, and when, the SHTF.
So, I am taking a middle course and doing some things and not others. If something bad really does happen then I will sorely regret my middle way approach. Yet, I just cannot make the decision to go all out. I justify what I am doing by saying I will be much better prepared for a prolonged electrical outage due to a hurricane, etc. And also, my home security and self defense efforts will help deter any ordinary burglar or other miscreant.
Lack of money for the “Big Ticket” items for the family farm, like a good diesel generator, a decent solar system with battery backup and the associated wiring, switches; having a fish pond dug, etc. Some things just need extra equipment and labor to get done, and barter won’t cut it, especially if you need permits from the county (we’re still pre-SHTF as I type this). So I do what I can with the little things, like taking advantage of summer sales of winter items, extra food while on sale, etc.
Like so many have already said, my biggest problem is lack of time. I work 9-10 hour days, including a weekend a month and one evening a week, and have a 45 minute to 1 hour commute each way. Just finding time to cut firewood is a challenge, much less gardening, putting up fence, exercising and all the other things I need to do to feel more prepared. My job also requires that I do a fair amount of outside reading to stay current. And I do have a family I need to spend time with.
I would very much like to take advantage of my county’s Volunteer Firefighter program, both to learn some much-needed EMT skills and to help out my neighbors, but know that I will never have the time. The same is true for the blacksmithing classes held at a local folk-arts school.
As Poe pointed out above, no matter how much food you have laid by, you will never be truly self-sustaining unless you have a working garden, and I have had to work hard to make this a priority. Maybe I can help out a few other readers by revealing some little tricks I have learned to making the most out of what little time we get to spend in the garden:
* Try no-till gardening for grains. I scalp the grass down as low as it will go, and cover the clippings with a tarp for a couple of weeks to kill whatever is left, then sow my grain crops directly into the debris. There is no time spent behind the tiller, and you’re going to have to mow the grass anyway, right? I have had good luck with this and have consistent good yields of buckwheat, millet and hard red winter wheat.
* Used raised beds/lasagna/Three sisters gardening for vegetables. Again, scalp the grass down with the lawnmower, cover the clippings with several sheets of newspaper, and cover this with a couple of inches of compost (buy bags at Home Depot, or if you can, fill 5 gallon buckets with leaf mold and topsoil from the woods, I do the latter from a nearby creekbottom). Double-digging is nice, but time consuming, and can be avoided with no decrease in soil quality. Let the beds “settle” for a couple of weeks and rake in seeds of corn, beans and squash, or the companionable plants of your choice.
I use these two methods exclusively, and grow food as good as any of my neighbors, who are dependent on tractors and tillers for garden soil preparation.
Lack of time is my greatest frustration, but lack of money and spousal nonsupport are close behind. I don’t need to explain the money part, but it causes me a lot of heartache that my wife plainly sees the writing on the wall, but won’t help me try to erase it.
Good discussion idea, MD.
you can also grow potatoes under hay or opaque plastic that has holes in it. Just toss them under and walk away. The covering keeps weeds from growing and when you want to dig the potatoes you just lift the hay/plastic.
Two and a half years “Looking for a small peice of “Junk” Land in my area.Who knows how many over priced 10K per acre I have looked at,idiots who answer my adds wanting to sell me 100+ acres or about anything else you can think of selling.Get layed off and of course find a nice 5 acre place but can’t swing it now.UGH love my luck
My biggest problem(s) is storage of certain items. I started storing all my foodstuffs in the garage and all my “metal” items in the basement. Now I wasnt to move my food into the basesment for obvious reasons. Now I have no room in the basement, or garage to do this…It keeps me up at night!
a) being mislabeled as a “survivalist”
b) not knowing exactly what threats to prep for, thereby wasting time, energy & money mitigating low-probability risks
c) not being able to ‘get through’ to others who should also prepare – and then having to worry about them & help them during & after a crisis
Loyalist,
Survivalist: Someone who tries to insure their personal survival or the survival of their group or nation.
What’s wrong with that? Being “politically correct” is the least of my worries. LOL.
I’m ok with that definition…was thinking of the typical mainstream media & sheeple misconceived notions/definitions of a “survivalist”
Loyalist,
I agree the mainstream media has effectively demonized the term survivalist – I talk about this in my post “Are you a Survivalist or Prepper?“.
I think my biggest frustration is us getting older and becoming overwhelmed with keeping up with prep activities. Local government needs to be fought to maintain land use issues, garden, rabbits & chickens need to be worked with, food needs to be prepared, etc. All this takes a lot of effort and time. But, we are getting old and have less and less ability to do things. Can’t seem to inspire enough other people to help carry the load. Same ten people or so doing the vast majority of the political work and community projects. Need help from my son, but he has his own life in another state. We take some comfort in the fact that several people we know are now growing food and purchasing greenhouses. But, the Corporates always seems to figure out a way to make things worse and most of the people continue to be clueless. It just gets exhausting.
Sorry to sound so depressing, but some days are just worse than others.
My biggest frustration with prepping is that it ought to be both a civic responsibility and a way of life. Instead it’s like this small sub culture of people who want to simply be prepared should some degree of disaster strike.
I’ve been unemployed now for 3 months so my disaster has struck. It doesn’t have to be a Katrina. If I had no debt, 3-6 months living expenses saved and a years worth of food, this would be just a holiday instead of a stressful time living on the edge. On the other hand it sure is motivating for once the money starts coming in again. We already started on the debt elimination. I just hope we get where we need to be before anything major happens.
I’m married to a full-time prepper who’s on a first name basis with the FedEx and UPS guys. The books keep coming and though my knowledge base grows leaps and bounds, the application of new information/skills is not necessarily frustrating but instead overwhelming. Let me explain.
I’m married to full-time prepper who keeps me in books. The challenge I face is applying all the new knowledge and information I am acquiring. Here is today’s example. Before starting the book The Forager’s Harvest by Samuel Thayer, I flipped through the colorful pages and identified some edible wild plants on our property. I grabbed the iPhone (love the camera app) and the dogs and went foraging. I was pleased to have correctly identified three edible plants, my pictures matched with those presented in the book. So I start reading about them in detail and although “edible,” all three pose some mighty discomforting side effects if not handled or prepared properly. I have a long was to go before I can honestly consider myself even a novice forager.
Most of paycheck now goes into the bills; Rent, Insurance, Credit Card Bills. There’s just not enough money left over to buy anything that I may never use.
I can identify with freeacre.
My biggest frustration is not being as strong as I used to be. I was a
strong girl, a strong young woman and now that I am older it is hard to
face the fact that I can no longer do the same work I used to.
I had to go to a 30lb bow from a 40 because it hurt my wrist. I can always
hunt snails I guess.
Snails are a delicacy in many trendy restaurants. Native Americans used bows of low power – it was their stealth and skill that put meat on the ground. As we age, we learn new ways to do things — it will be OK.
My biggest problem is getting everyone that is going to show up on board. My family owns a big ranch with lots of friends that visit frequently. I know when TSHTF that they will all come running there with their arms empty. Come on guys start gathering up something I am not asking them to start hauling stuff out there but they need to contribute somehow when they arrive.
Yes, I was faced with the same problem at my ranch near Abilene, Tx. We have a large family, and many of them were all to ready to take advantage of some of the preparations I was making.
That was one of the things that convinced me to sell my ranch and move to the Ozark Mountains of No. Arkansas. I have a small cabin near Lake Norfolk now, and the friends and relatives no longer come to visit. I had to cut some ties for the sake of survival, and I hate it, but some of my friends/relatives have kept in touch, and they understand my thinking in this matter. Some of them have now started prepping after figuring out that I wasn’t going to do it for them. And until I finish my addition to the cabin, two bedrooms is all the room I have, one for my wife and me, and one for my daughter. So as for now, no mooching allowed.
I am the author of a website with a common sense approach to wilderness survival. Subsequently, I get a lot of overflow from both the preppers and survivalists camps. Every technique, skill or piece of equipment I write about has been tried and tested.
My biggest frustration is people who accept the hogwash wilderness and urban survival techniques on TV shows without ever trying them out! They don’t appreciate that some programs, such as “Man vs Wild,” are made-for-TV shows, and that there is very little actual survival teaching going on.
Running a close second on the frustration index are people who cling to a cherished survival technique or item in the face of overwelming evidence that said items or techniques don’t work! Examples include using lint as a firestarter or building a solar still in the desert.
Then, these people want to argue, without researching further.
The tool or ANY prepper or survivalist must be an open mind and the willingness to learn, and without a survival mindset, you won’t make it!
End of rant!
what is url of your website?
I’d be interested in checking it out.
Thanks!
http://survivalcommonsense.com is the site. You can also google survivalcommonsesne adn find me.
The biggest frustrations are a balance between time, money & family getting on board. If you have no time to devote to skills training,gardening,etc. then you’re not ready or spending money to make up for it. If you’re busy working overtime or multiple jobs to pay down debt & save for prepping, then you can’t devote time to skills & preparation. If you have to argue or debate with a spouse who is not on board with prepping then you have alot of increased tension, and less money & time devoted to preps. Your prep status becomes a half hearted compromise instead of a team effort.
TIME!! Like many here I find myself working 70 hours a week and in the one day I have for me and my family it’s spent with them bucause I feel guilty for the time missed.
In the end I will have no bills but will I still have a family to prep for?
Based on current events, things seem to be speeding up in this downward spiral of society. The sense of urgency to complete everything is almost overwhelming, and I think many here have that same feeling.
I’ll take it one day at a time, and hope I have what will be needed.
I realize that the statement above seems rather alarmist but we are living in strange times.
Finding like minded people WITH the same morals, values and ethics seems to be a task rather than, what was here too for, just a given.
Jerry,
over the past 2 years of my personal journey, the feeling of being overwhelmed is normal, especially when we know what needs to be done but there is not enough time in the day. You are right, one day at a time, that is all we can do. I have found that with my 60-80 of regular work week, I will also get overwhelmed almost to the point of panic. A great friend of mine who is also a “realist” (is what we are calling ourselves) told me that at that time of panic, find something else to focus on for a week or so, not related to prepping. It can and will easily overwhelm us if we let it. Remember, this is by design, they want us in a panic so we can give up and get in their food line in return for protection from the boogey man.
I hope I have not gone on too long.
D
The biggest frustration I have is getting lost in the many types of possible disaster scenarios that could happen. There are threats of civil unrest, oil spill and what it could cause to the environment, earthquakes, volcanoes, globe warming, globe cooling, and the list goes on and on. Trying to plan how to survive for these types of disasters and keep up with the day to day life makes trying to be ready an impossible dream without unlimited funds.
Then add to this the wealth of information available and the different approaches to the same problem makes it confusing which is the best way to handle an issue. An example would be purifying water. Some say to use bleach, another says to use pool shock with pure calcium hypochlorite but store pool shock might be 55% with something else.
The costs involved in preparing just keep going up in buying lumber to borad up the house, food for a year, generators, solar products, seeds, cold weather clothes, ammo, guns, (then the worry that the govt will take them away when I will need them keeps me from buying).
The list does on and on with no end in sight.
It would be great to find a nice quite farm someplace and go there to live but having to work to support family kills that idea.
Thanks for listening
I have found that the best course of action for myself is to prioritize both the disaster scenarios and my preparations, and then focus on the top priorities, largely ignoring everything else.
For example, I would look at what scenarios were most likely to occur and then focus on the most severe, working my way to less severe scenarios. After this, I would look at scenarios that were moderately likely to occur, again working from most to least severe. And so on.
In my planning process, I would prioritize my to-do and to-buy lists. Those things that are needed to address the highest priority scenarios go first. Those preparations that are needed in multiple scenarios also get puched to the top of the list. Over time you will find that there is a core set of preparations that will be needed in most scenarios.
The important part in all of this is to focus on one or two things at a time. accept the fact that you can’t do everything and instead just try to do something. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.
As I read the replies one thing is apparent to me. Society is no longer a “community” based, we are divided, by location, lack of interaction, loss of our agrarian history and our heritage skills. Society doesn’t even realize where their food comes from and can’t understand that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer. The 4 companies that control our food are killing us with their GMO crap, the drug companies are keeping us in a vegetative state with the narcs that our government is bringing in from Afgan and Pkstan and the majority of society is in a trance in front of their new 3-d televisions. The big companies along with the banking cartel pulling the puppet strings on our king are imploding our economy so they can get richer? all the while, we are wondering when, where, and how we are going to make it.
Time is the other issue I see. Rockefeller said that they only want enough people alive that are smart enough to run the machines. We are slaves to the system, I realized that about two years ago and since then, I have purposely made the daily decision to become prepared.
Like the rest of you, my wife thinks this is a hobby, my son laughs when I pull out the grain mill to make bread yet he is the first at the oven when it comes out, they both laugh when I get out my 1930′s cream separator and process the raw milk that I trade weekly for eggs and make butter that they go through almost as fast as I can make it. and when I am travelling on business, I come home and they are actually glad to see me, so they don’t have to cook.
I studied the forum pages of backwoodshome.com and along with this site, and many others like it, they literally saved my life.
Sure I have less friends now that I sold my 7 series BMW and moved out of the city and work from home, I have been blessed with that, but I build moonshine stills as a hobby and traded one for 250 rainbow trout that I stocked my small pond out back, so when I think of the so-called friends that I lost when I made the jump, I just cast my fly and get ready for supper.
Yes, it is frustrating, hell, I am actually teaching my self and my horse how to drive a carriage, I had to obtain a permit from my town 3 miles away so that i can bring my carriage into town with my horse, (they banned it in the 70′s) in case BP and our rulers shut off the fuel supply, I can still get around.
Stay strong, remember this, knowledge is NOT power… only when you apply that knowledge does it become powerful.
Thank you for your hard work on this blog. It is a great read and a blessing to all.
D
They have 3D televisions? I’ve been focused on my food storage for WAY too long.
“The more you know, the less you need.” This was a comment from ‘Dustin’ on 6/28/2010 on this site.
Readra21, you inspire us here in Arkansas. Prep on.
Side bar: I made soughdough starter from scratch and now every 10 days give away “starters” to unknowing friends to make their own loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.
The one thing we can do is start out by looking for others around us that are of the same mindset, create new friendships, plans, re-establish community. Learn from each other, and when it does happen, you have a group of folks that can get together and work as one.
Just a thought
readra21, thats how I came across a group of ex-military guys that have the survival mind set. All have served in our most recent war and many served with each other in action. Their families all get together and get along with the normal small crap. but as a group formed and ready the males make up one heck of a force to be reckoned with if you cross them wrong. the galls are of many fields also bring into the group much needed skills. I now visit with a couple of them from time to time, just to pass on info and such. If the SHTF, they are going one way i’m going another. but It was good to make this contact.
To all those without family support you know the spouse and kids laughing at you. Maybe you all should find a new family? That’s what I did some people aren’t compatible and there is no need to live in a divided family. Remember a house divided can’t stand.
Creekmore you have a great blog much better than that other survivalblog site. This site feels like family (all families bicker sometimes) that other site has no family feel to it. Heck readers are not even allowed to comment that is how much he cares what his readers have to say.
So with that said my greatest frustration as a survivalist (the word prepper sucks) is lack of community on other blogs that is why I read this one. Thank you creekmore for all you do here you truly are the king of the survival bloggers.
I agree. While survivalblog has lots of good information (though lots of it is far more advanced than I am ready for), this site has a sense of community that is hard to find. Sometimes I just want to invite everyone over to my place for a BBQ.
I’d go!
I was just thinking the same thing a little while ago. Even though we all don’t always get along, it would be interesting!
“Stay strong, remember this, knowledge is NOT power… only when you apply that knowledge does it become powerful.”
“Learn from each other”
Thanks for your thoughts. I’m walking next door to talk to my neighbor (Yes he offered me a beer, also) and see how it goes.
Losing my job last july,it killed my prepping for around 11 months.I lost this time on buying supplies and without the steady flow of funds,it drove me crazy.Now that i am back to work we are gonna start again…….I was able to use my time for other things like organizing my stores and getting my storage building in order but not being able to buy,stock and gain more in order to stock your supplies,that was so frustrating…
My biggest frustration is trying to impress upon friends and family the wisdom of being prepared. They just laugh, say it won’t get that bad, or say they know where they’ll go if TSHTF (to my place).
I care about these people, yet know that if things fall apart they won’t make it.
So the question I will ask you as I was asked. When it does happen, and they do show up (as they probably will) what are you going to do?
I get that same response from those whom I have shared this with. I have just gotten to the point of keeping quiet as I will hate to have to feed and shelter those whom have not prepared. It is the entitlement mentality that will be the most devastating. I will be interesting to see all the spoiled babies jump up and down with their entitlement mentality over a bowl of soup… crap, that’s happened before hasn’t it???
It’s a good question.
Most of my stored food/supplies are stored off site and hidden extremely well hidden. I keep two weeks worth of food here. I will share meager rations for a meal while letting them know that I can’t support them beyond that. They’ll be required to contribute by working, chopping or stacking wood, processing rain water, etc, and/ or trading something with real survival value. Whoever tries to take what I have by force will be met with force.
That said, I will offer to share my knowledge of wild edibles, water purification, gardening, shelter construction, etc. provided they are willing to work hard and contribute in kind.
I have a charitable heart, and would have a particularly hard time letting children go hungry if I could help it, but I obviously can’t feed eveybody. The rules would all change post- collapse, and standards of behavior toward others and the need to tow the line would become much more rigid. Ultimately though, living cooperatively with others will offer the greatest prospects for survival.
All of those I love are welcome. I have planned for them. Everyone else will be directed to the nearest charity. I will not begrudge food and shelter to my loved ones, but I will not be their servant. They will work, or walk. Nobody here will stay entitled long. I have room and supplies for a lot of people, and if need be, we will be our own little community.
I have the advantage that one half of the family are Mormon, and they do have their own prepps. Many of them will come here from the city. Those that come with nothing… I love them, and open my arms to them.
For those that can’t get the wife on board (I used to scoff at my hubby too), ask them to read One Second After, Alas, Babylon or On the Beach. One Second After alone was enough to get me on board and eager to get as prepared as possible. I don’t want to watch my family or dog starve to death.
Don’t forget the books The World Ends at Hickory Hollow and Into The Forest. Must reads after One Second After. I’m soon to start reading Alas B.
Thank you, I haven’t ride either of those.
Time, money, relationships, and unknown end time events seems to be a given factor in our preps. All of which a web site can do very little about, sorry for the bad news.
How about some suggestions to really help in daily living, suggestions to help in money management, helping in converting spouse to a help mate, and maybe even suggestions on what to look for in events leading up to the big one which would give valuable time to get ahead of the crowd.
Due to the fact no one wants to reveal their location due to operational security (Opsec) it is going to be extremely hard to get a list of contacts put together and to become friends when everyone wants their informtion to remain secret. (I don’t blame anyone for this as that is my desire also). But how do people who may live within a hundred miles of each other begin to communicate become friends maybe even partners.
Going solo into a wild and woolly unknown uncivilized world can be hazardous to ones health. Team membership is almost a requirement to survive any of the events we are preparing for, plus with each team member comes a pair of eyes and helping hands and maybe even new ideas, plus companionship and backup.
We need a way to commuicate with each other to find like minded people in our area, and if we or so inclined build up commuities of individuals who are able to repond to the needs of those friends who need help. It may be a simple thing as needing extra hands to remove an unwanted tree stump from a garden plot, or to help fend off a pack of wild dogs or even human aminals bent on taking everything without asking, including women and children.
Everyone at sometime or another could use a helping hand from a friend they can trust. The trick is finding that friend or friends.
It does seem that the old tried and true method of being a friend is, first to be the friend you want to be with others, the second is keep secrets secret.
Third time builds bonds and tears down walls.
To that end a web site for Preppers, regional, state, county or parish, and city
might be setup with on-line private chat lines. It would be up to the individuals to reveal even basic personal information such as email addresses to those people they correspond with on the site. This site to be mainly for family circles but singles to be allowed, this site would not be dating service.
Membership to the site should be strictly controlled. No zealots, terrorists, racist, extreme militant, or anti-government radicals need apply.
Now the question is how to implement the above program and make it work, and get people to come on board and help? Answer – I have no clue! I would be willing to help but don’t know how.
Just finding one or a couple of friends that share the same ideas and beliefs would be of great importance to most people. Just finding out that they are not alone in their struggle against the politically correct society we live in today would left a burden off their shoulders.
It could turn into great fun, in times long past neighbors would gather for barn raisings, they would help their neighbor to build a barn and have a picnic for the whole family at the same time. They turned work into a social event and had fun while they worked. Couldn’t we do the same today?
As you have no doubt guessed one of my biggest frustrations when it comes to prepping is finding like minded people. It seems they are few and far between, it always amazes me how few see the advantages of being prepared.
I have enjoyed reading and learning from your sight, keep up the excellent work. You and the people here are really top notch.
the forum at http://www.backwoodshome.com got me started
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net
Time.
Strength: getting older has its disadvantages. On the plus side, the time frame that I need to be preparing for is getting smaller!
Wife is not on board, but she does not mind some stuff. We are in a hurricane area, and she does like a garden.
Oddly enough, a group of our neighbors had a conversation at a recent party about survival strategies. I was out of town, but heard about it latter. I think Glenn Beck, and some others have brought some aspects of survival ism into the main stream. I mean if you have the 3rd most listened to radio show in the US (at leas according to Beck) advertising gold, and seeds, it cannot be that far on the fringe.
My biggest frustration is trying to find simplicity when everybody else is trying to make things complicated. I don’t need all the fancy gear and the hi-tech stuff. I’m seeking simple solutions and they are not easy to find.
My idea of prepping is going back to living as it was 150 years ago. That’s not to say I want to give up my current creature comforts, but if/when TSHTF, I want to revert quickly to the old ways. I’d be happy with going to bed at dusk and getting up at dawn, if need be because the grid is down. I’m fine with making jerky if I have no refrigeration. That’s what my grandparents did, it’s good enough for me.
I don’t need battery chargers or solar panels or my own diesel fuel manufacturing plant. Nor do I care about having the best water filter MONEY CAN BUY. I just need something that works, period.
Trying to find other people who plan to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Survivalist) is difficult. Simplicity, it seems to me, is the only way to truly survive a longterm emergency situtation. The preppers I know personally are working hard to maintain their current level of comfort, I’m not. I’m willing and wanting to give up things in order to remain mobile and lean, able to move if necessary. Stuff weighs us down and makes us vulnerable.
Within 2 miles of my house are 3 hardware stores. I can find a variety of chain saws at all of those stores, but not one of them carries a single-buck crosscut saw. None of them carry handcrank meat grinders, but they all have fancy food processors. This is not an sub/urban area, this is a small town in a rural area. Ordering things of this type from an online catalog is risky, I like to see and feel the quality before buying.
Perhaps asking for simplicity in this complicated world is asking for too much — the irony is almost laughable.
Skunk Cabbage, I don’t know where you live, BUT, for the “olde worlde” items, look to second hand shops and flea markets as well as garage sales. Here in SE Wisconsin these items are readily available in retail outlets.
One thing you stated did concern me though… your comments on the water filter. 150 years back, things WERE different. First off, the pathogens in the water were MUCH different and secondly, the body’s resistance to the existing pathogens was not damaged by excessive use of chemical food additives, preservatives, antibiotics and water treatment such as chlorine and chloramine. These things have weakened our resistance to the naturally occuring “bugs” and critters swimming in our water, have made us much more suseptible to various forms of food poisoning and this has increased exponentally in just the last 50 years. How many cases of E.Coli had you heard of prior to 1965?
Yes keep it simple, stupid, NEEDS to be our war cry, BUT we need to balance simplicity with some vital facts, and one of those is if we go too simple, WE CAN DIE… With that said, If you are in a situation where you are not bugging out, water purification can become very simple but an continious process, and no matter what type of filter you have, eventually it will no longer function, and other means will be needed. SO the filter used will depend on the situation it is used in. Long and Short Knowledge first, equipment second…
Thanks for the comment. I live in a rural No.Cal. town that has antique stores and the occasional flea market, but old saws and other hand tools are rare and usually priced too high for their condition. They sell these things as restaurant decor and such, not caring about somebody who might actually want to use one. Often old tools are missing a grip or something else that renders them virtually useless. It would be great to find modern tools that are made with modern materials, but which work like old ones. For example, a single-buck crosscut saw with a synthetic grip, stainless screws, and a long-wearing blade would be very useful. Similarly, a new hand drill with carbide bits would be too cool. If somebody is making old-style hand tools from modern materials, I’d sure like to know. Seems this is a niche that needs filling.
Regarding my remarks about water filters, what I said was I don’t need the best one money can buy. There are filters out there that will work just as well, but don’t cost as much as the famous one. That’s all I meant. I need things that work, and those things may be top name items at times and lesser-known names at other times. Water is vital, so a top-quality filter is
important, but a top-quality filter doesn’t necessarily mean a big-name, top-price filter. Hope that explains my stance a little better.
For your tools I would recommend Lehman’s. They are good to deal with and have quality as they deal with the Amish.
Good quality hand tools require some hunting to find and aren’t cheap. But as hand tools, your only real concern is losing them for them to become unusable. Lee Valley manufactures some old hand tool designs but mostly those for wood working.
For an excellent hand drill, I recommend the Schroeder breast drill. It’s available for order from Sears. Just run a search for breast drill in google shopping. Solid steel parts and construction. Based on this tool purchase, I’d pick up more Schroeder tools if I had a choice. Although your cheap egg beater drill can be useful for light jobs.
Well, as I said originally, I don’t like to buy stuff sight-unseen. I mean, online shopping is taking a big risk with money I can’t spare. The tools can be returned for refunds, but the shipping fees will not be refunded. Do you know how quickly shipping fees add up when trying to buy tools over the internet? Very quickly! But I thank you for the suggestions, I will look at the online catalogs of those vendors you mentioned just to get some ideas. Then I’ll ask my local hardware stores to get some of these tools into their inventories so I can look them over before purchasing them. Surely I am not the only person in town who wants hand tools in case the power goes out indefinitely. Plus, there are plenty of folks around here who are already off the grid, so they would undoubtedly want some hand tools as well. Yes, woodworking tools so people can build sheds, barns, decks, outhouses, and smokehouses without power tools.
My point was that 3 hardware stores in this town carry all kinds of stuff, like crock pots and other non-hardware merchandise, but don’t carry old-time hand tools like peg-and-rake saws and brace & bits and other tools that were in use not all that long ago. Hardware stores, like gas stations, cater to a whole new kind of mentality. For example, try buying a gas can at a gas station. Most gas stations around here don’t sell gas cans, but instead sell ice cream and tacos. Weird, I tell ya.
Uggggggh! Trying to get two others that are planning to be in the wilderness/forest when the time comes, all of us together, has been a real trying experience. They need to be ready and experienced because I may not be able to do everything…I’m only one person and can’t carry their load(s). Over the past 5 years I have tried to get them to sit down and do total preparation for living like this for one day and up to several years but it has been hard to say the least. Just two days ago only one of them decided that they are ready to think about it and the other is still not really taking survival seriously enough to truly ponder the thought at all. I am fully prepared and see my self “IN” the situation, having already gathered water, roots and other things to sustain my self and others, built whatever necessary lean-to’s and/or other living structures, set up trapping devices, etc. We are planning to take one or two lightweight, dried goods buckets of food (per person) so, hopefully nothing happening to those supplies, we should be able to eat for one or two months and have a little time to find adequate sources of food, grubs, etc. to supplement with if and pretty much when our ‘actual’ food is depleted. The person that is ready is now considering what they will soon put into two packs, how much weight they can actually carry and so forth. I have tried to get both of them to get their bodies in shape but this has not been fruitful and is only delaying the inevitable for them which I can see they are not aware of because they have never thought life could or may, very soon, come to this. Every day I am hoping they will open their eyes, minds and hearts to survival and be ready when the time comes. Disasters, homelessness and the Imminent Domain threat happens every day to many people and whichever one may affect me, I am ready to take control and have the power over my own circumstances and situation(s). It is going to be a sad day when it is time to pack and hike into and throughout the forest and they are hardly able to walk up hills, climb over large fallen logs, cross rivers, etc. without having the strength, desire or stamina that they had a chance to build prior. They are living sedentary lives with hardly enough movement for their muscles and overall bodies and that will only slow us down should trouble occur and we therefore would need to be swift on our feet. Will they be able to run or climb or swim and get out of danger’s way or will they be forced, due to their own weaknesses, to stay and deal with whatever it may be that is intent on causing all involved some sort of harm whether it be by human or animal and also expect that someone else will protect them, think quick enough to thwart an attack, will take control and save the day? Uggggh!, I say. Uggggh!
Don’t hate me, but a damn good job (in the city). I need to out and scout a location to get started.
My frustration is focusing on one area at a time, (food stores, defense, medicine, junk silver). My efforts seem more scattershot than laser.
Here’s an idea for gardening that my uncle uses and now a few of us ‘relatives’ use and it’s working great and here is a report of what is working for us here in the Pacific Northwest. We went and got several bales of straw and laid each slab that comes off of it (separately) around the edges of the wood of the raised beds and then when the tomato plants were too cold and lonely because of the weather, we put some around them, just a thin layer, and they perked up and are doing very well. They seem to love the straw for it’s warmth retaining ability. The potatoes, now that the weather has turned up the heat for us a bit, just love the sort-of-thick layer on top of them and they are doing very well. It’s killing off the intrusive buttercups and other weeds and we are watering less because the straw is keeping in the moisture, ensuring an adequate moisture/water supply is maintained. We started using straw around one bed and now every bed is surrounded with it and some even surrounds a few of the plants in the beds and this has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Wouldn’t go back to pulling another weed if we don’t have to and now the new straw cover is going to really benefit the dirt and revitalize it making for less work for us. All we have to do now is to lift some of the hay every 7 or so feet to check how moist the ground is before watering so we’ll know whether they need more or not. Not cutting the grass much this season because there’s lots of white clover flowering all over the place which has been helping to restore our bumble bee populations not to mention plantain and dandelion which the two latter plants are good for medicine and the dandelion is good for food which we hand cut, dry and package for use throughout the rest of the year. I’ve been wanting to get some red clover and sow into the raised beds this fall for the ground cover that gardening dirt needs. Less gardening maintenance has enabled us to forge ahead with things that cannot wait to be tended to and we cannot begin to describe how happy we are. We know that no matter how hot and dry the weather may get, the straw is going to make all the difference. The irish spring soap chunks hung about the various flowering trees, berry plants and other places is still working like a charm to keep our mother and baby deer from them and they are only visiting and cutting our grass and some shrubs and keeping the thorny black berry plants from getting any farther into the back yard than what we cut them at. We put out some carpenter ant bait because they finally made their nest inside one of our home’s walls and the numbers have decreased and so our bees population has also been able to maintain it’s increase without such a huge threat to them and the pollination rate has thus increased. If we could only get our garden snake rate up then when the notorious plant eating slugs and snails come along they wouldn’t be able to cause all the reputable damage that they do every year. We used copper strips a few years ago and that worked but now the strips have worn off and are gone and so we are looking at their natural predator, the garden snake, to help us out like they used to before a few ferral cats showed up and in which they kill and sometimes eat these snakes.
Garden (garter?) snakes are not the only way to get rid of snails. Stale beer in saucers, placed about 5 feet apart, will get rid of lots of snails overnight. Remember, though, that snails can supply some protein if things get really bad. You could try raising snails for consumption now, just to see if you like them. A little garlic, some butter, a sprinkling of fresh parsley….mmmmm!
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb96-05.htm
I’m not sure what you mean by snails..Here in Ohio we have SLUGS. They have no shell and are digusting slimy things. Some people use crushed egg shells around their garden plants to keep them out. It cuts their underside if they try to go over it.
My frustration is watching people do things like going into excessive debt with credit cards,new cars,houses they can’t afford,involving themselves with unhealthy things like smoking,drinking excessively,drugs,living on junk food,and relying on the government to take care of them.Especially young people. All of these are perscriptions for disaster. This isn’t that difficult. Live within your means,live healthy. and don’t think the government won’t turn on you. Have faith and do what you have to do.
My single biggest frustration is bad information. I’ve been in situations where I HAVE used my skills, abilities and equipment TO Survive, and not simply in a drill or practice outing. I have 40 years of active training and realworld experience. When I see people touting so called expertise, and recommending a 90 lb bug out bag, I just want to bang my head against the wall. The BOB is the bare minimum you will need to carry to survive and escape a disaster or invasion. This is just one simple example of the multitudes of mistakes I see happening in the survival community. People just do not think ahead and refuse to use common sense. Another example is the choice of knife to add to the BOB. A common choice is a simple folder, not bad as long as you add a good fixed blade. We have to face the fact that the best folder is still weaker than most cheap fixed blades. What do you intend to do with the knife? YOU Dont KNOW until the situation arises. so what about a HIGH END sharpening stone and the knowledge and skill to use it? forget the cheap carborundum stones. they are not worth it, go for natural Arkansas stones… These are the things I find frustrating… lack of forethought and disseminating bad information.
Face it Folks, giving out bad information in this field CAN cost others their lives. KNOW what you are talking about before you suggest it. there is no room for speculation unless it is specifically stated as such with a request for input.
Anyone dumb enough to rely on what s/he reads ANYWHERE without first trying it out will likely die in TEOTWAWKI. NEVER take somebody’s word for something. NEVER, especially when survival is concerned.
Those of us who post (on any site) are not able to guarantee our methods/ways/ideas/skills/gear will work as well for others as it does for us.
People reading about survival must be aware that everybody, and every situation, is different. Plan accordingly.
The gene pool improves (supposedly) as the dumb, gullible, weak, and lazy die off. That’s nature’s way. The same will happen for those who claim to be survivalists, but never practiced with their gear or their skills before the SHTF. I will personally help those I can, but those who are too dumb to help themselves will not get any help from me. I help those who try to help themselves, and that means they practiced before it was too late.
I repeat, NEVER rely on the word of others. That is exactly what got America into the trouble we’re in today.
One of my frusterations is irresponsable children. Keeping them out of my preps and tools and etc.My mora knife disapeared,along with alot of things.I have to sneak prep without my family knowing.I am also afraid of my kids telling the wrong poeple of our preps.I have ammo and stuff stashed from my family. Steve
Lack of funds. Business is down 30% from last year and last year was horrible.
My biggest frustration is searching for the the best retreat state to move to, and finding the retreat property in it to relocate to.
It is the same old story…. the house is good, but the property is no good (not “off the beaten path” or not enough acreage) or vice-versa. Been looking in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. It is not easy to find the right mix of good (secluded) location with a large (defensible) tract of fertile land, a fairly decent growing seaon, low taxes, good gun laws, water /fuel resources, like minded people etc.
Any suggestions from you good folks out there are appreciated, especially about any Wyoming or Utah locations.
Wyoming is cold. Most of it is fit only for antelope, that’s why population is so sparse. There are some nice spots, but they’re taken. Utah is dry. Most of it is fit only for rattle snakes. That’s why the population is so sparse. Washington is stunning, but the nuts have move in. You may not be able to build a house on your land because they’re reserving it for the sasquache. I’m in Colorado. It’s very nice here, but the population is high, and good land is VERY pricey. Water can be scarce anywhere in the West and they have periodic droughts that can last multiple years.
Am I scaring you away from the West? I hope not. I’ve lived a lot of places and I prefer the West. Just be sure you know what you’re in for.
When I was looking for my (2) safe spots I looked for them with the most important items in mind. Water Year round ( I’ve been to each spot when there was 4 ft of snow on the ground and the small streams were both running) ( in the middle of the summer the stream were both still running at at least 2 ft level ), fuel source for heat with in 1 days distance, Hunting food source with in days walking distance, Well off the beaten path (not real hospitable land to others) as of right now the closet living person to each site is over 50 miles, I have had to pay for an air drop of some of my gear to just get both places started. I had the drop 10 miles from my real spot. It was not that expensive I paid some and bartered and traded the rest, it helped that I hired a down and out parachute training school to do the drop. I have a friend that has (4) horses and (4) pack mules, that help carry in some other stuff. Of course I’ve know him for most of my life and we served on the same tactical teams to gether for over 10 yrs. He is also part of my family group. As a defensive site for us with Our combined skills it cant be beat. We also studdied the water table and we can dig a well or drill a deeper well system if we want.
I do not let a lot of people personally in on the fact that we are prepping. The few that have either seen the stack of 5 gallon food buckets, and the 250 gallon water storage tank will sometimes ask questions. My boiggest irritation is when you get that smirk from them that says you should be wearing a tin foil hat, while they exclaim “Well if it get that bad, I guess I’ll come over to your place.” Jokes on them though, as I will be about 2 1/2 hours away on some junk land I bought as long as we have a couple of months left before TSHTF.
I’m not sure if I’ll have a chance to read all these comments, but I really want to.
So, if someone’s already mentioned this, I’m sorry. :-)
My biggest frustration is ditto on the non-prepper spouse. My hubby, ex-military, generally a great guy, thinks I’m a crazy doomer most of the time. I think he’s just scared and would rather not talk about it in the hopes that, “it’ll all go away.”
Another big frustration, related to the non-prepper spouse, is finding people IN REAL LIFE to talk about this stuff. Finding people in my small rural town that want to prep together is teeth-grinding slow. I’ve written off all of my relatives, they politely ignore me when I start up with the, “doomer stuff.” None of them live close anyway.
I know if I spent more time at the shooting range I might find some preppers, but I have a 1 year old that I spend all day away from. Taking him to the range so Mommy can meet preppers doesn’t sound like a good time. I am slowly meeting more of the gardeners in my neighborhood, and that’s certainly a help, but there’s a definite part of me that wants it to happen much quicker and with a high caliber of preppers. I’m thinking I should just start a meeting at the library every month, pitched as a disaster planning/prep sort of thing, I’m just leery of having to be the one to start it and having to get past my hubby’s eye rolling. Which sounds really lazy when written out like that, but there’s the truth. I feel like I’m always forging the trail and with no support it gets tiring real quick. I keep thinking that if only I had a few like-mindeds near me, geographically speaking, it would help ease the project fatigue.
Also, I want to bring my concerns up at work. I’m an engineer in an industry that will be hit hard, I think, by the end of cheap oil. But I have no idea how to talk to my bosses about my concerns and pick their brains about contingency plans they may or may not have for our company. I’m lucky enough to work in a company that’s really open to dialog between the upper echelon and us lowly grunts, but I don’t even know how to start the conversation without risking a referral to psychiatric services.
Well, this got longer than I expected. Thanks for letting me vent a little. :-P
-Jennie
Well, Jennie, when I used to shoot at the range, the guys I met there were not the ones I would want to bring into my survival community. Most had minimum preps, mostly along the lines of guns, ammo, ballistic helmets and vests, NVGs and a couple of cases of MREs and 4x4s.
Not to come off as a sexist, but have you considered getting the gardening club together to discuss canning and preserving the harvest? My community consists of my wife, two sons, my neice and her family (husband and 4 kids), and a high school friend and her husband and two kids. It started when I got the two women interested in home grown food and farm fresh eggs.
Work from where you are now, not some in the near/far future ideal.
The ideal community needs a doctor/nurse practioner/EMT, master gardener/hunter, carpenter/handyman, mechanic/armorer, cook/canner/butcher. But all should know how to field dress an animal, give mouth to mouth, stop the bleeding, treat for shock, splint a fracture, fire and clean a weapon, perform guard duty, cook with fresh/ preserved foods. But most of all, be able to take directions from the expert in that area. Anyone can learn to hoe/spade a garden, wash dishes/clothes and all will need to if your group is to be a real community and not a serfdom.
RLTW
Lorenzo,
Yea, that is my other worry with meeting people at the range. Good ‘ole boys totally lacking in any department other than the bullets.
Getting the gardeners together is a good idea. (I didn’t read it as sexist at all.) I’ve been thinking I’ll put together a seed swap this winter like I did last winter in our old city. The downside to going that route is demographically speaking gardeners are older ladies. Not so much oomph for the bigger projects or as much interest in learning new skills. Flip side is they are great for information gathering about their specialties. And perhaps they have sons or daughters that could get roped into things. It would be a start. I hate to wait till winter though. Maybe a meeting set up at the library to discuss fall gardening or cold frame making, that could happen inthe next couple of months.. If I can find the time. :-)
It’s true what you say about the needs of an ideal community, that’s why I really feel I need to reach out to those geographically close to me. I know generally how to do all those things, but I’m not great at all of them and I certainly don’t have TIME to do them all.
I’ll probably start with the garden group and try to build from there. Hopefully this winter I can start a group that branches off into disaster prep. We’ll see.
Jennie,
You are obviously an educated gal who understands math & probability – ever wonder why the vast majority does not understand the prep mentality? Why is the “obvious” missing?
My biggest frustration – separating base line facts from speculation.
By the way, I had to laugh at Mr. Poe’s “not to come off sexist … BUT” comment – it was blatently sexist. Now get into the kitchen & do the dishes!
:-D
I’m confused, who were you talking to about doing the dishes – Mr. Poe?
That would be me… general serf… pleased to wash dishes, after I’ve cleaned, cooked and served what ever my manly man has shot for us…
;-)
Actually Mr. Poe looks to have the basis of a good community started. He is lucky to have found the right combination of people.
Actually, where I come from women are the cooks but the men are the chefs. What I meant was what I said. Start from where you are right now. With Jennie it is a group of gardeners. So, if I say ‘start a canning club’ it does sound sexist, especially to skimmers like yourself. The people who read, get it!
Such hostility, lighten up Poe & try to keep on topic.
Jason,
You’ve hit the nail on the head. Statistically speaking, what? 2% or 3% of Americans are actually preppers. In a rural county like I live in, that could be 200 people, but finding them and winnowing them from the chaff is tough.
As for your question, why is the obvious missing? I don’t know why more people aren’t concerned. I’ve wondered that a lot. Normal, rational, intelligent people routinely consider me a crazy doomer because I want to talk about disaster preparedness and the possibility of economic collapse. Maybe they, like my darling hubby, think that if they ignore it it’ll go away. I don’t know.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my dishes…
Dishes dry yet? :-)
You hit the wrong nail but that’s ok you helped make the point by illustrating the percentage of the population prepping being so low. Ever wonder why?
Obviously the S is going to HTF & TEOTWAWKI is coming to pass or is it? If it is “obvious” you would think at least 30-40% minimum, would be
prepping right? Maybe things are not as they are trying to appear.
Prepare but keep perspective. The drivers of the ship are excessively smarter & more experienced than all of us & have far more to lose than all of combined.
It may not be popular here, but I have extreme difficulty believing it will all come tumbling down – at least without a major fight & more blatant (obvious) and advanced warning signs.
“The drivers of the ship are excessively smarter & more experienced than all of us & have far more to lose than all of combined. ”
Jason..Can you not see how ludicrous your statemnet is? That attitude (both sides) is a major part of the problem – largely driving why we are prepping. In “their” eyes we are all just way too dumb to participate freely in our own lives and government and chart our own destiny. Now you just be a good little sheeple and stand over there while I “fix” everything. Jason..You have a serious journey ahead of you ..
Yet we all do.. don’t we??
Scout,
Out of context that statement could appear ludicrous. My point was:
A. If it is so incredibly obvious that the world is going to collapse a week from Monday – metaphorically speaking, how could the vast majority (90++%) be blinded by the government light? Hence the 2% who believe all hell is breaking loose. I believe the general population is far more intelligent than you give credit to.
B. Preparation is wise.
C. Please, don’t kid yourself – the smartest & most experienced people in the world – far beyond he intelligence capacity of you and I combined, are working on the problems – most actually have integrity. Can they solve the world economic problems? We shall see but most any reasonable thinker could conclude that it is virtually impossible to believe that “they” will let it all crash into oblivion and push us into preindustrial times because, you have to ask the “global” question – what is in it for “them” to allow their fortunes to collapse as well and invite anarchy? It borders on paranoia to believe that “they” are all out to get the sheeple as you call it – it is unreasonable & illogical.
Our “problems” are, in a very, very, very small way, like getting on a jet and flying across the country and hitting major turbulence where the plane’s wings look like there going to tear off while you crap, get bounced off the luggage compartment and over tighten your seat belt. You have no choice but to put your faith in the integrity of the engineers who designed and built the plane & utmost faith in the pilot, co-pilot and staff that they have a very high desire to live & will do everything to avoiding a crash – everything down to the last possible moment. Yes, we rely on them because they are smarter, more experienced and have no choice.
Personally, I lost faith in our government years ago but what choice do I have?
Answer: Watch, carefully prepare, avoid panic & steer clear of the Chicken Little mindset because it serves no purpose other than to make the “survivalist” look like a loon.
ah. I wondered if that was the nail you were hitting on.
Well, I don’t totally disagree with you, I think you’re right, there are a lot of people who are working really hard to keep things going, but I think there’s too many things that could bring life as we know it crashing down that those people have little to no control over. Acts of nature, terrorist acts that make it through the net, etc. I’m downwind from Mt St Helen and the Yellowstone Caldera. (downwind by a couple of states, but still) I’m downwind from the nuclear silos in South Dakota. I live in an area that can get blizzards that drop 3-4 feet of snow in a day.
I don’t think I’m in panic mode, I just want a few people who live near me so I can go in with them on bulk orders of flour and stuff like that.
Besides which, the argument that the sheeple don’t see anything coming is not reassuring to me. Generally speaking I don’t see things the same way they do, never have. Dealing with regular people is like regular people dealing with the handicapped. I have to speak slower and use smaller words. These are the same people that couldn’t leave N’orleans ahead of the hurricane, and live in trailer parks in tornado alley. I really don’t care what they think about the future, as I’m reasonably sure their views include concerns about how to get the next season of American Idle.
My biggest frustration is that even though I have a mate that is on board as far as what might come to pass, we are not of the same mind as prioritys. I am trying to make our hobby farm as self sufficient as possible and setting it up to make a small business to have a small “contingency” income. I work full time overnight shift so lack of time and sleep adds to my frustration. To help deal with this I have streamlined my plans and will try to learn construction and how to work the farm equipment so I can do it myself. My new motto…I can rely on no one but me
One of my frustrations is “What happens if nothing happens?” You have put every spare penny & then some into a retreat, weapons, freeze dried food & what ever else you deem necessary. But you have put nothing into your 401K, IRA, or savings account. You cannot run a retreat when you are 70. You will have to sell your weapons to pay for medication that Medicare, if it’s still there doesn’t cover. And sooner or later your freeze dried food will run out & you will have no way to pay for more.
So not only do I have to prepare for the worst happening, I also have to prepare for nothing happening.
That is a problem with the retreat strategy: it can get costly.
If the SHTF in 30 years, in a really hard way, your retreat will not help you much if you are 70 years old and only there with your immediate (70 and 50 year old) family. It will also not do you any good if somewhere within the 30 year period you suffer some sort of economic reverse and have to sell everything off in a forced-sale.
Obviously some people can work their retreats into their current lifestyle. Either they retire to them and sell the primary home (so they are only paying for one at a time), or they are able to work from them: my current neighborhood has a number of people that moved to the area because it was relatively inexpensive (compared to where they were) and they could work from anywhere that had reasonably secure phone-data lines.
The history of the world is full of collapses, it is also full of predicted collapses that did not occur, did not occur at the time expected, or did not occur in the way that people thought they would. Trying to predict the collapse is like shorting GM stock because you knew it was bound to collapse…in 1974.
Having money is a survival strategy that works pretty well in a number of scenarios. Probably about as many scenarios as having a retreat. I would be very careful over extending my finances because of the apparent eminence of a collapse. In historical terms “eminent” is 10 to 20 years.
If you need cheering up, I would consider the following: If you have a two month survival supply in place, in what percentage of the population, would that put you in survival preparation terms? The extremely wealthy (top 3%) probably can buy their way to safety. But that leaves you probably at right at the top of the remaining 97%. It kind of sucks being in the lower berths on the Titanic, but at least you can be ready to make the scramble upward as soon as you hear the steel scraping ice.
Yep your right with most of what you say. But I was trained to be ready for the worst and hope for the best. Besides if TSHTF and I get my family out to my safe spot, there will be other older and younger family members that should show up all X military and Life time Hunters. Even if as you say, I might be too old, My daughter’s and grand children will have a better chance to mature and reach an age to take care of themselves. I might not see it, but I have to give them that chance. Its better then just laying down and letting them get abused or killed or starve. My younger family members will continue to band together with the examples of their parents.
Really, it’s not about me. I’m in my 50′s and, other than as fluffy lovey Grandma, rather useless to the human race as a whole. Once you’re past child bearing age you’re taking up space if you can’t contribute some other way. What are you surviving for?
The future generations is what counts in the long term. If my preparing secures my children and their children my job is good. If nothing dire happens in my lifetime, that’s a good thing. I’ve not wasted it, because I’ve taught my children, and they’ve taught theirs to not lie down and take it. My grandchildren won’t grow up ugly in refugee camps.
Barb
I disagree with your suggestion, “I’m in my 50’s and, other than as fluffy lovey Grandma, rather useless to the human race as a whole. Once you’re past child bearing age you’re taking up space if you can’t contribute some other way. What are you surviving for?”
My Mom is 77. She was raised in the Depression. She is a wealth of knowledge, stories, family history and more knowledge. In the last few years she has battled ovarian cancer, heart attack and macular degeneration. She still has a great sense of humor, she’s active, and is a great strength for my 3 sisters and I. If only as a Matriarch of your group you cannot assume your own value. Our elders are what will hold us all together and get us through whatever comes our way. I’ve got a lot to learn to pass on to my 3yr old son. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wished Dad was still around (died in 96) to discuss things with.
Hope you read this in the spirit it’s intended. Your comment just struck a nerve for some reason. Best wishes for your continued safety. Oscar
Dave: your response is completely valid. But the response was more specific toward Midwesterners posting.
In your case I would say (in a very general way): the common way to pass on “good fortune” to following generations is through wealth bequests (inheritance).
The more expensive aspects of some survival strategies will clearly leave less cash for the next generation. This current generation does not have nearly the opportunities that the post WW2 generation did. Inheritance will once again become a major social issue.
I am not trying to convince anyone that the SHTF won’t happen. Just that its exact timing and nature are unclear.
If at some point you have become so convinced that the SHTF must occur and occur soon. And all evidence to the contrary is poorly thought out, than you have something closer to a religion than a strategy.
Finding like minded people is definitely on the top of my frustration list. I know that’s partially my own fault because I choose to live in in Liberal central (for now) but what really frustrates me is people who know very well what the problems are but refuse to do anything about it.
“liberal central?”
With all of this, similar voting inclination is what you’re looking for?
Seems a little shallow.
I don’t even bring up the subject of politics. I figure with most people, we’ll agree on something and disagree on others, but none of it will mean a damn if TSHTF. Both sides of the aisle are equally culpable. No sense in making your situation more unstable by preemptively ruling people out because they don’t agree with you 100% on politics.
But, I don’t know you, perhaps you really couldn’t stand to work with someone in a survival situation if you knew they were ok with gay marriage. You do what you have to, I just wanted to interject my $.02 worth.
After losing a much longer response comment to the Ether, I will summarize by saying it’s way more fundamental than “politics”.. The P- Word is dead.. I understand what he means.. “Politics” has been used way too long by too many people to side-step the real issues..
Touché. I admit to using “Liberal central” as a shorthand and a bit of a snipe. It is a wide brush but I didn’t think the litany of issues is pertinent to the question of my biggest frustrations.
In the spirit of the saying, “there are no atheists in foxholes” I can work with all kinds of people who are working beside me in a catastrophe. People can put aside all kinds of differences when there is enough pressure or if the stakes are high enough. It is not sustainable. The more friction between people’s views the faster something is going to blow up.
There is more to liberals than just gay marriage just as there is more to conservatives or any other group. Yes, most people will agree on some things and disagree on others. But some people will disagree on a lot of things and those people just can not help each other (without significant changes). I don’t want to go the the ballet and they do not want to learn how to cook dried beans. We are not going to be able to have a mutually beneficial exchange.
I do not to find anyone who agrees with me 100% on everything. I am going to keep searching for people who agree with me on a lot. I am going to work with those I agree with about some things in hopes we both can benefit. I am also going to avoid those I disagree with because they will only drag me down.
Resources: Time and Money
Oh and convincing others or prepping’s importance.
My biggest frustraition is trying to find items. For example, Speer Gold Dot 9mm, nearly everyone is out of stock and I’ve had to resort to getting the Speer Gold Dot practice 9mm when I can find it. Winchester PDX1 12 ga, it was first produced in March of this year, yet no one seems to have it in stock, and I’ve had to backorder/wait list for it. Red Feather Canned Butter, all stocks were bought by the Feds and sent to Haiti. Just a few examples.
Steele, I went that route at first. It was real hard to get some stuff. Then my older brother kicked me in the butt and we went out shooting. The real expensive stuff work great, but the federal 115g 9mm He bought from wally’s world for 9.69 per box ran like a champ in all of Our 9mm. The expensive personal defensive rounds gave some handguns hickups. So for the price we could get almost 2 boxes form walmart or wait and get maybe 1 or 2 boxes altogether from the pro stuff. When ya need to throw a lot of rounds down range the more you have the better.
My biggest frustration is trying to live around people who live in a regretful past or a fearful future and never enjoy a minute of the present. It’s like taking a drive on a sunny day and trying to enjoy the views and the smells and the beauty and not enjoying it because you are worried about a flat tire!
What’s on your mind when you lay down at night? Are you thinking how cool the night air feels or how beautiful the moon light is shining on the mountain outside your window or are you worried about some imaginary escaped psychopath who is headed straight to your house to rape your women and kill your children?
Do you wake up on Christmas morning and watch your kids open their presents and not even enjoy that moment because your worried about the future?
Maybe it is time to live more and prepare to live less.
You make some great points, and they apply directly to me. I’ve just moved to a beautiful property on Lake Norfolk in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas, and I’ve been scrambling around, as the locals here say, “like a chicken with my head cut off”.
I’ve had to move my family here from West Texas over the past two months, and the frigging humidity is killing me, even though the temperature is lower than what I’m used to, I feel like a guerilla is on my back as I work. The locals laugh at me and say I will get used to it. I’ve had to cut back on my work time, and I’ve had to use the AC to sleep at night. Not good, as no AC will be around if we go off-grid.
I really need to take a break. The trout fishing in this area is world class, the vistas are amazing, and there are so many trees. Thanks for the advice, mohave rat, I really needed it. And I’m going fishing this weekend!
Been doing a lot of thinking on the subject of knowing when to pull the plug and GO. In a perfect world there would be some type of advance notice. In OUR world because of the current enviroment were not so lucky. If TSHTF it helps to pull the plug as soon as possible. Notification between members of your group can be a problem. I’m trying to set up a system that everyone in my Family group can agree to, so that rally points and quick supply points, can be trecked to depending on time limits and travel modes.
getting good, actionable information appropriate for each individual’s evaluation of the risk for each facet of survival. I recenlty spent $250 completing my first aid kit. Do I really need it? Probably not. But if I do, I’m going to be awfully glad I went the distance and finished this project. Except for medications, most items will last many years.
Keep an eye on the bandaids – they have a tendancy to dry out and the adhesive to degrade. I always write the purchase date on the top and rotate the out every 6 to 8-months.
Do some research before throwing away meds.. I read a DoD research study about antibiotics showing that they last a lot longert than pharma tells you ..(of course .. it;s about $$) These antibiotics were on the shelf for a decade or more and were still effective..
I heard about that report too. Cool dry storage seemed to keep most medications viable for way longer than the 1 year shelf life stamped on them.
Is there a place where we can sign up by state to have a meetup or something? At least get in contact with LMI in our area. I’m in Missouri.
MOFreedom
I realize that that would make a lot more work for you MDC but I second the idea so long as everyone keeps posting here – I learn so much.
I can honestly say that I feel that if the SHTF today I would be ready. My previous major frustration was sealing off my property, I have nearly 5 acres so it was difficult. I like doing most survivalist things under the guise of something else, you know, like those big concrete planters they put in front of buildings in D.C. that look like they are there for aesthetic reasons but they are really there so that no one can drive a truck into the building. The solution to my dilemma just happened more or less on its own. The yard around my house is now surrounded almost entirely with raspberry and blackberry bushes that are really impenetrable to people or vehicles. The driveway has a motion sensor on it and I may get more. I’ll be setting up the motion sensors in vulnerable areas around the property. If things get bad I’ll just turn on the receiving unit in the house. I have just about everything that I need so I’d bug in. I know my place would be a target so I like to make my defenses inconspicuous. That way my defenses are underestimated. Raspberries and blackberries are the perfect defense barrier and they add to my food supply. I’ve been a survivalist for about 2 decades now. My frustrations are gone at this point. I’ve got it covered.
The biggest frustration used to be living in the city and knowing it was not the best place to be if TSHTF. Most of my plans involved bugging-out, evacuation or whatever you want to call it. All of my preps were designed to be transported. Practically everything was in canvas bags or packs so that it could be loaded into my SUV. I had a color code on the bags to tell me what category of preps was inside and a red ribbon flag attached to those packs with the highest priority. One pack was designed to take if it was all I could take. Frustration was magnified by the fact that getting to my bug-out location was not assured, in fact, unlikely under some circumstances.
It took me nearly 35 years to do it, but I moved out of the city. Now my plans are not so much bugging-out, but bugging-in. The experience of being an urban survivalist has actually become a benefit. With my previous plans, minimalization and organizaton were key elements. I still have many of my preps in those canvas bags, packs and containers and that gives me a better system if I do have to bug-out. I would probably never have used this system if I had not planned as an urban survivalist. Those frustrations have produced some extra benefits.
(W),
That’s where I’m at now. In a big city. My (2) chosen safe spots are several states away. I did not buy land to run to. I decided that if TSHTF I would be out in the middle of No Where on US Public land. Since I’m part of the public what the hell. When an if the country and world get their act back together, I’ll deal with property rights then. If all goes right, my group will treck there in a small caravan just before its to late to use the roads. After TSHTF, I feel it might be to dangerous to use the roads in most cases where law and order are non existent. I feel small groups that have something will be targets of bigger hostile groups that want it. All my years in the Military Police and then in Private Investigations and Security have taught me that it does not take much to Let the Beast out of Man, when they are sure they can get away with it. So it will be by foot. One safe spot is closer then the Other. Designed that way as a regroup, recover and resupply point where other parts of the group can also rally at. I am looking for some property that is between both safe spots so that I have another option to move out of the big city and slow life down.
One of my greatest frustrations is trying to decide whether or not to save what little excess cash we have to put towards the bills..or should I invest in more stores? If the dollar collapses, the small savings is worthless. If inflation hits hard, the cash will be needed to pay for the increase. When you don’t know what’s coming first, it’s impossible to make the right choice!
We are also remodelling the house, but I’m finding it VERY difficult to continue much with that now. I doubt that we would stay here if things got bad. And I don’t want to invest a lot more to just walk away from it in the future.
I thank God that we have been blessed, and everything is paid for. No debt. On anything.
Sure, my husband ranted and raved about storing stuff, but now he’s glad I did. He’s been out of work for quite awhile, and we are using the storage items.
I’m late posting to this topic, but my main concerns:
1. My family won’t listen to me. I’ve been into preparedness for 20+ years; maybe two of my 12 siblings (2 full, 10 half-siblings–it’s a long story) have any sort of storage, let alone the full year’s supply of food that I have. And most of them know I have it, so I fully expect that I’ll have many folks wanting handouts.
2. I don’t have enough ammo–yet.
3. I need to get over my squeamishness and learn how to hunt/butcher game. Ick.
My biggest frustration is being too young and poor to actually ‘prep’. I can’t go and buy a property in Utah to stock up with unperishable foods. I can’t build a bomb shelter or have a solar powered generator in my apartment. I can’t grow my own food- I have a potted plant that gives me peppers, but I don’t think that would help me much to be self-sustaining.
SO I guess I’m not a survivialist, I’m just suppose to die?
Hi Dee,
Don’t give up on trying to be ready for the future.
Like most folks we can do those thing either.
But what you can do is to slowly stock up on food and personnel items a little each week. Pick up a few extra items each week that you normally use. Get some boxes ot tubs to store these items in.
Just check expiration dates on food items and when an item comes close to expiring use it and replace it with a new one.
You will be surprised how in a short time you will have enough supplies to last a couple of months if needed.
Just don’t give up and become a survior.
Bob
My biggest frustrations when it comes to prepping have been not able to fully prepare for all of the possible conditions that could occur and further complicated by the many different type of events that could cause TSHTF. While I think a breakdown of the power grid to be the most likely TSHTF condition, it also requires the most preparation to plan for.
With a limited budget I am trying to prepare but I am always worried that it wouldn’t be enough.
But at least I am working towards being prepared which puts me in the minority of folks in the country.
The last frustration will be trying to protect my daughter and keeping what I am preparing when I live about 1 mile from some of the worst crime areas in Detroit.
Keep strong everyone!
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