Rhetorical SHTF...?

[redneckmedic]

Do you prepare for SHTF or just use it as an excuse to buy guns and other toys?

Really tell the truth.

Do you spend just as much money and time learning trades like smoke meats, and setting traps. Transferring energy, and basic radio comms? Many ways in purifying water and negotiating terrain. Seed to seed and the art of gardening, tanning, primitive weapons and tools.

Or do you just like to buy guns and toys?

When do you think you will actually start to really prepare?!?

 

[360]

It's merely an excuse. Sure I was an Eagle Scout, and I like Die Hard and Rambo, but one cannot prepare for "The End".
You can only hope to be fortunate.

 

[jsharmon7]

I fall under both camps. I have been without power due to storms or stuck on the side of the road due to weather conditions so I prepare mainly to deal with that; i.e. a couple of days or a week at most. As far as TEOTWAKI/Red Dawn/etc: I don't think I'll ever see that in my life so any preparations for something like that are only to satisfy my inner child who wants to daydream about that sort of thing. Even if it did, you would be much better served, as you suggested, by learning skills rather than storing "stuff." Stuff will eventually run out if something catastrophic ever happened, so you better know how to live like Survivorman, or the image that Bear Grylls projects.

Oops, this question was rhetorical...I fail.

 

[redneckmedic]

I don't think I'll ever see that in my life so any preparations for something like that are only to satisfy my inner child who wants to daydream about that sort of thing.

Oops ...I fail.

Fixed it for you

 

[UncleMike]

I hope for the best, but ALWAYS prepare for the worst.
If I don't need the "stuff" that I collect, my Children, and Grandchildren may. It's their inheritance from me.
Mike

 

[Bigkeger]

I feel as if I am as prepared for as little as I have time invested. 95% of the population isn't as prepared as I am and I feel good about that. For instance, I was talking at work the other day with a former marine with a wife a three kids, he has one shotgun and has never shot it and does not shoot often. I told him theoretically, that if I needed water, and he had it, and all he had was a shotgun and didn't know how to use it, that his water would be mine. NOW, of course this was all theoretical and he is a guy I like to harrass, and Jimmy down the steet could rape his family of everything they have instead of myself, but he got the point.

I think he will be attending a Magpul Dynamcis class with me in July. I hope.

For the most part, I like to attend 3-4 training classes a year and gather cool **** that I think will help me if SHTF. Other than that, I pretty much talk a lot of $hit.

 

[HICKMAN]

I'll say mine isn't true SHTF yet, more being ready for power outages, going camping, basic skills like firemaking, debris shelters and other bushcraft skills.

It's sort of a step by step for me, with it all leading in the general direction of SHTF prep.

 

[Sailor]

I grew out the the "guns are cool" thing a long time a go. I buy them as a tools.

Its a constant work in progress. I have spent over $1500 in comms this last yr and have my ham tech license. I can my own venison. Share a large garden with some friends. Train regularly with good group of guys.

I am now working on getting a emcom program set up for my neighborhood, which I plan and transforming to into much more.

 

[Lars]

Comms training I have down. The rest of SHTF preparations. I'm sadly lacking in.

 

[grunt soldier]

leave it to redneckmedic to start all the trouble. me i buy my stuff cause i believe in being prepared no matter what. and i always look at it like this. if i buy it, have it and need it then i am already set. and if nothing happens and i don't need it then even better cause then i just have extra stuff. i also buy stuff i can use no matter if its shtf or just regular life, which is why i purchase food that will last for awhile and that i also enjoy eating either way. i love guns and knives and love to train with them so it just gives me more reason to be very proficient with them. which again is not a bad thing cause i will always have both if i ever need them and i will know what to do with either.


if you remember nothing remember this. stolen from my dad who i am sure stole it from someone else.


a regular person trains until they do it right........A professional trains until they can not do it wrong.

good luck in 2010 folks

 

[Bucky623]

Got the basics on Guns and ammo some years ago but I continue add to it.

Short term SHTF:
Canned food, stored water, gas heaters that don’t use electricity, batteries and oil lamp.

Long term SHTF: (doing and ramping up)
Heirloom gardening, canning, raising and hunting meat animals.

Long term SHTF: (in the works or in my head)
Extra LP tank, gas stove (LP & natural), methane digester, root cellar, hand pump/windmill, wood stove.

Some learned skills:
First aid, land navigation, trapping.

Things I would like to learn to do or make:
Beekeeping, maple syrup, make charcoal.

I know each topic has things I can’t think of right now. It’s 2:30am and I just got home from a new years eve party and all I can think about is “why am I not in bed?”

Happy New Year.

Bucky

 

[hotfarmboy1]

The guns are only partly to be prepared. I mostly look at them as tools, always have. Every one I have has a certain purpose or reason I own it. Not just cause I want it.

As for being otherwise prepared. I do try to keep stocked up on what long term storage food I can, even t hough its more of a short term deal. I only missed Eagle Scout by 2 reqs due to running out of time by getting too old. So I do know alot about survival and making due in an emergency or in the wilderness. I need to practice some of it more, but am working on that one. For growing food I need to learn more from dad with the farm, and some from mom on a garden, and also learn to do canning this next year. But it is definitely in the future plans. I'm working more on learning more in the way of first aid (as you know RNM) and plan on pursuing more knowledge and training in the future. I'm working on trying to get a hand pump setup on our well in case of power outages. Also want to start looking into some solar backup power and even sooner a wood stove for when we have power outages. Oh yeah and I'm also planning on buying a smoker/grill here real soon so I can learn how to do that as well. My grandpa used to do it when I was younger and I want to do it too.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

quote"Things I would like to learn to do or make:
Beekeeping, maple syrup, make charcoal"quote"

At Christmas dinner my uncle and dad were discussing how they used to help grandpa collect sap and make maple syrup when they were kids. I'm sure I could get them to teach me how to do it. They seemed to remember most of the process. The making charcoal would be something I'd be interested in learning as well.

 

[Eddie]

I would say that I am really trying to prepare. I have been using a system for some time to line item small amounts of money for guns, ammo, gun parts (like mags, scopes, grips and stocks), tools (everything from new dies to backpack frames and folding shovels), food, water (both bottled and purification systems), medical, cash/trade items and a slush fund.

My preps started out pitifully slow due to only having very small amounts to contribute so I spent my time reading and working on DIY projects like learning to homebrew, can, smoke and make cheese. Now its been years and things have really built up. I'm fine for a up to a months long disaster and I think I could be self sufficient in TEOTWAWKI.

The problem is that with retreatism/survivalism/prepping is that the more you do it the more you think of what could wrong so the more layers of gear, supplies and training that you think you need continues to grow. I just call it a hobby and keep doing it unashamedly.

My hobby came up last night in conversation and I just said: "No one can raise prices on stuff that I already own." and that seemed to shut up criticism.

 

[samot]

I have alot to learn, ive deffinetly got the firearm part of SHTF covered. I would like to ,starting next year in our new home, get into gardening & canning not only for SHTF but to try to save money. If i were by myself, i wouldnt be to worried bout a SHTF senario, but since i will have 2 other mouths to feed it kinda makes you think about it a little more.

 

[Sailor]

Comms training I have down. The rest of SHTF preparations. I'm sadly lacking in.

I simply started by filling one of those large plastic storage rack from Lowes with food we normally eat. Bought in bulk from Sam's Club. As it used it is rotated.

Then I loaded up on hundreds of pounds of Rice, Beans. Salt, spices, pasta, Sugar. Packed in Mylar in 5 gallon buckets. This is the stuff I hope I never need but its there.

Kept a running total by calories on a spreadsheet (I have if anyone wants it) and I have about 4 months of food.

Long term food needs some work. We have a shared large garden, but its not sufficient. Need access to a tractor to break up a large area of soil now so it will be easier to till later with smaller equipment.

Learned reloading a few yrs ago. Make all my own 9 mm training ammo. Have bought molds for 9mm bullets. I have the dies and brass for .223 have no tried it yet though.

Jumped into Ham a yr ago, working on getting comms to everyone in our group. Building a 3 element quad ant, and am going to try to reach a buds 2 meter FM rig later this week. 100 miles away, a reach but we will see. I know I can hit his repeater, but want to try simplex.

I have gaps in medical training, but have an army medic and my wife works in critical care.

I have to up the fitness.

I have to up the Alt energy. Batteries and solar/wind.

 

[DHolder]

We are well on our way for long term preparedness. I'm only lacking in long term power. I have been looking into wind and solar power but at the time they are both cost prohibitive, due to my lack of electrical ability.

Skills are a definate advantage in my case, growing up in a rural setting, being self reliant is a way of life for me.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I think the two go hand in hand, as one leads to the other. Even if you're the guy that just uses it as an excuse to buy cool toys, at some point you'll start to realize that it isn't enough to just have things. You eventually realize that all the bought food will run out and begin to formulate a plan from there.......

 

[42769vette]

i think for me in a shtf senerio my biggest job will be protecting what i already have. we have enough beef in the pasture to eat for a long time. enough deer in the woods to eat aswell. enough gas in the tanks to run a generator for a couple years. enough ammo that if i didn't go play would last me for many year

 

[Eddie]

Time

I wanted to add to this thread that the one commodity I can never get enough of is time. There are so many things that I read about but don't have time to practice. Between trying to find time to exercise, shoot regularly, hunt, fish, go camping and work for $, work on my house and spend time with the wife and kids I always feel desperate for more time. I read a great article on building a bow and I would love to try it, but it is more pressing to do some repairs to the greenhouse for example. Does anybody have tricks for finding more time?