May 2012

Welcome!

it doesn't matter what your reason for prepping or reason you came across that feeling...lots of people have different reasons..but the thing is and you've probably already come to realize...

No one is going to take care of you but yourself when TSHTF.

Be prepared, not scared!

Is it just you, or do you have a family? That might be a starting point for advice here.

:beercheer:

 

:welcome: I don't think that you are far off in the worry department-for a few years now I have had the, almost uncontrollable urge to learn to do things that will help when things go to heck! I don't get any timetables going but I do get more feelings that what I am learning is going to come in handy.

All I can say is not to get too overwhelmed, slowly start reading everything on here(or fastly depending on your reading skills). Start buy picking up extra long storage foods when ever you can afford it.
Scope out bakeries for used buckets with lids, they sometimes give them to ya or I pay .99¢ each for them, they range from about 3 1/2 gallon to 5 gallon buckets... I can get 25 pounds of flour in the 3 1/2 gal. buckets easily.
Pasta and rice and beans are long storing foods. Look for can sales on what ever it is you like to eat-storing things that you don't eat or haven't made or eaten will probably not help in the long run--eat what you store and store what you eat.
Read up on Bug Out Bags, there are many threads here that will help.
Just start doing what you can, when you can and keep reading and working at it. Rome was not built in a day!

 

:welcome:

Dreams are very cool... they can tell you alot about yourself. (but that is a very different thread.

Now, where do you start? Good guestion ... but (you knew there had to be a but. )

Being prepared is different for each person. So there is no right or wrong way ... just different ways for different folks. I garden and can etc. but that might not fit into your world. Sooooo

I always tell a person to start with food and water. The next time you go to the store buy a few (or more if you can) things and put them back. With that you are on your way.

 

After you get a few buckets, this may help as you shop...and welcome.


How much bulk fits in a 5 gallon bucket ?

Food Item _____5 Gallon Bucket

White Flour _____ ___33 pounds
Cornmeal __________33 pounds
Popping Corn ___ ___37 pounds
Rolled Oats _____ ___20 pounds
White Rice ______ ___36 pounds
Spaghetti __________30 pounds
Macaroni ___________21 pounds
Dried Beans ____ ____35 pounds
White Sugar ____ ____35 pounds
Powdered Milk ______29 pounds
Powdered Eggs _____20 pounds

 

More people need to listen to them selves and their feelings about things:2thumb:
That being said Skills and knowledge are as or more important than things,
the fiction stories on this and many other prepper boards , are also a good way of getting a handle on what you may be facing ,SHTF Some people get too hung up on gathering stuff that they never learn how to do things for themselves, learn about air water shelter and food, as well as evasion and hiding.

 

Doesn't matter how you got to this point, just remember that FEMA will NOT be there, they;ll be looking out for themselves and hopefully their families.
Read what others are doing, especially newbies to this, so that you understand survival......no one will be there to help so make yourself safe and your loved ones too. Your kids probably don't get it, but when the hammer comes down, and it will, they will finally understand. Be safe my friend

 

You are probably already started in prepping. Have you ever been snowed in for a few days or lost the electric or water? How did you fare, were you able to keep fed and warm? What did you find you did not have that you needed? Start with the basics, you will need water, food and shelter to start. Are you on a well or city water? City water will run for a while in most situations, a well needs electricity. Do you have a way to store water? A cooler or some empty 2-liter bottles make good emergency storage vessels. Plug the bathtub and let the water fill it for as long as it is running, there is a LOT of water in a bathtub. Do you live in a home or apartment? The pipes and water heater in the place hold lots of potable water, you just have to be able to get to it. Food does not have to be fancy, do you garden? Planting a little more and drying or canning is a great thing to do. What do your cupboards look like? How long do you figure you could maintain with what you have on hand, a day, a week, a month? I started by picking up a few extra items when shopping, 6 cans of tuna instead of 3. It is amazing how fast items accumulate and before you realize it you need to find more room to store things! Shop by expiration date also, it can vary by a year or more can by can.

Preps are also to help fight inflation, for me at least. Anything I buy today, with 2010 dollars is sure to cost more with tomorrow’s dollars. If toilet paper is on sale buy 2 or 3 - 12 packs instead of one. It doesn’t have an expiration date and because just about everything is brought by truck you KNOW prices will be going up.

It seems like a dauntless task to get started, I’m just trying to point out that you are already started and just need to bulk up in the areas you are lacking. Little things all add up, my saying is 10 pennies make a dime, 10 dimes make a dollar. All those pennies you save or store add up and faster than you might think.

 

I would echo Emerald as well with learning skill sets.

Time is your enemy and skills require time to learn. Survival, brewing, sewing, repair of mechanical items, gardening, water collection/purification, etc.

List some skill sets you could use and throw them on a blank sheet of paper. List time required to proficiency and go from there.

Best of success!!!

 

I am also kinda new to to this and one question I have would be, should I casually bring the subject up among family and friends to possibly seek out like minded people? It may surprise you how many people might actually be doing this without you ever knowing it.
This question might help Sagittarian as well. So what do all you preppers that have a head start on us noobs think?

 

I have to say--NO! If there are like minded folks they might find you, but as one of the other members has in their sig line.
First rule of prep club -don't talk about prep club, second rule-Don't talk about prep club.
Cuz you may just find that something that you mentioned casually might just come back to haunt you after TSHTF, by the way of folks with their hands out looking for food or someone who will kill ya all for your stuff.
I don't even talk to family any longer. A few who do know that I prep will not say anything, and a few just think that I like to learn new stuff all the time since the car accident left me a bit on the crippled side, stuff to keep me busy. They have no clue what is really going on.

 

Well, I have to disagree. I think that you can bring it up in a round about way to 'feel out' the folks that you are talking to. Some example conversations, that could lead to more discussion:

You can talk about how you are trying to put away a few extra groceries, by using coupons and sales because you are fearful about the rising prices.

You can mention that there have been so many storms lately, you have decided to make sure you have some spare flashlights and batteries in drawers and you make sure that some of the foods you have in your pantry can be eaten with little preparation.

You can mention how some of those people in tornado strewn areas were without water, so you think it's a good idea to have a few gallons of water on hand .... etc.

There are small hint-like ideas that you put into conversation with family, without letting on that you are a full-blown prepper. See what their reaction is from those 'gentle conversations'. You may be surprised. Take it from there.

YES, I would be careful about how much you talk about it all in larger group situations and community gatherings. But seeking out carefully crafted conversations with close family & friends just may surprise you.

 

That is different than talking about prepping-that is just a small push towards the "light" so to say.
I got 12 empty gallon Hawaiian punch bottles and when asked what in the world I needed them for, I just told the other moms that we have been having a hard time with the power blinking off and on in MI lately(this was around the time of the ice storms that left many without power for day) since I have chickens that still need water that I would just clean and fill them for the chickens so that they would have ready water in case of power outages.
They all already know that I am a coupon clipping maniac! And buy more on sale for use later. Maybe I just live in a town that doesn't think much of buying when on sale, cuz most of us do it.:dunno:
But most don't know the extent of my little "hoard" . But since it is a small town most do know that I garden and grow most of my own veggies in the summer and am a big proponent of heirloom veggies and saving your own seed. That is what comes from working in the local greenhouse for over 8 years! I am still called the flower/veggy girl(or lady) where ever I go..

When folks ask why I wanna learn to say, make wine, make bread, make cheese and dry my own foods etc.. I just say with my allergies to food additives it only makes sense to learn how to make everything without the additives. No one even blinks anymore. They all seem to enjoy what I bring to pot lucks too..
Maybe after TSHTF I won't be thought of as the :nuts: hippy lady who can't eat boxed foods to the nice lady who can teach us how to become the people our ancestors who came here would want us to be..
Well that got a bit ranty/preachy didn't it.. sorry..

 

I hope I don't get in trouble here ...... but I have enjoyed watching youtube preppers. You can get great ideas and see what people have. You get a good idea from watching.
Is it okay that I recommended youtube?

 

There are several folks who post videos from youtube, I don't see why you can't!:2thumb:

 

Oh thanks Emerald .... I don't know how to post youtube stuff but for some reason I thought you weren't allowed to post recommend youtube... Thats how much I know. Tee Hee

 

So...just to be ornery....if this is the case....how would there ever be a prep club? I guess my take on it would be a prep club of one would just be a plain prepper....no club tag attached. hehehe

 

This is a very helpful post. I've been weighing each of my buckets on a scale as I fill them and then taping the weight on each bucket. My weights are very very close to what you posted. -k

 

The basic theme is: only store what you will eat. There are so many books out there right now on preparedness skills; check out your library. There are many websites as well.

I first looked a lot at this website and eventually bought Holly's book; it is full of all kinds of information:

Stan Deyo / Millennium-Ark

Since you like to garden, perhaps expand your knowledge about dehydrating your food besides canning.

I'm sure some of the folks here can give you a list of books that are their favorites. It is a learning process.

You might start with a list of the things your family likes to eat and start putting extra aside. I have canned goods from the grocery store and I have long term food items; canned jars of food, and dehydrated items. I think one needs to diversify their food items.

For long term food storageand other misc:
Stan Deyo / Millennium-Ark
Wholesale Ingredients to the Food Service Industry, Honeyville Food Products. Premium Corn, Flour, Whole Grains, Sugar and more.
Lehmans.com
Emergency Preparedness » Post Topic » 52 Week Food Storage Plan: Week #30 Part 1